The Guestroom is ready

So it is time for another peak at my Texas home.  Residency is busy and life is a bit crazy.  But the guest room is always cozy and comfy.

Though I have little time to visit with friends and family, if you are in San Antonio for a weekend I would love to see you (or at least provide you with lodging) on your visit.

Well it is back to researching Pub Med for a few more hours, I wish it was as fun as surfing the Web but...alas it is not.

PCS Completed

I know it has been awhile since I've written, but with at PCS back to the USA and starting Residency life has kept me more than busy.
So I am procrastinating from my homework (lit review), and thought I would try to catch you up on the goings on in my life.

I am now living in San Antonio Texas and I am stationed at Lackland AFB doing the Prosthodontic residency here.  It is a 3 year residency.  I take classes at University of Texas Heath Schience Center, San Antonio and at the AF base.  The first year is split between the school and the base and the last two years are pretty much all at the base.
June was a full month of orientation...briefing after briefing about base safety, etc.  It was a good time to get to know my classmates, and get settled.  My house is almost settled, just a few small things to complet (pictures to hang, and papers to sort).

Here is one room that is done, my bedroom, I love my turkish carpet in the room, it makes it feel very luxurious.  (more photos to come)

July 1 started classes.  So I am off and running in the homework department of things, well except for right now since I am chatting with you.  But as soon as I am done here it is back to the articles I go.

I am still looking for a good church, but I know that God will provide. Please be praying for the educaitonal process and my attitude through it. Thanks,  Amy

The Holy Land...Dental Volunteers

Dental Volunteers for Israel is an organization that provides free dental care for children up to the age of 18, in Jerusalem. These children are referred from the social services department and are very poor and have very little knowledge of oral hygeine. DVI has dentist that voluneer from all over the globe, each week 4-5 dentists voluneer their time to treat the children.
So this year 6 AF dentists from Lakenheath went to offer our services and to see the amazing land of Israel.

Entrance to clinic

Dentistry Israeli Style

With 2 weekd to work and explore we had the opportunity to visit may amazing places in Israel.  The first weekend we went to Masada and The Dead sea.  

View from Masada (Roman encampment)

Herod's Palace

Really I was there

Floating in the Dead Sea (Brandon, Liz, Me, Jamie, James)

WOW, it really does feel weird

The fountain of youth, the black mud of the Dead sea, we had to give it a try....do I look younger?

Sunday rolled around and it was time to start work.  ,But since we had so many dentists in our group each day there were 2 of us off, so for Neil and I the first Sunday was a day off after our weekend off so we went off to the old city to check out the culture.   We walked to the old city (only a 40min walk) and walked all over the city, then we had a snack and re did it all once the rest of the group got off work.

Old City Market

View from the Old City Wall to the City of David

The Church of the Holy Sepecur

The Western Wall (Jarom, James, Neil, Brandon, Claire, Amy, Ethan, Jamie)

The Classic view of the Western Wall, prayer in progress

Dome of the rock, and Western Wall complex

Dome of the Rock Complex, with F16's flying over, nothing like Air Power!!

Well it is time to get to work so off we go to provide dental care to children in the Holy Land...the key to pediatric dentistry is speed, calm nerves and an assistant that speaks the native language of the child...

A Day at work (my head is all a glow)

Neil focused on providing excellent dental care.

Enough work it is time for some time away from the city...anyone up for a camel ride in the desert?

Looking down on the camel

Our shadow on the treck

Be nice girl.

The 2nd weekend we hit the road and saw, Cesarea Aquaduct, Hiafa,  The Sea of Gallilee, The Jordan River, and who knows what else...it was a long day in the car, and we had a great time.  

The Aquaduct

Does Neil thinkn he is Leo Decaprio in Titanic?  (on top of the Aquaduct)

Bahi Tempel in Haifa, Beautiful Gardens...WOW

Sea of Gallilee...Do you think Jesus was in that boat...well maybe he could have been?

The Jordan river...Jesus may have been baptized in just this spot...amazing!!!

