tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85292459985499978832024-02-02T00:44:56.771-08:00The Yang UpdateEric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-69955484196265768092011-12-15T21:22:00.000-08:002011-12-15T21:40:54.991-08:00God have mercyAlthough the Church Militia shall not rest her arms until the Son descends, we must keep clear who our real enemies are.<div><br /></div><div>Today, a voice against the Church and against theism at large has been silenced. I pray that no believer rejoice, but that we only hope that God have mercy. Christopher Hitchens was not the enemy, for he was made in the image of God. Broken and embittered, he could no longer yearn for the Good. Mr. Hitchens was not the enemy. He was a fellow soldier who was taken down by our true adversaries. May God have mercy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Too often we think of various persons, religions, and nations as our enemies. May we remember that they are our brothers and sisters, members of the privileged class of God's creation. When they pass unto death, the judge shall meet them. One day, the judge shall meet me. I too, from pain and fear, have failed in my pursuit of the Good. I only hope that my judge shall have mercy on me as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>I do believe in hell, and I do believe that it is not vacant. But I hope that no man enters, not even those who would be considered my foes in this life. For I too was an enemy of Christ, but our Captain mercifully permitted me back into the ranks. </div><div><br /></div><div> Our mission is clear: to bring the love and mercy of Christ to all, especially those who would reject Him. The time has come for some of us to enter into enemy territory. May we not be timid, but proceed with courage. Whether we stand or fall, may God have mercy.</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-89181951211745058202011-03-01T15:35:00.001-08:002011-03-01T15:51:29.082-08:00just to say somethingHey all,<br /><br /> Sorry for no posts in awhile. We will put pictures of Elijah soon.<br /><br />Just to have something new, here's a brief comment on the Rob Bell hooplah...<br /><br />He has a new book (entitled <i>Love Wins</i>) coming out the end of this month; and the promo (video and publisher's description) intimates universalism (i.e. the view that no one ends up in hell).<span style="font-style:italic;"></span><div><br /></div><div>First of all, no one is sure what his actual view is because the book is not out yet. So for all we know, he may not actually be a universalist (as various conservative evangelicals, such as John Piper and Justin Taylor, have suggested).</div><div><br /></div><div>But even if he is a universalist, I'm interested in whether he has any good arguments for it or not (most arguments I've seen for it by "evangelicals" tend to be pretty poor). Univeralism has been defended by C.S. Lewis' hero George MacDonald, and the view is ably defended by bright minds today such as Thomas Talbott (I met him once at a conference; I doubt he remembers me, but he came to my talk--he was very kind).</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm no universalist, but I'm all for hearing good arguments. Rather than condemning Bell as a "heretic" (which is strange for evangelicals to do), I'm more interested in finding out whether he can convince me (supposing that he is a univeralist at all). We ought to pursue truth, and I am not confident that every theological belief I have is correct or complete. So I'm willing to be persuaded; so present me with the argument. If universalism is true and the case is compelling, then I hope to be convinced; if it is not true, then I hope to give reasons showing where the view is in error. But to just say a view is wrong before any arguments are given, well, that's just plain silly (barring propositions that have such a low initial plausibility weight for any serious consideration).</div><div><br /></div><div>(aside: if Bell really is a universalist and presents a case for it, my prediction is that the case will not be any more compelling than the fine work done by guys like Talbott. But again, I don't want to pre-judge the case. When I have time, hopefully I can read his book).</div><div><br /></div><div>(aside2: I'm no fan of Bell; but he hasn't wronged me, and he seems like a good guy. He's a hipster, and not being very cool, I can't relate. So I have nothing against him [skimmed through <i>Velvet Elvis</i>], but I'm not a fan either... he is to me what Tito was for the Jackson 5; i.e., glad he's part of the group, but I didn't come to the show for him).</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-5498314751620669102010-10-16T22:59:00.000-07:002010-10-16T23:10:29.101-07:00Happy 100 Days, Elijah!Last weekend Eric and I went up to Sacramento to celebrate Elijah's 100th day, a unique tradition to the Korean culture. It was a wonderful chance to visit and celebrate with family.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuF_qwxv-L-3BDfcOGcjONtaZwGdY33lzZi3OWJpy1EieFXmMdTXsMSJPlO1zDdpJlbRUzxWthxyh9mV3vcnWl7miRpNppPNvUooybo1LoiAuuNu2ycwLFm3Y55PsmobjqQM-H2qB2_Y/s1600/IMG_5599.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuF_qwxv-L-3BDfcOGcjONtaZwGdY33lzZi3OWJpy1EieFXmMdTXsMSJPlO1zDdpJlbRUzxWthxyh9mV3vcnWl7miRpNppPNvUooybo1LoiAuuNu2ycwLFm3Y55PsmobjqQM-H2qB2_Y/s320/IMG_5599.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528892385217054290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1lLFGkjPTxTqRIS3COB-mpUppDngyTxOjDNNPJRT5wmz6bdgzA7y1rT9Nb-mS8cyaVCw7UWCwXeuJ1bAyGP-kz7s5qtsrf6_4lJfkFNvEqLy-eANUKNyt9zE-mBifk0Njw2Z8bgqbzA/s1600/IMG_5595.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1lLFGkjPTxTqRIS3COB-mpUppDngyTxOjDNNPJRT5wmz6bdgzA7y1rT9Nb-mS8cyaVCw7UWCwXeuJ1bAyGP-kz7s5qtsrf6_4lJfkFNvEqLy-eANUKNyt9zE-mBifk0Njw2Z8bgqbzA/s320/IMG_5595.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528892378342835474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJixXu8-2C8VTh4uxnOhJcw9StPw5wnK5ryUYGimv9181rV51x9Ha011jjawZAPkAxJB3fa_qZEb9GsuLMWlRGzVI3wwsZ4uScutMGZiaGZQ_yDj5pEkN8Zz1P0hyPGyLD0CT24BpOPs8/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJixXu8-2C8VTh4uxnOhJcw9StPw5wnK5ryUYGimv9181rV51x9Ha011jjawZAPkAxJB3fa_qZEb9GsuLMWlRGzVI3wwsZ4uScutMGZiaGZQ_yDj5pEkN8Zz1P0hyPGyLD0CT24BpOPs8/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528892373769951042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_msDbcL0D6tx2dUhCINm_XDZC4ZG8HGaV0N0SXbtbZm_GiVJt3YKanonLjEd8qjKPicPG4nxO0wiKHTeOTVC_aRds8FfW9EyT8aD_ieX8HHKDdzVrTrxUlAIf53D17iVmlrm0d31rMA/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_msDbcL0D6tx2dUhCINm_XDZC4ZG8HGaV0N0SXbtbZm_GiVJt3YKanonLjEd8qjKPicPG4nxO0wiKHTeOTVC_aRds8FfW9EyT8aD_ieX8HHKDdzVrTrxUlAIf53D17iVmlrm0d31rMA/s320/IMG_5586.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528892372994414050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAH5l4GNQ401-jGgH76-mItG_jfTx9jsjl7bFO5r423L_D71VMXsvNizjrghMGVPJhiY0mcyIHG5aCsQ48hB8hfSnD6jPPeuLClke8yPuiHEMV2e4h4eOHT3uh2O0VZ71M_3HlR3yQQQ/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAH5l4GNQ401-jGgH76-mItG_jfTx9jsjl7bFO5r423L_D71VMXsvNizjrghMGVPJhiY0mcyIHG5aCsQ48hB8hfSnD6jPPeuLClke8yPuiHEMV2e4h4eOHT3uh2O0VZ71M_3HlR3yQQQ/s320/IMG_5583.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528892360778401154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2Fyb_A0vzAxK-lx0fOZHt4BW2KdC9eeMCWqO90JZdHMyYhMy0L3ZgZqxDlsU26vp4mReZyyDWcUOnjT9EBkEGS6yHEMd5urUiQwy-9ZFYJgDCR5A72oWwwkUlT1NQwtILwk6yQJGJO8/s1600/IMG_5623.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2Fyb_A0vzAxK-lx0fOZHt4BW2KdC9eeMCWqO90JZdHMyYhMy0L3ZgZqxDlsU26vp4mReZyyDWcUOnjT9EBkEGS6yHEMd5urUiQwy-9ZFYJgDCR5A72oWwwkUlT1NQwtILwk6yQJGJO8/s320/IMG_5623.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528893178539438802" /></a>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-44598774466293081722010-08-18T22:42:00.000-07:002010-08-18T23:03:26.236-07:00Elijah - Grand and Great-GrandsAlmost two months now. We've spent about half that time up north with Elijah's grandparents. We definitely enjoyed the free "nursery". Here's some cuteness coming your way...<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpeWaahn5k9awOeLCwvSmVIA1-GW-IHcbuLRxqcWceMyvrRZEJV48pinN2uacW-sNwyCsAeKr5pPR_V6-21RBnv1yRWItxle8u0r1I87teP9YF9RNdxiVOHpaHQYMDcGLWVdRcVw7yKY/s1600/IMG_1525.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpeWaahn5k9awOeLCwvSmVIA1-GW-IHcbuLRxqcWceMyvrRZEJV48pinN2uacW-sNwyCsAeKr5pPR_V6-21RBnv1yRWItxle8u0r1I87teP9YF9RNdxiVOHpaHQYMDcGLWVdRcVw7yKY/s400/IMG_1525.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993133405542338" /></a>Without any bias, this is the cutest kid ever... (okay, maybe a little bias!)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EP6KaLwxXVYMNzy5KpYdTzQfq0m9i2vmwOeyJ39XMcohlXB8mTQlrBQIkx_-er4DNqDAlkQrtnVIWdkSxggsjxNMX2_VzJxXLm0IDzbME1YN_G2jtwBdRxHKCK_YQHXtYn2Qcb31VJI/s1600/IMG_4344.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EP6KaLwxXVYMNzy5KpYdTzQfq0m9i2vmwOeyJ39XMcohlXB8mTQlrBQIkx_-er4DNqDAlkQrtnVIWdkSxggsjxNMX2_VzJxXLm0IDzbME1YN_G2jtwBdRxHKCK_YQHXtYn2Qcb31VJI/s400/IMG_4344.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993091535731378" /></a>The grandfathers...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMBAbKD-0yz9xwTv8QCDflAboaNiUXFoqe7pfcghziD08GCmwrcssmfWiFqmvSXar-BYQXam1pq4qx59SAHhX7Uydd6o1I6gAN-dwuktONJQLXNInFvj5TbxiEOVBAxZGPKfAYZBgi8Q/s1600/IMG_4346.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMBAbKD-0yz9xwTv8QCDflAboaNiUXFoqe7pfcghziD08GCmwrcssmfWiFqmvSXar-BYQXam1pq4qx59SAHhX7Uydd6o1I6gAN-dwuktONJQLXNInFvj5TbxiEOVBAxZGPKfAYZBgi8Q/s400/IMG_4346.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993105538217906" /></a>the grandmothers... <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKP-GAHUTVgqviGA1n9gH-Br3IEmt19gjUBaRS6j9-LMfF1iBfMEbrwBLVjSJI9XevoDNdFpIJnyMgwOCrjlUcuvrMqyHkagi3UsrKJvLWgGjSDOPJuFpIM_6K3RkqX1Psc3Pjy_rB6E/s1600/IMG_4503.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKP-GAHUTVgqviGA1n9gH-Br3IEmt19gjUBaRS6j9-LMfF1iBfMEbrwBLVjSJI9XevoDNdFpIJnyMgwOCrjlUcuvrMqyHkagi3UsrKJvLWgGjSDOPJuFpIM_6K3RkqX1Psc3Pjy_rB6E/s400/IMG_4503.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993114922218402" /></a>Elijah being held by his great-grandpa Howard...</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cePDs4QHOvhG6aUt1sccgo45FS2R1hwbRA2ohR1Kc0u9mHrg1wVsVe3ZaKtHH9FclntI3Dd5aujcJdj-0zZaRbvJmfgTDFx451bNl8qw2Aeu88chNqTIbLJYv_sYGGU7wqHYqq-eVVg/s1600/IMG_4588.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cePDs4QHOvhG6aUt1sccgo45FS2R1hwbRA2ohR1Kc0u9mHrg1wVsVe3ZaKtHH9FclntI3Dd5aujcJdj-0zZaRbvJmfgTDFx451bNl8qw2Aeu88chNqTIbLJYv_sYGGU7wqHYqq-eVVg/s400/IMG_4588.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993122126314818" /></a>...and being held by great-grandma...