What's Kyle been up to?

Same ole same ole…. Study Study Study

For the past 7 weeks, 7 days a week, and 12 hours a day Kyle has been preparing

for the first of three of United States Medical Licensing Exams (Step 1).

He has put in the time and done everything he knows to

do to make sure he is prepared for this test.

It's in God hands now.

Cowboy up!

Kyle will be taking the 8 hour test on October 4th.

Please keep Kyle in your prays.

BE INSPIRED

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner is always the question of the day.

Well I happen to have one of my all time favorite family casseroles for ya.

Chicken Spaghetti

Now I know everyone has a different spin on this classic dish. The one I am sharing with you today is a combination of my Mom's and my sister in-law Paige's. I love the way both of them make theirs so I thought I'd just combine the two. And trust me, it was a genius idea.

List of what you need:

1. Two or Three chicken breast/ which you will need to boil and then shred.

2. Three or four bell peppers in different colors to make it pretty. Chop up into bite size pieces

3. One squash. Chop up into bite size pieces

4. One can of stewed tomatoes

Ok everything listed above will all go into one big skillet to stew altogether making for some yummy flavorful good stuff.

Everything below will all go together

5. Pasta. Boil & drain and add a bit of butter to noodles.

6. Velveta cheese. Only use a 3rd of the block

7. One can of Cream of Mushroom

Now you will combine what's in the skillet stewing, into with the cheesy, cream of mushroom pasta and mix it all up and throw in a couple of tea spoons of chili powder and some salt and pepper to your liking

8. Chili powder

9. Salt & Pepper

Then pour it all into a baking pan and pop it in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes

Voila! Dinner is served.

Something that will go great with this meal is Five Cheese bread. It's to die for.

Another thing that I love about this meal is that you can freeze it and pull it out for another day.

Enjoy friends and bon appetit.

Run for your LIFE

It's time to get busy getting in shape, before I completely lose my shape for good.

4 weeks ago Kyle and I started the Couch to 5K program with the encouragement from my sister in-law Paige who has become quite the runner these days.

This program takes you from literally sitting on the couch

to being able to run a 5k if not more

Our goal is to run in the Turkey Trot with Paige and Todd on Thanksgiving.

J Crew I love YOU

It's true… am in love

Here is my new Sperry crush

I can only look, but I can't buy.

Summer Lovin

We have had lots of love come our way with some wonderful family visitors.

Here we are The Phillips Clan

Kyle's awesome parents Kym and Don came to visit us in Miami.

They spoiled us rotten, and we a blast!

The Hopkins came too YAY!!!

Kyle's sister Paige and her husband Todd and their two beautiful children, Landry and Olivia, came to visit us. They filled up our little home with lots of laughter, card playing, little feet running around, cartoons, and just lots of wonderful together time.

Beach Babies

So many happy memories were made.

We are so blessed to have these people in our life.

Nuestro Casa

Nuestra humilde morada.

Front Puerta

Entrada de manera

Cocina

Sala de estar

Sala de forma

Cuarto de bano

Dormitorio

Aqui es donde vivimos y nos encanta.

In the spirt of living in Miami I am busting out a little espanol with the help of google translator.

With My Girls

Thank God for Skype!!!

This has been how I communicate with family for the past year and a half.

My nephews where beginning to think Kyle and I lived in the computer.

So to be able to see them in person, well, words can't describe how wonderful it was to hug their necks!

In person with Abram we did the crazy knee dance that we so brilliantly made up together, sang our ABC's, counted to 10, played some basketball, pointed out every truck that went down the road, and colored on everything, including the walls, and my computer charger when I wasn't looking. ;)

Gave Olin bottles, burped him, bathed him, and just watched him smile, giggle and sleep. He is a little angle baby.

I got to be in Maine for Mothers day this year. All of us together again made for days with lots of late night talks, laughing, crying and just solving all the worlds problems. It was great to all be together again.

I was able to be there for Hillary & Hannah's 25th B-Day which we celebrated with a pizza party at Flatbreads and then we were off to dance the night away.

So thankful to have amazing sisters who are my best friends.

Every time I hear this song it makes me think of you girls.

So ladies, this one's for you.

What did the mayonnaise say to the mustard? KETCHUP!!!

So let's get you caught up. How about it?

I'll start with our last day in Dom. April 21st was a night to remember. Kyle came home after his test saying "well it's finished, I can't believe it." Feeling very exhausted, excited, and anticipating leaving the island the next morning for good, life in this moment couldn't be more rewarding. He was done with his first two years of med school. HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

GOING HOME

The lovely adventure back home started April 22nd.

Our experiences at the Dom airport was far from perfect, but predictable to say the least. We checked in 2hrs prior to our flight.

(thinking we're way ahead of the game nothing bad would happen, right? WRONG!)

They put us immediately on standby when we received our plane tickets. Needless to say, Kyle and I had a wave of frustration hit us like a bus. We weren't the only ones that this happened to. There were nine of us that didn't get on the flight. We were all bummed out and just wanting so badly to be HOME already. Only 4 of us were lucky enough to get on the next flight out of Dom later that afternoon. We were two out of the lucky four that got to go. We all had to stay the night in Miami, but American Airlines paid for it and comped us $2,400 in vouchers so it ended up being a blessing in disguise.

We made it home safe and sound. Back to our sweet Texas that has felt so far away for so long.

Once we finally arrived in Texas it was GO GO GO from the sec we hit the ground. Out to eat with the Phillips clan, then off to Kyle's cousin's wedding reception.

Easter

My Mother-in-law Kym put together a lovely Easter fiesta grill out for all of our loved ones. The Phillips', Binghams, Hopkins, Morton's, and Heards came together to celebrate the Lords day.

