Visiting Great Britain...Part 1

This past summer we were presented with the opportunity for a trip to Scotland. Jason had a two day commitment in the capital city of Edinburgh and from there we would be free to explore. So, we rented a car, took an 800 mile roadtrip, and then hopped a train for a few quick days in London.  Mom/grandma/baby whisperer/Scottish history encyclopedia joined us (she wore many very important hats) and it was spectacular. 

Great Britain had never been on my radar as a travel destination. I have fond memories of listening to James Harriett's tales of life in the English Countryside, read more than my fair share about the ponies of the Shetland Isles and grew up with the last name of 'Buckingham,' but for some reason, it didn't top my list of destinations. However, the more we read about the UK, the more excited we got and by the time September rolled around we were soo ready for a 'proper holiday' (as the Brits would say).

We started our Scottish travel in Edinburgh and made a quick detour to visit the famed St. Andrews.  We were pretty certain Jason's insistence on visiting St. Andrews stemmed from his love of the real-life fairytale that is Prince William and Princess Kate, but he hid it pretty well beneath the pretense of seeing the 'first-ever golf course and the birthplace of golf.' All kidding aside, this was a spectacular city to visit. We then made the winding trip to Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park. We spent a few nights there and then headed north to Inverness. We then followed the Loch Ness Southwest to Kyle of Localsh and then on to the Isle of Skye. From there we headed to Ft. William, Faulkirk, Stirling and then back to Edinburgh. After a few days in the capital we travelled South to London. 

Tyce rocked his first flight and was as happy as could be. 

By the time we reached Scotland he was singing (or screeching) a slightly different tune. 

There was a mishap with our luggage but after a few extra hours in the airport we were on our way! ... on the 'wrong' side of the road!

As expected, St. Andrews was lovely. We were amazed by all the stone work.  Everywhere!

The following day we got a somewhat early start on 'Castle Trail.' It is an 100 mile loop which takes in a sampling of Scotlands many castles. It was, once again, a spectacular day. 

lots of driving...lots of castles...you get the idea. For the next few days we moved every night, trying to get as much countryside seen as possible. 

No, we did not make a visit to the Police station. I just thought it looked nice. 

We spent a night in Inverness and wish we could have had a bit more time in the surrounding area. What a pretty city! We were on our fourth day of the trip and Tyce's suitcase still hadn't caught up with us. This was also the first place we were able to find a store that sold baby clothes! Thank goodness as our sweet sweet boy was getting a little stinky :)

We travelled along Loch Ness for about 2 hours by were not lucky enough to spot Nessie.  Maybe next time!

We headed out into the Cuillin Mountains. It was a totally different landscape. Dark and brooding, but very beautiful. Supposedly some of the inspiration for JK Rowling's Harry Potter novels. 

Eilean Donan Castle which is privately owned and inhabited. 

From here we headed out to the Isle of Skye and met true Scottish Fall weather. Wet and windy! I'll have to save that for another post..naptime seems to be over :)

Oregon

We were long overdue on a visit to the Farring family so we headed to Pendleton this past weekend. We had a great time at their new home and touring their new community. And of course, we had to go check out the Oregon trail. The weather was spectacular. We had a picnic lunch and Tyce ate up all the attention from his aunties. 

Sweet sweet Brooklyn!

Pendleton is quite the western town with the main attraction being a huge summer Round-up. 

Tyce and Brooklyn on Sunday morning. They tolerated each other surprising well!

In other news:  Tyce has found his lungs and his babbling is often replaced by screeches....mostly screeches of joy. He likes to control his binkie now, taking it out of his mouth and working hard to get it back in. And if his binkie isn't available you can guarantee his hands are in his mouth. 

He rolls over about once per day and continues to act shocked when he finds himself on his stomach. 

 We just passed the four month mark! Growing bigger, stronger and more interactive every day. 

Sunshine and summertime

We're certainly enjoying the warm up in weather the past few weeks as well as the nice long evenings! We took a quick trip to MT for Mother's Day and then again for Ronan. Tyce is becoming quite familiar with road trips. 

It rained off and on our first trip to Montana so we spent a fair amount of time inside...

Mother's Day

Tyce has been enjoying his cousins this summer. It will be so fun when he is a little bigger and can interact more, but for now he loves to watch them play! 

And they take such good care of him!

We had a fun, relaxing Father's Day. Tyce is a major fan of his daddy, especially when he reads him books!

Joel graduated from CWU so we took a quick trip for the ceremony 

We got our boat out and in the water for the first official day of Summer.  The weather was great and we had an absolute blast. 

In other news, Tyce rolled over and was a little shocked about the whole thing...

He still prefers to hang out on his back but smiles like a big boy if you prop him in a chair.

He is not a huge fan of shopping, and this is the face I get every time I put him in the cart at Target. 

He currently puts everything in his mouth, including your ears, nose or chin!