A change of clothes

Emma and Ander's school uniform is a combination of a red/white top with grey/black slacks/skirt so last Friday was a real treat for them as they were given the option to dress in yellow to support their House color (the Herons).  Emma went as far as carrying a banana phone.  Anderson sported one of Daddy's ties.  Stewart just wanted to be in the picture and still loves to wear his kilt.

Wellington Boots

One of the first things we were introduced to when we moved to the UK was Wellington Boots or Wellies as the locals call them.  The first village we lived in had a historic walk where some of the 'grey hairs' led a tour through the town telling stories from when they were kids, machine gun marks from World War II, where the Cricket Pitch used to be, etc.  During this walk there were several times when we left the pavement and wandered into the fields.  This is quite a common thing here as the land is covered with "public" footpaths that (as long as you stay on the path) are open to any and everyone who wants to take a stroll.  Needless to say, we came back from the experience with our shoes covered in mud and the recommendation for several stores where we too could buy some great rubber boots.


Last Sunday afternoon (with a rare bit of Sun) we took our kids on a walk to Stowe Gardens for a picnic and hiked through the sheep pasture to an old Gazebo to sit and talk about what life might have been like if we had lived back when the structure was new.

This summer we were unable to plan any excursions to the beach as the kids didn't get out of school till late in July and John had a major inspection at work mid-way through August so during the kids mid-term break we took the family on a trip to the Greek island of Crete.  The hope was to spend the week lounging in the sun, playing in the sand and sea and just being together as a family.  While we were there we had 1 semi-sunny day and several fairly rainy days.  The recommendation...  don't go to Crete in October/November and hope for sun... If you want sun this time of year go further south!

Nearly alone

Due to the fortune of having a work trip and a visit from Grandma/Grandpa McFarlane occur at the same time Kirstin and I were able to leave three of our four kiddos and head off to Germany for a week.  This was a great time to stroll around and look at the beauty of Munich then head up to the mountains for scenic vistas and a little bit of snow.

When we tried to leave for church we were surprised to learn that we were blocked in by the Munich Marathon so we went for a walk and talked about how a marathon can be exciting and boring at the same time.

This is a miniature train set that my dad suggested we find (across the street from the church).  It has taken the owner over 30 years to get this far.  In the summer he has an army of Guinea Pigs that patrol the region and a shed full of a dozen or more trains.

Brackley forced us to visit the Hofbrau Haus so he could get a pint...

...but really John just wished he had his trumpet so he could join the polka band.

Mixbury Fête

Fête (pronounced fate) is a word the Brits use to signify something like a small town carnival (what I picture when I hear the word is something from the Pollyanna movie).  We took our kiddos back to the tiny town of Mixbury for their fall Fête this year and thought we'd share an idea for Grandpa...  There was a big long ramp with a wooden horse that the kids just couldn't stay off.  Ander and Stew are seen trying to catch rings with their jousting lance.  Later we were attacked by two buccaneers and a fairy princess.

First Day Back to School

Summer Temple Visit

With the temple nearly two hours away and a tiny baby in our midst we are unable to simply go to the temple (unless we go alone).  So we had a beautiful Summer day (one of the 5 that we've had this year) and packed our family off together.  While Kirstin and I took turns inside the temple the other took a shift entertaining the children wandering around the temple grounds (the last time we did this it was pouring rain the whole time).  This was a lovely way to spend the day.

Ander Flips

Anderson showing off his moves!

Emma + Ander School Sports Day

Our kids are so cute.  Their school has an annual sports day near the end of the school year.  This year Anderson put on a brave face and through the tears that he just couldn't stop finished his long race (once round the field) after having one of his shoes fall off near the beginning.  Of course it was our fault as he didn't even want these shoes (that he begged us to buy)...

Partnach Klamm

John was fortunate enough to have another conference in beautiful Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and as always couldn't help but take the family.  These are photos of a hike we did up the Partnach Gorge, just up the road from the Olympic Ski Stadium.

Scotland

In the End of May we thought it would be fun to head North to the Highlands and see about tracing our ancestral roots.