The Ossmans

What I Did On My Summer Vacation...

2010-09-06T23:31:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful summer it has been! I feel a bit guilty for not updating this blog, although I loved not worrying about what I would blog about for a few months. I took the liberty of collecting thousands of pictures and enjoying some lazy summer days along with some very hectic yet very exciting adventures. :) Please enjoy the massive picture post which is about to ensue.

Roadtrip to Miami

A lot of love.

Lots of food.

Lots and lots of miles.

Lots and lots and lots of bugs!

Exploring Miami

The first thing I did with friends was go to the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables with Whitney and Allison.

I can't remember if I had my small camera here, so this is probably Allison's pic.

We hung out with Kawtar before she went home to Morocco.

Pool at Kawtar's.

Shooting in Brickell

Allison below the metro! That's as close as I got!

Allison and I at Key Biscayne.

We went to a Farmer's Market in Coconut Grove to practice our photography skills and pick up some yummy guacamole!

Exploring more of Coconut Grove

Allison and I also went to Ocean Drive area and South Beach.

We walked through a movie set while in the neighborhood.

Look! Justin and I went out on a date!

First to a beautiful pizza restaurant where they accidently served us pizza with anchovies! Justin had one bite and made the worst expression I'd ever seen and possibly gagged (or maybe that was me just watching him eat it?). We couldn't bear staying in that place long enough to order another pizza. We ended up rushing over to a Pasha's, which was quick and wonderful!

Yummy icecream and wine to follow!

For our last bit of exploration, Allison and I went to the beach and had lunch around SoFi.

At lunch we saw a google map guy at work! I asked if I could take his picture and he was like "Sure! No one's ever asked before! Let me get my tripod!" He's working on their 3D map or something, where you can click on restaurants, attractions, etc. and "get a feel of what it's like inside" before going there on your trip. I always wondered if I would see one of these guys in action and it finally happened!

Little photo shoot with Doc, Allison's new pup!

Miami and their chocolate shops! Ahh!

Last time seeing Allison before I left for DC and she left for Thibodaux. It's a good thing we are both from Louisiana! I will miss her a lot!

Side trip to D.C.

To help this beautiful sister out

And to watch this little one come into the world :)

Gulf Shores Family Vacation

Since I don't have the family pictures yet, I will just leave you with shots of these two cuties. :)

Cutest nephews ever!

What a great summer!

where in the world are we now?

2010-06-24T22:24:00.001-04:00

Miami, Florida!

Coral Gables to be exact. :) We are now in the middle of Justin's 5th semester of medical school at Ross, otherwise known as Advanced Intro to Clinical Medicine (AICM). We are really liking Miami so far! We are almost sad we can only stay until August. We were a bit apprehensive about living in a big city, but we are taking to it like fish in the water. Okay, so I have yet to take public transportation here, but my time will come. I have not taken tons of pictures of Miami yet, but I will share what I have as I can. We have explored our little area of life here in Coral Gables quite a bit since arriving mid May. Can I just say, we are in l-o-v-e with Coral Gables? It is the cutest little town nestled amongst the enormity of Miami.

A shot of Ponce de Leon and Miracle Mile taken on a late night stroll.

Here is our cute apartment!

The view as you walk in the door.

This is my spot for watching tv, computer time, job searching, house hunting, rotation researching, photography learning, snacking, resting, and everything in between.

Otherwise known as our living room.

This is Justin's spot for the United States Medical Licensing Exam STUDYING!

Otherwise known as the dining room.

Sign above the front door which says "In all things, give thanks." Ephesians 5:20. Did I mention we are subletting a completely furnished apartment for a great deal, requiring no decorating on my part? I was pleasantly surprised (you could say BLESSED!) with the furnishings and decor considering what we rented in Dominica and Bahamas. It just makes me smile!

Okay, the only piece of furniture in here we do own is the darling bedside table (used currently for the entryway). Justin found it a couple weeks back in the garbage chute room on our floor with a "free" sign. We promptly acquired the table for zero dollars and are dreaming up big plans for the cutie in our future home one day. You can see it in front of the very white and bright kitchen above.

The bathroom is nothing fancy, but I do love everything about this shower curtain. From the pretty blue glass orbs on hooks to the soft, textured shimmery antique white fabric, it is definitely something I will try to replicate in our next bathroom.

The bedroom- very dark (perfect for sleeping in) with more than twice the storage we needed for our stay!

And to end the tour, here is our patio. I enjoyed around four cups of my morning coffee out here before the heat forced me inside for the remainder of the summer. We are on the fourth floor (above restaurants, shops, and the parking garage) which is where the courtyard with pool and lots of seating is located. If you look closely, you'll see wicker seating. I will have to get better pictures of the courtyard before we leave.

Well, that is all for now. Justin is plowing through the semester as I am into the job hunt full swing. We still have no idea where we will be in September, but I can say our top choices are West Monroe and Baltimore. Can someone decide for us? Haha, just kidding... but not really. Please help.

Someone discovered iMovie today...

2010-03-28T14:44:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited I can do this!

Did anyone else know this much fun was possible on your Mac?

Prom Night!

2010-03-16T23:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday was Justin's 4th Semester Banquet,

otherwise known as Med School Prom.

I didn't take many pictures, but I was sure to catch this one!

Ross had fun awards for the students, and Justin won

"Most likely to make it through residency without any caffeine".

I think they have him pegged!

We had a great night out! Congrats to all Ross fourth semesters!

You Can Call Us The Fredricksens

2010-03-12T00:42:00.017-05:00

Since its release, I have been asking Justin to watch the movie UP as soon as he had the chance. Do you want to know why?

Because this, my friends, will be my dear husband in 50 years. I have always thought Justin not only looks just like Carl, but has his mannerisms as well! Well, he was finally able to watch the movie yesterday evening. As soon as he finished the movie, he exclaimed, "They must have based that movie off of us! I do look like him, and you're just like Ellie!" I can't say I agree about the Ellie part (except maybe a little of the artsy side of her... certainly not the time she beats him up that hill, haha!), but out of all the famous couples, I think we are most like the Fredricksens. (Sorry, Jim and Pam Halpert. We love you, still.)

What do y'all think?

We certainly had some differences in immediate family at our wedding! I cannot deny that one!

Ellie and I share some of the same hobbies: painting, photography, reading, collecting bird decor, wearing fun dresses, and maintaining plain jane hair. Have I missed anything?

{Look at this Justin face!}

Notice our mutual love of yellow here? We'll totally be that couple, I guess.

Dreaming and making plans. Who doesn't though?

Justin cannot wait to wear suspenders full-time.

I cannot wait for him to wear bowties full-time.

Match made in heaven!

Dear Justin, er... Mr. Fredricksen,

I promise to never want to paint the outside of our house that many bright colors, if you promise not to move it from its spot... ever.

xo,

your wife

more island visitors!

