Waiting for Baby...

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...

Harry and Minerva's OVBC shower...

Graduation from CLU with an M.S. in Counseling Psychology... and 8 months prego.
My lovely Korean baby shower. So cute!
A delicious chocolate cake made by Jen and Jenna at my CLU shower!
Scrumptious baby shower cupcakes from Sprinkles....Thanks to Ange!
CLU girls...I will miss them!

Baby 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).

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.

An extremely beautiful pregnant woman...

...who likes looking at sea-lions and sea-otters...

...and hangs out with a weird yellow dude with a pony-tail that likes to jump from rock to rock; I love to climb!

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.

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!

It was also very windy that day... but that's still one hot mama!

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...

... 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!

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!

-eric

First Belly Pic

Elijah from the inside and out...

Grandparents

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. As the grandpa sipped his coffee, he was smiling and leaning in to talk to each of them. 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.

Twilight...

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 Twilight for me; so it was settled, I would venture to Forks...

Having finished, here are some final thoughts before I leave Forks (and never return):

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

-eric

Squeezing time for fun

So we've been extremely busy with school and such, but fortunately we've been able to find a few moments of levity.

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.

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.

Here's my mom and Alissa having a great time walking around the city.

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.

Here we are at East Beach in Santa Barbara.

Feasting on crabs... mmm, mmm...

Wine-tasting.

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.

My classroom where I'm teaching ancient philosophy at UC Santa Barbara. These two students were being disruptive... they get an F.

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...

The Family Goes to Hawaii

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.