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOwI7Jeah9TGYRtvw4qdAYK1CjxNAJLmPk_g12Zsyk9MzNlijrxojEeGpUUnniUuBJorgyXQ3m0K3b4N6jweLzjbHFQwBzmmh28uDCdHX3PdQJeZMwY73s39eQUc9Tq3MKXmUDQOWvf4/s1600/IMG_4617.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOwI7Jeah9TGYRtvw4qdAYK1CjxNAJLmPk_g12Zsyk9MzNlijrxojEeGpUUnniUuBJorgyXQ3m0K3b4N6jweLzjbHFQwBzmmh28uDCdHX3PdQJeZMwY73s39eQUc9Tq3MKXmUDQOWvf4/s400/IMG_4617.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994730246692146" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENIJcFFfnEOgsI-9UCETzH3MO-q8TxHMTZUv8MX29kA4ogEzt2W0QQtJJqjHb0WWr9kCx9wE-mlbebH4lADnbodPB-4jUXq-oQfxaTbwJx1Uk7KQhL6kymE86nNr7tgritQ3l3TgvsqI/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENIJcFFfnEOgsI-9UCETzH3MO-q8TxHMTZUv8MX29kA4ogEzt2W0QQtJJqjHb0WWr9kCx9wE-mlbebH4lADnbodPB-4jUXq-oQfxaTbwJx1Uk7KQhL6kymE86nNr7tgritQ3l3TgvsqI/s400/IMG_4560.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994722371532466" /></a>Funny face with mommy...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYSBC9_qPSC9Y9MSEQXwSKUEpUkIAyhHocgN-r2921_4c6je3z31n7QhQ_HmMONXFJ6ourOMX7vnX8hxi30keudfLgfJ7Y2OknjX9LWcH5tx1HKgDGDRZxBeIMmTbkEZScja_9gill9o/s1600/IMG_4628.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYSBC9_qPSC9Y9MSEQXwSKUEpUkIAyhHocgN-r2921_4c6je3z31n7QhQ_HmMONXFJ6ourOMX7vnX8hxi30keudfLgfJ7Y2OknjX9LWcH5tx1HKgDGDRZxBeIMmTbkEZScja_9gill9o/s400/IMG_4628.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994746177017954" /></a>I never knew either of my grandfathers (one may or may not be alive in NK, and the other died when I was one), so I'm glad Elijah has both of his (and hope he has them for a very long time)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsKYtjkyembYIdEoQG8cs7lIuGmK-r39MHTh0kDGzZF7xFOhbcOI9oJT6LFfK2PxfkDhAsAirv8XdMQu9HENQZlzZrhrrWeUJUAXgDHVfQfPRqpfYPUyW9eE1kdk-9mNqWTUuWbZna9Y/s1600/IMG_4624.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsKYtjkyembYIdEoQG8cs7lIuGmK-r39MHTh0kDGzZF7xFOhbcOI9oJT6LFfK2PxfkDhAsAirv8XdMQu9HENQZlzZrhrrWeUJUAXgDHVfQfPRqpfYPUyW9eE1kdk-9mNqWTUuWbZna9Y/s400/IMG_4624.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994736096886370" /></a>I have a feeling this grandpa will be teaching Elijah some "tricks"... in the meantime, he's feeding him with the precision of a laboratory scientist...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZO7ZY3ypU6daVVH8FZ-gwcXKIKKlxHizKqhPdy1aJkBARBFu8ZY_e20lZ_36LYvuyCiBbD6vVf_7FocZdNXZ9iid-fGvZg2xGV1LD62FBr5QiF-N78XVVtzIM5ix137bay4xuM4-ozw/s1600/IMG_4718.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZO7ZY3ypU6daVVH8FZ-gwcXKIKKlxHizKqhPdy1aJkBARBFu8ZY_e20lZ_36LYvuyCiBbD6vVf_7FocZdNXZ9iid-fGvZg2xGV1LD62FBr5QiF-N78XVVtzIM5ix137bay4xuM4-ozw/s400/IMG_4718.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506994756441326386" /></a>"That's all folks"...</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-38421629041043569642010-07-24T13:00:00.000-07:002010-07-24T13:08:01.773-07:00Back homeSome pictures of the newest member of the household...<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK1aBs0cEtaoRFGyMR9U6RPu0xgivMwFa0gVskqV3Atcv8Lfe2rmxKX6OXlsy-KHlr2LCzYFDw8cCjhR2QuMKzCZqi_WKqAmvIEWa1B56_7uombp52T6hXS6CRykksBSco0oZSJo0hfM/s1600/IMG_4400.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK1aBs0cEtaoRFGyMR9U6RPu0xgivMwFa0gVskqV3Atcv8Lfe2rmxKX6OXlsy-KHlr2LCzYFDw8cCjhR2QuMKzCZqi_WKqAmvIEWa1B56_7uombp52T6hXS6CRykksBSco0oZSJo0hfM/s400/IMG_4400.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497565764287107730" /></a>Our gangsta cruising with his bear outfit...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHNdRaF353HVyVSofRhlRv_i-OHxO0m9kop_Dx0vPI4WkYZa5cXPliVmn4cIcuRYrcpoaRw5LQdPKZcF5goqccwzc8JWL2jE-eeJkod8aVZHBuQHvoq1ijEHAp3EOPNXTP3zKuLINg1c/s1600/IMG_4395.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHNdRaF353HVyVSofRhlRv_i-OHxO0m9kop_Dx0vPI4WkYZa5cXPliVmn4cIcuRYrcpoaRw5LQdPKZcF5goqccwzc8JWL2jE-eeJkod8aVZHBuQHvoq1ijEHAp3EOPNXTP3zKuLINg1c/s400/IMG_4395.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497565756123674786" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uDyyOEqzQ4qsBwlMJiyaA7FUoM_8D4T467p15G-oHm1oWx_Nyk9tBXlviLBTsmV1hc9xo5yZaQE0ULvcW1cqHREq3WjWKgXJVN3JOp9eCfo6X16TcXsyiFi1SogoaSdHWfr5AU6Ddrc/s1600/IMG_4472.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uDyyOEqzQ4qsBwlMJiyaA7FUoM_8D4T467p15G-oHm1oWx_Nyk9tBXlviLBTsmV1hc9xo5yZaQE0ULvcW1cqHREq3WjWKgXJVN3JOp9eCfo6X16TcXsyiFi1SogoaSdHWfr5AU6Ddrc/s400/IMG_4472.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497565778335789890" /></a>A sweet moment with mommy...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcjmLfbydlVpKrNgMFF1nzwYHSmUaFzxaWY7-MoGy6t-gGUYsTTo-0daMt_EE1NVua10pmfyOQd8SZwRoYn0IJrjAGdQW2SO07JLWV6u_5t6p8FiSKReVuxI6VfZyemRCV_JpOrIc2Pk/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcjmLfbydlVpKrNgMFF1nzwYHSmUaFzxaWY7-MoGy6t-gGUYsTTo-0daMt_EE1NVua10pmfyOQd8SZwRoYn0IJrjAGdQW2SO07JLWV6u_5t6p8FiSKReVuxI6VfZyemRCV_JpOrIc2Pk/s400/IMG_4480.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497565797510872626" /></a>My cousin Brittany stayed with us after our awesome week at Wheatstone; she had pacifier duty...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL-Miu1OjAz79jwxgLSxOWPj8Dy88RI6nR60SPvyu_cIVHnB4d2ZE1lJkGTqSv9m3VJHscq1xsn7cPtu5TMbny_eu7PH_2M1RX5QNo0wBZbEnMF-Uo_O9d8adFFGwS-Y9mivKG8O_f9Y/s1600/IMG_4473.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL-Miu1OjAz79jwxgLSxOWPj8Dy88RI6nR60SPvyu_cIVHnB4d2ZE1lJkGTqSv9m3VJHscq1xsn7cPtu5TMbny_eu7PH_2M1RX5QNo0wBZbEnMF-Uo_O9d8adFFGwS-Y9mivKG8O_f9Y/s400/IMG_4473.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497565789415031874" /></a></div><div>Punk rock hair right after a nice bath.</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-36841456632051194342010-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:002010-06-12T13:56:27.406-07:00Waiting for Baby...<div><br /></div><div>It has been an eventful couple of months! Graduation, Eric turning thirty and starting his dissertation, and many fun baby showers! Here are some of the highlights...</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN9YDNhxgIQueiC5p40MV1rBci5qFImlRs-YaklPXc4q6gjix_XL3G8ZmZwYclUvuW4Mt619_Y_00rDMtpodifvBRtxG3r-jsH0iagb8idSFjl6HJDKqeGR-3okieUy619JmTd8mwS0w/s1600/mail-2.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 110px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbN9YDNhxgIQueiC5p40MV1rBci5qFImlRs-YaklPXc4q6gjix_XL3G8ZmZwYclUvuW4Mt619_Y_00rDMtpodifvBRtxG3r-jsH0iagb8idSFjl6HJDKqeGR-3okieUy619JmTd8mwS0w/s400/mail-2.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481993482244530770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXDkNm2g6i_GXmaoODiOkKtArkO59yB0zrWDNYgXNLCOd1RFmjQsYBoV8KTmIRRA7OUEG_JbVzJNgs9M7v_HdhBnOYG-i8_ZKsJV528OI9FKHgyHWt3oWFgxHGQix9DMxjAmUSM38DXM/s1600/mail-3.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXDkNm2g6i_GXmaoODiOkKtArkO59yB0zrWDNYgXNLCOd1RFmjQsYBoV8KTmIRRA7OUEG_JbVzJNgs9M7v_HdhBnOYG-i8_ZKsJV528OI9FKHgyHWt3oWFgxHGQix9DMxjAmUSM38DXM/s400/mail-3.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481993467755350434" /></a>Harry and Minerva's OVBC shower...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplZkyHCc1kveYGp4b98J0FN4Ha2q5VqFl2G9YpRzMN5KUZdUTceltytW_AwtAZL5rbhFv_xyRN9y1sotPMpnqc_Do36grsK25yaYULmZl0_c3fhzbbZef2VILp7F5eDwit7lbNqgGbWI/s1600/IMG_4240.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplZkyHCc1kveYGp4b98J0FN4Ha2q5VqFl2G9YpRzMN5KUZdUTceltytW_AwtAZL5rbhFv_xyRN9y1sotPMpnqc_Do36grsK25yaYULmZl0_c3fhzbbZef2VILp7F5eDwit7lbNqgGbWI/s400/IMG_4240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987750574252946" /></a>Graduation from CLU with an M.S. in Counseling Psychology... and 8 months prego.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3xt0qmVcXNkLK7HKC8yXZ2LsEuvN2IrZtZoefXEIcOOoemHi4iQnyaS88cM3iaHU3J5mje-PTctbtkTXJSNG4tduWFiwTgSsg3zVHQFH5uzqxYfaUUIU2UlmnHxQd1BCPrZHE0Tw9G0/s1600/IMG_4195.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3xt0qmVcXNkLK7HKC8yXZ2LsEuvN2IrZtZoefXEIcOOoemHi4iQnyaS88cM3iaHU3J5mje-PTctbtkTXJSNG4tduWFiwTgSsg3zVHQFH5uzqxYfaUUIU2UlmnHxQd1BCPrZHE0Tw9G0/s400/IMG_4195.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987741675802930" /></a>My lovely Korean baby shower. So cute!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_GeDT8KoeXPZ_UgSZJHsp3fVsrN0RCbDv18zuPxw_gJ0Z1lHZnEdPrrDWg18HGhGe5T9fIPiBY4W8bCVvmpqtTdpZ5rb3LMYGa40TZYjxbVIjEo_d0pQIQ5EW2gehYxznDkxclOz3v8/s1600/IMG_4251.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_GeDT8KoeXPZ_UgSZJHsp3fVsrN0RCbDv18zuPxw_gJ0Z1lHZnEdPrrDWg18HGhGe5T9fIPiBY4W8bCVvmpqtTdpZ5rb3LMYGa40TZYjxbVIjEo_d0pQIQ5EW2gehYxznDkxclOz3v8/s400/IMG_4251.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987731079070066" /></a>A delicious chocolate cake made by Jen and Jenna at my CLU shower!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Tl9aQZcb5ackku2hafw5n0gy4blVAcTueMIWHHyBwJgJzf0ABQtrPMuvCoGzT-fFJ_YPpYiQo0ZvqTnbEW9BhCiznk0Tx1LcWYPHZ3rjg1ysFIVwJBk6q06xIasnHItpkeOVrau5goQ/s1600/CIMG1562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Tl9aQZcb5ackku2hafw5n0gy4blVAcTueMIWHHyBwJgJzf0ABQtrPMuvCoGzT-fFJ_YPpYiQo0ZvqTnbEW9BhCiznk0Tx1LcWYPHZ3rjg1ysFIVwJBk6q06xIasnHItpkeOVrau5goQ/s400/CIMG1562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987721232203122" /></a>Scrumptious baby shower cupcakes from Sprinkles....Thanks to Ange!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZG5KHocTY5NNbY0dydXHPV0Sbl84-ka8-FXI4gHx6kne5yK0__uBiwZtYdkB5eMjd167_xEs4AtdEsJqjqhknOVrykeEQg5cWBUkgInrV45FksINYuDlDsuL-CFjDO0dGGuB-Mi-y5s/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZG5KHocTY5NNbY0dydXHPV0Sbl84-ka8-FXI4gHx6kne5yK0__uBiwZtYdkB5eMjd167_xEs4AtdEsJqjqhknOVrykeEQg5cWBUkgInrV45FksINYuDlDsuL-CFjDO0dGGuB-Mi-y5s/s400/IMG_1819.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481987698229113410" /></a>CLU girls...I will miss them!Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-67932797097619420082010-04-11T20:59:00.000-07:002010-04-11T21:31:41.530-07:00Baby moon...Thanks to the generosity of Alissa's parents, we were able to take a trip to the beautiful Monterey and have a so-called "baby-moon". We stayed at the Marriott, which was right off the wharf/coast--very beautiful. The food was also amazing; so many free samples of clam chowder--we ate clam chowder in a bread bowl every day (I think every meal consisted of seafood of some sort).<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8oUOJog-NIwou3fmNUaeGycfALXB4K_7R0MWxTb8fcBAaL6O5tgWHPr-1cw6HXidY_fXfHIgLdw_bkz8KGkGMCM_XtKGg7olvC8JzIyDzZSx045nv2iU5FrK3aNa-9dJS_E5RDaHwFg/s1600/IMG_4145.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8oUOJog-NIwou3fmNUaeGycfALXB4K_7R0MWxTb8fcBAaL6O5tgWHPr-1cw6HXidY_fXfHIgLdw_bkz8KGkGMCM_XtKGg7olvC8JzIyDzZSx045nv2iU5FrK3aNa-9dJS_E5RDaHwFg/s400/IMG_4145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459096923396640338" /></a>We took a long walk from Cannery Row to Lovers' Point (which we learned was originally called "Lovers of Jesus Point"). The scenery was stunning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cWAMx8xs6QEYjcQPmV2ag39BpOEhbJRKIlU6BdfwMuKuKUWoPrkXQlJveYU3ylBKqY1DdpjI2yyMc0QsX7BN_6F4rIcycd3ItUqnj5rfZ-JKiBkJ8hPy0ZXVVajwIrSt1_hRl-owrCk/s1600/IMG_4135.