Mr. Cuteness and little cuteness

Today was the last day of Dave’s two week break from school. If I thought that Christmas break was the perfect break, I had no idea what the word perfect meant. This break was incredible. We had the perfect daily combination for a vacation.

Beach. Pool. Lunch. Nap. Amazing.

So on the last day of this perfect break, Dave offered for me to have my own “mommy break” today. He told me last night that I should take four hours this morning all to myself, and he and Mimi would play.

Deal.

I thought I’d go shopping, go to the beach, or relax by one of the resort pools, but when I woke up this morning, all I wanted to do was sleep. So he took Mia and went in the family room, and I got out of breakfast duties, diaper duties, and being a responsible parent in the morning.

It was perfect.

About 40 minutes into my “four hour” break, I went out to the kitchen to get some breakfast for myself. There I found the evidence.

Milk. Eggs. And Cookies for breakfast. Busted.

Complete with messy face and all.

Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to see that because I was supposed to be sleeping.

I retreated to the bedroom, and about 10 minutes into the next part of my “four hour” break, I heard the familiar little knocks at my door.

Little Cuteness. I couldn’t resist.

Mia came in and snuggled and talked and talked about very important things she wanted me to know about. I couldn’t understand her one bit. But I could understand how beautiful her morning hair is as it falls across her eyes and how cute her little tongue is when it moves over her teeth when she talks.

I love that little girl.

So even though my “four hour” break was more like “one hour,” I am grateful. It was a nice, kind, gesture from Mr. Cuteness.

Back in my previous life (aka pre-med school wife times), Mr. Cuteness used to watch Mia on Saturday mornings for hours while I indulged in my addiction for garage sales. Then Saturday mornings turned into ½ marathon training time, and again, Mr. Cuteness stepped up and gladly watched Mia while I ran for two hours. He would even drive with Mia and meet me at different points along my route with water and lots of encouragement.

I say “watched,” I know. It’s not babysitting. It’s parenting. And he’s wonderful at it.

I am grateful that we support each other in our individual dreams, desires, concerns, and needs.

That’s not mushy. It’s family.

And I love being in my little family.

St Kitts...Tuesday

Yeah...maybe this idea of a weekly update is a bad idea for someone who doesn't blog regularly. Oh well.

This week's installment is all about solutions in St. Kitts.

What do you do when the bathroom stall is so small that the door won't open inward? Instead of changing the hinges to have the door swing out, just cut the door to go around the toilet as it swings in. This is at Ackee Cafe in Frigate Bay...

(foooouunnd)

Sometimes the roads are bumpy, sometimes the roads are slick, but what do you do when painting the lane line on the side of a road that is crooked? Just follow the curves, mon!!! This is at Port Zante in Basseterre.

(fooouunnnd)

St. Kitts Saturday

I've decided to start a new feature of our blog. There are so many different, funny, and interesting things to see and experience in St. Kitts, that I find myself telling friends and family back home " You'd have to see it to believe it!" So every Saturday, I'm going to post something unique to our everyday experiences in St. Kitts.

A few weeks ago, I was on the other side of the island and looked toward the volcano. There was smoke rising and covering a lot of the island. As I drove closer to home (and toward the mountain), I quickly realized that they were just burning the sugarcane fields. So in this case, you just carefully drive home, close all your windows to keep the smoke out, relax, and let the fire department worry about flames that get out of control!

Travelin' on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway

We sure have been busy around here lately. I manage to check all my friend's blogs daily...and I even get ticked when they don't update it regularly. Then I realized that I haven't updated our's in almost a month. So here's a lot of pictures to make up for it.

A school group took a ride on the St. Kitts Scenic Railway at a nice discounted price, so Mimi and I were sure to be on board. It is a double-decker train that tours the island, provides all of the smoothest virgin pina coladas you can handle, and they even have a little choir that comes to each car throughout the tour as you glide through the island and let the cool breeze take you away.

I was a little intimidated with taking care of Mia on this probably-not-so-safe train by myself (by school group I mean the spouses of students...the boys are always studying). To my surprise (and relief) she was very obedient and delightful.

The tour started out with a glance at the quarry on the island. I was pretty impressed. It was pretty official.

The workers were sure to take a break and give us a wave.

The former conductor (now the guy that comes around and counts how many people are on board in his semi-retired days) was sure to stop and ready his "props" for a very posed picture. I wasn't expecting it, but he sure seemed eager and was used to being a "celebrity."

