Christmas in Scotland!

This year has been amazing! We have had so many surprises and blessings. I feel so unworthy of all of the love that we have received from friends, family, and most importantly our Heavenly Father.

I was really worried that this years Christmas was going to be a sad one for our family. Most of my family was going to be at my parents house this year for Christmas and this is the second time that I have missed out on being there with everyone. Plus, being in a whole different Country, I was worried that I might have some homesick problems. But we have felt the Spirit so much these last few weeks. There just wasn't time for me to get too homesick, and that is a HUGE blessing.

A few days before Christmas this year I received a text from a Lady in our Ward (I'll keep her name private) asking me if I was home because she wanted to drop off a Christmas Card for us. I told her yes and about 20 minutes later there was a knock at the door. She was carrying a huge Christmas bad which she handed to me. She gave me a hug, told me Happy Christmas and that she was following a prompting and that she wouldn't be at Church on Sunday so she wanted to bring it by now. Then she just turned and left.

I was shocked and speechless. When I looked in the bag there was presents in there for each of us, a ham, a bottle of Sparkling Grape juice, and a package for a Scottish Trifle. It was amazing and so incredibly sweet. Especially since Steven and I didn't have a lot of money this Christmas so we decided to just get stuff for the boys. They each got one thing from us, one thing from Santa, and then whatever the Grandparents got them. We didn't buy anything for each other, so it was nice to have the extra little present. We also had stood in the Grocery store for about 10 minutes trying to decide if we should get a ham or chicken for dinner. We wanted the Ham because it seemed more "Christmasy" but it was so much more expensive then the chicken.. so we ended up just getting the Chicken. So it was really nice to be given that wonderful ham as well.

Then on Christmas Eve we had the Missionaries over so they could Skype their families. One of the Elders, Elder Ihalmo is from Finland and so they celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve so he wanted to talk to them then. Elder Trawick's family just decided to do Christmas Eve as well to make it easier. Anyway, we had the missionaries over along with a guy named Levi who is in Steven's Graduate program. He wasn't able to go home and so he spent the evening with us. (He has distant family in Scotland so he spent Christmas day with them, but it was fun having him for Christmas Eve.) He also came with presents for the boys. They each got books and I'm so excited to read them to them. He also gave us some brownie bites and mini pies. It was really sweet of him.

I was able to make the traditional Wassall, even if it was a WEE bit different. It still tasted wonderful. Sadly its the only thing I was able to make.. they just have such weird ingredients over here.

Well, while they were over here we got a call from our Hometeacher asking if he could stop by and give the boys a present. He came really fast and didn't even want to come in. But I was shocked by the bag he had handed to Steven. It had two really big presents for the boys, along with 2 little ones for Steven and me. It was SO sweet of them and completely unexpected, but we really appreciate it. We had the boys wait until the next morning to open them, but they got Rhys a Rescue Helicopter with a working rope that comes down. The boys love pushing the button making the rope go up and down. They got Gavin a Rocket Ship that has 2 Astronauts and an alien that go with it. There's also a button that you push that makes it say "3,2,1, Liftoff." Gavin pushes it over and over... it doesn't get annoying at all. =)

Christmas morning was really fun. The boys woke us up at 6:45 which was actually later then we were expecting. After Steven turned the Christmas lights on we had the boys come in. Rhys was so excited. He ran right to his stocking and started to open presents. I ended up having to stop him and tell him to slow down. He was a good boy though, and waited patiently for me to be ready. Gavin immediately saw his box of cereal that the Grawrocks traditionally get in their Stockings and immediately wanted to eat it. We ended up pouring some in a bowl and he was munching on it all morning. (He even ended up eating Rhys' box.. it was very nice of Rhys to share.)

Rhys got what he asked Santa for, which is Kirby's Epic Yarn for the Wii. He also got a Sonic game for the PS3 and a book on how to draw Pokemon from Gramma and Poppy. We gave him a Lego Star Wars game for the Wii and my parents got him some books. They got 2 presents for the boys to share which were an ABC puzzle and the Backyardigans Beanie babies.

Gavin LOVES Elephants right now so he got an Elephant pillow pet from Santa. He also got some Barn animals from us. Their heads twist around and make a clicky sound. Gramma and Poppy got him an "I love Elephants" t-shirt, an animal puzzle, and a little Elephant play set.

Steven got 3 video games. Batman and Agarest from my parents and a Colossus game from his. He also got a Nightmare before Christmas Sketch book and a board game called Transeuropa from my parents that you can only get over here, so that was fun. His parents also gave him a black vest and 2 bow ties.

I got some winter boots, a beret, and some colored pencils from Steven's parents. I got the final Season of Boy Meets world, a scarf, earrings, a mini puzzle (the smallest jigsaw puzzle in the world and I did it in 2 hours. =) and my new fun toy, a Drawing Tablet, from my parents.

Steven's actually really jealous of it and wants one himself. Its kind of fun having the new "fun" toy.. usually its Steven who gets it. But I'm nice and share. =)

We both got shower sets from our Hometeacher and that will come in especially handy for Steven as he goes to London in a few weeks.

We finished opening presents in time to get ready really quickly before Ben and Olivia came to pick us up for church. There was a lot more people there then normal. About 50 total when there's normally about 40. =) We had some Scriptures read to us and then we sang Christmas Hymns between them. It was a really nice service and the boys were even good for it. I like having Christmas on Sunday.. it helps you remember the reason why we're celebrating the Holiday and I think its easier to feel the spirit.

After Church we had the Missionaries over for Christmas Dinner, along with a girl named Lauren who is also part of Steven's Graduate Program. I was really excited for her to come because I hadn't had much time to talk to her before. She's a really nice girl and I have decided that I need to go into the city and hang out with her sometime when they get back from London. =) She was so sweet and brought presents for everyone. Stockings full of American candy for the boys along with felt pictures for them to color. She also got a hat and gloves for Steven (Something he actually really needed) with some chocolates, and a beautiful scarf and Chocolates for me. It was so sweet of her. I so wish we had the means to give everyone presents. It was hard to not have anything to give everyone, especially after feeling so loved by everyone's generosity. I told Steven that when we have money again I want to make it up to everyone.. I just hope we get the opportunity to do it...

Christmas Dinner was wonderful if I do say so myself. Steven made the Chicken and it was delicious! We also had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, rolls that Lauren brought, Devilled eggs, and some delicious pie for dessert that the Elders brought. It was an amazing day full of fun and laughter, followed very closely by peace and the Spirit! I hope that every Christmas we get to feel of this wonderful Spirit that we had and I hope that everyone gets the opportunity to feel it as well. Happy Christmas everyone!! =)

Our Christmas Tree with all the presents under it.

All of the Stockings laid out.

Steven getting ready to pass out the presents. Its his favorite responsibility as the Dad. =)

Gavin with his bowl of Cereal.

Rhys was SO excited to get his game from Santa.

On our way to Church.. aren't we cute!

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Crookstone Castle!

