Praying Circles

Life can throw us some *crazy* curve balls. What's so awesome is that no matter how crazy that curve ball might be to us, it's not crazy to God. I believe, very strongly, that our Heavenly Father *does not* make bad things happen to us. Y'all, we live in a fallen world that sin inhabits. (I'm not going to go into a "This is the end!! Get ready people!!" speech. Freak not.) However, God is *still* God and He is *STILL* on His throne. No matter how crazy things can get in our lives, HE is still the one who is sovereign. (Sovereign = over-reigns. God over-reigns our lives. Amen!!) While home over the summer, our lives got pretty *crazy*. We got thrown that "curve ball" with some news about my little sister, Abigail.

*The four siblings together this past summer at our "little" brothers high school graduation.*

Let me preface this with saying that Abbey is absolutely my hero. If I had gone to a public school when I was younger and had to write one of those "Who's your hero and why?" papers, you can bet that she would be who I would write about!! When she was four years old, Abigail was diagnosed with RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa). It is an eye disease in which there is damage to the retina. RP is a degenerative disorder and can cause complete blindness. The best way I've heard my mom explain it was "very bad tunnel vision." Her eyes don't adjust to light and dark like a healthy eye would. Think about when you walk from a dark movie theater to a bright sunny day. It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust, right?? Abbey's eyes have trouble adjusting from one extreme to the next. The doctors that my parents went to, told them that Abbey would be completely blind by the age of 12. Of course, news like that is extremely hard to swallow. Today, my sister still has some of her sight. That fact I give all the praise and glory to God for. There are six years between Abbey and me. Trying to understand that my little sister had this disease was hard for me to fully understand. Over the next several years, Abbey learned how to do life in a different way from the rest of us. I only remember a few times when she genuinely got upset, fed up, and mad that this had happened to her. She didn't want to walk around with a cane to help her know where things were. She didn't want other kids to laugh at her and wonder "What's wrong with that girl?" She couldn't understand WHY she had to be this way. It wasn't until an amazing missions trip to New Zealand and Australia for an entire summer that she began to understand, just a little, why. At 12 years old, she was the youngest student to go on this trip with Teen Mania's Global Expeditions. While there, the Lord did an amazing work in her heart. She realized that with her disability, she could reach so many people by just talking about how the Lord was working in her (Of course there is *so* much to this trips story but for the sake of time, I will not go into all those details.). When she returned, there was one statement that stuck out about her story. She said, "The Lord showed me that I was made for a purpose and that there was no mistake with how He created me. After all, I don't have to see all the crap in the world that everyone else does." There was a saying that the group took on as their "battle cry," so to speak. "Kia Kaha" is a Maouri saying that means "Be bold, Be strong." They took this saying as "Be bold in your faith, Be strong in the Lord." She has "Kia Kaha" tattooed on her wrist to always remind her of that. That trip was such a turning point in her life that she went back the next summer!! Abbey grasped Jesus' great love for her on that trip. RP was the "curve ball" to her life but knowing who you are in Jesus?? That's a home run hit off a curve ball!! :) (I'm totally not a baseball fan haha but I'm going to keep going with this curve ball idea!!)

*A high school senior picture of Abbey in her element. Picture taken by Laura Johnson.* 

*Picture taken by Candice Corbin*

Fast forward about seven years and you will see that not only has she gone after what the Lord has called her to do but she has done it in absolute abandonment and trust in Him!! After Abigail graduated high school, she got accepted to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, for Audio Engineering and Production (Yes y'all, that is recording and producing music. "But how can a blind girl do that?!" Let me tell ya, this girl can!!) Through the music department at App, she has traveled to Ireland to learn about Irish music, and all last summer, she lived *BY HERSELF* in NYC interning with a music production studio (If you ever get the chance to meet her, ask her how much she likes the D train ;). Did I mention that she lives on her own?? That doesn't really surprise me but it might surprise you. ;) Oh!! And let me *not* leave out Alexa!! Alexa is her sidekick, best friend, cuddle buddy, and partner-in-crime. In other words, her beautiful black lab guide dog. :) While in NYC, she found a joy for running. There is a group called Achilles International who helps people with all kinds of disabilities enjoy athletics. She got in touch with this group and started running. This past March, my little sister Abigail, ran the NYC St. Patty's Day Marathon. And yes, she ran the whole way!! When I *finally* saw a picture of her crossing the finish line, I cried tears of joy while repeating, "That's my sister. THAT'S my sister!! That's MY sister!!" Seeing the excitement on her face of knowing the *huge* accomplishment she just achieved was priceless.

*Running and finishing the NYC St. Patty's Day race*

*Alexa, the amazing guide dog. Photo taken by Katherine Freshwater.*

*Love and affection from your companion. Photo taken by Katherine Freshwater*

You will never hear Abbey complain about her disability. In fact, you will hear the exact opposite. You will hear her boasting about what The Lord has done in her life and how in every circumstance, He has always been right there for her. This past summer, we got some news that would rock our worlds. For the past year, she has been suffering from extremely itchy skin. No dermatologist could figure out exactly what it was or why. Night and day, she was just plain itchy. I could somewhat sympathize with her because I suffer from Eczema. However, she did not have Eczema, or any other skin disease. On July 1, 2013, Abbey was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. I questioned God for why this was happening to her. I was so mad that she, of *all* people, had gotten such news. I was crushed, irritated, floored, and completely baffled. BUT (there's always a "but") the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart something that I will always hold on to. "Jo, I did not make this happen to her. I give life, not death. Yes, God has allowed this to happen but He has already won this battle for her. No weaponed formed against her will prosper. When she was diagnosed with RP, remember how I won?? Remember how a negative situation brought glory to My name?? What may seem as a negative moment to you, is a moment for Me to show my power. This is out of your hands. I am healer, I am redeemer, I AM!! Rest in me, Jo. Rest in me." And that I have. Ever since that sobbing phone call, I have looked to the One that can heal her and I have not once questioned His power. 

