Well Done!

You might think I'm about to talk about finding some awesome red meat on the island...oh, no...think again.  Which, by the way, I found out you can order meat from "Malcolm's Meat"...awesome name don't ya think...and it's suppose to be the freshest on the island. So I ordered a case of boneless, skinless chicken and the case of 24 was delivered the next day.  I will preface by saying the chicken is wonderful. As I was repacking the meat in Ziploc bag's I happened to look at the labeling. To my surprise it was chicken from North Carolina, great, and it was packaged on June 16th, even better bc it was JUST packaged!!! Oh no, wait...it's only June 10th, crap...June 16th of 2012...this meat was packaged 1 year ago...WTH?!?!   I am now realizing why everyone always says "Only in Dominica". The chicken taste absolutely fine but honestly we will probably stick with lentils and fish...something about chicken sitting in a freezer before it gets to my freezer...I wish i had never looked at the stupid label...  I'm sure if I googled Tyson chicken it would probably say the same thing...

So, this week David had his second mini and his first Anatomy practical. The semesters are broken up into a few mini tests, a few practicals and a final. A "mini" covers all subjects, biochem, anatomy, etc... they are very important test bc I think they only have 3 mini's. A practical is when the students have to look at there cadaver and actual name 50 different parts of the body!! There is literally a pin stuck into what looks like spaghetti and the question is  "if this nerve was severed which muscles would it affect and how?" (effect vs affect)...I duh kno...I hate grammar!  Monday was David's 2nd mini and Wednesday was his first practical.  David did pretty well on his first mini so he was somewhat confident that he was studying appropriately, and so forth.

On Monday, David came home very unsure of how he did and definitely on a understandable emotional roller coaster.  It was one of those tests you absolutely hate bc you honestly don't know if you completely failed or did o.k.. It was super hard!! He had been studying like crazy, meaning maybe 1 hour/day with the girls and I and about 4-5 hours of sleep/night, and to leave the test feeling so unsure was pretty gut wrenching.  The good news was that he didn't have time to dwell because he had to keep pushing to prepare for the Anatomy practical.  Obviously, I would not be writing about this and titled the entry "well done" if we got bad news.  Since this blog is read by a lot of family, friends, and even our friends here in Dominica I will keep David's privacy and just say he did well!!!  We don't have his score from the practical but he felt very confident after the test so we are expecting a positive mark!

This is really good news for us. We are half way through the first semester and have better than average scores (as much detail as I feel privy to give...David is super private about these matters and cannot stand bragging). I simply consider this a means of positive reinforcement!!!!

"YOU CAN ONLY ACHIEVE WHAT YOU PUT OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE"

We really do believe this! Yes, we are a little hippy...but hopefully we'll be a Hippy "Doctor" family :)

Please keep the good thoughts, prayers, and love coming our way!!

You didn't think you were going to get off that easily...oh no, no, no...this is my ultimate outlet since I haven't found my Julie, Emily, Kelly, Lisa and Jessica yet!!!  Miss you wino's :)

Yesterday, was such an awesome day but HOT as always. We spent a lot of the day at the pool, the kids napped, I cooked a great dinner, drank a 6 pack of Kubuli (local beer) myself!!! Oh and I forgot the best part...we were able to get Banks to walk home so that we could fill 3 huge 2 gallon size water bottles on campus using the FILTERED WATER SYSTEM...It's the little things folks!! You can definitely drink the local water like I did the first week but I had a serious uneasy feeling in my stomach everyday so I decided to starting filtering ALL of our water and not just the kiddos!

Today was o.k. but totally sick of the rain!! We were soaked this morning and then I poured my seriously coveted iced coffee, that I have to walk literally 1 mile to get, all over my stroller as it decided to collapse on me. Also, we have these crazy flying termite things. Yea, it's so weird...they somehow MacGyver there way past the bug screens and fortress we have built to keep bugs OUT and fly into our house, literally drop there wings and torment the heck out of us. Fortunately they only come out when it rains for 24 hours continually!! The absolute best part of today was that it was our first day on the "new schedule"...David's new schedule that is...

He has committed to come home for dinner every single night with the exception of the 2 nights before a test and the week before finals.  This is so exciting for the girls and I.  Unfortunately the catalyst to this change was our calm, mild mannered, shy, introverted 3 year old... HA HA HA!  We have been having a serious case of the "whatever there called 3's"... I don't know if it's the move, Daddy being gone so much, Mommy being around so much ;), her age or a culmination of the everything...probably the latter but it has seriously been doing a number on us.  When I get through a day without a T-Total meltdown with her I count my lucky stars. I just can't put my finger on her trigger. She is so full of everything...great and not so great, at times!! We think that if she gets to spend a little more time with her prince charming on a consistent basis it will help. Today, she did pretty good. I think she just needs a little more time to settle in :)  She really misses everyone and asks to go visit her friends and grandparents :( All in all, she's having a blast here and is making a lot of new friends! She'll be fine...if I survive it ;).

