Best Birthday Ever

On Christopher's actual birthday, Scott took Chris and Ethan to a Porsche race that he'd been invited to by a vendor. Little did we know that this would prove to be such a family friendly day. The race car driver, George Richardson, is 18 years old. He is super friendly and he had all the time in the world for the boys. His little brother, Jack, is Ethan's age and is George's personal assistant. Christopher and Ethan spent lots of time with Jack while Scott was in the pits. What a cool job he has!

The boys and Scott ate breakfast and lunch with George and his whole family and they were made to feel a part of the team. They had the opportunity to see every part of this sport and they couldn't have had a better day! Christopher told Scott at some point during the day, "this is the best birthday ever!!"

George sent the boys official shirts that he autographed and they are forever fans. Go #28 go!!!

School Days

Well, we are way past the first day of school for the 2010/2011 school year; so I guess better late than never with this post!

Ethan started senior school this year and absolutely LOVES it. He loves the flexibility, the change of teachers and classes, the mix up of students in each class, the clubs (Debate Society, Cooking Club, Brass Group, Concert Band, and Sax Ensemble), and the sport. There is much expected of pupils in this school and he has risen to the task. Long may it continue! Ethan is also fencing 2 nights a week and so he stays very busy.

Christopher is in Prep 5 this year. Prep 5 is the year that the students from the other 2 campuses join the main campus and therefore the classes mix up and there are many new students. It is also the beginning of the second half of prep school when the children are given a little more responsibility. He continues to study hard and to develop his friendships. Prep 5 is also the year that required games begin and Chris was surprised at how much he likes rugby! He has joined the sports club, plays guitar and soccer after school.

Charlie is in Prep 2. He has the same teacher that Ethan had our first year here and so that has been fun. (The teachers at the academy move around throughout the prep school from time to time) Charlie loves to do his homework and he concentrates very hard at school. He plays tennis after school and he loves having his "own" activity.

This school has been such a blessing and we are thankful everyday for this foundation.

Scottish MacNicols

According to Wikipedia, an expatriate is "a person temporarily or permanently residing in country or culture other than that of the person's upbringing or legal residence." Expatriate - also known as "ex-pat."

When Scott accepted the job in Scotland, people often asked how long it would be. His contract is open ended but we always replied "3 to 5 years." This was a stab in the dark really. We had/have no idea how long we'd live abroad.

It's been three years. Three years of THIS adventure. Three years of learning, stretching, settling, expanding, laughing, crying, and LIVING.

And it has flown by.

This has been an experience of a lifetime. It has not been without challenges but we are definitely better for the opportunity. We have made life long friends, we have learned to jump in feet first, we have become flexible in a way that is only afforded to you when you move out of every comfort zone, and we have learned to rely on one another. We are closer as a family than we were 3 years ago. And for that, we are truly grateful.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." ~ Helen Keller

The other night during dinner, we asked 4 questions about our experience and here are the answers:

Things we've learned while living abroad:

• Even though the Scots speak English, it's a whole different culture!
• The weather is rubbish, but you just get on with it
• Try new food, or go hungry
• Flexibility
• Value experience vs. things
• I can go anywhere in the world and make friends ~ people are people
• It's fun and interesting to learn about other people and their day to day
• Our worldview has matured

Things we love about Scotland:

• Skate parks
• Being able to travel more
• Countryside 10 minutes from our door
• The people and their humour
• Artistic culture
• Kinder to the environment than we were in Texas
• Organic Farming - accessibility of local meat, dairy, fish and produce! EAT LOCAL.
• Amazing School
• City living - lots to do
• Appreciation of the US from a different perspective
• Fencing, rugby, tennis, European football, cricket
• Wellies
• Country Parks
• Brilliant scenery around every bend
• Old Architecture

Things we find quirky about Scotland:

• Glaswegian accents
• New slang
• Swearing
• Banking
• Football that leads to crime
• Really bad radio
• European Appliances - especially lack of a disposal
• Lack of interest in creature comforts
• Stereotypical British Food - Yuk

Things we miss in the USA:

• Family and friends
• Missy
• Mexican Food
• Sunshine
• More space
• Baseball and American Football
• BBQ in shorts and t-shirt, not woolly knickers
• Customer service
• Convenience

As you can see, it has been quite a ride. Thank you for encouraging us and for coming along on the journey with us! Blessings flow.