*Abbey and I at one of her chemo treatments.*

*Rebecca and Abbey*

There is a book that my MIL gave me called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson (If you want a *great* read, go pick up this book!!) It is about "praying circles around you biggest dreams and greatest fears." Batterson writes about how our miracle is just a prayer away. When we pray prayers of uncertainty, we question if God *can* do what we are asking. The Lord told the Israelites to circle around Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to circle the city seven times and on then shout. Not only that, they were to not talk for the entire week. Now, lets be honest, don't ya think Joshua was probably like, "Wait.......do what God?????" Here's the thing, it doesn't matter how *CRAZY* God's plan sounds to us. It's HIS plan and HE'S got it taken care of!! All we have to do is circle the promises HE has for us!! Come on, how good is that y'all!! I started reading this book shortly after Abbey was diagnosed. Since then, I have been drawing prayer circles around her. God has promised to heal her. All we have to do is accept the miracle of the battle He has already won over her. 

Last week, Abigail got *great news* from her doctor. "A week ago I had received some encouraging information with regards to my Hodgkins Lymphoma. Results from the PET scan a number of weeks ago showed that I was cancer free, I wouldn't have to do radiation, and that I would be completely the last three of my chemo treatments to get rid of the mass in my upper torso." Talk about joyous news!! Talk about being diligent in that prayer circle!! The day she told me, I was crying, laughing, shaking, and jumping around all at the same time. Haha!! Her doctor told my mom that we could not have asked for a better scan. Praise Jesus!! A week later, however, those joyous feelings would turn to confusion again. Abbey posted, "Yesterday when going in for my 5/8 treatment I received much different news from my oncologist. It appears that there was some confusion in the news I had originally received. Although the PET scan shows great results (very minimal metabolic activity from where we found the cancer) it's impossible to say whether or not I am "cancer free." At this time, radiation isn't off the table, and I am considering my options. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but I continue to find my strength through my good Creator, finding joy in the life He gives me abundantly." I do not receive this as a failed attempt. I do not receive this as more bad news. I receive this as another opportunity for God to show His power in her life and through this cancer.
I am back in my prayer circle, circling Abbey. I am not there reluctantly, you can bet on that. Spending time in His presence is not a chore. Spending time interceding for those around you, for those you don't even know why they are on your heart, for those right beside you and far away, spending time praying circles around those situations boosts your faith in the Lord. There is *no way* that the Israelites faith was *not* magnified by the middle of the week. They had to be feeling something, thinking, "God, you're gonna do something big. You are going to show up in a mighty way. Lord, YOU have already won this for us. This is going to be amazing!!" No way they questioned Him by that point!! Surely their faith was multiplied that week. This diagnosis of cancer has not made me question whether God is good or if He can do what He says He will. No, this *crazy* curve ball has magnified my prayer life and faith in my Creator through watching Abigail have to go through this. She is one amazing young woman and absolutely my hero. 

A hui kaua....

I'M BACK!!!!!!......Maybe???

No one said I was any good at this blogging thing so I'm glad I've been able to live up to their expectations. ;) I know I've been pretty MIA since we left Grenada for the summer. However, we are back on this little island and I reckon I should catch everyone up on what's going on in our lives. So, here it goes!! :)

We have made it through midterms!! Hallelujah!! That means just a few short weeks left before we get to go home for Christmas. :) Matt did really good on all his tests. There was one class he was rather frustrated with, however. He didn't make the score he was hoping for and it kind of had him in a funk for a couple of days. I know he beats himself up too much if he doesn't get an A. I think he's coming to terms with being alright with anything lower than that. Matt has done SOOOO well this year. I know he's itching to start applying everything they are learning in the classroom. I can tell he get's pretty excited when they go to the farm (aka, the vet clinic where they not only have your house pets but also horses, cows, goats, and whatever other larger animals). The other day, they learned how to bandage a horses leg. He was excited to tell E and I about it when he got home. :) Since we are half way through his third term, I can say that we are *almost* half way through our stay here in Grenada. After his finals in December, I know that I can officially say that for sure. ;) Until then, I'm just happy to know he is doing so well and enjoying life here!!

