Mon. Nov. 9th - Sun. Nov. 15th

Monday - Mark took his 3rd mini of the semester this morning. After the kids got out of school we went to Swirls to use our gift certificates we received from the mud run we did on Halloween for being the "most inspirational". We love Swirls' fro yo! We love Daddy even more!!!!

Lemon grass for Daddy's lemon grass tea. 

In the evening we had 3 elders come for dinner. We had homemade pizza and our yummy Blendtec "ice cream".


Thursday I went out to breakfast at Corner Cafe with a group to surprise a gal who is getting married here next Sunday. It was so fun. She was truly surprised.

Friday morning I went with a large group to find a trail not far from campus. It was a beautiful morning. I love being out enjoying God's beautiful creations. 

Saturday evening was RSO's banquet that we have near the end of each semester to say good bye to those who will be leaving the island. We went to Cocoa Mangos and enjoyed yummy food and good company. It was a nice kid-free evening! 

Not quite everyone was there for the picture. We took another later but I like this one better :)

Bible study group 

 LDS ladies. 2 just got here this month and 3 are leaving next month.

Sunday -  Today church was great. I always feel our meetings are inviting of The Spirit. Follow the prophet and beware of pride were the main take home thoughts that I got out of my meetings. 

The church recently came out clarifying it's policies on children of homosexual couples needing to wait until 18 years old for baptism. This upset many and some have left the church because of it. It makes me sad. The world, or the "large and spacious building" from Lehi's vision, is calling out to us and so many are listening and falling away from the iron rod which is the word of God. The prophet is God's mouthpiece on earth. The Lord will not lead us astray. The things of God are not the things of man. This world is becoming ripe in it's wickedness. It makes me nervous to send my kids out into the world where there is so much evil and confusion. I hope that I am being a good enough mother to teach them to love God and know good from evil.   

Mon. Nov. 2nd - Sun. Nov. 8th

This week was "intersession" for the kids at the prep school. The prep school is now doing school year round school so every 45 days or so they have a week break or so...  This was the first one. They can still be at school but thy aren't doing normal class work. Tuesday however was Dominica's 37th Independence Day so no one had school that day anyway.

Wednesday morning I took the kids to school and went with a group of friends to Pagua Bay and spent the morning doing what others seem to think we do here on the island. We soaked up the sun and relaxed! We ate a beautiful brunch and enjoyed good company. It was a wonderful morning! I wish we could've stayed all day!!

I got to go home to this. Not so ritzy and fancy huh? Nor is it much like an extended vacation. The last time I scrubbed poopy diapers on a vacation...oh wait, I've never done that! I can't even open my door all the way because the washing machine has to sit right behind it so gravity can help drain the water out off the balcony. Not to complain but to show that even though we live on a beautiful green paradise island we don't just lounge around. In fact, this island is very poor and many are in need.

November 5th - Emma is now 18 months old!!!! Usually that is cause for celebration because kiddos get to start going to nursery but here she's been going for months! She weighs about 24 pounds. She has gone #2 in the potty a couple times. Never #1. We're not actively potty training her yet but she may force me to. She tends to stick her hand into a poopy diaper to inform me she's poopy. She can SAY poopy but she prefers to SHOW me! YUCK!! Also, she has learned to take her diaper off...  I'm also still nursing her 3-4 times a day and I'm not sure how I'm ever going to ween her!! Milk is so expensive here and not always in stock. I've only bought it twice in the 10 plus months we've lived here and one time it was sour!

Emma is very expressive with her eyebrows. She has perfected the scowl. She looks mad but she's just being silly (usually). Emma makes us laugh everyday. She is learning so much. I love this age! She seems to be enjoying going to the ELC. She enjoys dancing, running and playing with her siblings. I'm amazed at how much joy can come from having this cute happy little lady in our family.

Thursday morning it was raining cats and dogs outside and was reminding me of Tropical Storm Erika that came through in August. I decided we wouldn't leave the house at all. Our roof started leaking a little and I heard the river was starting to flood too.... Better safe then sorry. I was SO glad we had been to Pagua Bay the day before on not on this rainy dreary day. The storm is because of a "trough system" water that means in weather terminology...  Friday's prep school trip to Batibou beach is cancelled and the rain is expected to continue off and on through Tuesday I believe.

Yucky brown water. BOOOOO!!!!! 

When Emma went to sleep we pulled out the paints we got from our early Christmas in October. I joined the kids and we had a great time!!

