I'm sorry, I have what in the mail?

Our first semester in Dominica (which was the beginning of 2008) it became apparent that we would put snorkel gear to good use if we owned some.  Keith got on-line and got us a pretty good deal on a set of gear off of e-bay.  It was coming from China, so we knew it would take a while, but after about 3 months, we gave up on it.  We figured it was lost or we had been scammed.

Well, last week, Keith got an e-mail saying that he had "registered mail."  Not knowing exactly what "registered mail" might be, I went to pick it up.  The customs officer plopped a box down on the counter and asked, "What's in the package?"  "I have no idea!"  (which was completely honest--we weren't expecting anything)  "Miss, WHAT is in your package?"  he asked me a little more forcefully.  I had to explain, quite thoroughly that I had NO idea what was in my package.  The only thing we have ordered and not received is our snorkel gear, but that was over a year ago!

Well, the customs officer opened the package and guess what?

 

15 months after we ordered it, our snorkel gear showed up!  I couldn't believe it!  I am really curious as to where it might have been the past year or so, but we have it now.......  finally!!!

Weird though, huh?

Note to Self

Do not leave instant oatmeal in the microwave unattended.

More Pictures

More pictures by Genoveva!  Check out her website or picture blog.

 

Dominica!

 

Palm Trees!

Friends!

Mangos!

Green!  

Ocean!

Humidity!

Warmth!

Grapefruit!

Beauty!

Palm-covered Mountains!

Keith and I were both amazed at how nice it was to come back to Dominica, despite how sad we were to leave home.  Driving home from the airport I was looking around and I seemed to have forgotten just how green and beautiful Dominica is!  As hot as the humidity makes the summers, our skin is appreciating it. (No more cracked and bleeding knuckles!)   We also have a great view from our new apartment of the beautiful mountains and Prince Rupert Bay. (I'll post a picture later)  And of course, it was so nice to come "home" to our "Dominican Family."  We missed everyone so much!  Anyway, we were very sad to leave home, but it's nice to be home in Dominica.   

HOME

*FAmiLY                       *SpRing                     *long visits                       *HuGs!          *GiRl COUSIN PartY                        *Blossoming Trees     *Planting Grandpas GaRdEn              *chirping BirdS                  *FaMiLy                       *REal GRocery STores             *GrApes                    *blooming flowerS              *Chilly Evenings         *Days staying lighter, longer      *kisses             *CrIsP aPpLeS            *Laughing                     *MOM's cooking!      *FaMily        *walks           *Grandparents!                     *SuNday NEwspAper            *fRIENDS    *ICE cream             *siBLings           *MILK!!            *Restaurants!      *together                *shoPPing                   *CouSinS             *love                    *family                   

(Just a few of our highlights from being home, I know I mention family more than once, but I feel they should be mentioned more than once)

Like I said, tentative.....

I know, I can only play into this "tentative" stuff for so long before people are going to start thinking, "These people have no idea what they are doing!"  Anyway, I present you with....... the latest:

*We got an apartment and it will actually be the cheapest place we've lived out of all 4 of our apartments in Dominica! It's pretty well furnished, which is a blessing, and the view is beautiful. 

*We called to change our tickets, which are scheduled for next week, to August and they said it would cost $361 PER TICKET to change!!!  That, my friends, would be a total of $722, which comes SO close to buying a round trip ticket from here to SLC.  We decided that we are not spending $722 with out some REALLY good benefits, so we told them to leave our tickets and that we'd just fly home for the break, buy a few house hold items we'll need over the next 3 months, get to visit our families, and enjoy the good old US of A.  Oh, and then put the $722 towards one of our tickets.  So we are still going home on the 28th, but we are now returning to Dominica rather than Miami. We are happy that we're staying, but kind of sad that we will miss out on living in Miami.

*We have already had multiple things donated/on lend  to us to help "restock" our kitchen for next semester and we are so grateful!  Thanks everyone, we love you!!!

And that's why it's called a tentative schedule......

So--here's the latest.

As of Tuesday at noon: Everything we owned down here is sold, with the exception of the things that we are taking home.  We have 2 meals left in our cupboards, a few in the fridge, and a few in the freezer, just enough to get us through until we leave.  Our bank account's closed, our barrel to be shipped to Miami is payed for, I've been replaced at my job, and we have a nice family moving into our apartment.  As I posted, we have a tentative plan from here until January.

As of Tuesday at 5:00:  We are calling places around here about apartments to live in next semester, praying our hearts out, and no longer packing our barrel.  All because of one short e-mail.  

It said something along the lines of:

Keith, 

I got your information from some of the AICM selection committee.  I am assigned to stay in Dominica for next semester and have recently decided that Miami will be a better place for me.  I was wondering if you would like to switch spots.

??????????????????????????????Say what????????????????????????????

1 week before we are supposed to fly out and someone wants to switch spots?

Well, we prayed about it, thought about it, prayed about it, thought about it, freaked out about it, and then prayed a little more and decided that we will still save a lot of money even if we stay here and have to buy new things, pay to change our plane tickets, and I'm jobless.  So.......

Dominica, you've got us for 3 more months!!!!  We will now stay here until the beginning of August, then fly home and our tentative schedule will pick up from there....... maybe as we have planned, maybe not........