2010-02-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

My best friend/matron of honor/fellow SLP, Kasey, came to visit us in January! Her husband, Allen, came too, of course! Sadly, it was terribly cold almost the whole week they were here, so a lot of water activities were out for us cold weather wimps. We still had lots of fun eating out, cooking at our place, shopping, hanging out on the beach, and just catching up on life!

Kasey and Allen at the (very deserted) International Bazaar

At Garden of the Groves: Lots of green, a maze, and a church.

I love it when I find a picture with Justin among all of our adventures! He does take breaks! Obviously, he prefers when his breaks involve Zorba's gyros, but I don't mind too much.

Port Lucaya Beach

Taino Beach

We went to a local fish fry at Taino Beach one night. Allen's dinner above, and the girls' dinner below.

Shopping at Port Lucaya

Kasey and Allen,

Thank you so much for visiting us! We love y'all and can't wait to meet up again soon!

what a game!

2010-02-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

CONGRATS to the NEW ORLEANS Saints!!!

departing from island life...

2010-02-04T18:46:00.000-05:00

in less than three months!

credit

Our tickets are officially booked!

We'll be in Louisiana on April 24th!

Please remember to pray for Justin on Monday if you think about it!

He will be taking his first MINI exam of the semester

(and the last first MINI of his med school career... Lord willing, of course!)

2010-01-31T22:24:00.000-05:00

Christmas at the Ossmans!

(Thanks for the pictures, Christina!)

Loving our nephew, Landon.

Don recording lots of memories for us.

Celebrating Jason's birthday. Jacob was so ready for this part!

Christina and her apron I finally finished.

2nd Anniversary in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The Peabody Inn with our cottage, The Rivendell in the background.

A cute cottage all to ourselves.

Downstairs

Upstairs had our bedroom and bathroom. So comfy and cozy!

We didn't get much use out of our balcony.

Rivendell cottage was named by someone in love with Lord of the Rings.

They had surprisingly incredible food. I would drive over 7 hours just for Local Flavor again!

Dinner out at Ermilio's for our anniversary. We played Operation while we waited for our table!

New Year's Sushi Night

Derek and Koula preparing for a feast of tasty goodness.

Doesn't it look delish?

Angela and Jason enjoying their sushi.

It was so good!

The couple shot.

We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2010!

(Not So) Recent Happenings

2010-01-27T20:45:00.004-05:00

OCTOBER

Koula came to visit us for a few days! We loved having our first Bahamas visitor. Here's a little of what we did:

Ate lots of yummy food at Port Lucaya!

Went to the beach of course and enjoyed coffee at Zorba's.

And listened to an outdoor Caribbean performance.

NOVEMBER

I have NO pictures of November (surprisingly).

We had Thanksgiving dinner with the Ross faculty, staff, and students.

I felt so bad about forgetting my camera that day.

I didn't even take a picture of the two pumpkin rolls I made.

So disappointed!

Justin was especially disappointed as there was no more pumpkin roll once he got to the dessert table. Overall, we were so happy to have each other on Thanksgiving when we were so far away from our families.

DECEMBER

Justin had his MINI 3 and Finals during December and did amazing!

Yay, Justin!!

While he was studying away for finals, I visited family in South Carolina.

Exploring a massive fabric store, Mary Jo's in NC. They had EVERYTHING!

Sewing a tutu with my niece, Alaina.

Posing (and trying on Aunt Faith's shoes) mid-project and later with her grandma (my sis, Deanna).

Dinner out with some siblings in Greenville: Matthew, Holly, Faith, me, and Mike before our travels to Louisiana.

Christmas in Louisiana, an anniversary, and New Year's coming up next!

I miss Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:40:00.003-04:00

ETA: that's better.

Dominica Visitors Part 2

2009-10-01T02:14:00.003-04:00

My brother Mike and his son, Mike Jr. visited us during August. We did so many exciting hikes! It was great having Justin come on so many hikes too, since part of their visit was during Justin's break. Here is some of what we did:

Victoria Falls

One of my favorite hikes ever.

Cabrits and Fort Shirley

He chills a lot.

Red Rock Haven

The best meal I had in Dominica!

Bense Chaudiere Pool

Justin jumping

Mike Jr. jumping

Mike jumping

For the record, I did jump but the shot didn't turn out. Maybe if I hadn't panicked and waited twenty minutes before jumping, I would have proof?! Below, you see Michael going down the waterfall. The natural slide will suck you under!!! It was so much fun!

Scott's Head

Possibly one of the scariest moments in my life was Mike driving up this hill with the Atlantic to our left and Caribbean on our right... just inches from death. I will never do something like this again!

Aba Wavine Cyrique

We repelled like crazy to get to the beach.

We slapped each other with plants.

We stood atop a rock in the midst of the angry sea, so the waterfall could pelt us. (My goal for this hike.)

Since we couldn't take pictures on the way back(it rained our entire ascension!), we recorded proof that we climbed up a dangerously muddy cliff (wet duct taped rope-assisted of course.)

Valley of Desolation and Boiling Lake

I found my favorite plant of the hike. They were really pretty to watch when the breeze came.

The six hour hike of torture finally came to an end!

It was so worth a week of sore calves to see

the world's second largest boiling lake!

Thanks for visiting Mike and Boo! We had so many unforgettable adventures!

Dominica Visitors Part 1

2009-09-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

This post may be a bit late, but I wanted to share about the visitors Justin and I had while we lived in Dominica for eight months. My sister, Holly, and her husband, Lance, came to visit us in May all the way from D.C. We loved having them stay with us and experience Dominica's beauty! Here are some things that we did:

Emerald Pool

Aba Wavine and Trafalgar Falls

Jungle Bay and Sari Sari Falls!

Holly was stung by this scorpian! It was hiding under her pillow in their villa. Lance was great at nursing her back to health, though!

Thanks for visiting Holly and Lance!! I had a blast with you both!

our engagement story

2009-09-23T14:07:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it has been two years since our engagement! It really seems like just yesterday Justin and I were spending time together paging through tons of pre-marital books to begin our pre-engagement Bible study! We loved the book we read together, and you better believe we were on top of those questions! It was one of the most fun and most important parts of our courtship, which led to a very memorable engagement and wedding.

Since this is the month we were engaged (yes, just over 3 months from our wedding date!), I would love to share our engagement story. Lately, I keep thinking about our story and reminiscing, so maybe I'll cut it out if I get it written down! Read if you can handle it, but I won't be offended if you can't get through it!

