Mardi Gras-Feb 7th-Feb 13th

This week was another great week in Aberdeen. First off, I was offered the 5th grade teaching position for the remainder of this school year. My official start date is going to be April 12th. The students were told this week and they are excited but sad to lose the teacher that is in the position now. I also started to drive on Sunday with Clifton in the car of course. Clifton tends to be very nervous when I drive but he is getting better about being the back seat driver. I drive to school every morning with Clifton and then he drops me off and takes off for work. He loves to yell out curb curb curb when I drive. I have no clue what he is talking about I have only hit the curb three times!! :) I think that's pretty good! Then Wednesday I went to the American women's association meeting where there was a traditional Scottish fiddle player. Afterwards I went to lunch with some new friends and then we went shopping. Lastly, Saturday was the American women's association Mardi Gras party. We ended up having a great time! Amber and I decided we wanted to make Mardi Gras masks for the party, which ended up paying off because we won the most festive table award. With that title came a nice bottle of whiskey that we will all be sharing this coming weekend! The party consisted of Mardi Gras music, decorations, and great Louisiana cuisine. With every week that passes Aberdeen is feeling more and more like home. We are meeting more and more people that are becoming our friends and making our time here more enjoyable!

Cruden Bay/Slains Castle

As I stated in my last blog I made new friends here in Aberdeen and we had our first outing on Thursday. We decided to go to Lynn's house in Cruden Bay and have lunch and then hike to Slains Castle. Slains Castle is perched on the top of cliff's looking out over the North Sea. No one runs the castle so you are completely alone when you are out there walking alongside these cliffs. The original castle was built in 1597 and owned by the 9th Earl of Erroll. Everything about Slains Castle gives you a creepy feeling when you are inside the walls so you can see how it might have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The trip to Slains Castle can explain every reason for why Clifton and I decided to make this move overseas. It is a 45 minute drive to Cruden Bay from Aberdeen and a 25 minute walk to Slains Castle. I was able to see some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen and it is less than an hour from my home. We were all in awe of the Scotland scenery and felt lucky that we all have this chance to get to experience it. We wished our husbands could have made the journey but seeing that we are all housewives right now and our husbands work on weekdays, we ventured out alone! The girls and I did pick out a campsite on the way back from Slains Castle that we will be utilizing this summer with our husbands. I can't wait to go back and everyone that comes to visit will be experiencing it as well. You just have to get some rubber boots to make it through all the mud but it is very worth it.