4th Semester Banquet

It has been a long 16 months but Stephen has pushed through it all and is now finished with all of his classes and just took his last final exam. He has done so well and we are both so happy that this part of the Medical School journey is coming to an end. Now he just needs to get through the next 3 weeks of studying to prepare for the comprehensive final that Ross requires its students to take in order to move on to taking their first set of boards. After Christmas he will be studying day and night again for two more months preparing for the STEP 1. To celebrate all of the students who have made it to the end Ross puts on a 4th semester banquet at the end of each semester. It is always held at Cabrits just about ten minutes from campus. It was a beautiful night and we had so much fun celebrating Stephen and all of our friends and their success while here. All night we could hardly believe that this is real and that we actually have made it this far. It is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and I hope Stephen is as proud of himself as I am of him.

The theme this semester was James Bond!

On our last night in Cache Valley before moving here we went and looked out over 

what we call the Logan ocean. Now in our last weeks living in Dominica 

we got to do the same thing.

Fine Dining at The Champs

The Champs is a hotel and restaurant located on top of the hill in Picard. It overlooks all of Picard where campus is, and has a beautiful view of the ocean. Every Friday night is their fine dining night where they have a very good chef come in and cook. It is a very limited menu and very expensive which is why you usually go for special occasions. We went with Stan and Taran the day after Thanksgiving after the boys had just finished their last final exam in Medical School. It was a beautiful night. We had such an amazing time and dinner was incredible. Stephen got the tuna and I had the filet mignon. It was such a fun night with friends celebrating our incredible husbands and all their hard work! 

Thanksgiving

Stephen and I have so much to be thankful for this year. However Thanksgiving day started out as a pretty rough one. Being away from family while living in a place you are counting down the days to leave forever on such a wonderful Holiday makes it a little sad. Thanksgiving this year all of the spouses and our families got together for a huge Thanksgiving potluck. I contributed a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and a crock pot full of gravy. The whole thing turned out perfect and my mood increased 100% once I got there and was able to celebrate with our island family. It is a comfort to know that we will always have family/friends with us wherever we live. I have loved my island family so much and have been so grateful to have them here.
Stephen had his final exam the morning after Thanksgiving but was still able to come eat dinner with me and stay for a little bit. Overall we had a great Thanksgiving! There was even quite a bit of leftover turkey so I was able to take some home along with a few rolls. Stephen and I had our own mini Thanksgiving with just the two of us for Sunday dinner with the leftovers I got and then I made a green bean casserole and some more mashed potatoes and gravy. We even had pumpkin pie for dessert. It was a fun way to celebrate just the two of us together after the stress of his final was over with.

This isn't a thanksgiving post without saying a few things I am thankful for this year. I am of course so thankful for my family back home. I miss them so much and can't wait to see them soon! Here are just a few more. To start with I am so very thankful for Stephen. All the time I think about how lucky I am to have found such an amazing husband. I can't imagine my life with anyone else or any other way than how it is with Stephen. Second Stephen and I are both so thankful to be starting our own little family. We are so thankful for the opportunity to have a little baby. We feel so lucky and blessed and can't wait to find out the gender! Third I am even thankful that we were given the opportunity to live in Dominica for the last 16 months. We feel very blessed to be done with the first two years of Medical School and that we are starting our next adventure in just 3 weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our wonderful Island Family

Counting down

26 days until we move back home! To say that Stephen and I can't wait is a major understatement. We (including Poppy who is 15 weeks) are SO excited to move home and just in time for Christmas too! Stephen is completely done with lectures now. He took his last mini exam Friday and took the night off to go spear fishing with Stan. Then Taran and I met them on the beach for dinner. It was a beautiful sunset! We had Stan and Taran take a few pictures of us because that might be one of the last times we go to the beach together before me move with how busy Stephen will be studying for finals. I have been hoping to see one last really pretty sunset before heading home and I was completely satisfied with the one we were lucky enough to see on Friday.
I am so proud of Stephen's hard work while here. I say it all the time and get to say it again that he has worked to incredibly hard and has done so well! I continue to be so proud of all his hard work. It hasn't been easy going to school here or living here but he has pushed through all the hard times and done so well! He has one more final exam this week and then 3 weeks to study for the comp exam which covers all four semesters. The day after the comp we are moving home!

What a pretty and funky fish they got spear fishing. I made a little sand Christmas tree, 

and Stephen got a battle wound on his way to campus from a mean fence. 

Our mini photo shoot on the beach.

I mean you can't take the picture until the bug has been removed.

Last Spouses Banquet

It's hard to believe that my last spouses banquet has come and gone and in 4 weeks Stephen and I will be moving back home. I never thought it was going to come. This is the best night of every semester when all of us girls get together for a yummy dinner and amazing company. I am so glad that we had it a good month before we all leave. If it had been closer to us moving home it would have been a really sad night. It is impossible not to be sad thinking about never seeing some of these amazing ladies ever again. Only we know what this experience is like living here while supporting our husbands in medical school. It can't even be explained. All we have here are each other and I am so thankful for every spouse I have met on this journey.

Us lucky ones who survived our stay on the Island and will be moving 

back home in just a few more weeks!

Absolutely LOVE these girls so much!!