Isaac's

Kari's

Alexis'

And this one... is MINE!! I was feeling artistic :) It's probably the best painting I have ever and will ever create!

We LOVE pizza and eat it in some form or another probably too often. Tonight I tried making these pizza rolls. I was a fan! Yummy!!

Friday we stayed home and again the kids painted during Emma's nap time. 

I stole this picture from FB of Saturday's lovely sunset!! Gorgeous! I don't often get to enjoy these.

Mon. 10/19 - Sun. 10/25

10/19/2015 Monday
Again, I don't know how we've flown through another week! Sometimes time just goes by so fast!! When I think about it I can't believe we've been in Dominica for over 9 months!! We are now talking about staying after 4th semester to study for the ginormous Step 1 test that we anticipate Mark with take around the end of June/early July. That's assuming things go as we plan. There's so much we just don't know at this point. We "go with the flow". That has become my motto. Sometimes it's all I can do!
This weekend my lovely Dominican washing machine decided to stop draining properly. Mark and I lugged it out onto the balcony to let it drain using gravity. Now doing laundry is even harder! The cord for the electricity isn't very long so the machine is right outside the door so it can reach in to the outlet. We don't have the right kind of extension cord for it. It's just really going to be a pain! Now the door can't open very far and I have to go back and forth to turn the water on and off.
I really just want to complain a lot right now! Last week I broke down and told Mark I don't want to be here anymore. I'll be fine and we'll get through this. It's life and some days are definitely better then others but all the things I miss from the states and things I dislike here are piling high!
When people in the states talk about all the fun I'm having or the paradise I live in.... I just.... I don't know! The nature on this island IS gorgeous and I have been able to go on adventures and there are beaches here BUT this is not a vacation where I kick back with no worries and relax!! It's becoming harder to focus on the awesome experiences we are having here when I so desperately want reliable running water for one!  or a grocery store with a variety of fresh produce that I know how to eat.... I could go on and on. Ugh! I really need to snap out of it!
I went to the gym today for the first time in about 2 weeks. I'm going to be very sore in the morning. I think exercise helps my crankiness at least a little. So if I get nothing else done in the day at least I worked out a bit. That sounds accomplished to me.

Tuesday
I went to the gym and worked out with some friends. I was sore from a workout yesterday and they were working those same muscles today! Maybe I should've bailed but it was a good workout. OUCH! My rear end hurts! It's a good hurt though. :)
Afterwards we went to Bible study. It was my second time going. Today we read from John 8 where the women is caught in adultery and want to stone her. I'm finding it a very interesting experience being there with other Christians who are not LDS and reading from a different version of the Bible. I do agree with most of the discussion. I'd rather not go off on my thoughts here. I'm not really good with words anyway. But I do find it interesting and I'll continue going with my friends. Perhaps I should say that I am firm in my own faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. I believe in the Book of Mormon and I know that President Monson is God's current prophet on the earth today.
After lunch I spent time talking with my friend as the two of us are planning the event Kid's Fest that will be held on Halloween next Saturday. We are beginning to feel some stress as it gets closer!
We had chili for dinner tonight. It totally made my day to watch Emma eat her food all gone and even ask for more! I was fully expecting her to throw it on the floor. Maybe squish some beans first.

Here she did the sign for "all done" 

Wednesday

I decided not to go to the gym. For one, I'm super sore! and for two I'm way behind on laundry! I felt so productive this morning! I washed a sink full or dirty dishes, washed, spun, rinsed, spun and hung 2 full loads of laundry (thankfully we had water the whole time!), baked bread, packed lunch, took a shower and made it on time to get the kids for lunch! Boo yeah me! :) 

We went to a birthday party for a little boy who turned one. They had pizza, chips and cake. 

Emma was cheesing it up for me!

Friday

I am working with another lady on the RSO board to plan Kid's Fest this semester. It will be NEXT Saturday on Halloween. Today we got some help to work on some decorations. I'm not very artistic or creative so I was grateful for the help. Also, we got a lot done in a small amount of time!

Sunday

I love sacrament meetings here. I always feel of the Spirit and feel I hear something I need to. It's the remembering what that something was that's difficult. ;)  

We have friends leaving the island in the morning. They will be heading to San Juan so he can take Step 1! Ahhh! That will be us in just over 8 months! That feels like forever away sometimes! But I keep saying each week flies by so quickly. Those fast weeks turn into months and hopefully before I know it we'll be off this rock!