5th Semester Here We Come!

I just wanted to let everyone know that Cody is officially a fifth semester student! That means that this is our very last semester on the island of St. Maarten. Also, we will be going home for Christmas this year! We're leaving early Wednesday morning, and will be gone for almost three whole weeks. I'm super excited to see my family, friends, puppy dog, cold weather, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, real Mexican food, Olive Garden, Chick Fila, 70 mph highway signs, traffic lights... I'm sure you get the picture. Anyway, if you are looking for me, I'll be in TEXAS!!! 

When we get back, Cody and I will both be back to school. (Yay, fun!) Then around the third week of April we will be moving back to Texas for a few months until we know where we will be going for Cody's clinical rotations. It used to feel like we would be stuck on this island forever, but now I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. I even made a list today of things I would like to sell at the beginning of next semester. That's when you know that it's time to go. It's so exciting! I can hardly wait!

Gobble, Gobble!

Yeah, so I know I am late again in my postings, but I wouldn't be me if that weren't the case. Anyway, here it goes. So last week was Thanksgiving! Yay, food! We had another wonderful Turkey Day on St. Maarten. Some of the students and their spouses got together for a potluck, and, man, was the food delicious! 

Here's just a fraction of what we had; it doesn't include the desert counter. :)

Cody was very grateful that they got the Cowboys game where we were (and that Dallas kicked butt). In fact, many of the guys enjoyed Thanksgiving by hanging out in front of the t.v. - now there's an American tradition!

I had a great time hanging out with some of my friends - some of the best a girl could ask for. We're all in this together, and it's nice to know we can lean on each other. Thanks, girls for being there to share another holiday with me. 

What's Going On???

Well, I keep looking at my blog and thinking that it needs something new. Only problem is I don't have any cute pictures to put up! I hate writing blogs without giving people something to look at. Wonder why I feel like I need proof of everything I do... I have to be honest too, I'm not the greatest about snapping photographs. Le sigh. 

Anyway, here's what I've been doing the last week or two. Last week I took a trip to the butterfly farm with the kids that I tutor. McKenzi, Sydni, and Jarrett are great kids, and we had a blast hanging out with the butterflies in our hair. I also made it to Jenni's baby shower last week. It is so nice to see the spouses on the island come together to help each other out. Jenni was absolutely beautiful I might add. I only hope I can be so pretty when I'm eight months pregnant. 

Yesterday my mom flew in. She's here visiting with me this week (woohoo!). So far we have made it to Baie Rouge (one of my favorite beaches) and to the movies to see The Women. I love having her around!! It feels like it's been forever since I've been home, so it sure is wonderful to have a bit of home on the island.

Well, I guess that should about catch you up on my activities. I'll try to take some pictures this week so you can be further entertained with my shenanigans! Cheers!

We Survived!!

Cody and I survived our first ever hurricane. Hurricane Omar passed over St. Maarten late last night. When it finally hit us, the Omar had progressed to a category 3 hurricane with wind speeds in excess of 125 mph. It was absolutely crazy! The sights and sounds of mother nature were incredible to witness. From our apartment (about half a mile up a hill) we could see ocean swells breaking in the ocean! Mind you this was at 3:00 a.m. so it was incredible that we could make anything out. We were guessing that the waves must have been 30-40 feet for us to be able to see them so well. Anyway, we got our taste of what a hurricane is like and hope we never have to do that again. Luckily enough for us the power and water remained on the entire time. Thanks for all the prayers! I'll snap some pictures of the damage if we happen to make it out today. 

What Happens In Vegas...

ENDS UP ON MY BLOG! I could not have asked for a better day to wrap up my trip to Utah. Jill and I had a blast!! We drove to Vegas with lots of laughs and some bad singing. (I sounded like a frog thanks to my allergies... even though Utah was beautiful, I'l be grateful when I get back to the Caribbean and my nose stops running.) When we got to Vegas we did a little shopping, ate some delicious food, snapped some pictures and headed off to see Cirque du Soleil's show Mystere. Here's a few pictures from our visit to the strip. 

The show was great, and we couldn't have ended the week any better. I'm home now - safe and sound - but I sure do miss the girls! Thanks, Jill, for having me and showing me a great time! I can't wait to see you all again!

Getting Lost On Purpose...

