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.

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.

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

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...

Driving Scotland

If you ever wanted to drive in Scotland (and by "drive" I mean look at pictures.

And by "you" drive I mean Mark Anderson behind the wheel),

well, boy howdy you've come to the right place. 

I take a lot of pictures while here in Scotland. 

For one, I'm trying to be a better photographer, 

and for two, I'm a horrible photographer.

We tend to do a lot of adventuring and we do it in the car, because any other form of transportation with 4 kids tends to be pricey.

So most pictures were taken from within our vehicle.

Also, when the car stops the Anderson circus [children] think they all should abandon ship. And so we refrain from stopping the vehicle as much as possible to avoid an uprising by the natives.

Want to see what it would be like to drive in Scotland?

Our mode of transportation:

The French-made (don't get Mark started) Citroen C8, 

it's a "people carrier" and not a minivan.

And don't you forget it.

Once Upon a United States Visit

What a fun time we had going back to the USA recently! This was the kids and my first visit back and Mark's second (you'll remember he had an emergency trip back right after Thanksgiving to see his dad in hospital).
Here's a few stats and some fun pictures from our trip:

12,579 roundtrip flight miles
3 countries
4,765 miles driven
8 churches visited
6 states (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma)
2 Taco John's visits
1 Chick-fil-a visit
3 Sonic visits
1 Chipotle visit
1 ER visit
1 herd of elk sighted
MANY mule deer sightings
3 fox sightings
1 MOOSE sighting
3 different Wal-Marts visited (did you KNOW they have Peanut Butter Cookie Pop Tarts now?! LOVE!)
4 -the number of times I tried to pay different cashiers the £5 note I had in my wallet

The starting of packing for 4 children 

this is just the girls, this is not bows, 

or shoes, 

or accessories

girls are high maintenance by nature...