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cWAMx8xs6QEYjcQPmV2ag39BpOEhbJRKIlU6BdfwMuKuKUWoPrkXQlJveYU3ylBKqY1DdpjI2yyMc0QsX7BN_6F4rIcycd3ItUqnj5rfZ-JKiBkJ8hPy0ZXVVajwIrSt1_hRl-owrCk/s400/IMG_4135.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459096904584016690" /></a>An extremely beautiful pregnant woman...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsGqytgxz_eJXOkrchkJ9abxfVmnN8bR6SYI5rY9UpbyJ6RLWn_Oo286g7xeNPZe4pJ_pEwPGyHxd97TrAZXF2gsokQvGxczLbR0riesTzS-tDHLNWXdcG6JzgZGOxsNMbzBgcLUY6Fg/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsGqytgxz_eJXOkrchkJ9abxfVmnN8bR6SYI5rY9UpbyJ6RLWn_Oo286g7xeNPZe4pJ_pEwPGyHxd97TrAZXF2gsokQvGxczLbR0riesTzS-tDHLNWXdcG6JzgZGOxsNMbzBgcLUY6Fg/s400/IMG_4138.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459096913071287618" /></a>...who likes looking at sea-lions and sea-otters...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QcGbgwzLFROy1mlUc4jKbuHZSoAVS4OdxQvlnJe2-B_0PrGF5oEScDqH5yl3iL8iPwToSHoBysAFvgAzLfmURfSF7r5ufRfB80Bgj8hE9HXTXzF31UCU92_YtTAMs134Arre9Az94QU/s1600/IMG_4160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7QcGbgwzLFROy1mlUc4jKbuHZSoAVS4OdxQvlnJe2-B_0PrGF5oEScDqH5yl3iL8iPwToSHoBysAFvgAzLfmURfSF7r5ufRfB80Bgj8hE9HXTXzF31UCU92_YtTAMs134Arre9Az94QU/s400/IMG_4160.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459096934990947362" /></a>...and hangs out with a weird yellow dude with a pony-tail that likes to jump from rock to rock; I love to climb!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT9htfmhqsorDG4TtF58FncRcjPO_SCwHnqA8xVCYJs2_rS6hoDjbgpsH-mbqRGfEeerKJ9qTzbHiyegrw2jD8QpWjTCOaO4V92w9Wj7hmBQSjopZpbRc54K6LDdsYH_yuMaLrp9vduA/s1600/IMG_4164.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigT9htfmhqsorDG4TtF58FncRcjPO_SCwHnqA8xVCYJs2_rS6hoDjbgpsH-mbqRGfEeerKJ9qTzbHiyegrw2jD8QpWjTCOaO4V92w9Wj7hmBQSjopZpbRc54K6LDdsYH_yuMaLrp9vduA/s400/IMG_4164.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459096945765896674" /></a>We also spent time at Cannery Row, Carmel, and Point Lobos; lots of activities for a pregnant woman, but Alissa was game for it all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwMaWU1WMHRpWbNiuMicrLvi7bbgmCuJ1CnRAEW6C6E79qWoayhKrWhHfFUyc3K3tR1tbOnNJ_4mUT6podtIfQA6QE1K4UCVqqpsYfJqsxAux-4z5hjWEIgJy_PRoHR6bxYA8eqKtPxM/s1600/IMG_4173.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 375px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwMaWU1WMHRpWbNiuMicrLvi7bbgmCuJ1CnRAEW6C6E79qWoayhKrWhHfFUyc3K3tR1tbOnNJ_4mUT6podtIfQA6QE1K4UCVqqpsYfJqsxAux-4z5hjWEIgJy_PRoHR6bxYA8eqKtPxM/s400/IMG_4173.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459097507784811634" /></a>We also visited the Carmel Mission which was founded by Fray Junipero Serra. It was interesting to learn the history of the place and the missionaries. Plus, JP II himself had visited (prior to venerating Fr. Serra), and it was awesome to kneel and pray at the very same chapel room that he did!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dDs_8R1hjLPa1ELdrvmszeaziC-IlLUMy7DbFLnf4C8dY1ok9N7mOxrdf89IqJkOVHEL6FKS2js6I8Ku2rImRnWA3hnwTvpFJCFJw5JYHujB32S5oCMn2L5q7A_9bF63iZmupz0HZOE/s1600/IMG_4172.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dDs_8R1hjLPa1ELdrvmszeaziC-IlLUMy7DbFLnf4C8dY1ok9N7mOxrdf89IqJkOVHEL6FKS2js6I8Ku2rImRnWA3hnwTvpFJCFJw5JYHujB32S5oCMn2L5q7A_9bF63iZmupz0HZOE/s400/IMG_4172.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459097489437466498" /></a>It was also very windy that day... but that's still one hot mama!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy18Jz6ZInS2HVQFIeSi2bafnAwkjWyGFDBO4NyzU3l69jF5KYDNGqTITmN5xNuMJpjYzHt_cTeMZ8tqaRSHvmnKD3og35n5Y2zmC0dq1t6Rxhm1NOUYORs0fshowxRymc90QLYJXTAEw/s1600/IMG_4193.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy18Jz6ZInS2HVQFIeSi2bafnAwkjWyGFDBO4NyzU3l69jF5KYDNGqTITmN5xNuMJpjYzHt_cTeMZ8tqaRSHvmnKD3og35n5Y2zmC0dq1t6Rxhm1NOUYORs0fshowxRymc90QLYJXTAEw/s400/IMG_4193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459097518868676866" /></a>Oh, did we mention that we love food and we had lots of it! Those poor crabs had no chance next to a pregnant woman...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_a18W2xlSATsEpB-2TseZt4mzcK023uX-dyOMPaj2svxyJP1JN3Fbrr36k_sS5KojMeeOWY7t379nqaPFacS3H1EZblhLNJktowlU2iWpavWsxRAF7ywz2eF1FMSqhG5AvElAEnY57ro/s1600/IMG_4194.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_a18W2xlSATsEpB-2TseZt4mzcK023uX-dyOMPaj2svxyJP1JN3Fbrr36k_sS5KojMeeOWY7t379nqaPFacS3H1EZblhLNJktowlU2iWpavWsxRAF7ywz2eF1FMSqhG5AvElAEnY57ro/s400/IMG_4194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459097529741577186" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">... but I have no excuse such as being pregnant; I'm just a chubbster that loves a lot of food... plus, I really wanted to wear the bib!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, a great "last" holiday before our life changes in a few months. We couldn't stop talking about the next stage in our life and looking forward to the joys and the challenges (and lack of sleep) that are about to come. Bring it!</div><div><br /></div><div>-eric</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-83061847406436115662010-03-10T21:16:00.000-08:002010-03-10T21:39:11.840-08:00First Belly Pic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGxpWEmM-ElwVf8tYgRTdKaTJbbS4h9YmBWxfpGExOLlfcrNGGhhl3sJ03FgieNoug0zhn01w-0ufy3sQj7JJdEMiD2DiWvoalAz2FY-oPfpiXN8U6wya5N65_X7qX7tC2awFa9J_TyU/s1600-h/son1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGxpWEmM-ElwVf8tYgRTdKaTJbbS4h9YmBWxfpGExOLlfcrNGGhhl3sJ03FgieNoug0zhn01w-0ufy3sQj7JJdEMiD2DiWvoalAz2FY-oPfpiXN8U6wya5N65_X7qX7tC2awFa9J_TyU/s400/son1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447246540220766530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1_4hXxxN4RGwEZ0G4WdG-rHEhgEaT0UvDoHwJsXh8GNdXMibjJMVj_wOWNWAY1nHt-b-Bvu4peMi2Z7Iq5MK-zCZULA55V01dFDwBjC1DI3y9F6CJrjc_yvpSMjRJBSue92umjgg1wk/s1600-h/IMG_4043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1_4hXxxN4RGwEZ0G4WdG-rHEhgEaT0UvDoHwJsXh8GNdXMibjJMVj_wOWNWAY1nHt-b-Bvu4peMi2Z7Iq5MK-zCZULA55V01dFDwBjC1DI3y9F6CJrjc_yvpSMjRJBSue92umjgg1wk/s400/IMG_4043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447246275356619634" /></a>Elijah from the inside and out...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-55683207635003983872010-03-07T17:59:00.000-08:002010-03-07T18:01:10.026-08:00Grandparents<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKcLMXzEug1LR5kmeJbMQENQdGgXEYZFsBujYX2AW8F2IrkGWTe1YAoH-T8vlyFuZeY6rquIqNul-yQNDYj6cPW8I5G568nQVWcOOcuKqOXmoUmTbcdhccRmt6I9xd0JpLrHrzN_ha-w/s1600-h/6a00d8345197c969e20120a768b8d2970b-800wi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKcLMXzEug1LR5kmeJbMQENQdGgXEYZFsBujYX2AW8F2IrkGWTe1YAoH-T8vlyFuZeY6rquIqNul-yQNDYj6cPW8I5G568nQVWcOOcuKqOXmoUmTbcdhccRmt6I9xd0JpLrHrzN_ha-w/s400/6a00d8345197c969e20120a768b8d2970b-800wi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446077195603512114" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Today as I was busily typing a paper at Starbucks, I looked up and saw a grandfather sitting with two little boys who appeared to be about the same age. Both had oversized baseball caps on and were happily filling their faces with chocolate donuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the grandpa sipped his coffee, he was smiling and leaning in to talk to each of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As I felt this little boy kick inside my belly, I couldn’t help but feel warm in my heart thinking about the kind of interaction that will take place as Elijah and Noah spend many precious moments like these. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-1002195545635051052010-02-04T17:21:00.000-08:002010-02-04T17:34:22.962-08:00Twilight...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWkoKHR50hZtrokRbgSGL5zibuX-A09N5bsotpC4fDmBcckZxgpGAM46lCT6cj9lp9n_tug6nemJqD122WS0a9Py8hzdwRQN8Dx1bR6FR0Np4DFfjdvYWajKBg0UTVhvGsd2euvpUKH4/s1600-h/twilight-book-cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWkoKHR50hZtrokRbgSGL5zibuX-A09N5bsotpC4fDmBcckZxgpGAM46lCT6cj9lp9n_tug6nemJqD122WS0a9Py8hzdwRQN8Dx1bR6FR0Np4DFfjdvYWajKBg0UTVhvGsd2euvpUKH4/s320/twilight-book-cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434566626984820834" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Considering the success of the books (and fascinating reviews by John Granger), I wondered whether or not I should read them. Then my cousin purchased </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Twilight</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for me; so it was settled, I would venture to Forks...</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Having finished, here are some final thoughts before I leave Forks (and never return):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. A man I trust once told me to find the good in something first, because the bad is often easy to spot. So here's some good about Twilight. Meyer is not a bad writer, her talent best displayed in the scenery descriptions of Port Angeles, the meadows in the mountain, and La Push. Having been a student at the fine institution of BYU, she evidently paid attention in her English courses (she was an Eng. major). When I asked some folk whether I should read this, many disparaged her in an unjust way (some who had never even read the book).<br /><br />2. It was interesting [sic] to see how she took some criticisms against LDS and turned it on its head. I think Mr. Granger (of Hogwarts) is mostly right about the connections he finds in the books to an unintentional quasi-apologetic of LDS, especially given that Meyer is a pious Mormon. I won't go into that here; you can read his stuff if you wish.<br /><br />3. Having been an outsider during high-school (I wasn't very "cool" and I never really fit in), I was often sympathetic to Bella--at least in the beginning.<br /><br />4. Bella and Edward evince that there's more to romance than sexual encounters. I don't know of any girl that would have been happy if I had broken into their house and watched them sleep, but certainly every girl I know wants a boy who is attentive and protective. Edward can provide useful dating advice for many guys, which is to ASK QUESTIONS and really LISTEN with earnest interest.<br /><br />5. On to the bad. She's not a bad writer, but she certainly isn't a good writer. When she describes certain scenes, she writes in the manner of a professional writer. When Meyer writes about Edward, she writes as if she's a 13 year old school girl scrawling a note she intends to pass to her friend during science class. Even if it is intentional, it is hard to continue reading (after all, the narrator is Bella; so she has fits of sophistication and fits of immaturity--the discontinuity was disconcerting). Furthermore, when she starts to describe Edward, she goes off into an adjective-frenzy... especially with her overuse of 'glorious', a word that lost meaning by the end.