Home at Last

Tuesday we had our last day in St. Maarten. We had lunch with friends at Sunset Beach bar one last time. It was a beautiful day and great to get to see our friends our last day on the island. It was very sad to say goodbye. After lunch we boarded a small bus to the airport. Our plane took off from St. Maarten at 4:20pm. We had several other students on our flight. Once to Charlotte, NC we decided to have Mexican food for dinner. Sina, one of Brandon's friends joined us for dinner and afterward we headed our separate ways. Our second flight boarded at 10:10, we lost track of time a little bit at dinner and barely boarded our flight in time.
We arrived in Houston at 11:35, where Dad and Grandaddy where there to pick us up.
The next day while Dad went to work I had Brandon drop me off at the closest mall. Brandon studied of course. I spent the entire day shopping at all the stores I had missed while gone. I have to admit that I did not exhibit much self-control during my shopping spree. The day ended with a dinner out with family at one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants. It feels so great to be around family again and back home to Texas. I look forward to a great summer!

Cooper with our suitcases, he's excited for his Aunt and Uncle to be home!! :)

Days like this...

Today was one of those days you just thank the Lord for all the things you are blessed with. Yesterday Brandon took his final comp to finish his fifth and final semester at AUC, so this weekend we decided to spend it celebrating and enjoying our last few days in St. Maarten. Some of our friends were telling us about a place near the airport that you can rent small boats for full or half days, so we decided today was the perfect day for riding around the island. The boat was small but perfect for two, with plenty of extra room for our cooler and snorkel gear. We began our drive towards the Marigot bridge and continued around Friar's Bay, Happy Bay, and stopped at Creole Rock for a little snorkeling. We saw some amazing fish and beautiful coral. After snorkeling we continued on to Anes Marcel and even further to a beach we had never even heard of. We stopped there and just lounged in our boat and enjoyed the rays. We did a little swimming and took tons of pictures. After exploring a little we decided to go back towards Marigot to have lunch among all the sailboats and yachts. We parked our little boat right in the middle of the bay and enjoyed our little boat picnic. After lunch we went back through the channel across the lagoon and to get a great view of all the mega yachts and hidden resorts that you can't see from the roads. We continued on to the dutch side, through the Simpson Bay bridge and over to Sunset Beach, where the planes take off. The water was a little more rough on this side since it was actual open water but it was worth seeing from the ocean. We sat right in front of the beach by the airport to try to get a video of planes landing and taking off from an ocean point of view. As I was filming a plane coming right over our heads my video camera died and I wasn't able to get it. I was so disappointed because it is very rare that planes take off in the opposite direction. It felt like the plane was coming right AT US! It was a scary feeling but also so neat! By this point our time on the boat was dwindling and it was time to return to the dock. On the way back we had to head back into the waves, which seemed kind of scary because they felt bigger than before. As we were rounding our last turn to head back into Simpson Bay beach we kept having the feeling like the boat was raising up in the front. It felt as though we were going nowhere fast! I asked Brandon if he thought something was wrong so he decided to stop for a second to check if seaweed had possibly rapped around the propeller or something. As I turned around to look at the engine I was shocked to see a large rope tied around the propeller that we had been dragging for who knows how long. I don't even want to know what was attached to the other side of the rope. I became very concerned because all I could think was "we are going to be stranded in open ocean, in a tiny boat, with no paddle or way to contact anyone to come get us!!" Needless to say we carefully untangled the rope and headed back to the dock as quickly as possible.
We had such a blast enjoying a different side of the island than we normally get to experience. I have to say that nothing is better than being on a boat, on a beautiful island with the person you love. We both agree that one day we would love to own some type of boat and live near a beach. We loved just exploring the island freely and getting to see things we haven't seen before. This was probably one of the best things we have ever done since we have been here. This is one day that I will be able to look back on and smile and think we are so blessed. It's days like these that I can look back and think, thank you Lord for moving us all the way to the Caribbean for medical school. I wish we would have figured out this little treasure sooner because we definitely would have done this several more times.

