It’s been a month since we first arrived in Turlock, and while life has been quite different, we have managed to make the area our home (for now), celebrating life and experiences as they come.
Just two days after we arrived the calendar said July 30th, marking 5 years since we said, “I do.” It’s incredible how quickly 5 years has flown by, but I am grateful for the numerous experiences and memories Grant and I have been able to share along the way. We celebrated the evening by going out to Bistro 234 in downtown Turlock; it is a cute, quaint little restaurant with delectable French-influenced yet American food!
We had agreed to not do gifts this anniversary since we are going on a vacation in October to celebrate this milestone, however, Grant broke the rules. #notmadaboutit 😉
As I mentioned in the road trip day 5 post there are produce stands everywhere out here. So this has been my fun thing to do each week. Grant has come along to a couple but otherwise I just go as if it’s my produce section as the grocery store! I absolutely love it. 🙂 The veggies are dirt cheap–bags full of peppers, onions, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes etc for only $1.50. (Perhaps the only thing I have found to be cheaper out here.)
This next particular barn was recommended to us for their fresh-baked pastries and pies. I added this to my “fresh produce” list of places to stop and found some pretty amazing things inside! They have just about any type of fresh baked pastry and pie you can think of along with homemade salsa, olive oils, jellies and jams, and not to mention their wide variety of fresh nuts and seeds. This place was an excellent find!!
Another fun thing in Turlock are their food trucks! They have them everywhere (most of which serve Mexican cuisine) For dinner one night Grant and I just drove and randomly ended up at this tasty truck!
It was a fun experience and the tacos were amazing, not to mention the Manzanita (Mexican Apple Soda)!
One evening Grant went down by the pool to grill some meat for dinner and had a fun encounter! When he got to the grill another family was already using it for kabobs, but they were really friendly and told him to put his meat on too. They proceeded to take over grilling his meat as he chatted with the family. The husband and wife were hosting a young family whom he found out were refugees from Turkey. Although the Turkish family could not speak English, they were very friendly and generous too. After a while the meat was ready and the Turkish husband spoke his only English words, of the night, “It’s nice!” as he finished up the chicken. However, a good conversation with nice people wasn’t the only thing Grant got out of the encounter, the wife of the first family said, “You know what, we’re going to give you a whole meal!” and they piled a few plates with Mediterranean salad, kabobs, and pita bread. It was very generous of them, and quite delicious as well!
Life in Turlock has been fun, but definitely challenging at the same time! Getting out and trying new things has helped, but it’s been hard being away from the family and community we had in Indiana. After visiting three churches in the area we look forward to getting involved in Crossroads Church. We ask that you would come along side us praying that we can develop friendships and grow in community with other believers. Thanks for all your love and support!
More trip and adventure stories to come. 🙂