"A man who carries a cat by his tail learns something he can learn in no other way." ~ Mark Twain

"Life must be understood backwards; but...it must be lived forward." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

***Disclaimer: Get a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of wine; this slide show is ridiculously long. It was hard to edit 3 fabulous years into something manageable. We do not expect you to watch but wanted to preserve the memories for the boys.

6 already? How can it be?

Charlie turned 6 a few days after we returned from our summer holidays. Really, how can it be that our baby is 6 years old? We celebrated on the day with a visit to one of our favourite places, the Cairnie Fruit Farm. And then Charlie had mini golf party a few weeks later.

Charlie, you are the exclamation point in our family. You are:

• Full of life
• Clever beyond measure
• Funnier than funny
• Cute as can be
• Charming
• Tender hearted
• a leader in your classroom
• a good friend
• and an adoring little brother!

We all love you more than you know! Happy, Happy 6th Birthday.

Birthday Breakfast.

Cairnie Farm - picking strawberries and enjoying the outdoor park

Great friends and a fun morning whacking the golf ball!

Nicol Time

No trip to California would be complete without a visit with Great Grandma Nicol!

With tear filled eyes fter 2 fantastic weeks in Mammoth, we to the San Francisco Bay area for a visit with Great Grandma Nicol. Scott's paternal grandmother lives in Fairfield, California. And Fairfield is home to the Great American Jelly Belly! Yipee, Yahoo. Two treats in one day. GG Nicol and the Jelly Belly Factory.

Scott dropped the boys and I off at Jelly Belly Lane so that he could have a quiet visit with Grandma before we arrived. And the boys and I toured the factory, which we highly recommend, and bought our fair share of the treats! Loaded up on sugar, we then went to Grandma's house for pizza and a visit.

The boys always remember their visits to see her and to us, this time together is priceless. Scott measured the boys on the same door frame that he, his siblings and cousins were measured throughout the years. I love these simple family memories. And the boys love the tradition of the visit. Great Grandma and Aunt Mary Marcha, we look forward to our next trip to Fairfield.

Next stop, Danville, CA. This is close to Scott's surgeon's house and to Aunt Alison and Uncle John. So we spent the night in a hotel, and woke the next morning to have quick visits with Dr. Ian, Aunt Alison and Uncle John. Dr. Ian said Scott looked great and therefore gave him the OK to travel back to Scotland.

The boys also remember well their trips to see John and Alison. John always spoils them with tromps around his garden and Alison with treats galore. Such a fun time and a great tradition on our visits to California. Thank you again John and Alison. Now it's your turn to come and see us!

Our last stop in the good ole USA, San Francisco. Always a crowd pleaser. Ethan had requested clam chowder in a bread bowl so that was our main mission for the afternoon. We had a terrific lunch at the pier and then headed to China Town. The sights, smells and crowds are always something to take in.

Scott was such a trooper and the rest of us sure looked like dad/husband abusers as we dragged him all through the hilly neighbourhoods.

After China Town, we stopped in at the Cable Car Museum. I found it fascinating and I think the children learned from it as well. It is always nice to learn how something works.......

and then to immediately use it. It's well worth the stop if you are in SF. The cable cars are an institution!

http://www.cablecarmuseum.org/mechanical.html

Check out the above link if you are curious about how the cars work.

And to finish off our trip in SF, we met cousins Brett, Ashley and Janice for a seafood dinner. It was fun to catch up and we promise to let you pick the location for our next dinner! (wish I had photos from that night...)