Our other little darling is doing just great...she is so easy going...I never get many pics of her so here ya go! She's really growing and starting to rock on her knees!!! She is an amazingly sweet and happy child and LOVES her SISTER!!!! Oh and boy she's teething...who would have thought an orange dive stick would be her best friend!!! lol

   

    

 Banks decided to also make baby food for Eloise and play mommy! Eloise thinks she hung the moon!!!

And yes, that's our super big, comfy, and modern sofa with an over-sized chair...don't you love?!

xoxo

The Joneses

Perspective

I have been thinking most of the afternoon about whether or not to write a post about how I feel today. If I'm honest I will sound like a very ungrateful, brat, who needs a big dose of reality. Therefore, I have decided to be honest and write the the post for one single reason. So I can look back at this post and remember how stinkin' lucky I really am!!!!!

I'm sure you're all intrigued now...it's kind of like waiting to hear a good piece of gossip ;)

TODAY, I really missed:

Latte's, a car, AC, a place to take your kids while its raining, & AC :)

I was thinking to myself all morning that air conditioning, a latte, a car and a place to take my kids on a rainy would just make my day!! Then, i got really frustrated bc I didn't have those things here in Dominica.  So, I put the kids in the stroller and went on a walk looking for lizards. Banks loves lizards and she really needed something to do other than run around our cottage naked, her new fave past time, color, run around naked, help me make baby food, yoga and a 10 min workout video with mom.  We did all of this before 10:30 a.m. bc it was pouring outside and we all get up at 6 a.m.!!  So back to finding lizards...We found a few and even found another Mango tree with perfectly ripe Mango's that I needed for baby food. They were a little too high in the tree so mom and I found a stick and practiced hitting Mango's like pinata' out of trees. Banks was yelling..."good job Mommy"; "Way to go Nonnie". She told me the other day, after handing me a sticker to hold, that I was being her "Best Little Helper" and if I kept if up she would have a surprise for me!! I'm not kidding...She's pretty much hilarious!!

Back to the entitled American story...I was still so blah and all I wanted was to be clean, cool and energized, which I was none of today...blah, blah, blah...I told you I was going to sound like a totally spoiled brat who needed a reality check. Then I saw a blog post from one of my spouse friends here at Ross. It was about a beggar Dominican who asked her very kindly if she minded him going through her trash. This man was not homeless he merely had the mindset of "one's man's trash was another man's treasure". The thing that astounded me the most about the story was that while he was digging through the trash he was praising God for all of the bountiful things he was finding in the trash.  He was genuinely so thankful!! While reading I actually started to cry a little because I had just spent my morning yearning for a good coffee, AC, and a car.

Now, I know that in the U.S. those things are very normal and it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary, or even bratty to want. But  here in Dominica these things are simply luxuries that most people won't ever have.  Being thrust into a drastically different, economically struggling area sure can put a lot of things into perspective.

The way that we live here in Dominica is so above and beyond the way that a normal Dominican lives. I have seen homes literally made out of Bamboo and the dirt is there floor and that's pretty normal here! There are definitely people with nicer places but I would say, for the majority of the native Dominicans, their necessities in life are incredibly minimal compared to ours. And I'm sure you know what I'll say next... and they're HAPPY!!

This island is beautiful and so are the people. I am so thankful for our experience here. Truthfully, I am grateful for having a day like to today because I can't think of anything worse than living on this island and being sheltered from the island. I want to be reminded of all the things that are blessings in my life...my husband, my kids, my family, the opportunity to experience new things, people and places, and way to many other things to list...

Today reaffirmed the fact that coming to Ross and moving to Dominica was the right step for our family. I do believe that if we are open God will place us exactly where we need to be! I believe this is where we're suppose to be!!

On a lighter note :)

This was definitely a "Keeping Up with Amberly" post so to makeup for it!!!

Pictures!!!

 

...On our way to Banks' first tennis lesson, taught by me :) We encountered a little traffic jam...thanks to the lovely cows that live on the side of our  street that serve as lawn mowers!! I wish I had a better pic bc at one time there were 4 cows just posting it up in the middle of road with these seriously long ropes hanging from them. Only in Dominica :)

   Banks and I doing yoga while Eloise catnaps in her chair!! She even says "Namaste" :)

Love you all and miss you everyday!!

xoxo

the joneses

Dance, Beach, Lobster, Market & Pool...Oh, Yea & STUDYING ;)

DANCE CLASS...YIPPEE!!!