We quickly started seeing remnants of the sugar industry as the tour continued. Sugar was the main source of income for both St. Kitts and Nevis for a very long time. Sugar production only stopped in St. Kitts in 2005, when it's main interests for revenue turned to tourism.

This is called a "sugar slider." It was what they would transport sugar products on.

Sugar cane still grows wild all over the island. You can sometimes see locals out chopping it down to use.

Look closely at the top of this almond tree. Can you see a sneaky climber enjoying a morning view of the ocean?

Our tour guide told us she retreats to this black sand beach when life gets stressful. I would love to do the same, but I haven't figured out how to access this beach as of yet!

We crossed over bridges...

And looked ahead to bridges we were yet to cross...

We tried to gaze through the clouds at Mt. Liamuiga , meaning "fertile land." It used to be called "Mt. Misery," so I guess it's a good thing I'm pregnant and won't be able to climb it after all.

Here are "chimneys" from the sugar plantation days. This is where the husks from the sugarcane was burned during sugar production. Many of these still dot St. Kitts and Nevis.

Mia was a great traveling buddy...even though towards the end she didn't consider staying by me to be the most fun anymore...

As we passed by schools throughout the tour, the little school children would all wave and shout "Good Morning!" to all the passengers on the train. It was very enchanting. This class even took time out of their story time under the mango tree to bid us hello!

On the "country side" of the island, you can see the islands of Statia and Saba in the distance. They are relatively close, but not as convenient to get to as there aren't regular (and affordable) ferrys.

We took a bus to get back to our car, and Mia enjoyed the car-seat-free ride a little too much. There's no such thing as "car seat laws" in St. Kitts, so sometimes in binds, she gets away with it...

So as you can see...although we are a world away from everything that we know and love...we are sure enjoying where we are and what we are doing. We are only here for a little while longer, so we're taking advantage of all the opportunities we can get and meeting some wonderful people in the mean time!

Roller Coast St. Kitts Style

Don't know why I brought tubs of toys to this island when this is all she wants...

The Best Birthday Present Ever...

Glad that Mia LOVED her birthday present this year from us... a donut. Not only was it economical for our med school budget...but it meant that mommy and daddy got to get donuts for this first time in St. Kitts too! Thanks for having a birthday, Mimi!

Happy Birthday Mia!

Our baby is 2. The first year of her life went by just about right. Each phase was exciting, but the pace felt just fine. This past year however was on fast forward. It zoomed by and left us wondering how in the world she can be two already.

When we first moved to Nevis, she was still nursing, she was very dependent, and very much a baby. In no time, she's grown so big, is talking, dancing, having opinions, watching Dora, and turning into quite the little lady. How all of this has happened so quickly is beyond me.

Dave and I were talking last night about her dating and getting married one day. I think we were both about to start crying, so we had to stop talking about it and change the subject. She is our everything...the reason we do everything we do. She has inspired us to be more devoted to the Lord, more kind and thankful to others, and more patient and loving towards each other. I guess it's because I want her to grow up in a home where my children aren't just told what to do, they are shown what to do.

Mia...when you were 2...your best friend was Damon Allred...

You were a little afraid that we didn't quite know what we were doing at times when parenting you... (you were right)

Life seemed a little worry some with Mommy and Daddy at the wheel...

But you kept growing and persevering, which is exactly what Filharts are made of...

So here is my Dear Mia second birthday letter:

Dear Mia,

Now that you're two, you're becoming quite the lady. You are 34 1/2 inches tall, you weigh 23 pounds, your hair is sun-kissed carmel, and your eyes are the deepest chocolate brown. You are a busy little girl whenever you're awake. The first thing you say in the morning when we come in to see you is "mornin!" You are happy, cheerful, and you are happiest when mommy and daddy are right beside you. When we work on our colors, you think that everything is "yellow," and when we work on our numbers, you think that every number is "2." Your favorite games are when mommy or daddy can participate in some way. You are a very methodical and diligent little worker when you're playing. You are focused and patient, even though at times, you may get a little frustrated and look to mommy or daddy for help. You love to color, especially with daddy's dry erase markers on his study desk where he can hold you and help you. You will stand at the coffee table and color in your coloring books all day if I let you.