<br /><br />6. From the moment Bella and Edward went on their "first date" to the meadows (where he reveals his diamond-like skin... which is her Faun-by-a-Lampost vision), I started to lose interest. Again, this isn't to say that she's a bad writer; only that I have no preference for what came after (until James the Tracker came; and I hoped he would put an end to all this misery by eating Bella and hopefully killing Edward... such did not come to pass).<br /><br />7. Some people defend the books because of their moral purity and conservative message. But the film "Fireproof" should teach us that a "good" message is not by itself good art.<br /><br />8. There's an air of 'snootiness' in Bella. She reminds me of the Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast (not the original fairy story)--someone who is tired of "this provincial life" of Forks and needs someone to rescue her from the tedium that is life with Charlie (her dad) and her school. Her "friends" Jessica, Mike, Eric, etc., eventually dropped into the background as props; she was "above" them all and they fell by the wayside once something bigger and better came along.<br /><br />9. Romantic love is a god stronger than Edward's monstrosity (and he's not really that vicious; he's cuddly like a little kitten, and as threatening as a dwarf hamster). But is that it? It ends right where Vanaucken's Severe Mercy begins. Van has shown me a love that was stronger than death; Meyer shows me a love that is afraid of death. I choose to side with Van.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">-eric</span></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-17078213036744769912009-10-29T21:40:00.000-07:002009-10-29T22:26:04.363-07:00Squeezing time for funSo we've been extremely busy with school and such, but fortunately we've been able to find a few moments of levity. <div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvazzU5SdyVehBTjfJN6u3mEOYz2RONrW-h3rXb6Vo35iXC48w8Tk518uTfkTzsWGKbzYa7g2DZZhXwyEei3ZF6juKbn9Ez6BwraWWVyBRnDlsb5l_T5nA6yoXpQ_74gxub9iHpuu-vxY/s1600-h/IMG_3915.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvazzU5SdyVehBTjfJN6u3mEOYz2RONrW-h3rXb6Vo35iXC48w8Tk518uTfkTzsWGKbzYa7g2DZZhXwyEei3ZF6juKbn9Ez6BwraWWVyBRnDlsb5l_T5nA6yoXpQ_74gxub9iHpuu-vxY/s400/IMG_3915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253566082347490" /></a>Here's Alissa at the Getty Villa (in Malibu). It was a part of a mega all-day date we had at the end of the summer before school started. The Greek and Roman architecture and art was amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few weeks ago, my folks came to visit for the weekend. We had a great time while they were here. Our first stop was at Solvang, where they got a taste of their daughter-in-law's heritage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_feAGQq4sGbl6B0LTnqUPw504ptnZO3xjVH2gRSx2SdLMVjEDfruzCX3Wmb6zDOCl745DtXdptQ_gxOP_gpmeeHmdbtjB2Qc_I8KWX-ZZcPXf1Yo_GZFmL96xendT7_VzfjH5Eq0H-8/s1600-h/IMG_3945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_feAGQq4sGbl6B0LTnqUPw504ptnZO3xjVH2gRSx2SdLMVjEDfruzCX3Wmb6zDOCl745DtXdptQ_gxOP_gpmeeHmdbtjB2Qc_I8KWX-ZZcPXf1Yo_GZFmL96xendT7_VzfjH5Eq0H-8/s400/IMG_3945.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253582971837698" /></a>Here's my mom and Alissa having a great time walking around the city. </div><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLOkl2w6ec43Dwwl9MGu5lys2i3_9iVZJVaw3lhKa_4wMvWrhtLVol22u2E62AHmlictVNOy7jnz6D6K37TgpytFcOHTrabSu-XyAgJ4wB2Bpze5o_dpJxX5SJaURh9EmvGp_oyiqW5w/s1600-h/IMG_3941.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLOkl2w6ec43Dwwl9MGu5lys2i3_9iVZJVaw3lhKa_4wMvWrhtLVol22u2E62AHmlictVNOy7jnz6D6K37TgpytFcOHTrabSu-XyAgJ4wB2Bpze5o_dpJxX5SJaURh9EmvGp_oyiqW5w/s400/IMG_3941.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253573048868002" /></a>My parents ate aebleskivers (traditional Danish pancakes); and they had a heck of a time trying to pronounce it. My favorite part was all the cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCk0g4lEaCMXa2aHEtvhcT5M8nCjRMEfuCfo8R0BnheCfydGnt3vxq6IMxmGjrbcKrsLeHVEITF2CdcIUl5fukg90pB6DLSGG-6lW3BpZ7f1poaBBlFvimm_YI63fnVcXfS5jbeTWjN4/s1600-h/IMG_1175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCk0g4lEaCMXa2aHEtvhcT5M8nCjRMEfuCfo8R0BnheCfydGnt3vxq6IMxmGjrbcKrsLeHVEITF2CdcIUl5fukg90pB6DLSGG-6lW3BpZ7f1poaBBlFvimm_YI63fnVcXfS5jbeTWjN4/s400/IMG_1175.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253100335088738" /></a>Here we are at East Beach in Santa Barbara.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cYHNhsmaiXwWkvh_f-4Fuk3Dldq88VTnsu-SfkpC2HKszCOlX7rL7kD6_9lhBlEwUU9dohrsB4PKtaPi0oRcYutyVGPVz-yMGD76rgO01o-oOKPbM3-R9NETv6e1krpLnNftp-DOSKY/s1600-h/IMG_1177.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cYHNhsmaiXwWkvh_f-4Fuk3Dldq88VTnsu-SfkpC2HKszCOlX7rL7kD6_9lhBlEwUU9dohrsB4PKtaPi0oRcYutyVGPVz-yMGD76rgO01o-oOKPbM3-R9NETv6e1krpLnNftp-DOSKY/s400/IMG_1177.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253101443424962" /></a>Feasting on crabs... mmm, mmm...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdXwHPtTvDIHUzacnEQdbCHytngiH2AiQKAJZeqDnsRkVhK7Mq4g_vvVOtHPPZlixR4UvvOgOWnmzJyb11c-B0Y97A-YWrXBUTBj2Js9XO63xqXjsONNix3C6_TmA22VLaOwangRCD_8/s1600-h/IMG_3952.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdXwHPtTvDIHUzacnEQdbCHytngiH2AiQKAJZeqDnsRkVhK7Mq4g_vvVOtHPPZlixR4UvvOgOWnmzJyb11c-B0Y97A-YWrXBUTBj2Js9XO63xqXjsONNix3C6_TmA22VLaOwangRCD_8/s400/IMG_3952.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253594004147186" /></a>Wine-tasting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9ub4Z0bIHz6x00J8jkBwHyZaoEzkF83r1SJ4l7mLwAwfeyOUipVjNUFKZa_9erPCAzyQwZm0JfREXejivfDta1Jw44icyddtYsLNYkQZkyoUui_5mEx9w8uJ4YPwmJNKJRp6ActSppM/s1600-h/IMG_1155.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9ub4Z0bIHz6x00J8jkBwHyZaoEzkF83r1SJ4l7mLwAwfeyOUipVjNUFKZa_9erPCAzyQwZm0JfREXejivfDta1Jw44icyddtYsLNYkQZkyoUui_5mEx9w8uJ4YPwmJNKJRp6ActSppM/s400/IMG_1155.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253073602421298" /></a>My dad (the church elder) boozin' it up with his son... actually, he only had a few tastes, and then gave the rest to me... I love wine... oh yes, did I mention I love cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA7X87zVlJgv4PuJ8oD_xjNBwyZZWAEYoN84fp3N13yxKaWXXEJbpfloZVRGSiRO7hW3ziHGC5X_WUvo-O1z0AYgsIagg3KejJ7v8LYvzNgK78F82JR0E6izgOQasKKnisuw2pbqT6k0/s1600-h/IMG_1166.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 370px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA7X87zVlJgv4PuJ8oD_xjNBwyZZWAEYoN84fp3N13yxKaWXXEJbpfloZVRGSiRO7hW3ziHGC5X_WUvo-O1z0AYgsIagg3KejJ7v8LYvzNgK78F82JR0E6izgOQasKKnisuw2pbqT6k0/s400/IMG_1166.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253080894439266" /></a>My classroom where I'm teaching ancient philosophy at UC Santa Barbara. These two students were being disruptive... they get an F.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh57_K6kHCLYIfBhN42By8oh0drAoQakHF8cEMB0WHREt9xFpbJzPtjWc3CQVWBz8omCKUadNdaa1qz0gyRJEItEkfiH7lVa-IKUVN8gjwK9AqTEMD54qkcO1akghTDKCZDDoQAqxuCU/s1600-h/IMG_1168.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh57_K6kHCLYIfBhN42By8oh0drAoQakHF8cEMB0WHREt9xFpbJzPtjWc3CQVWBz8omCKUadNdaa1qz0gyRJEItEkfiH7lVa-IKUVN8gjwK9AqTEMD54qkcO1akghTDKCZDDoQAqxuCU/s400/IMG_1168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398253093884944866" /></a>My mom and me. She's my best friend and my worst enemy wrapped into one. It was great having my parents visit. Now back to the ol' grind...</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-62889752569162915332009-09-04T17:18:00.000-07:002009-09-04T18:08:09.782-07:00The Family Goes to Hawaii<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglrzRK6nvTz8b1pgG6xxHzzLVSxsGzVmL1VJOONxOqoTtIwI7_3OJx8chD7y44envG8GEZwESeUlQDRxbzmwL4G87TnLlNdYvYNqzJfqD5p6FaWuOA6FeMb2IeP3TTsYc6gjGhzPmuo8/s1600-h/IMG_3404.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglrzRK6nvTz8b1pgG6xxHzzLVSxsGzVmL1VJOONxOqoTtIwI7_3OJx8chD7y44envG8GEZwESeUlQDRxbzmwL4G87TnLlNdYvYNqzJfqD5p6FaWuOA6FeMb2IeP3TTsYc6gjGhzPmuo8/s400/IMG_3404.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377783607014319634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCEHsEsWMWX9jyzVBvZdvVYiwVP32HPu2osAouZR5Feex9rX5JxBrVnU27Io-vVo3nPBg4-7MUDLjs_7WdYBQ7jWLMs57rCngJn2cC2zgmPkrwlLrL8EkQKQWcesVTUBDsH-2E_OjtXg/s1600-h/IMG_3739.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCEHsEsWMWX9jyzVBvZdvVYiwVP32HPu2osAouZR5Feex9rX5JxBrVnU27Io-vVo3nPBg4-7MUDLjs_7WdYBQ7jWLMs57rCngJn2cC2zgmPkrwlLrL8EkQKQWcesVTUBDsH-2E_OjtXg/s400/IMG_3739.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377776955532523170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l2v2LYy0wOYbUwNrPC3DUKr2uItlGHvuGlWw6h5YHP2AMT036ZPc4WNawvcYHxQ714JUV2kDPBWjXGAOnrw2yKZvTgtzkACZEIeSGPJ7C_rI44DykyfH3ryaHOFRzipFCJ2gBs0IxnE/s1600-h/IMG_3473.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l2v2LYy0wOYbUwNrPC3DUKr2uItlGHvuGlWw6h5YHP2AMT036ZPc4WNawvcYHxQ714JUV2kDPBWjXGAOnrw2yKZvTgtzkACZEIeSGPJ7C_rI44DykyfH3ryaHOFRzipFCJ2gBs0IxnE/s320/IMG_3473.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377776193426231138" /></a>What an amazing place Hawaii is! One guidebook claimed that 11 out of the 13 major climates in the entire world can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii! The water was a perfect blue, there were breathtaking waterfalls, a menacing, active volcano, and of course, 100% Kona coffee straight from the growers. Does it get any better than that? My parents have become quite the tour guides of these pacific islands. I must say, I was very impressed with their vast knowledge of not only the inexhaustible tourist possibilities, but also the history of the islands, down to the arrival of the first Christian missionaries. Thanks, Mom and Dad for your generosity, and most of all, your priceless company on this unforgettable trip.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDzHjtnKQZV7841WT5gvMmzPC5AXALl2KaFiZL2aW_Tzu249X6GdwHOt1JE7gK41ZQV8b_g6uob1SgeiSlcfGEwi2iaZlhz4zbT1u0dI4xz9Nf7W0PQNhtAi6hHT-WSF9daQgSjLcWLU/s1600-h/IMG_3455.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDzHjtnKQZV7841WT5gvMmzPC5AXALl2KaFiZL2aW_Tzu249X6GdwHOt1JE7gK41ZQV8b_g6uob1SgeiSlcfGEwi2iaZlhz4zbT1u0dI4xz9Nf7W0PQNhtAi6hHT-WSF9daQgSjLcWLU/s320/IMG_3455.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377776181285278290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqC2yKFKGzbvg0fSrjrpvN5Fn_nr4WI3d7uqaLIbOKtNHsPluVuMYpOORXPyS4Bi6_9CzYDvqQsi6WTyniwGPWDwfPqRYw3ETliKxi51tzD-bWGCnuroWYw2ZjG3pepbMwkPGUv8r964/s1600-h/IMG_3441.