More new sights from Florida...

As promised here are a few more photos of sights around campus!  Next time I will try to show more pictures of buildings on the rest of campus, but you know me I love the plants!  Also these are all really close to my building and on the southern part of campus!

My cubicle in the Grad. Office

There are big live oaks all over campus, when it rains they have ferns in them!

Small walking garden near my building.

Nifty leaf prints in the garden walk!

Can you see the lizard? He's there!

Ferns in the palm tree! they are all over!

Really pretty, tiny cathedral near Lake Alice.

No, not a wildlife preserve, its on campus! (Lake Alice)

More big oaks...

Island in Lake Alice... with Cypress Knees!

Squirrel! With a nut!

One way to reduce water runnoff! (Holes in pavement)

This is perennial peanut! Its used as a ground cover and all over the place!

These are Bat Houses!  Apparently there are a lot of bats and they help a ton with bugs!

The Hard Life of Pandora...

We have received such joy from our cat in the last year and a half of her being ours, I just wanted to share some of the ways she made us smile the last two weeks!

Pandora wanted in my lap while I studied, then she wanted to help!

Pandora the scholar!

She is such a needy cat! She wants picked up and packed around like a baby...

We left a shopping bag out and Pandora thought it was a present just for her!

Chris took an unintentional nap and Pandora decided to keep him company!

Trying to 'de-smoke' our apartment...

The previous tenants of our apartment were smokers and you could really tell when we moved in!  We were hoping thorough cleaning and just living here would eventually dissipate the smell, and while it has diminished over time I can still smell a lingering smoke smell on my clothes and in the apartment after we have been away for awhile.  We got a small air purifier about a month ago hoping this would get rid of the smell.  While it diminished the smell further when on, and helped us sleep, it wasn't big enough to take care of the whole apartment and if it is off for any amount of time the smell comes back.

While asking around most people suggested at least steam cleaning the carpets, so when we got a surprise residual check I went on the hunt for a high quality carpet cleaner.  We found a company in our price range but before calling them to make an appointment Chris suggested asking our Landlady if she would pitch in. I'm so glad he did!  She offered to pay for all of it to get the ducts cleaned if needed!  But she wanted us to talk to her guy before having someone else clean the carpets.

Her guy turned out to be the same one who did such a poor job cleaning our apartment in the first place!  He did offer a service the other group did not, it was a spray called a odor counteract ant.  He reassured us that it didn't just cover the odor and it came in a perfume free version.  I looked it up and his story seemed to check out.  So we decided to give that a try along with the carpet cleaning.  We scheduled the spray guy to come early this morning and the carpet guys later this afternoon, that way the spray would dry before they got to work on the carpets and we would have time to hang our pictures back up and get other things off the floors.... but the spray guy was late, really late.  He only got here an hour before the carpet guys, the stuff he was spraying definitely had perfume and we were hard pressed to get stuff up off the floors for the carpet cleaners... GAH!

Sorry, just a little overwhelmed because I also had my first Plant Phys exam today! (It went quite well though I think)  But, this day is finished, we have clean carpets and we are waiting to see if the smell will go away from the spray or if we will need to rent an industry strength air purifier.  Until then we now have the job of putting everything back on our walls and in its place, it almost looks as though we are getting ready to move again.

It has been a long day, but my reassurance is that we did not have to pay for all this (except in time and work)!  God has been so good to provide for even little things we need/want, like a nicer smelling apartment!

Our silly Kitty...

While Cris was working on his school a few days ago he called me into the office excitedly where I found our cat attacking a pair of costume bunny ears!  Chris said he had heard her messing with the boxes in the closet and then she emerged with the ears and proceeded to play with and attack them! it was hilarious and I hope this link to the video works!  Hope you enjoy the antics of our sill kitty!

In the first video she wasn't tired and liked tossing them up in the air!  In the second she was getting tired because it was taken after she had already packed the ears all over the house, and informed us with loud meowing every time she did it!  Sorry they are so dark... and sideways.  I thought the video worked like when I take picture and would be seen lengthwise... I was wrong!

Creepy Crawlies....

So as Chris' cousin so aptly put it recently, 'Everything in Florida Moves'!  Every morning for the last two weeks we have had to avoid the humongous webs made by this dude right here, talk about creepy!  It's web stretches across the whole stair well and you have to duck or break it to get past... if you get too close it also shakes the web like its angry! MEEP!

Eat your heart out Macaroni Grill!