   

Two of the Ross Spouses are teaching a creative dance class...Banks loves it...ran to the front row :)

Beach Trip to "Mero Beach and then Lobster at Sunset Bay Club. Yes, that is 9 Lobster Tails...they were so yummy! Also, first Iguana sighting. We learned from our Taxi driver and, has become good tour guide and friend, Peter that you spot them first in the trees. The female Iguana's are green and the male are black. The body of the one in the pic is about 2 ft long.  Banks also found a STAR FISH at the PBH, Picard Beach Hotel...it's on the Ross Campus and we go there most of the time.

  

*** You'll see a common theme...Eloise in the baby carrier...poor thing, but she seems not to mind too much!!!***  And yes, it's hot for both of us but we're getting use to it.

  view from Sunset Beach Club. We can go there for lunch and use the beach and both pools for free!! We are going to do that A LOT!!!

   This is the aforementioned, Peter, he was walking Banks over to look at the cliff and grab some Flambeau flowers. This flower, Banks is holding in pic above, is the most popular tree, shrub in the Eastern Caribbean. They look sort of like the "Mimosa" plant we have back in the states.  The good taxi driver's here are family men who get to know you and treat you like family. We feel lucky to be able to trust certain people on the island already.

 

Every Saturday we make a trip at 6 am, you have to get there early to get the best stuff that's not over ripe, to Portsmouth to the local market.  This week we picked up a much needed basket to house the shoes on our porch. Again, poor EC in the carrier...I promise she gets 1 nap/day in her crib :)  Banks is my "best little helper"...she is at her best when she has a task and completes it!!! Wonder where she gets that from ;)

  

*** The way we end each night, however Mom and I were just commenting on the fact that Banks has only watched 4 Episodes total in since we've been here (2 weeks)!!! We haven't even turned on the T.V. In a way I feel totally isolated from what's going on the world and it makes me a little anxious...BUT it usually passes after about 5 seconds :)...I'm learning to embrace the simplicity of life here and IT IS GOOD!!!  I counted my clothes and shoes when we were unpacking and I literally only have about 35 articles of clothing including p.j's and tanktops and 7 pairs of shoes TOTAL. For me that's a BIG change, it's AWESOME! Even more awesome is that I have not worn a stitch of makeup since we arrived.

  Unfortunately this is the only picture I have of David from the last week. We try to either meet him for a picnic lunch or dinner on campus. YES, he wears that hilarious fanny pack everyday...it totally cracks me up!!! He is so his DAD...love you PopPop ;) David is doing great, feeling great, looking great. He has 2 huge tests on Monday & Wednesday. Please keep him in your prayers especially those days!!!

  *** Thought you would get a kick out of this***

This was my stroller after the pool today, the bottom cargo space was full plus Banks was holding 2 grocery bags in her lap...:LOL!! I was deathly afraid Banks would try to get out and the entire thing would fall backwards. I better have some serious guns after hauling this around everyday!!!

Sorry, I didn't write much but it was a really HOT day today but beautiful and I'm pooped! I know pictures are the best anyway!

love you all,

xoxo

"trying to come up with a Brangelina type name for our family...let you know when I've got it ;)

but for now,

amberly, david, banks and eloise

Look what I found while the girls were SUPPOSE to be sleeping :)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151716412198408&l=7074424137582530383

Pics!!

    

I promise her sheets are clean...it's a carrot stain that won't budge! :) 

Play date with new friend Chloe and her brother Wyatt. They are from Idaho!

   

All things food...reinventing the wheel!

Last night I sat down and wrote a post with tons and detail. It took me an hour and 45 minutes to only delete with one move of the palm over my stupid mouse pad on my new computer. I got a Non-Apple and am definitely having to adjust...Adjustments are the name of the game lately!! So...it seriously took me 24 hours to get over not saving my draft and sit down and write another. You know when you're so mad you don't say anything, you don't scream, you don't throw anything, you just get up and walk away...well that was me last night...rrrggghhh.

ok, got that out!

So, Today was AWESOME! Maybe, it was all meant to be that I deleted my post last night because it certainly carried a very frustrated and satirical tone. I'm keeping the title of the blog the same from last night because I wanted to write about one of the differences here on the island..."grocery getting", cooking, baby food making, etc...

