Day 1 in Dominica

These are all taken from the airplane as we were approaching and then landing.


All of our traveling went really well. All of our luggage got here too! It was so cool flying in and seeing our new home for the first time! It is so beautiful here. It is so green. I love the peak of the ocean you get when you look through the trees. On the drive from the airport I just looked out the window and couldn't believe that I was actually here.


Johnny and I were on two different buses. It was okay though because I was in a bus with a family from the branch. Everyone said the drive from the airport makes everyone sick, but it really wasn't bad. Driving on the other side of the road was a little startling at first, but you get used to it. We got to the housing Department and they fed us and then we got our luggage. They took us to our apartment and we started unloading, but our landlord came and offered us the apartment upstairs. It looks like it has been remodeled more recently and has a better kitchen and bathroom, so we decided to move up there. We had to wait to do it because it hadn't been cleaned yet. We went out after that to explore and to find an internet cord. We had to go all the way to Portsmouth. We defiantly got our walking done yesterday. We came home and relaxed for awhile and then got in contact with some people from the branch. They invited us to a dinner at another member's house. We went over there and had a great time getting to know people. We got back home and my sponsor Monique had left a note asking us to stop by. We went over there and met her and her husband. by the time we got home it was midnight and I was exhausted.
Our first day here was great and I hope to have many more days like it!

Arizona Trip

We had such a great time in Arizona. We went to the Desert Museum, Phoenix Zoo, Organ Stop Pizza, the Mesa Temple, Tombstone, and the Gila Valley Temple. We also spent time with my Grandma Burns, stayed over at my parents, and had a wonderful family dinner. We stayed at Arlo and Heathers house and had a great time getting to know the girls a little better. We had a great time with Grandma. Mom and dad and Chelsea came to dinner with us and then we went to grandma's and played games with Richard's and Chris's families. The Desert Museum was so cool and very cold too! All the plants were beautiful and there were more animals than I thought. The zoo was great but it closed early. We went to the temple, but I forgot my recommend so only Johhny and Heather got to do a session. I love going to the Organ Stop! We got really good seats and had a great time. Saturday morning mom came and picked us up and we did a little shopping and housework. Then we headed out to Tombstone. We walked around and did the stuff that was free. Johnny decided that we should do the Ghost tour of the Bird Cage Theater. We had to come back for that, but it was a great time. We played games during any down time we had in St. David. Going to church was great too. It was nice to see familiar faces, and little kids that are all grown up now. Dinner with all the Davidson kids was great! We played Trivial Pursuit and it kinda kicked our butts. Monday we went to the Gila Valley Temple open house. It is very small, but very beautiful. The rest the day we spent running errands and getting repacked. It was such a great time. I'm going to miss my family so much, but in life that's what happens. You grow up and have to live your own life, and we are on our way!

This in Tombstone
Thisis at the Desert Museum
This is at the Zoo in Phoenix

One Day More

Wow I know I say this a lot, but time just flies by sometimes. We have been here in Idaho for THREE WEEKS and we are leaving tomorrow. I can't beleive its time to leave already. I am so excited to see everybody in Arizona. We have such a great trip planned.
We are so thankful for the Cochran's for taking us in for this inbetween time. We have had such a great time eventhough it wasn't the break we thought it would be. We loved all the games of scum and the all day trips to Twin Falls. We really hope you get to came visit us on the island. We will miss you all.

Seven Pokes

Time goes by so fast when you HAVE to get something done by a certain time. We have been so busy. I thought coming to Idaho was going to be a vacation, but it has felt more like having a job. We are never home we are always doing something. I think there is only one day that we just sat at home relaxing.
Today we went and got our vaccines. I have been poked seven time in three days. I have small veins so when I got my blood drawn on Monday they poked me three times before they got one. Then I got four shots today. Needless to say my arms hurt.
We are getting so excited to go visit my family in Arizona. We have a great trip planned. Only six more days!!!

Saturday Games

Saturday Rebekah had a Volley tournament. Her team did really well. They lost in the championship game cause the other team were cheating like dogs. It was really bad. We were all fired up about it. It was great to go watch her though. We had so much fun hooting an' hollering. that night we played scum for like five hours probably. It was so much fun. I think that is John's favorite game to play with us.