As for E and I, life has changed quite a bit from this time last year. First of all, E is actually here and not still growing in my tummy haha!! I have looked at several pictures of this time last year and then today. Here's a few for your enjoyment. :)

*Here I am at 7 months pregnant on our 1 year anniversary*

*Here we are just a couple weeks ago. E is just over 10 months now!! Wow!!*

*Such a beauty!! Her eyes are so gorgeous. Love this little girl!!*

*And one more just because she's just so darn cute!! ;)*

Our daily schedule is has become somewhat of a routine. E is such a great sleeper. She sleeps from 7:30pm-7:30am. Its awesome!! There have only been a few times where she wakes up. Those moments have been because she's teething, I believe. She is crawling and pulling up on *everything*. Such a little cruiser!! She enjoys trying to get into the fridge when dad or I open it. ;) It seems like a game to her. We made a choice before she was born to not give her any sweet stuff (like ice cream, cookies, chocolate, etc) before she is two years old. I feel these first few years of life are very important in her nutrition and don't think filling her with tons of sugar is the right way to go for us. There will be plenty of time for that when she is bit older. :) With all the fresh fruit and veggies we have here, it's hard to not give her a more healthier option. I already make everything from scratch. Why would I change her diet?? :) Haha!! She is a good eater. Just about whatever we are eating, we give to her also. She is still getting formula on a regular basis but she also enjoys some yogurt with daddy, bananas, rice, mangoes, applesauce, potatoes, noodles, and anything else we try. It's funny to watch her facial expressions when she tries something for the first time. :) She is quite the ham and has such a personality. I know it sounds cliche but she truly shines so much light into our lives every day. How can you get upset when that little smile is staring up at you?? :)

I started teaching at a local study downtown. This was a complete God opportunity and I'm SO thankful for it!! I am teaching two days a week. Thursdays I teach a class of 9-10 year olds ballet. There are twenty one students in that class!! Talk about overload!! Hahaha!! It's been great fun though. They are great kids and I think they enjoy having a "white" teacher. ;) My favorite part about the entire class is at the end. After I give an ending exercise, they all run up and surround me in a hug. It's so precious!! Several of them hold on for longer and say "This might take a while. I just need a hug." :) Just warms my heart!! The second class I teach is the highest level, ages high school and up. There are only about twelve students in that class. I also teach that same level pointe on Fridays. On top of these classes, I am teaching two others. On Mondays, I teach a class of 3-5 year olds. These are kids of students who are attending SGU. Just this past week, they all got pink leotards with matching pink skirts and leg warmers. Oh my gracious, they are so cute!! I think they are having fun. We've only met a few times but I think they are doing well for never taking a dance class before now. I also have a boy in that class!! Yippee!!!! :) He's the oldest so I'm trying to make sure he really enjoys it. And then on Tuesdays I teach a private lesson to another students child. She's also never taken a dance class before but she is doing very well. I know how boring the basics can be for learning dance so I'm trying to make both of these classes enjoyable. Hopefully they all will return to the states and want to continue dancing. That's my goal. ;) I'm very proud of each of them and how hard they are all working. It's so nice to have a creative outlet here!! Now you know I DO more than just go to the beach and pool. ;)

One more thing before I leave you. This past Monday was our second wedding anniversary. Matt made arrangements for us to have a night "away" on Saturday. Our friends, John and Nicole, watched E for us over night. All day Saturday we spent at this really nice hotel called Grenada Grand. They have a gorgeous pool with two waterfalls. We relaxed, swam, drank some bloody mary's, and ate a yummy lunch all while soaking up some sun and much needed time together.
                                         

We checked into the place we were staying, Maca Bana, around 3:00 that afternoon. Maca Bana is right around the corner from our house, past the airport. Its a resort with private villas. Our villa was at the top of the hill and over looked St. George's and the whole east side of the island. Oh my!! Was it spectacular!! At 4, Matt had requested a massage for me. The lady showed up right before then and set up her table on the back balcony. It was so relaxing!! We then ate dinner at The Aquarium Restaurant which was at the bottom of the hill. I got the lobster and Matt got the tuna. Tasty tasty!! For dessert, we shared a death my chocolate cake and drank mimosas on the balcony back at our villa. On Sunday after checking out, we came home to hang out. It started out as a very overcast and cloudy day. I was NOT complaining about that!!! Sometimes you just need a break from the heat. :) Matt wanted to get some cleaning done (I wasn't going to complain!!) and I wanted to paint my nails. For dinner that night, we ate at a little French bistro called Le Chateau. We had a great time together!!

*At Aquarium for dinner on Saturday*

*At Le Chateau for dinner on Sunday*

*Our view from the villa*

*First Anniversary*

*Second Anniversary, holding the picture from our first* 

A hui kaua.....

Home is...

Well, we have been home in NC for a little over a week now. And oh!! How AWESOME it feels to be back!! This past week has been extremely busy with seeing our friends and introducing little Ms. E to everyone for the *first* time. Everyone keeps saying the same three things: "Those eyes!!!", "She's so tan......she's darker than I am!!", and "Your pictures make her look so BIG!! She's so tiny!!!" ;) She absolutely keeps stealing the show.

