He loves me....

That's the only explanation I have for why Cody would agree to get me a new shiny car. He loves me! Yesterday, we went down to the dealership looking at cars and trucks. He kinda wanted a truck, and I kinda wanted a car. After looking at our options, we both agreed on a 2009 Pontiac G8 GT. I'm pretty surprised that I got financed for it, but I'm super happy I did. It's pretty much fully loaded, and SO SO SO much nicer than the Nissan Sentra we had on the island. Here's a few pictures though they really don't do it justice. The second one is after we got the windows tinted.

Can I Move to California.....?

Please, please, pretty please!!!! 

So, I've been blog-stalking again... One of my closest friends, Jill, is really good about keeping up with her blog (unlike someone you may know). After looking through her pictures with her two adorable daughters, I'm realizing how VERY much I miss them. So this is my ploy to nudge Cody in that direction. :)

Very sly, I know! Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for us that everything goes well, that Cody passes his Step 1 of the USMLE, and that I get to hang out with Jilly-Bean by the end of the summer. *big cheesy grin*

5th Semester Bash!

This weekend Cody and I went to a terrific party. It was the 5th Semester Party hosted by Cody's class. It was held at the Sonesta Great Bay Hotel in Philipsburg. This is basically an opportunity for everyone to get dressed up, have dinner, a few drinks, and lots of dancing. The girls and the guys all looked amazing. Here's a few of my favorite pictures from the evening...

Ashley and I looking GORGEOUS!

The girlfriends... Megan, Hanna, Me, and Stephanie

Cody, Rachel, Geneva, and Chuck

One of my newest friends, Amanda, and I

The classic shoe picture - left to right - Steph, Geneva, Me

The Laundry Fiasco...

Okay, so some of you have heard my stories about how I do the laundry, but now I have proof. For those of you who didn't believe my crazy island setup, here's how it works. First, I have to run the connection hose through my kitchen window. Then I walk outside and hook it up to the waterhose, making sure it doesn't leak. 

Of course this means that the washing machine has be set up close to our kitchen window. Therefore, we have it just inside the front door. (Definitely not my first choice, but what can you do?) In the picture below, the blinds are covering the front door, but you get the idea. 

Okay, so once I have everything all hooked up through the window, I have to make sure that the drain hose is in the sink and that there is a bottle of detergent weighing it down. If there is nothing to way it down, the pressure of the water flowing out pushes it out of the sink and we wind up with a flooded kitchen. Yes, it has happened more than once. Did you know they make squeegees with really long handles? We have one attached to a broom handle that comes in really handy when this happens.

After the laundry is all done washing (and with luck, no flooded kitchen), everything goes on the drying rack with a fan to help dry all our clothes. You guessed it... no dryer! Am I grateful to have the opportunity to live in the Caribbean? ABSOLUTELY! Am I going to be grateful for a washer and dryer when we get back to Texas? HECK YES! Have I made Cody promise to buy me the fanciest set on the market as soon as we can afford it? You can bet money on that. :)

Making a List and Checking It Twice!

Holy Smokes! How did it get to be 5th semester?? And where HAVE I BEEN?

Well, I can't believe it, but it's here... We are nearly to the end of 5th semester which means a lot of things. First, it means that Cody is studying like CRAZY. There are comprehensive exams, shelf exams, physical exams, behavioral exams. You name the exam, and I can tell you he's probably studying for it. Second, it means that we are getting ready to go home in just 5 short weeks. I know, I can't believe it either... seriously. We've bought the plane tickets, got our cats confirmation numbers for the flight, got their shots up-to-date, and now I'm getting rid of my stuff! That's where the list comes in. I'm packing up what we don't need, and I'm getting rid of it. Good golly it's a lot of work. 

So where the heck have I been for two months?? 

WELL, I wish you could see my calendar that I use to keep up with my school assignments. It is almost as jam-packed as Cody's is. Most of you know this, but I'm taking 9 semester hours of course work for my master's degree this semester. I know it's crazy, but I'm gonna be finished this summer! *Crosses fingers* But for now, I have papers coming out the wood-work with no end in sight. *sigh* This week it's two papers, a formal outline, and a midterm. Wish me luck....

Rachel

who is sick of research papers

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...