The Taste of Christmas

It has been WAY too long, people.

I miss blogging. But with no internet I've found myself out at our house at night after the kids are in bed writing in hopes that one day I'll have myself gathered enough to put said writings on a flash drive, haul all 4 kids and Mark's laptop into town, and get on wifi to post.

Today is that day.

I may or may not have showered,

I may or may not have done my hair,

But by golly I have a post for the blog.

Enjoy...

I’ll never forget the first time I tasted the flavor that said, “CHRISTMAS” and yet it was July.

The End of a Journey

Dear Supporters,
Six months have now passed since the Lord led us in the decision to transfer from Buckie, Scotland. We notified you, our supporters, as soon as we were aware there would be a change taking place and then again when we received confirmation that the change was indeed a move from Scotland to the USA.  Our move did not take place until we had fulfilled our obligations in the UK in July including Holiday Bible Club and Holiday Bible Camp.
We asked that our supporters continue the support for the next six months, or until we were called into a new ministry, whichever came first. In the six months that have elapsed since April, we have pursued several different paths into ministry

Doing the County Fair

I've shared a lot of what our life was like in Scotland, and rest assured I've taken a ridiculous amount of photos there to continue to share with y'all.

But I thought I'd swap things around and share with our friends in the UK a taste of the USA.

This may come as a shock to y'all, but we aren't big city people. 

I lived for 4 years of my life in Dallas and 8 months in Houston, Texas and those experiences fulfilled any small desire I had to live in a densely populated area. 

Sure, you have your pros, like a Hobby Lobby every 10 miles, Chick-fil-a, Chipotle, Pei Wei, Starbucks, Gigi's Cupcakes, Firehouse Subs, Whole Foods 

(Ok, well, I haven't ever been in a Whole Foods, but I have been gouged for groceries before, does that count?) 

but y'all not only does my wallet and waistline hate this, 

but there's just something about the country that appeals to me.

Here in USA it's the most wonderful time of the year--county fair time!

Bear in mind y'all a county fair tends to be small.

Each state in the USA has a LOT of counties. After the county fairs the winners go on to the state fair.

But county fair time is a super fun where my husband especially travels back his roots. 

Let's start this show off with a bang and focus on the little girl in the background instead of my boys closely examining the sheep.

Foodie: UK Style Part 3

Guys!
I just found this post buried in my drafts unedited, undone, un-posted.
This is much the way I process my laundry.

We lived in Scotland for 2 years and I took pictures of a lot of the different things we ate while there.
It is highly important to note that this and the previous posts are an accumulation of the past 730 days of meals.
Wow, sure hope I did that math right. 
If not, I'll go ahead and offer an explanation: 
my ACT math score was lower than the legal US driving age.
Don't judge me. 
I just bared my soul to you.

Follow the links to see Part 1 and Part 2;
but without further delay I present to you the final of Foodie: UK Style, Part 3.

Here we have a lovely plate of scallops and some kind of salad.

This was on the island of Orkney where we took our 10th anniversary trip.

Holiday Bible Camp

A million years later I finish our series on ALL we did in our last 2 weeks in Scotland.

I'm sorry, guys, OK? I'm sorry. 

But the History Channel isn't going to watch itself after the kids are in bed, you know.

Our last few days in Scotland were filled with Holiday Bible Camp. This is our version of church camp for the Scottish high schoolers. 

We had a great group of high schoolers who met weekly in our home the past year and a half whom we studied the Bible with, had cookie-making parties with, and ingested copious amounts of Kool-Aid with. We love those guys.

Each summer there is the Holiday Bible Club, which is a great outreach to primary (elementary) age children. Holiday Bible Camp is a direct result of wanting to give our high schoolers something as well.

This summer we had a super awesome thing called 2 groups of American high schoolers raised support to come and not only help with Holiday Bible Club but then attend Holiday Bible Camp WITH our Scottish students! 

We had so much fun.

Meet our teams:

Our Floridians, Kaylin, Mickenzie, and Danielle.

They also came with Christie and Pam, 

but do you think I got a picture of those lovely ladies?

Nope. 

Sorry, I've got issues.

