We've been up to...

...no good. Obviously.

Last week we took a little hike up Arthur's Seat (a very extinct volcano!) with Marisa and Paul. It was super foggy so we didn't have much of a view, but the mist itself was beautiful. We had a lot of fun, and Eleanor did great until we reached the summit, which was quite cold. She had some makeshift mittens (socks) on her hands, but her face was exposed and it was windy. So we scurried on down after just a few minutes up top.

Neal has mastered the 'summit pose'.

Marisa is moving back to the US tomorrow! Sad :( She's been such a huge help to us as we've made this transition.

On Saturday we took the train to Preston, England with our new (also ex-pat) friends, Dallin and Becki Barker. They have the most adorable family-- 3 (almost 4!)-year-old twins and a 15-month-old--all girls! Becki and the kids were actually on our flight from Chicago to Edinburgh (her husband had arrived a few days prior to get settled a bit) and they were just in front of us in line to board the plane. The next Sunday, we saw her sitting in the lobby as we walked into church! Dallin is also here for grad school-- getting his masters in HR at University of Edinburgh. Obviously we have a lot in common, and planned a temple trip so we could take turns going through as they watched Eleanor and we watched their girls. We took the train, and it was so much fun!

Out the train window: not *the* bridge from Harry Potter, but cool nonetheless

The girls did so well all day. Eleanor was in heaven watching the older kids play.  It's so hard for us to get a giggle out of her, but she just thinks "big kids" are hilarious. The twins, and her new hero Deaun, had her cracking up. The last half hour on the train home was pretty entertaining--all the girls were hungry, past due on naps, and approaching bedtime, and they were deliriously tired and giggly. It was kind of an exhausting trip, but so worth it. Hooray for new friends!

We also had Stake Conference, and of course it was wonderful. Our Stake President is way young--like 34 young--and he's been President for 5 years! Crazytown. After church, we put Eleanor down for a nap and Neal and I both just crashed. She usually naps for one hour max during the day, so we didn't set an alarm and just figured she would wake us up shortly. Three hours later I woke up, groggy and confused, and looked at my phone to check the time. It was 4:53PM. I was so out of it, I could not figure out what day it was, and I was 95% sure it was actually Monday morning. I shook Neal in a panic and asked what time he had class. I thought my phone must have reverted back to Kansas time or something because there was no way that was right...could it be that we had slept until dinnertime on Monday?? Was Eleanor alive? It took me a good 3 or 4 minutes to remember that we had laid down for a nap and it was Sunday afternoon. It was the worst and best feeling in the world! I hate to nap through an afternoon like that but obviously the three of us needed a good chunk of sleep. And I was so relieved we hadn't slept through an entire day. So we made some chicken curry for dinner and took a walk for some fresh air.

It's fall in the 'hood.

Monday has been full and busy. My mouth is dry because I've spent the last two hours talking on the phone to family members back home. We have a magic jack number that is FREE to call from the US, so if you want it, message or email me and we can chat!

My student has fallen asleep while studying after a long day of class + internship thingy. I can't bring myself to wake him up. But I can bring myself to take a sneaky picture.

Yep, that's this blog post! Now I'm going to hit 'publish'

The Scottish Referendum

Today is a day that will make Scottish history.

Back when Neal was filling out his application for grad school, he turned to me and said excitedly, "Dani....we will be there for the referendum!" To which I blinked. "The what now?"  I struggle to follow American politics, let alone those in other nations. I'm a little ignorant when it comes to global affairs. But I'm working on it! So he explained.  A referendum to vote on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom has been in the works for years. On September 18, 2014 (TODAY!), Scotland citizens vote either "yes" or "no" to a simple question with a not-so-simple answer: Should Scotland be an independent country? Both "Yes Scotland" and "Better Together" campaign groups have been rallying like crazy over the last year, and it's been in our face from the moment we stepped out of the Edinburgh airport. After we signed our lease, our landlord said "Oh, and I left you a bit of reading on the coffee table". It was a booklet on Scottish independence. I quickly realized what the blue and white "YES" pin on her jacket meant.