You have recently started to love movies. Your favorite movies are Mary Poppins, The Santa Clause 1 & 2, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Summer Magic, and all the Dora mommy will let you watch. You love to try to dance and sing along with the musicals, and you're getting really good at jumping!

You can climb stairs like a pro, you love to dance with mommy and daddy, and you love to be flipped around and tossed in the air. I think you and daddy will have a lot of fun on roller coasters together when you get older.

Feeding the chickens at our house is one of your favorite things to do. Whenever we walk down to the car you look for the chicks and yell, "Cuck...cuck!!!" You aren't afraid of them and will try to walk right up to them like they are your friends.

As the airplanes screech over our house everyday, you always look at me with your hand pointed in the sky yelling, "Airpane, airpane!" Maybe you'll be a pilot or flight attendant when you grow up.

You are talking so much. Here are some of the words you like to say:

Mommy

Daddy

Airpane

Cuck (cluck)

book

cookie!

jue (juice)

ilk (milk)

flowa (flower)

shoes

dress

hair

eye

no (nose)

elbow

knee

back

backpack

Dora

cow

moo

puppy!

boy

girl

baboo (baby)

burr (bird)

bye

hi

hello

ball

pee-bo-boo (peek-a-boo)

yum-my

all done

more

goodnight

oh man!

uh-oh!

daddy toot?

apple

pease? (please)

Those are probably your favorite words that you say everyday. You are a good listener...most of the time. You do have an opinionated streak that tempts you to do what you want rather than what mommy and daddy want especially when it is something fun or daring. You aren't afraid to use the fingernails that you inherited from your mommy to defend yourself against your friends if you feel the need to do so. We're trying to work on that.

I can already tell you're going to be the best big sister. Whenever I ask you, "Where's the baby?" you come over and kiss my belly. No one taught you that...you decided to kiss my belly one day when I asked you that, and that is what you do every time now. You also say "girl" after you kiss my belly. Do you know something we don't?

You do not like time-out, and all we usually have to say when you need to calm down is "Do you need a time out?" and you usually will snap out of it and obey.

Daddy's favorite thing about you is that you like to take care of people. Every morning when Daddy is getting ready for school, you go and find his shoes, his backpack, and try to make him put on his bike helmet...even if he isn't riding his bike that day. You love to help mommy with the dishes, clean up your toys, and find little ways to help around the house like sweeping with the big broom.

Over the last two years Mia, you have taught Mommy and Daddy more about what it means to love unconditionally than we have ever learned before having you. You are special to us because you are our first born little one. You made me a Mommy and Daddy a Daddy. For that and so many more special reasons, we love you forever little Mimi. Happy second Birthday!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Mimi at the Beach

It's hard to believe that we've been here for almost a year. Weird. This time last year, (February 20th to be exact) we found out we were accepted to MUA in Nevis.

My...what a year can do...

-We sold everything we own except for all of the "prized possessions" we thought we needed to put in 2 5X10 storage units in Arizona. We think about what the heck is in those storage units and wonder why we didn't get rid of it all.

-Dave quit US Airways, so our flight benefits went bye-bye too. Man how I miss those free flights.

-We moved to a teeny-tiny island called Nevis in the Caribbean. Lots of bugs, power outages, rain storms, good friends, and awesome beaches. Miss those Nevis beaches.

-Attended a teeny-tiny branch for the first time. Great times, strong testimony-building experiences, and lessons learned. Miss teaching the ESL class.

-Wasn't happy with MUA in Nevis, so Dave started looking at schools in St. Kitts and we transferred to UMHS in August.

-Mia and I traveled home to TX for my sister Heather's wedding. First time apart since we were married.

-My brother John was diagnosed, battled, and passed away from Colon Cancer in under six short months. Swift, painful, and devastating for our family. I miss him.

-First inter-island (and better be only) move to St. Kitts, to a new house, friends, and branch. Great move.

-And last, but not least, a new baby on the way! We are thrilled and excited for a new addition to our family in September. Mia and I will travel home to TX sometime in August for a few months to have the baby while Dave barrels through school here in the Caribbean. It will be hard to be apart, but a good decision to have the baby at home.

Wow...what a difference a year makes! That's a lot of info. Here's some more pictures of Mia at the beach to calm it all down...