Sing by the Sea

Right after Holiday Bible Club in Scotland we invited all parents, participants, workers, and dogs to a fun event called Sing by the Sea.

Sing by the Sea is held the Sunday evening following Holiday Bible Club at Roseisle Beach. 

There are pine trees all around and the dunes have spread into the trees making for an almost ethereal,  Lord of the Rings type landscape.

I loved it.

I felt my inner Arwen come out.

Quick someone get me a bow and arrows.

Club of the Bible for the Holiday

Well I'm not entirely sure why I can't do a normal title. It's not that hard.

I suppose I like to live my life in the creative fast lane. 

This just comes through into my title writing. 

Wow. What a fast lane Jordan, more like Yoda wanna-be.

Anyhow, I think we all know this post is about our recent 12th annual Holiday Bible Club.

Holiday Bible Club is a Scottish version of Vacation Bible School.

Now my most poignant memories of VBS are of watered down Kool-Aid and  one-cookie per kid rations.

Apparently food was a big deal for me even at a tender age.

If your memories of VBS are similar I want you to take your preconceived notions and throw them right out the window. 

HBC is fun. 

HBC is loud. 

HBC has awesome music. 

HBC has powerful messages of Jesus each day.

HBC even has decent snacks. 

Kool-Aid is not a UK thing so there's no danger of some well-to-do older lady in the church RUINING it with too much water. 

Yes, I should probably seek counseling for regressed feelings of animosity over the ruination of a drink.

This years theme was "Everest" and the message was daily learning aspects of God's power. 

This was a fun theme

even if I did have to paint the Himalayans on 38 billion cubic feet of cardboard.

Prep day.

Lots of fun to decorate.

Marianne, you'll ruin your teeth!

Ness testing the stage for performance purposes.

Caedmon is always a super helper.

We had a BBQ with face-painting early that morning, so pardon his face.

We decorate walls, yo.

Sorting of the mountains.

I will say the mountains look better from a distance.

So vacate your seat, step away from your computer, and squint.

Thank you for your assistance.

These look like Jordan got ahold of some paint and slapped it on cardboard haphazardly,

which I would NEVER do.

I have a real problem with artistic endeavors that take longer than 42 minutes of my life.

We hit 43 minutes and I start slopping through like jungle native with a machete.

Finished product!

And even though my husband pointed out the error that we were obviously above tree line with trees hanging out all around.

I say anytime you can use artificial Christmas trees beyond December to decorate DO IT!

Cutie pie kids.

Just say no to bird feeders and burned matchstick crosses;

no over-used VBS crafts here.

Experiments in Imagination Station all the way!

My newest BFF, Kara, and her dad, Bill ran the experiments.

I love Kara to the flag. 

Unfortunately I had to move 5,000 miles away for us to figure out we would like to be friends. 

Fun story called Bill is known to us as Dr. W because he delivered our older children.

Bless the man for knowing me in labor and still talking to me today.

Fun bubble experiments!

All loved it.

Singing and dancing, look at all those kids!

Willie and Airby being besties.

Up on stage.

Ellie and Kaitlin have some mad moves.

Taylor Devin/Devy Taylor made BFF's with ALL small children there.

My mom and the creepy Trek Rockrambler doing a sketch.

People think they can put coffee grounds on their face for an imitation beard 

and get away with anything...

including wearing their husbands clothing and acting like a man.

Airdrie Bear approximately 34 minutes before being sick in front of the crowded gym.

Awesome.

Extra mommy points when you've cleaned up Oreo throw up from in front of a crowd of a couple of hundred kids and workers.

Sharon and Nancy did the Bible time.

Sharon is a Buckie quine (queen, or girl) and Nancy is from Nigeria.

My oldest and youngest dancing together.

Be still my heart.

It was great week!

Even when grandma OK'd the playing with camp cook pots

resulting in this look for the 1 year old.

We love HBC and the revamping of Bible Schools across the world!

Highland Gaming

So I have been absent from social media, this blog, and most of my cognitive functions these past few weeks. This is all for good reason. 

Namely: 

1. my mom coming to Scotland 

Read: GOOD GOLLY I GOTTA CLEAN MY HOUSE!