I am very happy that our travel home went smoothly. As most of you know, we have a one year old German Shepard named Nutmeg. We have had quite the headache of dealing with an infestation of ticks from our house and yard in Grenada. It was decided that we needed to get Nutmeg out of that yard and get these ticks under control. So, we knew we had to bring her home with us for the summer. The airlines do not allow animals below the plane after a certain time of the year. Basically, the beginning of May through August or September sometime. It's just too hot. Therefore!! Nutmeg had to ride with us inside the plane. There we are, bright and early showing up at the airport, six bags, one dog, and baby. Yes, we were quite the show. ;) Thankfully Matt's aunt had helped us buy our tickets home and we were able to get *first class seats*!!!!! Lemme tell ya, it was soooooooooo nice. ;) We were seated in the first row of seats and therefore had a ton of room. Before we left, it was arranged that I would take care of E and Matt would take care of Nutmeg. Everything went absolutely smoothly!! I was a bit nervous of how E would do with take off and landing so I had planned on having a bottle ready in those moments. However!!! I didn't even need them!! She did great. She passed out right before we took off from Grenada, was awake some during the flight, then took another nap and woke up right before we landed in Miami. The pressure change didn't seem to bother her even when I was swallowing to pop my own ears. :) Everyone on the plane commented how well she and Nutmeg did. Both flights were just like this. Not a problem!! It was a llllllllooooooonnnnnnngggggg day but well worth our arrival.

When we walked off the plan in Raleigh, I had the biggest smile on my face!! We came around the corner where we were meeting everyone and was surprised with a big sign that our *awesome* small group had made welcoming E to the US. It was fabulous. E met her Pop Pop (Matt's dad) for the first time. He was absolutely delighted to see her. :) From Raleigh to Wilmington is about 2-2.5 hours. THAT was the longest part of our journey!!! I couldn't wait to get to Wilmington!! We had been up since 4:30 that morning and arrived at my parents house at 1:30 Sunday morning. Like I said, long day. Haha.

So, since we've arrived, it's been introductions and dinners, dinners and introductions. It's so good to see our friends again and catch up on the last 10 months. Although the time has passed, it seems like we've been able to pick up right where we left. Of course kids are graduating, summer is here again, birthdays have come and gone, but all in all, our relationships have picked up right where we left off. Matt and I have had to get used to having A/C all the time now. I know that sounds funny but it's so true!! We are used to only having it at night and then hanging around in our bathing suits the rest of the day. It's actually nice to have to get up a little bit earlier to take a *hot* shower and get yourself ready to go somewhere. Don't worry, Matt still hangs around the house without a shirt on. ;-p I'm not sure we will ever be able to break him of that. I have a feeling E will some how pick up this habit. Oh wait!!! She already hangs out in only a diaper!!! Hahaha!!!

That's basically been our first week home and E's first week in the US. There are lots of things planned for this summer so I will do my best to keep you updated on our adventures. :)

A hui kaua.....

Going home - TODAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

It's bright and early here in Grenada. Even the sun doesn't want to wake up yet. But it's ok because..........I'm headed NORTH to the land of the pines. We'll make it UP the coast in about 17 hours and I'll be looking to pick me a bouquet of Dogwood flowers!!!!!

THE day has arrived!!!!!! We leave at 8:40am and will arrive in Raleigh at 7:10pm tonight!!!!!!!!! I told you I had one more song for you and here it is. If you couldn't figure out from my opening sentences what it is, I give you "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show. Saw them play this live when I was living in MS. We're headed to North Caroline y'all!!!!! See you in a few hours!!!!!

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua....

Going home - TOMORROW!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is officially Christmas Eve in May!! It's still the 24 so why not right?? :) Tomorrow morning, *bright and early*, we will be leaving our little house and life here in Grenada and start the day long journey HOME to NC!!!! I'm really hoping that we'll get some sleep tonight. The excitement is more than I can handle!!! If it's not packed by tonight, oh well. Guess I can get whatever I need back home. :)

I will be sending you one more song before we leave tomorrow morning so don't think this is the last song. I know you've all been enjoying these little pieces of entertainment. ;) For your second to last countdown song I give you Eric Church singing "Carolina." Carolina is CERTAINLY calling me home!!

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua...

Going home in - 2 DAYS!!

Life is pretty crazy around here. Trying to finalize packing everything up. When we moved down here, our entire life consisted of six suit cases, four carry on bags, and five boxes we shipped down. When we return, we will be moving into a different house (that's directly behind us so not far) so we have to have everything packed up and ready to move over there before we leave. Thankfully we have our current house rented through the summer and we also know the girls who will be moving in so we will just leave our things packed up here until we return.

Carrying on with just two more days of song countdowns!! This song has been running through my head so much lately because it's just so catchy. :) Here is Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros playing "Home." Home is wherever I'm with you!! :)

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua...

Going home in - 3 DAYS!!

Our time to fly home is getting closer and closer. It's getting harder to keep my excitement under control!! I'm seriously antsy to get out of here for a while. Grenada has been so much joy, pain, excitement, and fear ALL thrown into one. The Lord has certainly been good this entire year. I know that it is because of His love and hand over our life that I have been able to get through the transition of moving here, having E, and becoming a full time mommy. "Paradise" isn't easy but it's easier when you trust in the One who has created you.

The song for our countdown today is from the Zach Brown Band called "Toes". I'm sure you all have heard this song and are wondering "What does this have to do with coming home??" Although it doesn't exactly talk about "coming home," it does talk about going to a beautiful Caribbean island and then returning home to where you love and enjoy to be. I though it was fitting for us actually living in the Caribbean and are now returning home to Wilmington.

Enjoy!! 

A hui kaua...

Going home in - 4 DAYS!!

