American University of the Caribbean The Crookstons

Andi and Tanner taking off on a para-saling adventure

What a trip!

It is now Sunday, December 2nd, 2012. Tanner and I got back to MN a week ago today. The time we spent with the girls down in St. Martin was fantastic, and I was profoundly grateful to be back with my wife and two daughters.

Little Piper is growing up so fast it’s scary. She talks incessantly and acts more like an adult than a two year old. Andi is doing remarkably well considering all that life is putting her through, and I am deeply impressed with her resilience. Carina is happily slogging along, and despite the pace at which new material comes at her, she still seems to be enjoying this whole med school thing. (Thank goodness!) The first weekend I was there was block weekend so I didn’t really get to spend any time with her for the first couple of days, but after blocks her schedule slacked off a little and we had some good, quality time with each other and the kids. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on December 3rd, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean, St. Maarten Beaches, St. Martin Activities, Rainbow Beach, Mormons in St. Maarten Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Families at American University of the Caribbean, St. Martin Activities, St. Martin Beaches

The Girls Have Been Busy (mostly by Michelle)

Halloween on the island isn’t quiet what it is at home, but the American community still makes the most of it

While Tanner and I are keeping busy up in the northern hinterlands of Minnesota, the girls in St. Martin are filling up their days with lots of fun island activities as well. Andi and Tanner have both had birthdays recently… Tanner turned 12 and Andi turned 14. Michelle recently shared a fun report on her blog, and I thought I’d re-post a condensed edition here as well. If you’d like to experience the whole report, checkout her blog!

Take it away, Michelle….

“We like to parrty. With two r’s”

Christmas came early this year for the estrogen tank in St. Martin. As I mentioned in my last post, my niece Andi who JUST turned 14 (WOOT WOOT) went home for medical tests and was diagnosed with Probable Lupus. With a brave face and confidence from her doctor, she decided to return to us on the island to continue her school year as normal and get her regular teenage life back. We missed the little nugget, and were so excited to have her back, and just in time for her birthday. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on November 13th, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean, St. Maarten Restaurants, Learning Unlimited, Mormons in St. Maarten Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Families at American University of the Caribbean, Learning Unlimited, Mormons on St. Maarten, Mormons on St. Martin

a Tropical Storm, a Beautiful Autumn, and a Medical Diagnosis for Andi

It’s Sunday, October 14th, 2012. Down in St. Martin, Carina, Piper and Michelle are enduring Tropical Storm Rafael. Luckily it wasn’t too brutal, but from what I’ve heard, it dumped a lot of rain, knocked out power and water for long stretches of time, and threw up an impressive wind storm.

Rainy season, hurricane season, and hot ‘n humid season are all at their peak in the Caribbean right now. Although I miss Carina and Pipes terribly and wish I was with them, it might be stretching the truth just a little if I said I wish I was on the island right now. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on October 15th, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean, Everything Else Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Families at American University of the Caribbean

Estrogen Tank (mostly by Michelle)

Piper, Carina, Andi and Michelle at the White Coat Dinner, fall semester 2012

Well, it’s been almost three weeks since Carina left with Andi, Piper and Michelle to head back to St. Martin. Tanner and I miss them terribly, but otherwise we are doing well in Suburbia, Minnesota. We are enjoying the cool fall weather and the turning trees, and we both agree that if we have to be here and not in St. Martin, this is the time of year to do it, as the girls are suffering in crazy hot and humid weather right now.

Tanner is loving 6th grade where he has enrolled in the yearbook committee, an after school golfing class, and a baseball batting clinic. He and his uncle Tommy (who is a year younger than him) are living it up together. And Tommy, who would otherwise be an only child as all of his siblings are grown and gone, is thrilled to have a built-in room mate.

We are hearing good reports from the island, and I thought I would take some extracts from Michelle’s blog (with permission) and share them here as well. But before we turn the floor over to Michelle, I’ll include one update that happened after she wrote her last blog post. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on September 24th, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean, Mormons in St. Maarten Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Families at American University of the Caribbean, Mormons on St. Maarten, Mormons on St. Martin

Whirlwind Trip Back to the States

Entering customs at Newark airport

As I write this, it’s Sunday September 9th, 2012. Tanner and I are settled down into the home of Cari’s parents for an unknown period of time, and all the girls are back in St. Martin. Andi has begun 8th grade at Learning Unlimited, a private k-12 island school, and Tanner is enrolled at Highview Junior High in New Brighton, MN.

Nine weeks ago, Andi, Tanner and I left Saint Martin and flew back to Minneapolis. Four weeks ago we were joined by Piper and Michelle, and two weeks ago Cari escaped finals and made it back here in time to squeeze in a short visit as well. One week ago, Carina, Andi, Piper and Michelle left to go back to the island, and Tanner and I stayed here.

It has been a crazy, intense nine weeks, full of the entire spectrum of emotions plus lots of catching up with friends and family. We shuttled back and forth between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities, and managed to squeeze in a trip to Utah to see my family as well.

I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. My good camera was broken the entire extent of this trip, so this post is heavily indebted to the photography of others, and to the very few pics taken with my poor little ancient iPhone camera. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on September 10th, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean, Everything Else Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Families at American University of the Caribbean, Family Separation, Summer Vacation

Uncertain Times

Our famly on the beach. I hope we'll have more chances to take photos together as a family on St. Martin.

Heavy Loads

My dad once told me that his dad used to tell him, “If you pray for a strong back, the Lord will give you a heavy load to carry.” As a child, this expression always struck me as something a farmer would say, perhaps more so because my dad grew up on a farm where back-breaking hard work was the normal daily routine. I’ve come to realize, however, that “heavy loads” don’t always mean farm animals or bales of hay.

The past few weeks at the Crookstons have been a time of heavy loads. Collectively as a family, we have been hefting around the very real possibility of splitting up our family for the next 12 months until Carina is done with classes at AUC. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on August 1st, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean Tags: American University of the Caribbean, Block Weekend, Family Separation, Jobs, Money, Summer Vacation

Lessons of Life: Reflections on Gross Anatomy (by Carina)

Carina and her lab partners

Around my neck was my plastic AUC id, as it hung from the lanyard, I lifted it up to show the guard at the entry gate and he let me pass. My Molecular Cell Biology final would commence in T-minus 20 minutes and it would be the last of many exams taken over my first semester of medical school.

Four months ago, but an eternity in other ways, I walked in to the gross anatomy lab for the first time wearing my new blue scrubs and all my insecurities tucked near the surface of my wavering facade. There in front of me was a very sterile looking lab room and immediately I locked gaze with the large black bags atop ten tables. The smell was completely unfamiliar. I thought after spending hours in a surgery internship that the smell of human flesh would be nothing new. So I learned that living tissue is completely different. The preservation method to keep these bodies fresh required formaldehyde, and this was a new smell that burned my eyes and seared my nasal passages. After hundreds of hours, I never really got used to it.

Our class of 90 students was divided up into groups of six people per lab table. I was assigned to table 3. I wish I could describe how I felt as I stood next to the airplane bag (they called them) with my cadaver inside. Surreal. Our professors gave a brief dedication and we gave a moment of silence to recognize the lives of those who offered their bodies in the name of science and for the benefit of our learning. Read the rest of this entry »

Written on April 18th, 2012 , AUC: American University of the Caribbean Tags: AUC, American University of the Caribbean, Anatomy, Medical School

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