Sorry I shouted that, but it's a real concern of mine. Because I don't want my mom to think we live the way that we live. She says she lived with me for 18 years, she already knows, but still, I like to do "fake house" for when she comes.

2. Holiday Bible Club all week long

Read: guys I love hanging out with the kids, but it leaves little time for anything else

3. Americans were visiting

The teams from Missouri and Florida were more fun than a barrel of monkeys to hang around. So yes, I choose real people over the virtual ones. Don't get me wrong though, I looovvveee our blog readers.

4. Holiday Bible Camp

Read: Planning a church camp takes a lot of work, and attention to detail. Hint: Jordan's not a detail person.

5. Moving a family of 6 over 5,000 miles away

Read: Help.

So may I please get an excused absence?

Thanks in advance.

Or "tia," like they say online nowadays. Which bothers me because I think people are going rogue speaking in Español at the end of their sentence....and then I never find out what they want to say about their dear auntie.

HOW TO Series: How to Cut a Pancake

This is a new feature on the blog called, "HOW TO Series."

Which basically means Mr. Anderson had a great idea a while back and told me I should put it on Pinterest. 

I'm not trying to knock his idea, but I just wasn't feelin' it. Until he mentioned it repeatedly every time we had pancakes the past year and a half. 

So finally I relented and got my camera out to make a tutorial.

So, without further ado:

How to Cut a Pancake

In a multi-step tutorial with way more photos than you'd ever need for comprehension.

In learning how to cut a pancake, it is helpful to start with a pancake.

I prefer to use The Pioneer Woman's recipe for perfect pancakes but any 'ol griddle cake will suffice.

Playing with a Canon

Guys, if you've been reading our blog for a while you know I have high aspirations of being a photographer.

Actually, I said that wrong;

I'd just like to be able to take decent pictures. 

I fancy myself somewhat of a creative soul. 

In reality I'm half decent at copying *some* artistic mediums but I haven't been blessed with a boatload of original creativity.

So it really torques me when I pick up a camera and the photos I take are...fair to middlin', at best, and ding-dang awful at worst.

I WANT to be able to be gifted.

I also feel like this when I get a notion and pick up Mark's guitar to start playing through my guitar songs repertoire. 

Including and limited to:

- Lord I Lift Your Name on High

- One of These Days by FFH

- Wipe Out

- the base line to Mission Impossible theme song

And then my finger tips start throbbing, I cry and moan and get frustrated that my guitar playing is just NOT progressing, and I put Mark's guitar up in the case until the next time I get it out...in November.

So I'm trying.

I'm. Trying.

To be better at photography.

Y'all are just my audience so we can reflect on my journey.

And it had better be a journey, dang it.

Patient Declined Termination of Pregnancy: Sally Pink's story

Two years ago this week our world tilted on its axis. We lived in Houston, Texas, I was 20 weeks pregnant with our 4^th child, and we had just been in to receive our anatomy ultrasound. This is the scan where the baby’s major organs are checked. We had the scan done at a special ultrasound clinic and our biggest decision that day was whether to find out the gender of the baby or not. We choose both and had the technician write the results on a yellow sticky note and I placed in my purse.

The next day Mark and I were out trying to finalize the sale of our two vehicles and had stopped to eat lunch when my obstetrician called us. I quickly stepped out of the restaurant to more clearly hear. Just in time to hear the Dr when she said, “All the measurements look good with the baby and everything looks up to date... However, the technician did find a spot in the brain. You’re going to need a level 2 scan to address this.” I felt the blood draining...I tried to ask coherent questions, tried to understand what the Dr was saying, but basically until we had the scan there was no telling what “spot on the brain meant.” This was Thursday and so we had to wait over an agonizing long weekend until Tuesday to attend the scan with a perinatologist.

That weekend I turned 31 and it was a horrible birthday, sad to say. I was consumed with worry. If you’ve never experienced it worry on this level it rips you in two. Sleep was the only respite from this disease that was eating me alive.

