Kinsmen, Kilts, and Bagpipes

This past weekend Thanksgiving Point hosted their annual Scottish Festival. Spencer and I planned weeks in advance to attend. We bundled up early Saturday afternoon, not sure what to expect but planning on adventure, and seeped into the confluence on Frontage Rd. The weather was chilly, clouds perched in the canyons of the wasatch front, and rain threatened the forecast. Stepping through the east entrance I felt instead of a ticket booth we should be standing at a customs counter and instead of money, presenting passports. More people were in kilts at the festival than I saw althogether in Scotland! Scottish, Irish, Finnish, it didn't matter! All were in merry attendance.

Where to begin?! Pipe and drum bands? Celtic dancing? Highland games? Live bands?....talk about sensory overload! It was comparable to a renaissance festival...but with class! We traipsed through booths selling family coat of arms, kilts, jewelry, weapons (Harry Potter wands included), and just about anything else a mind could tie to the United Kingdom. We stopped by the Cameron Clan booth (Spencer's ancestry is a sept of the Cameron clan) and then stepped over to the Highland games where we watched men of all shapes, sizes, and ages; throw trees, boulders, and hay...all whilst wearing kilts! A representative of the Lamont clan spoke to us of the history of Tartans and reminded me the Armour ancestry is classified under the Angus District (think beef) rather than an individual clan. Soon after, Randi and Steven arrived along with the rain so we huddled under the highland game tents and I couldn't help but laugh at how much like Scotland this day was turning out to be. We found hot chocolate and sunshine and explored the rest of the grounds, found celtic dancing, and the closing ceremonies.

After the ceremonies hunger set in but before hunting down our vehicles we detoured to the Thanksgiving Point gardens. The gardens were LiVeLy, green, and proved beautiful with lots nooks and crannies to explore. The day kept getting better and better! After roaming through the gardens we hiked to our separate cars and decided on dinner in American Fork. Bellies full we said good-bye to the newly weds (Randi and Steven were celebrating one year of eternal bliss) and Spencer and I went to his house to watch his fish (African Siclids...it may sound boring but they are fascinating) and The Last of the Mohicans (it's sad but has a phenomenal soundtrack). Pictures 'o plenty follow:

Group photo! Today I learned Spencer is photogenic ;)

children+kilts= :)

When I have children they will wear kilts.

Look Ma, Porter Rockwell!

Go team!

Handsome

"Lover-ly" (name that musical...)

Steven in a nutshell.

Spencer wants tartan trousers.

Randi learning the art of weaponry.

Partners in crime!

My favorite!!