There has been a bit of change in temperature over the past week, and despite having highs in the 30's last week, Friday dropped to 18 degrees as the high, and we are now mostly in the 20's - which has actually been really nice! It means we can ditch the aircon, and just have the windows open. So we'll make the most of that until the cold really sets in!
Last weekend we had an amazing opportunity to go and visit California for a few days. Some very good and generous friends from the US/NZ were over there, and they gave us flights to go and visit with them. We were super thankful for the opportunity to spend time with them, and it was cool to see another part of the States. It was also nice to have a short time away together, probably for the last time in a long time as Josh's studies won't allow it from now on (which is fine, because we are here to study anyway) - but it was such a treat to be able to visit. The Californian coast was beautiful (just like in the movies hehe) and it was really nice to see the beach again.
It was amazing to see how different the landscape was in comparison to Indiana - I'll give you a bit of a run-down:
- Flat
- Farmland
- Green
- Big trees - like oaks etc
- Farm style houses, made of wood, or brick
- Hills
- Colorful flowering gardens
- Palm Trees & Eucalyptus
- Rocky scrub hills (which kind of reminded me of pictures I've seen of Australia)
- Terracotta mud-brick/stucco Spanish style villas & beach houses
I have also been continuing to do some domesticated stuff. I just want to put a little N.B. in here and say that I am not an amazing baker or cook. And I have been enjoying having some more time to invest in getting better at it. I just follow recipes and have the assistance of kitchen gadgets to help me make food that thankfully is edible! Plus I have the added blessing of having a husband that is not fussy (thank you Lord!).
So anyway, I have been trying out some American recipes because some of them that I have tried at other people's houses are most excellent. In fact, I decided that I wanted to learn to cook some more American meals so I went out and managed to get (on special I might add), the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook - which seems to be the equivalent of the Edmonds Cookbook in the US (in so far as most people seem to own it).
And I have discovered Snickerdoodles. My new most favourite cookies (plus isn't that a most excellent name? Haha). If I could I would write the name with sparkles and glowy lights, because that's just how it feels it should be written. These are basically vanilla cinnamon sugar cookies. Which sums up the deliciousness of them really.
Josh has been continuing to study like crazy. He has been getting stuck into Greek and Hebrew again, plus there is quite a bit of reading for his other classes now too. He gets pretty tied up all day, and then in the evenings - but we have meals together which is a really good time to catch up. We have also been able to have some of the other students over for dinner which is a good opportunity to get to know them better. There are some really cool people who are studying over here. And it's been an awesome blessing for Josh to be able to find some people who he can study with really well. He has also been really enjoying his Professors. These guys have a looooooot of knowledge in their heads, and are very good at imparting it back to the students. So although the workload seems like it is a huge amount at times for Josh (and it is) - we are just constantly aware of how blest we are to be able to study and learn from the people over here.
Plus it has been fun to be able to spend a little more time with the other Kiwi students! I pinched this photo off Albert & Hanneke's blog - which you can check out here. :)
Well that is all for now - but there will be more a little later in the week! :D
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