January 13-28

As I am gearing up for a (late) Burns Supper Saturday night and Naomi's 6th Birthday Party Sunday, I thought I'd at least get most of the rest of January blogged so that the next post can be more devoted to the afore mentioned events. ;)

January 13:

My friend, Stephanie, was ill.  So we "kidnapped" the boys after school and kept them with us for the afternoon/evening.  The kids had a good time together.  We got the homework out of the way, had a home-baked snack with tea, played, and then had dinner.  Plus, we got to take Daniel and Liam to Bible Club with Gideon and Naomi.

January 14:
Tuesdays from 5-8 we have blocked off our schedule as "Family Fun Night".  Before it began I ran to the grocery store for some items for dinner.  When I came home, I found...

and this...

Our normal Family Fun Night is dinner and a movie at home... all cuddled up on the couch together.

January 15:  (Claudia's Birthday)

I spent the morning and early afternoon in Aberdeen tracking items down for Naomi's birthday party. While shopping I came across this, Tiffany Yecke Brooks.  I wish they made it in bigger sizes than toddler.  It would have been in the mail to you!

Adorable, right?  (I was so close to buying it!) But I stayed on mission. ;)

I rode the bus there and back... But the trip back was not nearly as pleasant as the trip down.

As Naomi and I were heading out the door to go to Bible class, I told her to pick up her Bible.  Well... she somehow impaled her forehead on a table.  There was a minor debate over whether or not we should take her to casualty, but since JR and I both had classes to teach, we just slapped a bandage ("plaster") on her head and headed to class. 

C.J. filled in for Fenella's class and took a photo of my kids in their Shoes of Peace.  (see the bandage?)

After class the kids and I came home and web-cammed with Claudia (and Kaden and Elijah) for her birthday.

January 16:

Haddo House Choral and Opera Society started back up!

We are doing a semi-staged "La Boheme" where we sing the chorus rolls.  But I'm also getting to help with the set design!  It feels good to stretch these muscles again! ;)

January 17:

Since Gideon was going to be heading over to a friend's house after school for a sleep-over, and he desperately needed shoes that weren't falling apart, I picked him up for lunch and we had a "date".  We ate at Symposium and got him shoes.  

He has moments where he is SO grown up that I ache for my "toddler Gideon".  But I am SO proud of the man he is becoming!

While Gideon had his sleepover and JR was at the Teen Bible Club, Naomi and I had a Girls Night.  But she was really into some of the design apps on my iPad. :)

 But we put the personal devices away and enjoyed "Enchanted".  (What a great flick to watch with my girl!)

(We are soaking off her bandage.)

January 18:

After I took the photos of Thomas, Rachel, and Tyler, Thomas's mother wanted to know if I would take a 5 generation shot.  So, the session happened. ;)

Here is a shot from the back of my camera of Tyler with his Great-Great Grandmother and his Grandma.

January 19:

Sunday was busy, as normal.  The 3rd Sunday of every month, we head out to Sunnybank (a care home) and sing for the residence (which includes the lovely lady who owns the house we live in).

January 20:

JR and I took Piper on a walk...

January 21:

Cuddle-time!

January 22: Yummy Dinner

January 23: First attempt at making Hot Sauce for JR... no recipe... just an idea... and several Scotch Bonnets. ;) JR LOVES it! :)

(I have since made a second batch to see if I could duplicate the recipe... and I can.  So, if you have some Scotch Bonnets and want to make my sauce, message me and I'll share.)  
Oh, and those carnations are still going strong from my birthday. January 24: Naomi and I had a fancy date!  We drove (in horrible conditions) to Methlick and ate at the Ythanview Hotel with a lady I know from Haddo and one of her co-workers and then saw Kathryn Stott play the refurbished piano at Haddo House.   For Naomi's first exposure to a classical music concert, she did superbly.  I allowed her to bring her drawing pad.  I told her she could draw the pictures that the music promoted in her head.  And she did!  It was great.  And hearing her telling Gideon about the concert a few days later... exactly what I wanted to feed my artsy girl!

January 25: I had had it!  The kids' room didn't have enough room for 2 beds and 2 toys chests, the clothes storage, a bookcase and only one wall we can actually put furniture up against.  So... I swapped rooms around again.  While JR was at the Scotland "football" game, I moved us out of the big room and back into the office, and moved the kids to the room that was first the living room, then our bedroom, then the guest room for 4, then Annie and Tanja's room, then back to the master bedroom... and now... the kid's room.  They finally have space to play with their toys!!! And I am working on ways for G to be able to display his LEGO creations.  Here's a snap of the work-in-progress...

Saturday evening we had a special service at church because Robin and Chrissy Vick were in town.

January 26:

I took a photo of my Sunday morning class... like I did with my Wed. Night class...But alas... after a lovely lesson from Robin and a yummy lunch with the Strachans... I got home to find my phone was dead.  I mean... DEAD.  (So I can't access that photo I took.) :(

January 27: JR and I met up with Robin, Chrissy, and Millie before they headed back down to Falkirk at Simpsons for a good chat.  It is always encouraging to know there are fellow workers in the Kingdom. 
I worked more on the kids' new room (It's almost finished.)

Naomi was thrilled to see her artwork displayed so prominently. ;)
At Monday Night Bible Club, Naomi made this card for Gideon.

(Apparently, this was unprompted... Naomi doesn't like to play all the football... so she draws.)
January 28:
Today, Jr and I started our "classes" to learn British Sign Language.  Jackie and Alexa are teaching us.  (So I tried by hand at having tea prepared for their visit.)

And can I just say... I love this hat...

My Uncle Jeff (Earl Mansur to the rest of the world) wore this hat in college.  My earliest memories of him include this hat.  And one day... before I was 15, he gave his hat to me.  It was in Harding Academy's production of the "Music Man" (worn by Jordan Harr) ---I thought that might move me up the "cool scale" a little... it didn't.--- I wore this hat all through my time at Harding.  (even when I was interviewed by the Searcy paper about my involvement with "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat"... which I only remember because it made it in the article)  It has been with me in every country I have visited.  This hat has covered many a bad hair day due to laziness... new mother-hood, traveling, and more laziness.  I hope I can still "rock it" in another 30 years.  (If not, I'll pass it along to my mini-me.)
And now we are on to Family Fun Night.  This time we decided to change it up a little.  We surprised the kids by taking them to the bowing lanes in Fraserburgh.  We ate dinner and played.  It was, by far, one of the best FFN we've had in a while.

Check out those scores!  G bowled without the chute... the "man way" as he put it.  But Naomi ended up outscoring him when she got her strike!  I even got a strike!  (This from a girl who actually bowled a 32 once.)  But JR... JR got 4 Strikes in a row with another one a few frames later!  :)
Good thing I did this now... no telling how long this post would be if I'd kept putting it off! :)
Be blessed! ~Daisha