The Highland Games

Oh, you know, that place where Merida lives (at least that is what Elanor told me).

 My family went to Highland Games every summer, because well, we're Scottish (Scott is my dad's last name and my mom is half Scottish as well) and my mom's soul is rather attached to Scotland (as is mine). Rightly so, as Scotland is one of those soul places, where the land, culture and music become a part of your soul. Virginia is one of those places as well. Cheesy, perhaps, if--- you do not have a soul. Back to the point of this little blurb, we went to Highland Games every year and I want that to be a tradition for us as well. We found Payson's Scottish Festival, which is free, and we have gone there for the last two years. We love it!

Elanor watching the Highland dancing competition--which she loved! She kept asking us to go back and watch the "ballerinas". Maybe she has Highland dancing in her future...

I was trying to get Elanor to look at the camera...and now I'm the one who looks silly.

Showing off this little kilt, which used to be mine and was passed around to my sister and our cousins as well!

 Elanor saw a bunch of other kids getting their faces painted, so Elanor really wanted it done as well. It was only a dollar and she had never had her face painted before, and watching her get her face painted was completely worth it.

Here is the video of Elanor getting her face painted. It is not particularly intersesting, but we like it.

 She loved her butterfly and kept wanting us to take pictures of her so she could see what it looked like.

 We also got her a $5 wooden sword and this tree just happened to be a dragon.

Watching the Games.

Sheaf toss.

Elanor pretending to play a bagpipe as a pipe band comes marching in.

Elanor loves the pipe bands and especially loves dancing to the music. Elanor keeps opening her arms and looking expectantly towards someone you can't really see in the video. She is trying to get this guy to clap for her, but he is judging the competition; however his wife/girlfriend loved Elanor and kept trying to get him to acknowledge her. Cute, of course, but I hope she was not bothering him too much.

Heading out looking like quite the little Scottish heroine.

 Also, it does not seem like many people were dressed up based one these pictures, but there were a lot of people in kilts and traditional garb, plus a lot of women using this as an excuse to wear those corsets that are supposed to go over those billowy white blouses, but were instead worn over a normal shirt with shorts. Odd? A bit. 

It was a super fun day and we will be going back next year for sure!