Back-story: Justin and I finished our Bible Study some time towards the end of August 2007. I think we were both thinking, "Now what?" except we both knew the next step was marriage. The problem was trying to figure out when we could get married. Since I worked for the school system, I was pretty adamant that we could only get married on a break where I would be able to prepare the week before the wedding, and then have another week for our honeymoon. Well that left two options: Christmas break or summer break. We discussed the possibilities of both and while either option was great, we were both leaning towards December. It's like January through May seemed like the longest time ever to wait to finally get married! Seriously! Anyway, around the same time we were having these discussions, I shared our predicament with my roommate, Tennille. I needed to prepare her for me moving out eventually, as well as just talk about wedding stuff! Not long after that, she approached me with some exciting news. There was a house that our landlord, Mr. Yeager, was trying to rent out just around the block. He is a very sweet elderly man, and tends to only rent out by recommendations only. He was very dependent on Tennille finding someone to rent his house! So, Tennille was able to get the keys to the house and pass them along to me so that Justin and I could check out our potential first place. All three of us planned on going to look at the house after church the upcoming Wednesday night since Justin was going to be off from work.

Engagement Day: Well, September 19, 2007 fell on that coming Wednesday and it was a beautiful day. Like any other weekday, however, I worked during the day as a speech language pathologist at a public school. On this particular day, I had a trip to make to the main office to drop off some paperwork. I usually schedule my trips to the office around lunch, so if my co-worker and friend, Paige was also stopping by the office, we could have a quick lunch together afterwards. It so happened that she did, so we decided to eat at the mall food court, since it is so close to the office. On my way to meet Paige, I decided to call Justin to see how he was enjoying his day off. He told me that he was at the mall, and I got so excited because that meant I could probably see him for a quick minute before going back to work. He told me he was browsing a music store, so I asked him to call me whenever he was done so we could meet. Well, he never called! It was half way through lunch when I called and asked where he was, and he gave me some excuse about having a hard time trying to find something he was looking for (I can't remember that was right now). I couldn't get upset about that, so I asked if he would be able to meet me at the food court before I had to go back to work. He was there in just a few minutes and we said our hello/goodbye before heading our separate ways.

I went to church that night, and I excitedly (okay, annoyingly and excitedly) talked with Tennille about the house. The day or two before, we had both gone by the house when we didn't have the keys just to peek through the windows, and so far I was sold on the cuteness factor. I was especially sold on the very low rent price, and I was hopeful that Justin would agree. The only small problem was that one of us was going to have to start rent out the house soon, so we wouldn't lose it to another possible renter. Because of that problem, I figured we wouldn't actually be renting the house after all, seeing as how we had not even officially decided when we'd get married much less become engaged yet! Because it was creeping up on the end of September, I was already thinking to myself (and only told Tennille) that we wouldn't be getting married until the summer, since there was no way I would have enough time to plan for a wedding three months (or less) away. I had no inkling of an idea that it would happen any time soon since it didn't happen by early September. Still, I love the idea of house hunting, and I was excited to start the process with my future husband! So after church we all left to go see the house for rent.

Well, I thought we were all going. At the last possible second, Tennille told me that she couldn't go because she had to do something else, but I can't recall what right now. I figured she was going to hang out talking at the church a little longer and then have dinner with the rest of our friends as usual. So, even though I was pretty bummed to not have a girl with me to gush over the house with, I was still excited to see the house for the first time with Justin. The house was just a mile or two from our church, so Justin and I arrived there quickly. We had an issue with the electricity when we walked in the house. One of us went to flip the switch, and I was so shocked that there was no power! Haha! We didn't think about that! Justin and I got our car flashlights out soon after our little discovery, so we could continue with our house viewing. I'm not gonna lie. It was pretty hard to see if the house was up to our specifications with two flashlights! We were able to see that the carpet was a bit stained and the kitchen and bathroom were pretty outdated. I just had the feeling that I was in love with the coziness of the place and had to point out all of the charm to Justin. So I showed him the cute little knobs, the wooden doors, and the phone nook (like we'd really have a home phone, but still... it was cute!) We liked the size of the two bedrooms and the overall layout of the tiny little house on Ridge Avenue. Justin and I walked into the living room to discuss what we thought, and as I got more and more excited about the house, I could tell Justin didn't feel the same way. He was just too quiet. He did finally open his mouth (once I was finished with my praises) to ask me a question. He calmly asked, "So, do you like this house enough to want to live here?" and of course I exclaimed "Yes!". Then, he proceeded to say, "Well, there's something we need to do before that happens." as he got down on one knee. Side note: I couldn't actually see him get down on one knee ... I guess that would be the downside to the whole no electricity thing. Then again, not seeing his nervousness or next moves left me so clueless as to what was about to happen! As soon as I felt him drop to one knee as we held hands, Justin asked if I would marry him. I said, "Yes!" (obviously). I couldn't see his face, but I could hear his smile while he proposed. It was so sweet! He then turned on the flashlight to show me my bling! What most bride-to-be's want to see, right? As he did so, he had some not so great news to break to me. Uh-oh.

The scene of our engagement one year later,

much brighter and filled with furniture.

Justin proceeded to tell me that he was having a hard time with my engagement ring. He went to buy the ring a couple weeks before, but had to have the ring made in my size since the jeweler told him it would be hard to re size the style of ring he picked out. He was hoping that the ring would arrive sooner, but by that Wednesday it still hadn't come in. The jeweler offered him another ring to propose with, but Justin didn't want to have to take back some random ring that he just proposed to me with. Good thinking. But he just couldn't wait on the ring to propose any longer, so he decided to get a temporary fake-yet-fun ring, so I wouldn't be completely ring less. Haha - I really don't think I would have cared, but that was very thoughtful of him to think of me! Anyway, guess what Justin was doing at the mall that very day? He was not in a music store! He couldn't tell me where he was, because he was in Claire's looking at the kiddy/teeny bopper jewelry and couldn't let me in on his plan! It all came together after I heard his story, and we had a good time laughing about how he had to avoid me at the mall. He was so worried I would know what he was up to, but really, I didn't have a clue. He bought a couple different rings - one that was traditional and petite, and another that had a humongous fake diamond in which I could not be seen in public. I think he realized that before popping the question, so he proposed with the smaller ring instead. I think I would have cracked up laughing and possibly peed in my pants if he proposed with the abnormally large bling, though. I kept the huge ring just as a reminder of our story- it still makes me chuckle every time I put it on. A few weeks later, my official engagement ring finally came in! Justin set up a scavenger hunt in our new place (yes, we decided to rent the house we got engaged in, so Justin moved in October) and surprised me with flowers, sweet notes, and the ring after church one Wednesday night. It was a beautiful ring! I was shocked at how good he was at finding a ring that I absolutely loved!

