Welcome to St. Kitts Patrick!

It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog.  In fact, my Dad asked me other day if I had written anything recently.  So Dad, this update is for you and Mom because I know yall enjoy reading it.

This semester has gone by really fast.  Probably because we have had at least one exam every week since the third week of classes.  It has been an absolute marathon to try and keep up with everything.  I have been so tired mentally and just feeling really drained and kinda in a rut recently.  But all of that changed Thursday afternoon!  

I was extra tired Thursday afternoon and the afternoon clinical pathology lab was rather torturous this week.  So we head home and as we pass the airport I see a plane and say to Emily how bad I really wish we could just hop on and go home.  Little did I know there was a wonderful surprise waiting for me at home, Patrick!  He had this whole thing planned out to a tee!  I won't bore you with all the details, but the boy did good!  He totally took me by surprise and coordinated everything with Emily and Caitlin down here so I had no clue he was coming.  He LOVES surprising me and always does a wonderful job, unfortunately I am really hard to surprise.  But he definitely got me good this time!

If you know me, then you know I am very pro planning with EVERYTHING!  So when he showed up unannounced and I had nothing planned for us to do, I was a bit flustered lol.  But it was really fun having to make plans on the spur of the moment.  We went to the marriott and grabbed dinner at the sandwich shopped and then spent some time walking around the grounds of the marriott.  I still couldn't believe he was actually there with me holding my hand instead of just looking at his face on Skype.  Friday he spend a day in the life a vet student!  I think he actually kinda enjoyed the first class.  He followed some of the lecture and remember a few things form high school biology (it was a very simple intro lecture on repro).  But then the afternoon classes started.....we lost him there.  After class we went to the grocery store and on the way home got a flat tire.  I have never blown a tire in my life.  Had Patrick not been with us I would have been terrified.  We had to pull off the road in not such a great area of town.  I always said I never need to know how to change a tire because I have Patrick and my Daddy....I was right lol.  Next stop, LOBSTER FEST!

I had originally planned to drive us out to lobster fest but the flat tire kinda thru a bump in the road (no pun intended haha).  So Caitlin picked us up and we all went out to Ragae Beach for lobster fest.  It was a lovely evening....and then....the rain came.  It stormed and stormed and stormed.  But the food was FABULOUS!!!!!  We got lobster, ribs, and shrimp =)  It was a typical OISK (only in st. kitts) night!  but still very fun and something to talk about for the rest of our lives.  We ate in a storm, waded thru water to the car, got stuck on rocks on the way home, and took nearly 3 times to get home just to discover the power was out.  Oh well!  at least our apartment has a generator, thank goodness.  

Saturday we had brunch at the marriott.  I had to study part of the day and then we went down to port and got ice cream later!  Sunday morning Patrick and I made a wonderful breakfast together (we LOVE to cook).  Biscuits and gravy, jelly and butter, and scrambled eggs.  Later we went to the pool at the marriott and had some fun in the sun!  We played a frisbie game in the pool with Emily and Caitlin. Sunday night we had a very romantic candlelight dinner at a local restaurant up on the mountain!  It was the perfect evening.  

And this morning Patrick got to play GOLF!  

We had such a great time together and really enjoyed being able to spend some quality and relaxing time together.  It was nice just to have each other near by (instead of over 1000 miles away) and enjoy each others presence.  I think Patrick now has a much greater appreciation for "island life" and the trials and daily struggles we go thru here.  

2 weeks back in the states! and the start of SECOND year

I realize that I haven't blogged in quite a while.  SO....here is my first blog of THIRD semester vet school (or better yet SECOND YEAR OF VETERINARY SCHOOL!)  Ok now that I have that excitement out of the way I'lll tell you a little about what has gone on since my last blog.

I was home in the states for 2 weeks and the time flew by very fast but it was really quite a great and joyful visit.  While I was home I went to visit the Riverbanks Botanical Gardens and meet with the wedding coordinator there.  Patrick and Mom had already visited a few months back but it was now my turn to see it!  I LOVED IT!!!!!  So it is official, we are getting married at Riverbanks Botanical Gardens! I think it is the PERFECT location for us for so many reasons, very "us".  While I was home Patrick was also able to get a lot of time off which was really nice to spend some great quality time together.