One of the first weeks we were here we were able to ride a bus around town. Steven, being the more observant person then me, noticed a Castle up on a hill as we rode by. It looked so cool from a distance that we decided that one day we would take a walk and go find it.

Well we ended up waking up early on Saturday to Google how to get there. We found out its only a mile walking distance from here and since it was a nice day we were going to do it. We got the boys all bundled up and we went for a walk.

Once we crossed the bridge over the river and walked half a block we were able to see it in the Distance. With the fog and the darker sky it was kind of eerie looking and so Rhys thought it was extremely cool.

We had directions to get there, but on the map there looked like there might be a faster way to cut through one of the neighbourhoods. We figured we'd try it and if it wasn't faster that we would at least get a nice walk in. Well, I don't think it was any faster but it did make us come across this gorgeous Church. We saw it from a distance and wanted to take pictures. While we were walking around a little walked up to me. She had been standing at the Bus stop a few feet away and asked me if there was anything she could do for me. I told her we had just seen the church and thought it was so pretty that we wanted to come and take some pictures. She then told me that she is the Property Manager of the Church and asked if we would like to see the inside of it. This sounded like fun, so we told her yes and so she got her keys and let us in.

The inside was just beautiful. Exactly like you'd imagine an old church to look like. It kind of reminded me a little of the Church in Sound of Music that they get married in, only on a much smaller scale. She told us some very interesting stories about it. It was built in 1894 and that it had once been in a different location. They ended up moving it brick by brick in 1942 and finally finished it in 1946. She didn't tell us why they moved it, but its fascinating to think of the process that they went through.

There were also some gorgeous Stain glass windows. They had such amazing colours coming through them with the sun. It was surprising since they weren't that noticeable from the outside. There was also a lady inside putting together some flowers in a vase for the service the next day and she said she had a few left over so she gave them too me. They were beautiful white roses and they had the most wonderful smell to them. Of course they invited us to their service on Sunday but we told them we would have to see if our schedule would work. They had their service at 11:00 and since our Church is at 10:00 there was no way we could go even if we wanted to, but it was really sweet of them to offer. She was very nice and was able to instruct us on the best way to get to the Castle from there and then we were on our way.

From there it was only a short walk over another bridge and then we were at the bottom of the hill. Its funny because it didn't seem like that big of a deal until I started to push the Buggy up it. For some reason I was just not able to do it. Luckily I had a nice, strong, handsome man by my side who was able to take over. =)

Once we got to the top we decided to leave the Buggy at the gate so that Gavin could wander around more. (This ended up being a very wise decision because there was mud all along the trail to get to the castle and I think the buggy would have gotten stuck.) I carried Gavin up to the top and let him down once we were actually on the stones of the Castle.

The Castle was made in 1100 and was attacked in a Siege in 1489. It left only one tower standing but there were originally 4. This is also the only Castle left standing in Glasgow, which is really sad.

We walked around the whole thing before we finally found the entrance. There's only one and its a small door, so we just started walking around the wrong way.

So, you go through this small hallway and it opens up to this big room. There's a hole in the ceiling so there's plenty of light. It was then that Gavin first said "Wow." We told him he was in a Castle so he wandered around saying "Wow, Castle." It sounded more like "astle" but it was still cute.

There were a few small side rooms that were really dark and only big enough for one person to stand in. There were also a few barred windows that Gavin was quite fascinated with. Once we were done exploring the bottom floor we found the stairs going to the next one. Since they are so old they were very hard to walk up. They were stone, so there wasn't a question of them not being stable, but they were SO uneven that you had to be careful not to let your ankle twist when you put your foot down.

On the Second floor there was a railing and you could look down into the first floor. (Remember how I said there was a hole in the ceiling.) I was very sad that we missed a cute picture opportunity because both Rhys and Gavin walked up to the edge very carefully and were craning their necks from far away trying to see down. But, we didn't get the picture taken so you'll all just have to use your imaginations.

This floor had a lot less rooms, but there was a hollowed out space that was the "Pantry" and a section that said they used to lock up their personal items since there was nothing like a bank or safe back then.

There was a small archway with some stairs that led up to another floor. And once again, Steven being the more observant of us noticed there was a little ledge across from it that we might be able to set our camera on to take a family picture. We took a few and were able to get some cute ones. We're not all looking at the camera, but since there's still all smiles I think they still turned out really cute.

Anyway, we then went through the arch way and up a few stairs to find a set of round staircase stairs. They were kind of scary to go up because it was so dark, but we did it. There was a small hallway and then we were in another little room. This one had a few windows so it wasn't completely dark, but it was darker then all the others.

This is where Gavin and my journey ended because there were ladders you had to climb to keep going. Gavin tried really hard but he couldn't even get on the bottom rung and there was no way I was carrying him up there. Rhys was able to do it though, so Steven and him climbed all the way to the top. Apparently there were 4 sets of ladders so it was a good thing that we didn't end up going. They said it was neat, and I was going to go when they came back but Gavin was so attached to me I didn't want to upset him. I figure that we'll be taking a few people that come and visit us anyway so I'll get my chance to climb up.

Climbing back down all the stairs was an adventure since its a lot harder going down in the dark then going up, but we all made it safely. Gavin seemed quite happy to get back in his Buggy for the ride home and even let us put his gloves on him.

Rhys was a good sport but near the end he kept telling us his feet hurt and he wanted to go home. Luckily the walk home was a little faster then the walk there since we decided to just go back the way the directions told us to. They were also happy because Steven made them Hot Chocolate to warm their little bodies up when we got home. Something that they both have started to really enjoy. =)

All in all it was a very fun trip and something I had always pictured us doing while we are here in Scotland. I look forward to many similar adventures before this trip is done. =)

Looking at the Castle from the bottom of the hill.

Our view as we were walking up to it. We walked around the right side, but the doors just on the left around the corner there.

Looking straight up from the side.

One of the windows Gavin was so obsessed with.

This is the big room on the first floor with the hole in the ceiling. You can see a door to a small room on the right.

A picture of one of the rooms... they were quite small.

Exploring the area where they kept their items locked behind that gate.

Gavin and me waiting at the bottom of the ladder for them to come back down.

One of our first attempts at a family picture.

I think this one is my favorite. Rhys isn't looking at the camera, but he still looks cute.

Rhys and me with the flowers that the ladies at the Church gave me.

Looking up at the Church.

One of the doors of the Church.

This is the view we saw from far away that made us want to come and see it.

Thanksgiving in Scotland!!

I know Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago, but I have been distracted with my drawing. I'll try and be better about posting.

Thanksgiving in Scotland was interesting. It was so strange to walk around the stores and see no decorations up. They just jumped right into Christmas after Halloween. The strangest part though, was sending Steven and Rhys to school. What, the who world doesn't recognize our Holiday.. what's that about? =) However, Rhys did tell me that they mentioned that it was Thanksgiving to his class, so it was nice to have it acknowledged.

