Thanksgiving: It's not about the food...

... Okay, so it's not entirely about the food. Last year we were very fortunate to spend Thanksgiving with several other American families here while eating a gorgeous meal. It was perfect for us because we had only been here for a few months and needed some familiarity. This year we did things a little different. Because the Stirling church's mid-week Bible study falls on a Thursday, we decided to do a short devotional and treat everyone to traditional Thanksgiving desserts. So we made Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole (this one is like a dessert) and Cinnamon Rolls. It was FAB!!! We had a great time and since we could not be with our families on Thanksgiving, it was very special to be with our church family.

In addition to this, Leslie and I made a small Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us. We bought a Turkey Breast, I used four massive potatoes to make mashed potatoes (plenty for leftovers), gravy, sweet potatoes, carrots and stuffing. Well...it was good but not the best meal we have ever had. The potatoes needed a little bit more butter, the carrots were a little undercooked and the stuffing...oh the stuffing.

Growing up, my Dad and I always made the stuffing together. He would patiently wait for me as I cut the bread and measured it out. It was one of my favorite things during Thanksgiving, mainly for this reason. Well, this year I didn't take the time to do this. So we bought a box of stuffing from the store. First problem: the store had stuffing but only varieties of Sage and Onion. Sage and Onion with Lemon, Sage and Onion with Garlic, Sage and Onion etc. So we went with regular Sage and Onion. Second problem, the Sage and Onion was not good. I took a few bites...I honestly tried...but I couldn't stand it. I even had to remove it from my plate because the smell was so overpowering!! What can I say, I am a stuffing snob :)


All in all, it was a nice meal and we had a great time with the church later in the evening. The desserts were a big hit, especially the Sweet Potatoes and the Cinnamon Rolls. The ladies in the church did not believe that Leslie made them from scratch. She had to reassure them several times that she did not buy them from the store. I even had to give my testimony that I saw her make them!!

We hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving as well!!!

A New Creation and Fun Vacation

Some of you may have heard by now that we have a new brother in Christ. On Sunday November 9th Danny decided to follow Jesus and put Him on in baptism. We are greatly rejoicing over this new creation!

Tristan and Danny

Stirling Church at Danny's Baptism

Later that week on Wednesday, we traveled with Danny and Jie to Ardnamurchan (on Scotland's west coast) to visit Mike and Joan at their lake side house there. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and fun. We were blessed to see some absolutely stunning scenery while there.

Below Tristan and I are posing in front of a monument to the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie and his clansman army raised the Jacobite flag and began their march to storm London. I do not envy their long journey of 526 miles.

Thursday we took a ferry to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. As you can tell from the picture, we experienced typical Scottish weather.

Thursday was also Jie's birthday, so we had a celebration for her. She doesn't quite look 28 does she? (Joan, Jie, Danny, and Mike)

Friday, Mike mentioned that he had kayaks and that if we fancied a go on them we could. Well, if you know Tristan and I, that's right up our ally. Not to be put off by the rolling tide or howling winds, we suited up in Mike's astronaut-like dry suits and wellies, ready for an adventure.

As you can maybe tell from the fuzzy, unclear picture below, it was an adventure indeed. Tristan is the one in the freezing water. He came over to talk to me about 10 minutes into our paddling around the bay, and while a bit distracted from our conversation about my sore thumb, a wave came and flipped him over.

Tristan was wearing a dry suit, but water came in through the gap by his neck and got him fairly well soaked. Hehe :)

Here are a couple of things that I learned on this trip that I found very interesting. First of all, deer can swim. Mike said that he's seen them swim to a little island on the lake to eat the grass there. Maybe that is just a special talent of Scottish deer, because I've never heard of that before. Secondly, sheep can roll over cattle guards. People say that sheep are dumb, and I can see how they would say that, but for them to be able to figure out how to get across cattle guards is crazy to me!