Joey, I don't know if you read this but I wanted to let you know we will miss you. It was great going to the temple with you and your dad. We really hope you get to come and visit us on the island.

Barnes and Noble= My Second Home

So life trudges on. I'm so sad today. The sun is shining brightly and it makes me miss Florida and the beach. Why, Oh Why is it still so cold when the sun is shining so brightly.
So we are here at B&N again. Johnny is working on his loan. We missed our doctors appointment this week so we couldn't get our visa stuff finished. I hope everything will get done. We only have 12 more days until we leave for Arizona. Seven days after that we head out for our new adventure. Then I can go to the beach everyday (and will probably get sick of the heat). We all know the grass is greener, or whatever.
Its crazy, I have been waiting and hoping all this time to go to Dominica and now its really happening and my brain can't process it. I don't know if I will ever believe we are actually going. I keep having dreams about it. I'm getting more nervous everyday, and more excited. We are buying all this stuff to take with us and I can't wait to start packing it. One day, not to far from now I WILL be packing and then boarding that plane and my life will be totally different than the one I know right now. When I was young I never imagined ( I hoped)I would live anywhere out of Arizona, but look at me now! I can't wait!

Eater, oops I mean Easter

So I really did write eater instead of Easter. I seem to always have food on my mind and it subconsciously spills out sometimes.
Easter was great! We had a great time watching conference.(It is a semi-annual meeting our church holds with lots of great speakers, for those of you that don't know). I loved President Monson's talk about Jesus in the Sunday Morning Session. There were so many good talks about family and our relationships and responsibilities with our families.
Between the sessions we did the Easter egg hunting. Johnny and Joey hid the eggs and of course they had to nestle one in with some dog poop and it just happened to be Tanner's Hornswaggle egg. We did enjoy finding them, and I enjoyed my chocolate egg filled with caramel. After the last session of conference we ate. I of course ate way to much. Easter dinner has all my favorite things; ham, asparagus, mashed potatoes, corn. You would think my mother-in-love was trying to make me fat. (not really, she wants me to get fat but from a very different source than food) Anyway, It was all very good! After dinner we played some cord games. It was so much fun. One of my favorite things in the world is sitting around the table with some playing cards and good friends/family.

Sorry, I lied!

So I told you yesterday that you wouldn't be hearing from me very often, but here I am again the very next day. Maybe I was mistaken in the fact that I thought we wouldn't be spending our whole lives at the neighborhood Barnes and Noble. It just seem like most of the things we need to do to get ready for Dominica need to be done over the internet.
I'm so excited because we bought our plane tickets to Tucson, AZ!!! I am so excited to go see my familia! We are getting there at 6pm-ish on the 20th of April.(sorry to my fam for telling you the wrong day and time.) We have not gotten our tickets to Dominica yet but we are getting there. Johnny just wants to get us the best deal possible, but that means a lot of searching.
I'm so sorry I lied. We'll have to see when I get back here again.

Idaho

Wow it is so cold here. I have not taken off my sweater the whole three days we have been here. It is so nice to see family, so its worth it! The plane trips went well and we had a good time going out to eat with the Cochran family. We were told we would know if Johnny passed MERP by that day(Monday) so Johnny checked anytime we had a chance to use the internet, with no luck. When we landed in Salt Lake Johnny thought he would check one last time before we saw his parents. I went down to get our bags. When he came down he gave me a hug and asked "are you ready to do this for another 16 months?" I was like heck yes I can! Johnny passed! We are going to medical school!!!!! It was the best day of my life!!!!!
The second best part of my day was walking into the house. Saydee was right by the door. I said her name, she looked up at me and meowed! It was the cutest meow in the world, like "Mommy is that really you?". I grabbed her up and just gave her a million kisses.
I just want to let you all know I don't know how much I will be able to get on the internet while we are here in Idaho. Johnny's parents internet is super slow so we have to go into town to use high speed internet. Of all you that know me personally you know I have NO patience. I'll try as often as I can to write! Love you all!