Thursday, December 10, 2009

So Close!


No more days to count...we are counting down the hours now...until we go HOME!!!!! Yay! Dave has been studying like a mad dog, which has left me to get everything in order for us to be gone for almost a month. That has meant lots of errands, favor asking, and organization to get everything in order to leave tomorrow.


Dave has his Cell Biology and Anatomy Lab final today, and his Histology and Anatomy Theory finals tomorrow. Even Mia is helping out around here by organizing Dave's Anatomy flashcards for him. She did a great job. He is done at 11:00 AM tomorrow, then we head to the airport at 1:30 PM and leave on a plane at 4:00 PM to Miami! We have to overnight in Miami, but we are looking forward to just being together and having some quality family time before we see our extended family and friends. Our flight out of Miami leaves at 5:00 PM Saturday, and then we're home in AZ around 9:00 PM. We are so excited, we can hardly stand it!
See you on the other side...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Ocean Views and Monkeys

Last week was a good week to really appreciate what is great about living here. We spent one morning swimming at our friend's pool. It has gorgeous views and the company is beyond fun! We love our friends the Lands.

Here's Mimi sitting on a coconut tree stump. You don't find this every day!

Yes...she is beginning to have an attitude...


Can't feel too sorry for ourselves when we get to enjoy this on a lovely Thursday morning...

Our good friends, the Land kids. They are so special to us!
If you look closely, there are four boats in this picture...l-r a sailboat, a catamaran, the St. Kitts-Nevis Ferry, and a motorboat.

Gosh...she is getting big! Here she is at 21 months...in December...in a sundress!

We spent another morning at the Port doing a little Christmas shopping. Mia ran into some unexpected company, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that she thought it was fun and she didn't freak out like I thought she would!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Mimi and Daddy time

Mimi loves to be with Dave, and she'll do whatever it takes to spend time with him.

Like trying to figure out pushups ...

Chowing down on some food...(and I'm not quite sure why they're looking at me like this by the way...)

Taking a break to look out the window at the landscapers...

Or even picking out a tune during our favorite time of the day...snuggling in bed in the morning.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Out and About

Here are a few ways we like to spend our time lately:

Sleepy afternoons filled with extra long naps...


Hanging around the house looking extra cute...



Working on our femininity doing our nails...




Going on a date here and there and remembering why we fell in love...



Checking out the huge mango trees in comparison to our car...




Hiking in the rainforest...

Island life isn't so bad afterall...







Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Halloween...a little late...oops

I used to be super organized. Super organized. Well getting married, having a kid, and having most of my life in a storage unit in Arizona have all contributed to me being...a little less organized if you know what I mean. Here we are in December, and I am finally organizing all of our pictures from when we first moved here...in April.

I came across our Halloween pics and thought I'd throw them on the blog.

Mia got the shaft when it came to a Halloween costume this year. We got back from the funeral that Monday and I spent the whole week packing in Nevis and unpacking in St. Kitts for our big move, and her costume just kind of got put on the back burner. She ended up being a jungle-fairy-ballerina thing. Good thing she is cute beyond belief, so she can carried it off.


We went to Oualie Beach in Nevis for trick-or-treating. What a memorable Halloween. Eating candy on the beach during a gorgeous sunset. My kind of night. Here's Mia with our good friend Layla the Witch.


We are working on a "Flat Stanley" project for my nephew Tommy. (Flat Stanley is a book about a boy who gets flatened and travels all over the world. His class send us a "Flat Stanley" to see the sights in St. Kitts-Nevis, take pics, and send it back to him. It's been fun!)

Here's me, Mia, and Flat Stanley celebrating Halloween. As you guessed, Dave was at home studying...

Monday, November 30, 2009

I want your hair man

Conversation with Dave tonight:

Me: "Your hair is really straight. It just sticks out."

Dave: "Ya, I know. But I've had people tell me before that they'd love to have my hair."

Me: "Ya? Like who?"

Dave: "Oh, this guy from ASU named Dave Leechie. Did you know him? Well anyway, he was red-head fro' guy that said he'd love to have my hair."

Me: "uhhhmmmm..." [uncontrollable laughter]

Dave: "Ya, never thought of that. I guess that would make sense, huh?"