Because Justin decided to go ahead and propose before the ring arrived, we were able to get married that December. The next three months were a whirlwind, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I loved planning our wedding and was surprised to get (nearly) everything done in such a short amount of time. We had a beautiful wedding on December 29th, 2007 and loved our tropical honeymoon in the middle of winter. I don't think I will ever forget the story of our sweet and lovely engagement! I think it helped prepare us a little for the first two years of our marriage, which has been filled with a deep commitment to love each other through tough decisions and a whirlwind of adventurous yet scary transitions. We wouldn't trade our story for the world!

Relaxing in our first home after the wedding.

Happy Wednesday!

i love lamp.

2009-09-15T13:06:00.002-04:00

It's true. I love a nice lamp. They are some kind of wonderful with their aesthetically pleasing designs and lovely soft light output. They know how to make me smile when I flip one on in a dark room.

So, did anyone know they still make lamps like this?

This huge thing was staring Justin and I down when we first opened the door to our new place in the Bahamas. We need to rent furnished apartments while living in the Caribbean, because who can carry their whole house in a few suitcases? It makes me sad and a bit restless seeing so many newly built apartments that have been decorated with no regard to color scheme or a style plan, but we have to settle with whatever furnishings and decor are in the apartment. Well, sort of. I refuse to leave out a cheesy vase of roses dripping with fake raindrops or sheets so itchy that I literally cannot sleep through the night. (And that is saying something when I can't sleep!)

Anyway, I gave the lamp about a week to see if I could get used to it disturbing my sense of peace. Well, that's not entirely true. I had to wait on our two barrels full of the rest of our clothes, food, books, and home goods we shipped from Dominica towards the end of August. I was so relieved when it arrived last Wednesday! Do you wonder what the first thing I did after receiving them? Hang up my extremely wrinkled clothes, put away the canned goods, or put our trusty Swiffer mop to work on the floors maybe?

Um, no.

You know I had to get rid of that lamp and decorate something! I just needed some part of our apartment to look like us already! I hope I achieved it in our side table. It's kind of random with most of the decorations coming from Dominica, but looking at this table everyday makes me feel a lot better!

blog blunder

2009-09-12T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I think I overdid it a bit with my recent blog redesign. Actually, it was our first redesign. We have had our blog for more than a year, and I have recently contemplated a change. It's about time! Well, I thought it looked pretty cute, but Justin did not agree! I couldn't believe it! The main problem he had with the blog is that I replaced the picture of a tiny blue house on the water with a picture of the two of us. He was not too fond of the new header at all. And he LOVED the previous picture. I did too, but I thought it would be nice to change things up! I did not mind changing the picture back to our beloved simple blue house on the water, but there was a huge problem! Justin found that picture years ago, and when we started the blog, we both had different laptops. The picture was never saved, and once I changed the picture on the blog, it was gone for good! Justin told me not to bother trying to find it again, but before he said it, I was already on the hunt. First stop of course, was Google images. It was a mad hunt to search for "blue house on the water" but I found it! Well, not the original picture obviously. But with enough research, I found out that the house is actually a boat house located on the Swan River in Perth, Australia. Apparently it is the most photographed little boat house in that area. Even newlyweds had their picture taken in front of it! How cute! Anyway, I never found the exact picture, and even with editing the pictures I did find, nothing compared to the original. Lesson learned. I will consult Justin before I try to do something like this again! In the meantime, I will be looking through all of my photos to see if I can find something even remotely comparable for a new header. This could take awhile!

Below are some photos of our little blue house. Enjoy!

Welcome to our new little corner.

2009-09-08T22:50:00.001-04:00

For those of you wondering, Justin and I are settling in the Bahamas nicely. We arrived last Sunday, cleaned our new place, unpacked our luggage, rearranged some furntiure, and ordered the most delicious pizza ever. Okay, there were two pizzas ordered, but we had to make a wise decision and plan for the worst. I knew that it may take awhile for us to find everything we need in a new country before making homemade meals again. (Confession: It was around a month before I turned on the oven at our new place in Dominica - eek). Therefore, two pizzas had to be ordered to fulfill our lunch and dinner needs for the next day.

The first week in our new town was spent roughly like so:

Monday- 1. Hired Elton the taxi driver to take us to CostRight (pretty much like a Cost Co or Sam's) for as many heavy and big bulk items we needed that would never fit in/on our new scooter. 2. Picked up the keys and helmets for said scooter (from a fellow spouse/student: thanks Tamara and Steve!) along with a generously donated pair of cell phones (thanks Kellie!) 3. Took one look at scary scooter and decided to read the directions v-e-r-y carefully before attempting to pick it up the next morning. 4. Enjoyed massive amounts of leftover pizza.

Tuesday- 1. Set out on a 2-3 mile journey with helmets in hand to attempt to tame the scooter. 2. Picked up by a very sweet realtor who gave us some very helpful advice for living in our new town: "Whatever you do, stay out of the ghetto. They'll walk right up to you and offer you drugs!" 3. Witnessed Justin successfully master the scooter in less than 10 minutes' time. 4. Drove home on our scooter! (only Grace was terrified and may need high blood pressure meds now.) 5. Driving lessons for Grace in our parking lot = an ongoing process.

Wednesday- 1. Decided we needed quite a few household items that we couldn't find at CostRight the day before. 2. Successfully found Kelly's True Value to purchase some household items. 3. Eventually decided against a $20 plastic toilet brush and holder (When did inflation on five dollar toilet brush holders happen?) 4. Went to the local grocery store for a late night craving for icecream! 5. Failed on hunt for icecream. (How can you not have icecream in such a huge store and in such a hot place!)

Thursday- 1. Went to Port Lucaya, a spot for many restaurants and shops aimed at tourists. 2. Attempted to have dinner at our new favorite restaurant, Zorba's, but it was closed! The agony! 3. Settled on dinner at one of the only restaurants open during September, Agave. Yum. 4. Icecream at Santorini's. Double yum.

Friday- 1. Justin explored the RSOM campus on Orientation Day. 2. Grace explored the HGTV channel on Okay-we-have-awesome-cable Day.

Saturday- 1. Made a trip to CostRight on the scooter to see how much we could pack in our little crate! (six bags in case your wondering) 2. Had dinner with fellow Ross students, faculty, and staff at a beautiful beach. 3. Due to sand fleas, bolted from beach dinner as fast as humanly possibly (following consumption of free food, of course).

Sunday- 1. Lazily enjoyed our last day of the school break before Justin began his 3rd semester on Monday.

HELLO 3rd Semester!!!

In Seven Days...

2009-08-22T18:38:00.003-04:00

Decorating this cake made everything feel more official.

Bittersweet, yet official!

Justin and I are looking forward to keeping y'all updated

on our lives while in the Bahamas!

My Husband

2009-08-08T21:25:00.004-04:00

Can I just say how proud I am of my husband lately?

He is taking 7 very important exams in 17 days this month. He takes each one seriously, as he understands how important it is to do his best in every subject area in order to grow into a very skilled physician one day.