We are in the middle of this countdown!!!! Yippee!!!! Hard to believe that Elora will be SIX MONTHS old when we travel on Saturday. Even harder to think about the fact that we will be introducing her for the first time to our friends back home. We've watched her grow over the past several months and oh boy!! She has quite the personality. ;) I cried yesterday when Matt told me she had cut her first tooth. Oh what a moment that was!! I never thought I'd have an overwhelming sense of sadness to see that. She sure is growing up!! 

Here is the fourth song on our countdown. Coming to you from Phillip Phillips is "Home". 

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua....

Going home in - 5 DAYS!!

Enjoying some last moments on the island. Yesterday was a friends birthday party at one of our favorite places to eat, Umbrellas. They have delicious burgers!! Today, I am helping my friend Jess with some pictures for her "Trash the Dress" shoot. It's going to be fun!!

Only five days left!! I feel like a kid at Christmas. I sure hope I'll be able to sleep Friday night. For your listening enjoyment of our song countdown, I'm taking it from The Beatles. Their song "Two of Us".

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua...

Going home in - 6 DAYS!!

Another day closer to flying home!! There's so much to get done but knowing six days we will be flying to NC makes the stress of packing non existent. :)

Here's the song for day six!! I love Jack Johnson. He's probably one of my favorite singers. Just so chill and easy listening. This song is called "Home". I found this YouTube video of a montage of surfing. Thought it fit well with the idea that Grenada is our "home" for two more years but Wilmington will always be home.

Enjoy!!

A hui kaua.... 

Going home in - 7 DAYS!!

In honor of leaving in seven days, I have compiled a list of songs that remind me of home. For each day until Saturday, I am going to post one of those songs for you to partake in the excitement of us coming home. :) Stay tuned ALL week for a new song each day!!

SO!! For our first song, I thought this one would be fitting. James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind".

ENJOY!! 

A hui kaua.....

Turtles and birthdays and life OH MY!!

Hello one and all!! I have several things to catch you up on. The past few weeks have been pretty busy. Although my daily schedule is very relaxed and not full of appointments, I still try to find things to keep me busy. On days when the heat is just so unbearable, we either look for water to jump in to or run to a friends house with AC. This place might be "paradise" but let me tell ya, I will not miss this heat!!!

On April 26, the social coordinators for this term (Katie and Stephanie) planned a trip to Levera Beach, which is on the northern side of the island. This was not just any ordinary trip to the beach. No, this was a very exciting and special trip!! We were going to see the Leatherback turtles lay their eggs!!!! :) It was such a cool experience. We left campus at 6PM with a group of about 60 people on two big busses and a taxi. It took a little over an hour to get up there. The turtles come in the middle of the night so we knew we would have to wait a while. When we arrived at the visitors center, we split into three groups. We were given some information about the Leatherback turtle.

Did you know??

- Leatherbacks can be anywhere between 4-8 feet in length

- Weigh between 500 and 2000 pounds

- They nest between March and July
- Can nest 5 to 7 times
- Incubation period is about 65 days
- Leatherbacks lay both real eggs and fake eggs to throw off an
predators who might get into the nests

After our briefing of the do's and don't while on the beach, we headed out to wait....

and wait...

                                                                                and wait...

                                                                                               and wait...

Elora did very well. I figured she would fall asleep for most of it but I was surprised that she fell asleep soon after we got on the beach and didn't wake up until we arrived back to campus at 2:30am. I have such a great baby. :) 

We waited on the beach for a couple hours. I know I fell asleep for at least an hour with E. Around midnight, our guides told us it was time. We made our way down the dark beach with only red lights glowing. Although it was very cloudy, the moon still broke through here and there. All you could see on the beach were dark figures moving with the red light glow. As we came around the corner, there before us were three large figures on the beach. While we waited for the "OK" to get closer, we watched as three more came up to begin their nesting. Talk about a moment that takes your breath away!! These massive creatures coming up out of the ocean, gliding gracefully across the sand, then flapping their fins to dig a deep hole. Ah-may-zing!!!!!!! We were given the go ahead to move closer to our turtle and watched as she dug and dug and dug until she knew the hole was deep enough. As the leatherback was laying her eggs, one of the researchers was catching the eggs and counting them at the same time. She would catch one and then show us what it looked like compared to the fake eggs she would lay next. Because it was so dark and the red light was the only light we were allowed to use, all my pictures were no good. There was an awesome photographer, who is an SO, that came along and got some really good shots. Check out the tagged photos of me on my FaceBook page. Pretty incredible experience!! I would love to be able to go back and watch the turtles hatch but we won't be back before the season is over. Perhaps next year. :)

The following weekend was my birthday. My friend Jessica's birthday was the day before. We had decided to do a party together on my birthday, May 5. Of course, it was a Cinco de Mayo themed party!! :) We had a taco bar and everyone brought something to share and add to the topping for tacos. We drank margaritas, played in the ocean, laid in the sun, and had a wonderful time with everyone. That evening, Matt took me to La Luna which is a resort that is right around the corner from our house. It actually sits on one of the beaches we regularly go to. La Luna has a happy hour every day from 5-7 but on Sundays, they have live music as well. They also make an amazing bailey's banana colada!!! ;) It was so yummy!! 