The end.

p.s. come on...no offense to red heads, fro's, or even asians for that matter. all in good fun...

Sunday, November 29, 2009

It begins...

Okay a few things come to mind here:

1. Brand new chair, not ours...we've lived here for 3 weeks...pen marks...white fabric...not coming out

2. First offense

3. At first she was totally busted, and I thought of shipping her home to be with her friend Chloe

4. Alright...get it together, Becky

5. Hey! She doesn't even care...she's talking on a cell phone!!!??!!

6. Guess my days of re upholstery are back sooner than I wanted them to be

7. Good thing we're going home in a couple of weeks and I can get some fabric to fix this

8. I'll wait until the day before we move to re upholster anything around here.

9. I am continuing to discover what unconditional love means... I do love my Mimi!!

Caribbean Thanksgiving

For being our first Thanksgiving away from family...we were sure lucky to have family come to US! My late-eighty-year-old grandparents from Arizona made the long two-day trek down to St. Kitts to spend a few days with us over Thanksgiving. I couldn't believe they did it, and I was so happy to know that the 3:00 pm American Flight that flies over my house everyday actually had someone on it that was coming to see ME!

Above is Nana and Grandpa with little Mimi on the South Peninsula. They loved this drive and Mimi loved playing games in the back with Nana during our "long" drives around the island.
Here we are at "Bobsy's." It's a bar and grill in Frigate Bay that Nana and Grandpa treated us to. Life here is pretty nice when you're a tourist...experiencing the island not on a student budget! Hahahaha...
We spent the actual Thanksgiving dinner with good American friends from church. (Didn't get any pics...sad). The kind Allred family opened their house at the Marriott Resort to a wild bunch of Mormons and we chowed down! It was a very special day, and we felt lucky to have been included when we are such newbies to this island! The food was incredible, the company was enjoyable, and all-in-all, it was a great day that we will remember with fondness...our First Caribbean Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

It's been a while...



Yes...life got really busy, and the blog didn't...which is unfortunate because we want our little blog to document life, and it has really slowed down. So here's some of our news as of late:

Dave transferred schools. The University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) is a school right across the ocean in St. Kitts, and we felt like it was a much better school, so we went for it, and Dave is very happy and doing well, so it was a great move. Yay.


At first, we decided to stay living on Nevis and have Dave commute by ferry everyday. We did this for two months, and it was a lot to handle. It was an hour and a half each way and very expensive...so we moved to St. Kitts as soon as I got back from my brother's funeral.


St. Kitts is nice...and we really love it! It's a lot bigger, there is more shopping, produce is fresher...and there's even a movie theater here (gasp). The pace is faster, the people are friendlier, and we can see the cruise ships coming in and out everyday from our house. It's kind of fun and exciting. (hint, hint: if you come on a cruise that stops in St. Kitts...you BETTER let us know! This pic is taken from our balcony...I'm serious...the port is 5 minutes away!)


Mia is hilarious and very girlie. She is obsessed with watching Mary Poppins, has to carry her pink purse around all day, and must wear her sunglasses...even if we're in the house. She is still incredibly shy around strangers, and loves to "cluck" at the chickens outside our house every time we go in or out. Everything is a "puppy" (pronounced "poppi"), and popcorn is her favorite treat by far. She is the highlight of our lives...yes we've turned into "those people" that gush over our little one, but we both waited so long for her, so why not?





I'm still working on my master's online, Dave's doing great in school, Mia's getting cuter by the minute, so life is wonderful. Our big family Christmas present is to go home for the Holidays, which we can't wait for.


That's all for now...hopefully I'll be better from now on, but we'll see about that.



Saturday, October 24, 2009

Yay!! They're Coming Home!! 10-24-2009

Above is a picture of the Love of my life, Mi amor...xooxoxoxox. I love you Becky!

I am sooo excited for my favorite girls in the whole world to come home to me this Monday!! For the last month and a half, I've only seen them for two weeks...that means I haven't seen them for a month. It has been the hardest month of my life!! All I want to do is be with my little family... when Becky and Mia get home we are going to:

1. Play Tennis (Mia has a new 'Dora' tennis racquet)!
2. Go to the beach.
3. Eat ice cream.
4. Go to the movies!
5. Hang out together!!