I have really had to adjust to everything down here but FOOD has certainly been a big one!  So for instance, everything is imported so if you don't buy local you pay a fortune for it and on a Med School budget w/ 2 money sponges :) (insider for Dad...he used to call Michael, Phillip and I...Money Sponge #1,#2, & #3...I now see why :)  Love you Dad! So...we pretty much have to buy everything that grows on or very near the island or we simply can't eat it! The plentiful items here are carrots, beats, cabbage, star fruit, lettuce, herbs, yams, onions, garlic, lots of root veggies. Our family, especially the girls, eat tons of berries...no berries here at all...even if I did want to pay Whole Foods price X 2, literally. An apple here at the local grocery is $2.25/apple($US). So needless to say, we aren't eating many pears, apples, and berries.  We are eating bananas, star fruit, passion fruit, some watermelon, crab apples (tart and crisp), & pineapples.

Enough words...Picture Time!!

       

The popsicle pictures are from Banks and I making homemade 7 minute popsicle with a Zoku maker that I shipped down. It was prob the first time since we've been here that I've felt a real since of normalcy. We juice all the fruits on our property (pineapple, star fruit, passion fruit, orange) and make popsicles! They were super yummy!

There's a coy pond at the entrance to our "compound"/Resort :) and Banks feeds the fish a couple times/day. One of her favorite things along with riding her Bike on the sidewalk between the cottages. We are so very lucky to live where we do.   We, Banks, also loves to chase lizards, which are the tropical replacement for squirrels...don't mind them at all!! :)

Back to food...so because we only have the local goods to cook I was able to whip up an awesome seared tuna w mango salsa recipe from the fresh tuna we bought off the street the day before, normal here! Andrew will appreciate this but I had to skin and de-bone the tuna...pics below.

  

Meat, at least the edible meat American's are used to, is very scarce on the island unless,again with the common theme, you want to pay an arm and a leg for it. So i have discovered the protein packed LENTILS! I used them occasionally state side but didn't realize there versatility. They are a great replacement for meat, however my family is going to hate LENTILS by the time we come back to the states. This week, and it's only Tuesday, we've had lentil tacos, lentil burgers, and finally just left over lentils with what was sold as spinach but was definitely mustard greens, and cucumber and mango salsa. It was all super good, especially the tacos, don't think i'll use meat again with tacos!

Another reason I titled the blog "reinventing the wheel" is because I'm having to also relearn how to cook down here. For brevity sake, my oven works on a 1-10 scale...tell me how that works...so I'm guessing...yikes, and I have to stick my hand down into the cellar of the oven with a lighter to light the propane that is feeding into the house from outside propane tank. I also have to do the same with the gas stove. Honestly, at first I was light WTH but now I feel pretty empowered. I think I can do this!

More pics :)

     

BACON!!!!

ok, so they're not in the right order but at the top of the page is the LAST BLT this Dominica household will ever see...from now on we will be eating LLT (Lentils, Lettuce and Tomatoes..oh yummy...can't wait for that and you can image David's excitement...Not!)  So David wanted Bacon as he does EVERYDAY, and with two screaming kids, me soaking wet from the recent hurricane winds and torrential down pour to reveal sun just 2 minutes later, grabbed the bacon off the grocery store shelf paid for my bacon, toilet paper, WINE, and...you got it...Lentils...No, just kidding, no lentils that trip ;) And paid w my credit card, w/out realizing, a whopping $40 US. So to get to the point. Bacon cost like $20 US dollars here...omg!!! And my mom MADE me post the beautiful picture of me "one handing" my lunch while bouncing a baby, which i didn't realize i did until she mentioned that that is how I eat all of my meals. huh? Who'd a thunk it! It actually works pretty well bc we have these awesome exposed cabinets which I like to think are that way bc of a cool functional "grab and go" idea for Mom's but I'm pretty certain they just didn't put doors on the cabinets...again...huh?!

The other pics are of the pretty crab apples on the tree outside of our house. Look pretty but taste terrible :( And the carrots and beets that I found to make baby food! Oh and Mom made homemade cookies with about half the ingredients she needed. They were actually really great...only Donna could pull off something like that :)

ok, hope everyone feels like there here with us but NOT in your nice air conditioned homes!  In all seriousness we are settling in really well and all in all enjoying our laid back life (at least the kids and I).

David is hitting the books pretty hard, as expected. We truthfully see him only about 2 hours/day if we're lucky. He is usually gone by 6:30 a.m. and we see him for 30 min in the a.m. and then sometimes get to meet him for quick 30 min lunch or dinner. Being on an accelerated courses if really no joke! Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He is doing fantastic and has a really positive and upbeat attitude but everyone can use a little well wishes, prayers and encouragement!

We miss everyone so much and seriously can't wait for you to visit. I have seen a few different accommodation options ranging from super affordable to pretty posh so everyone should be able to find something comfortable if you can make it down!

love you all so much!

xoxo

ADB&E