visit to the great white north

last weekend I went to visit my Lee!!

he decided to move his USMLE exam back about 2 weeks and is now taking it on March 12th... and I decided there was no way I could go two weeks MORE without seeing my husband and that he could use a small break from the studying :)

his hair is longer, his muscles bigger (push ups apparently are his normal study break), and his brain is crammed with even more knowledge... but other than that he is still the same husband as he was when he left on January 3rd.

 the one and only picture we took that weekend..... and not exactly one of our best.

a hair cut is in order as soon as this crazy exam is over.

I did get a picture of myself out in the snow though to prove that I actually was in Canada.
It snowed SO much...

 It seriously looked like this when we left Canada and like this when we got to Ohio, notice we aren't even wearing coats!

My Mom made the 10hour trip with me :) and when we stopped for dinner (at a delicious Amish buffet) we saw this guy and needed our picture with him... I think he's actually smiling at the camera!

Also, I want to share this video with you, my sweet husband wrote this song for me for Valentine's Day and sent it to me!  and then I went to see him and got to hear it live.  I am one lucky lady! 

P.S. Hi Stephanie :)

update on life

Hello friends!
I have not forgotten this blog I promise!
Life back in America has been just as hectic and stressful as I could have imagined it would be as I was sitting on the soft sand, in the hot sun, listening to the crystal clear blue waters splashing..... ah Grenada.
I'm at a weird point where I would almost rather not think about Grenada because it seriously makes me too sad.  I don't look at pictures and I don't watch the videos.
My friends in Grenada must think that I have abandoned them... I'm not active on facebook or blogging (obviously) but it seriously is hard for me to do that.  I do miss all of you!!!
I realize I must get over this if I want to continue to have Grenada apart of my life and I want those kids to remember me.  I must start my letter writing and penny saving for the plane ticket to my home in the Caribbean.

But here I am. in Ohio.  It has really been an amazing winter so far.  Eerily warm.
I practically never wear a coat and haven't used any of my scarves or gloves.
It's been above 60 practically every single day lately. 
I drive through these country roads with the windows down and the music blasting..... in my van.
Surprise! Lee and I are now the proud owners of a minivan.
My oldest brother so generously gave us an offer on his old van that we could not refuse when he purchased a new one and now were are a two car family.
It's in nearly perfect condition, my brother takes great care of his cars, and it will come in handy when we begin the process of moving.... where ever it is we move to.  Thanks Brother!

Want to know more about Lee?
me too.
He has been in Canada for a month now and I have been here.
We talk on the phone once a day for about 30minutes - an hour.
If I'm lucky I get a couple emails during the day.
He is so engrossed in studying for the USMLE that he literally doesn't go anywhere except church on Sunday mornings.
How does he do it?
I don't know.  I couldn't.  I could never be a doctor. this much I know is true.
He studies probably 15hours a day. and exercises and is eating so healthy it makes me feel guilty when I'm inhaling my Little Debbies that I missed so much while in Grenada. 
He is a machine!

What have I been up to? 
a little of this a little of that.
I have been so blessed with an amazing family and group of friends.
My parents have welcomed me home with open arms and I see my friends nearly every single day.
It's a perfect set up... if only my Lee were here.

I have been substitute teaching for my old school district and it has been an adventure every single day.
8th graders, a boy with severe violence issues, an autistic child.... and next week I begin doing test intervention/prep with what is rumored to be the worst 5th grade class in the history of Rock Hill.

I've also inadvertently started my own wreath business.
I did purposefully begin an Etsy store and I was showing a friend some of the things I have made and she asked if I could make her a wreath she saw on Pinterest and it sparked a few more people wanting them and before I knew it I have over a dozen orders for wreaths!
If you'd like to win one of these said wreaths I am currently doing a giveaway on my other blog Kelsey Inspired, it ends tonight!  or if you live in the tri-state area I will  gladly sell you one :)

Let see what else have I been doing....
I'm working in the children's department at my church.  I can remember in high school and probably college vowing to never work with children and being convinced that it was not my calling and I really didn't like kids other than the ones I was related to....  what happened to that?!
I still am fairly confident that I do not want to be a teacher but as I was explaining to one of my old teachers that I was interested in social work they said that teaching involves a lot of that and you really have a great opportunity to impact a child's life.... but I kinda would like to skip the whole teaching part. lol.

