Belgium Carnival 2017

Graham loves Mardi Gras! So when we explained to the children that we were going to the Mardi Gras in Belgium, Graham's first thought was catching beads...  But that wasn't quite the case; instead, we settled for some Belgium loot including packs of tissue, apples, soccer balls, suckers, Belgian waffles and lots of confetti.  HA!  (My Dad always reminds us that "variety is a spice of life!") Carnival, 2017!

Elvis even made the trek cross the pond...

A Day with Good Saint Nick!

O Christmas Tree

Yes, I know....I know...some of the posts are almost a year old now, but I was out of the services of a laptop for most of the year, and I figured this is my only way to keep up for the children's scrapbooks.  So don't mind a few of these next posts...they are strictly to go back and reference when making our family books.

 When you grow up in the south, shopping for a Christmas tree is often done in a blanket of humidity.      So for our family this was a first...selecting a Christmas tree in the frozen fog--it certainly put us in the Christmas spirit and made for a picturesque outing!

Christmas Markets in Germany

Signing Off From Scotland...

  In Scotland, castles and golf are pretty synonymous with this beautiful country.  You cannot drive more than a few miles without passing historical markers for some ancient fortress or golf course decorating the nearby landscape.  I have written before on the auro of the St. Andrew's Golf Course, but this was our first outing to the late Queen Mother's childhood home--Glamis Castle, north of Edinburgh in Angus.  This imposing castle has been around since the 11th century and welcomes visitors with ghostly tales and stories of the royal family's past.   Our visit to Glamis was a rare sunny ocassion, but special nonetheless with lots of special memories to cherish from our short stay in Scotland!  

Nothing beats driving along country roads and the sun beating down!!!

Glamis Castle

We were able to see this beautiful exhibit on rare loan to the castle in honor of the 80th anniversary of King George VI's coronation.  On display were the royal robes worn by the Queen Mother, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in 1937.

"Mom, I am waiting to take a picture of my prince!"

St. Andrews

And so like that, the sun has set on our summer in Scotland...on to the next Nugent adventure.