My birthday and Mother's Day are basically back to back every year. This past Sunday was of course Mother's Day. It was my first time celebrating WITH Elora. Last year, we were still in Wilmington and we had just told our family we were expecting. Everyone still told me "Happy Mother's Day" even though I didn't feel like I was a mommy yet. This year, Matt took me to breakfast at a little French bistro on Grand Anse called Le Papillon. They sure breakfast, lunch, and dessert. I'd only been once before and knew it was very yummy. I got a croque madam and Matt got spiced French toast. Of course we tried each others and it was such a good breakfast!! Later that day, I went out to the beach with Elora and my friends Nicole and Jess. Matt had to do some studying because he started finals last Friday. We hung out for a good while and just enjoyed being in the sun and ocean. It was a great mother's day for me. :) 

Like I said, Matt started his finals last Friday. He has had them all week long and his last and FINAL test of his FIRST full year of vet school will be this Friday!!! I am SOOOOOO proud of him and all his hard work this year. He has juggled being a full time student, husband and dad so well. Although he's crazy busy, he has found time to hang out with his two girls. :) I am excited for this first year to be over so we can hang out more often and not have to share him with SGU for several months. We fly home next Saturday, May 25 (Elora's six month birthday also), and oh what a glorious day it is going to be!!!! It is very strange to think that we will be introducing Elora to our friends there for the first time and she will already be six months old!! I am trying to get in the mindset that our day will be very long and therefore I don't need to be anxious or stressed out about time. There will be no need to rush around while at the airport because that won't make the trip go any quicker (unfortunately). I am very excited to get home. It has been a challenging and hard 10 months but the Lord has certainly grown us both together and separately. I'm glad we will be able to put this FIRST year of vet school behind us and begin looking at the next!! :)

A hui kaua...

The Crazy Caribbean Relative

Everyone has that crazy relative in their family. Be it your uncle, aunt, cousin, mom, dad, etc. there's always that ONE person who is just a bit quirkier than the rest of your crazy clan. I've had an epiphany about Grenada. (I sure hope you're ready for this. Are you sitting down???)

Grenada is the crazy relative of the Caribbean.

True statement right there. (And if you don't believe me, you should just come visit me and see.) 

Do let me explain my epiphany. Around here when things go a bit wacky, most people refer to them as "TIG moments." TIG = This Is Grenada. I have fondly adapted my own saying, of course not neglecting the previous one already in place. Mine is "Thank YOU Grenada." This saying started some time ago for this "crazy Caribbean relative." I can't give you an exact moment. Perhaps it was when the mice found their way into my home on a constant basis (that is still not cleared up.....). Or maybe it was the first time I realized how many people tie their livestock up on the side of the road. Even better!! Perhaps when said livestock gets loose and roams around the busy streets!! Who knows exactly when "Thank YOU Grenada" came into play but I can assure you that there have been PLENTY of moments for that to be said. (Side note, I'm fairly certain I could have a total separate blog just for TIG/TYG moments. Oh wait....then nobody would EVER come visit me!!!)

Just recently I've had my latest TYG moment. On Tuesdays and Thursdays there is a yoga class that I *try* to attend at my local gym. It is an 8AM class which sometimes makes it hard for me to get to. (No, I am not a morning person and yes that does add to not going on a regular basis but one of the reasons is if I have someone to watch E for me for that hour. The biggest reason could possibly always fall on if my car is cooperating.) Matt was graciously staying home to watch E so I didn't have to get her ready to go some place else which gave me an extra 15 minutes to sleep. At 7:09 Tuesday morning my alarm goes off as planned. I of course hit the snooze button and get up about 7:30. Throw on my clothes, get my water and yoga mat, grab the keys and I'm out the door. I notice that it has rained the night before (Hallelujah!!!!) and I'm a bit nervous. I start my car and of course, my nervousness is for good reason. My car won't start. I figure it's going to take a few minutes to coax the car into starting. Eventually it does and I'm off to turn around at the end of our street. As I'm coming back by our house, I hear a rather familiar noise.......a *thump thump thump* noise........a noise I've heard TOO many times in the past six weeks (we've had 4 flats in the past six weeks).........a noise that makes me stop and look at the tire...........

OF COURSE!!!!

The tire is low......

Now, I could have gone straight to the gas station to get some air in it and then head to class. The problem with that is that I have sat in the car for 10 minutes trying to get it to start that now I only have exactly 5 minutes to get to the gym before I will be "THAT" person stumbling over the already "clearing their minds" students. I'm a bit frustrated and just park the car instead. I'm rather glad that I did because Matt takes the car to get air in it and as soon as he gets home, the tire is completely flat. Awesome. 

The guy that hit us (his names is Musa) has taken our car to a mechanic that has "supposedly" been fixing the car. There are several things that need fixing outside of the damage. Since the accident, I have been very worried about trusting him to take care of the things needing to be fixed and, well, for obvious reasons. Musa comes to help us with the tire and finds this. 

I'm completely baffled because I have no idea how that could happen!! It was pretty crazy. TYG. I figured that would be all the TYG moments I'd have for the day but boy was I wrong....

That evening I got together with my friends Jessica and Nicole. Jess picked me up and we go over to Nicoles for a little while. Around 9PM we were headed home. As we were driving down the road, I notice a car that has stopped in the middle of the street and turned its lights off. I kind of chuckle and a say, "Ha, that car just........" I stop because I realized that "that car" was MY car!!!!!!!!! Sure enough, we get right past it and Jess stops. Of course its my car!!! E's seat in the back, crunched trunk, the whole nine yards!!! The mechanic has taken MY car out for a joy ride at 9PM!!!!!! Again, baffled. Now, I can understand taking the car *during business hours* to check on things while driving. This test drive would of course take place *around the place of business.* The mechanics shop is in Woburn which is about 20 minutes away from where we currently were. Not cool dude, not cool. So, Jess backs up just a little bit and asks the guy what he's doing. The conversation went a little like this. 