So Jill and I thought it would be a blast to go through the 11 acre corn maze just outside the city limits of St. George. It was definitely an experience. Here's a picture of me at the beginning of the maze all confident...

The maze was a blast because I was with great company, but I  definitely wouldn't recommend the corn maze for anyone else! There had been a storm the night before and A LOT of the corn had been blown down. That meant that we were running through a jungle of corn and getting smacked in the face with corn when the stalks snapped back from the person in front of us.  To top it off, it was just plain hot! Anyway, thirty minutes later we made our way out of the corn with it stuck in our hair and itching like crazy. We decided it was time for a nice steak dinner after our hard work in the corn maze. Here's a few pictures from the rest of our trip.

 We kind of got turned around! Turns out we are both terrible with directions!

Jill and I at the end of the maze - tired but still smiling!

I've been converted!

Haha... just kidding. But I did ride on the Mormon Battalion float in the parade yesterday morning. Here's a link to an article about the Mormon Battalion if you are interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Battalion. They were the only religious unit in American military history. Anyway, the parade was super fun. We rode in a covered wagon pulled by a team of horses, and we got to throw candy at the children... err, to the children. Whichever! Did I mention that visiting Jill rocks?!?!

Zion isn't ready for this!

Today Jill and I took a trip to Zion National Park. It was gorgeous!!! Here's one of the zillion pictures I took of the scenery. It really doesn't do it justice, but it'll give you a taste of what it was like.

This picture was taken at the top of Overlook Canyon. It was a neat little hike, and the view is awesome. 

We had so much fun today, and I am so glad we got the opportunity to go. Jill is a wonderful tour guide by the way. :) More to come in the following days!

Visiting Jilly Bean!

Well, as many of you know, I'm in UTAH! I am having the time of my life with Jill as she shows me around the wild west! Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that I made it safely... here's a picture that proves it all. I'll update again soon when I have some more pictures. Yeehaw!

Tagged by Jill

5 things I was doing 10 years ago...

***Okay if you've read this, then you know I CAN'T count! I did this for 5 years ago... not ten... hehe! oh well!***

1. Driving my new Toyota Solara

2. Working at McGilvray's Ford Lincoln Mercury

3. Meeting my good friend (and later roommate) Robin

4. Going to college at UT Tyler

5. Spending lots of time with my boyfriend (hehe) Cody

5 things on today's "to do" list...

1. Clean my house

2. Walk with Michelle

3. Play some wii fit

4. Take a long nap

5. Take a quiz online for one of my classes

5 snacks I enjoy... 

1. Raspberry Jello dessert stuff

2. 3 Musketeers bars

3. Grapes

4. Cheesecake

5. Angel Food Cake

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...

1. Pay off student loans!

2. Build my mom a new house

3. Donate money to cancer research

4. Open a BIG savings account

5. I'd love to open several businesses (a B & B with Robin, a florist's shop, and a medical clinic for low income women who are expecting)

5 places I have lived...

1. Eustace, TX

2. Tyler, TX

3. St. Maarten, N.A.

4. Yep - that's it!

5. Guess we'll see what God has planned for us.

5 jobs I've had...

1. J.C. Penney

2. McGilvray's Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

3. Colonial Title Company

4. Foley's

5. Big Sandy Jr. High

5 peeps who should consider themselves tagged...

1. Ashley C.

2. Hanna 

3. Ashley R.

4. Geneva

5. Anyone else who wants to join the fun :o)

Which Disney Princess Are You?

You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Rain Rain Go Away

For the last week or so St. Maarten has been feeling the effects of Tropical Storms Gustav and Hanna. Mostly it's been rainy and a little windier than usual. Unfortunately, Cody's parents have been visiting us all week and we had to forgo some of the fun activities that we had planned for them. We did get in one good day at the beach though, and it was absolutely beautiful. Hopefully, Ike and Josephine will pass without quite so much precipitation. :)

In loving memory...

Today, for me, brings with it bittersweet memories. Just a year ago my dad lost his battle with cancer. It is hard to believe that it has only been a year, but at the same time it seems so far away. He continues to be the greatest man that I've ever known. I love you, Dad. Every day I wish you were here...

Time sure flies whether you are having fun or not!

