Catching Up

Sorry folks, we've been slacking on the blogging! Our last post was at the beginning of July and it's already August!

Quick announcement: Sadly, Benny the basil plant did not survive the aphids. But, all the other herbs are looking great!

Life has been really good the past month. Chris was offered a paid 3 month contract with his department at the government, so that was a huge relief for both of us. We were hoping his 3 month internship would pay off and it did! There might be the possibility to extend his position until the end of the year, but right now we have to figure out if 3 months of unpaid government work counts as a job. Chris' visa only allows him to work for the same employer for a maximum of 6 months. So, if his internship is considered work, he can only stay on as a paid employee for 3 more months. We're hoping it won't count, but it's up to the immigration department.

What else? The weather here is getting absolutely lovely! It was a bit rainy and overcast in the middle of July, but it sure has turned around. This past weekend was supposed to be hot and sunny, so we decided we'd get an early train down to the Gold Coast and spend Saturday at the beach. It was beautiful and warm when we left at 8:30am, but by the time we parked our behinds on the sand at Surfer's Paradise 2 hours later, it was windy, cloudy, and threatening to rain. Boo!!! So, we toughed it out for a couple of hours and then decided to catch the train back. We would have been more upset, but considering it's only getting warmer from this point on, we know there are many more beach days ahead of us. Luckily, it was nothing but sunshine and blue sky on Sunday, so we headed to Southbank (a parkland area in Brisbane, located on the river) to enjoy some sun, reading, and people watching. It was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

Last week it was Uncle Errik's birthday, so we had him and Larissa over for a birthday dinner. I got three really wonderful Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks a few weeks ago and I found this recipe for goat cheese and smoked salmon stuffed chicken breasts. YUMMY! I gave them a trial run for Chris and I about a week before the birthday dinner and they turned out great. Easy to make and so delicious. So, for Errik's birthday we made those, scalloped potatoes, and a spinach and rocket salad with caper dressing. Larissa brought these absolutely decadent chocolate and hazelnut cakes for dessert. It was a really fun night! I even decorated our apartment with balloons, and birthday banners...I love a good party!

Starting this week, it's the Ekka, Queensland's annual exhibition put on by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland. It's actually a state holiday on August 11th to kick off the event. And, it's the last public holiday before Christmas, so the Ekka is considered the "unofficial end to winter". The exhibition runs from Aug 5-14. I guess you could compare it to Klondike Days/Capital-Ex. There are free concerts, fireworks, and of course rides and plenty of unhealthy food.

At the beginning of September comes the Brisbane Festival which Chris and I are super excited for because of Riverfire. It's a huge pyrotechnics, fireworks extravaganza that is held along the river. The most exciting part...a dump and burn by a F-11 fighter jet!!! Last year was supposed to be the last year for Riverfire, but they must have heard Chris and I were coming to town because they brought it back for one last time!! Here is a Youtube video of Riverfire. Please note that this is only part one of three videos if you are interested in watching the whole thing. This is a video of the dump and burn. Needless to say, we are super excited for fireworks and potentially dangerous fighter jets with fire shooting out of them.

Anyway, time for me to go help Chris with dinner. BBQ salmon tonight!

P.S. This picture isn't recent. It's from our first days in Australia, but I had a complaint there weren't enough pictures of Chris and I together, so I hope this works :)