RRS Discovery

We spent Saturday thinking about Antarctica.  Yes, it was a cold day, but we also went to visit the RRS Discovery.  Discovery was built in Dundee and it now rests there.  The Discovery museum was great and extremely kid friendly.  There were video games, magnet fishing, coal throwing, large foam blocks to build an Antarctic food pyramid...  St. Andrews friends, I would highly recommend the museum!  

But, the best part by far was taking a step back in time and walking right onto the ship.  The ship is open and one can go through the crew quarters, store rooms, sick bay, kitchen, and explore the deck.  

Note:  We finished off the day with BBC's Frozen Planet and popcorn.  We were also hoping to get in a game of Antarctica, a cooperative game Jim's grandparents gave Jonah for Christmas and we've been playing a lot!

Edinburgh Outing

Last Wednesday, between sick days (we've all had a 24 hour bug in the past week and in four different 24 hour periods) we made it to Edinburgh to apply for Isaac's US citizenship and passport.  While we were in the city the Christmas markets beckoned and we had to take Isaac on his first trip to an art gallery.  The market was fun and the boys loved each picking a ride to try.  Hot chocolate in the gallery cafe while I nursed a very cooperative babe (he slept in his wrap the whole time, except to feed!) was delectable!  And, Rowan and Jonah were so excited to find baby Jesus fourteen times in pictures throughout the main floor of the gallery!  Jonah rode his first (mini) roller-coaster and the older boys were delighted with the train ride.  Overall, it was a successful outing with three children (my, oh my three seems like a lot these days, but two used to seem like plenty too...)

One of my places

Last week we did the creation story in Godly Play and I loved revisiting the story.  I was particularly struck by the last creation card...

"On the seventh day God rested and gave us the gift of a day to rest - and to remember the great gifts of all the other days"

the storyteller places the 7th card, which is blank

"There is nothing here, because people go to different places to remember the great gifts [God gave us in the days of creation].  You can put something there to show your favorite place to remember.  It might be in the mountains or by the ocean or a lake.  I don't know where your place is.  Only you know."

(Godly Play Volume 2, 48)

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And so today we didn't go to church, because while church plays a special role in our lives*, it is not always the best place to give thanks for God's great gifts.  And in this rugged climate, days like today are not to be taken for granted.  It was beautiful and we headed to the beach.  Before moving to Scotland I would never have said that the beach was a place where I particularly met God and was reminded of his great creation because 'beach' conjured up pictures of masses of tourists sunbathing, which is simply not the whole truth about beaches.

Living by scottish beaches I've discovered tidepools, rocky sand, and cold north sea waves, which are beautiful and awe inspiring.  So today, we went to Elie to the beach.  We found fish, crabs and jellyfish.  We played with sand and felt slimy seaweed.  We splashed in the waves and had sand ooze between our toes.

And I felt so grateful.  So grateful for a beautiful world and for two silly little boys who had such a good time putting sand on each other's heads I couldn't stop them...

No one can tell you where your place is and perhaps there are many places - some of them yet to be discovered.

* because of some feedback on this post I want to clarify that we believe it is extremely important to be involved in and regularly attend our church.  This day was certainly the exception and not the rule.  I am grateful for the freedom we have as Christians and the support we have from our Christian community to occasionally make choices to worship creatively in creation.

Mediaeval Pageant and Banquet

St. Andrews University is celebrating its 600th anniversary.  There are all sorts of plans for the coming three years (there is dispute on exactly what year the university was founded, so they are just celebrating for all three years).  This year is devoted to respecting the past and the university hosted a mediaeval banquet.  We happily took part.

We shared the meal with friends - four other couples and our 15 children (18 if you count the unborn babes we're expecting).

One. Two. Three!

That's right, why I haven't been blogging as much of late has been because I've been sleeping (oh making these babes takes so much sleep!)  

 KCWC: Three pairs of flannel PJ pants.  I just set out to make a pair for the boys, but then there was just enough fabric left over to make a little pair and I couldn't resist.