We had several family get togethers in the short two weeks and I really enjoyed getting to fellowship with extended family as well.  For mother's day Mom had everyone over to the house and I got to skype with my Grandmother, Linda, and Aunt Mary for the first time!  I think they all thought it was the neatest thing.  Not sure Granny knew what to think about it through haha.

The other highlight of my trip home was eating at COWBOYS!!!!  Paul and Caroline met us there for dinner one night.  I wish we got to visit with them more often :(  Cowboys is a brazilian steakhouse on Main Street in Columbia and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone!  First of all they have a wonderful salad bar with some of the best caesar salad, shrimp, alfredo broccoli, and bunches of other good stuff.  Then they bring around slabs of meat on big stick type things ( I am awful at describing this) and cut the meat right off onto your plate.  The garlic beef was my favorite!  We were wondering what made it a "brazilian" steakhouse, so we asked.  Apparently the meat comes from Brazil and the way in which it is cooked classifies it as brazilian.  They use no spices or marinades in the cooking process and the meat is very very flavorful  and juicy.  Patrick had rehearsal after dinner so Caroline and I went to meet Emily for ICECREAM!!! and no boys allowed haha.  It was very nice "girl time".   I miss all my girlfriends tons from back home.  Christin and I also got to have dinner a few times while I was home; our usual bonefish appetizer, split the entree, and brownie for dessert =)

The last point that I will write for now (because I really probably should be paying attention in pathology class right now - current topic is thrombus) is that we moved to our new apartment on the island and LOVE IT!!! NO BUGS and we don't even have to use our air because we get a fabulous breeze.

Hope everyone has a lovely three day weekend.  I will be busy preparing for my first round of exams and no I don't get Monday off from school :(

Love,

Natalie

I am writing right now simply for the fact that I need a study break.  In less than an hour I have my parasitology lab final.  Once I start I won't finish til 6 PM tonight :(  it is a 2 hour final and will take all of that time.  First I start out in a "holding area, then I move to the actual lab where I will be given slides.  I must menuver the microscope so as to figure out what I am actually looking at and identify the organism as well as answer some questions about what I see.  Finally I move to the "virtual" part of the final which is in the testing center.  Here I will look at pictures on the computer of either necropsied animals, microscope slides, or gross specimens.  I must again identify the organism and answer questions about it.  I have a total of 170 organisms to choose from.  Anyway.........

Some updates:   Emily and I found a wonderful place to live for next semester!  and our mothers are coming to visit us in JUNE!!!!  We are absolutely ecstatic about this.  And hopefully my little fluffball, Leila, will be coming down with mom to stay with me!  If all goes well with the timing of her tests.  We will be within a few days of finding out if all of Leila's tests get in for her to get on the plane.  So much praying will be done over this matter, especially since I really do NEED her down here for my mental sanity.

I am in the final stretch now of my second semester of veterinary school.  Monday start the round of finals.  Last final is on Thursday then packing up to move our stuff to "storage" (aka Caitlin's apartment), move out inspection, taking care of internet stuff and catching our flight HOME!  I cannot wait to be home for 2 weeks.  Lots to do during that time.  Wedding planning!  Hopefully why I am home we will nail down the venues (although we essentially already have. but Patrick want's me to go look again just to make sure - He is SO sweet), finding THE DRESS (again I think I already picked it but I HAVE to be sure), and possibly booking the photographer.  I cannot express how excited we are about getting married.  The thought of having my best friend and biggest supporter by my side for the rest of my life is so comforting.  And knowing that God picked HIM for me is an even greater feeling!  We cannot wait to start our married life and know that God has big plans for us as a couple.

Well, time to go get my lab coat and head of to the "holding" area for my first final of second semester.

BEST PACKAGE EVER!!!