One thing I have learned on this little excursion is how much I love them and just want to spend all of my time with them...everything else is secondary. Becky and Mia, you make me sooo happy! I get emotional just thinking of you two.

Above is Mia at her Aunt Heather and Uncle Shaman's wedding reception.

I'm so glad that they were able to visit family though. I think that Mia had a great time with her cousins in Texas. I wonder if Mia is going to say "ya'll" when she gets home.

This one on the bottom is of Mia and her big cousin Sheridan, I had to post it because they are both sooo cute!!


I can't wait, I am so excited. I am sooo in love with you guys! Come home safe to me!

mucho smoocho,

Big Daddy

Monday, October 19, 2009

Is this a Rockin' Family or What??!! Livin' da Life!! ;)

On Sunday, October 18, 2009, my niece Lily Mae Filhart had her baby blessing! I hear Wes did an awesome job. I'm sure he did. As you can see, (this picture was taken the day of the blessing), they just look like the most rockin' family around. That's the crew! Look at Steele, that is pure mischief, and I hear Gi-Gi is not far behind, and then beautiful Lily Mae!! Tell me, don't they look all beautiful and happy!?!? I must say that I'm very proud of my brother and his family. Him and Mary are doing an excellent job. So darn proud of you guys!! We'll be there for the next baby blessing, okay?! I better be off to studying! Love you Wes, Love you Mary, Love you Steele, Love you Gideon, and Love you Lily!!!! Love you all! Keep on keeping on!
Love,
Dave, Becky, and Mia

Friday, October 9, 2009

My Feelings about my brother, John

Well I suppose I have to just sit down and write my memories about my dear brother, John. I have been avoiding this because I am having a difficult time accepting this. Living so far away right now really removes you from everything, and up until seeing John at Heather’s wedding last month, in my mind, I still see John as a healthy, witty guy that has a wink and a smile ready for you.
My recall of memories really stinks, honestly, so I have been praying that I would be able to not be my normal, forgetful self, and actually dig deep and remember more than I usually do about the past.
My earliest memories of John are from Woodbridge, VA. I remember mom and dad buying us a round metal horse troph for a swimming pool in the backyard…ha! We had to plug that thing with a washcloth so the water would stay in. We’d all get in there and run around and make whirlpools. I remember from a very early age loving having all the family together, especially when the “older kids” were around and playing with us. I am number six in the family, and I remember doing whatever I could to be around the older kids. I remember Rob and John playing ball and breaking the Van windshield in the driveway. I remember the older kids playing rubber band wars in the upstairs hallway and in order for us younger ones to “be there,” the boys would have us clean up the rubber bands between games. Ahhh, what a little kid will do to be involved.
In California, I remember John and Rob playing the trashcan lid game. I loved running between the bases. I also remember Axis and Allies…it was very heated at times. One of poor mom and dad’s tactics to get us to stop fighting/be more respectful, etc. was to use money. At the beginning of every week, we each started at a WHOLE $5! (That seemed like SOOO MUCH to me back then!). Throughout the week, money was deducted if we were disrespectful, whined, or fought. By the end of the week, each child was given the remainder of the $5 they “earned.” Well, if my memory serves me correctly, Rob and John were “playing” Axis and Allies in their bedroom for a while. Things got…ahem…a little competitive, and before we knew it, the door was locked and they were fighting it out! Mom sent one of us through their bedroom window to open their door so she could get in there. Mom and Dad took Rob and John into their bedroom and talked with them for a long time. I remember them coming out and finding that they had been in trouble…and they LOST ALL $5 of their dollars for that week in one swoop. I couldn’t believe it, I remember thinking that was big time. I also remember the boys selling flowers on the side of the road in the entrance to Oak Hills and doing their paper route early in the morning. Even from that early time, John was developing a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility. I remember going to see John as Charlie Brown in the school play, and how much he loved living in Monterey. I think he thought those were some of his best times.
In Kansas, I remember John and his friend taking us little kids to Worlds of Fun. It was an amusement park, and we had a blast! We all went on this crazy rollercoaster and most of us barfed big time at the end of it, honestly. Looking back, that was really cool for him to choose to take us annoying kids to an amusement park when he could have gone with just a group of his friends instead. That says a lot about John. I remember John being into “The Proclaimers” and listening to that tape over and over and loving it years before it got really “popular.” Then there were the class ring hits. John was very patient as a brother. He didn’t need to be in charge, have his way, assert his authority, etc. He was very kind and loving…but sometimes, enough was enough. Sometimes I remember I would push his buttons just because I knew he wouldn’t fly off the handle. He would just sit and let me hit, pinch, punch, etc. while he sat there. Well sometimes when he wasn’t in the mood, he would start counting…1…2…that’s 3…then I knew I was in trouble. For every hit I did, he would hit me back my holding my arm, turn his class ring with the stone facing out and hit me on my arm the number of times I hit him. I had it coming. This only happened after patient, quiet requests to stop and leave him alone. His mullet happened around that time too, I believe. I remember sitting at Nana Wendt’s table in Arizona on our way to Hawaii with my parents talking about John needing to get rid of his gothic coat and cut his hair…are there any mullet pics of John floating around?