Cheerleading Tales from the Crypt(tic post title, I know)

My house is rather empty. Therefore it is rather tidy.
*rather*
The kids are to bed and so I thought I'd write a story.
But not just any story, it has to be funny. Because laughing is one of my all time favorite activities.
I'm not good at making up stories so this one is, regrettably, true.

Many years ago young Jordan was a cheerleader in high school. Jordan was the co-captain of the varsity squad, which sounds like an auspicious title, but I can assure you the most glamorous that title was, was it printed in fuzzy gold letters on the back of my letter jacket.

In some American high schools we have what is known as "the pep rally" which is a dang good excuse to skip 45 minutes of class. The entire school, ENTIRE school filed into the large gymnasium and sat waiting for the pep band and cheerleaders to entertain them for 45 minutes on a big game day. I'll admit now, we hadn't a clue what we were doing. We danced, did some cheers, and played silly games--really I have no memory of how we filled the rest of the 38 minutes after that. But the important part to remember was the school showed up to be entertained.

The cheerleading squad lined up across the gym to do our first dance to the cheerleading essential: Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll, Part 2" (Heck yes I had to Google that. It's a song EVERYONE can hum, but no one knows the title. Go ahead you doubters, Google it). As I take my place I notice I'm right in front of the pep band who have filled half of the lower bleachers. Then I gaze up and see an ocean of black and gold jerseys...the football team seated together. It's game day, they're dressed in their away jerseys and are highly noticeable. Also, please note they were highly noticeable to the 15 year old Jordan anyhow. They could've all been dressed like the goths that hung out in smokers alley and I could've picked 'em out of the crowd.

Flowers, Seals, and Slimy Things

We've been exploring, as we are oft to do.
Scotland has so so many beautiful places to hike around.
Our kids ask a lot for us to take them to the ever present, ever popular indoor play areas here. Those are great--for rainy days.

But we tell them God has created an amazing playground for them outside.
We're going to walk all over it...
and they're gonna like it!

Best part of God's playground?

It doesn't cost £4 a head.

It's not far from us and...

Foodie: UK Style Part 2

Last week I offered y'all a taste (pun totally intended) of the food offering here in Scotland. 

That post is here.

I'll reiterate again: these are a collection of photos from our many years association with Scotland. Ain't nobody got enough Weight Watchers* points for a post like this to happen in a few days span.

*We aren't associated with Weight Watchers (shocker), they don't even know I'm advertising for them.

Please note: I am aware of my usage of contractions of auxiliary verbs as well as the occasional double negative and would ask that the general public just sit back and enjoy the colloquialisms I employ on this blog, not using them as a standard of my socio-economic or education level.

What did I just say?

If y'all would like to continue on the delightful, delicious, and sometimes strange foodie journey, read on.

To start the lineup we have the Scottish specialty: white pudding.

This is oatmeal, fat, and seasoning all stuffed into a casing to be cooked and eaten as a side dish.

My family ADORES this.

I, again, have trouble with beef lurking in foods I think it has no business in.

It's different for everyone,

It's just how you're raised.

Or perhaps your geographical ubiquity.

The Great Outdoor Playground

If you're out and about (or oot and aboot)
in Scotland you may see the Anderson family wandering around.

It's what we do in our free time: explore the great outdoor playground!

This is the Buckie Harbour wall.

Foodie: UK Style Part 1

Lest you be confused:

I am NOT a foodie.

To me a foodie lives for exotic and gourmet foods, loves sushi, and can pronounce foie gras correctly.

For obvious reasons I don't appear becoming a foodie anytime soon as I:

- Can't stand the taste of kale 

- Still eat mac and cheese from a box. Living those blue box blues, for reals.

- Shudder at quinoa with the eensy "worms" that are suddenly produced by cooking it

(by the way I feel ridiculous with the "KEEN-wah" pronunciation. 

I'm a rebel and call it like I see it (read: the hillbilly way) "quinn-no-uh")

I live in the UK. 

I eat food in the UK.

I sometimes take pictures of food in the UK.

I've had the rare, the outlandish, the delicious, and the classics.

Would you like to see some?

These are a candy.

They taste just like those orange Circus Peanuts candy you get in the USA.

I liked these until I read the back of the package...

BEEF GELATIN

Comparison: what I'd do in my free time, if I had any

I have four children. 