Stay tuned for my trip to Maine and on us moving to Miami ;)

Pete's Ribs

Pete's Ribs has been so good to us. They are only open on Friday, so when we can we all try to hop on a transport down to Portsmouth for some mystery meat. We all think its goat ribs but whatever it is, the secrets in the sauce, and it keeps us coming back for more.

Here's where we sit week after week while everyone waits on their ribs. We fill up that time with some kubuli beers, lots of sweating, and even more bug spray. (sounds fun right?)

We always leave full and happy after we've been to Peters Ribs.

It's The FINAL Count Down

Here he is....

My dearest husband Kyle about to tackle his FINAL exam on the island.

Cowboy Up!

So proud of this guy.

Fun in the SUN

It's Wine Cruisin time.

With my girls out on the open sea.

This is something I look forward to every semester.

good times, great friends, and wonderful views.

Wine cruising here in Dom is no fancy thang, but it suits us just fine.

dixie cups of cheap wine and bags of dorito chips.

(what more does a girl need?)

Cheers to awesome women who I'll never forget.

Thanks for the memories!

Thoughts on Leaving Dominica

With our final semester on the island coming to an end, I'm taking a moment to reflect.

I do have to say that this move is a bit bitter sweet because I have come to really love living here. Life here has been easy in ways that it's hard back home, and vice versa.

For instance:

1. We don't have a car. So that means no stressing over budgeting in gas money, car payments, or insurance.

2. Kyle and I get to have lunch and dinner with each other every day. When we're back home this won't happen very much.

3. Here we only have 3 necessary bills to pay such as rent, pay as you go cell phones, and electricity. At home this will be multiplied by 2. (scary is an understatement)

4. Here for entertainment we buy a bottle of cheap wine and have game nights. Back home everything will cost an arm and leg.

5. Here I feel like the friendships/conversation is rich with the freedom to be real and not on the surface. What you see is what you get; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

6. Here my biggest worry on a daily basis is what the heck am I going to make for dinner. I have a feeling that will never change, but with time there will be more added to that list

7. .Life here has just been so simple. There hasn't been the feeling of being pulled by people or things to get us distracted, insecure, the need to please people, or feeling obligated.

So if you can't tell... I'm feeling pretty nervous. Don't get me wrong, I'm more ready than I'll ever be to get back to the good-ole USA.

I guess I just don't want to lose what I found here. This experience has in so many ways been just what I needed to get me back to the nitty gritty, to be comfortable in my own skin, to take risk, to be bold... I mean for heaven's sake, I was on the RSO committee where I had to make lists and email people back and for a person that has dyslexia that's a big freaking deal! Thats not the only thing God has pushed me to do. At times I was even to a place where I was a bit uncomfortable, but there was a lesson to learn behind every hard thing I had to go through. I feel that Kyle and I have a new found strength and we're seeing things in a new light, feeling focused on OUR goal ahead.

Kyle and I say "Bring It ON" to whatever comes next.

Pretty much every day this past week we have looked at each other and said "I can't believe we are about to leave Dominica." We really did it!!! This island will always have a special place in our hearts.

There is a Grocery Store in Picard

Grocery shopping here on the island has been a bit like hunting and gathering.

(a term I used quite a bit)

Let me paint the picture for you of how it all went down.

All of us spouse's gathered at the campus library bright and early ONCE A MONTH. We all piled ourselves into buses to make the hour long trip down to Roseau for food that we had in mind,that may not even be in stock.

Lets just say sometimes these very long days could be hit or miss.

That makes for a very grumpy wife doped up on Dramamine and for a very hungry husband saying over and over "I'm so sorry I brought you here...." haha. Oh the joys of shopping days to Roseau are long gone, thank you God.

So with all that being said let me introduce to you the newest addition to the little village of Picard, where they have been building for the past 16m the most beautiful grocery store in Dominica. And yes, it opened just 2weeks before I leave this place.

Ta Daaa!!!

It's like a for real grocery store!!!

I saw people taking family picture by the meat section, no lie.

This truly is a wonderful thing. It will provide lots of jobs for the locals, and they need them. Overall its going to change EVERYTHING for the GOOD and I'm happy for everyone who will get to enjoy this lille jewel called the IGA.

Clothes Swap

Picture yourself in a place with no shopping malls (I know it's a scary thought), but this has been my life for the past 15months. The girls and I definitely get the itch for something different to wear other than the same 5 tank tops that we wear over and over. So what do women do when the times get rough? We go into survival mode and get creative.

Clothes Swapping Time

The concept is simple. We all bring stuff that we are just sick of looking at but that is still cute and wearable. Sometimes people come that don't bring anything and leave with a little treasure and somebody might bring something and leave with nothing ... get my drift?

Lets not forget the wine, snack, and four month old magazines that we pass around like they are brand new.

This all makes for a lovely girls night out while our nerdy husbands are busy studying their lives away.

Taylor Made Hair Cuts

I, Taylor Phillips am a Hair Stylist. This profession has been very good to me. Here in Dominica the jobs are very limited so doing what I do is perfect for the traveling gypsy I have become.

This is where the magic happens

Welcome to my salon/kitchen, please sit and have a hair cut or have some dinner.

(this is my life... true story)

Who needs a professional hydraulic salon chair when you can have a stolen/barrowed chair from the barn where Kyle studies?

So this has been where I set up shop. Right here in my multi purpose kitchen is where I throw it down both in hair cuts and cooking.

Here are the tools that make it possible to do what I do.

P.S. those are my fifth pair of clippers because the voltage here burns them right up.