Well I never thought the day would come, but we've officially been on the island of St. Maarten an entire year! I really can't believe how fast the time has gone by. Some days here are wonderful, beautiful days. Others I sit in my apartment and pray to God that someone will come out and fix the air conditioner SOON!  :)

I can look back on this past year and honestly say that I've learned many life lessons that I could only have experienced here. In many ways this year was easier than the year that preceded it, and I am forever grateful for that. I want to thank both my family and my friends for helping me make it to this point. 

On another note, Cody will start his fourth semester of medical school in just a few short weeks! I am so proud of him. Congratulations, babe!

It's time for goodbyes...

So our great friends recently had their baby girl that we had been anticipating for quite some time. Kimber Anne Cluff is almost two months old now. She's a beautiful little girl, and Cody and I have enjoyed spoiling her since she arrived. Sadly our good friends Jill and Ben will be leaving in just a few short days (taking their precious daughters with them), and it's going to be very hard to see them go. I know that they are going to be great in the future, and we look forward to visiting them when we can. So here's wishing them the very best of luck in the future! We love you guys!

Happy Anniversary! (A very overdue post)

Okay, so I am married to the most wonderful man ever! I know many wives say that about their husbands, but I think mine is the best. Cody and I have been married for two years now. (Our anniversary was June 25th) I've heard it said that the first few years of marriage are the hardest, and the last two years have been absolutely wonderful. So if that's true, the rest of time together should be a breeze. 

This year Cody planned our anniversary activities, and he did a great job. After class Cody came home and took me to Loterie Farms for the extreme ziplining experience. It was a blast! After getting hot and sweaty from flying through the trees, we went home to clean up for dinner. We enjoyed Peg Leg Pub and their yummy food. After that, we were both so worn out that it was time to go home for a little R & R. We had a great day, and I'm looking forward to letting Cody plan another anniversary for us next year.

Welcome Breakfast At Last!

Cody and I are third semesters now, and I FINALLY made it to a welcome breakfast with the spouses' club. It was a great time to hang out with my friends here on the island who know how hard it can be from time to time. The food was good, and it was great getting to meet the new girls who are just getting started.

I Love New York!

Of course we had a great time going home for two weeks to visit our family and friends. It was Cody's first trip back home since moving to St. Maarten, so it was really nice for him. We got to eat at some of our favorite restaurants (definitely a highlight), and enjoyed just being back in good ol' East Texas. While Texas was fun, this blog is dedicated to our trip to NYC. We decided to fly back to St. Maarten on Jet Blue airways... which meant we had to spend a night in New York, but everyone knows that one night just wouldn't be enough. Soooo we decided to stay an extra day! We also decided to invite whoever else wanted to come just to hang out in New York for the weekend. Cody's parents decided to come along with us which made the trip extra fun. 

This is a picture taken during our very daring cab ride. I think the best part of the trip was the double decker bus tours. It was so amazing to see the sites and especially the architecture. Other fun things included checking out Central Park, visiting the American Museum of Natural History, and eating hot dogs from the street vendors. Overall, it was a great mini-vacation and I am definitely going to make plans to do it again sometime.

 

On a side note, Jet Blue is awesome! They had lots of legroom, great snacks, and even little t.v.'s in the back of each headrest. We are using them as much as possible in the future.

Long Time No See...

I know it's been a while since I posted, but I figure better late than never. Right? Lots of fun and exciting things have happened since my trip to the St. Maarten Zoo, and I'm not even sure where to start... I guess the best thing to do will be to highlight the best parts for ya! Just before Cody's break from school in April some the girls got together to throw a surprise wedding shower/bachelorette party for one of the girls who took the plunge over the break. I think somewhere between the jello shots and the tactless games she had a great time. Thanks for playing along, Ashley!

Color Me Happy!

Today was an exciting day! Jill picked me up this morning and we headed to the St. Maarten Park, which for clarification is the tiny zoo here on the island. There wasn't much to see, but they had a lot of birds and monkeys. My favorite was the peacocks! I have never seen a peacock up close before and this one was showing off for me. Big thanks to Jill for taking the picture after my camera had died. Anyway, if you can't tell, I was super stoked! After we finished walking the zoo I went home and headed to Stephanie's pool party. A lot of the girls were there that I haven't see since I got back to the island and a couple of newbies too. We had a great time. On a side note, Cody found out that he passed his Biostatistics exam, so that class is over with. I'm so proud of my hubby! Good job, babe.