Happy Thanksgiving!

Oct. 11, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family in Canada! I hope that you are all enjoying the long weekend (we don't have Thanksgiving in Scotland, unfortunately). But we do have a lot to be thankful for. For those of you who know the unbelievable red tape that we had to go though just to get here, you'll understand how thankful we really are. Thinking back to the last 5-6 years of talking about this with our kids ("when we go to Scotland..."), I really am amazed at how perfectly we have been situated. Our little community of Currie is one of the nicest and quietest areas just outside of Edinburgh, and Calum and Helen's house is beautiful and very convenient to both amazing walking areas and the main bus route into the city. Add to this my actual job at Craigmount High, though not as easy as my job at Langley Fundamental, it IS one of the better state schools in Edinburgh. I have found the staff to be great, and the vast majority of the kids to be pleasant and welcoming. We're also thankful for the new friends that we've made, particularly at our church. Currie Baptist is really friendly, and about the same size as our church in Richmond. In fact, we have just come back from a wonderful "tea" - a.k.a. DINNER - at one family's home. Our kids are also fitting in well, and although they miss their friends back in Canada, they are making new ones, and getting involved at their schools. Isaiah plays both on a community football team and for his school, and Sophie is the only girl on her school team. Emma enjoys the freedom of being able to leave the school campus at noon with her friends (she needs to enjoy it while she can... not so next year!), and Kim is getting involved with the school PTA as well. As for myself, I just came back from a 3 day, 2 night retreat to this beautiful old estate in the very west of Scotland. I went with 3 groups of 1st year students and had an awesome time gorge walking, caving, mountain biking and kayaking. The roads were long, narrow and bumpy, but we went through huge treeless hills, and along long lochs to get there. Definitely worth the trip. I'll add a photo below of this place.

Anyways, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. After this week we are off to Holland (and Belgium and Germany) for a week, and are going to enjoy spending time with Jennifer (my niece) and Jeff, who we haven't seen for 10 years! We are also hoping to see some of Kim's Dutch relatives, who will be close.

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks! By the way, did you know that if you double-click on any blog photo, you will see it full size on your monitor? Just in case you want a better view.

We went to a place called Dean Village in Edinburgh, and on this old stone wall there was carved "Glory to God for all His Blessings". It was barely legible, but I thought that it was very cool and very appropriate for Thanksgiving!



We visited Dean Village with our goddaughter Nathalie and her husband Graham. We had a great time; it was fun spending the day with fellow Canadians!

We walked across the Dean Bridge through extreme wind, not realizing how high it is with such low stone walls on the sides (not more than 4 feet high).


Along the Waters of Leith, there was this cool old mineral well with this gazebo-type structure above it. Very picturesque.

The same thing, only you can see how neat this looks as you come across it coming down the trail.

We finished this day at this local lake. Don't know the name - Swan Lake?

We didn't tell the kids how much damage a swan can do if they peck you. It made for better photos!

I caught Isaiah red-handed! Boys need moving targets!

One of the local university buildings where Harry Potter was filmed. We haven't seen any of the movies, so we'll take Graham's word for it.


This was the Benmore estate that I stayed at in western Scotland. Amazing, with plenty of room for visitors. It was originally one of the summer estates of a wealthy brewer in Scotland in the 1800s.

Emma blowing out her candles for her 12th birthday. Can anyone tell what is missing?

Isaiah in his football kit on the way to a game. For a boy who likes ice hockey better, he is playing 4-5 days a week! No wonder the kids become so talented here!

Bye for now!

Jimy Macjohnson