Savanna and I came back from Costa Rica late on Tuesday night last week. We came back with some coffee and chocolate in our suitcase. But I also came back with a load of great memories of hanging out with this little human.

We stayed at a B&B owned by an older couple. The house was designed by the husband, the garden designed by the wife, situated on their family’s coffee plantation. We were surrounded by greenery. They  had two dogs and two cats, which is the equivalent of heaven for Savanna.

We were fed amazing fresh mangoes, juice from their own orange trees, and locally made cheese every morning. We went to the local farmers market to get fresh produce, drank coconut juice, and ate watermelon. When the monsoon rain started in the afternoon, we would stay in and do puzzles, coloring books, play with the host’s grandson’s toys. We took one cocoa farm tour where we gorged on chocolates made from the farm’s own cocoa fruit, and drank hot chocolate from freshly ground cocoa nibs.

In general, we spent a ton of time together enjoying each other’s company. I tried hard to savour every minute of time spent with Savanna, and memorize her still-baby’ish cheeks. I know how fast this time goes by, and I am in such denial that she’s going to kindergarten in September.

The house we stayed at

Farmers market

A fresh bean. My first time seeing one.

Giant papaya

Freshly made tortilla

Savanna spent lots of time playing in the yard with branches and twigs.

We did hours of coloring and puzzles.

Churro filled with caramel. I ate most of it.

Oranges that are great for juicing after they ripen. The smell of the orange flowers is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

Savanna collected walnuts in the yard

On the cocoa farm tour, Savanna got to crack open a cocoa fruit.

This is what the inside of the cocoa fruit looks like.

Dried cocoa beans.

Once dried, the cocoa beans are roasted to intensify the flavour.

Then you crack the shells open.

Grind up the cocoa nibs, make hot chocolate, and give it all to Angela.

This is a story for another day. It’s a story about how I turned a 2-hour drive into a 5-hour drive on the twisty-est and rainy-est mountain roads in Costa Rica.

And this is how patient this kid is about her mother’s ability to mess up the Google map directions.

I am totally crazy about this little human being, and absolutely in love with her.

Every morning, the sweetest and juiciest mango greets us.

A stroll on the coffee planation with the B&B host.

Savanna said, “Look Mommy, I found a heart!”