Tis the Season

Last you heard, my parents were in town. Boy, did we have a good time.



We spent most of Christmas Eve wandering around St. Andrews, enjoying 40 mph winds but plenty of sun. We wandered all over, to the cathedral ruins, through St. Salvator's Quad, and then to the Old Course. Since nobody was out playing, and it was Christmas, we just walked right out onto it, to the little old bridge that Dad has been dreaming about walking on for years. Got some good pictures, and then had some fish and chips at the Tail End.



Christmas day, we went to church first thing before I had to run to work. Yes, Mitchell's was open for Christmas. Finished around 6 and made it home in time for Christmas dinner with the family. They apparently had been watching Star Trek all day. Lucky. 

Boxing Day, we decided to trek into Edinburgh to wander around... on one of the busiest shopping days of the year! We got some good deals and explored the town for a few hours before coming back.





Spent the last few days of their visit working. Such is the life of an adult, am I right? They had fun exploring on their own and we had dinners together. We went to church together Sunday and then sent them on their way. We had such a great time!

Now, we're back in the swing of things. Clayton is back in the Baillie room working on his PhD proposal and I'm working working working. January always makes me look back at the year and wonder if we even had a clue where we'd be today when it started.

January: Rang in the New Year with the Solomons and the Ryan/Scott Conglomerate, watching people light things on fire and push them across Bayou St. John. Went to Atlanta to spend time with family and friends, touring Turner field and seeing Sam and Danny's new grownup house. I turned 26.

February: MARDI GRAS. Did anyone else see the Bellatrix/Voldemort thing we had going on? It was beyond amazing. So good that strangers followed us around.

March: Went to the NOLA taping of America's Got Talent, and Clayton is definitely in the background of some of the shots with the judges. Got my hair cut even shorter thanks to Elise and Keeva. Went to Art in Bloom at NOMA and Kate got into Pratt. Started playing Mexican Train just about every week. Had a crawfish boil.

heidi klum!

pratt! pratt! pratt!

April: Uveitis. It hit in full force and I spent the next 4 months rotating between the ophthalmologist and rheumatologist, only for them not to find out what was wrong with me. Told our church (and everyone else) that we were moving to St. Andrews, Scotland for Clayton to work toward a PhD. Moved in with John and Lauren for the summer to save money (and wouldn't have been able to make it here without them).

one of many afternoons spent at Dr. Fitsmorris' office.

May: Said goodbye to The Lord's Church. One last hoorah with the Solomons and the Ryan/Scott Conglomerate in Pensacola. So so so much fun. Celebrated our 3rd anniversary. Had lots and lots of bloodwork done and watched my face blow up because of steroids and our savings go to doctor bills. Still had uveitis.

brunch!

creeper.

Matt totally makes this picture amazing!

3rd anniversary date!

June: Moved Trev and Kate far far away. Got some new glasses. Pigged out on random things late at night because Lauren couldn't sleep and was pregnant. Had Indian food for the first time. Started freaking out because of the lack of planning for our eventual move across the world.

July: Celebrated the 4th. My last CFA Appreciation Day. Cried hysterically just about every day because we were moving. Quit CFA and cried and cried and cried some more. Went to Kentucky for Jolynne's wedding. Came back, cried some more, and moved. Spent some time with my family in PCB and saw Emily in Graceville for the first time since graduation.

my kitchen ladies!

managers unite!

August: Spent some time in Atlanta with family and friends. Had a sweet going away party at the Ritchie's. Went to TWO Braves games. Started making plans for what eventually would get us our flat. Said goodbye to everybody, and I mean, EVERYBODY. Went to the airport, not knowing if we were getting on the flight, and got business class. Landed in Manchester without a place to stay, without transportation, without phones or GPS and just let things happen. Eventually made it to St. Andrews and stayed with Philip for 10 days. Moved in with Alex after that. Made a bunch of friends in the meantime.

atlanta airport!

September: Still no place of our own. Flat won't be ready until October. Spent most of this month being rejected for job after job after job. Watched the entire series of That 70s Show, the UK Being Human, and the first two seasons of New Girl, so that's something, I guess.

October: Moved in to our flat, even though it didn't have beds yet. Got internet and utilities set up. Watched our savings get dangerously low. Begin no-job-freakout mode. Watched the leaves change colors. Had an interview for a job with the University that was going to be perfect. Ended up not getting it. Spent a large portion of this month sitting at home watching Friends and becoming best friends with the contractors working on our flat. They were very Scottish and I had a hard time understanding them.

November: Got a job right at the last possible second before all of our money was going to be gone. Got to see my sister and Amanda and celebrate Melody's 30th birthday.

December: Got to experience our first snow, and went to Edinburgh for the first time. Watched Elf and ate Christmas pudding. Spent time with my parents and rang in the new year at work with kisses from Scottish men in kilts.

All in all, I'd say 2013 was pretty good. I'm currently sitting in the living room, watching it rain (again) and looking at the hills in the distance, thinking about all that it took for us to get here. God took care of a lot of the details and though it hasn't been ideal, we've been ok. Here's hoping 2014 is just as good (minus the uveitis).

Carm