Way to go, Justin! 3 exams down... only 4 to go!

I love you, and I am praying for you daily!

xoxo,

Grace

OPA!

2009-07-21T17:49:00.004-04:00

We loved the Bahamas!

The best part: gyros, tzatziki, and dolmathes, oh my...

No, thank you Zorba's!!

Bahamas Bound...

2009-07-16T20:10:00.005-04:00

At 4:45am on Friday. Seriously.

Tonight I am packing a few outfits, charging the electronics, and gathering snacks for our weekend trip to Freeport, Grand Bahama. Ross University is sponsoring a free trip for students and their spouses interested in doing their clinical courses outside of Dominica. They opened the new Bahamas site in January, but they are having a tough time convincing students already settled in Dominica for 6 months, to spend the next 6-9 months of medical school on yet another island. Offering this trip to a few hundred students must mean they are pretty desperate and quite convinced Bahamas is the right choice for 3rd and 4th semester clinical classes.

Justin and I knew about the Bahamas program from the beginning, but once we moved to Dominica and realized it is not only livable, but indescribably beautiful, we were in agreement that we would be staying put until 2010. Moving to two countries in half a year sounds silly, right?

Well, at the beginning of Justin's 2nd semester, we started thinking and praying about the Bahamas again. We want to do what is best for Justin's medical career, yet we want to follow God's will no matter what. For me, living here in Dominica has brought many opportunities to serve others, show love and even see God's love in abundance, and I couldn't help but think that God would never want to pull me away from this. Not now.

A few weeks ago at lunch, Justin told me we should take Bahamas off the table since we hadn't heard anything new to convince us moving at the end of August is to be our next step. I will admit that I was quite relieved... for three hours. That same afternoon, Justin called me at home to ask what date would be better for us to go to the Bahamas for a school sponsored weekend trip. I was incredibly confused until Justin explained Ross' plan to sell the Bahamas. Is Someone trying to tell us something? Haha. We will see one day. For now, we are continuing to pray. Please pray with us that we will be able to listen and follow God's will for our lives as we may be entering a new season sooner than we expected. Since hearing about this trip, I have been fearful and anxious about the future, and although it was tough to go through, God showed me this week that no matter where we are, He will be in us and we will be in Him... serving, loving, and living.

Housewife Tip #71 (Feed your man!)

2009-07-08T23:00:00.008-04:00

What kind of housewife would I be if I didn't make my hubby breakfast everyday?

Haha. Okay, so I do not literally get up and prepare Justin's breakfast each morning. But I have made yummy granola bars once or twice a week for the past 3-4 months, and I now consider that little accomplishment to be blog worthy!

That, and a few friends and family members have asked about the recipe, so I will post it here for anyone else who may be interested.

This recipe was modified from one of the best sites ever - allrecipes.com. I am super excited to finally post a recipe on our blog. It feels like I'm going through some sort of blog world rite of passage!

I hope y'all like them!

Ingredients:

3 cups of Quick Oats

4 TBSP of unsweetened applesauce

1 14 oz can of fat free sweetened condensed milk

+ 3/4 to 1 cup of any dried fruit/candy/etc. (I use 3/4 cup of golden raisins per Justin's request, but I would recommend some semi sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips if your wanting a really sweet snack!)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C.

2. Combine milk, applesauce, and oats in a large bowl and stir until oats are moistened.

3. Add toppings and stir.

4. Pour mixure into a greased 13x9 pan and spread/flatten as evenly as you can.

5. Bake for 2o-25 minutes depending on your oven and preference. (We like ours soft, so I take them out when they are slightly brown around the edges - 18 to 20 minutes - depending on my oven's mood.)

Let batch cool for about 5 minutes and then cut into bars. One line down the middle and 5 down the sides will give you a dozen good sized bars. (I used a Sharpie to mark my pan at evenly spaced intervals to save time- I'm terrible at estimating measurements!) Place bars on a cooling rack until completely cool. Store in your fridge.

So easy and delicious!

Ross Med School Campus!

2009-06-15T11:05:00.006-04:00

Here is your much anticipated tour of campus!

The Library

The Swing, a study building- AKA: Justin's second home.

The Shacks

The Subway Deck

The Lower Deck - where I take yoga.

Ross Prep School - where I volunteer.

The Activity Center

Classroom 6 and Offices in the background. Anatomy Lab in the foreground.

Anatomy Lab: A closer view

(I had an even closer view if you know what I mean, but I will spare you.)

Classroom 5: Justin's main classroom

At the beginning of the semester, Justin got an upgrade in lockers from this...

To this:

That's right, folks. Justin passed his first semester of med school with flying colors! He did great, and I am so proud of all of his hard work. He has already taken the 1st MINI of 2nd Semester and did wonderful on that exam as well. Praise the Lord!

Well, as mentioned above, Justin was rewarded with a newer, shinier locker right outside of his main classroom! When he told me he would just use his old lock from home, I was like, "Sure... I would've celebrated by getting a cute, new, shiny lock, but whatever works for you." Then he proceeded to tell me, he has had it on every school locker since the seventh grade! Same combination and everything! What?!! I can barely keep a phone in one piece for seven months, let alone have anything in tact from the seventh grade... and actually want to use it 15 years later. It is so nice to see God's humor in the way He shows us how we balance eachother out... even in the little things.

Can you guess how old this vintage piece could be?

March Madness!

2009-04-13T11:26:00.009-04:00

So, there was a lot going on in March, and it didn't relate to basketball! I guess it's really only madness that I'm just now posting everything in one lump post, and it's nearly mid April. Here's what I can remember:

First, in case you were suspecting that I made bread just once for blog purposes, you are wrong! Jen and I have painstakingly made bread almost every Wednesday to keep our husbands' taste buds satisfied and tummies full. Our bread is actually looking more like sandwich bread (most of the time). I have proof!

Justin took his MINI 2 on March 9th and did great! Thanks to all of your continued prayers during his 1st semester here. He is doing really well. Even though he has just a little over a week left of school, he still has his 3rd MINI exam and then his Final, both of which account for a hefty percentage of his overall grades. No matter what happens, he has already made me feel so proud for all of his hard work!

I had Justin's mom secretly send this intest-ants shirt that I ordered from Etsy in one of our care packages. It was supposed to be a part of his birthday gift, but ended up being an after-MINI 2 gift. Doesn't he look brilliant?

My 27th birthday -gasp- was on the 12th and it was one of the best birthdays. I thought it would pretty much just be another day since Justin must study every single day. Well, when I woke up, this is what I found waiting for me in the kitchen.

He wrote me a very sweet birthday note, got me two Carib baskets, and just look at all of the yummy, evil snacks that Justin secretly found for me all over town and purchased despite his hate of over-processed foods! That bag of oreos was by far the best tasting oreos I have ever had. Thank you, Justin!

