Happy Birthday to me!

For my birthday (the big 25) Cody took me on a trip to Saba, which is an island we can see right out our front door. It was really neat to get to see another Caribbean island. I kind of thought they would all be the same, but boy was I wrong! Saba reminded me more of a tropical rainforest than anything else. The towns (all 4 of them) were very charming. People were NICE and thought very highly of the medical students on the island. It was very refreshing. 

The cottages where we stayed were super cute. They were on the side of a hill looking out over the ocean. There was no a/c, but the cottages were completely open. The kitchen and the bathroom were technically outside. It got a little cool at night, but it was nice just to feel the breeze. The picture above is the view from our kitchen /porch area.

Anyway, our big adventure while we were there was to hike Mt. Scenery (basically to the top of the island). As you can see, the top of the mountain is actually in the clouds. And the picture really doesn't do it justice. On a side note, when you are climbing to the top there are 1,067 concrete steps, and more than a few uphill slopes. Yes, you are looking UPHILL in the picture below...

There were a few times that we both questioned our sanity, but we made it to the top. Yay! We sat at the top for about 30 minutes, but we really couldn't see much because of the cloud cover. It was fun anyway. We had a blast and enjoyed the rest of our weekend relaxing in the cottage. 

And it begins again...

I just wanted to let everyone know about my misery. My graduate classes officially started back up today. The internet is already acting up, looks like it's going to be a long semester... 

Things you might not know...

So I was thinking about what really defines me as, well, me. I came up with a list of things that I find essential to understanding who I truly am, and I found that most of them are the little things that you might not know about me. Here they are in no particular order:

1. I love peace - not in the world peace kind of way (though that would be great), but in the way that I want every thing around me to be easy going.

2. I'm OCD when it comes to textures - I compulsively touch things when I walk through stores. I can't help myself! If something doesn't feel nice, I don't buy it. 

3. I think Giraffes are CUTE! I even have socks to prove it. :)

4. I'd rather scrub a toilet than do dishes. There, I said it. I hate doing dishes, so that job usually falls to Cody. I know, poor Cody. (And you'll never find a nasty toilet in my house.)

5. I am loyal to my family, almost to a fault. I'm the only one who gets to talk bad about them. They are mine! I'll defend them even if you are right. 

6. I have several best friends. I can't say that one is any more "best" than the others. They have entered my life when I needed them the most, and I will forever be grateful to each of them. 

7. I am madly in love with my husband. Probably not a surprise, but a lot of my actions can be traced back to something that involves Cody. But hey, that's how it's supposed to be, right? :)

8. I have a terrible memory - don't blame me, my mom says it's genetic. Honestly, I've forgotten to pick her up not once, but twice. Now, if something is extra important, it gets a sticky note. And if I tell you I've forgot something, I'm not lying, it happens a lot.

9. I know God loves me. There is no other explanation for all the wonderful things  in my life.

10. I think there is something sacred about good books. You won't find me "dog-earing" my pages or folding the cover back. Guess you understand why I'm getting my master's degree in library science. (And why I was an English major in undergrad.)

11. I believe in multiple intelligences (the concept of being smart in different areas like reading, logic, technology, street smarts, and so on). I also know where I'm smart and where I'm, uh, lacking.

12. I hate being cold. Part of me wants Cody to do his clinicals in Michigan, but then the high temperature for today was 3, so maybe not so much. 

Okay, that's the list so far! That's who I am. Interesting, huh?

Ringing in 2009!

This is my first official post of the new year! Yippee!

Okay, now that I got that out of my system, it's time for another one of my famously late updates...

Cody and I enjoyed three glorious weeks back in the good ole United States. It was so nice to be back with our family and friends for Christmas. We made trips to San Antonio, Dallas, Tyler, and Killeen in order to visit as many people as we could.

Mom waited for me to get home before putting up a Christmas tree. (It's because she loves me). Anyway, that was the first item on my to-do list once we got home. It turned out that no one in town had any left, but Cody and I got really lucky. Someone had donated some really nice ones to our church for anyone who needed a tree. Neato! So my nephew, Hunter, and I had a great time decorating a tree. I wish I had gotten a good picture of it because he did a great job hanging the ornaments.

For Christmas Eve we went with my mom, sister, brother, sister-in-law, and my four neices and nephews to drive through the Land of Lights. It was great fun. We got to ride in the back of the truck with the kids who sang Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. Who could ask for more? After that, we rode back to my mom's house to open our gifts (It's a Duncan family tradition). 

Cody got me a new Ipod nano (the purple one) because he knew I really liked the color. I know, how sweet, huh? We also got each other tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which was simply amazing. I also got some pajamas, boots, and a new willowtree figurine from the family. Here's a shot of my mom and sister... I'm not sure what we were talking about... 

For New Year's, I went to see one of my very best friends, Robin. (I was blessed to have her as a roommate in college.) We had a blast shopping, hanging out, and doing the girl-talk thing. I am so glad we got to spend some time together.We didn't do much else that was noteworthy, but we had tons of fun.

Last but not least, I want to say a special "THANK YOU!" to our friends Chuck and Geneva. They watched my kitties for me, and somehow managed to rid my apartment of three weeks of cat fur. I can't say enough how much I appreciate them and all they have done for Cody and I. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!