Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Update
(dress from Aunt Loida)So I think we are over due for an update. As I think you can see from our previous pictures we took a trip to Amelia Island. We had a great time with Nana and Papa, Allison, Seth, Kallie, Luke, Stephanie, and Travis. The flight was a little over an hour but it felt like an eternity. Hannah did not want to be confined to our laps. Of course we went to see a movie and found a new little coffee/cake shop that we love. We also got to see Sandra and Jude!!! And Nana and Allison helped Hannah's fear of water. We came home and Uncle Frank flew in from Texas. He spent a few days with us and then we all drove to Waynesville for the annual July 4th picnic there. It was a lot of fun, and we stayed and hung out with the family and the Canters. Brian went fly fishing for the first time, but he did not catch anything. We came home and have been working on getting our living room decorated. It is taking a while, and I sewed my first set of curtains. I probably should have read some instructions beforehand, but they did not come out too bad. Hannah and I have been attending a playgroup. I borrowed a wagon from a friend and Hannah loves riding in it. This is a good sign because she is going to be riding in a wagon for Uncle Travis's wedding!! Brian is finishing up the IBM softball league, and we are going to a game of his tonight. We also started going to pool. Hannah seems to be getting used to it and actually splashes a little. In the fall I have an exciting volunteer position. I will be co-coordinating the Babies and Toddlers playgroup for the Duke International Spouse Program. It is for all the Spouses of Duke students and faculty that are here studying, teaching, working and researching from other countries. So I will be getting together with all the spouses with babies and toddlers once a week. I think both Hannah and I will meet some really cool people! Finally, we have spent the last few days reading Harry Potter. I of course cried a bunch, and I can't wait to read it again some day... not as fast as the first time. I love those books, and I am sad to see them come to an end. I know they will be a permanent addition to our bookshelf though! We even got to see the movie on Friday night thanks to Anna babysitting for us!!! Well, all our love from Durham.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Visit with David and Karen Rigsby
David and Karen came over for breakfast on Thursday. They are back in the US after teaching English in China for the past year. They go back at the end of the summer, so it was great to catch up.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
New Foods and Hair Styles
Hannah's new favorite food is black olives. She also has inherited Gramzy's wild hair:)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Hanging with Ross and Liz
Ross reading Church History, drinking a beer and grilling chicken
Liz cooking collard greens
Brian painting
Liz cooking collard greens
Brian painting
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Gospel in "Pan's Labyrinth"
For those who read this blog primarily for the pictures of Hannah, rest assured that we will soon be posting some new pictures of her first steps! Hopefully the pictures will capture the joy on her face. If not, just trust me -- she is loving every minute of it. (And so are we!) She is so precious to us, and we thank God for her.
Now, for the rest of you, who also read the blog to keep up with Mary and I (anyone out there like that?), this post is for you. But let's be honest. We all know Hannah is infinitely more interesting than anything we might write about any other topic. Oh, by the way, I can't resist telling you one new thing about Hannah... I think she's beginning to realize that Mary and I actually have a relationship with each other that doesn't center around her (imagine that). Lately, every time she sees us kiss or hug or cuddle, she stops whatever she's doing to watch and often starts smiling or laughing. It's cute.
So, on to the topic of this post: "Pan's Labyrinth". We watched it tonight on DVD, and I was blown away. I don't typically feel the irrestistable urge to go write about a movie that I've just seen, but this movie was unusually beautiful and inspiring -- so much so that I felt that I absolutely had to sit down and at least outline why I liked it so much.
So, here's a few reasons I liked it:
SPOILER WARNING: Even though it's late and I don't feel like describing the entire plot for those who haven't seen it, I should warn you anyway that what I write below will probably give the movie away. So, don't read further if you want to be surprised when you see it.
ANOTHER WARNING: This is an R-rated movie. It's not for kids. It's not a light-hearted movie, but I believe it's well worth the effort to watch it. Some parts will make you want to cry or cringe, and rightly so.