You  may think there wasn't anything else for us to see after all of that but...of course there was.  we went to the Mount of Olives, saw the Golden Gate, and AllNnations church, Kidron valley, 

Mt of Olives with All Nations churhc, and kidron valley in the fore ground.

Old olive trees on the Mt. Of Olives

Carving of Jesus praying at the Garden before his betrayal. 

The Golden Gate...where the messiah is to enter, it has been bricked up to prevent his return...don't think that will stop him though

During the second week the volcano in Iceland it was time to erupt disrupting flights all over Europe, so we were all wondering if we could be able to leave Israel on time.

Iceland Volcano Creating enough ash to stop all air traffic in Europe...Hmm will we get home?

Though the planes were grounded for almost 7 days, we departed on Time...well most of us did.. Brandon was scheduled to leave 7 days before the rest of us but he departed one day before we did.  

With miles of walking under our belts and fun in th old city it was time for the adventure to come to an end.  Time to leave Isreal and head home to Jolly old England.  It was a grea trip with great people.  

PCS craziness (moving, packing, etc)

So it is time to move again.  I've lived in the UK for just shy of 4 years. I've lived in Bury St Edmunds for almost 3 years...it has been a wonderful time.  I will miss the quaint town that I live in...the ability to walk to the market, starbucks, and to see all the beautiful English homes.

Abbey Gardens

The Nutshell

St John street (my street)

For the last month and a half my home has been in a state of craziness with sorting going on.  I pulled everything out of the closets and went throught it all, and many things were donated, or thrown away.  I am many pounds lighter (well the house hold good shipment is).  But with all the sorting came a constant state of piles everywhere.

I was so ready for today to come...the day the movers put it all into neat boxes, and wrapped paper; while I pray that nothing get's damaged, broken, or lost.  Well it is out of my hands now.

The Shippment has been sealed

and it is bound for Texas...Thank You Arrow Pak.

Tex-mex here I come.  

Moments in the Maldives

In November of 2009 My friend Tracie and I decided we should go on a beach holiday to the Maldives. We'd heard so many rave reviews from our friends who'd gone for thier honeymoons and anniversaries that we thought...why wait for a big event...lets go now...well we had a few months to wait...but we finally went to the Maldives...and can I just say WOW!!!.

We were both thrilled to hit the road and make our way to Gatwick Airport for our much needed holiday/vacation.  With me getting ready to move and her getting ready to deploy our stress levels were off the charts, but with our bags packed, passoports in hand and our sunscreen ready we were off.

We landed in Male...arriving in 89 degree weather after leaving England and its cool 40 degrees.

We were on our way...only a speed boat ride and we would be on the island of Meeru for 7 whole days pampering.

After arriving on the island and recieving our welcome drink, and checking in it was time to walk across the island to our Jacuzzi water villa.  As we walked we quickly realized that being this close to the equator was just a bit different from England (I was sweating like crazy...it was time to get rid of the jeans!!!).  After cooling off a bit we put on our swim suits and the vacation began...and what a vacation it was.

Then we were off to explore the island...the 2 pools, many restuarants, 2 spas, beaches (all the way around of course), bars, villas, tennis courts, soccor field, whale skeleton (internesting), and much more.

Our villa was on the right side (330) the restuarant we ate at was #3, and the pool was #31.  

The infinity pool overlooking the Honeymoon suite

We went to the Spa (3 times I must confess).  We truly relaxed enjoying the pool the most, as it was very hot, and the Ice coffees (it was like a coffee float).  

The view from the Spa 

The lemonade welcome drink...mmm

The massage table with the view of passing fish below

We also went snorkeling,and saw Nemo and Dori swimming around and many other fish. 

A highligh was our sunset cruise, where I took tons of pictures of the sunset. And Tracie took many pictures of the playing dolphines.. both were amazing.

  The whole time I was there i kept thinking...the colors here can't be real...the water was so clear and blue...amazing, and warm.  And I am seeing my freckles for the first time in almost 5 years...crazy.  

Well all vacations come to an end and this one was no different.  We rose on the morning of or departure early enought to see the sunrise, and then off we went back to England...to be honest I was ready for a cool breeze by the time we headed home. 

Welcom home girls...