Camping

In case you are wondering why I have been unusually absent from my blog, we are camping...and camping kind of in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, the second closest town to where we are camping has 1 gas station, 1 grocery store and maybe 5 restaurants. But, we found one with internet today...hence the 2 posts!

Just to give you a preview of our camping...and to make you totally jealous...I thought I would share some pictures from my phone. We are camping right on a river. It sounds and looks amazing and drowns out the sounds of a crying baby! Yesterday we went on a 3 mile hike around a local lake. The temps have been dipping down to freezing at night, but yesterday it hit the 60's and with the sun shining, it was beautiful.

Well, that's it for now!

The view of our campsite

There is nothing like drinking coffee when you are camping!

The view from our tent

Ian's beer cooling in the stream

And a picture of the cutest boy ever!

3 Years

It’s almost hard to believe that Ian and I have lived in Scotland for 3 years. On the one hand, it feels like it has been forever; yet on the other hand, it feels like we have just gotten settled.

From what I hear, we are starting to talk different. I personally blame it on Aberdeen. It has only been in the past couple months that we have been accused of this, so Aberdeen is definitely to blame. Now, don’t get me wrong, we definitely are not sporting Scottish accents…I think our American accents (well, west coast accents) are too ingrained in us for that. But apparently, it has something to do with our voice inferences when we talk. I was accused by someone (you know who you are) of ending my sentences weird. And people we meet over here keep thinking we are from Canada. Apparently you mix American and Scottish together and get Canadian! I’m sure Canadians would appreciate me saying that! Now, voice inferences aside, I do find myself using words from over here more and more. Sometimes when I say some things, I just want to kick myself. For instance, the other day, I referred to dinnertime as teatime. I can’t even believe I said that. Oh well, I guess after 3 years a little bit of Scotland was bound to rub off on me.

Last year, Ian and I made the decision to move to Aberdeen rather than coming back to California. Our time in Edinburgh was done and those were our choices. I think it is safe for me to say that we made the right decision by moving to Aberdeen. Even though Edinburgh is far superior to Aberdeen, Aberdeen really has felt like home more than Edinburgh ever did. We got involved in a church like we never have before and we have made a good group of friends. Sure, they aren’t great friends yet, but I realize that takes time. Also, because of us staying Ian and Connor have had the privilege of becoming dual citizens…a privilege I find rather cool and like to refer to as our back up plan. Hey, you never know what the future holds! And with those passports, you can live anywhere in Europe without a visa!

One of the stipulations of us staying was to get some more traveling in…we definitely have done that! In the past year, we have seen more of Scotland than we saw in the previous 2 years combined...it probably helps that we now have a car. There is just so much to see in this country. Sometimes I feel like we haven’t even seen anything yet! Also, we took a road trip thru the UK, France and part of Italy. I really feel that was a once in a lifetime trip. We got to see so much we wouldn’t have seen if we weren’t driving and got to experience a lot of amazing stuff (yummy Italian pastries come to mind).

I remember when we were talking about coming over to Scotland. Originally it was going to be for a year, then we found out the commitment was for 2 years, but still we decided that was fine. At the end of 2 years, we really wanted to stay one more year…largely so Connor could be born here (I mean honestly, how cool is it to say you were born in another country?!?). And, at the end of year 3, we were definitely coming home. Look where that got us…trying to stay longer! Now I say with certainty, we are only planning on staying 1 more year…but really, how do I know what the future holds?!?