In Hawaii, John lived in the maid’s quarters on the other side of the house. I remember his room being full of these drawings…were they mythical creatures? Does anyone else remember those? He listened to Weird Al Yankovic music too, and would sing his songs around the house and in the car just to get you to laugh.
I was proud of John being worthy and willing to serve a mission to Las Vegas. I remember getting letters and pictures of him serving and helping. I remember this picture of him and his companion standing in tons of snow in Susanville, CA shoveling it off of someone’s rooftop. When he came home, he had a huge stereo he had bought on his mission. Years later, I ended up receiving that stereo from him. He was very generous. He had a fun outlook on life and what makes it interesting.
When he moved home after a difficult period of life, I remember he would spend a lot of time in his bedroom. I must have been about 15 or 16 at this time, and one day he and I were the only ones home. I was doing my thing, and he was doing his thing. I remember that he came out of his bedroom and asked if I wanted to play a card game. I was happy that he wanted to, and we must have sat at the table in mom and dad’s house for hours eating Pringles chips and playing cards. I still remember feeling so happy that he was smiling and making jokes. That was good to see.
He also gave me my cupid prick of love for animals (which my husband is forever in his debt for). Little Sebastian came home with John when he moved home and was…well…a complete terror in my parent’s brand new home. I was never an animal person up to that point, and I was not excited about this little dog coming into our home. But John loved little Sebby and we all knew John needed him. Well, it didn’t take me long to know why. Sebastian was the cutest little West Highland White Terrier ever. He would cuddle with you on the floor when you were watching TV., he’d pee all over the floor, and chew furniture and windowsills. But he was always ready and wagging his tail when you came in the door and wanted to say HI to you like he’d been waiting all day for YOU to get home. But till this day, watching how much John loved that little guy still gets me, he definitely loved animals.
Ahh…then Jacqui entered his life. I think the first time I knew of his interest in Jacqui was when I came into his room for something one day and he was writing in his journal. He was lying on the floor with his journal open and there was a picture of Jacqui lying on the floor next to the journal. In the picture, she was wearing a green outfit in front of a white gate or something. I asked what he was doing and who that girl was, and I think he got embarrassed and told me to get out of his room. Well…it didn’t take long, because the next thing we knew, she was over at our house for the infamous first dinner experience, and the rest was history. Jacqui drove an Eagle Talon sports car back then, and I remember one time before they were married John had her car for some reason. He was going to go to her work to bring her some lunch and asked if I wanted to go with him. We got in the car and as he drove, he looked over at me and said “Did I ever tell you how much I love this car? It is so choice.” (Insert Ferris Bueller’s voice for that line). John was always happy to include me and was just happy that I was there with him. I remember when he took Jacqui on a fancy date…was it Phantom of the Opera or something? Anyway, he was agonizing about what to wear for the date because they were going to dress up. He got a whole new outfit and looked great, and the picture they took together at Jacqui’s house before their date ended up on the floor right next to the picture of Jacqui when he’d write in his journal in his bedroom after that. I must have been nosy, because I remember seeing him on a few occasions with those pictures…ahhh…that new love. John and Jacqui’s wedding reception was a little slice of heaven for me. I remember it being so fun, so beautiful, and we danced, and danced, and danced! I even remember my brother Rob asking me to dance at their reception and how good that made me feel. John and Jacqui were exquisite that night, and to see John so HAPPY was good for all of us who love him so much.
