Miscellaneous

It's been a few weeks since I've posted...I guess because our lives have been a bit mundane. Since my last post, we've been working a lot, partly to save money for my birthday trip to Paris next week (scream of excitement) and partly to get ready for our transition back to the States in August. When time allows, we've indulged in the simple pleasures of "summer" in Scotland.
I am using quotes because even in June, cold and rain persist. We did have about 4 days of warm shorts weather and all the Americans got excited, but alas, it passed and has reverted to the cold and rain we've come to know and well, tolerate? We've also been taking in the amazing scenery that we love so much--new trees, flowers, and plants, new life, etc. There's plenty of time to take it all in too, because it's light out when we go to bed and light out when we wake up in the morning. It's even light out when Mitzy wakes up to go outside at 4am.
I have been enjoying some wonderful study with Lauren, one of the girls I mentor in The Way. She and I are studying Philippians and at 13, her heart for and commitment to God as well as her insight in the Word are a challenge to me. I have also been studying Henri Nouwen's Compassion with Dayna. Studying these together was not purposeful, but they really enhance each other and I am learning so much, some of which I'll share on my blog once I manage to wrap my head around it!
On Thursday, Rusty and I had our first whole day off together in a long while, so we took the opportunity to have a day trip. We went south of Edinburgh to visit Rosslyn Chapel, the little chapel made famous by Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. The book takes some liberties with it (as with a lot of its material), but it's amazingly beautiful and absolutely worth seeing. Every inch is hand-carved stone...breathtaking. Unfortunately, there's no photography inside, so you'll have to visit the website or the Chapel to see it for yourself!
After Rosslyn, we headed to Edinburgh, hit a Chinese buffet (a rare treat) and did a bit of shopping. I won a £250 gift card at work, so we split it, Rusty got a new watch, I got some perfume and some new clothes. We have been on a very tight budget since moving to Scotland, and we've learned a lot about budgeting and the joys of living simply--lessons we want to continue learning and using once we leave. It was fun to shop though and even more fun since it was free money!
Next week is a big one for us--our anniversary on Monday, leaving for Paris on Wednesday, and my birthday on Friday! Rusty got tickets and surprised me a couple of months ago, and we've been working and saving like crazy for this trip. I am SO EXCITED! And, if nothing else, it will provide material for a post that guarantees to be more exciting than this one. :)