Dora on Ice...in the Caribbean

So a few weeks ago, my friend Beth called me up on a lovely Saturday afternoon and said she had an extra ticket to Dora on Ice. I really had no idea what she was talking about. I had all the windows in my house open and I was sweating like a pig. Dora? On Ice? Where? I knew this was an adventure I COULD NOT miss out on, so I had to join the Allred clan and see this for myself.

The hubby had a big test to study for, so he had to stay home. I did bring him some brownie ice cream from Scoops after our outing, and that was all he needed. Sad he missed out though...Mia LOVES Dora, and she was so cute and excited, I know he would have loved to experience it with us.

So the ahem...auditorium was an outdoor field. The "stage" was like an 20 X 25 sheet of synthetic ice (whatever that means). The night started out with an annoying clown coming out and blowing a whistle and pointing at the audience. They love whistles in the Caribbean.

I thought the large blue container to the left of the stage was a special touch to the ambiance.

That's right. I never stop sweating and looking greasy around here...

The only brave Americans to venture out to Dora on Ice that night...don't we look HAPPY!!!??!!

As the "real show" started, so did the rain. Which now that I think of it, was probably the last time it rained on this island. Everything is brown around here now. Someone decided that they'd just drive their car out on the field and sit in it and watch the show to avoid getting wet. Nice solution!
Here's a little sampling of the Dora performance. The performance troupe was from Puerto Rico, so listen for their Puerto Rican accents singing the song and Mia chiming in.

When we got home that night, Dave was asking a ton of questions about how it went. He asked if they were doing tricks like triple axles. I said, "No. Not quite."

I Love YOU!!!!

Gardens and Primary

We were thrilled to finally plant our garden here in St. Kitts! Luckily, we have a private balcony far away from animals that we can safely keep our garden treasures.

First we had to go to the local "Home Depot," or in St. Kitts...Horsford's Building Center.

We knew we had to make it a family affair, so Dave and Mia did the dirty work, while I chilled and took pictures. Guess I wasn't in the mood to plant a garden that day.

We went well into nap time due to the fact that we started planting the garden around 1:00 pm. Mia was definitely ready for a bath and a nap when we were through.

After no time, we had the finished product! We have two things of lettuce, some spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapeno peppers. We can't wait for fresh produce!!!!

In other news, I was called to work with the Primary children at church right after we moved to St. Kitts. We have a very cute and fun bunch of kids that, well, I've already fallen in love with. There's something about working with kids that speaks to my soul. For so many years I had my little classroom filled with 24-32 kids that called me their teacher. I loved it. It was my dream job.

When I had little Mimi, Dave and I decided that it was time for my love of teaching to move from the classroom to our home. I am blessed beyond belief to be able to continue to teach children even though I am not a professional teacher anymore. We are learning about how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, and how to Choose The Right. They each got "CTR" rings the first Sunday of the year to remind them to make right choices. They are the highlight of my week!!!

Isn't this a beautiful picture?

Now that takes Courage...

My cute cousin Becca keeps a very entertaining and informative blog. She updated it yesterday with an interesting turn of events in the life of her little brother, my cousin Jonny. Below is her post:

Remember this and this and this. My little bro and his cutie wife went from a family of three to five in just 3 months . . . that is right- a three-year old, a one-year old and a new born. Intimidating right? Should they add another?

Six day's ago Alli's biological mom gave birth to another son. Yesterday CPS called Jaimee and Jonny and told them about the baby and asked if they would be interested in taking the baby. They decided to take a few days to pray about it. CPS called today and said the baby needed a home tonight and it was either them or the foster care system. If you know my brother and Jaimee you know that hearts don't come bigger . . baby Riley was delivered 45 minutes later(shortest delivery ever). Adoption isn't guaranteed, but it is likely.

Riley was born January 21st, his biological mother sent him home with another inmate who had just been released. CPS stopped by to check on him and he was covered in meth, needed bathing and had diaper rash.

I am sure that by now all his clothes have been washed, he has been fed and is being LOVED by Jonny and Jaimee. They have their hands full, but if anyone can handle it, they can. They will need to go car shopping on Saturday so they can get a car big enough to fit them all!!

BTW he is cute!! He looks nothing like Allie - almost looks Asian or like an islander. He has sweet chubby cheeks.

A little background...they had their first little cutie three years ago, and then endured several years of difficult miscarriages. They ended up adopting their little one-year-old Allie just as Jaimee was finally pregnant with their second child. That child was born on December 31, 2009. And now, a new joy has entered their home once again.

