November is for a New Normal

I'm caught up to November with my posts!  One more after this, and the blog will be updated.  I don't know if that's really a thing that needs to happen, but it is really cool to be able to look back and see everything.  So here's where we stood when the month began:

Finally, the truck and RV were fixed.  The weather in Bend had turned noticeably cooler, but we still enjoyed a few long walks in the crisp air.  Going for walks or hikes with Jackson is some entertaining stuff!  I'm glad I have the ability to take video on my phone because those clips are gifts that keep on giving.  Lol.

The picture above is of one of our walks along the river, in Bend.  It's down near an area called the Old Mill District, where there are walking paths going in many directions.  Every weekend, there are events, festivals, art walks, etc.  Bend always has something going on!  On that weekend, there were hundreds of cyclists racing along a different path.

After a hectic summer and fall filled with a lot of moves, it felt weird to be in one spot for the whole month.  No travel plans to make, no new outings to explore.  Just normal life.  We did a whole lotta' school and work this month, which was good but kinda' boring when you're used to getting a new backyard every two weeks.  We may have ruined our children for normal life now that they have gotten used to the excitement of travel.

Meg kept busy with her artwork, Jordan crocheted like a mad woman who makes adorable plushies (see photo above), and poor Jackson was woebegone because his braces caused more discomfort than he had anticipated.  He went through several cases of ortho-wax in November alone.  Poor kid.  Getting your teeth straightened out isn't for the faint of heart.

Here are a few pictures of our life in November.  I think I must have been recovering from the crazy months, because I didn't take many!

I guess I took a picture on one of my allergy days.  Laying in bed, looking for new recipes on Pinterest with my old friend, toilet paper tissue roll.

Meg got highlights in her hair.  I forgot to get a proper photo in the sunlight, so you can't see how blonde it was, but here is the before-and-after.  Just imagine brighter and more blonde and you've got the idea.

Jeff has been a busy Dad for the past few months!  Guitar lessons with Jordan, a new role playing game with the kids, and group art lessons.  Our kids are blessed to have a dad who is so into them.

Ooh, ooh!  These pictures are terrible but I have to tell you why I took them!  For October and November, we subscribed to Universal Yums and got boxes from Russia and the Netherlands.

This is SO COOL!  All of us loved trying snacks and treats from around the world.  The only downside is it's $15/month, which is kind of a lot for a few random snacks.  BUT THEY'RE RANDOM SNACKS FROM COUNTRIES WE'VE NEVER BEEN TO!!!  

So it's worth it, right?

To make this a more enriching experience, we spent about an hour researching each country before we opened its box.  Everyone grabbed their laptop and researched, and we shared what we found.  An informal cram session for our brains before we crammed our mouths with yummy treats.  I can't remember everything we researched, but here are a few of the things we looked up.  In case you decide to do this with your family.  Which you totally should because it's fun!

-What language do the people speak?  What does it sound like?  
-Learn a greeting in that language.
-What is their capitol city?
-What is their government?  Who is their leader?
-What is this country most known for?
-What major events in history involved this country?
-What's their national anthem?
-Who are some famous people from this country?
-What is the weather like in this country?
-What countries does this country border?
-What are some weird facts or laws about the country?

The possibilities for this are wide-ranging, but this is just what we did.  We Googled and clicked until we felt like we had learned a bit about the country.  Then, as we opened each snack, I read the enclosed info on it and then tried to find commercials for the product.  I found a few of them, which ended up being really funny.  Especially with the language barrier.  

Once we are stopped somewhere for more than a few weeks, I'm going to sign up for a few more months of Yum boxes.  I'll make sure to do a better job of taking pictures, so you can see the boxes and the booklet that comes with it, plus all the snacks.

Megan drew herself as a "Gravity Falls" character.  I knew exactly who this was a picture of when I saw it.  Even though it is a cartoon, it captures her essence, don't you think?

And at the end of the month, we had our first few dustings of snow.  Much to the kids' delight and to Jeff's grimacing, grumpified distress.  Ha ha.  Poor Jeff just wants to live in an oven, and there we were, stuck in an ice box.

That brings me to the end of November!
Love to you all.