The last time we went to Macaroni Grill I discovered to my dismay that they no longer served the highly delicious Chicken Tuscona Soup that I would combine with their Tomato Mozzarella Salad to make a wonderful meal!

Since I was carving it the other day I decided to see how hard it was to make and if there were any free recipes out there.  I found three!  This is my first attempt and I was pleasantly surprised!  I didn't know if my homemade version would be as good as the original but I got much closer than I hoped, a few more tweaks and it will be just right!

Just Like Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscana Soup Recipe

Makes 2 servings

Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscana Soup Recipe Clone Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup cooked chicken, preferably roasted
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 4 ounces packaged gnocchi, cut in half
• 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half (I used whole milk but I think the cream would give it a thicker consistency)
• 3/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (I coarsely shredded spinach so it wouldn't be as big of chunks)
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil

Cook the onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion becomes soft and transparent and garlic becomes golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.

Add chicken broth. Turn up heat and let it come to a boil. After the broth starts boiling, add the precooked chicken, gnocchi, and chopped tomato. Turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the cream. Add spinach last. Stir spinach until it wilts. Remove from heat.

After putting the Chicken Toscana soup into individual bowls, sprinkle with generous amounts of Parmesan cheese and a little basil. 

Enjoy with some homemade bread and a yummy side salad, or some Tomato Mozzarella Salad!

School is in...

Classes have begun and a routine is swiftly forming and since we are four weeks in I think it is safe to tell you about them!  As I mentioned back in April it was difficult to even find classes to register for but we finally did and I thought I knew what to expect as the week before classes start was drawing to a close... I was wrong!

On the Wednesday before classes started I received an email telling me that the Woody Plant Physiology course I was registered for was canceled, I was only registered for this class, Graduate Survey of Biochemistry and some research hours (I have to have nine hours a semester to maintain my assistantship and no other classes would seem to fit with these two).  I knew I needed the Biochemistry (much as I wished it had been the canceled class!) so I scrambled to my adviser to see what to replace this class with.  We decided to replace the Woody Plant Phys with just plain Plant Physiology (I haven't had this since Sophomore year and knew I needed a brush up) and the research hours with Graduate Professional Development (a general introduction to life as a Grad. Student).

The Biochemistry is proving to be one of the biggest challenges just because of the vast amount of information presented.  Thankfully this course is designed for students who have never had Biochem before but it has kept me hopping because we meet four days a week and there are quizzes every Monday over the previous week's material.  The amazing intricacies of the creation surrounding us usually amaze me but even more so now as I learn a tiny portion of the chemical processes that make life around us possible.  The irreducible complexity of the world around us extends down to even the formation and folding of proteins.

Plant Physiology is proving to be a much needed refresher on the details of how plants work.  I am remembering a lot as we go but this professor is also going into much greater detail than I remember from my Sophomore class!  Technically the class I am enrolled in is intended for undergraduates, in order to earn the Grad. component hours we have an extra class meeting every week in which we are learning how to present and critique scientific articles.  Background research for my project involves reading lots of scientific articles so I look forward to learning how to read them with a more critical eye.

Graduate Professional Development is turning out to be my 'bunny class' of the semester and boy am I thankful to have one!  In this class we have guest lecturers every week who inform us about different aspects of Grad school and where we can find information.  So far we have had lectures about our responsibilities as Grad. students, how to prepare for teaching your first class (for teaching assistants), and what academic conflict resolution looks like.  There are NO tests!  We have to write a one page critique of each presentation and participate in class discussion, Love It!  I now know where to find a lot of information... I just need to go find it!

I am sharing a grad office with other students, like at Western, however I am rarely the only one in there, unlike Western.  I am enjoying getting to know my office mates and they have been extremely helpful, but I admit it has been odd being the only white person in my office.  There is one other Caucasian woman on our floor whom I have gotten to know fairly well but we are definitely our number in this program. I have been amazed at the diversity in this program, in my office alone there are representatives from Mexico, Argentina, China, India and Azerbaijan.  My world is definitely getting bigger!

Sorry no pictures!  I hope to get some good pictures of campus and what I have been working on soon!

Coolest Hubby Ever!

Hubs and Pandora, hanging out.