Edinburgh

We are spending a few days in Edinburgh this week. It is the festival month and always a fun time to be here. Plus, there is always something to see or do here. Here is what I have gotten up to so far (with photographic evidence courtesy of my iphone):

Perused the Royal Mile & picked up some coffee at Starbucks
Got some free Mountain Dew Energy (which really tastes like Sprite)
Played in the Meadows...twice
Dentist appointments for all three of us
(no cavities in my mouth!)
Lunch with a friend
Went to Rosslyn Chapel...found out nothing about the Da Vinci Code
Bought tickets to 2 festival shows (one tonight, one tomorrow)

Connor enjoying the sites from Starbucks on the Royal Mile

Connor playing in the Meadows

Connor's adorable parents with him in the Meadows

Rosslyn Chapel (of the Da Vinci Code fame)

Connor at Rosslyn Chapel

Truthful Tuesdays

Now I know there is nothing new in this world...especially in the world of blogging. But somehow I came up with the idea of "Truthful Tuesdays". The idea popped into my head as I was thinking about beginning to divulge information about myself to you that many people may not know. So here you have it, without further ado, my first truth:

I am not a licensed driver.

It just happened. Sneaked up on me and happened. It hasn't always been so.

I got my driver's license on my 16th birthday. I have always loved to drive. In fact, I have always had a semi-obsession with cars. Then we moved to Scotland. For 2 years we didn't have a car. But, every time I went home for a visit, I drove. Right before Connor's birth (in fact on my due date) we bought a car. A couple months before that, Ian got his UK drivers license. And I technically hold a provisional drivers license over here (technically a learners permit). However, I have never driven over here. And I can never quite motivate myself to spend the time and money to get my drivers license...I easily get everywhere I need to go using my own two feet after all!

And my California driver's license, well that expired on my birthday. And it was one of those renewal years where I needed to go into the DMV to renew it. So, it expired.

Now, I do fully intend on renewing my California driver's license when I am home for Christmas. It makes me nervous though. What if I have to retake all the tests? The stuff I read online makes it sound like I just have to pass a small written test, as long as I don't let more than a year pass after the expiration. But still, wouldn't it be a bit funny if I had to take my behind the wheel test all over again? I know I would be nervous. Not as bad as when I was 16, but still...who really remembers which hand signal is for left and which is for right anyway?!?

So there you have it, how I became an un-licensed non-driver. Man, that makes me feel like an old lady!

Hotel Room Randomness

So, we are staying at a hotel in Glasgow for a business meeting Ian had to go to. In our room I was greeted with this:


Seriously, it just makes sense! And to make it even better, every switch in the room was like this. I loved that I didn't have to turn on every light in the room to get the one I wanted on.

And while I am on the subject of hotel rooms...

It seems that in Europe they don't allow you to control the temperature of your hotel room. I found this while we were on vacation in France and Italy and now here in Scotland. To me, the best part of staying in a hotel room is blasting the AC and cuddling up under all the covers. No such luck. Even with all the covers off and the AC supposedly on, I was hot last night...and it isn't like we are in a warm climate!

Oh well. At least there are some cool light switch covers to make me smile.

Kissing Cousins

I was with a group of people last night and the topic of conversation went to

affection toward family members

Between everyone there, the affection varied widely. From parents who never hug their children (so sad), to parents who kiss their children on the lips. And it was funny how everyone, for the most part, thought what their family did was acceptable.

Now I already have opinions on the matter at hand. We do not kiss Connor on the lips. To me, he is my child and I don't find that acceptable. Plus, I absolutely hate it when someone else's kid goes to kiss me and they want to kiss me on the lips. So not cool. I don't like baby slobber all over my mouth. Some may find it cute. I do not.

But back to kissing adult family members on the lips...

One of the guys told a story of the first time his mother-in-law kissed him on the lips...he tried to deflect, but she wouldn't let him and kissed his lips anyway. He was mortified. His wife was laughing as he was telling this story. And that got me thinking about my stance on the matter.

My lips are for Ian and him alone. I just don't think it is right to show the same affection to family members that you also show to your spouse. That is just weird.

But maybe, just maybe, that is just me. So I ask...

Anyone out there who kisses family members on the lips?

Have you done it since childhood?

Or perhaps, is there anyone who married into a family that affectionate?

And is there anyone out there like me, who it gives you the heebie-jeebies just thinking about kissing the in laws on the lips? (Sorry in laws...I like you, just not that way!)

Wordless Wednesday