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I find echoes of the gospel in nearly every story that I come across. Or, I should say, every good story. In fact, a story is only good insofar as it echoes some quality of the real universe. And, since the gospel is at the center of the real universe, it stands to reason that a good story will be good precisely because it mirrors the shape or character of the gospel in some way. Even good pagan stories and myths do this. In fact, C. S. Lewis described the Christian gospel as "the myth that is true". It is the story (and a true one no less) from which all other stories derive their goodness, truth, and beauty.
So, how is the gospel reflected in this movie?
Near the beginning of the movie, a tale is told of a blue rose that grows atop a mountain. Every night, the rose blooms, and anyone who can pluck one of its petals will receive eternal life. But because the road leading up the mountain is steep and dangerous and filled with poisonous thorns, no one dares to climb it. Every day, as the rose holds out the gift of eternal life, none come to receive it, and the rose wilts.
I don't know the origins of this story, but ... WOW. This story is the essence of the movie. Every character, every choice, every action is weighed against the truth of this story. The way to life is marked by great courage, sacrifice, love, and humility. And few are they who find it.
First, the main character, Offelia. She walks the path of life, although imperfectly. She represents weakness and purity, humility and simplicity. Her life and heart are detached from the normal affairs of adult life. She lives in a world of fairy tales, beauty, and adventure. She knows the difference, as only a child can, between good and evil. She understands love, especially the love of her mother, and her own love for her baby brother. At every point (too many examples to write), she chooses to sacrifice herself for her mother and brother, even at the risk of losing either her life itself, or her chance of becoming a princess. She is an alien to the world of desire, greed, anger, and mistrust that characterizes what is going on around her. She lives for another world, and she never loses sight of it. She lives for others, though, even more. She puts them first, and sheds her own blood to save them. She achieves victory in her weakness, in her child-likeness. (In the movie, there's a major theme of femininity as strength through weakness -- really powerful stuff.) She follows her conscience (there's also a theme of obeying conscience -- also very powerful, particularly as it plays out in the good doctor). At one point, she falters in her journey, by tasting the forbidden fruit at the table guarded by a very scary deathly figure, but she experiences forgiveness and mercy. She never, not for a second, lusts for power and strength, and thereby she becomes an eternal princess.
Whew. Do I even need to keep going?
Second, there's all the other characters. In their various ways, they play out these themes themselves. I won't describe them all. You just have to watch the movie. The doctor, the stuttering soldier, the captain, the nurse, Offelia's mother. In each their own way, they echo the story of the rose. The nurse, for example, the very picture of weakness and insignificance, and a self-admitted coward, rises above her fears and her self-doubts to play a critical role in defeating the captain. If Offelia is the (nearly) ideal picture of goodness, the nurse is the character for the rest of us, those who are deeply flawed yet longing for goodness. She's the character I can identify with in her weakness, and the character that I long to identify with in her triumph. Ultimately, she chooses to risk all for the sake of those she loves, and her life hangs by a thread before she is rescued. She makes "the right choice" (as Offelia is also told at the end). The captain, blinded by his own pride, never suspects the lowly nurse of being any significant threat, but it is she that ultimately destroys him. Weakness = strength, strength = weakness. This is a major theme in the Gospel.
Third, the movie (like so many other great fantasy stories) shows the tension between the real world, and the world of magic. It challenges your belief in a merely material world. It's a bridge to another world, like the Gospel. (This is one of the reasons I love the Harry Potter series. It makes you think about the world beyond what we can touch and feel in our everyday experience.) Many of us think that the present material world is the "real world", and the world of magic and spiritual reality is just imaginary. Christians believe the opposite. We are citizens of a different kingdom. This movie reminds us that we are other-worldly; we are made for something bigger, deeper, more true, more magical, more beautiful.
The movie is purposely ambiguous in its conclusion about the question of whether the magical world really exists at all. The film-maker is very careful to convey that only Offelia can see the magical fawn, and as Offelia dies at the end of the movie, it's not perfectly clear whether she has really gone to be an eternal princess. I think this is brilliant, and it mirrors the situation we are really in. Only through the eyes of faith can we know that truth, but we're helped by knowing that everything within us resonates with the story. It feels true, and something in our hearts tells us it's real -- there really is more than just the material world.