Shortly after he and Jacqui married, they basically gave me their little blue get metro when I graduated High School. That poor car saw some rough times with Janet and me commuting to SWT, but John and Jacqui’s generosity really helped out when I was a poor college student. I remember a few years later John joining Janet and I’s commuting schedule and how I will now cherish that time and those early morning conversations and institute classes we shared that I realize now how much I took for granted. I remember if he and Jacqui went out of town, Janet and I would housesit for them and watch their dogs. That was really fun.
The day John told us that Jacqui was pregnant with their first child, Tommy, was a special day. We were all at my parent’s house sitting in the family room, and John came in and asked what we were all doing in April (I believe that was the original due date maybe…although Tommy wasn’t born until May…). We all kind of sat there confused…and then he got all excited and happy and said, well I was wondering because that’s when JACQUI’S DUE!!!!! We were all totally excited! It was really fun to watch both John and Jacqui prepare for the births of each of their special children and how excited, organized, and focused they would get when they were welcoming a new child into their home.
Something kind of special to me is the fact that for a few years, Dad, John, and I were all teachers at the same time. Although they both taught High School and I taught Elementary, it was something special to find us three sitting and talking every once in a while about teaching, and suddenly the room would be left with only us three. I guess “teacher talk” IS really annoying when you’re not a teacher! Having that unique bond was something I was proud of, simple, yes, but I will cherish forever.
After college, I moved away, and I remember John calling me for important things that were happening in his life. He called to tell me that he had finally gone skydiving, and told me all about it. He was so happy and proud of himself. John called about passing his Counseling exam that was very stressful, yet he was so relieved and happy that he wanted to call and share his joy with me. We had a lengthy conversation when he found out that he was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was a week before we left Arizona to move to the Caribbean, and I stood outside a restaurant that we had gone to for hours on the phone with him. It was like he didn’t want to get off the phone with me. It was the best conversation I think I ever had with him. He had lots of advice and words of wisdom as Dave and I were moving into a stressful, difficult time of life as Dave entered Med School. Somehow as all of this is happening, one of my sorrows is that I know John would be a source of great comfort and wisdom for me, yet he is the one that has passed on. I will miss those conversations and special bonding times.
Oh ya! Disneyworld! That was a great family trip! Talk about crazy…piling all the family into two condos for a week of Disney. It is still one of my most favorite family trips ever…though! One night mom and dad agreed to watch the kids late while the adults went back to the park to ride rides. It was so so so much fun! After the grandkids started coming, it was rare for the siblings to really be alone and have adult time in the family, so this was a special treat. I remember standing in the line for that star tours or star wars ride and John cracking jokes.
John was impressively kind and considerate to my husband, Dave. Both he and Jacqui made it a point to sit by Dave and genuinely ask him questions about how his life was going. They took time out to make Dave feel comfortable and accepted, and for that, I have the most respect and love for John and Jacqui.
At this time, my heart hurts terribly for the loss of my dear brother, for his beautiful wife, my sister, Jacqui, and their four amazing kids…Tommy, Sheridan, Rita, and Miles. It is hard for me to understand the reasons for this situation, and even harder to be so very far away from everyone now. I hope that Tommy, Sheridan, Rita, and Miles know that their dad was a man of honor, courage, understood responsibility, had a strong work ethic, loved family and wanted to be around them, and honored his priesthood. He loved your mom very deeply. She not only made him very happy, but made him a better man. He had a tremendous laugh and a witty sense of humor. He was gifted in imparting wisdom and sharing personal experiences to help you through tough times in your own life. He was an incredible big brother that loved me, I know this. I will miss him terribly.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