For lunch, Jen and I went to Rituals (very similar to Starbucks) then on to the pool for some reading and relaxing. It was a perfect day! Jen needed to take pictures of Flat Stanley for a friend whose son’s class was sending all over the world to see some fun spots. We decided to take him to the beach!



Later, I went to my yoga class. I know you're probably thinking I'm blowing all of our loan money on fruitless yoga a couple times a week, but it is just 5 EC per class, which is less than 2 US dollars! I would be crazy not to accept this little gift I like to call increased flexibility, strength, and sanity.

      Here is a picture of the yoga deck by the sea.

   One of the views from my yoga mat.

After yoga, I went to the weekly spouses game night where we usually get together to play bunko or board games. The day before, Briana asked if I was going, and I told her that I was planning on it, since Justin had birthday plans for the upcoming Saturday. She was like "Great, maybe we can play some special birthday games", so I got really excited. "What special birthday games, exactly?", I asked myself. Pin the tail on the donkey was all my tired little mind could imagine at that point, so I just left it at that. Well it turns out that her idea of a special birthday game was to surprise me with a party as opposed to having game night! No actual birthday games involved?! What about Pin the Tail?? Nope! Ah well! At least we had more junk food than I had seen in three months! It was a wonderful surprise, and I loved every bit of it! These ladies are the best!

   Briana made this incredibly yummy cake!

   Crystal made this really sweet card!



   All of the girls! Thanks to Jen Martin for taking the Bday pics!

And to end my birthday celebration, Justin and I went to the capital city, Roseau, on Saturday. He had never been before, but suggested we go for my birthday. I was ecstatic. I had my husband all to myself without books or laptop for a whole day! I showed him all of the stores I go to in order to find groceries to stock up every few weeks as well as all of the other neat stores I have been wanting to casually peruse, but never had time. We found a cute bag for me that is much dressier than the bag I brought to Dominica - which is more often filled with what else... groceries. We also had lunch at a cute little restaurant. (I was looking forward to going to a French restaurant, Le Maison, but it was closed until later that afternoon, but we couldn't wait! Next time, though!) I really enjoyed eating at the Cornerhouse Cafe, and I'm glad we found it. We both had the mahi mahi dishes, and it was really tasty. I ordered fries with mine, but not having real ketchup at some restaurants here kinda ruins fries for me - I must start remembering not to order fries here! Justin's plate was loaded with fresh veggies, beans, rice, and plantains, though. Yummo!

I wish I would have taken more pictures of this day, but I completely forgot. It was nice to finally enjoy the city without running around lugging frozen and canned goods everywhere. I can't wait to go back with Justin on one of his next breaks! As soon as we got home, it was pretty funny to see Justin sit down on the couch and fall fast asleep. That's exactly what I feel like doing after every grocery shopping trip to Roseau. While Justin slept, I did some housework and then read my book for bible study. At around 6pm, I tried to wake Justin to see if he wanted to study or eat dinner, but he said wanted to eat later and fell back to sleep. Since I was pretty exhausted at that point, I took a nap right then as well. A couple hours into our naps, I thought we should get up, eat, and Justin could maybe study a little. I tried to wake him for dinner, but he was way too tired! We both decided to just call it a night, so we got ready for bed and conked out again. It was nice to see Justin finally getting so much sleep! Lovely end to a lovely day!

The next day, the spouses took a trip to Aba Ravine Cyrique. This place was so much fun, but was one of the most challenging hikes for me yet. I won't post pics here since I posted on facebook and this post is now in picture overload, but here is a shot Jen took of me in action...

Dear future visitors,

Start training now!

Love,

Grace

At the end of March, Jen, Stef and I attempted to snorkel at Champagne Bay and Scott's Head. Gorgeous places, but not a gorgeous day. Since it was going to be my first time snorkeling, I had high hopes to just get right in and see a few fish and maybe a turtle or two. Can we say unrealistic thinking, Grace? The waves and my claustrophobic ways just wouldn't let me stay in the ocean for very long. Stef and Jen managed to see a few things at Champagne Bay, but at Scott's Head, the current was really strong, the water was unusually mucky, and there just wasn't much to see. We were a bit disappointed, but are hopeful about our next trip back!

Jen, me, and Stef at Scott's Head

Carnival and Ross Culture Show

2009-03-26T00:31:00.009-04:00

Towards the end of February, Dominica was celebrating Carnival, which is sort of like Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Portsmouth, which is a 20-30 minute walk from where we live in Picard, was having their own small celebration, so some of the spouses decided to go early to avoid too much drunken craziness from the locals (or med students, even). We ended up coming way too early and didn't want to stay for more than a couple hours, so we ended up not seeing the parade afterall. Ah, well. Here are some shots from our day in Portsmouth...

Some very talented young musicians trying to get the crowd moving...

Why is this med student staring at the festive festivities across the street?!

Ohhh...

Air guitar!

A building in Portsmouth made with lots of nice wood. They usually make buildings out of concrete only in order to withstand hurricane season, so it's only a matter of time for this poor little guy.

There are so many of these stranded boats around Portsmouth. Hurricanes.

My name is on this one!

Several sail boats near Cabrits which are not stranded. I want a ride, please!

Some of the spouses: Sarah, me, Tricia, Briana, Crystal, and Jen.

*****

Ross University held its culture show at the end of February as well. I missed a lot of it while helping at the RSO (Ross Spouses Org) table, but I'm sure I caught the best performance of the night. Some students were performing their native dance in authentic dress, and this one reminded me of Bali-wood movies like Bride and Prejudice. It was fun to watch, and I'm a little jealous of their skills. Here are some pics from that night.

Me, Jess, and Stef

Titou Gorge, Trafalgar Falls, and Screw Spas

2009-03-25T20:35:00.014-04:00

Here are several pics from my hike in February!

We took a short hike to Titou Gorge first. You could see the gorge from above by continuing to hike a little further, or swim through it below (if you want to die).

A few of us wanted to swim through the cave to get to a small waterfall at the other end. They said you could touch the bottom if you got tired, but I was a little too short! I made it half way, but the current was too strong and I could not get over the freezing water. I seriously was thinking I could die, I was that tired! So, I reluctantly headed back without making it to the waterfall. The nice part was floating on my back for a while just looking at the view above. I will have to get a disposable water camera for next time. Yes, I said it. Next time.

Marissa, one of five sweet siblings, waiting on her mom to emerge from the cave.

Emily, Marissa's sister, trying to get a closer look from above Titou Gorge. These are THE most fearless children I have ever met. They all were giving me these weird I'm-going-to-have-a-heart-attack-if-you-don't-stop mom instincts every time one of them would get too close to the edge or decide they should run a mile ahead of the group searching for their own waterfalls. I could not keep up after just attempting Titou Gorge, so I just prayed for their safety.

