Costa Rica

The photos are in from our recent trip to Costa Rica. We had a blast! It had been years since the last time I was there, and it was Alexis first time. We started out in Monteverde, to see the cloud forest. We had a great time doing the canopy tour (huge zip lines through the jungle) and doing some jungle walks. Next, we went down to Esterillos Oeste to meet up with our friends, Daniel and Chloe Murdoch. We stayed with them at Casa Exotica from Pura Vida Casas. It was stunning. If you are going to Cost Rica with a group, you should stay there no questions asked! We were inspired and encouraged by the Murdochs and their heart to serve the people in Costa Rica. They are preparing to move down there to do ministry in August. It really renewed our passion to be serving here in San Francisco. It's really easy to get caught up  pursuing the normal things we all want, while neglecting the deep needs in our own back yard. Anyway, we loved getting to spend time with them and their son Malachi. Not only did we get to go to some of their favorite spots, like Villa Caletas Resort, but we also got to help do some work with them fixing up things at an elementary school in Esterillos Oeste. The last time I was in Costa Rica, I was with a group from my church in Santa Barbara, and we  helped build the play structure that you see us fixing up at the end of the post. Things rust really fast down there by the beach, so It was good to do some maintenance and get the play structure back to good working order. We also helped repair and paint the desks and chairs for the school with a church group from Colorado. We had the best time in Costa Rica. It's a beautiful country- filled with great food and nice people and stunning beaches. If you get a chance to go, I'd recommend going.

A huge thank you to Kelly Oshiro for featuring some of these photos on her beautiful blog, SB Chic. It's quickly become my favorite Santa Barbara wedding and lifestyle blog- you should check it out. Also, if you know anyone who is looking for a Costa Rica wedding photographer, Chloe Murdoch is amazing and they will be living down there by the end of the summer. If you notice a slightly different look to these photos, it's because they were shot on Fuji Pro 400H film with my Canon 1V and processed at Richard Photo Lab.