Rhys was excited because I waited to start making dinner until he got home from School since we weren't eating until 7:00 anyway so Steven could eat with us. He was a wonderful help in the kitchen. His favorite was mashing up the Sweet Potatoes for me, but he wouldn't roll them around the marshmallows. He was too worried about his hands getting messed up. But he did hand me them to me and thought it was really funny when I kept trying to touch him with my gross hands.

I wasn't able to find stuff for Green bean casserole. Well, no fried onions, and what's green bean casserole without the onions? So we didn't have that. I also couldn't find stuff for my families Raspberry salad we always make so that was sad. And can you believe I forgot the rolls!?!? I'm very disappointed in myself. But we had Chicken (Not turkey since there was only 4 of us and Gavin wasn't going to eat it anyway) Stuffing, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Deviled Eggs. It was pretty successful if I say so myself. Gavin even tried everything. He didn't eat it, but he tried which is a huge thing for him. He ended up eating pancakes. =)

Black Friday was actually really fun. We woke up and got ready early so that after I took Rhys to school Gavin and I were able to ride the train into the city with him. We walked him to class and then spent a few hours shopping. I needed to get Birthday stuff for Steven and a few Christmas stuff, so it was nice to actually have a reason to shop. We were very successful in our trip and found everything we were looking for. It was nice because there were still a lot of shoppers, but it wasn't crowded and since there were not "amazing" deals, people weren't pushing each other. Definitely the way to spend Black Friday. =)

Steven ended up getting done early that day so Gavin and I met up with him and we went and had lunch. We had heard from Steven's family that we need to try Wagamama, and since there was one right by his school we decided to go there. We thought it was delicious!! Gavin didn't end up eating much (he's just so picky) but we were able to take the leftovers home and Rhys was able to have some, so it wasn't too bad.

We timed things perfectly, because after lunch we rode the train home and had just enough time to get Rhys from School. He loved seeing Daddy waiting there for him. It was cute.

Then we spent the rest of the day decorating the Christmas tree and putting up the stockings. I was really happy we found such a good deal on the tree. The whole thing was only £15, so I don't feel guilty about having one up. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without a tree.

I have to admit, since I have so many Christmas decorations in Storage at home I was a little sad when the tree was done. There was nothing left for me to do. But, its worth the lack of Christmas Decorations to spend this Holiday in Scotland.

There are so many things we plan to do this month, I just hope that we get to do it all.

Wow... one day can change your whole life!

I can't believe it.. I'm shocked actually. I have been actively drawing for a week now... only a week. Its hard to imagine that its only been a week, because the way I feel about it has changed completely.

Of course I liked to draw. And even though Steven would tell me I was good, I didn't really believe him. He's my husband.. he's supposed to tell me I can do things. But, when I post a new picture onto Deviant art, I love waiting for the responses. People are liking what I'm doing.. which in a way validates how I feel about my drawing.

I don't want Steven to feel bad.. but in a way I think he understands. I've been telling him he's an amazing actor for YEARS now.. but it wasn't until he got into one of the best Graduate programs in the WORLD that he is finally starting to believe it. Its just nice having other people acknowledge something that you're doing.

Now I find myself torn between drawing more pictures and coloring the ones I already have drawn so they can go up on my account. Its a really hard decision and sometimes I wish I had a million arms so I could just do it all.

I'm also starting to make a wish list of new supplies that I want. The first being a Drawing Tablet. I'm able to color with the mouse, but it would be so much easier if I didn't have to. And of course there's the bigger drawing pad. I just don't have a lot of room on mine.

I just hope that this isn't a fluke... that I didn't just have one good idea and once they're all done then I'm out. Because.. that would be very sad...

For anyone interested in seeing my pictures, here's the link to my Deviant art account: http://kushkapa.deviantart.com/

Thanks for all the support guys!!!

"Obe you"

My sweet little Gavin is finally starting to talk more. He has a hard time pronouncing the words, so most of them are only half words, Like "ow" for Cow or "at" for Cat, but he's trying.

He walks around the house saying "Dadda, are you?" and its just the cutest thing ever. He also says "I did it" and "elp" for Help.

I've been working on getting him to say I love you for a few weeks now and he just smiles at me when I tell it to him. But the other day we were sitting on the couch as a family and Gavin turned to Steven and kept saying "Dadda" over and over again until Steven acknowledged him. Then, Gavin very adorably said "Obe you." It was the cutest thing ever! While I am a wee big jealous that Steven got the first I love you, I'm really happy that I got to hear him say it and even more so that it was just him saying it and not repeating it back.

After he said it to Steven, I tried to get him to say it to me and he just laughed and stuck his tongue out at me. The silly boy. But, it was cute and I wanted to write it down so I never forget. I love you my Gavin!

My Style!

So, I have always enjoyed coloring and doing the occasional doodle. It even got to the point that Steven would tell me that he wished I could take an art class at a local College. I would always laugh at him, but the idea does kind of intrigue me.

I love all kinds of art, but pencil drawings are my favorite. I particularly like the pictures that are shaded perfectly and that's the kind of thing I would love to learn to do. So, a few weeks before we moved to Scotland, Steven finally went to the store and he bought me an art pad and some new pencils. He got one for himself as well and it has been fun for me to watch him grow in his ability as well. He has become quite the artist. So much in fact, that I was really great about drawing in my book when he first bought it for me but as I watched him get better it kind of depressed me in a way. I mean, I was happy he was getting better, but it was intimidating me to keep going.

He finally bugged me enough (and gave me some good suggestions on what to draw) that I finally drew a few pictures that I am quite proud of. I finally have my niche. My style. And I am loving it.

I do better when I can visualize something in my head, or have an example to look at, as opposed to just creating something all on my own. So, I have started to draw Disney characters. But to spruce it up, they are not your typical Characters. I'm mixing and matching the stories and combining them together and it has been so much fun. Steven has gotten into it as well and gives me some ideas on what to do. So, if anyone thinks of some fun Disney scenes they'd like to see put to paper, let me know and I will see what I can do. =)

Halloween

Halloween in Scotland was a little different then I was expecting. When we first got here, I wasn't even sure that they celebrated it. But when I asked our friend Olivia about it she told me that not only do they celebrate it, but that Halloween is actually a Scottish Holiday that America kind of took over. We commercialize it more in the States, so its not quite so crazy over here, but they definitely celebrate it.

If you read my previous blog you saw that Rhys already celebrated a little by going to the Halloween Disco. Well, our Ward wasn't doing any kind of "Trunk-or-treat" because there just aren't enough kids in the Ward to make it worth the effort. We were however, invited to another Wards Halloween party on Saturday night because they had a lot more kids and were having one.

Of course we took the boys and it ended up being a lot of fun. A few families in the Ward were given rooms to decorate and do an activity in and so we took the boys around to all the rooms. One of them they decorated biscuits into pumpkins. (frosted cookies) Another one they had to draw their face on a paper with their eyes closed. Then they got to hit the ghost to get some candy to fall out of it. Then they got to go visit a pirate and tell a joke to get a part of his treasure. I think the boys favorite part was reaching into a pumpkin full of fake worms to search for fake insects. If you found one then you got a chocolate apple and for some reason those were a huge hit with the boys. Rhys didn't hesitate and stuck his hand right in. Gavin was intrigued until he actually touched it. Then I ended up having to reach in for him. The guy was really nice though, and still let Gavin have his apple.