I wanted to take a moment and brag on my husband.  He has been so amazing through this whole crazy transition and if it wasn't for his support and reminders I would have turned tail and ran back home long before now. In spite of my conviction that this is where we are supposed to be it has been a rough transition and there have been tears on more than one occasion, but Chris has been understanding and encouraging and with his help I feel more confident than ever that this is where we are supposed to be for now.  I have been so busy most of the time since we have gotten down here that Chris has taken over most of the house chores that I used to do, while I wish I could do these it has been wonderful to have that burden lifted while I am settling into my new responsibilities.  It has been so nice to come home from a full day and realize Chris has already done the dishes or laundry or whatever I was dreading tackling when I got home!  He has recently learned how to make sour-dough bread out of some starter given to us by some friends, it has been so nice to smell it cooking in the house.  Hopefully as the semester progresses things will go back to normal and I will be able to take some of these responsibilities back from Chris, but for now it is comforting to know I don't have to worry about them!

Gah! Adoption Update!

I'm so sorry!  I have been remiss in my updating duties!  I think most of you who read my blog are on my email list but just in case!

Alex and Dad made it home safely last Friday night near midnight.  There was a big group there to welcome them home off of the plane.  It was wonderful to see how many people were able to make it at such a late hour!

Alex is in the process of settling in, finding his place in the pecking order and learning English.  Mom and Dad bought him a version of Rosetta Stone that teaches a Ukrainian speaker English and he has started into those lessons.  There have been some language barrier issues, but nothing too serious yet.  He had a crash course in how to ride a bike this last week, quite literally from what I hear!  But from the last update I received he is riding quite well and trying to catch up with the boys in all their attempted stunts.

He seems to enjoy the farm and animals, though learning how to care for them is going to be a big lesson since he hasn't been around animals much before.  All of the kids have been awesome in their willingness to come together and show him the farm, how to do chores and how to have fun in his new home.

He is still facing some medical check-ups that are routine for all of our kids that have been adopted, so prayers that those go well is much appreciated!!!

Mom, Alex, and Hannah, Alex was tired!

I know it late but there you go!  Alex is home!!!

What does it mean to you to have an 'Everlasting God'?

I had a neat experience this Sunday morning.  I have recently been struggling with all of the changes that seem to have happened suddenly over the last few months (specifically the move to Florida and all that has entailed), and was really encouraged this morning about those changes.  Honestly I was not in a very worshipful mood going into church, I had missed the last two Sundays and when that happens it makes me apprehensive when I am next able to go.  Also I have somewhat different taste than the music team at the church we are currently attending, sometimes they are dead on and I have a great time worshiping, other times I am just annoyed at the worship selections.  It looked like it was going to be one of those annoying mornings as the music started up, fortunately the second song straightened my attitude out and it was also the one that was so encouraging to me.  It was called 'Everlasting God', and I hadn't heard it before today.  This song focused on and extolled the unchanging qualities of our Lord.  

It reminded me that the permanence I desire can never be found on this earth because everything around us will change, Chris and I will age, we will move multiple times in the future, I am not always going to be in school, and then after that we will change jobs, when we have children they will grow up to be on their own someday, friendships will start, stop change and fade.  Only God can and will remain the same.  Our relationship with Him is the only permanent thing we will ever experience.  I felt encouraged that we are in this world because we are like this world in that we are changeable, and thank God we are!  Otherwise we would never turn from our sin and seek after Him.  But the desire for permanence that resides in our hearts also belongs there because our souls seek the never changing God, we seek something permanent.  As C.S. Lewis said this universal desire for permanence, the desire never to die, is an indication that we were created for a place in which permanence can be achieved, for a person who never dies.

For some the idea of God never changing may seem like a terrible thing because they seem Him as angry at them or constantly seeking justice, some may think a God who never changes is boring even.  But through the scriptures I see that this quality can be immensely reassuring, it means that His attitude toward me (seeking to do me good -Jeremiah 29:11) will never change - no matter what mistakes I make.  It means that when everything around me seems upside down, I can depend on God to be there and to be Himself (in control of all, powerful and Holy) just as He was when things were calm.  It means I can always depend on Him to pour out His love, mercy and provision no matter what comes.

This may seem like a lot to pull from one song, but that was part of why it was so reassuring to me.  This song may not have the same effect on anyone else who heard it, but it reminded me of many truths which I was already aware, and pulled them together in such a way as to provide me with a peace and confidence about where God has us that I have not experienced since we moved here.  So, does God's everlasting quality bring you peace?  I hope so.

New Flowers!!!

Pre- Diana rearranging

After a long first week of classes Chris led me to the flowers at the grocery and gave me free range to pick a bouquet!  This is what he bought for me!

Pre-Diana rearanging

Post Diana rearanging!

I simply loved the color!!!