Happy New Year Wish

My Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day
Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

By Joanna Fuchs

Christmas came and went...and now break too?!?!?

We had a great Christmas...except for the Ebay disaster which has still left the main Christmas present unaccounted for! Reece got all the games for his new surprise PS3 but unfortunately, due to some shady people, we still don't have the player! But other than that mishap we had a great Christmas! The boys got lots of Star Wars stuff which they loved. Carter got a toy that lets him surf kid sites on the internet but doesn't allow him to access computer files or get to sites he shouldn't be at! Gavin got a digital camera and to date has taken over 500 pictures......5 of which we may actually keep! I got a necklace from Dave....which marks the first time since we've been married that I received jewelry as a gift! And Dave of course got his trip home and a palm pilot. On Christmas Eve we stuck with the Johnston family tradition of hoagies and appetizers for dinner and then we all sat and watched a Christmas Story. The boys were finally old enough to get it and they enjoyed the movie. On Christmas day Dave grilled a ham and I made some sides and we invited our new friends Amy and Eli over for dinner. It was a great time and Dave and I were thrilled to have some adult conversation with another couple.
























The great news, Amy and Eli are our new downstairs neighbors so we have been hanging out a lot this break. We all went to Pinel Island, Mullet and Maho Beach for some fun beach days and tonight we are having pizza to celebrate their first night in their apartment.

It has been a great break and now its almost over, I can't believe how time has flown! But time to move on to the next semester....only 7 months and 14 days until the kids and I are state side!!!

Where has the time gone???

Today is not only Christmas Eve but also marks our one year anniversary of island life! We did it, we made it one year! The time has flown by, I can't believe how fast it has gone! In just 7 1/2 months the kids and I will be back in the US....and I know I'll be wishing for beach days and time that is slower, moving home and going back to work and having a hectic life again will not be quite as nice as island days. Now some things I won't miss- electricity and water that go out for no reason and rude bank employees, all the other things I know I will miss! So I have to take it all in in the next 7 months and make all the memories I can so that when we leave this place I can always hold it as a special time in my life that I look on with fond memories.

Here are some pics from when we first arrived.....WOW the kids look so much bigger now!

Reece's Birthday Week!

What a lucky kid Reece is, he got to have a couple celebrations for his big 8! On his birthday Reece, Carter, Gavin and I all went out for dinner at McDonald's, played games at the arcade at the movie theater and then went and watched the Alvin and the Chipmunk movie. Once that was over we had to go get a Bubble Tea. We had a really good time and the movie was pretty good.


On Wednesday once Dave got back from the States it was on to phase two of the birthday celebration. That night we went to this really great Fondue resturant on the French side.
From the outside your not sure what your in for but once you go in its just like being in the Swiss Alps. We had a great time having a fun family dinner. When we got home we had some birthday cake and watched a movie. All in all a good birthday for Reece!

Reece is 8!

I can't believe it has been 8 years! Holy moly that makes me feel really old! Eight years ago Reece Lewis was born! I was in labor for a little under 30 hours and then had to have a c-section. I remember they asked me at one point if I just wanted to give up and go home and try again another day and I told them I was not leaving there without Reece on the outside of my body. We were so excited to meet him, there's something so special about your first. He was 8 lbs 13 ozs and 20 1/2 in long. He had the cutest little fuzzy hair. However, he was quite the handful as a baby. He cried for the first 6 months NON STOP! He seriously never stopped! I remember people asking if he was a good baby and saying Ummmm NO he isn't! But something happened at 6 months and he turned into the sweetest little thing. He has since been a very easy going, well behaved child. We love him very much and are so glad he's our son! Love you Reece and happy birthday!

My virtual Christmas Tree!

Leave us some presents!! I can't wait to see what you picked for us!

The waves are back

Yes, as the title states the waves have returned for the winter season. This movie was taken at Mullet Bay beach which is only 5 minutes from our house. During the summer there were no waves at all and it was crystal clear and smooth, now the waves are back and the kids couldn't be happier! Even Carter gets in on the action now, before he would always ask before we would go to the beach if it was no waves or waves and if I said waves he would refuse to go! Now when he asks he'll only go if there are waves! Now Gavin on the other hand isn't thrilled by waves so he uses his time to dig in the sand! Today he made me bury him in the sand 2x!

On another note, if the whole Med school thing doesn't work out for Dave we have found him a new occupation.....Artist of the Etch a Sketch! That dude freaks me out with his many talents! I can only make squares and he makes an island and boat!

Happy Birthday Cullen

We just wanted to wish Cullen a happy birthday! He's Dave's cousin but is just a little older than Reece, and our boys think he is the BEST! They miss him so much! So we hope you had a good day Cullen and we'll be there to celebrate your birthday next year!!!

30 lbs down!!!!!

As many of you already know I have been trying to lose some weight....I want to be to my goal by my 30th birthday in March. I started my diet (actually, its more a new way of eating) on September 5th and today I hit 30 lbs lost! I have been doing a site called Sparkpeople.com (thanks Kara). It is totally free and allows you to enter all the food you eat and it tells you where to stay for calories, fat, protein and carbs. So I just follow that and so far its working! My goal is to lose another 35 lbs! The picture above shows me on the right in August and on the left yesterday...can you tell the difference???

Check out my dancing elves

You've never seen elves this cute until now! Check out Reece, Carter and Gavin as elves!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1174824944

Farewell Lunch

It's that time again! Another lunch to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to this semester's group is really hard. They were 3rd semester when we came. Nicole and Laura took me under their wings from the get go. During those first few weeks when I was adjusting to Dave being gone all the time they were there telling me it would all be ok. Whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on Laura was always there to listen to it! It is going to be so odd in January when they don't return after break. They have been like my "big" sisters! It will be weird to see someone else coming out of the apartment below us and not see little Payton come up looking for Carter and Gavin! Well, best of luck girls! We are going to miss you so much!