I don't have free time.

But I sneakily take time from important tasks to pretend like I've got free time.

This is including but not limited to:

- laundry

- washing dishes

- grading papers

- mending (I know it's 2015 and this is like so 50 years ago and SO Cinderella, but it's true)

- the tapestries

- and the draperies

and oh yes, one more thing:

- bathing

I'm not proud of it, but I can place the last item well down on the list if the need to procrastinate arises.

So I thought I'd pretend like I had free time and imagine what I do with it:

I'd compare pictures of my children all at the same age.

So I did it tonight.

(Laundry, get thee behind me.)

April 2015 

Caedmon is 8

and he's eating candy money.

I'm sure there's a good analogy or hidden meaning here.

Calf-roping, Aisle 4

Well our lives have been a teensy bit crazy lately.

So I wanted to just do a short little "here's what we've been doing" in a few photos.

As per usual, I blog when there are other pressing things to do. Today's avoidance is called: grocery shopping. 

I used to love to grocery shop, because shopping is shopping, yo. 

But since plastic bags have become currency here (they charge 5p per bag at ALL stores) that adds significant time onto my weekly trip, and I have to remember to bring bags along with me.

So yes, in procrastinating I'm hoping in the next 20 minutes it takes me to write this that 

- the government will reverse it's law to charge for cheap-y plastic bags, 

- there will be grocery-packing-leprechauns at the end of every lane

- Lidl's (grocery store like Aldi) will stop checking out your entire purchase in 5 milliseconds making you fumble for your wallet and hurriedly repacking your [unsacked] groceries whilst the rest of the lane stares at you.

This is like some kind of hideous and twisted calf-roping event to me: 

The great check out challenge, where I attempt to reload my cart and pay in record time.

I feel like I should be applauded when I shove my wallet back in to my purse, 

snatch the receipt, and pitch the last of the groceries in the cart.

"Ladies and gentleman, we have a NeeeeeeW record! 

We were unsure at the beginning as she had the minor fumble re-stacking the 3 dozen eggs purchased,

but she recovered by flinging the non-bruising onions into the cart."

"Yes Donny, Mrs. Anderson may have a new record 

but if we look at the stats we'll see this is one of her lower scores;

she's gotten one loaf of bread squished, every single dang tortilla chip smashed, 

and all the frozen items scattered throughout the cart. 

She's going to get docked major points on those."

Ok, so it's obvious I have issues with grocery shopping.

And yes, I do have these conversations in my head.

One and Ten Years

Eleven years ago today THIS EVENT HAPPENED.

So naturally I got to reminiscing 

    (yeah, I totally had to use spell check for that word)

And usually when I reminisce 

    (didn't use spell check on that one--BOOM)

I go straight to my iPhoto albums.

Enjoy the previous 11 years:

2003, an engagement photo shoot in Cheyenne, WY.

This has actually never happened in all our married lives, 

so I'm not sure why I hogtied him for the picture.

Anderson Family Update

Dear Friends,

We wanted to bring you up to date with some events affecting our family. In 2012 we were invited to minister with the Buckie Church of Christ in Scotland. From the very beginning our aim, as felt by the Lord's leading, was teaching and implementing discipleship within the church.

In the past 6 weeks Mark has met with the leadership of Buckie Church of Christ. The church has decided their vision and direction is no longer in line with our own vision and calling. We, feeling the Lord's calling and focus for our ministry has not changed, and in agreement with the leadership of the church, have deemed it necessary to part ways with BCC.

Because of our visa requirements our family will be returning to the USA in mid-to-late July. During this interim time Mark will continue to preach on Sunday mornings and I will continue to lead the children's ministries. We will continue our work in high school youth group in our home, weekly men's discipleship group, as well as our Sunday evening service. This summer's Holiday Bible Club will take place as well as the second annual Holiday Bible Camp for high schoolers.

We ask that you please continue to keep our family in prayer during this time as we seek the Lord's direction.

As always and foremost:
For the sake of the gospel,

Mark & Jordan
Caedmon, Caithness, Aberdeen, & Airdrie

Twilight Series--the good kind, though

It's that time of year again, the time where I go nuts about the sunsets here.

