Since my last update, I spent a couple weeks interviewing students at CVV for their child sponsorship profiles. I really appreciated the opportunity to talk with each of my students from last year.
Then we spent the month of October in Illinois,
closing our purchase on a home in Hanna City just six minutes from the farm,
helping with harvest,
staying with my parents and enjoying the animals and outdoors,
spending time with family,
and doing some remodeling on our new home.
We had a few unpleasant adventures as well...
a trip to the hospital for a sprained elbow (thankfully healed quickly)
and a minor accident pulling out of a parking spot (our fault and my first time calling 911!)
On October 30th we flew from Chicago to San Francisco and spent a few days with Miguel's dad and brother. Anthony enjoyed playing with his cousin Delilah.
We sold Miguel's mexican car at the end of September and the purpose of our trip to California was to get a truck from Miguel's dad. So thankfully, we now have two US vehicles in preparation for our move to Illinois in January.
With the truck, we drove 10 1/2 hours to Phoenix where we were able to stop in and visit my great aunt and uncle, Harvey and Nancy Steffen. The next day we drove 4ish hours down to Magdalena. We are thankful to be home.
We celebrated Miguel's high school graduation
And Anthony turning 18 months, both in during our first week back.
Miguel is doing car detailing. I am helping at Hilos and updating the CVE website. We are working on selling items, packing for our move, and enjoying time with Anthony. We are looking forward to spending the holiday season here with all our friends and visiting Miguel's family in Ixtlan during the first half of January. Our plan is to move the last week of January.
Thanks for all your love, support, and prayers!
P.S.
We discovered during our travels that it is much different traveling with a toddler compared to a baby. Although it is harder for a toddler to sit still, traveling felt much less stressful at this stage. We made many friends, cruised down moving walkways during a one flight delay, and watched vehicles and airplanes through windows; and he napped on the plane.
**Travel entertainment tips: big stickers, little nicknacks inside of little containers (he loves lids and containers), snacks, extra billfold with business cards, fidgets (fidget spinner, buttons).
Cars and colors are also a good idea depending on your kid. Anthony is just getting into cars and started driving them around on the trip back to Mexico. (Before he started driving them around, he would just drop them and they got lost easily). Colors still don't entertain him much. He likes markers, but only for taking the lid on and off. We did get a little magnadoodle board from my grandparents and that was helpful on the way back.
