Heading to Dominica

In Salt Lake freezing cold! Just about ready to ditch our winter coats.

We had 10 large suitcases all right around 50 pounds and 6 carry on bags plus a double stroller.

In Salt Lake after midnight just about ready to board. The kids had never been on a plane!

We were scheduled to take off on our 1st plane leaving Salt Lake at 12:30am (Dec. 31st)  The baby was crying as we walked onto the plane. I had her, 3 backpacks and all the kids while trying to get to our seats! Mark was dealing with getting our large stroller checked. It felt CRAZY!! but things settled down the kids slept most of the was and we made it to North Carolina with very little incident.

One flight down two more to go. I love how alive everyone looks in this picture! HAHA! It felt like the middle of the night! In reality it was around 6:45 am North Carolina time.

We waited for a good few hours in NC before our next flight. At one point Lexi, Isaac, Mark and Kari were all asleep on the floor! Emma was also asleep at the time in a baby carrier. We then flew to St. Maarten. I loved watching out the window as we landed. SO much green!!

This is in St. Maarten after we'd already survived 2 flights. At this airport we had a scare because our tickets said "standby"!!! WHAT??!?!! But thankfully everything worked out just fine. We were bused from the airport out to this smaller airplane. We were even able to board the little plane first and sit together (the seats were not assigned).

This last flight was only one hour and went by quickly.

Looks like some fancy resort in St. Maarten!

We made it to Dominica!!!!

We landed at a teeny tiny airport in which they didn't allow photographs. Once we got through customs there were people from Ross there to greet us with bottles of cold water. Which was wonderful. We made it with all of our luggage. The more I talk to people the more rare this sounds. At least I've heard a lot of stories of people waiting for their luggage for days and weeks. What a blessing!! Once we loaded the bus I realized the extent of a poopy diaper I had smelled. It had gone up Emma's back! Eww! Since it was hot it wasn't so bad that I had to strip her down to her diaper. It was about an hour drive to very windy (is that a word? not like the wind is blowing but the roads were very curvy...) roads. To me, it felt just like being on a ride at Disneyland with fake plants all over!! It was getting dark when we landed and I think we got to the university around 7pm. We were all exhausted and had slept part of the way there. As we woke up children and gathered our stuff we saw Cami Davis (my Facebook friend who I had spoken with on the phone a few nights before) and JoEll outside of the bus. Cami brought us cell phones I had purchased off of a student who had just left the island. She offered and took Lexi and Isaac back to her home to feed them and let the rest while we watched a little slide show, ate some Chinese and got signed n. Our land lord Jared came to pick us up and take us to our new home. First we were able to call our mothers and let them know we made it here.  Once we got all our stuff to the apartment I called Cami to figure out how to get my kids. She said the missionaries were there so she sent them over with their truck to get us. We put the stroller in the back and went to Cami's. It was New Year's Eve so we hung out there with a few other couples (Kasey and JoEll, Jay and Jon, Cami and Kong, Michelle and Jason) It was fun to be there with instant friends and so nice to have a place to hang out and chill. Kasey and JoEll walked us home around 1am and we went to bed as soon as we got our fans set up.

This is actually happening!!!

As I write this I am sitting in the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina waiting to board a plane for St. Maarten. I am far from Idaho and only going farther away. Earlier we ate at the Burger Bar in Roy UT. It is tradition to stop and eat there every chance we get. It was SO yummy. Then we went to temple square to see the Christmas lights. I've never been there during the Christmas season. The pictures I've seen don't do it justice. It was beautiful!  It was bitter cold there though and we didn't spend very much time outside. I think the temperature was less then 10 degrees, especially with the wind chill! We won't be cold where we're heading!! We had a grand farewell in Salt Lake with many family members there to hug and wish us luck.

At the moment my oldest two children are sleeping on the airport floor. My baby is in a baby carrier attached to me and I'm typing on my laptop around her. :) Kari my 4 year old is somehow awake and watching a movie on a phone. She got the most sleep on our last flight...

I can't believe this is actually happening!!!  I'm still not sure I believe that I will find myself on a tropical island. It just doesn't seem possible! But it's reality. WE ARE DOING THIS!! I've been nervous for the flight with the kids but the first one went well enough. I think we'll survive. Boarding the plane with all our stuff was crazy and Emma was screaming. I'm sure the other passengers thought "Oh great"  Luckily once we got situated in our seats I was able to nurse her during takeoff and she slept the entire flight until the last 15 minutes when the pilot woke her up by announcing we were almost there. Then she cried the rest of the time...  Isaac yelled out at one point that he was so uncomfortable. Mark took him to the bathroom and that seemed to solve the problem.

I've been a huge flood of crazy emotions for the last 70 days. I've cried many tears for several different reasons and my stress has been so high but now we are nearly there ready to start this adventure. I'm so glad to know there are people there to help me out. There will be people from the school at the airport in Dominica to pick us up and take us to the university.

Before we Begin

A little disclaimer as I begin this blog: This blog has duel purpose of being a way for those who care to hear about and see pictures (and likely videos) of our future adventures and also a journal of sorts for me to record my feelings and happenings in my life and journey through medical school. Especially during these next 16 months. The writing in this blog will not please an English teacher. Paragraphs may not exist and commas won't always be used properly. There will be typos and that's ok :) I hope you enjoy following us on our journey. I'm just as curious to see what is in store!!!


Christmas is this week. It doesn't feel like it's possible that time has flown by so quickly!! 9 weeks ago we decided that we would be moving to the island of Dominica in the Caribbean so Mark can attend Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM). Since that day life has been COMPLETELY insane!! My stress level has never been so high! Selling our first home, that we only moved into last summer, was high on the list of things to worry about. Luckily, and thankfully, a family we went to church with was very interested in buying it and eventually things fell into place for them to purchase our home. They closed on our Caldwell, Idaho home 5 days ago. I was sad to let it go but grateful for the time and memories we had there. After deciding to go we got busy trying to sell many of our belongings, determining what things we would store and where, and gathering items we would need to take to the island. I tend to be an indecisive person and apparently have an attachment to many material possessions. I don't think I can even put into words all the stresses and worry I have felt as my mind is constantly thinking through things I need to do. Getting things done has been quite difficult with a cute little baby (now 7 month old) demanding most of my attention and time. I STILL have shopping to do and not one suitcase is officially packed...  We head to the Salt Lake airport in 7 days!!! It doesn't feel real! Mark just finished his on-line Organic Chemistry class last night. That was a huge thing to check off the list. Going to medical school was contingent upon him passing that class. Which of course he did with flying colors. As difficult as this insane move has been there have been tender mercies and such blessings along the way. Family and friends have helped in many ways to relieve what stress they can. My simple "Thank you" seems a pathetic attempt to express my gratitude!! Even though I had shed many tears preparing for this huge change I am truly excited for the adventure that awaits us. I hope we end up with all the things we need to have there and all the loose ends get tied up before we leave but if not... things will work out. I know that this is the path the Lord wants us to take.

Mark, Monette, Alexis, Isaac, Kari and Emma