Jess - Hey, what are you doing?

Guy - *no response*

Jess - Hello, what are you doing?

Guy - *dear in head lights look*

Jess and Me - Excuse me, what are you doing?!?!!

Guy - Oh um..hi. I'm the mechanic. 

*Jess looks at me. I'm trying to figure out what is going on.*

Jess - Ok, well why are you driving her car?? That's her *pointing at me* car!!

Guy - Oh, yes yes. Hi!! I'm the mechanic. Hi!! *Waving at me as if he knows me. I've never met this guy....*

*By this point, I'm a bit nervous because I have no idea what's going on. I have E in my lap, its 9PM, a strange guy is driving MY car, and he's not giving me a reason to really trust him.* 

Jess - Ok, well that's great but maybe you need to take the car back to where you are working on it. 

*I'm a bit scared as to how this could play out. Two girls yelling at this guy who's driving MY car. I just don't know what to do.*

Me - That's my car dude. I don't know what you're doing. Let's just go Jess. I don't know what to do......

As we drive away, I'm trying to wrap my brain around WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!!!!! I'm sure you're wondering why we didn't just get the car back from him then. We were two girls and a baby on a dark street trying to not argue, but certainly arguing, with this local Grenadian. I was scared and didn't think getting in the guys face was probably my smartest move. If I did not have E with me, I would have certainly jumped out of the car and demanded for my keys since *obviously* he's fixed the car. We get home and Matt immediately calls Musa to tell him the situation. I guess Musa calls the mechanic because we got our car back yesterday. Who knows if it's actually fixed tho!!! I'm sure praying that it is. We will DEFINITELY NOT be taking our car back to that guy!!! Grenada is the crazy relative of the Caribbean. I totally believe that. Thank YOU Grenada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I would like to add some great news. As I'm posting this, we have *EXACTLY* 30 DAYS till we come home!!!!! The excitement is almost too much to handle!!!!! :)

A hui kaua......

This week in Grenada

It is never a dull moment here in the West Indies. "Thank YOU Grenada" has become my saying for things that have happened since we've moved here. Before we arrived, I started following several different blogs and became "Facebook official friends" with several people already living the Grenadian lifestyle, hoping to gain some sense of how life was going to be like. I think wherever you live, there will always be struggling times and easy-breezy moments. Lately, I feel I have had the later of these two. 

We have been here since we arrived last July. Not going home for two major holidays was extremely tough for me. Thankfully, our families were able to come down to visit over the Christmas holiday. My "God will not give you more than you can bear" cup has certainly been pushed to the limit this past month. I am PAST ready to be home and have been counting down the days (we are currently at 42 days). Wishing for the time to go by just a bit faster is probably making some days a bit more stressful for me. I'm sure when one thinks of living on a little tropical island, it sounds like paradise. Sun, sand, and ocean. What more could a person ask for?? I know, I know, don't complain Jo. Let me just give you a little glimpse of my past week.

As many of you may know, shortly after we bought a car, I was in a wreck. A guy came flying down the street and hit me from behind, crushing the back bumper and trunk. He took full responsibility for the wreck and said he would pay to get the damages fixed. Here we are nearly two months later and our trunk is still crushed. We have had other issues with the car though. (Side note, when buying a Grenadian car, you are in for quite the ride. Since most of the cars students purchase here are just recycled from one student to another, you could be looking at pouring double the amount that you paid for the car into fixing different problems with it. I believe we have found ourselves in that situation.) Although it is a good car, outside of the physical damage, we have had to take it into the shop almost every week, if not every other week, since we bought it. The radiator fan that is in the car is actually not the correct size for the vehicle. There is an electrical issue that continues to happen due to the fan not working properly. The needles in the dashboard are not working (literally, they all are stuck at zero when we drive). In order to start the car, it must be in neutral. And the blinkers don't work. We just got the car back last weekend and not even five days later, the same thing happened again. Not to mention, we have had two flat tires within a month. To say we've had "car trouble" would be an understatement. It can be rather frustrating. There are times when I get in the car and pray, asking the Lord to get us where we need to go and back before something else goes wrong with it. 

Grenada is currently in a very bad water drought. Back home when there is a drought, there may be a limit or only certain times when you can water your yard. Here, a water drought means they cut off your water for certain times during the day. We, thankfully, have not felt these affects. We have two large water tanks for our house but that's not to say we will continuously have water (42 days, 42 days, 42 days, 42 days....). Several of my friends have had to deal with water outages over the past several weeks. A drought also brings with it very dry air and land. We are desperately praying for rain!! (Was it Elisha or Elijah that prayed for several days for rain to come to the land?? Either way, I feel like him.) 