Farewell Lunch

Today was the 5th semester farewell lunch for all the spouses. Every semester the lunch is held at Pineapple Pete's. This isn't exactly my favorite restaurant but it still has pretty good food and the service is one of the best on the island. It's still a little sureal that we are leaving the island for good in less than a week. I've been to plenty of these lunches but it is really weird to think this one is our turn. It was good to have one last lunch with all the girls before its time for us to leave. Some girls I had to say good bye to for the last time and others I know I'll see at least one more time before I leave. And some girls decided not to say anything at all, which is okay because I didn't expect them to anyway. I guess that's something you have to expect coming to a place where everyone is forced to try to be friends, not everyone is going to like everyone but that's okay. I'm really going to miss a lot of these girls. I feel like we have become kind of a little family of sisters. The build up of this leave has been really weird and something like I've never experienced before. I'm excited to move on but very sad to leave my little family. It is truly bitter-sweat.

4 years!

Happy 4 year anniversary to us!
April 10th marks the 4 year anniversary of our first date. Our first date was a little cliche but definitely memorable. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse and then went to the movies to see Miss Congeniality II. I remember the both of us being so nervous but still having such a wonderful time getting to know each other. He was a perfect gentleman; picking me up at my house, paying for the date, and not even attempting a good night kiss.
4 years later he still brings butterflies to my stomach when I see him smile.
Normally we don't really do much for our anniversary, mainly because it comes after a long series of holidays (Christmas, New Year's, Valentines Day, and my birthday), but this year we decided to do something a little more special.

We went to dinner at a 5 star restaurant called Le Santal. The atmosphere is what really drew me to the place but the food was amazing as well. Le Santal is located on the french side of the island tucked away behind an old neighborhood and is located right on the ocean edge. We were practically the only people there which made it feel like our own private restaurant. It was 5 course meal with each course being better than the last. I was really impressed and enjoyed every bite!
We also had a little entertainment while waiting for our main course, sting rays feeding on the ocean shore! It was one of the coolest things I've seen on the island. They are such beautiful creatures and it was so exciting to watch them feed.
The view was the best part, hands down!! We arrived just in time to watch the last 30 minutes of the sunset and it was amazing. All I can say is only in the Caribbean!
We always have a great time no matter where we go together but it was nice to do something extra special for our anniversary. Thank you baby for a wonderful 4 years and a wonderful anniversary night!
Love Love Love!

Changes to come...soon!

Today marks the two week countdown till we leave the island for good. I can honestly say that I really do love it here and have become used to calling this home. On the other hand, I am so excited to go home to my family and actually get to see them for more than a week at a time. I am mostly excited about spending the summer with my beautiful nephews. This will be a great summer for so many reasons. First of all I will in one of my best friend's weddings and I am planning a lingerie party for her as well. Secondly my best friend and I are planning a trip for late summer, possibly Las Vegas or California, haven't decided yet. Thirdly my little nephew CoyWayne is playing T-ball and I am super excited to attend as many games as possible. And lastly, I will be working 4 days a week with my step-dad and spending the 3 day weekend hanging out with the rest of my family. I am also excited to be able to go to my family reunion again this year and hopefully the river with friends.

I plan on living it up and spending as much time with family and close friends as I can during the summer, since we will be moving off again in late August. We have narrowed our clinical sites to either Kingston or Epsom, London.

Yesterday we started researching apartments, or as they call them in England flats, for the first time. We were both excited to find so many adorable places for surprisingly decent prices. The uncertainty of our next move reminds me of how I felt preparing for our move to St. Maarten. I was very nervous and anxious about what the new country would be like but this time I am surprisingly more calm. Don't get me wrong, I'm still anxious but this time it's more of an excited anxiety instead of a nervous anxiety. One thing that I learned from moving to St. Maarten is that no matter how much you think you have prepared, it will always work out for the best if you have confidence in yourself and in the Lord. This Sunday our sermon was partly about having faith in the Lord and giving up being worried all the time and just turning your uncertainty over to the Lord. I feel like this is something that really relates to me because I tend to "sweat the small stuff" a little too much. I need to be more confident that the Lord will guide us and keep us safe and happy, and not try to do everything myself. Brandon is so good about being carefree and just letting things happen, so for this move I'm going to try to be more like him and just relax, let things happen and just enjoy the ride.

Although I'm still unsure about how I feel about leaving in two weeks, I know that I am very excited for the next step. I never realized how many friends I would become so close to and how attached I would become to this little community that we live in. It's so nice to be around people that are going through the same things as you and that understand your excitement and frustrations. I have truly enjoyed our time here on the island and I know that I will really miss it when we are gone.

