So we’re 4 weeks down, 152 to go! And we are so missing our weetbix! We have chewed through countless boxes of cereal trying to fill up in the mornings it’s incredible. We are also missing griffins’ bikkies, golden syrup and marmite. These are reasonably minor issues we realize but going without them as well as family and friends makes us miss home a bit (o.k so a lot!!)
Accommodation
God has blessed us with a lovely little house to rent in a quiet area. The kids’ rooms are upstairs in the converted attic, which they love.
It didn’t take much to move in as we had little more than 10 suitcases. As you can imagine, the house was pretty empty with nothing to sit on, eat off or sleep on. However we are gradually acquiring some things that people are kindly loaning to us. We still don’t have a washing machine, dining table, couch, or drawers for the kids but we are getting by. Apparently our landlord has said that in a couple of days he may have a washer, dryer and other furniture for us that have been left in one of his other properties which would be an incredible answer to prayer.
Bradd
Bradd is one and a half weeks into seminary and really enjoying it. He’s got Greek as one of the papers this semester, which is proving challenging. And he has a bike!! Yay now we are not having to come and pick him up in 5:00 traffic and in a car that is over 40 degrees inside (it takes the whole trip to seminary to cool off!).
Me (Sonia)
I’m getting everything ready for school for the kids, which starts next week (30 Aug). We have had a number of orientations this week, several meetings for me and picnics for the kids to meet their class mates. I have been organising uniforms, books oh and going to the Kentucky State Fair! Very fabulous.
The Kentucky State Fair
So apparently the Fair is not to be missed if you live here. The Fair is pretty much like the field days although one major difference is that they spend some serious money on showing their animals. Like the day we went the beef cattle were setting up for the competition the following day. Some of these animals get the royal treatment. Hair washing everyday, drying with a big blow-dryer, brushing, superb feed and they are huge, fat and hairy (as they get housed in air-conditioned barns all year round so that the hair won’t fall out!). Amazing. When I asked what the incentive was to participate, they said “it was purely their love for the animals that they were showing”. What a hobby huh! It seems like it consists of paying a whole lot of money to watch an animal get fat and hairy…must be a southern thing.
The kids also got to see a dog show where the dogs involved are often seen on tv over here in commercials. The dogs were doing backwards flips, walking backwards and doing all sort of tricks. They even jumped up to 29 feet (horizontally, like long jump) into a pool of water to catch a Frisbee. A 3 legged dog jumped 25-26 feet. For the kids this was the highlight. They also got to see baby chicks hatching in an incubator which was really sweet.
Well we hope this has been an enjoyable read for you and one day soon we will try to write more frequently so that the blogs don’t become so lengthy. Our internet has not been working so great since we have been here in our new home so we apologise for the lack of skyping and contact. We are really missing you all.
All our love
Bradd & Sonia, Ashliegh, Sam and Jack xoxoxoxoxo