Today we bought several pictures: First, a picture of our little one.  It was so good to see one healthy little baby and to confirm that he or she will join us in mid November.  Second, after our scan we headed north to Glamis to tour the castle and grounds.  I forgot my camera, so I picked up some postcards.  We loved the grounds and may go back to explore again some time as we got caught in a downpour after only an hour outside.  There was a wonderful fairy tree where we played for a long time and a great playground with a zip-line.  The palace tour was amazing too, but once on the hour tour with a squirmy nineteen month old was enough for a long time to come.

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Note: In case you noticed, the past two days' posts have disappeared - it is a blogger error and hopefully they will return soon.  Okay, the posts are back, but the comments are still missing, so if you left a comment know that I read and appriciated it and did not delete it - hopefully they will return.

A Royal Wedding Extravaganza

We woke up early Friday morning, pulled ourselves together and headed for the royal wedding celebration in town.  Because William and Kate attended St. Andrews, the town and university feel a deep connection with them and planned a party to celebrate.  They gave out 1500 tickets and the fairmont hotel provided breakfast.  It was lovely, with activities for the children, face painting, stalls selling ice cream, cake and other foods, and loads of people so excited to be there.  There was live music with lots of highland dance, bagpipes, and drums.  And we got to see The Other Guys sing their youtube sensation in person (warning: it is quite funny, but is also college boy humor, so don't watch if you don't like that sort of thing).  It was quite the party.  This celebration was shown several times in the wedding coverage and the highlight was when Kate and Wills were on the balcony and they had a fly over - at that exact second (this was so well planned) we had a fly over as well.  Rather exciting.

We talked with several British friends at the party about the monarchy, because while we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, I overhead people saying things like "this is the most exciting day of my life", "I can't believe that we are seeing this..."  and to those exclamations I couldn't relate.  But two things became clear from observing the celebration in the quad and the BBC coverage.  First, this was a day to celebrate national pride.  There was an intense sense of patriotism as people waved flags and cheered for the queen.  Second, it was stated several times that this is a day when Britain sees the hope for their future.  We discovered that this seems to be on both a national level and a personal one.  "True Love Really Does Exist" read a sign; the older women on the bus a couple days ago were talking about how pleased they were Will and Kate were settling down and I couldn't help but feel that they were wishing for them what they wish for their own grandchildren; I overheard two college age girls saying how it was their dream wedding...

A beautiful slice of british culture to cherish and remember.

Breakfast at 8 am in the quad

the storyteller was a huge hit with the boys

I spent the first part of the morning helping children make crowns with volunteers from our church.

While the adults watched the wedding the kids played with a bug. 

Watching the wedding with so many others, cheering for the queen, clapping for the couple...

...and a little cake to celebrate!

A Katie Apple Tree and a Williams Pear Tree

A mum at Jonah's swim lessons invited us to the garden club's Royal Wedding celebration at the Botanic gardens Tuesday.  The bagpiper was wonderful and the children followed him through the gardens to the spot in the orchard where they were planting a Katie Apple Tree and a Williams Pear Tree in honor of the Wedding tomorrow.  It was lovely and both the boys enjoyed playing in the dirt.

There is nothing like a royal wedding - there is no school or work for most tomorrow.  The old ladies on the bus are gushing over Kate and Wills as if they were their own grandchildren marrying.  The shop windows are filled with signs, Kate and Wills paperdolls, framed photos, plates and tins with the couples picture, and I even spotted a book "Knit your own Royal Wedding". 

We have tickets to a huge celebration in town in honor of the event tomorrow morning and I'm delighting in this slice of british culture that I never would have grasped without participating in it.

Last Weekend's visit to the Deer Park

Our Town: St. Andrews, St. Andrews

Thanks Giving: Church

Day 28 - A November discipline of giving thanks each day

We have been going to St. Andrews church (in the town of St. Andrews - thus it is called St. Andrews, St. Andrews) since our third week in Scotland.  And while there are a lot of things I would love to change about our church experience right now, I am grateful for this place and the people that fill it.  I am grateful that the first Sunday we attended Jonah (age 2 at the time) asked when we could come back and that we've been able to start Godly Play with the 2-5s, which Jonah loves.  I'm grateful for Rowan's baptism in these walls, the friendships we've made and for the eucharist we share each week.  And I'm also grateful for the beauty of this old Scottish building and the stories in the many stained glass windows.