I try to imagine what it would be like if my home state, Kansas (rock chalk!), were voting to secede from the United States. The craziness that would ensue. Scotland has been part of the UK for more than 300 years, longer than the US has been a country.

I am by no means an expert on the referendum. I've listened to the arguments on both sides and these are a few of the points each has to make: (I repeat..I AM NOT AN EXPERT!)

Better Together:

• There are strong cultural and family links within the UK
• Scotland is economically stronger as a part of the UK
• Scotland will be able to flourish more globally from an economic standpoint if it has the stability of the UK
• Scotland has more influence on international affairs as part of the UK
• Uncertainty of how Scotland will be treated in relation to the European Union
• Unlikely that the UK would accept a currency union with an independent Scotland

Yes Scotland:

• Democracy and self-determination; Scotland's population will possess full decision-making power in regards to the political affairs of its nation
• Nuclear disarmament; Scotland could address the issue of removal of Trident nuclear weapons
• "It's Scotland's oil"-- Scotland has oil and gas reserves worth up to £4 trillion
• Re-industrialization of Scotland via renewable energy
• Protect the NHS as the UK is moving toward privatized health care 
• A "cultural reawakening" by the opportunities and confidence brought about by Scottish independence

 

 

 

Notice his hat :)

 We seem to see a lot more "YES" propaganda than "NO THANKS", which is why I only have taken pictures of "yes". But, the last Ipsos Mori poll shows 50% said they would vote no, 45% said they would vote yes and 4% were still undecided.  The vote is open to those 16 years of age and up (which I think is awesome). Can you imagine the responsibility and weight of casting a vote like this? I get the chills every time I think about it.

A bakery in Edinburgh has been selling cupcakes as an informal poll. The question mark is for undecided voters. The final poll from the bakery showed: YES - 43.5% NO - 47.7% UNDECIDED - 8.8%

I've only been here a few weeks, but if I were able to vote with the little knowledge I have on the subject, I would vote "YES."  Scotland's future should fall in Scotland's hands. It won't be smooth sailing--it will take a good while to become a solid, established government. But what an opportunity! Anyway, my opinion really doesn't matter at all. It's up to the nation I've already fallen in love with! The results will be announced tomorrow morning.

Stirling or Bust

On Saturday we spent the afternoon in Stirling, a city about an hour's bus ride from Edinburgh. The day before our trip, I did some research on the area, via the all-knowing Wikipedia (I still feel like I'm doing something wrong when I look stuff up on Wiki because of the repetitive lectures we got in college about inaccurate resources, etc.), and it is full of history.  Meh, so is everywhere else in this dang country. ;) There is so much to see and do in Stirling, and while we got a killer deal for a bus ticket (£4 round trip! For comparison, it costs £1.50 to take a 5 minute bus, one way, downtown), our time was limited to just a few hours in the city.  So we decided to just visit the Church of The Holy Rude and Stirling Castle. Andre, a cool Brazilian in Neal's MBA program, came along. We had so much fun getting to know the guy. Three cheers for new friends!

Church of the Holy Rude- the coronation of James VI, King of Scots, was held here.

Beautiful cemetery behind the church

William Wallace memorial. No time to hike there of course, but we will be back just for that!

Stirling Castle

Eleanor, Queen of Scots, appears to be ordering the beheading of her own mother.

Renaissance carvings were straight up creeepy.

But then again, so is my child.

I just fell in love with this city. It's so close to Edinburgh, we plan to make several return visits! (We seem to say that everywhere we go..)

Fuzzy portrait of our little group. We need to get our blasted Nikon repaired so I can take not-iPhone-pictures!

 Not pictured: the most delicious, piping hot plate of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) from a local pub. It was to die for! I think I'm going to get a little brave and attempt to make haggis at home this week. I really have no choice, as chicken costs £6 (over 10 dollars) for 3 teeny breasts at my supermarket! Chicken is officially a delicacy in the Lutz household.