Here's two reasons I do this:

- they are AMAZING!

- they occur after the Anderson children are to bed

Monday night I noticed the colours of the sky so off I went with big camera and tripod in hand...

Just after 8 pm, this is looking NORTHwest.

My Very First Little Brother

It's another happy birthday time!

Mark's youngest brother, Joshua, had a birthday today.

If you know your historical turn of phrase you'll know how old he is:

Two score and eight years.

Joshua is the youngest of 7 children.

So when I married Mark I got 3 older brothers, one brother my age, a little sister, and one baby brother.

SO exciting! 

I never had a little brother growing up.

Joshua is the best of little brothers to have.

We ALL can universally agree Joshua is highly recognisable with his smile: 

His eyes disappear.

Easter-ing We Will Go

So recently we celebrated Easter here.

I mean, I know all y'all did.

But I don't know about how you celebrated it, so this will be a post about our celebration.

Thank you for your understanding.

First off, let me just acknowledge that our 18 month old singlehandedly did this in our school room.

She takes great delight in grabbing what she can and flinging it over her shoulder.

The crayon bucket is her special place that makes her happy.

This does not evoke such feelings in me.

Happy Birthday: to the only Cat I've ever loved

I have a little sister

Catlin is her name

I think she's very pretty

with her curly mane.

We like to laugh together

Good friends are what we are.

We can sit for hours and blether

Even in a strangers car.

So come and join with me

And read the post below.

Let's end the horrid poem

And shuffle off to Buffalo.

Y'all, that was so much harder than it looks.

My baby sister, Catlin Daye, is having a birthday today. 

I won't tell you how old she is but it starts with a two and rhymes with heaven.

Here's a walk down memory lane with the one and only Cat in my life....

Her name is Catlin but she also responds to:
CatDaye, Cat, Miss Kitty, Callitan, Kitty Cat, Skister Sue, Cat-Cat-Jehosephat, KitCat, Gosshopper, Callin
I think it's obvious our family has nickname issues.

Whatever You Do, Marry a Handy Man

Ok, let me rephrase:

whatever you do, marry a man who loves Jesus first and foremost.
THEN
make sure he's handy.

Well, those are requirements just for me.
But they're not a bad start.

I had a list, that I didn't know I had, when I was growing up.
I wanted to marry a man who:

- loved Jesus
- could rebuild a carburettor
- lead his family spiritually
- would go hunting
- frame a house
- know how to handle firearms
- be a leader
- could grill

Ok, random, and not complete and most certainly not all in order but I think I got a man who fits all that AND can sing and play the fiddle.

What?!

Jackpot to Jordan.

Anyhow, sometimes on here I do completely-unrelated-to-anything posts and today is such a day. I wanted to share some amazing things my husband did for me.
If I can dream it, he can build it.

This is an invaluable trait to have in a husband when you are a Pinterest addict.
Amen.

It began when we were engaged. 

The man went all over his parents land finding cedar trees.

And he cut them down...

My April Babies

This April marks a birthday month for the Anderson household. 

There's only 2 birthday months a year here--we make a big deal out of them.

Caithness Maela Anderson was born on April 11, 2009. (I should write that birth story out sometime--if you know Nessie you'll know how indicative of HER that trial was).

Caithness is a county in Scotland located in the highlands. You can actually see it looking northwest across the Moray Firth from Buckie.

Maela is an "Anderson creation." We wanted a name that would honour the Grandmothers, but do so simultaneously without hurting feelings. So Mary + Pamela = Maela.

That little fat face,

and ALWAYS frowning eyebrows.

Be still my heart.

Offering My Greatest Treasures

Every spring our lives change. 

Every. Single. Spring.

The Anderson family has some huge life-altering event/news take place. 

Some events are the best of our lives: the birth of Caithness Maela, the birth of Aberdeen Daye. 

Some events the most dramatic or painful: our home flooded with 5,000 gallons of raw sewage, the loss of our baby boy, Iain. 

This April marks the 3 year anniversary of one of the greatest times of trial in our lives. It is a story to be told, and we will tell it each year--to the glory of God. This story will be forever be etched on our hearts.

