Twenty Five

The saying, "age is just a number," is one that I would normally agree with. But, since turning twenty five a week ago, I've felt different.

I got married at twenty, became a pastor's wife, finished college, then moved to Scotland for Garrick to pursue his PhD, and got a job at the University of St Andrews. I hear comments like, "you're just a baby," or "you're so young," regularly. I'm typically not offended and take these statements as reverse compliments.

Maybe I feel my age finally matches what I'm doing. I feel confident, grateful, content, and excited about this life I've been given. And, for the next two months, I am older than my handsome sidekick, who is still just twenty four. ;)  Enough introspection, here is my birthday in photos:



 

On the Saturday before my birthday, Garrick and I rode the X60 to Pittenween. We enjoyed breakfast at the Cocoa Tree, Sea Glass hunting on the beautiful beaches, and finally, stopped at the Woolly Brew to spend a generous gift voucher from my co-workers.

 



 

 

 

 

Garrick planned a lovely party with many of our friends in St Andrews. The beautiful Liana put her amazing baking talent to work and we devoured the chocolatiest chocolate cake I've ever eaten and coconut cupcakes. We laughed, ate, and socialised, fitting all those pictured above in our wee flat. I could barely sleep that night, buzzing from the excitement of the day, or the cake, who knows.  

 



With Love From Scotland

We love Valentine's Day. It is the day that my 17-year-old self realized I might like Garrick, and also the day we got engaged.

This year, we receievd this adorable video from our favorite nephews:

 

Yes, I watched it about five times.

 

After a full day at work and then piano teaching, I walked into the kitchen to find Chef Garrick preparing a delicious dinner: Carrot and Thyme Soup, Pancetta Croutons, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. What a gem!

 

We sat by candlelight under our festive chalkboard, enjoyed a lovely dinner, and exchanged cards.

 

 

 

And for the grand finale, we watched our favorite movie, "Dan in Real Life," and devoured Ben and Jerry's Half-Baked Ice Cream. A very good day, indeed.

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

With Love From,

G & A

Do you feel a draft?

Yes. Every night. But, that's the sacrifice in the winter for our awesome location on the shores of the North Sea.

Here's a glimpse into how we heat our home and hearts:

Our gas comes on once in the morning and once in the evening. Our white radiators creak to life and emit wonderful, hot air. Each room has a door which we keep shut, keeping all heat in. We have draft-blockers at the base of any door leading outside. We have an electric heater for our middle entry space.

I'll admit that on some windy evenings, I have the radiators on, space heater running, and a hot water bottle at my side. Slippers and fleece jumpers are a must. I enjoy cooking and baking to stand in front of the preheating stove or hot burners. I'll often leave the oven door open after baking to get the extra heat into our flat.

Gone are the days of setting a thermostat to 71 and enjoying a standard temperature in every room. Heat is a pretty penny and we have few of those. Surprisingly, we feel very cozy in our little flat each night and the cold is just another thing we'll miss when we leave. Maybe.

Week One

Because Garrick is a PhD student, the academic calendar is much different: He studies year-round. This means that over holiday periods, there are available seats at Taste, the Castle Sands is empty, and Tesco is not a bottleneck at 5pm. Truly, it's a very nice respite.

Castle Sands

 

Week one of Candlemas semester is almost complete. I have settled in well to my new post, helping students and staff in the School of Modern Languages. Today is Friday, which means it's Fat Friday. My office mates and I take turns getting cakes for our tea break. :) Garrick is tutoring, attending the Old Testament and New Testament Seminars, taking German, and also auditing a Hebrew Reading module. Oh, and writing his dissertation. His work ethic is remarkable.

Our new schedule will remain basically the same until May. The only change will be next week, when I add piano lessons on Thursdays. I'm pleased to have three beginning students to teach and will be calling my mom often for advice!


My piano nook!


We are thankful for another new season and for God's provision. Now if we could just get back on our bikes!