Santa Teresa, Costa Rica Babymoon

April 20, 2021 Shyla Yoder

. . . s a n t a t e r e s a . . .

[ the pure life ] . la pura vida . [ the simple life ]

After a year and a half of not traveling, working hard through the pandemic and getting through my first trimester, a vacation seemed much needed. So, Wayne and I decided to explore our travel options considering the current travel restrictions and decided on Costa Rica.

Santa Teresa is a small surfer town, although growing in popularity to surfers around the world, still very unknown to tourists. It is a quiet, absolutely beautiful long stretch of beach along the Pacific side of the country with a small town and hidden accommodations sprinkled along the coast. Everything was accessible by foot, although it was nice to have an ATV rented for the week to get around town.

g e t t i n g t h e r e . . .

Santa Teresa is a peninsula on the other side of the mountain range of Costa Rica. To get to this hidden little treasure you have to take an extra travel step from the main airport - either several hours by vehicle + boat or a short 30 min flight. We opted for the short flight from San Jose Airport, which ended up being a 10 passenger jet! Whew! That was a fun ride (ok, a little nerve wracking as you could feel all the turbulence, but fun!)

Note: We did not have a good experience booking through Kiwi which was the only option for combining all our flights together. In the future I would book the small flight from San Jose, Costa Rica to Santa Teresa separately through the airlines website itself).

. . . w h e r e w e s t a y e d

We stayed at Tropicana Latino in a private Bungalow on the beach. It was one of our favorite beach accommodations yet! We are totally sold on staying “on” the beach, just steps away from the water. The resort served all our meals on the beach as well, under palm tree canopies and it was still quiet and private from the traffic of the beach, which was never crowded. Being able to walk out to the beach anytime was so lovely. We found ourselves taking walks together and solo early in the morning, in the afternoons and after dinner and then retreating back to our bungalow for an afternoon nap or reading in our hammock and then relaxing on the beachfront after dinner watching the surfers. It was a different vacation than one where we’d usually packing up our things to spend the day at a beach and then come back in the evening. We could come and go as we pleased. There was also a beautiful spa and pool there. It ended up being the most relaxing vacation we’ve taken.

One of the fun things about staying in a surf town is that life revolves around the sunrise and sunset when they go out to catch waves. It is so fun to watch and take part in. A beautiful ritual.

f o o d . . .

We feasted on fresh fish and fruit… which was such a delight. Their local cuisine is based on rice, beans, fish or chicken and plantains. Breakfast in the morning always consisted of some kind of fresh squeezed juice (orange, strawberry, pineapple, banana), an array of delicious entrees (quiche, pancakes, eggs benedict, açaí bowls, elaborate fruit and yogurt spreads, etc.) and lunch and dinner had no shortage of fish tacos, avocado, fried plantains and rice.
We ate many of our meals at the resort but also tried some of the other resort restaurants and cafes in town.

. . . b r e a k f a s t . . .

My favorite breakfast cafe was definitely:
The Bakery | Where I felt spoiled with fresh croissants of all varieties, espresso and a beautiful brunch menu.
There were many other adorable breakfast spots in town that served great coffee and brunch

Drift Bar

BBQ at Shambala

Bajo El Arbol B&B

. . . l u n c h + d i n n e r . . .

Other favorite lunch/ dinner spots were:
Shambala (at Tropicano Latino)- BBQ Night | Open to public, every Saturday Night (amazing!)
El Tercer Ojo | Delicious Carribbean Food (One of our favorite casual dinner spots)
Drift Bar | (Vegetarian Indian Food + other Veg Cuisines, delicious fresh juices, gluten free bakery & cafe)
Bajo El Arbol B&B | For a romantic, string-light experience, serving authentic Spanish Tapas
Manzu | A simple fine dining beachfront experience

. . . j u n g l e t o u r

We took a jungle tour one day and saw howler and white faced monkeys which was super cool! We spotted one mama with a baby on her back and lots of other interesting wildlife :).

The combination of warm ocean air in the midst of our Winter, being served delicious food and lots of rest was the best therapy that both of our souls could receive. It changed things for the better for me in my pregnancy and gave us both a boost for returning to everyday life.

I hope you can getaway soon!

Links

Accommodation | Tropicano Latino
(They booked our ATV rental and Jungle Tour for us)
Maternity Photography | Megan McCullor Photography
Costa Rica Entry Requirements | At the time our travel we were not required to have a Covid test taken but did need to have travel insurance (see link for details).
US Travel Restriction Info | (At the time of our travel we were required to have a negative Covid test taken before returning. We took this down the street at Lifeguard Clinic, which we booked ahead online and was very easy).
Helpful Resource For Where You Can Travel Now

We're Pregnant!

March 27, 2021 Shyla Yoder

We’re Pregnant!

Wayne and I are 21 weeks pregnant with our precious little boy. Due August 7th.

Yes…. can you believe it? We hardly can, but it’s wonderful and amazing all at the same time!

He is our rainbow baby.
I was pregnant with our first little one this time last year and miscarried at 12 weeks. He was a boy.

I always imagined having a boy first and we are just thrilled.

I’ve dreamed about being a mother since I could hold a babydoll… I always felt it was in my bones.

Having a miscarriage wasn’t something I imagined for myself though… and though conceiving again came with surreal thankfulness… my first trimester left me feeling such conflicting feelings. It was truly a dark night of the soul :)… but after about 16 weeks and a getaway to Costa Rica… I feel like a new person. Pregnancy is no joke. But you all know that. I commend every woman out there whose done it (and those who haven't for that matter) and value her experience. What a beautiful and wild ride.