After church on Easter Sunday 2012 in Missouri while the majority of the family took naps I took Caedmon, then 5, out to fly his kite. While sitting on the bank of our pond I noticed an awful bruise on his right knee; black, blue, purple, it was horrible. Yet he didnʼt recall how heʼd gotten it or seem in pain from it. As I pointed it out later to Mark I realised both Caedmonʼs knees were bruised quite traumatically. That evening we were appalled to find similar bruising all over his body. Mark and I looked over Caedmon at each other with an awful sense of dread in our eyes. It was then the numbness began.

Caedmon flying his kite the day we discovered his bruises.

Touring Scotland: Monks, Cows, and Chairs

Recently we had a party here and invited a bunch of university students here to chill for a week.

Well that's only partially true. 

I don't normally use the word "chill" as it is rather foreign and chafes at this thirty-something momma who sees the value in not embracing skinny jeans, the sensibility in buying shoes for comfort, and the FOR THE LOVE OF PETE turn the stereo OFF in the car for some peace and quiet!!!

Now, for our lesson in how to avoid awkward introductions and hideously long, nearly run-on sentences.

Wow.

I think I'll begin the post again.

Once upon a time a group of students from Lincoln Christian University came to Scotland to have a Tour of the Reformation.

We welcomed them with open arms.

Dr. Middleton led the group and arrived a few days early because he loves the Anderson kids...

On or About This Day: 10 March

Airdrie is napping.
Mark has the big kids playing outside.
I have NOTHING to do!

That's a lie.
But if I don't turn around and look a the massive pile of laundry waiting for me...

I have NOTHING to do!

Ok, still stretching it.
But I thought I'd procrastinate with a fun thing called "On or About This Day."

Back when Caedmon was born I started a great system for keeping my photos organised on my computer. I can look up a photo by month, by kid's age, by siblings age....it works well.

And now that I already have the system in place it's not any effort to maintain.
Which is good because ain't nobody got time for that.

(PILE OF LAUNDRY BEHIND ME staring me down)

Ahem.



10 March 2015
A nice bright and sunny day in Scotland, but here's the previous years' story as told by my iPhoto Album on or near 10 March:

2014

Ouch! Caedmon, then 7, was in public school at this time and was sent home because of this. 

He ran into a wall, poor guy. 

Janu'ry In a Few Pictures

My husband got me a new (to me) camera for Christmas.

I thought I'd share a photographic journal of January (Janu'ry, if you're Scottish) with y'all.

I think I've mentioned I want to be a photographer just take a decent picture.

I also want to be a musician. 

My husband is a musician, a gifted one. 

So I'm slightly perturbed when I pick up his fiddle and attempt to play Ashoken Farewell and it sounds like a dang racoon scratching his grabby little claws on a chalkboard.

Now that I've painted that word picture for you I want you apply that to me and photography.

Some of these photos were taken with a Canon 400D with a Sigma 28-70mm lens and some were with an old school iPhone.

I'm not telling which are which.

Y'all I'm basically a nocturnal animal carrying around a fancy camera, hoping for the best.

January in Scotland gives you a whopping 7 hours of daylight. 

So we tried to finish school at breakneck speed to get out and enjoy the day, no matter the weather.

Airdrie: the long and short of it

The past 3 weeks have been difficult for us, so I can't imagine what they've been like for Airdrie.
Here is the story of this on-going saga, but for those who aren't into a 10 minute read please just pray for our sweet girl, Airdrie.

One evening at the very end of January Mark was holding Airdrie and noticed she had tensed up and was shaking (not like a seizure, but in pain). Her eyes had tears streaming out of them, her face was red, and blood was running out of her mouth.
Airdrie had just bitten through her lower lip.

Our sweet girl has always had some kind of issue when it comes to pain. If she rolled over on the floor and hit her head on the radiator she didn't cry. Getting her vaccinations....she didn't cry. As a matter of fact I don't think it's an exaggeration to say we have never heard Airdrie cry out in pain. For this reason we became increasingly concerned as daily Airdrie would re-injure her lip by continuing to gnaw on it.