The view from above Titou Gorge. I did not swim this far below!

*****

After Titou Gorge, we hiked to Trafalgar Falls. I was surprised to see two waterfalls here!

We proceeded, of course. Most spouses wanted to get to the naturally warm sulfur pools, but Jen and I decided to go a little further.

A view of a tiny stream/waterfall created by the large rocks. Trafalgar is in the background.

Enjoying the warm pools around Trafalgar. This is the first time I have seen Ben, Marissa, Emily, and Xiohara relaxing on a hike!

*****

Following our time at Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls, our driver took us to Screw Spas. The spas here were even warmer than those near Trafalgar Falls, and there were even cooler pools just incase you get too warm. This place was the perfect spot to relax after a long hike.

The Rules.... meant to be broken! Ew, just kidding. Public feet maintenance is a no-no, but I've actually never seen it on any signs in any other countries. Props to Dominica on this one.

In case you were wondering...

The spas! Love them!

Everybody was taking a picture of this flower/plant/tree thing at Screw's, so I joined in on the fun.

*****

The driver stopped to let us see a few points along the way back from our hike. Can you see the steam above? Below is another gorgeous view of Dominica. I really love living so close to the mountains and the ocean. What a blessing from God!

The Bread Machine

2009-02-24T10:23:00.003-05:00

I baked bread!

The bread was good!

No more stale bread from James Store!

WooHoo!

25 Yeeaaars Old! (And a Superbowl Chili Cookoff)

2009-02-23T18:03:00.023-05:00

Justin turned 25 on February 1st!

Still younger than Kermit!

This was also Superbowl Sunday, so our housechurch got together and had a chili cookoff.

Here are the winners!

Person Who Supplied the Projector Award: Billy and Kelsey

Spiciest Chili Award: Jake and Crystal

Best Vegetarian and Nicest Display : Keeley

Most Creative Entry: Joy and Carson

Best of Show: Billy and Kelsey

Justin's carrot cake! Does it look a little too good?

I think I had a little too much time to explore editing in iPhoto while our internet was out. Here was the original cake in all its glory.

It reminds me of the Dr. Seus-like cake Tennille and I tried unsuccessfully to build for Mikey's birthday. His ended up in a bowl as perfectly tasty purple mush. I'm making progress!

Catching up is hard to do...

2009-02-23T17:22:00.006-05:00

So, I know it's been a while, but I do have a few good excuses as to why I have not been able to post for more than two weeks. While it's been a pretty exciting month to blog about, I have had some technical issues here lately. First of all, we have had very slow internet connections at the apartment. While I could get by checking a few emails or facebook, adding photos to Blogger is almost impossible. When I tried using my laptop on campus, there was no connection either. It was like internet didn't exist. Except for the fact Justin's worked just fine. Well, internet was terrible for a week and then Justin figured out a way to magically give my laptop internet life again. I was joyful for just a few short days and planned on posting an update on Justin's birthday, his MINI exam, Superbowl, more Dominican creatures, and on and on. Sadly, last Tuesday, my power adapter was killed by our terrible electical currents in the apartment I guess, because it no longer gave life to my laptop. I could only charge my laptop if I brought it to campus and Justin was available to let me use his charger, which was pretty rare. Not many people think I could possibly stay busy here, but I do! With any spare time I have, I do try to catch up on emails, facebook, blogging, etc. but that was pretty hard to do for the last couple of weeks. When I was able to be at home in the last couple weeks, I decided to use my free time from the computer the best way I could. This usually involved cooking, baking, cleaning or watching the TV. Watching TV is just not as enjoyable as back home. Some of my favorite shows don't come on until 10pm when I'm used to them starting at 7pm back home. It's a little hard to stay pumped about American Idol around bedtime. We actually have cable here which means we have about 40 more channels than we had in Louisiana. I should be in heaven with HGTV alone! But alas, I'm not so giddy about redecorating and organizing as I was just a few short months ago. What a shock, you think? Yes, and I guess I need to post on that later. For now, I must begin the catch up process. I'm going give you as many pictures as I can in just a few posts, while leaving out as much wordiness possible, so there isn't too much reading. I hope you enjoy!

Our New Lawn Maintenance

2009-02-07T23:46:00.002-05:00

Within the first week of our stay here in Dominica, Justin and I awoke to the sound of the scariest moo we have ever known. We thought it was a screaming woman at one point, and it was right outside of our window! Maybe our new cow friend was in labor, maybe she was tired of being tied up day and night, or maybe she just wanted a friend to chat with while she munched on our lawn. Whatever it was, she was quite the intriguing cow, so I vowed I would take her picture the next time I saw her so that I could post her story.

Well, it's been a few weeks, but she finally returned this past week! Not only that, but she brought along a friend this time. I was able to take a few shots before she noticed and began the stare down. Dominican cows are known to charge, so I kept my distance at all times.

I think the cows have been overdoing it with the lawn lately. Not only did my pretty green bushes look demolished when I came outside to leave for my Crossfit workout one morning this week, but these hungry beasts were at the bottom of the front steps of my porch just waiting for me so they could attack! Well, maybe they were just getting the last of the greens they could before departing, but still... I could not leave my house! Every time I tried making a move, they would look up and just stare! There was no way out, unless I jumped off the other side of the porch, which is fairly high. I really don't like getting my workout shoes muddy, so eventually I decided to just wait until they were finished with breakfast. I would have a picture of them being so close but decided not to bother them with another photo shoot in hopes of speeding their mastication process along so that I could get to the gym in time. After a few minutes, they were long gone from my yard. I felt a little lonely when they left of course, but I've really enjoyed having a few mooless, peaceful nights... not to mention a more fragrant breeze through our window!

One of the first days the cow returned. Our lawn was luscious!

Now... not so much.

Just in from the U.S.A.

2009-01-27T09:03:00.010-05:00

We got our first package yesterday! Hooray! We were thrilled to go through all of the goodies that Don and Koula sent us from back home. Justin had just eaten his last granola bar the day before our package came chock full of more! I was so excited to receive some of the stationery Justin stocked me up with on our anniversary, too. I even have Nestle chocolate chips to make cookies here, and Justin has some yummy peanut buttter, beef jerky, and candy to satisfy his cravings while studying. Not only did we get some great treats, but we also received some necessities like an empy water jug to hold backup water and plenty of vitamins! Justin's whole family sent him a very sweet birthday card as well. Landon and Jacob even included some very artistic masterpieces which will have to be displayed very soon. Thanks so much, Don and Koula! We love and miss you all!

It feels like Christmas!

Justin is really excited about all of the food!

Our snack basket before we got our package.

Our snack basket AFTER!

