A very happy birthday...

While last year I was enjoying sunshine and warm weather on my birthday in Peru, this year it was back to the familiar cold weather that I'm used to for my December birthday. But it was a very happy birthday nonetheless! It started off with breakfast and tea in bed (yes, tea - a startling departure from the Swedish tradition of coffee that we blame on our assimilation to the culture here). Tony labored early in the morning to provide breakfast in bed - a black bean breakfast burrito, my favorite! He came in singing and bearing gifts, the breakfast burrito, a cup of tea and several cards from back home.
After a full day of work, we met back at our flat to discover a "Sorry we missed you!" card letting us know that my birthday package had arrived on time, but needed a signature for acceptance. We had 1 1/2 hours to get across town by bus to pick it up before closing, so we rearranged our dinner plans and hopped on the bus. We could've waited until Monday for the redelivery, but we had enough birthday excitement to make the decision an easy one. We ended up in an industrial park, walking in the rain without an umbrella, and once again being berated by the Edinburgh wind - but it was all worth it when we got our package 20 minutes before closing!! Here I am back at the house with my birthday gifts (minus the bag of Peanut Butter M&M's that my brother sent which were half consumed on the bus ride home and subsequently stashed away to keep us from eating them all in one day!). I was overwhelmed by the generous and thoughtful gifts that my family had sent - I love every single thing. One of the only benefits I can think of that results from living far away from family is the extra sweetness of opening gifts that have been purchased, packaged and sent with such thoughtfulness as an extension of their love. After the gift opening, we were off to our 9:30pm dinner reservation at this gourmet vegetarian restaurant we've been eyeing since we arrived. While Tony and I are both fairly laid back people and will eat most anything that is served to us, we are particularly passionate about finding and creating good food together. This restaurant was a real treat and gets our full endorsement - delicious hummus served with equally delicious bread, my plate of butternut squash ravioli and Tony's plate of spicy udon noodles were deletable. We put off brownies and ice cream for today because we were so full!
I went to bed feeling so grateful for the many wonderful people in my life, so thankful for the opportunities I've been given and for the gift of another year of life. I got so many sweet emails and messages from people, including a musical e-card from all the kids at New Hope. I can't wait to see what this next year holds. Here's to being 28!!

Home Link

Aside from the day we found out that my sister is pregnant with her 2nd child, the most exciting day of our time here in Edinburgh was definitely Tuesday, November 25. After interviewing the previous day, I received a phone call from Home Link Family Support. They called to offer me the job and by some miracle, I managed to retain my composure long enough to express my thanks, accept the job, and establish a time to return to the office to sign my contract. As soon as I hung up, I was jumping up and down and squealing with delight. The job search, which had come to feel quite desperate and hopeless in recent weeks, was finally over.

Since arriving here in early September, my days had been spent scouring every possible job listing source I could find, customizing my CV for submission and completing specified application forms created by various employers. I spent hours scrolling through the Job Centre database looking for opportunities, registered with every temp agency I could find, applied with Starbucks - you name it, I did it. The economy in Scotland was already struggling when we arrived, and sources say that Scotland has been affected most seriously by the economic resession in the UK. Everyone we talked to about the job search tried to encourage us about the wait by confirming the discouraging state of the economy here. When I heard that the average time to find a job here is 6-9 months I started to panic, and then cry. It was a trying process and a real test of my faith as we waited and waited, wondering how God would provide for us to remain here in Scotland for Tony's schooling.

For these reasons and more, the phone call on that Tuesday afternoon was simply overwhelming.

I started work last Monday morning, just 5 days after accepting the position. I am working as the Volunteering Officer, which means I'll be overseeing the recruitment, training and support, and personal development of volunteers. Home Link is a charity organisation (handily a 10 minute walk away!) that provides support for families with preschool age children who are experiencing stress or difficulties in some manner. They have a large base of volunteers who are trained to provide support for these families and then spend several hours each week offering practical help and support to the families in their homes. Their vision is to provide early, preventive support to keep families from reaching a crisis point. I love the concept of their work and it fits very well with my background in community counseling. I'm very excited about the work I'll be doing in my position and can't wait to get started.

Beyond the financial stability that employment offers, I am very grateful to now have something of my own to focus on and work towards every day. It's great to have a routine again and to be able to use my energy and skills in a constructive way. I feel so fortunate to have found a job that will challenge me and allow me to develop my skills further. After applying to wash and fold linens in a hotel, the mental stimulation of this position is an absolute blessing!!

We are so grateful to God for this provision. While our hearts are still missing our families and friends in the US and Peru so very much, having a secure job has brought a great amount of comfort as we continue to adjust to this transition. As you think of us, please join us in giving thanks to God for the good gift he has provided for us.

Thanksgiving in Scotland

This was our first year to prepare our Thanksgiving meal on our own and it was a great experience! The most responsibility I have had at my extended family celebrations in the past is the relish tray, so you really can't go wrong there. This year we not only had to prepare the side dishes, but the most important part of the dinner as well: the turkey!!