I received a package slip a few days ago and went this morning to get my package at the post office between classes.  At the post office they have to open every package and inspect it in front of you.  Although sometimes this is annoying it can be really fun to, because its like getting to watch yourself open the package haha.  You get to see what's in it without being able to have it first!  First thing on top: REESES EGGS!!!!!  next thing below that MORE REESES EGGS!!!!  then a box of my favorite girl scout cookies and some waffles and a krespe kreme apple pie!  THANKS MOM!

To understand my excitement you must first understand how much I LOVE REESES.  second you must know what type of week this has been.  Tomorrow of my second anatomy lab test that is three hours long.  I start out in the barns palpating horses.  We go to the barns where there are tags with letters placed on the horses for us to identify and answer questions about.  Then I got to small animal palpation where I interact with professors and talk about "doctor stuff"and perform neurologic tests on dogs.  Then finally I end up in the lab for an hour and a half of written questions there.  It is long and very tiring.  So that's tomorrow, then Monday I have my physiology test on acid/base (I thought I left chemistry in undergrad, apparently not). And Wednesday is immunology final (AKA the worst subject ever).  So you could say I am a bit stressed right now.  But never fear because now I have REESES EGGS!!!!!  I even treated myself to a piece of hawaiian pizza for lunch today and a sprite.  I guess that will be my weekly splerge this week.

Some other things that have occurred recently is that we discovered ants are infesting our house.  We are still currently trying to get that situation under control.  Oh and last weekend I made the most delicious tomato-basil-parmesan soup!  WONDERFUL!!!  I will have to share it later because I haven't yet figured out how to post things with the blog yet haha.  Anyway, my lunch break is almost over and my pizza is almost gone.  So it's time to get back to studying cranial nerves, the skull, blood supply, and where you can drill holes into a horses head!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today, tomorrow (Friday), and the rest of the weekend....as well as every day of course!

Love,

Natalie

Life - and it's wonderful journeys

Several people have been telling me I "need" to start a blog and that they would really like to read it, SO...here is my blog.

For my first post I would like to simply do some reflecting.  If you had told me a year ago I would be where I am right now I would have laughed in your face.  It is funny how life does that to us sometimes.  But here I find my self on this tiny island studying and stressing myself beyond believe somedays all for a little something I like to call veterinary medicine.  A year ago I would have thought I would have been attend UGA for veterinary school and still single and enjoying plenty of time with my family.  Instead I got something much greater!  I got accepted to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (and have been given the opportunity of a lifetime), got engaged to my best friend and most supportive, wonderful, loving, most perfect man for me and I can't wait to start our lives together, moved to the island of St. Kitts and essentially had my world turned upside down.

My life may not be exactly where I thought it would have been but it is better and more enriched than I could ever have imagined.  So instead of being at UGA in the states with family and friends I got sent here, to St. Kitts to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, I left my family and friends and Fiance back thousands of miles away in the states.  And I couldn't be more blessed.

Being here on the island has challenged me in so many ways (not to mention being a veterinary student).  It has made my faith and relationship with God so much stronger, brought new dynamics to mine and Patrick's relationship and only made us closer and stronger, made me a stronger person, taught me patience (believe it or not), and just a little bit of veterinary medicine on the side.  It is very tough being gone from home but what makes it a million times easier is knowing that I have my wonderful family and friends back home supporting me all the way and cheering me on.  I am so grateful and thankful not only for my parents and Patrick but also for my girlfriends back home (Christin, Georgie, Caroline, Emily) and all the other people that send love and thoughts my way.  My parents tell me all the time about people who ask how I am doing and who are praying and thinking about me.  You just couldn't imagine how encouraging that is.

Well it's back to the life of a vet student.  It's 10:30 and I am officially heading to the anatomy lab for a few hours to work on canine and equine skulls on a saturday morning.  I hope to keep this blog somewhat updated with everything going on with vet school and that crazy thing we call life.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and in the mean time I will be learning how to help your animals in the future :)

God Bless.

Natalie