Pictorial Update

I really, really wish that when I think of blogs they would automatically post on here. Most of the time anyways. I have written numerous posts over the week, in my head of course. I write them while doing dishes, walking, driving, cleaning house, falling asleep, etc. But rarely these days do they actually make it to the screen nor to you. So I thought I'd give you the best kind of update there is (in my mind), a pictorial one with some descriptions.

But first, thanks for your prayers for our flights back to Aberdeen. All went smoothly and no ice packs were procured by security agents. No one even asked to look at it. We were so grateful! So thank you for remembering us.

Now onto the good stuff....

I finally got the nice portrait shot of a rooster I was looking for. This guy was so kind to let me run into the house, get my camera and still be there when I returned, and even to pose. Bless him.

The Birthday Cheese. Alison on her 1st birthday. She wouldn't usually smile until the flash went off, so my quick fire camera was one of the only ways to catch her hamming it up for the camera since she wouldn't smile on the first photo.

Can you tell I enjoyed being Auntie Rachel :) No one was wearing their party hats except Alison, so I got Dominic and Chad to join me in the fun. (That's Mark's mom enjoying the entertainment provided by her daughter-in-law.)

One of my requests of our last week at my parents was to go back to Opryland Hotel and get some photos of the outside lights. They were AMAZING! It was so cold this night and I was in a hurry so most of them didn't turn out, but these two weren't so bad. But the photos don't do it justice. The lights were sooooo thick and beautiful!

Yafi "twirling" for his treat. When his nightly biscuit (around 8pm and he will bark and bark until he gets it) time comes around, my parents have trained him that he has to "twirl" for it. This usually consists of him doing a half twirl in excitement as he hops to the rug (so he has better traction). He often is too hyper to do a good job, so then he gets reprimanded with "gracefully." My parents crack me up. The dog too.

I love when Yafi does his "Ewok Ears" (as I dubbed them). It's even better when he isn't lying down but just looking up at you, but I couldn't ever get that on film.

"If I close my eyes maybe she will go away." (I was trying to get a picture of his adorable long lashes.)

Airplane Sunrise (reflected from the other side of the plane onto the engine)

Since there isn't much to do towards the end of an all night flight and there is a nice sunrise, why not take photos?!

It was a small miracle that I got to see London in full SUN and BLUE SKIES!!! It was my 6th or so time there but this was the first of its kind. It was very cool flying in and trying to pick out landmarks. I really had my doubts that it was ever nice in London, but now I know differently.

This is what you do when you are bored and waiting for your last flight.

And this. Take photos of someone else's abandoned Costa cup and your knees thinking it will be artistic. Delirium was setting in, I know.

And this is what you do while circling 3 times over Aberdeen City/North Sea while the runway is approved for landing after the most recent snow squall. (For those locals, pretty sure this is East Tullos/Torry area.)

It was quite picturesque flying over the city with the snowy fields and sun peaking out of the clouds. Note the snow shower on the left side. So much for sun like London. It was somewhere around here that reality set in that we were back.

And what do you do when you wake up Friday morning after a long, challenging, cold, snowy, icy, jet-lagged week? You praise God for the clear sky and sunrise and His many blessing of the week in-spite of the hardships.

And then you praise Him again in the late afternoon as the sun sets - praise Him for your life and that He knows best and is Sovereign and Good.