5th Semester Party

Last weekend was the 5th semester going away party. The party was located at Sonesta Great Bay Hotel in Philipsburg. This was our first time to go to this hotel and it was beautiful. We arrived at the hotel around 3pm to have time to check-in and relax before the party. The view and beach area were very nice and we really enjoyed lounging around on the beach before the party.

At around 6pm we began getting ready for the evening, although the cocktail hour began at 6:30, we were in no hurry and just enjoyed our room and the nice A/C. Around 7:15 we walked up to the party area to begin our night of friends, food, and dancing. The food was amazing, especially considering it was a buffet. I think we even ate a little more than we should have because we were stuffed!

We really enjoyed taking time to eat and visit with friends, but after about an hour it was time to dance. One of my favorite songs came on "At Last" so Brandon and I wasted no time getting out on the dance floor for a little slow dancing. We were the first to walk out there, but soon several others followed. After a few slow songs the real fun began. One of the 5th semester students is also a really great DJ, so he volunteered to be the DJ for the party. The music was great and we had a blast dancing the night away. I thought I was shocked at the way Brandon had danced the week before after wine and cheese but it was nothing compared to the fun I had watching him dance at the 5th semester party. Let me just say that the pictures don't do it justice, it was hilarious. Even thinking back I can't help but smile and laugh. We had so much fun and I can't wait for another excuse to get out and dance together.

The next day we slept in and enjoyed the huge comfy bed and nice "free" A/C! We walked around Philipsburg front street all afternoon and had lunch at the Greenhouse. It was an overall great weekend and a great way to say goodbye to the past 5 semesters on this beautiful island.

Perfect Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Mooommmmm! Happy Birthday day to you!

Today my wonderful mother is 50 years old! I am very sad that I wasn't able to be home to help her celebrate but I know her day was made special by the family that was there. My sister was so thoughtful and helped plan a birthday surprise dinner for her at one of her favorite restaurants.

My sister shoe polished her car so everyone would know it was her birthday. (I'm not sure how excited about that she will be but she always has a good sense of humor.) And tonight she is having a girls night out to one of the best Latin restaurants in Tyler Villa Montez for dinner and drinks with friends.

Guess we'll have to think of a fun way to celebrate when I come home! (I vote shopping at Northpark!!!)
So since I couldn't be there I thought I would write the top 50 reasons why my Mom is so great!
1) She's my mom of course! :)
2) She has unconditional love for entire family
3) She loves the Lord and lives her life through him
4) She is very involved in many aspects of church and her community
5) She always has a smile on her face
6) She supports me and my sister in any choices we make
7) She is always there for advise or just a listening ear
8) She never makes a promise she can't keep
9) She has a wonderful marriage
10) She is the best friend
11) She is always optimistic
12) She pushes the ones she loves to be better
13) She would let me move back in if I wanted! :) lol
14) A day never goes by that she doesn't say "I love you"
15) She almost never raises her voice
16) She would go out of her way to help anyone; family, friend or stranger
17) She is beautiful and loves to get pampered
18) Although she doesn't cook very often, she is great at it!
19) She's very understanding
20) She loves to laugh
21) She loves to get the family together for no reason at all
22) She works hard for everything she has
23) She's creative and a great decorator
24) We both love love love to shop
25) She enjoys trying new things
26) She thinks family is the most important thing in life
27) She's always encouraging
28) She likes to do things herself
29) She is a great dresser and always knows what's in fashion
30) She knows how to make every occasion special
31) She is a wonderful Nana
32) She is one of those people you can talk to for the first time and think, "She is just so nice!"
33) She is easy to be around and even easier to talk to
34) She's a great motivator
35) She makes good choices in her own life and leads a good example for her family
36) She's a great dancer!
37) She is always thinking of ways to make people feel special
38) She gets excited over the small things in life
39) She is very protective of her children and grandchildren
40) You can always count on her to be there when you need her
41) She always shows her appreciation
42) We have so much in common and she takes interest in the hobbies of her family
43) She knows the importance of having a relationship with the Lord.
44) She loves to help others
45) The Lord blessed her with a kind heart
46) She will always take the initiative
47) She is very affectionate
48) She stays healthy and encourages us to stay that way as well
49) She can push through any hardship and come out better than before
50) She is a wonderful gift from God that I would be lost without!

Happy 50th Birthday Mom!! Have a great day because you deserve it! I love you tons and miss you more! See you in three weeks!