Offelia is a Christ-figure. She imperfectly pictures that of which Jesus Christ was the perfection. (The same can be said of some of the other characters, in different ways.) The path she walked, Jesus walked perfectly. The sacrifice she made, Jesus made perfectly. Through the shedding of her pure blood, she was given eternal life and was made princess of a great kingdom. This is Philippians 2:1-11. This is the Gospel. And, the really good news is this: through Christ, we can be pulled into this story. We can triumph as the nurse did, and as Ophelia did. (And I mean this in at least two senses: that we are pulled into the perfection of Christ, and that we are made able to become like Him in our actual experience.) I long for opportunities to sacrifice and love as these characters did, to be like my Lord Jesus in this way. And, seeing these characters helps me worship Him as the perfection and fulfillment of God's ideal for humanity.
I think I'm just beginning to scratch the surface here, and I'm getting confused trying to tie all this together. (There's so much more to be said here, and there's much, much more to this movie than I've described.) So, for now, I'll just say that I've been reading Matthew lately (particularly Matthew 5-7), and I felt like this movie "got it". It is soaked in it.
For another thoughtful blog on this movie from a Christian perspective, check this out (also some great comments here).
Also, this reminds me of a lecture by Peter Kreeft on "The Good, The True, and the Beautiful". Here it is.
Now, for the rest of you, who also read the blog to keep up with Mary and I (anyone out there like that?), this post is for you. But let's be honest. We all know Hannah is infinitely more interesting than anything we might write about any other topic. Oh, by the way, I can't resist telling you one new thing about Hannah... I think she's beginning to realize that Mary and I actually have a relationship with each other that doesn't center around her (imagine that). Lately, every time she sees us kiss or hug or cuddle, she stops whatever she's doing to watch and often starts smiling or laughing. It's cute.
So, on to the topic of this post: "Pan's Labyrinth". We watched it tonight on DVD, and I was blown away. I don't typically feel the irrestistable urge to go write about a movie that I've just seen, but this movie was unusually beautiful and inspiring -- so much so that I felt that I absolutely had to sit down and at least outline why I liked it so much.
So, here's a few reasons I liked it:
SPOILER WARNING: Even though it's late and I don't feel like describing the entire plot for those who haven't seen it, I should warn you anyway that what I write below will probably give the movie away. So, don't read further if you want to be surprised when you see it.
ANOTHER WARNING: This is an R-rated movie. It's not for kids. It's not a light-hearted movie, but I believe it's well worth the effort to watch it. Some parts will make you want to cry or cringe, and rightly so.
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I find echoes of the gospel in nearly every story that I come across. Or, I should say, every good story. In fact, a story is only good insofar as it echoes some quality of the real universe. And, since the gospel is at the center of the real universe, it stands to reason that a good story will be good precisely because it mirrors the shape or character of the gospel in some way. Even good pagan stories and myths do this. In fact, C. S. Lewis described the Christian gospel as "the myth that is true". It is the story (and a true one no less) from which all other stories derive their goodness, truth, and beauty.
So, how is the gospel reflected in this movie?
Near the beginning of the movie, a tale is told of a blue rose that grows atop a mountain. Every night, the rose blooms, and anyone who can pluck one of its petals will receive eternal life. But because the road leading up the mountain is steep and dangerous and filled with poisonous thorns, no one dares to climb it. Every day, as the rose holds out the gift of eternal life, none come to receive it, and the rose wilts.
I don't know the origins of this story, but ... WOW. This story is the essence of the movie. Every character, every choice, every action is weighed against the truth of this story. The way to life is marked by great courage, sacrifice, love, and humility. And few are they who find it.