I'm reading the Hunger Games. Finally! Last person in America to do so I'm sure.  I've read the first two books in about 10 hours.  Could not stop. and I'm only not reading the 3rd one right now because I felt I really MUST blog and then make wreaths :)
Katniss and I are from the same area.  Appalachia.  interesting that in the future our people are still coal miners.

So yea there it is.  I'm basically reverted back to my high school self.
Living with mom and dad, hanging out with all my high school friends, and am husbandless.

If you get the chance say a prayer for Lee as he mentally prepares for his exam!
February 29th sort of determines the rest of our lives... but it's no big deal. no pressure.

Ohio vs Grenada

It is no secret that I love Grenada and I do NOT want to leave.
It's not that I want to live here forever... this isn't where I want to raise my children or start a career... but it is where I want to spend my 20s.  All 5 1/2 more year of them.  But alas I have less than 4 months to spend in this wonderful tropical paradise.
While this is true, Ohio still holds a special place in my heart... but when I say Ohio I mean a OH/KY combo, where I'm from isn't strictly Ohio, but it is home all the same.

Temperature: 
Ohio - It's hot in the summer, freezing in the winter, and you never know what you'll get in spring and fall.  We have used both the AC and the heat in the same day.
Grenada - constant. HOT & humid.

Landscape and wildlife:
Ohio - where I live is the "foothills of the Appalachian Mountains" so it's hilly and beautiful.  So many trees, streams, lakes, and the Ohio river. Wildlife - deer, squirrels, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, mink, coyotes, frogs, turtles, birds, etc...
Grenada - Mountainous, thick jungle, fruit trees and flowers everywhere, and the Ocean.  Wildlife - monkeys, lizards, iguanas, mongoose, manacou, and mosquitoes.

Culture:
Ohio - fast paced. life revolves around work & family.  Kids are important - school, sports, camps, hobbies.  Divorce rate is high, average family probably has 2.5 kids.  Important to have a nice house and car.  Football reigns supreme, life in the fall revolves around high school, college, and NFL football games.
Grenada - slow paced. life revolves around having a good time and having enough money to provide for tomorrow.  Divorce rate isn't as high b/c people don't get married as much, average woman has probably 4-5 children.  Important to have a nice cell phone and clothes.  Cricket and soccer are popular sports.

Religion & ethnicity:
Ohio - Christian, mostly protestant, some Catholic, very little else.  Majority are Caucasian, followed by African American, then Hispanic, and Asian.
Grenada - Mostly Catholic, but a lot of 7th Day Adventists, as well as protestants.  Small population of Rastafarians.  People are of African decent, from when the British and French decided to kill all the native Caribs & then bring in slaves to produce sugar cane.

Food:
Ohio - Meat & potatoes kind of people.  Eating out is big; fast food, pizza, steakhouses, mexican, chinese, etc.
Grenada - Chicken & rice with local fruits & vegetables.  It is the "Isle of Spice" but I find the food to be pretty bland.

Me:
In Ohio: I work, I drive, I run around all over the tri-state, hang out with family and friends, go out to eat a lot, I buy things I don't need because they are cheap, I am comfortable, and I sometimes forget to appreciate the beauty around me.

In Grenada - I volunteer with kids, I go to the beach, I go to lots of social events, I pretend I'm still in college, I stay busy but a fun busy, I only ever buy groceries, I am hot and sweat buckets, and am constantly in awe of the nature around me.

Both places have their pros and cons... but right now in my life, I'll take Grenada.