The boys also got to eat a donut off a string without using their hands. Rhys was able to do it with no problems.. other then he was laughing a little bit. Gavin however got scared when the donut would get close to his face. He eventually just reached up and grabbed it down. I'm just glad he was trying to do things with Rhys.

A bunch of people brought food so we got to eat some yummy stuff. And of course all the kids ran around the Cultural Hall like there was no tomorrow. Rhys discovered the balloons and was in heaven. Gavin ended up finding a soccer ball and kicking it around. They were both really cute and I was happy to have a reason to get them both dressed up.

On actual Halloween there wasn't much going on except Steven had the day off from School which was wonderful. We also ended up getting our new laptop (Or more accurately my new laptop since its not a Mac and Steven doesn't like them as much) and so that was fun. Steven and I got to play some WoW together in the spirit of Halloween. (I know... we're kind of nerds.)

We weren't sure whether we should take the boys out Trick-or-treating or not. Olivia told us that some people do, but its just not very common. We didn't want to tell them we were going and then have them disappointed when no one opened their door for them. Then when I picked up Rhys from School I overheard some mom's talking about how they weren't going to go out because they didn't when they were little and they just didn't think it was necessary. Steven and I ended up deciding that if we saw any kids out trick-or-treating we would take the boys, but if not we would stay in. We didn't even see one kid, so we just stayed in. We were prepared though and had bought a bag of candy for them to still get to eat. Luckily Rhys is such a good boy and when we explained that Scotland was different and so we weren't going Trick-or-treating he just said okay and that was that. I was really proud of him.

We still head our traditional dinner of chilli. We usually get Tamales too, but we couldn't find them anywhere. We also had donuts, which the boys loves. We ended the evening watching a classic Halloween Movie, Hocus Pocus. It was just Steven and me, but it was fun. We didn't want to scare the boys. All in all, it was a fun time.

The boys in their costumes.

Daddy trying to get Gavin to smile.. it worked.

Rhys successfully eating his donut.

Gavin scared of his.

Reaching into the worms.

Halloween Disco

One of the biggest questions I had when we first arrived for our friend Olivia was whether or not they celebrate Halloween here. Well, I guess the joke is on us because apparently Halloween is actually a Scottish Holiday that America kind of took over and commercialized a bit. I didn't know that. I'm sure other people did, but I think that's kind of fun.

So, traditionally the kids all dress up in costumes and things but it isn't as common here for the kids to go Trick-or-treating. It does happen, but just not a lot. So, trying to stay in the spirit of Halloween we still bought the boys Halloween Costumes. We took them to the store and let them pick. Well, we let Rhys pick. There was only one option for Gavin and I don't think he would have really cared anyway. Of the 5 or 6 choices we gave him Rhys wanted to be a skeleton. It was the plainest one there, but Rhys just loved the mask. I'm not complaining though. It was on sale for only 3 pounds... can't beat that. =)

Anyway, there is a tradition at the Cardonald Primary School where Rhys attends and that is the Halloween Disco that they have. I'm not sure why those chose the 27th to do it, but it was still fun. It cost a pound for a ticket and the kids had to buy them at School. Rhys was so excited to take his pound with him, but he was really scared he'd forget to buy the ticket. I was really happy to tell me that his ticket was in his back pack when I picked him up from school.

To make it easier on everyone they had 3 different discos with different grades going together for an hour each. Because they were the youngest they got the first spot at 5:45.

It was fun walking Rhys up the hill and seeing all of the kids dressed up walking up there. I was surprised how varied the costumes were because I really couldn't find that many different choices when we were at the stores. But, maybe I just wasn't going to the right stores.

Anyway, all the kids were waiting outside when they opened the door. All of the parents were walking their kids in with them, but there were stairs and I had Gavin in the buggy so I couldn't make it up there. I asked Rhys if he needed me to go with him and he said he would be alright. I saw him hand over his ticket and everything so I figured he'd be okay.

So Gavin and I walked home and as we passed the Train Station there was Daddy getting off the Train. Gavin was thrilled to see him and it was nice having someone to walk the rest of the way with. (He normally doesn't get off that early, so it was a nice surprise.)

As we were walking in the door my phone started to ring and it was the school telling me that Rhys was upset and wouldn't go into the gym with the other kids. They weren't sure if it was the decorations or the noise but they weren't sure what to do and so they had him in their office. Of course I ran right back over and found him coloring away in her office. When I asked him what was wrong he just said he missed me and he didn't know what to do. So I asked him if I stayed and watched against the wall if he would stay and dance. He said yes, so I asked them if I could stay. They were very nice and there were a few other moms that were hanging against the wall as well, so I wasn't the only one.

It took Rhys a minute to get into it. He just stood there for a while until a little girl came up and asked him who he was. He lifted up his mask, she said hi, and then she grabbed his hands and pulled him onto the dance floor. I tried to get my camera out in time, but I wasn't fast enough. They disappeared for a bit and then he was back by himself. But he was still dancing and it was cute to watch.

They had a dancing competition with the P1 and then the P2 dancing. Rhys went crazy trying to win, but I think he was standing too far against the side so they really couldn't see him. But, there was another little boy doing these crazy dance moves, so I don't know if he would have won even if he had been in the middle, but I was proud of him for trying so hard.

I think my favorite part of the night was when "Thriller" started playing and all the kids screamed and then started freaking out. It was so funny. I will forever have the image of little kids jumping up and down to "Thriller" in my head.

When we left we were actually escorted through the halls to a different door and we got to pass Rhys' classroom. There were things hanging in the hall that the kids did and it was fun to get to see some of them. Rhys had fun pointing out the stuff he did to me and it made me happy to get a visual of where he is everyday since I didn't actually go to his classroom on that first day.

All in all it was a really fun time and Rhys ended up having a blast. Still not sure what we're doing on Halloween day, but I'm sure it will be fun!

Rhys waiting to head to the school.

When he was still just standing by himself.

After he made his friend he was a dancing fiend.

He was so stinking cute.

Taking a breather.

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery

One of the things that I have discovered that I love about Scotland is that all their Museums and Art Gallery's are free to enter. Sometimes they have some "seasonal" type displays which cost money, but on a whole it is all free. I've been meaning to go to one for a while now. I saw this one advertised in a magazine and I was hoping to get a chance to go with the boys, so I was really excited when my friend Larissa texted me to ask if we wanted to go with her and her daughter. Her daughter is a year younger then Gavin and they get along quite nicely so of course I said yes.

We chose today to go because it was Rhys' last day of his "harvest break" before going back to school tomorrow and we figured he'd probably enjoy it more then the wee ones. Since we have car seats our friends had given us when we arrived Larissa was able to come and pick us up and drive us over there.