I did some studying up online and we managed to successfully thaw the turkey in time to prepare it. We were pleasantly surprised to find all the giblets nicely packaged and stuffed into the turkey, so we didn't have to do much digging around at all. I made Tony do all the handling of the turkey, and he was glad to do it. Here he is in the preparation stages:

After consutling with several people, we ultimately decided to put some butter under the skin, stick it in a roasting bag, dust it with flour and let it bake. We were pleasantly surprised with the outcome - nicely browned, tender and fully cooked!! Now we can start branching out next year with recommendations of brushing it with olive oil, combining herbs, brining and maybe even stuffing it!


We had several American friends over for Thanksgiving dinner and had a great time celebrating together. I wasn't quite sure how everything would get baked and stay warm with the miniature nature of our oven. Somehow it all came together and we had a wonderful meal. Our friend Jackie (below with her husband Christopher and their first baby beautifully showing its presence!) brought a delicious sweet potato casserole, homemade dinner rolls and an apple pie that was almost too perfect to cut into!

Here's our small group around the table: Ryan, Jackie, Christopher, Tony and Matt. We rearranged our living room in order to set up the table and fit all of us around it!
As I said in yesterday's post, there is so much to be grateful for and it was particularly hard to narrow it down this year. Our distance from family and friends in the US and distance from our dear friends and kids in Peru has made for a difficult transition, but it also accentuated the many things we have to be grateful for. And these pictures reflect another element of my gratefulness this year: good friends and the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.

Candy Corn Reflections '08

As we are away from home again this year for Thanksgiving, I am continuing with the new tradition of posting my Thanksgiving reflections here on our blog, rather than around the circle with my family. This year there are 44 of them together, and before the eating begins they will each hold their 3 pieces of candy corn and share three special things that they are thankful for this year. There have been joys and heartbreaks within our family this year, and the sting of the heartbreak is evermore painful on special days like today. But the joys are so well remembered as well, and that helps to balance the memories a bit.

If I were there with my family today, these are the three things I would give thanks for:

1 - Again, I am so grateful for Tony, for the dear companion he is in my life and the ways he has supported me during this big and difficult transition from Peru to Scotland. My love and appreciation for him grows each year and I still proclaim that I could live anywhere and do anything as long as he is by my side.

2 - I am so grateful for the provision of a JOB this week after a long, and at time hopeless, wait. It's not just a job, it's a great job that I am excited to begin. God has faithfully met our needs as we waited, and we're so thankful for this provision of work.

3 - I am so thankful for my family, their thoughtfulness, supportiveness and encouragement while we are in this season of living so far away. They are extensions of God's caring touch in this world and they have made all the difference in making this transition bearable. I miss them dearly and look forward to seeing their faces as soon as possible.

It's never been so hard to narrow my gratitude down to 3 items as it is this year. There is so much more to say, about the Lord's faithful provision in our lives, about Peru and the ways it changed me so deeply, so many things. But for now, these 3 reflect the current condition of my heart and I will stick with them.

May you enjoy a wonderful day with your family and friends today. Happy Thanksgiving!

Let It Snow!!

When I first began to picture life in Scotland as we were contemplating the possibility of moving here for Tony's educational pursuits, my expectations were fueled by images I've seen in movies and photo books of the UK. For the most part, those expectations have been fully met - the city buildings made of stone are just as I imagined them, the abundance of beautiful churches fit right in with my imagined scenery, and certainly the beautiful fall colors and cool weather of the past 2 months were a welcomed reality. But when I heard that Edinburgh rarely gets snow due to its unique geographical location, I was really disappointed. I am a Colorado girl at heart and am happy to tolerate the unpleasant aspects of cold, snowy weather (primarily the icy roads and horrible traffic jams that it ensues) just for the beauty of the falling flakes and the cozy feeling I get when home in my slippers, a cup of coffee in hand, looking out on the snowy wonderland. I didn't miss the snow too much in Peru because it was always too warm and sunny to raise my expectations, but the cold, cloudy weather of Edinburgh always leaves me surprised that this will be another year without snow.

SO, imagine my surprise while walking home from our friends' home last night when I saw something white hit Tony's jacket and bounced off. Within a few feet I stopped completely and examined the little white things on the ground. My verdict: popcorn snow!! (At least, this is what we call the really light, round snowflakes that literally bounce when they hit the ground!) I was absolutely thrilled, and my excitement was not diminished a bit by the fact that I knew it would not amount to anything. There would be no snowy wonderland when we awoke the next morning, but I had seen a snowflake, and somehow the bitter cold walk home seemed much more pleasant knowing that it was accompanied by a few sparse and sporatic snowflakes.

Breaking the Silence!

The past two weeks have been rather uneventful, hence the silence here on our blog. But after several weeks of uneventfulness, I've decided that posting about something, even if it is uneventful, is better than nothing!