First, the main character, Offelia. She walks the path of life, although imperfectly. She represents weakness and purity, humility and simplicity. Her life and heart are detached from the normal affairs of adult life. She lives in a world of fairy tales, beauty, and adventure. She knows the difference, as only a child can, between good and evil. She understands love, especially the love of her mother, and her own love for her baby brother. At every point (too many examples to write), she chooses to sacrifice herself for her mother and brother, even at the risk of losing either her life itself, or her chance of becoming a princess. She is an alien to the world of desire, greed, anger, and mistrust that characterizes what is going on around her. She lives for another world, and she never loses sight of it. She lives for others, though, even more. She puts them first, and sheds her own blood to save them. She achieves victory in her weakness, in her child-likeness. (In the movie, there's a major theme of femininity as strength through weakness -- really powerful stuff.) She follows her conscience (there's also a theme of obeying conscience -- also very powerful, particularly as it plays out in the good doctor). At one point, she falters in her journey, by tasting the forbidden fruit at the table guarded by a very scary deathly figure, but she experiences forgiveness and mercy. She never, not for a second, lusts for power and strength, and thereby she becomes an eternal princess.
Whew. Do I even need to keep going?
Second, there's all the other characters. In their various ways, they play out these themes themselves. I won't describe them all. You just have to watch the movie. The doctor, the stuttering soldier, the captain, the nurse, Offelia's mother. In each their own way, they echo the story of the rose. The nurse, for example, the very picture of weakness and insignificance, and a self-admitted coward, rises above her fears and her self-doubts to play a critical role in defeating the captain. If Offelia is the (nearly) ideal picture of goodness, the nurse is the character for the rest of us, those who are deeply flawed yet longing for goodness. She's the character I can identify with in her weakness, and the character that I long to identify with in her triumph. Ultimately, she chooses to risk all for the sake of those she loves, and her life hangs by a thread before she is rescued. She makes "the right choice" (as Offelia is also told at the end). The captain, blinded by his own pride, never suspects the lowly nurse of being any significant threat, but it is she that ultimately destroys him. Weakness = strength, strength = weakness. This is a major theme in the Gospel.
Third, the movie (like so many other great fantasy stories) shows the tension between the real world, and the world of magic. It challenges your belief in a merely material world. It's a bridge to another world, like the Gospel. (This is one of the reasons I love the Harry Potter series. It makes you think about the world beyond what we can touch and feel in our everyday experience.) Many of us think that the present material world is the "real world", and the world of magic and spiritual reality is just imaginary. Christians believe the opposite. We are citizens of a different kingdom. This movie reminds us that we are other-worldly; we are made for something bigger, deeper, more true, more magical, more beautiful.
The movie is purposely ambiguous in its conclusion about the question of whether the magical world really exists at all. The film-maker is very careful to convey that only Offelia can see the magical fawn, and as Offelia dies at the end of the movie, it's not perfectly clear whether she has really gone to be an eternal princess. I think this is brilliant, and it mirrors the situation we are really in. Only through the eyes of faith can we know that truth, but we're helped by knowing that everything within us resonates with the story. It feels true, and something in our hearts tells us it's real -- there really is more than just the material world.
Offelia is a Christ-figure. She imperfectly pictures that of which Jesus Christ was the perfection. (The same can be said of some of the other characters, in different ways.) The path she walked, Jesus walked perfectly. The sacrifice she made, Jesus made perfectly. Through the shedding of her pure blood, she was given eternal life and was made princess of a great kingdom. This is Philippians 2:1-11. This is the Gospel. And, the really good news is this: through Christ, we can be pulled into this story. We can triumph as the nurse did, and as Ophelia did. (And I mean this in at least two senses: that we are pulled into the perfection of Christ, and that we are made able to become like Him in our actual experience.) I long for opportunities to sacrifice and love as these characters did, to be like my Lord Jesus in this way. And, seeing these characters helps me worship Him as the perfection and fulfillment of God's ideal for humanity.
I think I'm just beginning to scratch the surface here, and I'm getting confused trying to tie all this together. (There's so much more to be said here, and there's much, much more to this movie than I've described.) So, for now, I'll just say that I've been reading Matthew lately (particularly Matthew 5-7), and I felt like this movie "got it". It is soaked in it.
