Catch-up, the first mini, and SAND BLAST!

So much has happened since I was last able to write! Things have been busy around here. Ryan had to prepare for his mini, which is a big test. Each semester there are three minis and a final, so the test counts for quite a bit, and so he and every other student have been VERY busy lately. Since he needed the computer for studying and classes, I haven't really had any time to update. Sorry about that! It should be better now, since the mini is over, and as soon as the barrels arrive with Ryan's power adaptor, I'll be right back to posting every other day. Yay!

About the barrels... I don't think I mentioned that Ryan and I are shipping in barrels! His mom was nice enough to pack them and do a lot of shopping for us, and my parents sent a bunch of stuff too. Some of the amazing things we'll be getting are: pillows and an egg crate foam pad for the bed (remember I mentioned how bad the bed and pillows are), loaf pans so I can bake some bread, my riding helmet, hot pads (we don't have any here, and I keep burning my fingers when I use kitchen towels), snorkeling gear (YAY!), Ryan's dress clothes (silly guy forgot them), an iron (it'll be so nice to not be wrinkled!), and a lot of other assorted items, including lots and lots of food! We're really excited, and the other spouses have promised that opening the barrels is better than Christmas! I cannot wait for them to arrive. We're using a company called Tropical Shipping. They picked the barrels up in Massachusetts and shipped them to the port in New Jersey, where they'll be picked up on Friday and put on a train to Miami. From Miami they'll be loaded onto a ship and brought to Roseau. We then hire a taxi driver to pick the barrels up from customs and drive them to Picard and help us get them into the house. I have no idea how we'll get them down the hill... but we'll worry about that when they arrive. The barrels should take about two weeks to get here. 

On Saturday I went into Roseau for the morning to get some shopping done (and to stay busy while Ryan was studying!). There were a bunch of other spouses along, and we hit the big stores quickly. Astaphan's and IGA are two amazing stores where you can get good deals. For example, cheese is HALF the price in Roseau than it is in Picard! A hunk of cheese that costs $3 (US) in Roseau will cost $6 (US) in Picard. The stores are also larger and so they have a much better selection and you can find things you'd never find around here. We wrapped up the morning with a stop at Rituals, a great little coffee shop that has AMAZING burgers. They're building one just up the road in Portsmouth... I'd better be careful or I'll gain a lot of weight from burgers and lattes! On the trip home we got stuck in the first traffic jam I've seen since I was on the island. Normally cars just blow past slower moving vehicles, blasting their horns. But these slow moving vehicles were a caravan of about fifteen or so vans and pick-up trucks, all loaded down with people and loud speakers. It was a rolling christian revival... a very slowly rolling christian revival. We nearly got into a head on collision passing them (our driver was incredible... and I could NEVER EVER drive here, I'd be too scared).

We made it home in one piece, and then many of the spouses retired to the pool in the afternoon. The pool has a major advantage over the beach... comfy chairs! I'm sure everyone pictures me spending every day sprawled in the sun, but this was actually the first time I've just relaxed and lay in the sun. It was wonderful... and it allowed all the students to focus on their studies! 

That evening, Ryan and I went to a potluck hosted by a friend and her husband. The students pretty much hung around to eat, and then took off to study, but the spouses stayed for awhile and played a game called Celebrity, which is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The Bennett's Babes would love it... we'll have to get together when I'm home! I did lose my cell phone, and was worried about it until a friend found it in her car. I'm just glad I didn't drop it on the dark walk over to the potluck, because the phone would have been rained on.

Sunday was a relaxing day. I had some cleaning to do in the house, and I worked on planning meals and shopping for the week. We didn't go to church this week, but I'm pretty sure a lot of students skipped out on it. I spent some time quizzing Ryan with the flash cards. I think I'm starting to learn some of this stuff!

The mini was Monday, and Ryan thinks he did pretty well. They sent out the raw scores and we're both pretty happy with how he did. It's a good start to medical school. After the mini, Ross threw a big party on the beach. The school rented out the catamarans and the kayacks, and of course there was food and a DJ! They brought in the 'Juice Man' with his wonderful juice, and Cabrits Dive school even showed up and gave free ten minute lessons to anyone who wanted. Of course Ryan and I dove, and it was AWESOME! Breathing underwater is amazing... the only problem is that we loved it so much that now we want to get our certifications, which can be expensive.  We waited in a really long line to get a free t-shirt, and then an even longer line to get free food. The food line took forever, but we hung out and chatted with Justin and Grace and Neil and Jen, so it wasn't too bad.

All in all, it's been a good week. Sorry the last few weeks have been so spotty! It's hard to only have one computer between the two of us... and it's also hard because there were a few times that I DID have the computer... and the power and internet would be out, so I couldn't post.