Next stop, Glasgow.

On the Road Again

3 days after Scott's surgery, with Scott loaded up on pain killers and stretched out on the back seat, we hit the road for Mammoth Lakes. Scott was anxious to get there. To see the boys. To smell the air. And to begin his recovery. We could think of no better place.

And so it was, for the next 2 weeks. R & R at it's best. In our favourite place, together and forced to be relatively still.

We fished, watched the boys at the skate park, flew kites, hit golf balls, built fires, mountain biked, kayaked, celebrated birthdays, climbed rocks and relaxed. Really relaxed. We also had the chance to see a bit of extended family. Mims' cousin Linda and her husband James (all the way from Louisiana) and Scott's cousins Judy, Larry, John and Wayne, Christine, Brady and Brooke.

Scott began his physical therapy with a fantastic physiotherapy team in Mammoth. I was constantly amazed at his lack of complaint. Man did his exercises look sore!

It was a fantastic vacation and we are truly grateful for that time together.

Untitled from Gwen Nicol on Vimeo.

Knee Surgery

Back in April, while we were in Mauritius, Scott was playing beach volleyball and twisted his knee. It was super swollen and he could barely walk for the rest of the evening. By the next morning, it was much better but it still felt "loose." He decided to just take it easy. And sit out of the beach volleyball.

Fast forward 6 weeks to this place.

Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow. It's one of our favourite hang outs. Great park with tons of green space and a crackin skate park. Scott took his trusty skateboard and for one brief moment, he felt like a kid again. While chasing Charlie in the bowl, he took a spin. And then his loose knee gave way. And he was down. In the bowl. On his back. Oh man.

He put on a brave face and hobbled around the rest of the day (our friends the Brooks were in town). By the next morning, he could barely move. So off to the A & E (Accident and Emergency) for x-rays.

Busted ACL. He would need surgery. Oh boy. They put him in a brace and on crutches. Then they scheduled an appointment with the physio to see what plan of action to take. This could take awhile.

Anyway, long story short; our insurance is more inclusive in the USA, the NHS system is slow and has a different mentality than the care we are accustomed to and therefore we started planning a journey to the States for surgery.

Fast forward to late July. Scott flew to San Francisco for surgery and I left the boys in Mammoth with Mims and Gramps to meet him there. It turns out that Scott's sister Amie's best childhood friend Taryn, married an orthopedic surgeon. He specializes in knees. And he practices and lives one community over from Scott's Aunt and Uncle in northern California. We'd met him in Mammoth three years earlier and he'd been giving Scott advice over the phone since his injury. Seriously, the good Lord was in all the details.

Scott's surgery went just as planned. He has a new ACL and a trimmed and repaired meniscus. Ian took tons of pictures while in surgery and that helped us understand exactly what had happened and what he repaired. Aunt Alison and Uncle John took AMAZING care of us post surgery; we always love our time with them and we cherished this time of R & R.

And Scott's post-op appointment was at Ian and Taryn's house over a lovely BBQ dinner. We could not have orchestrated better care if we'd tried! Thank you to Ian, Taryn, John and Alison for a terrific weekend, surgery and all! And thank you to Mims and Gramps for keeping the boys so we could really rest!

John, Scott, Alison, and cousins Brett and Janice. This picture is the night before surgery. Brett and Janice, thanks for taking the time to come in from the city for dinner and a great chat! And Alison, thanks for the delicious dinner.

The day after surgery with his trusty ice machine.

Breakfast al fresco.

48 hours after surgery at the post-op appointment and BBQ. Thank you Ian and Taryn!

McKenzie joining in on the fun. Could have kidnapped her...she is so stinking cute.

Going over what was done and what needs to be done.

Taryn and Caden on our way back through town 2 weeks later.

I am happy to report that 10 weeks post-surgery, Scott is recovering well. It's a slow process but he is tenacious about his physical therapy and gym work and I know he'll be good as new by the springtime. But maybe not on his board.