A Very Coghill Christmas.... er Cooper Christmas?

A very Kelsey Christmas is probably the best description to be honest.
I wouldn't know a Coghill Christmas if it hit me on the head...
and a Cooper Christmas is warm, cozy, hodgepodge, and gluttonous.  (My family likes to eat! and Christmas was the very, very best! My parents would let us buy whatever we wanted at the grocery, which usually didn't end up being anything to do with Christmas at all but rather just junk we wanted but mom wouldn't buy the other 11 months of the year.)

a Kelsey Christmas is homemade, pink, sparkly, and... overdone?

I love Christmas!
I DO!
I love Christmas for the holiday it wants to be
and I love it for the holiday it almost is.

ok. so that was a sort of quote from Jerry McGuire.  I can't say I love something with an exclamation mark without wanting to finish the phrase with I DO! just like Renee Z-whatever in the movie. 
I love him Laurel and I don't care what you think.

Christmas is something you have to start early with because December just sneaks up on you and BAM! it's here! and you weren't even ready!  you didn't get to enjoy it!
I hate the rule of waiting until after Thanksgiving to start Christmas....
one month of Christmas, really? that's it!?

My favorite memory of home at Christmas is coming down the stairs in our old house and it being all dark except for the glow of the Christmas tree and the old gas stove.  The living room was so warm compared to the rest of the old, drafty farmhouse.  At night from by bedroom (which was sort of a loft-ish room above the living room) you could see the glow of the tree on the stairwell wall.
My parents made Christmas awesome growing up.  There was so much excitement and effort put into really making us believe in Santa Claus.  And I did.  I can honestly remember the feeling of not really knowing for sure if Santa was real or not... because I saw Rudolph's nose out our bedroom window on the hill! he was there! and there were sleigh tracks on the roof! and I heard bells!

can you imagine the feeling in a child's heart and mind on Christmas Eve, seeing a red glowing nose and hearing bells? ah!  I cannot wait to make my child as happy as that.
I also remember years after I stopped believing in Santa Claus the devestation I felt when my brother prepared to go outside to be "Rudolph" in front of me.  He was doing it for my nieces at this point, but it was still a mystery to me of how they actually pulled it off! 
A red cloth over a flash light. or a flash light shone into a red glass.
no mystery anymore.
but at least I will know how to pull of such a great trick for my own kiddos.

All 5 of us (actually probably 6 b/c Mahima has been around for a long time!) would sleep upstairs and my dad would come tell us The Night Before Christmas Story... the Gary version of course.  He tells it so sweetly, it really should be recorded (note to self)
We still carry on this tradition now, over the phone.  Thank goodness for 3 way calling.

Wow, this entry was supposed to be about my holiday decorations but now it has turned into a very sappy walk down memory lane.
and I am suddenly very, very sad.
and happy at the same time

Happy I have such wonderful memories and the greatest family a girl could ask for.
and sad that I actually chose to be away from them this Christmas.
who does that?

I'll save decorations for another day.
for now you can enjoy my beautiful, wonderful family.
at least the original 7.
we are now a family of 22! YIKES!

We're here!!!!

we arrived in Grenada on Tuesday..... after about 30 hours of traveling. but it was worth it.
I'll try to briefly describe the journey. mostly for my own benefit.... because it was such a long, yet quick experience I don't want to forget anything later on.