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqC2yKFKGzbvg0fSrjrpvN5Fn_nr4WI3d7uqaLIbOKtNHsPluVuMYpOORXPyS4Bi6_9CzYDvqQsi6WTyniwGPWDwfPqRYw3ETliKxi51tzD-bWGCnuroWYw2ZjG3pepbMwkPGUv8r964/s320/IMG_3441.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377776173692030098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSlLE-y5ImvAKOQUZMeDdv-1NfqtKHl7Be4dZvU3b1fw5rrLaCPan0SeeFcxJKtYInhFID_Gp-z6zSpA7EJqRCuSHyrSvi-s9NQ8wvpe9_ZapXX5CCEV2Pdd8TIll8MLjlUnWtKHQpIA/s1600-h/IMG_3470.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSlLE-y5ImvAKOQUZMeDdv-1NfqtKHl7Be4dZvU3b1fw5rrLaCPan0SeeFcxJKtYInhFID_Gp-z6zSpA7EJqRCuSHyrSvi-s9NQ8wvpe9_ZapXX5CCEV2Pdd8TIll8MLjlUnWtKHQpIA/s320/IMG_3470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377776157853238338" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8I1GGgjJ_Bz29YPbPtHpSORnd8GjmKk4xpj9e6w9fi1XRIuJ-7yvJ9EPRHdRO19LdseyuBvrVyV6x6DXLREe0jeCyKZOIJJdANoKNu0WuwCM-NKzJodwbJiGUSpAXMq7N_ffhLox0U9I/s1600-h/IMG_3839.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8I1GGgjJ_Bz29YPbPtHpSORnd8GjmKk4xpj9e6w9fi1XRIuJ-7yvJ9EPRHdRO19LdseyuBvrVyV6x6DXLREe0jeCyKZOIJJdANoKNu0WuwCM-NKzJodwbJiGUSpAXMq7N_ffhLox0U9I/s320/IMG_3839.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377774645311388002" /></a><br /><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGznEiQT9fsY4q7wi659upgneMZa72vplIiF-h9ytECYWfOZ0k0VjKeGee7GhFmoSGOSpvNLJ6OydEklhyphenhyphenY_DfPXTN6NhqlkTfAVoG2TkfXSDctOijA_ngy_1uhGgDL_iZgpZkK9S965g/s320/IMG_3872.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377775126127932594" />Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-40201051959439231802009-06-07T16:36:00.000-07:002009-06-07T16:46:12.028-07:00Jessie's Wedding<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJO2SFZUfCTwp36xHSh-5zzXJ_ybimXK11aT2AqCWhq6ybbyjXujkXV11p4yNbdkraFaqBDGG3nM-ptZD2cYS_h9kCwmwZ5iSl6lm074eAdE0ygZg8pnO_ceAuciougB2EXJnx7xwjss/s1600-h/IMG_3060.JPG">Congratulations, Jessie!</a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJO2SFZUfCTwp36xHSh-5zzXJ_ybimXK11aT2AqCWhq6ybbyjXujkXV11p4yNbdkraFaqBDGG3nM-ptZD2cYS_h9kCwmwZ5iSl6lm074eAdE0ygZg8pnO_ceAuciougB2EXJnx7xwjss/s1600-h/IMG_3060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJO2SFZUfCTwp36xHSh-5zzXJ_ybimXK11aT2AqCWhq6ybbyjXujkXV11p4yNbdkraFaqBDGG3nM-ptZD2cYS_h9kCwmwZ5iSl6lm074eAdE0ygZg8pnO_ceAuciougB2EXJnx7xwjss/s400/IMG_3060.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344735025684097026" /></a>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-48367565027208968622009-05-24T16:36:00.001-07:002009-05-24T16:43:44.152-07:0029<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxlgXq-9D1qvPArjkh1aQ_zOq0UJudjCG13TcYnhgrZoDxek-eCQh6OWyF_rMWxmrx7lwU1gZ_9uQzsEyNcE6BOp_lfwqxF73H_5UBDYVeEdmQRDt_UDbyHo0gucYHg93A3SH7WD6ZVs/s1600-h/IMG_3048.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxlgXq-9D1qvPArjkh1aQ_zOq0UJudjCG13TcYnhgrZoDxek-eCQh6OWyF_rMWxmrx7lwU1gZ_9uQzsEyNcE6BOp_lfwqxF73H_5UBDYVeEdmQRDt_UDbyHo0gucYHg93A3SH7WD6ZVs/s400/IMG_3048.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339539294392049762" /></a><br />Happy Birthday, to my husband who is now 29!Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-12925097619050805442009-05-24T15:46:00.000-07:002009-05-24T16:35:18.734-07:00Last Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagD-FXAWf2zQX-sue2HP_wPEsq62G5wLoXOmlO0uRocxpPkh1GgI3KD6lifMcYUVge9S-N-woRDyiakeCKbTsrKtthRxmxzd9MKbIUeeu8MbllOaXEAeAlJD6Iuzfb1h1nj-LutBmQGk/s1600-h/IMG_3057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagD-FXAWf2zQX-sue2HP_wPEsq62G5wLoXOmlO0uRocxpPkh1GgI3KD6lifMcYUVge9S-N-woRDyiakeCKbTsrKtthRxmxzd9MKbIUeeu8MbllOaXEAeAlJD6Iuzfb1h1nj-LutBmQGk/s400/IMG_3057.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339538163861424946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKpEfujSsylAJFxa6bcHeNV1MoWZnbE2Tfoqb9QoLB3h0V0sYGDuMPwijtI5mT9aJRplcWPmx5AoUs5Sbcdn3xg9wq5j_hA5AieQcQwcXwuuBEphqmX7X3lQzEMv9SU2VFxN4UG13xsw/s1600-h/IMG_3050.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKpEfujSsylAJFxa6bcHeNV1MoWZnbE2Tfoqb9QoLB3h0V0sYGDuMPwijtI5mT9aJRplcWPmx5AoUs5Sbcdn3xg9wq5j_hA5AieQcQwcXwuuBEphqmX7X3lQzEMv9SU2VFxN4UG13xsw/s400/IMG_3050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339537476593197666" /></a><br />I am a free woman. On Friday, May 22nd, I turned in my key to the preschool and said goodbye to my life as a teacher. I have come a long way since graduation, four years ago, when I first began tackling the task of managing three and four year-olds. I came not knowing a single thing about children, and here I am now considering thoughts of my own. I have gone from "Miss Tidwell" to "Mrs. Yang"...both of which names I have successfully learned to tune out when necessary. <div><br /></div><div>Through these past four years, my emotions have run the gamut, from fearing children, to falling in love with them. It has been educational, observing our human nature on a child's level. Adult behavior is not unlike a child's, but often we are better at masking our pouts and malice in socially acceptable ways. I have learned how God sees our imperfect efforts and loves us anyway. I have rediscovered how to play and imagine, while totally entering into a child's world. I've also been reminded of how the physical touch from one hand to another can be so healing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Working with kids can be humbling as they don't always remember you when you're gone. But the work has long-lasting rewards. I will miss being a teacher, but I look forward to moving on as I begin my journey as a counselor. </div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-70194081880189229112009-05-03T14:09:00.000-07:002009-05-03T14:38:59.652-07:00Spring love...<div>This Spring has been busy, but an eventful one... First off, as soon as my quarter ended, we went back to Oklahoma to visit our friends Kevin and Aileen. It was great to be back, eating the food we missed and just hanging out with old friends (we bumped into everyone, which was great). It was good to walk back onto campus and see familiar territory. OU campus is wonderful, and it was fun just taking a stroll on my ol' stomping grounds...</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF9HQBfGLy_tx0RkFPGDIDPz3jou_W4H-wKfvW_k05v5LZep9mOchkFHdhB-4RX6pOSAm0UQRCg8jhjnFweFOOBQLt_acmrhN42iNAIjbXNySHhXNfixXea_Xzczrxj_wqkmDAxsZ8Vg/s1600-h/IMG_2890.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF9HQBfGLy_tx0RkFPGDIDPz3jou_W4H-wKfvW_k05v5LZep9mOchkFHdhB-4RX6pOSAm0UQRCg8jhjnFweFOOBQLt_acmrhN42iNAIjbXNySHhXNfixXea_Xzczrxj_wqkmDAxsZ8Vg/s320/IMG_2890.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708973817088578" /></a>That is the library, my second home. Had good times in there. Way nicer than UCSB's library; SB's library doesn't even have a coffee shop inside... lame!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vA8a6SebYJT-4fave6qW_lna5dtqss1QQ2OxukEjqyU1eqLyoFu8rQtvayvXKwpxmWrrHRZ1MvRcjKzYi7HOY1CysxZCEUiYH_mnRywR5PsE6mfGuVlP9Cn5LLtf_GUWCFUSQvzS4l8/s1600-h/IMG_2874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vA8a6SebYJT-4fave6qW_lna5dtqss1QQ2OxukEjqyU1eqLyoFu8rQtvayvXKwpxmWrrHRZ1MvRcjKzYi7HOY1CysxZCEUiYH_mnRywR5PsE6mfGuVlP9Cn5LLtf_GUWCFUSQvzS4l8/s320/IMG_2874.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708981233296066" /></a>Then we went back to Alissa's old work place... Starbucks on campus corner (right next to campus). I miss that place, getting free drinks everyday from the hot barista who looks white but had an asian last name...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrD_Q_OY_dlPGbPLjn1pIQFb9p3llv84ZU8TltiwK8uc8FhkPzOSnCWATT_H9GroP9tB1_HaKAJSnQMX3qNJDfC2VijuSBDGdxJzX8HckMmnp9rWw6uD7Vcy_viqi8bUZDOtO3weRaF0/s1600-h/IMG_2895.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrD_Q_OY_dlPGbPLjn1pIQFb9p3llv84ZU8TltiwK8uc8FhkPzOSnCWATT_H9GroP9tB1_HaKAJSnQMX3qNJDfC2VijuSBDGdxJzX8HckMmnp9rWw6uD7Vcy_viqi8bUZDOtO3weRaF0/s320/IMG_2895.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708989632580786" /></a>After visiting Oklahoma, we went to D.C. and visited the White House so that I could have a chat with President Obama. He and I ended up playing a game of one-on-one basketball, and I helped pick out "Bo". After the game, we hung out in the Oval office for some beverages, and I took this nice shot of his office...<br /><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4avqDUcXLwZfrBevNpaJYfMlslGY5SYf82tuMiu_FGp_fOV6yIXaqMeqL0BKM0aM7lOgs2EonOco5BIiZQ3Jkqpw4PjqTRVB-wSR5kvwyPjsEe5gYeGOi3_SuJI_zfytUdxNDlvbR4SY/s1600-h/IMG_2835.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4avqDUcXLwZfrBevNpaJYfMlslGY5SYf82tuMiu_FGp_fOV6yIXaqMeqL0BKM0aM7lOgs2EonOco5BIiZQ3Jkqpw4PjqTRVB-wSR5kvwyPjsEe5gYeGOi3_SuJI_zfytUdxNDlvbR4SY/s320/IMG_2835.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708993273268098" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Duh... of course it's fake. Actually, Alissa's folks visited us for the weekend, and we went to the Reagan library here in Simi Valley. It was amazing (my first time); they had a replica of the Oval office and a replica of Air Force One. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB72bfTeD1b0gv0x1XN9WFfN6cP5IT5UfoqpKvxkb6AuHemxKUxPV_tSj9XhuZrLPA3t0mq5i98vzz80OkxGHo3Qcsg3EyAu_y1wnLky8afI7d2k0wDrnf5v7saX1TmOxydUwxvKsXtmc/s1600-h/IMG_2822.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB72bfTeD1b0gv0x1XN9WFfN6cP5IT5UfoqpKvxkb6AuHemxKUxPV_tSj9XhuZrLPA3t0mq5i98vzz80OkxGHo3Qcsg3EyAu_y1wnLky8afI7d2k0wDrnf5v7saX1TmOxydUwxvKsXtmc/s320/IMG_2822.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331708996405263090" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VsYqr14Upbs2jfaRKd_0_QXZ0AcCBXg3_fc93huhUElJZeuzb2lMWFyxDIUmUHB6229wnWrwycoKPBN-44kwh14c1U7d89fG6tR4dpS_hpZddwdHERPp-BakwkUtNRckfa-fNsLFVdM/s1600-h/IMG_2847+14-17-06.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VsYqr14Upbs2jfaRKd_0_QXZ0AcCBXg3_fc93huhUElJZeuzb2lMWFyxDIUmUHB6229wnWrwycoKPBN-44kwh14c1U7d89fG6tR4dpS_hpZddwdHERPp-BakwkUtNRckfa-fNsLFVdM/s320/IMG_2847+14-17-06.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331710734897468978" /></a>That's a real section of the Berlin Wall. Really cool! After that Alissa went home for the weekend to hang out with her mom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZZjzwn3G1wrkoXcHL2_GVbqfYkwHfvDFMuurmVNZqq5BvxhE27bIDBfblkvxOtJKKHyOmpKi1T6pAFCum1rfY7VOAEKBswD-D0zo9Rqk-LulnQOiQlLP6pKAEPI53uVkuu8JYnB5aaE/s1600-h/IMG_2864+14-17-06.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZZjzwn3G1wrkoXcHL2_GVbqfYkwHfvDFMuurmVNZqq5BvxhE27bIDBfblkvxOtJKKHyOmpKi1T6pAFCum1rfY7VOAEKBswD-D0zo9Rqk-LulnQOiQlLP6pKAEPI53uVkuu8JYnB5aaE/s320/IMG_2864+14-17-06.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331710741361431714" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSVaA8Kr09ivSVjFKA4NFj85unLTWfm5CZGBw4fRyqtN7HKejudMY3OxSABKK9jh0XRWdNTGa9bHgcC3UBGNRnyphtCvTz8c56JzCx9-PZ_9aLW84LCsW4JHU2-sK0_87SVskl-FHbHk/s1600-h/IMG_2866.