Look at all of this awesomeness!

So Proud!

2009-01-17T22:01:00.006-05:00

I am so proud of my husband! Justin has longed to go to medical school for years, and since I've known him, it is probably the one subject that we have spent most of our time together discussing. He could talk about medicine incessantly, and while I loved his passion, it was a relief when he began the actual process of applying to med school! Within a few short months, including the first time we heard about Ross and attending an information seminar, to applying, to interviewing, he was accepted! We moved to Dominica a couple weeks before school began to get settled, and he has officially been in classes for a whole week now. I think he has easily averaged around twelve hours of studying/going to classes this week. It is Saturday night, and although we had a fun time having dinner with two other couples at The Tomato earlier tonight, Justin is now back to studying. It is amazing to me how hard he is working (in a very distracting place, no less) in order to become a great physician.

On Friday, Ross University School of Medicine held their White Coat Ceremony. During the ceremony, a current MD (i.e., a professor) put on the white coat of an incoming medical student, signifying the beginning of the incredible journey of responsibility one accepts and immediately begins when choosing to become a physician. (Well, that was my interpretation of it, anyway. I may have left something out.) The students were then pinned, and together read the Prayer of Maimonides (sort of like the Hippocratic oath) to conclude the ceremony.

Attending the White Coat Ceremony and seeing Justin move one step closer to his dream -and more importantly God's will- reminded me how much of an impact Justin will make on this world just by being who God has called him to be... making me feel so proud!

He makes a handsome doctor, don't you think?

Carib Territory and Emerald Pool

2009-01-15T08:43:00.016-05:00

For our second and final island tour before Justin started classes, we headed to the Carib Territory, where we met Kalinagos, native Caribbean Indians who are descendants of the first settlers of Dominica. We watched as they skillfully made coconut drinks out of baby coconuts for many of the tourists. They were even kind enough to break open the rest of the coconut when people were done drinking so they could eat it. Justin's least favorite food is coconut, and I'm not the biggest fan either so we passed. Instead, we contributed to the Dominican economy by picking up some of their handmade baskets, which have been very handy in helping me organize the apartment.

A rest stop in Carib Territory.

The Coconut Man.

Later, we traveled to the coolest, most beautiful place I've seen in Dominica, Emerald Pool. It is a well-known ecotourism spot where we nearly froze. We dressed for swimming, but decided it was a little too chilly! Too cold in Dominica!? Yes, I said it. I'm already considering buying a blanket and knitting a sweater. So far, despite the weather coupled with my poor choice in dress, Emerald Pool is my favorite spot in Dominica. Justin and I can't wait to go back when we have visitors!

A view during the hike to Emerald Pool.

So pretty!

We'll jump in next time!

Syndicate Falls

2009-01-13T14:22:00.004-05:00

We went on our first island tour of Dominica to the beautiful area known as Syndicate Falls. We bravely boarded a van in order to catch a ride to the second highest mountain in Dominica, where we then hiked to a secluded waterfall. On our way we had to put our Keen sandals to action on the slippery rocks of the cool streams. Justin and I both agree they are one of the best purchases we've made for surviving the island life!

Our First BIG Move!

2009-01-10T15:03:00.001-05:00

We started the packing process months ago over our excitement to start a new adventure. We found a great deal on the luggage when we went to gulf shores this summer. In the end, however, we were still packing and repacking up to a few moments before leaving for the airport!

Justin’s parents loaded him up with lots of fun school supplies. Thanks Don and Koula!

I ordered a large supply of Skoy cloths to use for cleaning, so we wouldn’t have to buy paper towels in Dominica. They are easily disinfected by zapping nasty bacteria in the microwave. They’re even biodegradable!

I’ve kept a binder to organize our Dominican life since Justin got in to Ross. It was very helpful, but it was cut out of the packing process due to weight constraints. I’ve learned to let go, but I have most of the information on my hard drive... just in case.

We left for Dominica on New Year’s Day 2009 ~ What a start to an exciting new year! The trip was pretty uneventful which was a wonderful blessing for us. We knew God was taking care of us the entire journey. New Year’s night we needed to stay overnight in San Juan, Puerto Rico since the airports in Dominica do not have runway lights for night landing. Justin made a great choice in choosing a nice hotel so close to the airport. We barely had to lug our luggage weighing 125+ lbs each person to check-in the next day. I forgot to get a picture of our hotel, but I did take pictures of our plane and the Melville Hall Airport in Dominica when we arrived. Shortly after however, a woman ran up to us while yelling “No pictures!” and made us delete every one! Despite our first encounter with Dominicans, everyone else we’ve met so far has been extremely nice to us. We are loving the beautiful island life!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-01-08T13:12:00.004-05:00

Our 1 year anniversary was December 29th, and of course we had to eat our yummy cake and hot cocoa to celebrate! It was delicious!

We Are Getting Closer!

2008-12-15T22:33:00.003-05:00

Grace and I are getting closer and closer to New Year's Day, which will ironically be the start of a new life somewhere besides the good ole' USA. I am sure if you know us at all you are aware we are leaving for Dominica, "The Nature Island of the Caribbean". So far Grace and I have just about everything taken care of for the leave. We just put down our security deposit for our apartment last Friday (12.12)! I cannot wait to see the island with my own eyes, as I am getting tired of viewing pictures over the internet. It is just not the same. I have a feeling medical school is going to be long and arduous, yet at the same time extremely rewarding. My life long goal of becoming a physician is truly underway. I praise my Lord God for this blessing! On this note, Grace and I will be needing your prayers. Please pray we will remember to keep God first in everything, no matter how tired or run-down or stressful things may become. Please pray we will also remember to praise God continually for everything, no matter how great or small his blessings or challenges are. Until the next blog post, remember to live life to the fullest. God bless.

Gulf Shores

2008-08-31T14:40:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of the Ossman family on our recent vacation at Gulf Shores, AL. More to come...

Craving the sun

2008-08-19T23:14:00.005-04:00

Grace and I are getting ready to drive with our family to Gulf Shores on Thursday, and let me tell you we just about cannot contain ourselves (okay "I" cannot contain myself). I have been craving a vacation, from work mainly, for quite a while. I'm so ready to relax and forget any pressing responsibilities for a while. I think Grace is just wanting an excuse to sleep in again since she just started back to school last Thursday. As Grace says, I probably will not let her sleep in too much. How else can someone fully enjoy a vacation unless you actually GET UP and do something? I am hoping Grace and I will be able to post some good pictures for anyone who is interested.

Our First Post

2008-08-17T13:14:00.001-04:00

It's our first blog! We're so excited to start something new together in which we can share our lives with all our friends and families. We really wanted to start something like this to let everyone see what we're up to and to be able to catch up with you as well. We're looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say about our blog.

-justin and grace