- woke up at 5am Monday morning with a toothache throbbing in my head. '
-went to the dentist at 8am and got a shot of novacain that instantly took away the pain, was told that I'd need it pulled or a root canal, post, and crown. mind you I have no dental insurance and the last time I had a root canal WITH dental insurance it still cost $800... lets just say I wasn't blessed with healthy teeth, despite my brushing efforts, thus the tooth had to be pulled. SO, I had a prescription called in to walmart in Jackson, OH- on the route to the airport.
- left our house at about 10am.... by way of my Dad's 4wheel drive truck... because there was 6 inches of snow and ice and my mom's car cannot make it up the hill.... and all 4 of us, Me, Lee, Mom, and Dad cannot all fit in the truck at once.... Lee rode in the back with our luggage.
-had to stop at the Pedro post office so my dad could pick up a package.... which turned out to be rocks.
-stopped in Jackson to get my antibiotics and pain pills
-made it to the Columbus, OH airport just in time
-got our luggage through without having to pay overage fees
-left at 2:30pm flew on the smallest plane ever to LaGuardia airport in New York, NY
-saw the statue of liberty briefly from the air, and saw the amazing skyline of that incredible city
-met my cousin Liz, who lives in New Jersey, because she offered to give us a tour of the city!
-drove to my cousin Rick's apartment in Manhattan so he could watch Liz's baby Leahn
-fell in love with his apartment! it was soooooo new york. i loved it
- went/saw everywhere. ny ballet, opera house, time square, rockefeller center, cbs, nbc, radio city music hall, wall street, ground zero, statue of liberty....
-went to JFK airport to leave for Trinidad at 1am
-started to feel sick in the middle of the night b/c I hadn't eaten much and I got up and vomited in the men's bathroom... b/c the ladies was occupied.
-the plane landed, and it hit me again! I had to throw up... but there was no where to go! you know how when the planes land and everyone gets up at once to get their carryons? and the aisle are blocked.... and yet it gets worse. no barf bags! i attempted to throw up in the plastic wrap that the pillows come wrapped in but it leaked alllll over me. my lap was full of vomit. and i started to cry... i couldn't help it. i was so miserable. then the male flight attendant came b/c we were the last ones on the plane and asked what the problem was... and the said "why didn't you use the bag" BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BAG! ugh. so then i had to walk off the plane crying like a dummy with puke soaked jeans.
-luckily there was a bathroom near by and i went in and washed my jeans... but then they were wet. and i couldn't get close enough to the hand dryer to dry them with them on.... so i tied my jacket around my waist like a dork, to avoid looking like i peed my pants... when really i had just puked my pants.
-got through customs in Trinidad with our nearly 200lbs of luggage at about 7am.
-we were soooooooo tired.
-and because we live in such a small world, my sister in law's parents live in Trinidad! so her Mom, Sucheta, and sister Supriya Endigeri came to meet us for breakfast! it was so nice to see a familiar face.... even if I hadn't seen Sucheta since 1992 and I had never met Supriya.
-we had a traditional Trinidad breakfast....kinda
-and they took us out on a tour of the island! i was surprised by the mountains... it's really beautiful there. but there is also LOTS of traffic. and they drive on the left side of the road.
-we also went to a mall where they surprised me by buying me a beautiful necklace and earrings! i thought we were picking it out as a gift for their other sister's wedding anniversary, and it was actually for me! i love it. i'll post a picture of it someday.
-we got back to the airport around 11 for our flight to Grenada at 2!
-we got really lucky sneaking through with our carryon's that weighed nearly 30-40 lbs... when Liat Airlines max is 15! we were good.
-on the plane the overhead bins were soooooo small. there was NO possible way our duffel bags were going to fit... so Lee stuck his between his legs and put a magazine over his lap to cover it up, and it worked! amazing.
-it was just about a 30 minute flight to Grenada.... on a plane with propellers. it was soooo loud
-we arrived at about 3.... got 2 of our 3 suitcases (not bad compared to some people though)
-went through customs again. paid a duty on our laptops
-and TA DA walked out the airport doors into paradise
-took a taxi to campus and directly to our apartment
-dug through the luggage to find out sheets
-made the bed and fell instantly asleep for the rest of the day.
-poor Lee was left to figure everything out on his own.... he woke me up that night with a grilled cheese sandwich he bought so I could take my pills.... and then we went to bed for the rest of the night.

Fortunately things have gotten much much better and I will describe our first week here later on.... for now we are off to go hiking!