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSVaA8Kr09ivSVjFKA4NFj85unLTWfm5CZGBw4fRyqtN7HKejudMY3OxSABKK9jh0XRWdNTGa9bHgcC3UBGNRnyphtCvTz8c56JzCx9-PZ_9aLW84LCsW4JHU2-sK0_87SVskl-FHbHk/s320/IMG_2866.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331710743865183426" /></a>They're a happy couple; and it's unfortunate I can't say that about a lot of couples. I'm lucky to have good models of a loving relationship.<br /><br />And finally, it's wedding season again. Pretty soon we'll be going to Jessie's wedding; this is Alissa at a bridal something or whatever (you know.. when girls get together and do stuff, of which is a total mystery to me).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqENS-yVCOccQjwpZ5KHU4oYJOKoKZvhX5DsMJQBFen9s8ZwCERBswqvcg0s1yi87GIrvjZcxBEzXFBUtSailSnxQJov2eN2DGHHfV0KqZtIKPzicvkzE2lM54uaNnoq_fkaDTJDCwycg/s1600-h/IMG_2872.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqENS-yVCOccQjwpZ5KHU4oYJOKoKZvhX5DsMJQBFen9s8ZwCERBswqvcg0s1yi87GIrvjZcxBEzXFBUtSailSnxQJov2eN2DGHHfV0KqZtIKPzicvkzE2lM54uaNnoq_fkaDTJDCwycg/s320/IMG_2872.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331710751274737058" /></a><br />And lastly, we got to celebrate my boy's wedding... Stas and I are lucky; we ended up marrying girls WAAAAYYYY out of our leagues... yay for us... they're a great couple!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pZFf56PRzKwg_tkuY221h0J2hGKg8e5jG9CvpnvVw3mtYeJbNUAiVHEltmdsYrwYkgIF_09MLxNKZpCveb3iVH3Fa879YG53D0izjZKjbC9LDOcSgMqYqoNA7yTIPh5GsQ5GSaye-SE/s1600-h/IMG_2993.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pZFf56PRzKwg_tkuY221h0J2hGKg8e5jG9CvpnvVw3mtYeJbNUAiVHEltmdsYrwYkgIF_09MLxNKZpCveb3iVH3Fa879YG53D0izjZKjbC9LDOcSgMqYqoNA7yTIPh5GsQ5GSaye-SE/s320/IMG_2993.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331710757165877490" /></a><br /></div><div>Looking forward to the summer.... Happy Spring, ya'll...</div><div><br /></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-58676724854145188512009-03-25T20:48:00.000-07:002009-03-25T21:09:14.374-07:00C.S. Lewis and contemporary philosophyBut we cannot possibly conceive of a reason as being consciously directed from outside in regard to its judgments; for in that case the subject would attribute the determination of his power of judgment, not to his reason, but to an impulsion. Reason must look upon itself as the author of its own principles independently of alien influences (Kant, g<span style="font-style:italic;">esammelte Shriften</span>, IV, 448).<br /><br /> Suppose that some agent, say Jones, at time t1 has a belief M1, and the content of M1 is the proposition that ‘either P or Q, and not-Q’. Now suppose that Jones at t2 has a belief M2 and the content of M2 is the proposition that ‘P’. If we want an explanation for Jones’ conclusion that P, we might ask, “Why did Jones think that P?” One explanation could be that Jones deduced the proposition P given his prior premises and the recognition of the logical entailment from the premises to conclusion. However, if physicalism is true, an entirely different explanation can be given. At t2, Jones’ belief that M2 is supervenient on a neurophysiological state N2 (and M1 supervenes on N1 at t1). According to physicalism, N2 is sufficient for M2; that is, no other cause or explanation is required to account for a full explanation of M2; M1 is neither necessary as a cause nor as an explanation. Thus, we have two different explanations, and the physicalist causal explanation rules out explanation by reasons. The content of M1 need not play any explanatory role since the story at the neurophysiological level will be enough to explain why M2 occurred.<br /><br /> Donald Davidson’s anti-reductionist view (with regards to types) does not, according to Jaegwon Kim, solve the problem of mental causation, and thereby does not resolve the incompatibility of rational and mechanistic explanations. Kim states his criticism in the following way:<br /><br /> "What role does mentality play, on Davidson’s anomalous monism, in shaping this [causal] structure? The answer: None whatever. For anamolous monism entails this: the very same network of causal relations would obtain in Davidson’s world if you were to redistribute mental properties over its events any way you like; you would not disturb a single causal relation if you randomly arbitrarily reassigned mental properties to events, or even removed mentality from the world. The fact is that under Davidson’s anomalous monism, mentality does not work . . . What does no causal work does no explanatory work either." (Kim "The Myth of Nonreductive Materialism" <span style="font-style:italic;">Proceedings of APA</span> 63, 1989, 34-5) [italics mine]<br /><br />Davidson’s account leaves mental states causally impotent since the events that enter into causal relations do so only in virtue of their physical properties. The mental aspect, including its content, plays no causal role. The agent will not hold his belief because of reasons but because of the neurophysiological events that are sufficient for causing another neurophysiological event. Though the neurophysiological event is also, at the same time, a mental event for Davidson, the mental content has no causal relevance. Thus, we are left with a brand of epiphenomenalism that leaves mentality causally irrelevant; so no reasons-explanation.<br /><br /> Another resolution to the incompatibility of mechanistic and rational explanations is to claim that the two are distinct kinds of explanations that “say different things” about the event that they are explaining; in Wittgensteinian terms, they employ different “language games”. Elizabeth Anscombe, a student of Wittgenstein, responded against the charge of explanation incompatibility and argued that reasons-explanations are not causal explanations at all; that is, they do not figure into the causal sequence and so are not in conflict with a causal explanation by physical processes. Her argument was a response to a chapter in a book by C.S. Lewis, where he attempted to demonstrate naturalism/physicalism as a self-refuting thesis. Given the insightful objections by Anscombe, Lewis’ original arguments were deemed defective.<br /><br /> In response to her criticisms, Lewis revised the chapter for a later edition; and though his revised argument has been largely ignored, I believe that the distinctions made are worrisome for any compatibility thesis between physical and rational explanations given the commitments of a physicalist. Essentially, the argument is that reasons-explanation must be causally relevant for the production of the belief, otherwise there is no need to posit such an explanation. If the reasons are not responsible for bringing about the belief, then no belief will be held based on any rational ground. Thus, we must turn back toward finding a causal role for reasons-explanation.<br /><br /> Lewis’ strategy hinges upon a distinction between two different kinds of relations: a connection between cause and effect, and a connection between ground and consequent. The former relation is what holds between physical processes in nature, whereas the ground/consequent relation is a logical relation that holds between propositions. It seems somewhat correct to construe the ground/consequent relation as a reasons-explanation and the cause/effect relation as a mechanistic explanation of physical processes. Instead of merely stipulating their incompatibility, Lewis suggests that unless the ground/consequent relation is causally relevant, an incompatibility will arise since the rational explanation is not necessary for the production of an event:<br /><br /> "Unless our conclusion is the logical consequent from a ground, it will be worthless and could only be true by a fluke. Unless it is the effect of a cause, it cannot occur at all. It looks, therefore, as if, for a train of thought to have any value, these two systems of connection must apply to the same series of mental acts . . . Even if grounds do exist, what exactly have they got to do with the actual occurrence of belief as a psychological event? If it is an event it must be caused. It must in fact be one link in a causal chain going back to the beginning and forward to the end of time. How could such a trifle as lack of logical grounds prevent the belief’s occurrence and how could the existence of grounds promote it." (Lewis, <span style="font-style:italic;">Miracles</span>, 16)<br /><br />On closer inspection, Lewis’ criticism is fairly similar to the criticism Kim makes in his argument against Davidson’s anomalous monism. Even if reasons-explanations do exist, that is even if reasons-explanation are not reducible to causal explanations, the event can be fully explained in virtue of its causal explanations of physical processes. Rational inference, much like mental-types, turn out to have no causal work. Thus, Anscombe’s resolution falls prey to a similar kind of epiphenomenalism as well. And what has no causal role has no explanatory role as well. So reasons-explanations are not necessary for a full explanation of why an event took place.<br /><br /> What strikes me as interesting is that C.S. Lewis had similar worries regarding the problem of mental causation as Kim does for anomalous monism. And Lewis, I suspect, would probably argue that such worries are also a problem for Kim's reductionist account (cf. Hasker, Reppert). A literary figure doing serious philosophy... awesome... (not too uncommon; see Chaucer wrestling with the problem of "necessity" with respect to God's foreknowledge and human freedom).Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-14858110620303808682009-03-21T13:32:00.000-07:002009-03-21T14:19:25.933-07:00Proud of my Big Bro<div>My Bro:</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJDZmYcRMnOUW2DZcXXNggSSm5TjzcQBOEV-BJifV3Sqspicj98-vbNYZuJLQOEu2yzcA0H3SCDoQlh3Pma7slxiolJFfV1nGnbN5iOUwBjOIzDtIYk_QCCNAQop5nZUJSOPS8Wt7514/s1600-h/brain-inside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJDZmYcRMnOUW2DZcXXNggSSm5TjzcQBOEV-BJifV3Sqspicj98-vbNYZuJLQOEu2yzcA0H3SCDoQlh3Pma7slxiolJFfV1nGnbN5iOUwBjOIzDtIYk_QCCNAQop5nZUJSOPS8Wt7514/s400/brain-inside.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315741706609888754" /></a><br />"Chief Resident Isaac Yang performs a pupillary and glasgow coma exam on a traumatic brain injury patient at the San Francisco General Hospital as Geoff Manley, chief and professor of neurosurgery, watches over the entire team in the background."<div><br /></div><div>That's my older brother, Isaac... this picture is on the homepage of www.ucsf.edu</div><div><br /></div><div>He's a neurosurgeon at UCSF, finishing up next year. I'm proud to know that he's trying to be a good man.