The building itself was just beautiful. I only got a shot of it from the back and from the side because I was just too close when we were at the front, but it was just gorgeous. When we walked in the very first thing the boys saw was this gigantic stuffed elephant just standing in the doorway. That immediately grabbed their attention and from then on it was all we could do to stop the kids from running away from us. I was nice and let Gavin walk around because he was actually listening when I told him to stop or come back. (I'm so happy he's finally to the age where he listens pretty well.) Anyway, they both ran around just excited about everything. Gavin loved the animals the most, especially the birds. He's obsessed with saying "birds." There was also a pterodactyl skeleton hanging from the ceiling that he really liked.

Rhys was cute and would walk around saying things like "Wow, look at all these paintings Mom." Or "wow, this room is amazing." He especially liked the room with the knights.

Since we were going with the whole "free" thing we decided to pack our own lunch and we took the boys out to the front steps to eat it. The whole thing was so enjoyable. It was fun to see the different aspects of Scottish Culture, to get out of the flat, and to have good company at the same time. Hopefully we'll be able to get out again soon. =)

*I tried adding pictures, but its not letting me. You'll just have to see them on Facebook.

SO happy!

So, I am absolutely in love with Scotland. The last few days were kind of hard because the boys were sick and we couldn't go anywhere. But, today they were both so much better that we decided to take a much needed trip to the grocery store. It was the first time that I've gone with Gavin and Rhys by myself since Rhys is usually in school when I go but this week he has the week off. He was such a good boy though and held on to the buggy the entire way so I didn't have to worry about him running off without me.

Its a relatively short walk to the Grocery store. Its a place called Morrison's and it takes about 10 minutes to get there. Its faster if you go through the neighborhoods, but its more scenic to go on the busy streets. Then you pass the Library, the Chippy, the bakery, a Subway sandiwch shop.

One of my favorite things about the shops here are the Trolley carts. Ours are locked up together and the only way to get one out is to put a pound in and it releases it. The nice thing is, you get the pound back when you return the cart. But, I also love that they have 2 seats so both boys can sit in it while I push and all 4 wheels turn. I wouldn't have thought that it would matter that much, but I love being able to easily move around people. Sometimes all you can do is move to the side and there's no room to back up, but all you have to do is push to the left. I swear, the States really should pick that up and do that to their carts.

We've got a pretty good routine down. We like to pick up one or two new things to try, but we also make sure that we get stuff we already know we do. Last week we got these fried Cod fillets that were just amazing. This week I went with a sweet and bought a pack of candy bars to try. They're made by the same people who make Kinder eggs and Happy Hippos, so we'll see how they are.

So, the other thing about Scotland shops that I love is that the people at the registers all have stools so they don't have to stand up. You see some of the men work there standing, but on a whole everyone is sitting. From someone who once worked 9 months standing at a cash register I think this is a brilliant idea. I don't see why you need to stand. That's also something we should steal over in the states. =)

Let's see, some of our new favorite foods over here are the Scottish pies, the Sausage rolls, the Rolls that they make. If you put some lunch meat and coleslaw on one, its an amazing sandwich. We have also fallen in love with some Crisps here (chips) they are these light cheese curl things and all of us love them. Including Gavin.

Oh, on a side note, its not something that you get from the Grocery store but there's this little fast food type place right next to us that has some amazing food. They make what is called a "Munchie box" and its just a pizza box filled with different types of Indian food. It is SO good and is now one of Steven and my favorite places to go to when we are in the mood to eat out. We like the Munchie box because its good, but its also one of the cheapest things on the menu. So, anyone who comes and visits us, unless you are extremely opposed to Indian food you must try a Munchie box with us. =)

Anyway, when we were walking home from the store today I had to use our "Buggy Rain cover" that we had to buy once we got over here. We were lucky and were given a Buggy by our friends when we showed up, but we soon found out that if you were going to survive walking here you needed a cover too. Its this little clear thing you put on the Buggy that goes over it like a tent to keep the kids clear of the rain. It will also be nice when its freezing outside because it will keep the wind off of Gavin's face. It was definitely the best money that we have spent since we got over here. I took a picture of it, so people can get more of an idea of what I'm talking about. Gavin hated it at first until he saw all the rain hitting it, now he has just accepted it. I was really worried about him just sitting there when it gets really cold. Normally you keep yourself kind of warm by moving your legs when you walk, but when you're in the buggy you have no circulation to keep the cold away. So, this made me very happy.

Well, tomorrow I'm hoping to take the boys into the City to have lunch with Steven and meet some more of his classmates so hopefully I'll have more stuff to report soon. Until then, enjoy some pictures!

The Buggy Cover

Rhys pushing the very full buggy home.

This is Morrison's. Rhys really wanted to be in the picture.

These are some houses across the street from the store. I love them! They make me think of Disneyland.

Gavin Running

Okay, so Gavin has always loved to run. I'm sure he will make an excellent athlete someday because he loves it so much. When we lived in Cedar City we had this tiny little hall that he would run down. I kept telling Steven that I hoped we found a flat with a hall because otherwise I would miss it. Well we found one, and sure enough Gavin loves to run down it. Last Sunday Steven and I were talking in our room when we noticed Gavin running back and forth in front of the door. We thought it was so funny, we had to make a movie of it. So, for anyone who is interested, here is our little man doing his laps in our hall.

We're surviving well!

Shockingly, I am adjusting to this new Country surprisingly well. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge family person. I didn't even handle moving to Utah from Seattle very well because I moved so far away from my Mom. So, I'm assuming this is just a HUGE blessing from Heavenly Father because I'm really fine. I LOVE it here. There are definitely things that I miss, especially getting to tell my Mom all about it other then through e-mail (for a bit there I felt like I was on my mission again, but this is so much better.) But, now that we have Internet and I have access to people now there's nothing for me to not like about it here. =)

Scotland is just beautiful. Its not just that its green. Oregon and Washington were green too, but this is different. There's just a feel in the air I guess. Plus, the architecture of the buildings is just amazing. Even walking through the neighborhoods feels kind of magical. There's this row of houses right by our grocery store that remind me Fantasyland in Disneyland. I keep wanting there to be lines for us to get on rides. =)

I'm also fascinated by the cars. Not just that they steering wheel is on the right, but also the size and shape. They're all just so small. I saw a VW bug the other day and it looked HUGE, but it was the same size as the ones we have in the states. All the other cars have just shrunk. I actually saw a non- British car the other day and I couldn't figure out why it looked different. It was that the Steering wheel was on the left. It totally threw me. I still don't think I could drive a car here, but I'm getting more used to it. Its second nature to look to the right before crossing the street now. =)

I also laugh at myself for being scared of the money being in pounds. Its so not a big deal. I can go to the store like a pro now. I actually prefer the cash, its more fun that way. =)

We have also realized that we are in the PERFECT location for us. We are in a nice calm neighborhood, so no busy streets. We live literally right next to the train station. (Its the quietest train ever!) We also live next to a Grocery store, Bank, Library, Post Office, Medical office, Dental office, and Eye doctor. Oh, and of course Rhys' school. There's also a nice bakery and some good fast food places close by, including a Subway. Although we haven't tried it yet because we'd always rather go to a more "Scottish" place if we're going out. =)

So, we really couldn't have planned this location better. We really are being looked after.