As I was reading this, I sat in awe as I contemplated the awesome responsibility they have accepted with this new life in their home. Knowing what it takes to have a newborn, I can not imagine the chaos this might bring. Then my next thought was..."Of course I wouldn't say no, though. I couldn't knowingly leave a baby in that situation. Ever."

I started to wonder if I have what it takes to accept challenges when I know it's going to be really hard. I have been thinking about what I'm made of. I am constantly working on doing what I think is right, but when push comes to shove, sometimes because of fear, insecurities, embarrassment, or even dare I say pride, I back down or step away.

This has given me a lot of reason to pause and reflect on what I need to work on, who I am, and what I have to give to others. I have a lot to work on!

Blast from the Past

As laundry, primary, schoolwork, and housecleaning all wait to be done...I have chosen to slack big time in every department this week. Who knows why. I found myself jumping at every invitation to do something with friends this week, along with every opportunity to take a nap or go to sleep early.

Well...here's another time-waster. Going through old pics and files for fun. I came across these videos that Dave put together years ago. Funny to go back now and relive some of the memories!

This one documented his trip with his Mom to Chau Doc, Vietnam a few months before we got engaged. He was gone for a whole month and missed my birthday and Valentine's Day. It was sad. Well...I was sad. He was living it up in Vietnam. He did come back and realize that he couldn't live without me, and that after only 2 1/2 short years of dating, maybe it was time for us to get engaged.

Here's Dave at the House of Blues in Vegas with our friend Eddie (that we just saw in Austin over the break). That trip was a blast for real.



This last one is just for fun. It's our first anniversary trip we took to Portland, Oregon. We stayed on a floating house in the Columbia River. It was a spectacular weekend, and I noticed something watching it...I'm wearing...THAT SWEATSHIRT. Weird.

Break...the END!!!!

Our last treat in TX was to go and visit with my dear friend Kerstin, who just had her third baby a few weeks before Christmas. I was spoiled with getting to hold Luke the entire time we were there. Makes a person baby hungry!!!! (Notice the sweatshirt? EEEKKK!!!!!)

After the long drive back to TX, we got to stay in AZ for another week before coming home. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to give Wes and Mary's kids some fun Christmas presents. Dave picked out these nasty teeth for Steele. Turns out that Mia is deathly afraid of this look and was panicking. Big time. Now we know for the future I suppose.

On New Year's Eve, we went to the Mesa Temple Lights, and it was the perfect way to end the year. It was beautiful and peaceful, and it was a nice chilly evening that made us grateful again that we are a family.

With all our bags packed to the limit, we headed out of the PHX airport on the 5th to make the long trek back to St. Kitts. Mia was again the best little traveler. She did amazing the whole way. Can't complain one bit.

We overnighted in Miami and decided to stay at the airport hotel this time. I highly recommend that idea. After having to overnight 5 times in the last 3 months previous to this epiphany, not having to shuttle and deal with crappy hotels was awesome. We just came out of the terminal, found the elevator, and zip! We were in our hotel for the night. Quiet, dark, awesome. I was very impressed! I changed Mia's diaper and went to throw it away in the bathroom, came out, and this is how I found her.

Our last night of "free" A/C and maximum chill. It was excellent.
I went down to get us some drinks and the hotel is right next to the American counters. I thought I'd ask one of the ladies what time she thought we should be down in the morning to check in, and she asked where we were going. I said, "We're on the 11:00 flight to St. Kitts." She not-so-nicely-replied, "Well, you better plan on staying in Miami for a few days. Montserrat (an island 65 miles south of us) is erupting and today's flights had major problems and had to come back. They won't fly when there's ash in the air because it does major damage to the planes. And American is not paying for hotels because it's weather related. You better call the 1-800 number and find out what's going on." Well thanks lady for the throw up of information. So after a long night of [me] worrying (Dave was in total chill mode), and a morning of crazy Miami airport shenanigans (including almost-lost Dave backpack with laptop, Nikon camera, video camera, and well, a lot of mu-la-la), I was just hoping that we could get back to St. Kitts.

We were the lucky flight of the week , and we got in with no problems, and no problems with customs.

Just a teeny problem with Dave's wallet getting stolen as we got off the plane, and the old alternator problem with our van that ended up costing us some of that mu-la-la, patience, and sanity. We settled back into reality pretty quick!