Life Happenings & I'm Back // WOW

ASDFGHJKL!! I'm back!!! And boy, do I have lots of "life happenings" to talk about! Today's post is going to be similar to a wrap-up post (same concept) but in a different format...

Without further ado: my November Recap!

~I Had a Birthday~
Just for all you younger girls who think nineteen is such a big number, trust me, it doesn't feel like it now that I've arrived. How this will be my second year as a "adult" is beyond me...
But, hey, turning nineteen wasn't as scary as I thought it would be! I celebrated my birthday by having "chicken" dumplings with 7-layer salad and apple dumplings for dessert! It was a lovely birthday, and special in many ways. Special thanks to those of you who sent me b-day gifts, messages, etc. Y'all. are. the. sweetest! <33

~Hot chocolate~
Believe it or not, hot chocolate has actually played a huge role in my November! Not only is it delicious (especially how my sisters make it) but it also has that Fall/Winter #vibe! I may or may not have taken a multitude of "Hot Cocoa" pics! ;)

~Video Chats~
I kinda sorta FaceTimed with a blogging bestie for three whole HOURS! Then two hours the next week! And then a third time a couple weeks after that! #scheming #bookshelftours #funtimes

~Sister Staycation~
Mom and Dad had a weekend trip and us girls stayed home to hold down the fort. We did face masks, movie marathons, built horse fencing, you know, the typical things that three sisters do. And of course, made sure the animals were cared for... and tried to keep the house mostly clean.

~It SNOWED!~
It snowed for the first time this year! And the snow came super early for us! It looked like a winter wonderland out there, and we scrambled to get all out winter gear from the attic in time. Course, now it's just muddy...

~Soapmaking~
I'm trying to have enough stocked up for Christmas time, my busiest soap selling season!

~Writing~
Hmm, I'm not sure what to say under this category. A huge part of my hiatus was to get more focused on my writing, and I feel like I have. But I'm also discouraged. It's almost as if I want this too bad, and God is asking me to be patient. With myself. With my writing. So, I didn't reach the Nano goal, or my personal goal for that matter. But I did make a pretty good sized dent in my story, and I am thankful for that. Nano didn't go like I thought it would, but I truly believe that with a little perseverance, I can write a story that will make a impact. I just gotta learn to stop beating myself up about not being fast enough at writing. My words might not be the best quality in the first draft, but giving up this dream is not a option.

With that said, no snippets yet. Sorry, maybe someday... :)

~Shopping Spree~ 
 My mom, two sisters and I went into big town for a day of shopping (as part of my birthday gift...) We had lots of fun and I got bell bottom jeans and winter boots! <3

~Car Wreck~
I was in my first car accident, and I am so thankful God protected us. We were on our way home from  shopping when at a intersection, a car t-boned a truck that hadn't stopped for a stop sign. We were slowing down to turn, and after both vehicles hit each other, they both came slamming into our Ford. Both other vehicles had to be towed away and their air bags had gone off. Thankfully, everyone was ok, but one lady had to be taken to the hospital. It was very scary, I will admit. But God kept us safe.

~Baptisms at Church~
On Sabbath, three people made the decision to be baptized!

~Escape Room~
This was my second time doing a escape room/break out room and we had a blast! And it was my first time we had actually made it out! We celebrated by going out to eat. :)

~I met a blogger friend in REAL LIFE!!!!~
ASDFGHJKL!!!! Like, whaaa? Who am I? Surely not my mom's shyest daughter who would have never even dreamed about meeting online friends! This year, I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone...a lot, and God has done some wonderful things for me because of it! Meeting with this lovely was such a great out-of-the-blue opportunity and I was so glad we got the chance to meet and spend the day with each other! We had a really fun time with her and her fam!

~Babysitting~
I got a babysitting job once a week watching three boys while their moms are in a Women's Bible Study at church. We do lots of fun stuff like active games and then crafts (and don't forget the snacks!)

~New Phone~
My old phone wasn't working right, so we ended up getting a new one! (but now I have to figure out a new phone, which I get a bit frustrated when I can't figure out why it won't let me comment on blogs! *headdesk*)

Also, because of this reason, I can't do a photo dump as I had planned. Hopefully I can figure out how to transfer some of my pictures on my old phone... sorry abt that!

~Playlists~
On said new phone, I'm starting to build my playlists! It's been a lot of fun! Feel free to recommend to me some or your favorite songs!

~Thanksgiving~
Thanksgiving this year was AMAZING! We had the best food ever! All I can say is, my mom, auntie, and nannie sure know how to cook/bake! After our Thanksgiving meal, we had some awesome family time... we played games, and did karaoke in the living room. The next day, we did a scavenger hunt (a tradition) and then went and watched Playing With Fire. Btw, its a hilarious movie! :)

~5K Race~ 
My family and some friends participated in a Turkey Trot 5k as well as celebrated my nannies birthday! It was so much fun. <3

How was your November? Anything new happen around the blogosphere while I was away? I hope you are staying warm and having a great December so far! 

I can't believe in one month it will be 2020! :)