Oh other news, Rhys is doing really well in School. His teacher told me that he tries really hard to be the best in his class, and the only thing they could even say bad about him was his little tender feelings. I told her we were working on that. He has made lots of friends at school and yesterday they had an assembly that I was invited to attend. I can't believe how well behaved these kids are. They always walk in a single file line, they sat still the entire assembly (Including Rhys) They all addressed the teacher by saying "Good morning Mr. Beacham" when he said it to them. (Although Rhys told me that he likes doing Show and tell because he has to address the class by saying "Good afternoon boys and girls" and they all say "Good afternoon Rhys." and he really likes that. It has just really impressed me and I'm glad that Rhys is a good boy and listens so well. I could have seen him being the child that won't stand in line and was always rowdy. But, he's catching on. =)

Gavin had a hard time once Steven and Rhys were both in School. He got really attached to me and wouldn't want me to leave the room without him. But, he's finally getting over that which is good. He was just so used to having them around he didn't know what to think about it. The poor thing. But every afternoon when I tell him its time to go get Rhys he always runs to the door, so I know he still loves his brother. =)

Oh, for the record I want to write down all the things that I do miss (mainly food wise) so I can see if I still miss them once we've been here longer. Or in case anyone gets up the desire to send us a care package. ;) hehe, just kidding.

Things I miss, in no particular order:

Peanut butter Captain Crunch Cereal, Instant Oatmeal (strawberries and creme mainly), Swedish fish and chewy sweetarts. (the chocolate is amazing, but I prefer our fruity candy), cheese (specifically string cheese, they don't have it here), Maple syrup (we finally found some, but its expensive), Oh and something non-food related is deodorant. They have all these weird sprays and roll ons but to get a stick is hard to find and its expensive as well. That's something I really didn't think about before we came.

There are also things I love here, like the pastries, chocolate, fish, the Indian food! So much great stuff, I;m sure I'll miss some of it when we leave.

Anyway, this is getting long, so I'll end here. I'll keep everyone posted more later. =)

School!

So, today we took the boys for a short walk up the hill and checked out the local Primary School. Rhys yelled, "Look, kids." as soon as we were close enough to see them playing at Recess. He was so excited to see them all, and we really think that he is going to enjoy school.

When we told them we had just moved here and wanted to try and enroll Rhys they were excited to help us. They had plenty of room for him, but he was the first kid in 6 years that hasn't been from Scotland. So, he is definitely one of a kind. They were impressed with us because we had all the documents with us that they would need. His Passport, Visa, Birth certificate, proof of Residence, and the letter from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland saying Steven was accepted. We had to fill out some paperwork, and they had to send it in to the Scotland City Council to get it approved for him to start, but we heard back from them already and he gets to start on Monday.

We're so excited he gets to go, now we just need to go get his uniform. Some of the items we can buy from the school on Monday morning, like his Maroon sweatshirt with the school logo and a white polo and school tie as well. But the grey trousers (Not Pants over here) and white dress shirts we can get at a store cheaper. We'll also get him a maroon jacket to wear since its already colder here.

We also went to our local grocery store today and were pleasantly surprised by the cost of everything. Some things were more expensive, but on a whole it was all cheaper. Especially the Nappies (or diapers). The store brand ones weren't even a whole 2 pounds for 30 of them. I'll need to try them to see if there any good, but even the Huggies were 7 pounds for a big bag. Not too shabby.

We've also found a few pastry places we want to take anyone who comes and visits, and of course to the local Chippy. Its fish and chips and its DELICIOUS if you enjoy fish. =)

Anyway, I'll be sure to take pictures of Rhys at school on Monday. Until then have a good weekend.

We're in Scotland!

So, we're here, we made it! But it wasn't without its problems.

First, our Visa's didn't go through by the time we needed them to. We had bought plane tickets for the 30th of August, but the 29th came around and they still weren't here. Then, that morning we got an e-mail from the British Consulate telling us that they had just opened our application and it would take approximately 8 business days to process. Well, we were frustrated, but grateful we finally heard something.

This ended up making us push back our flight date to the 13th of September, just to be safe, and we were in San Diego for another 2 weeks. We were lucky and were able to request an address change from the Consulate so we didn't have to wait in Cedar City on people's couches while we waited. We were also very lucky to have parents who helped us out with planes and a place to stay. We couldn't have done it without either one of them!!

We finally got word that our Visa went through on Wednesday, so we had almost a whole week of relaxing before we were off! Oh, our last night in the U.S. we also had Mexican food. It's Steven and my favorite and we just don't know how good its going to be here, so we needed to get our fix in. =)

Packing for the trip was a little rough. I had originally gotten everything we were taking into 4 big suitcases and 5 carry-ons. But, when I called the airline to find out how many bags we would each get, I was told we'd each get 1 and it would be $55 to check an additional bag and it would be $55 if it was over 55 pounds. We were also told we would only get 1 carry on a piece and a personal item, but that a personal item was a laptop or purse. Since we had backpacks I wasn't sure they counted as a personal or a carry-on. We also weighed all 4 bags, and ALL but one were over 50. We figured it would be better to pay $55 once for an extra bag, then $55 three times for the three overweight. So, my parents gave us one of their extra suitcases and we put one of the 5 carry-ons we were going to carry in that suitcase. We got it all to fit just fine, but when we weighed them, 4 of them were under (well one was barely over 50, but it was fine) and one was 69 pounds. How that happened, I'll never know. But, anyway, we still figured one overweight extra bag was cheaper then 3. So, Tuesday morning when we got to the Airport they told us that it was $70 to check an extra bag, and $200 if its over 50. We were shocked! I told them that when I called, they didn't say that, but they don't know what happened. Luckily, the guy checking us in was SO nice and told us to go buy a cheap carry-on bag at the gift shop and we could get 19 pounds out of it and just carry it on the plane. When I told him I didn't think we could carry an extra carry on he told us he'd count one of the boys backpacks as a personal item and it would be okay. But, as I was buying the suitcase he ran back to tell me that when Steven opened the suitcase they found our huge DVD case and we could just carry that on as a carry on and not to buy the suitcase and save our money. So, we didn't have to buy an extra suitcase and we only had to pay to check the one extra bag. He was just SO nice and it makes me happy that there are great people in the world.

We also found out that we needed to take out our Playstation and Wii from the small carry-on suitcase they were in every time we went through security. We were stopped the first time we went through, but we were able to get a system for the next two. (Yes, we had to go through security at all three airports. It was a PAIN!)

The boys were AMAZING! They would get antsy and a little loud in the airport, but as soon as we'd get on the plane they would be little angels. Gavin sat next to me and Rhys was next to Steven on the way to Chicago. I don't know what Rhys and Steven did, but Gavin pretty much just sat next to me and held my hand. They played Pirates of the Caribbean 4 on the plane, but that was of no interest to Gavin.

