On Monday, October 26th, when we left the apartment to go work out, we noticed that this tree's planter was full of rain water from the typhoon. Terry drove Samuel to the school for one last lunch meeting to double check everyone's packing for the trip the following day.
We then noticed there was a lot more people out than normal and remembered it was a holiday. This 👇 holiday. So everyone had a four day weekend due to the typhoon holiday. Lucky!
After being stuck in the house all weekend, Terry and I went to Swell for a coffee date while the boys were at school attending their classes.
Again, due to being tired of being stuck in the house, I suggested we go to IKEA for dinner that night. After all, we now have a car, so we can go on our own. Plus, as I discovered as I erased thousands of photos from my phone to create more space, we hadn't been since we first moved here in January. So we went.
It was fun!
We sat in lots of chairs but only bought things that we were missing from the kitchen. Oh, and a Christmas tree!
This cup wasn't one of our purchases.
Nor was this bear.
It was fun until like 8:30pm when my body started shutting down. Then I wanted out. It reminded me of my middle school years when I spent a lot of time walking around the mall with friends. Even then, the mall exhausted me.
We did get some 10NT ice cream cones on our way out. Once at home, Samuel still had to pack his final things, and we all went to bed later than we should've. Whoops.
Meanwhile, at home, Noah was seeing snow on campus! That's just crazy to me, since it still gets hot here in Taiwan, though it is mercifully cooling off for the fall, as one would hope. Right as I'm writing this blog at 3:18pm, my weather app says it's 82 but feels like 90...
The morning of Tuesday, October 27th, came too soon. Predictably, we did not sleep well. Terry got up early and took Samuel to the school, where he had a devotional with the 10th grade class, before loading up onto the bus. We found out later they were put into traveling groups that stayed together for the bus ride and rooming in the hotel that night. I thought it was a brilliant strategy to cut down on the ever-present cliques. The school does "compass trips" for grades 6-12 every fall and the 10th grade class goes to Sun Moon Lake. Unfortunately, I did not know every class went on a trip and therefore missed the trip for Ezra's class that he could've gone on. I'm still learning about the school and often miss commonly-known information since we're technically outsiders as homeschoolers. Ezra was bummed to miss when we heard about the river walk his class went on. Hopefully next year he can go.
We put off our workout until Ezra left for soccer. Daddy and Evie decided to run and I changed my mind at the last minute and turned around to workout in our complex basement gym. I just didn't want to walk all the way to the gym at that point.
It had been months and months since Terry ran and he could feel it. They stopped at this rhino statue while heading out of town.
Then they left the city behind and ran down some empty streets and a trail like this.
Terry would've kept running down a random trail-- but thankfully he translated this sign before moving on...
We all felt better after getting outside. But Porky was perhaps not so happy to have us back again.
I joked this week that we need to exchange Porky for Trouncer. Trouncer is superior in every way. But he might kill us if we took away his back yard...which is why we left him at home.
It was strange not hearing from Samuel all day. I approve of their policy to leave phones at home. The following day Mr. Josh sent these photos in an email. I was happy to see Samuel with a smile on his face. 💞
Before they even checked into their hotel, they went to
Caidie Falls.
I believe Samuel is the boy wearing yellow in the back of the group.
They all had dinner together before going to the hotel.
On Wednesday, October 28th, we slept in a little since the night before Terry came home late from EC Talk in Taipei. When he had arrived in Taipei he had extra time, so he bought these delicious donuts from a vender on the street. He brought them home, then ate his on the way to the gym, and wanted a picture to send his old Gburg lifting partner. Terry always complained to Kevin about how he wanted to eat donuts while they were working out.
Meanwhile, Noah had dinner with Shari and the fam. I suppose he was extra happy b/c he won the Clue game they played.
That afternoon I forced Ezra to go outside to run a few errands and also to walk around the park with me. He is a home-body and never wants to leave the house.
This is a new section of our park that's really pretty.
Terry was still tired. Looking back, I now realize he was probably getting sick since by the weekend he wasn't feeling well. He also went to the University for his English Corner for half the day, which was also taxing. But a new guy came and they spent hours talking and shared the gospel with him very thoroughly.
Noah enjoyed a beautiful sunset that night.
The following day, we got these photos from Samuel's day at Sun Moon Lake. They biked around part of it.
They ate out at a Ramen restaurant that evening and Samuel ate til he had had too much. Then he consumed some more snacks from 7-Eleven. He said he was completely stuffed. As we found out the following morning with a text and phone call from Mr. Josh, Samuel threw up that night. Mr. Josh thought it was the big yogurt drink combined with a full belly that caused it. I also thought it was probably exacerbated by being over-tired, undergoing elevation changes, and maybe even anxiety. But he felt better immediately afterwards and didn't have a fever or other symptoms, so he was permitted to stay.