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's great to see someone excel at something they love doing; especially when such a task can help others. I'm proud of ya, bro!</div><div><br /></div><div>eric</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-19821450950046063052009-02-19T22:08:00.000-08:002009-02-19T22:39:37.022-08:00Single Awareness Day, Finally Redeemed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oUlo9tD7ZOMYuzMO09YfigS3HKOcsPyjwKIpuRJASHLwQlYGYMRj0oQRYM9S3f2CFKLw4E7J4soNff2PY8Kv6ekNoq0NSAs1aF6Q7LJDh6ITqXZxT-_mCZjtzBwvSpoM0FFaQWuE5ps/s1600-h/IMG_2806.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oUlo9tD7ZOMYuzMO09YfigS3HKOcsPyjwKIpuRJASHLwQlYGYMRj0oQRYM9S3f2CFKLw4E7J4soNff2PY8Kv6ekNoq0NSAs1aF6Q7LJDh6ITqXZxT-_mCZjtzBwvSpoM0FFaQWuE5ps/s400/IMG_2806.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304765482714884530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK0NhAfSfxOv_Mx80xCIyPF8nDgHdTIzve5OVlO1VOilCXvxcy0GZXCyyDYxj9xfAeyWGGo0xsz1KspuFMUHV1IZzm3qQe6Ac_c6vYNvvZarJfkI2Xo_tRrersuLaZfnJi3UJ-Push3A/s1600-h/IMG_2809.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK0NhAfSfxOv_Mx80xCIyPF8nDgHdTIzve5OVlO1VOilCXvxcy0GZXCyyDYxj9xfAeyWGGo0xsz1KspuFMUHV1IZzm3qQe6Ac_c6vYNvvZarJfkI2Xo_tRrersuLaZfnJi3UJ-Push3A/s400/IMG_2809.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304764689935953186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfk5elagXDSfrXT0pwtEOwtUU-0Er0FW0Gg3_HQfmOhULXilwDiae-3kxNyV2tvVIykhqATG-ZEvsy5-FfWZUMgwJvjshaRr0JJdPn84ut6GmuXiXQjPZmduzhLCp4A0p2kiAkwII_NU/s1600-h/IMG_2816.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfk5elagXDSfrXT0pwtEOwtUU-0Er0FW0Gg3_HQfmOhULXilwDiae-3kxNyV2tvVIykhqATG-ZEvsy5-FfWZUMgwJvjshaRr0JJdPn84ut6GmuXiXQjPZmduzhLCp4A0p2kiAkwII_NU/s320/IMG_2816.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304762615334435906" /></a><br /><br />As we were driving off to L.A. this past evening of February 14th, Eric and I realized that we have never spent a Valentine's Day together. Here is a little Yang history for ya: Feb. 14, 2006, he first wooed me with his ways and we became more than just band-mates (details given upon request), Feb. 07, we were engaged but Eric was living in Oklahoma, and Feb. 08, we were married but he had class so I picked up an extra shift at Starbucks-real romantic. <div>Therefore...this picture dates my very first Valentines date with Eric-EVER. Eric took me to The Stinking Rose for dinner and afterwards, we went to the Griffith Observatory. If you've never been, you must go! I've never seen such a view! It's good to be home in So. Cal...<div><br /></div></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-21201201450593288922009-02-03T23:06:00.000-08:002009-02-03T23:37:26.743-08:00HP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNltmnr0asOWMbuZwnYDZZD1Y-JxoAbBatNChEs1FvOXENn_VqUHo_oCyefFG8waTTjV9l7KL21vI0H8vwt35H4eiqZp_021JCeam2GDCkboDtOVguKHXOPrSPubW54LE5Toc0FFQeq4/s1600-h/harry_potter_ron_hermione_order_of_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNltmnr0asOWMbuZwnYDZZD1Y-JxoAbBatNChEs1FvOXENn_VqUHo_oCyefFG8waTTjV9l7KL21vI0H8vwt35H4eiqZp_021JCeam2GDCkboDtOVguKHXOPrSPubW54LE5Toc0FFQeq4/s320/harry_potter_ron_hermione_order_of_.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298835974289370498" /></a><br />If you've been following my facebook, you know that the end of last year was a Harry Potter month for me. In December, I finished the last four books (the last three in about a week and a half of that time), and enjoyed most moments of it (I think Order of Phoenix was awful, and my guess is that she just scrounged together scattered stories in her mind just to meet publishing deadlines and just to get a book "out of the way" in order to get to the "good stuff" [which really is good] in Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows).<div><br /></div><div>Although written at the primary level, the theme and plot are quite sophisticated (e.g., her use of literary alchemy [notice the color scheme of black, white and red], symbolic naming, and the most pronounced device viz. Austenian misdirection [her favorite author is... no surprise... Jane Austen]). </div><div><br /></div><div>In order to keep this post brief, I won't go into much of the fascinating literary aspects. But I would like to highlight an obvious one, namely the head/heart/hand relationship. This tripartite relationship has had various forms and modifications (e.g., intellect/will/passion, rational/spirited/appetitive, prophet/king/priest, etc.), but a roughly three-aspect feature of the human person has been highlighted all throughout literature. A very obvious one is found in the work of classically trained writer L. Frank Baum, who brought us "The Wizard of Oz". It is no accident that Dorothy can only "go home" (another popular literary feature, e.g. the "Odyssey") with the aid and unity of a head/Scarecrow, a heart/Tin-man and a hand/courage/Lion (one might also count the tripartite feature exemplified by Gandalf/Aragorn/Frodo and by Spock/Kirk/McCoy).</div><div><br /></div><div>Keeping in step, Rowling uses the same device: head/Hermione, heart/Harry and hand/Ron. Notice the difficulty that head has in ruling hand (Hermione's difficulty in "controlling" Ron, who wants to be lazy, not do homework, and most of all eat gluttonously). However, it is the heart (Harry) who can "make them friends" (cf. Lewis' "The Abolition of Man"). Moreover, whenever one of the parts is missing, the others have an especially difficult time carrying on their mission. The wholeness of their community is isomorphic to the wholeness of one's soul. The three need to be together, and they need to be related in the right way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although I am a man of "middle earth", it was a nice excursion to visit Hogwarts. Perhaps years from now, I might visit again... I may have to go back to Zonko's to fill up my trick-bag.... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">levicorpus... aguamenti.... EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!!</span> </div><div><br /></div><div>(for those who know, my patronus would be a hamster....)</div><div><br /></div><div>eric</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-26777124498820843482009-01-17T22:46:00.000-08:002009-01-18T00:41:29.916-08:00The Happy Holidays...Well, the end of last year came with some trials... but all in all, it was a good holiday season for us...<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiTN5lfeiKPDh7TdF5uKirB1d7LvbizUUzzKdtXObFYoRzrnlEZhUqAsroIKowpml2X_C-3HYUNa6VQuaIcuOEUIib1f6BxTllgwrWyv3BhmIEcbcpetKcvCgjbK3CHPufBu7WdbM8cA/s1600-h/IMG_2756.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFiTN5lfeiKPDh7TdF5uKirB1d7LvbizUUzzKdtXObFYoRzrnlEZhUqAsroIKowpml2X_C-3HYUNa6VQuaIcuOEUIib1f6BxTllgwrWyv3BhmIEcbcpetKcvCgjbK3CHPufBu7WdbM8cA/s400/IMG_2756.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522516719162786" /></a><br /></div><div>In April of last year, my brother got married to Nancy... she's pretty cool, and she and Alissa get along really well... I like her, but she has one huge defect... she likes my brother....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45KUc9hHrmYA9MHe80rsqNLSxmlx9_FrSzkZJeqyzmYIDjt_UK53ENV6lVpFLX6y7il7M0x0diam5wyZl3dItaMLM52w2Kn1cPWU7uOFBpZIrJ-vUT9i5kfekq8NPa10vNTfDSI2W_I/s1600-h/IMG_2770.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN45KUc9hHrmYA9MHe80rsqNLSxmlx9_FrSzkZJeqyzmYIDjt_UK53ENV6lVpFLX6y7il7M0x0diam5wyZl3dItaMLM52w2Kn1cPWU7uOFBpZIrJ-vUT9i5kfekq8NPa10vNTfDSI2W_I/s400/IMG_2770.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522527990944242" /></a>I think after living with only boys for 27 years, my mom was glad to have some female presence in the household. She now has the daughters she's always wanted (I guess me having long hair didn't cut it). It's weird to see how feminine she really is... seeing her giddy about shopping and girly stuff is new to me... I think she's really glad to have daughters... <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g6Qqq7ya6bzaIaUt1UimqX0uS0qjGkzFzE3TicUeVf3NZw4ZR5LCwEr6K5CD4b0h7U9FgDkObByRBZny8D29UFSEn7EyF2fRpVNzkxABLTyG9JBGTjfwGWCdlUFQ5uRwoq3qlKQpT_Q/s1600-h/IMG_2773.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 361px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g6Qqq7ya6bzaIaUt1UimqX0uS0qjGkzFzE3TicUeVf3NZw4ZR5LCwEr6K5CD4b0h7U9FgDkObByRBZny8D29UFSEn7EyF2fRpVNzkxABLTyG9JBGTjfwGWCdlUFQ5uRwoq3qlKQpT_Q/s400/IMG_2773.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522530318790722" /></a>These are the youngest of my cousins (minus one boy). They are cute.. I fear that they will grow up and no longer be the cute babies I once knew them. The smallest one (Ashley) was our flower girl...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYoHAhazQsKk_mmNMPbfFEgUaSMqx0Mr4fR7EEda2GZhYLAbiNwi_LD_OrZ7e66ImRP4zKqR9B-hEyXgw8rSImCYnD5Bf35NUvSXeMRjE5slB3PPXf8KMjMwg9WuOhvjG_04qG9RJc6Y/s1600-h/IMG_2785.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYoHAhazQsKk_mmNMPbfFEgUaSMqx0Mr4fR7EEda2GZhYLAbiNwi_LD_OrZ7e66ImRP4zKqR9B-hEyXgw8rSImCYnD5Bf35NUvSXeMRjE5slB3PPXf8KMjMwg9WuOhvjG_04qG9RJc6Y/s400/IMG_2785.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522534265549186" /></a><br /></div><div>Yep, that's right... Isaac and I whipped out our old Nintendo (that's right... the original one), and had some fun with Super Mario Bros. (the original)... Apparently I'm still good since I passed the game in less than 10 minutes (given the "warps".... remember that.. for any old school video game folk).... </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJWJZ7amSp-N1H52lAPx1PEqZMrFpEsjwWv9pKGqH5olWNjKu4gncVbH5363yWyf2QtXn9Exi2Ayf9wEyB5lNTRokPdQKclwktIk37V-Lo2OHiAw7QzsYZ3g95uuVEx_ANVY1p5jIVJY/s1600-h/IMG_2758.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJWJZ7amSp-N1H52lAPx1PEqZMrFpEsjwWv9pKGqH5olWNjKu4gncVbH5363yWyf2QtXn9Exi2Ayf9wEyB5lNTRokPdQKclwktIk37V-Lo2OHiAw7QzsYZ3g95uuVEx_ANVY1p5jIVJY/s400/IMG_2758.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292522524132005058" /></a>The best part of the holidays was having time off and being with the hottest girl on the planet... We had a good time with our relatives and both sides of our family. We are blessed to have good parents and in-laws. But now we're back to the ol' grind... here goes.... happy 2009, ya'll...</div><div><br /></div><div>eric</div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-60652872973642766152008-11-27T08:55:00.000-08:002008-11-27T09:05:49.135-08:00Thankful for Marriage...<div>While walking somewhere, do you ever notice a really "fine" girl; and she's holding the hands of some goober, and you think to yourself, "HOW IN THE WORLD?!?".</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, everytime I look in the mirror with Alissa next to me, that thought pops in my head. Why is a girl like that with a goober like me.