The next two things that have happened this week have been with Matt and Nutmeg. After Matt's game on Wednesday night, he had a fever of 101.5. That fever has continued to fluctuate since then. It has stayed between 99.2 and 103. Thankfully his body doesn't feel bad. He isn't nauseous or light headed. However, he doesn't have much of an appetite, seems a bit dehydrated, and has just felt weak. I'm doing my best to take care of him but I just don't know what to do exactly. We were going to take him to the doctor today but when he woke up, his fever was down to 98.2. He said he didn't want to go and he said he was hungry. I probably should have pushed him to go because his fever spiked again this evening to 102 (we think it might be dengue...) He's staying hydrated and resting as much as he can. He does have several tests this week so he's been laying in bed studying as much as he can handle. Praying for complete healing over him. On Thursday, Nutmeg got spayed and has therefore had to take it easy. Obviously telling a dog to "take it easy" is impossible. We've had to place her in the storage room which has a door to a small porch outside. She is mostly an outside puppy and has enjoyed being able to sit out there. We are obviously not letting her go run around in the yard. Everything with that would be totally fine.........if she was not infested with ticks. The anesthesia has made them start crawling off her. Now, they are all over the storage room and we have been picking them up every time we walk in there. We are frantically trying to figure out a way to get them under control.  

After all that frustrating stuff, here's a little humor for you. On top of the water drought, we are currently in a butter drought. Yes, you read that correctly. Butter drought. The store has not had butter for over a month now. There is margarine but I personally do not like margarine. A friend of mine made the comment that she should make her own butter (she did just the other day and it turned out fantastic!! Perhaps I'll start that also haha). Moments like that make you feel like you are living with Laura Ingles family (and if you don't know who I'm talking about, we may not be able to be friends anymore.....). The first time we go to Wal-Mart, Target, or any other store when we go home, I have a feeling I will be like Madame Blueberry from Veggie Tales entering "Stuff Mart" for the first time. I'll probably walk up and down the aisles in shock of how much stuff there is and how many different choices of pickles there are!! I'll also start grabbing double of everything thinking that the store will be out of that certain product within a few hours!!

Coming home will definitely be a culture shock but that shock can't come soon enough!! I miss my family and friends and basically can't wait to feel some sense of "normalcy", whatever that might look/feel like. I know this is a long post but thanks for reading. I've had a tough week (yes, we have those in "paradise") and writing seems to help a little. Next post I'll try to get some pictures up. I know these things can be long without a little picture entertainment. :) 

A hui kaua.....

I'M BAAAAACK!!!!! (Hopefully...)

Hello one and al!! It has certainly been a few months since my last post. I know that is such a cliche sentence but alas, I've been a bit caught up with life here in the Caribbean. I won't give you a long story of the past six months (unless of course that's what you're looking for ha) but I will give you some details of where we are right now.

First off, thanks to my friend Kim Brewer my blog has a bit of a "face lift"!! :) I'm pretty excited about it. This whole blog thing can be rather daunting when you don't know or understand how to keep it fresh and updated. Thanks to Kim, I now understand ways to change and add things on here. Let's hope I can keep it updated. :)

Second, we leave for Wilmington in 49 DAYS!!!! I am SO ready to be home!! It's beautiful here, of course, but we have not been home since we got here the end of July. That's a REALLY long time (in case you were confused)!! Anyways, we fly out of Grenada bright and early at 8:30AM on May 25 (Elora will be six months old that day. :)) I know I know, 8:30 is not that early. The time that we will have to be up and out of the house IS early!! But, it will TOTALLY be worth it. ;) We fly from here to Miami, where we have a layover for about five hours I think. That's not too bad seeing as we have to go through customs once we get there. And going through customs with a baby and dog might take some time. :) We fly into Raleigh, NC, at 8:30 that evening (I believe....)!!!!!! Oh how sweet it's going to be!!!!!! I have been counting down the days (as you can see from the first sentence) and I'm ready to be home!!! :)

Third, as many of you know, Matt has been talking about transferring to NC State for the next three years. There are always pros and cons to every situation and we have weighed them both. I am at the point that I am ok with wherever the Lord places us. I know and have a peace He will plant us where we can grow. Thankfully, at the end of this month, State will be able to tell Matt if there's a spot for him to apply for. If there's not, then there is no point in applying and we will return here. In case that happens, we have been house hunting. Because we were so unsure, we had to let our landlords know that we might not be back and we found tenants to take our spot in this house. Living with constant uncertainty of what the future may hold is very stressful. However, when we live under the peace the Holy Spirit brings us, the future isn't so daunting. Since moving here, I'm learning what that peace looks like and means to me personally.

In other happy news, Elora is growing right along!! :) Of course. We have struggled with finding a pediatrician we like. I am very thankful we found one downtown. Her name is Dr. Nelson and I about cried the first time I met her. Her attention to Elora was fantastic and she talked TO me, not AT me. I felt comfortable asking questions and interacting with her. She didn't make me feel like we were waisting her time. If we come back, I'll be happy to return to her. :)
E has started having her own little personality. She smiles and giggles at us and gets excited when she hears us talking to her. Matt picks on her a lot because she's been losing her hair. Poor girl. It's ok, it will grow back. :) My friends have become her "aunties" around here. It makes me happy to have so many people that I trust to watch E. Because not many people are as crazy as I am (who has babies out of the country?!?!), they are all getting their baby fix from us so they don't have to have their own right now. ;) Makes me chuckle actually.

SO!! That's an update in a nut shell!! :) We can't wait to be home. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to leave and maybe come back.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

A hui kaua....