Thursday, October 29th, started with a workout, followed by my BSF Zoom meeting. Then our neighbor and the mother of Terry's English student who moved to the States for college, Justin, came over. She wanted to give us this cat bed that her cats can't even fit in anymore.
Ezra kept shoving Porky inside, but he wasn't into it yet. Terry tried to entice Porky into using it by putting some catnip on the cushion, but Porky just proceeded to yank the cushion out and lick it til it was wet. Then he kept pulling the cushion out again and again.
Evie had been asked by some missionary/pastor friends if she would babysit for half of their kids while the other half were on their Compass trips. She took the train to a district called San Chong all by herself.
Kayt picked her up at the station for her first ever scooter ride! She told me she hadn't truly lived in Taiwan until that moment.
Meanwhile, we took Ezra to Starbucks just to get out of the house, and maybe to treat him a little since he was the only kid left with us.
This Starbucks holds a special place in my heart since Lillian took us by it last summer when we were visiting and looking for apartments with them.
It's also in our old neighborhood, though I had never seen this fountain and pool before.
Our Porky looks so grown up. He was sitting there hunting the reflection off Terry's watch that was dancing on the wall behind me.
Meanwhile, Evie was being a rockstar with the kiddos.
On our walk home from Starbucks, we looked at the menu for a restaurant as we went by. The owner came out to us and spoke to us in Mandarin and gave us a menu to take home. He was so sweet and hopeful that we went back for dinner. It was actually really great pizza - the best we've had so far (besides mine 😛) since moving here.
We didn't need more food, but Family Mart was right next door and their soft serve ice cream is so darn cheap. So we got some. Jerry and Alice were big fans when they were here.
Evie and the kids had pizza that night too.
Porky was so cute curled up on the blanket at home as Terry and Ezra were playing Axis and Allies. Again. For like the 10th time.
Samuel had a good day too, at the
Qingjing Skywalk and sheep farm. Taiwan is a beautiful place. When he got home, Samuel told us how much he appreciated being out in God's creation and being given time to be alone and be thoughtful and prayerful towards God. It was a really encouraging trip for him.
Friday, October 30th, began with a coffee date with Lillian for me. Daddy and Ezra stayed home and worked. I enjoyed this succulent-like tree covered in secondary plants.
It was like a carpet of greenery. Delightful.
We visited a new coffee shop this week, Dreamers.
I saw this adorable line of toddlers walking by when I turned around. Sooo cute, but it made me sad they weren't home with a parent. Some could barely walk.
My caramel roll was amazing, but the mocha was not. I have never had such a overly sweet drink. It was insane. Evie would have liked it.
Speaking of which, she took her kids to a park.
Terry and I worked out at lunchtime and then left to go pick Samuel up from Morrison. We had a little extra time, so we walked around the block. There are such pretty places amongst some really ugly shops.
Samuel greeted us and then told us he didn't want to leave yet. He wanted to continue hanging out with his friends. We were only too happy to oblige. I chatted with Kayt, the mom whose kids Evie had been babysitting. She dropped Evie off on her way to the school.
At home, after I got dinner going, we listened to Samuel tell us about his trip. It was a fantastic time. It wasn't free from anxiety, but he was able to bear it better b/c of new friends, activity, beautiful scenery, and space to process. His new friends even helped him to ask a girl to the high school banquet (homecoming), Evie's friend Eleanor. So that was a fun victory too.
That night we hosted bible study at our house. Samuel went to bed soon after and so did Ezra.
And it's crazy that Noah was wearing his winter coat back home.
On Saturday, October 31st, Terry went to the men's morning bible study while I made bacon and eggs. Terry made pancakes when he came home and we all enjoyed some Price is Right before calling Noah. We haven't been able to talk to him on a Saturday for like a month!
Evie went to play tennis with the Morrison tennis club that meets on Saturdays. One of the parents snagged this picture of her.
Samuel went for a walk and then a run with this friend Patrick, while I walked around the park. Several streets in our neighborhood had been closed off transformed for a Halloween Carnival. It was even bigger than the last carnival we had.
We went out with Ezra and tried some roasted corn. It was decent.
Then Ezra played a shooting game. He loves those.
That tan building in the background is ours.
We saw these enormous dogs that my sister tells me are Alaskan Malamutes. Biggest dogs I've ever seen. They must be so hot in Taiwan!
The clouds turned pink so I went onto the roof in the midst of making pizza.
Below me were the vendors on the street.
Evie made a pit stop through the carnival and brought us all some candied strawberries, called tang hu lu. So good.
On Sunday, November 1st, we went to church, followed by dumplings from a street shop. Terry asked the owner's daughter to teach us some Mandarin. That's who we need to be learning from. She was so cute.
Later in the afternoon we went out to get some family bobas. Ezra also went to get his favorite fried chicken and Evie got some 7-Eleven ramen.
Then we walked around the park before Terry figured out how to download a MarioKart booster course pass. Poor Terry is feeling pretty sick this weekend though. 😟
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