When we got to Chicago we had to take the train to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 5. It took FOREVER and then adding on the Security check we had about 2 minutes before they started boarding. I literally changed Gavin's diaper and then we were boarding. We had to get in line twice, since we didn't get our passport checked before trying to get on the plane (they didn't tell us we needed to do that) but people were nice and let us cut in front of them since we had kids. Its a good thing we had to change flight plans, because last time we only had 45 minutes to change planes and I just don't think we would have made it. We had an hour and a half this time and we were still cutting it close. We were also lucky and had a plane with a screen. Both Rhys and Gavin loved it. Gavin watched Toy Story 3 twice while he waited for dinner. He wouldn't wear the head phones but it didn't seem to bother him that he couldn't hear the movie. Rhys watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and then just played games. We actually had to force him to stop playing so he could sleep. He wasn't happy about that, but he fell asleep really fast.

The boys LOVED their airplane dinner. They got some chicken strips, tater tots, a roll, cheese, crackers, and a brownie. I was worried Gavin wouldn't eat, but he ended up eating almost everything. I was SO proud of him. After he ate, I changed his diaper on the plane (there was surprisingly a good amount of room to do so on the plane) and then he fell right to sleep. He looked really comfortable with his pillow and blanket.

Steven and I weren't as lucky about sleeping. We couldn't get comfortable. Steven slept longer then me, but only about an hour. I just kept going in and out of sleep for a little bit. I probably got about 30 minutes total. I was the only one awake when they gave us breakfast, but they gave me 3 plates for the boys for when they woke up. That flight ended up only being 6 and a half hours, so it really wasn't bad.

We landed in Dublin 30 minutes early, which was good because we had to go through customs before we could board our next plane. We ended up having about 15 minutes before we boarded. This plane was small and we actually took a bus from the gate to the plane. Rhys actually loved the bus and made lots of friends with the adults he was standing by. (He wanted to hold onto the pole.) The last flight was really short and since we had already gone through customs we just got to leave. The baggage claim area was inside security so we had to get our luggage ourselves, but we were lucky and they had the little luggage carts that we were able to get. Steven and I both had to push one, so I was really glad for the leash that we had Gavin on so he couldn't run away. I felt a little bad about it, but in the end it was worth having.

I think the hardest part of the whole trip was having 2 of our carry-ons break while we were traveling. The handle of our DVD case broke in Chicago and we actually had to throw it away because it had its nails hanging out of it and it wouldn't have gotten through security like that. So, we had to just carry it in our hands. And that thing is HEAVY! We did lean it on the little suitcase that rolled, but you had to hold on to it while you were rolling it, which hurt your hands. It was a pain. Then one of the boys backpacks had the zipper bust off when we were in Dublin. It was an older backpack, so it wasn't a total loss, but we ended up having to hold it closed while we carried it. So, Steven would have the rolling suitcase with the DVD case, the lap top holder, the Iron Man backpack and his jacket. I had my backpack with the other DVD case and our important file folder that has all the important paperwork we have in it, and my purse, Gavin's Precious, and Gavin in my arms. We tried having him walk, but he couldn't walk fast enough and he kept wanting to walk away from us. So, by the end of the trip both Steven and my arms felt like they were going to fall off. But, it was worth it to get all of our stuff over here. Hopefully on the way back Rhys and Gavin will both be big enough to walk and carry their own carry-ons. =)

Our friends Ben and Olivia came and picked us up from the airport, along with Olivia's Sister Larissa since we have so much stuff. They were able to get some car seats from a friend so Gavin and Rhys were safe. We went back to their place while Steven and Ben went to go get the contract signed and keys for the flat. Then it was time to see it.

We LOVE the flat. Its in a nice neighborhood with tons of kids. We saw a lot of them walking home from school and a lot were playing in this little play area we have right outside. Rhys really wanted to go play too, I was just way too tired to watch him properly, so he'll have to go another time. We have 3 locks on our door, so I will feel extra safe when Steven is studying in London for the month of January. It also has a T.V. and DVD player. We can't use the DVD player for our movies, but they have some at the library we'll be able to check out and watch. We did bring our playstation so we'll still be able to watch ours and its nice that we won't have to rent a T.V. to have to use.

The most interesting thing was us trying to figure out all the electric stuff. All of the outlets have switches next to them and so they don't work if you don't flip the switch. We also have an all electric flat, so even our Water heater is electric. I had wanted to take a shower last night, but we forgot to turn the heater on when we first got there, and there was no hot water when we tried. But, we were able to figure it out long enough for me to have a quick (extremely quick) bath. We both kind of laughed at ourselves. We're still figuring out the heaters, but its not too cold yet, so we've got a little bit of time. We might have to have Ben and Olivia come over and try and help us figure it out. =)

So, we were able to keep Rhys and Gavin from sleeping until a little after 7. They normally go to bed at 7:30 so we thought 7:15 was pretty good. Gavin was already asleep when I left the room and Rhys was quick to follow. Steven and I had planned on staying awake until at least 10, but we both were so tired we ended up going to sleep around 8:30. We set the alarm for 8 the next morning, but Steven kept hitting snooze. It was a little after 9 when we finally woke up. We ended up waking the boys up too. It was nice getting about 13 hours of sleep and much needed. Its amazing how tired I still am. I'm fine while we're doing things, but as soon as we sit down I have the desire to close my eyes. Hopefully that goes away soon.

I think we probably would have slept longer, but we had plans to have breakfast with Ben and Olivia. Then they've been helping us today to get things set up. Its been a little frustrating because we tried to set up a bank account, but they need us to bring in a Bill to prove that we live there. Then we tried to get internet, but they can't set up internet without a bank account because they only do direct pay. Then we tried to get phones, but we can't get a phone plan because we don't have any credit in the UK and there's a 95% chance we'd fail the credit check, which would then make our Credit look worse. So, we ended up getting some cheap Pay as you Go plans because we need to be able to call each other. Steven went out for dinner last night and it took him an hour. I was a little panicked knowing there was no way for me to get in contact with anyone if something had happened, so I really need a phone. Even if I don't use it. We figure that we can try for a plan in a few months if we decide we need something more. But who knows, maybe the pay as you go will be fine.

We had to buy our own sheets, pillows, and towels, but other then that everything we would need was already in the flat. That was a huge blessing! Oh, I do have a huge need to clean the flat before we really start to unpack things, but everything is in excellent condition. I just need to know that everything is good. It is a strange feeling going through all stuff in our flat because I keep feeling like someones going to walk in on me and get mad. I can't wait until the flat feels like ours and I'm not just going through strangers things. =)

I'm really excited about our new adventure. Its so crazy and fun and I hope that we can get everything figured out soon so that we can feel like we're getting our life back to normal.

I love you all and I hope that my LONG shpeel didn't bore you all to death. I'll keep you all up to date with the happenings of what's going on and hopefully I'll be posting pictures soon. =)

Gavin's Birthday pictures!

Gavin with his favorite Toy Story toy, Rex!

Gavin eating some of his yummy cake.

