Valentine's Day was not overly eventful, but as my sister and Travis so nicely put it, "I don't need some special day of the year to show you how much I love you, I do that every day!" I am so happy that that is not only true for my sister and my current/future brother-in-law (in case you don't know - my younger sister and Brayton's younger brother got engaged on December 31st!) but for my life as well! For Valentine's Day this year, we went to a restaurant called Nirvana. It is a nice place, generally has good food and decent service and isn't too overly priced... For Valentine's Day they had a special menu - Filet Mignon sounded good - so we gave it a go. IT WAS AWFUL! Luckily, our wine was great (but when isn't wine great!) and they only charged us for ONE meal (they must have felt really bad our steaks were completely charred or they just forgot to charge for the bottle of wine!) so even though dinner wasn't good, and we left hungry.. The wine and the company of my husband were great!
Earlier in the week, in the midst of studying, Brayton decided he was going to make me the first part of my Valentine's present. He slaved in the kitchen, wouldn't tell me what he was doing or let me near him (so I went to bed!) and I woke up to 100% homemade red cake-brownies with homemade butter cream frosting! He is simply amazing! On Valentine's morning, he woke up early to give me my gift which was his favorite perfume! I couldn't ask for more!
While being married to a vet student is sometimes challenging due to the busy schedules, high level of stress, intense work loads and, not to mention, the normal stresses of living in St Kitts, my husband shines through! He is constantly helping with dinner, cleaning, doing laundry, anything he can to make things easier for me. Since I am not the 'normal' VIP (at Ross, VIP stands for Very Important Partner - it is the group of vet student spouses..90% of whom do not work and live a Caribbean dream life for 2 1/2 years!) and work full time, tutor, volunteer and am super busy. The help my husband offers is so great! I often don't tell him enough how grateful I am for him, his support and his generosity as he pushes his way through vet school, but I really cannot imagine my life without him!
Today is my mom's birthday. Growing up as an oldest child of 3 girls, I sure gave my mom some hard times! As I grew up, I learned the importance of having a WONDERFUL, LOVING, STRONG, and PATIENT mother. She was my backbone when I didn't have one, she was my support in lives hardest choices, she gave the right advice even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear, she loved me unconditionally, and I would not be the woman I am today without her! Since moving to St Kitts 18 months ago, and leaving my mom for longer than 2 weeks and being more than 3 hours away, I have developed even more appreciation for her. There is rarely a day that passes that I don't send or receive a text communication, a skype phone call or an email from my mom checking in. There isn't a moment she wouldn't spend 3 times the amount of money something costs to ship it to me, she has been there day in and out, through my rough patch of depression in St. Kitts, to a new and challenging job right up to sharing the joys of being here. I have come to appreciate the relationship I have with my mother so much more since moving away. I am forever grateful for all she has done and hope that someday I can be half of the mother she has been to me. Being that today is her birthday, I have been a bit sad. I have really wanted to be home, spending the day with her, heading up to Lake Placid for a mini-vacation, drinking wine and soaking up that much needed mother-daughter time. Luckily, she will be arriving in St Kitts in 38 days and we will have ONE WEEK together! 4 days of nothing but US, and 2-3 days of her sharing some time at work with me! I am so thrilled that she is coming to visit again and already get teary-eyed when I think about her leaving, and not seeing her until Christmas next year! So today, I want to send all the love in my heart to my MOM - the most amazing women and mother in the world! <3
Pets... They are awesome... They are sometimes a pain in the ass.. But I wouldn't trade them for the world! They show unconditional love and want nothing more than my undivided attention! I am so grateful for them! Here is some puppy/kitty love! Nevi turned ONE this week! I cannot believe she is a year old already, and that 9 months ago we rescued her from a life of HELL!! Happy Birthday GIRL!
Life.. Do you ever feel like you are in a point in your life where you are stuck in the middle.. and the way out isn't achievable at this very moment? I feel like that is my life right now.. Please, don't get me wrong, I am SO happy to be here, supporting my husband, experiencing this life, learning so many important lesson, teaching amazing children, at a wonderful school, having great co-workers and having met some amazing people, but sometimes I feel like I'm in that middle ground.. Brayton and I (more me..) are so ready to have children and start a family and we have both accepted that helping one another to achieve dreams and goals is first, so here we are, coming to the downward slope of our time in St Kitts! The unfortunate part of all this is 1) St. Kitts is NOT a good place to have a baby.. 2) I feel like there are 3 groups of people here.. and I'm not really in any of those..
There are the students.. They are all busy, they eat, sleep, and breathe vet school and for that, I am SO proud of them all! I have some amazing friends who are students.. BUT they are students!
There are the parents.. People with kids hang out with other people with kids.. not people who WISH they had kids, or don't have kids..
There are the VIP's.. Most of them are either: 1) Parents and in the parent group or 2) Not working, living up the beach life, drinking Caribs, playing beach volleyball, snorkeling, surfing, paddle boarding, fishing, sleeping in, taking care of their student and livin' de life!
Then there is me - I work full time, don't have kids and am not a student.. therefore, I fall in the middle... I don't really have the time or interest to do the party it up life (even when I'm not working!).. I don't have kids.. And I'm not a student..
I am not trying to complain, make it seem like I have no friends, a shitty life, and nothing good going.. I am DEFINITELY not looking for sympathy, just making a valid point, that sometimes being stuck in the middle, sucks!
I am looking forward to our one and only long week in this 15 week stretch of a trimester and hope to be ahead in lesson planning, enjoy the beach life, relax, and cherish the time with great friends! <3
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