As I’m a little over halfway now.. I still wonder if I’m ready for this life-altering transition.
I dream of holding my baby in my arms…
I dream of the precious bond I will feel with him.. and I look forward to going through all the phases of life with him.
I ask for the Lord’s help. I know how flawed I am.

Something that encourages me… a line I jotted down from a Mother’s Day message I heard several years ago - “The greatest thing a Mother can teach her children is, “I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior.” - Sam Schwenck

Thank you for celebrating with us.

We can’t wait to welcome this little miracle!

Photography | Megan McCullor Photography
Location | Santa Teresa Beach, Costa Rica

Autumnal Feels | A Collection of Thoughts

October 11, 2020 Shyla Yoder

a u t u m n a l f e e l s

... a    c  o  l  l  e  c  t  i  o  n    o  f    t  h  o  u  g  h  t  s ...

It’s Sunday, late afternoon, a perfect, overcast October day. I am sitting here with a cup of tea and a quiet evening to put some thoughts down.

I woke up this morning to the peak of Autumn color in our valley… bright turmeric yellow, bronzed gold and vibrant red. We truly get a beautiful display and I think this year is one of the best since I’ve moved here three years ago. It was brisk and hazy, as I pulled my boots on over my wool socks and stepped out into the morning; a ritual I’ve taken on in the past year, to breathe in fresh air first thing each day. Wayne was walking the dogs through our field, his morning ritual, and I had a stroll around the garden, inspecting the changes since yesterday. The dahlias are cultivating new blooms after being cut by sweet visitors on “You Pick” day in the garden Friday. I’m ready to tear it all out, though everything is still going strong and there is no frost yet in view, it is time to put the garden to rest before cold weather comes. Until I get to it, I smile at it’s fading beauty. I returned inside for a hot cup of coffee.

It’s been about a month ago now when I came home from a trip to Ohio, that I felt the inkling to take a break from my phone. I was getting ready to dive into the last few weeks of flower production, a workshop in the garden, my largest wedding yet and the rest of fall orders and tasks. This kind of schedule always gives me a pit in my stomach to think about. I know long days on my feet are ahead, and though I love my work… percieved expectation leaves me stressed. This was the perfect way to create a little distance in my mind from it while I focused only on the moments I was in. I deleted Instagram and left my phone on the desk, instead of by my side or in my pocket throughout the day.
[ This isn’t a campaign I’m promoting to follow just something I found myself needing. I’ve taken sabbaticals from my phone before… and I believe we all need things at different times; we all have instincts we should listen to and follow when our soul’s are tired. ]

After returning from Ohio, I left a day for catching up before diving into the weekends work. It was a rainy day, I left my phone on the counter, and opened up the book I was reading… Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Barton, to the next chapter titled, Solitude. It was like the weight of the world fell off me as I ready this much needed message on how we need rest and solitude to get in touch with our souls.

As she states, sometimes our soul gets tired, beyond what sleep can repair, and we must quiet our lives in order to get in touch with it again. We need spaces of solitude in our lives in order to get in touch with our soul and what it is saying to us. Ruth says in her chapter, “Solitude is a place. It is a place in time that is set apart for God and God alone, a time when we unplug and withdraw from the noise of interpersonal interactions, from the noise, busyness and constant stimulation associated with life in the company of others… It is also the longing to find ourselves, to be in touch with what is most real within us.”

I began to feel the desire to draw away and quiet myself in this season. The world felt quieter as I was no longer tuning in to other people’s goings-on from afar… it felt simpler. My mind began to wonder to friends and ways I could reach out to them in person instead of the hundreds of relationships I cultivate online. I left my phone at home on a day trip to the mountains with Wayne on Labor Day and felt more connected to him and the moments we were in. I had only my present surroundings to connect to, the quietness of the house in the morning, a sit in the garden in the afternoon, my work that was laid out for the day, no phone calls or comments to respond to, except for when I checked it in morning and evening. I tried not to make lists for my day and do work as I saw it needed done; one thing at a time. As a list person, this was good for me. I wasn’t thinking or dreading all I needed to get done, I found joy in the task at hand.

It is still a work in progress… I wonder what the balance is for me. I have let moments pass without my phone to take a picture… and have wondered if savoring them in my heart is the best thing. I love capturing and sharing beauty and perhaps, I will be more compelled to write here, something I have truly missed.

A few moments of beauty from this fall…

An autumn bridal bouquet and boutonniere from the garden

A Monday bible study ritual that has begun this fall with these beautiful souls from our church at our house… a long answered prayer.

Dahlia bounty from the garden, brought inside for myself

A wreath order and loaf of sourdough a sweet garden visitor brought...

The deer found my unfenced garden (in the distance here), & ate all the leaves and buds on my first year roses and my green bean crop. I was so sad. Fortunately we’ve never had problems with deer because of our dogs, but the rose garden is in a … — The deer found my unfenced garden (in the distance here), & ate all the leaves and buds on my first year roses and my green bean crop. I was so sad. Fortunately we’ve never had problems with deer because of our dogs, but the rose garden is in a spot the dogs cannot see. We had to put up an electric fence temporarily.

I pray that your soul finds rest this fall and you can take in each of it’s moments quietly.