Gavin at the fountain with Kaitlin.

Naked boy on the way home. Its a good thing it was warm in the car.

Gavin just opened his present and was anxious for us to open it.

I just love that Kaitlin is obviously having so much fun.

Gavin with some of his mini Dinosaurs. He was actually roaring.

He was so cute playing with them.

Happy Birthday my cute boy!!!

Gavin's 2nd Birthday!

So I'm having a hard time getting the pictures on here, so I'll just have to add those later.
For Gavin's 2nd Birthday this year we celebrated on his actual Birthday even though it was in the middle of the week. Steven was working at the Utah Shakespeare Festival 6 days a week in the evenings, so no matter what his party was going to be earlier in the day anyway. So why not celebrate it on his actual Birthday!
Since we were right in the middle of getting ready for our Yard Sale and figuring out Visa's and things for Scotland I didn't have time to do a whole lot. We pretty much invited all of Gavin's "Big" friends (basically all of our Theatre friends) over for some cake and to watch Gavin open his presents. He only had 2, one from us and a tiny one from my Mom since we're moving to Scotland soon. He will be getting Giftcards to buy something over there when we get there. But the present we got him was a Toy Story gift box set. There were 7 figures in it, all of them about 6 inches. It came with Woody, Buzz, Jesse, Bullseye, Rex, Ham, and an Alien. Gavin is a HUGE Toy Story fan and it was so cute to see him getting so excited to open them. He had seen the box at the store months earlier and had tried to open it then so Steven and I had to get it for him. Its fun to finally let them open something when you've had something for months. =)
My Mom also got him a little container of 14 Dinosaurs. He has recently really gotten into Dinosaurs. He holds them up to people and roars. Its quite cute and really enjoys his little dinosaurs. I just hope that we don't lose any before we make it to Scotland.
My Sister Kati and her husband Blake also gave Gavin money to buy a Tart at the Greenshow that night, so we also took Gavin to that. He was being weird and actually didn't eat the tart, but Rhys was really excited to eat it for him. However, he loved the Greenshow and running around the Courtyard. Since our friend Kaitlin came with me, I was able to chase Gavin around which he loved and so Kaitlin could stay with Rhys.
It was a fun day, but honestly I think Gavin's favorite part of the day was that night. After the Greenshow we took him to the fountain at the front of the Festival and Kaitlin held him up so he could play in the waterfall the fountain made. He LOVED it and of course got completely soaked in the process. I felt bad for poor Kaitlin who also got pretty wet, but she said it was worth it for Gavin. He was so wet we had to get him in his diaper for the car ride home and his shoes didn't dry out for 2 days, but he loved it. I think its the fastest he has ever fallen asleep. I put him down, left for about a minute and then Rhys came out to get some water. Gavin was already asleep. It was a very fun but exhaustive day.
I can't believe my little baby is 2 already.. the time is just going by way too fast. How do I stop it? =)

San Diego Trip!

So, for months now we have been looking forward to our San Diego trip. Since my parents moved there, we've obviously been there a few times, but THIS time we were going for Steven's family! Steven's Poppy was turning 80 and wanted the whole family there to attend his 80th Birthday Party. So, we all got to come. (Except for Braden who is still serving his mission in Alaska until next month. He was missed, but we are all very proud of him.)

Our little family ended up leaving on Wed. the 27th at 7:00 at night and driving through the night. We arrived at my parents house, (where we were staying since Grandy and Poppy's house was already so full) at around 1:00 in the morning. Not too bad of drive, and the boys did great.
Thursday, the 28th, we all got together at Grandy and Poppy's house and decided to go on a picnic. It was crazy, there were 19 Grawrocks all hanging out in a park. Definitely my way of hanging out. =) Grandy and Poppy also treated us all to dinner, which was amazing of them. We went to the Soup Plantation, which was delicious. I've also decided that the best way to eat with a lot of kids is at a Buffet. Then they don't have to wait impatiently for the food.

Friday was DISNEYLAND! Since we wanted to make the most of our time there, we had to leave at 6 in the morning to get there by 8. Well, since we were staying with my parents, we actually left their house at 5:40 in order to get there, so we were extremely tired. But, it was SO worth it.

Rhys and Gavin were absolutely amazing at Disneyland. Rhys had done it before when he was almost 3, so we figured he would do well again, but this was Gavin's first time. He figured out the lines, was patient with us, and even took a nap. We're very proud of him. Rhys went on all the big rides he could, including Space Mountain, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder. He was our Daredevil and would go on anything everyone else was going on. The only one he wasn't tall enough for was Indiana Jones, so maybe next time.

Rhys also got to meet Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled. We had to wait a little bit, but they were such good characters. They played with Rhys, and Rapunzel even tried to get Gavin involved (He was just too shy) At one point Flynn crouched down and asked Rhys to give him a high five. Rhys did, but Flynn told him he could do it harder then that, and to really dig into it. Rhys did, and Flynn fell over backwards. He told Rhys to warn a guy that he was so strong, he wasn't expecting that. Rhys' reply, "Yeah, I am strong." Everyone in the room thought it was hysterical... that's our Rhys for you. =)

Gavin's favorite ride was either the Teacups or Dumbo. We tried to spend as much time in Fantasyland as we could so that Gavin would get to have fun as well. I think it was a successful trip, and we can't wait to take the boys back there again.

Saturday was Poppy's party, and it was a lot of fun. We got to meet all of Poppy's friends and enjoy a delicious dinner. Grandy and Poppy were kind enough to invite my parents as well, so it was fun to get to have them at our table. It was fun hearing some of the stories Steven's Dad had to tell about Poppy and it just made me love him all the more. I'm extremely honored to get to be a part of the Grawrock family.

Saturday night was probably the most memorable moment for us since we went to put the boys to bed at my parents and then just went back to Grandy and Poppy's house to visit. Just the two of us. All of the Grawrock's were there, except obviously Braden, and we just spent the evening reminiscing about old stories. It was fun because there were a few things that I actually remembered. Its kind of fun being a small part of the family for such a long time. =)

The hardest part was leaving that night because we had to say good-bye to everyone for who knows how long. We're not sure when we'll be back from Scotland, and we don't know when and if any of them will be able to come to us. I'm just really glad that we got to see everyone one more time before we left. I've also decided that going on big family vacations is a wonderful bonding experience and when Rhys and Gavin get married I hope to take all of us on one. Who knows if it will actually happen, but its the plan for now.

On Sunday since all the Grawrock's were gone, we just hung out with my family. They have a brand new back yard, so we barbecued and played some lawn games. Rhys LOVED Bocci ball. He was pretty good, although he did cheat a little. Gavin's favorite thing to do was throw the white ball, but keeping him away from all the other balls was a challenge. We also played Crochet. Rhys needed help with his mallet, but he at least got the concept. Gavin liked to "Help" Daddy on his turns. It was pretty cute.

Monday we ran a few errands with my Mom and then drove home.

It was such a fun trip, and we were really sad when it came to an end. But, at least we know we have even more fun things in store for us.