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TaP7zJiEFJNAD1x5ZDw3JkJdsp-9Ei1zGBAmTNX6dln3O7Bcd4Oq4Wwnea73dD-UCqFX9UyR79t-ZqKAlWYQCbe3c7FjBu8faxTA68sYyevbh6IXIzN3-fKwlB62x-C64zk0bKzA-9I/s1600-h/IMG_0758.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TaP7zJiEFJNAD1x5ZDw3JkJdsp-9Ei1zGBAmTNX6dln3O7Bcd4Oq4Wwnea73dD-UCqFX9UyR79t-ZqKAlWYQCbe3c7FjBu8faxTA68sYyevbh6IXIzN3-fKwlB62x-C64zk0bKzA-9I/s400/IMG_0758.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273382512180447186" /></a><br /><div>Marriage is hard... because it is making me better. She's wrestling the vices out of me and struggling to aid me in the long, arduous path towards virtue. And I hope that I can be of assistance to my co-heir to the kingdom. I am reminded that she does not belong to me, but rather to our mutual master. But in this ephemeral life this side of death, I will do my best to honor, cherish, protect and love her. And the 2 readers of this blog can hold me to that. I am very thankful that she condescended by stooping so low and marrying a schlob like me. God truly is gracious... and gratuitous goodness and beauty abounds... <br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzg_KhbHOYbix60E8xk2SwMoZF5fG6dNfCvhOF0dfR6MSZfXQfYGw892HqgAapn-z2KAnYFp3FpxAMNnr2RE3Zicoj5G23TEKWb6r9aa8CJVFqI_EtoF4oVxK9patWJ_E3rMr1vl3lgI/s1600-h/AnEpictures057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzg_KhbHOYbix60E8xk2SwMoZF5fG6dNfCvhOF0dfR6MSZfXQfYGw892HqgAapn-z2KAnYFp3FpxAMNnr2RE3Zicoj5G23TEKWb6r9aa8CJVFqI_EtoF4oVxK9patWJ_E3rMr1vl3lgI/s400/AnEpictures057.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273382503539691778" /></a><br /></div><div>eric</div></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-83445390508975701292008-11-20T21:13:00.000-08:002008-11-20T21:26:22.156-08:00Thankful for music...<div>I really am thankful for music. Music is very strange - somehow a string of putatively random noises can be 'formed' into something beautiful. Of all the gratuitous excesses of goodness and pleasure that the divine has given us, I am very thankful that our heads and hearts can engage with the mathematical precision of a well-composed piece and yet have our hearts be broken by the utter beauty. From the masterful Baroque composer Vivaldi to the down-home blues-jazz riff-ing of Scott Henderson, I'm overwhelmed by how much great music is out there. Although much of it is not in 'pop' radio, good music is not hard to find (e.g., same with good books).</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGiSmJAL_04oAOMPgFzwQjoF3UngNleue1Dp6LhDegspUxSu9hf4AHfS4gLC2S0qTyjRwB_zMtRG_1SPhOg51fVYQFAQma2VUAXZmfJSNOoNg3Sf14gsAYbuDOS_MbaYnO1alZdiW-L8/s1600-h/VIVportrait.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGiSmJAL_04oAOMPgFzwQjoF3UngNleue1Dp6LhDegspUxSu9hf4AHfS4gLC2S0qTyjRwB_zMtRG_1SPhOg51fVYQFAQma2VUAXZmfJSNOoNg3Sf14gsAYbuDOS_MbaYnO1alZdiW-L8/s400/VIVportrait.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270974832494465714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gLNFW7juxoSEILVD8uE7Gaq4KD27uK6ap-EDidmWaNW7N7Etobr-t_xAyoT7m4UBHXIivXtMSQ2WjWL4gDfuXWyBVSGjUa-qpPj3umYUKvL2vqB7prqpTjN3MA3eQXxRnAEWrSPaaFc/s1600-h/SCOTT_HENDERSON02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 383px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gLNFW7juxoSEILVD8uE7Gaq4KD27uK6ap-EDidmWaNW7N7Etobr-t_xAyoT7m4UBHXIivXtMSQ2WjWL4gDfuXWyBVSGjUa-qpPj3umYUKvL2vqB7prqpTjN3MA3eQXxRnAEWrSPaaFc/s400/SCOTT_HENDERSON02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270974831655042274" /></a>(I am currently taking a break and sitting with my guitar in order to transcribe and learn some of Scott Henderson's licks.... man he's good...)... i love me some gitter...<div><br /></div><div>eric</div><div><br /></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-41982773292938303962008-11-13T21:27:00.000-08:002008-11-13T21:54:53.258-08:00Family upon family....<div>Although no family dynamic may ever seem "normal", I guess I come from a fairly "normal" family. I'm real luck-y (and I use that term with all its implications), and I am quite grateful. One perk of being married has been the addition of a new family. I know of many folks who, unfortunately, have a rough time with their in-laws. Again, I am luck-y (though, I suppose, a more restricted notion than the first usage - since after all, some of it was in "my control", e.g. marrying Alissa, etc.). It's been pretty easy with my in-laws, and in fact I feel as if I'm being spoiled on both fronts. Since Turkey Day approaches, I have a lot of things to be thankful for this year, and I suppose I'll fill this blog with such things. So first off, I'm thankful for my new family...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSAgHb-efJCRZ68ntaW_CUgdxh_1zjd90pDa5gHI0IV2s3ktEsUlgzpFXRQ6pYoWv7KovsZZffu05fsH2Cgc3EM0Ge2COJz7pu69EysPQGLkhyphenhyphendVJv-7mBXPjWYfkRmC4L0FJkTV8iTQ/s1600-h/IMG_2361.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSAgHb-efJCRZ68ntaW_CUgdxh_1zjd90pDa5gHI0IV2s3ktEsUlgzpFXRQ6pYoWv7KovsZZffu05fsH2Cgc3EM0Ge2COJz7pu69EysPQGLkhyphenhyphendVJv-7mBXPjWYfkRmC4L0FJkTV8iTQ/s320/IMG_2361.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268381156178449394" /></a>The "blonde" is my sister, Andrea... she's had a roller-coaster of a year (romanticism in 12 months with all the highs and lows), but her spirit has been an encouragement to me... and it is literally "impossible" to ever be bored with her (I mean that as a sincere compliment). My mom is on the right... boy does she go over, above and beyond for her kids (even for her new kids)... I think she's flown, driven, packed, unpacked, moved so much this year for all of us that I can't believe she's still willing to come back... <div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-jW4ilRK8EL7UC44BCsd7x2IxDojicPZv_icjMaLZd3u-fZ1fvQ6tmGZRSbjCL6YjXZBCpFsSl1IKOH_wbFhJZaKEeW6wuuxi2oZkiWeoKNrPJBglyXNa2RPgIbT0Y3HB3VXMWgc8A/s1600-h/IMG_2359.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-jW4ilRK8EL7UC44BCsd7x2IxDojicPZv_icjMaLZd3u-fZ1fvQ6tmGZRSbjCL6YjXZBCpFsSl1IKOH_wbFhJZaKEeW6wuuxi2oZkiWeoKNrPJBglyXNa2RPgIbT0Y3HB3VXMWgc8A/s320/IMG_2359.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268381151321032226" /></a>We're like an inverted twinkie.... (for those a little "slow", that's white on the outside and yellow on the inside)... that's my brother, Brian on the right. I'm borrowing his Chapman sweater (where he and Andrea both received their Master's this year - like I said, a roller-coaster year). He just got a great job, and they recently moved into a new house - and best of all, they're expecting a little baby (so even more "new" family is to come). My dad is on the left. I can't say anything else but that I hope to grow up to be like him (he's a lot like my own dad [without the fobby-ness], so I hope to grow up to be like them both).</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7nG3mCBTR1ELdDUVmA8OWA1yJZwPUZFcphzoXtMxuU0n6GRR-aF5JNmCRFkNavOn7acjTo69pp0g3BUQc3wEtTY13KDB5p7arVJtRORmqOdpLeuzQxRG5wFBg8qTK4qzq_1Ijcq35LQ/s1600-h/IMG_2112.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7nG3mCBTR1ELdDUVmA8OWA1yJZwPUZFcphzoXtMxuU0n6GRR-aF5JNmCRFkNavOn7acjTo69pp0g3BUQc3wEtTY13KDB5p7arVJtRORmqOdpLeuzQxRG5wFBg8qTK4qzq_1Ijcq35LQ/s320/IMG_2112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268381146296030498" /></a>That's my grandpa. My own grandpa passed away when I was one, so I've never had a grandfather during my years of being consciously aware; so it's nice that I now have a grandpa. He's a good man; and even now, he is vigorous when it comes to ministering to others and evangelizing... I hope to be doing the same when I'm his age... </div><div><br /></div><div>That's my family. I've given them a drop of yellow in their sea of white... I like color...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8529245998549997883.post-64131504186798844132008-11-10T21:11:00.000-08:002008-11-10T21:50:08.676-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MQh5WXU_U8gmjrfDZEqRMX8hZ28AXjnKm5miHBsY_bnppE0eoEzgcOew-toEqfT2wM36U4cQRG_6CES-W69-23e0PARxQK05ZdW_BbP_jd_MUxW2b1HjixPgJto4wU56NovsAm8vK6A/s1600-h/IMG_2704.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MQh5WXU_U8gmjrfDZEqRMX8hZ28AXjnKm5miHBsY_bnppE0eoEzgcOew-toEqfT2wM36U4cQRG_6CES-W69-23e0PARxQK05ZdW_BbP_jd_MUxW2b1HjixPgJto4wU56NovsAm8vK6A/s400/IMG_2704.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267272945850275314" /></a><br />Oh Preschool.... The runny noses, soiled pants and muddy shoelaces have a funny way of keeping life in perspective. So many of our daily tasks seem insignificant, yet it's in these little things that our character is tested daily. For so much of my teens and now 20's, I have sought to find meaning in my life. It is through these children that God continually reminds me that above all else, I am His child.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKMFAMj1ioCpZiYTnIZPEYvQ2Kjw8Tv6QIhUl7aZEJ9khIgVx8uqs3hF66ZQZQqFpYNh8QdUAUPb67kthb-7LRq1p8MDIQ9Vg1yMpw47ctM3FuR1InZszkJn6bk9gXb-ciS8Tr44Skxs/s1600-h/IMG_2716.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKMFAMj1ioCpZiYTnIZPEYvQ2Kjw8Tv6QIhUl7aZEJ9khIgVx8uqs3hF66ZQZQqFpYNh8QdUAUPb67kthb-7LRq1p8MDIQ9Vg1yMpw47ctM3FuR1InZszkJn6bk9gXb-ciS8Tr44Skxs/s200/IMG_2716.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267266560498896530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHK02XbH-fRMiZN29sqlT_fMZovy2fvPlZCY0qEXTXQmVhTyLtISDY6lxnZRP9lgPwosXPgvQ9os8NpRYdnCmUpuAFBuamu0a8cMBAGdcu59IUYSAVX_I9V72odYrv4rfxQLypnDDwD0/s1600-h/IMG_2715.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHK02XbH-fRMiZN29sqlT_fMZovy2fvPlZCY0qEXTXQmVhTyLtISDY6lxnZRP9lgPwosXPgvQ9os8NpRYdnCmUpuAFBuamu0a8cMBAGdcu59IUYSAVX_I9V72odYrv4rfxQLypnDDwD0/s200/IMG_2715.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267266556931732626" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Vnj-o7yhTjQGJ-92tvMm5qF91ZhxrzXuVLB4580b68_LS9ikFrmMxEQvQMLXLceAusZCWAkvRpQ4ZtpYL68Q-MFi0s0JyKdeymMc5so3KfMNrusZ8Txasxt9ewVKaKtREDqJhwjsf4/s1600-h/IMG_2660.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17Vnj-o7yhTjQGJ-92tvMm5qF91ZhxrzXuVLB4580b68_LS9ikFrmMxEQvQMLXLceAusZCWAkvRpQ4ZtpYL68Q-MFi0s0JyKdeymMc5so3KfMNrusZ8Txasxt9ewVKaKtREDqJhwjsf4/s200/IMG_2660.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267266537499635938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtEMCE75aiWCbAW6K2031BsTwzg-FP1C2TVS5QcxYfYqYQgbgktITW8RV7Zs9fYyukip5kwWs2niYOgFPOhnOdu5pDGXYzEe3S1YSQ79BVQfvGwft7uiFAK6W4-Qvup1St7TZIEutn-k/s1600-h/IMG_2701.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtEMCE75aiWCbAW6K2031BsTwzg-FP1C2TVS5QcxYfYqYQgbgktITW8RV7Zs9fYyukip5kwWs2niYOgFPOhnOdu5pDGXYzEe3S1YSQ79BVQfvGwft7uiFAK6W4-Qvup1St7TZIEutn-k/s200/IMG_2701.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267264360854382002" /></a>Eric and Alissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08492036886006004871noreply@blogger.com1