John William Schoen - We'll Miss You!! May 6, 1972 - Oct. 8, 2009

I felt that it was important to write a few words about my Brother-in-law, John William Schoen. We found out this morning, October 8, 2009, that he had passed on. He was only 37. John was diagnosed six months ago, and died of colon cancer. He leaves behind his wife Jacqui, and his oldest son Tommy, daughter Sheridan, daughter Rita, and baby Miles. I will deeply miss him. His family will deeply miss him. We all will miss him.

John is Becky's second oldest brother. I have only known John for about five years, but I can say, he was a great husband and father. He was a good brother. He was a good man.


Above is a family photo of John and family Christmas 2006 (l-r Sheridan, Jacqui, Tommy, John, and Rita)

Above is a photo of John, Jacqui, and their youngest son, Miles in January 2009, for Miles' baby blessing.

John Was first and foremost a loving husband to Jacqui, and a kind and loving father to his children. He was a deeply religious man, and endeavored to teach and lead his family in the way of the Lord. He was very kind, and had a huge heart.

I remember when I was first meeting the family, and during subsequent visits to San Antonio, that John always showed kindness and love to me. He would always go out of his way to talk with me and make me feel welcome and comfortable. I enjoyed the conversations that we shared. He always left me with the impression that he was genuinely interested in me, and he was always a gracious host. His simple kindness touched my heart and I will always be grateful to him for our friendship. I will never forget him.

A few weeks before entering medical school, I was in the airport in San Jose, waiting for my flight back to Phoenix. John called me on my celly, and we must have talked for over a half an hour or so, about our families. I shared with him my insecurities and feelings of inadequacy in regards to being a new father, and the struggles that come with being a family man. John lent an empathetic ear, and shared with me some of his personal experiences, and gave me some advice and words of encouragement. Looking back, I didn't know that would be the last conversation I would have with John, but I am grateful for it. I considered myself lucky to know him.


Above is at Rita's Baby Blessing in 2006

Church and family were the most important things to John. That was evident in the way he lived. He served a mission, went to church every Sunday, and was a faithful and devoted husband and father. He was a hardworking man.


Every Dad's dream, to sleep, while the kids are sleeping! ;)

I loved seeing this picture of John catching some zzz's with his little ones. He loved his children. It always cracked me up to see the bantering that would go on between Tommy and his Dad. I remember quite a few times where John would be as stern with Tommy as I have ever seen, but Tommy would still push his buttons, without hesitation. I would always laugh inside, and always got a kick out of watching them interact. Sheridan would get in on it too! Looking back, I will definitely miss witnessing that.

I loved that John and his family did Tae Kwon Do together.

Me and Becky have vowed to keep this tradition going in our family. What a good, wholesome, recreational activity to do as a family! A family that kicks butt together, stays together. Thanks John, for your good example!

I remember one time we were at Becky's Mom and Dad's house, and John, Jacqui, and the kids were over. Of course, the kids would always put on a demo of their latest kata, but one time, to my surprise, John and Jacqui were showing some action! I think Jacqui was demonstrating how to get out of the grips of an attacker, and John was her demo partner. I still remember clearly the smiles she had in laying the smack down on John, and I remember very clearly how proud John was of his dear wife.


The above picture was taken just a little over a month ago, on September 5th, 2009.

Becky was able to be at Sheridan's baptism. She said that after the baptism, that John gave Sheridan a blessing that was really sacred and special. It was one of the last blessings that John gave to his daughter.

As I am writing this, I must admit, I am teary eyed. But, in my heart, I know, as John knows, that families are forever.



John dancing with Jacqui at his sister Heather and Shaman's wedding reception.
Even though he was sick, he was still a handsome devil.

God speed John, we'll miss you brother. We'll see you soon.



Read more about John's struggle with cancer as recorded by his wife, Jacqui:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paininthesacrum

Below is a link in rememberance of John, and also where you can contribute to John's children's college fund:
http://notsosouthern.blogspot.com/

John William Schoen's Obituary:
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/articles/john-61303-schoen-cancer.html

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Friday Night PHO at the Filharts...can you say alliteration?

Yes, my wife is international, but you would think she is straight out of Chau Doc, Vietnam, with her skills in the kitchen!! She makes Pho just like my Mama!!
Love you baby,
xoxoox
DAVE