Tony continues to enjoy the philosophy program here and has been doing a lot of reading and writing, on top of studying for the GRE which he's scheduled to take on Dec. 17 in London. For those who haven't heard the detailed complexities of the educational pursuit we're on, let me offer a brief explanation. Tony is currently studying for a MSc in Philosophy, which was needed on top of his previous MA in Philosophy Religion to establish a firm foundation in general philosophy before beginning his PhD. This January he will be submitting applications to various PhD programs, several here in the UK and several in the US, with the hope of receiving funding to cover the tuition costs, along with a small stipend towards living expenses. Philosophy is a very competetive field and most programs have 200-300 applicants each year competing for 3-5 funded positions. Depending on the outcome of his applications, we may be staying here in Edinburgh for the PhD program, or relocating once again to a school in the US. As you think of us, we would appreciate your prayers over this complicated process, especially for Tony as he studies and prepares his applications for submission this winter.

The majority of my day is spent looking for and applying for jobs and as of yet, I do not have a job. The economy here was struggling when we arrived and they are now saying that Scotland will be hit the hardest by the economic recession in the UK. The job market is very competetive and there are scores of people applying for each and every job. I've had several interviews, which has been fortunate I hear, and I have another one coming up next week. While most of my day is consumed with the job search, I have enjoyed having time to do more cooking and baking than I did all year in Peru! I've tried my hand at making homemade bread, granola, granola bars and a wide variety of soups. My latest attempt was a butternut squash soup and it was wonderful!

Last Saturday, Tony put the books aside for the day and we took a bus out to the small village of Cramond, which is on the outskirts of Edinburgh and right on the Firth of Forth. We had a great time together and were refreshed by getting out of the city and breaking our intense focus on finding a job, studying, and wondering about the future. Photos from our trip can be seen here, but I had to include this video from our trip.


Edinburgh is apparently known for its cold, strong winter winds and we can certainly attest to that fact!! It took me about 15 minutes to work all the knots out of my hair after we got home - any of you ladies with long hair can sympathize, I'm sure!!

So that's the latest from the Bolos' in Edinburgh. I'll be posting again soon with updates on Peru - stay tuned!

Election Day

As I've been reading about the election woes that are seemingly spreading across the US today as millions of voters turn out in this historic election, I have been ever so grateful that we mailed our ballots in as overseas citizens and can now just sit back and watch. I've been glad to trade out what I'm sure has been an inundation of campaign commercials for the brief BBC updates on the campaign, as well as several SNL skits that have come out in recent weeks.

It's been interesting to see the high level of interest in American politics here in the UK - as one woman said, "Of course US politics seem exciting to us - British politics could hardly be more boring!" Nearly everyone we've come to know well here has asked about our political opinions, and several random strangers have shared their opinions with us as well. Last Friday a young teenage boy declared that he would vote for "Bah-rrack Obama" if he were an American because "Obama's going to legalize marijuana and that's cool!" So the information may be a bit skewed by the time it reaches the people here, but they seem to be swooning after the eloquent young leader as the rest of the world seems to have done as well.

A recent BBC special titled "US '08" made a statement that I found insightful regarding the level of interest in the election. They said something to the effect of, "We don't get to cast a vote, but the outcome will dramatically affect our future, not just the future of America." And they're absolutely right - American politics has a dramatic effect on the world, more so than any other country in the world. It's no wonder that children in remote villages around the world know the names of our major political players. Countless numbers of elections have occurred around the world these past 4 years with scarcely a mention in US news. The sad reality is that we are largely unaffected by the rise and fall of dictators and leaders of many countries in the world, while each of them are significantly affected by the tides of US politics.

I don't want to get into politics here, so suffice it to say that after years of working with women who are working in countries around the world, a year of living in Peru where the government and civil authorities are ruled by greed and power above anything else, and now a brief stay in the UK, I have a deep and profound gratitude for the United States of America. I tire of hearing the accusations and complaints against our country's leaders when we enjoy the comforts of knowing that by and large our government is founded on justice, protection of individual freedom, and the equality of each human being.

The entire presidential cabinet was cleared out in Peru last month in the heat of corruption charges and allegations. The Congo is in a volatile state of political unrest as the Tutsis and Hutus lash out in violence against each other, all rooted in ethnic conflict. Kenya endured a violent and tumultuous election this year as well, which has resulted in a power-sharing arrangement aimed at keeping a violent politic crisis at bay. These are just 3 of several political stories I've followed this year, which are just several of many crisis situations throughout the world. The situation in Iraq is hopeful, and the overshadowing of the good being done there is a true scandal. The fight towards freedom and the stabilization of the country is one that I support, whether our reasons for going in were right or not. We have so much to be grateful for as Americans, and I hope that never gets lost in the criticisms we may bring against her.

So now it's back to the poll watch, waiting along with the rest of the world for the outcome of this historic election. No matter the result, we are free to live according to our own values and beliefs. We will not be threatened or persecuted based upon our differences of opinion. We can place our confidence in our leaders, and still affirm the foundational beliefs that our country stands on. For that, I am proud to be an American. Happy Election Day!!