For another thoughtful blog on this movie from a Christian perspective, check this out (also some great comments here).
Also, this reminds me of a lecture by Peter Kreeft on "The Good, The True, and the Beautiful". Here it is.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Contemplating the Past
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the past. My ten year reunion from high school is this summer and a lot of people have been reconnecting. I also recently joined Facebook which reconnects you with familiar faces from your past- very fun. Going away to college was the time of my life. I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to go to school away from home. But at the same time I had no time to think about the fact that I would never live at my house again. I would never live in Boca Raton again. I would never see most of my friends from S. Florida again. At least we would never be all together again. I cannot re-live my time there. I did go home for a few summers and see old friends, but as time went on I went to Boca less. And when I graduated college my parents moved to Tallahassee. The last time I was there was 2 years ago for the 4th of July. I kept waiting to run into someone I knew, but it never happened. At one time these thoughts did not matter to me. To be honest, I don't really like the culture of S. Florida all that much- it is materialistic, expensive, and a little snobby (no offense to those who live there). I decided that I had moved on and was done with my past. If it had not been for my wise mother I would have thrown away all my old yearbooks, journals, and pictures too. I quoted the verse "forgetting what lies behind and straining for what lies ahead" and plunged forward. But as the years have unfolded, I find that I cannot just forget my past. I love it, long for it, remember it, it is a part of me. I have so many wonderful memories: singing in Children's choir at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach, getting in trouble with Danielle, fishing in her back yard, going to shell island (which turns out to be no more than a two foot edge of dirt in the intercoastal), going with her to River Ranch and throwing out the eggs her mom made me for Easter breakfast, playing with Julie next door, going to the mall on Friday nights with Holly and Christine, getting in big trouble with Holly's mom- all the time, playing with Angela Perkins, going to Brownie Camp, having dancing contests at my birthday parties and playing headband horseshoes and pin the kiss on Johnny Depp, waiting at the bus stop with Paige and Brook and Jason and Jaime (now Jason is dead), going to Amie Kay and Frank's for holidays, going to Amie Kay and Frank's just because, The Friday Group, Easter egg hunts and new Easter dresses, riding my bike to Eckerds and to the beach, youth group and camp with Roger, Pastor Cronin, Champions for Christ karate team, karate friends, Cornerstone Baptist Church friends, honors classes at Boca High. The list could go on and on and on. I have my list of regrets, hurts, and disappointments as well. I can't let go of these memories- God gave them to me. I weep when I think of them and they are good. They demonstrate God's hand on my life and His faithfulness. But at the same time- I will never go back and be able to relive my past and that as well is from God. I would not fit there now. I love Sara Grove's song "Painting Pictures of Egypt". You can find all the lyrics here: http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/sara-groves/painting-pictures-of.html. "But the places that used to fit me Cannot hold the things I've learned And those roads closed off to me While my back was turned ". That road was closed off to me while my back was turned. I did not realize what was happening. Maybe it is better that way. Maybe God knows we would never walk in the path He has for us if we realize the outcome up front. Sometimes I wonder if I have made the right decisions in my life. Thankfully, I can think of all the times I poured out my heart in prayer for direction. Sometimes I had to step out on faith and just trust that if my decision was wrong- God was still in control. I will not believe that God has led me astray. I rest in His peace, sovereignty, love, and attention to my little life. So, I have decided not to go to my high school reunion for a couple of reasons- it is expensive, logistically challenging, and probably will just be a big drinking party that I don't "fit" in. But I would love to go back sometime in the near future to see Danielle's house (please finish it soon) and Amie Kay and Frank (they have not met Hannah yet), and possibly run into someone I knew in my previous life. So, in the mean time, I am enjoying where God has led me... Durham, NC with Brian and Hannah, the Church of the Good Shepherd, Woodlake Subdivision, and all my new friends here. I pray He would continue to lead us and use us for His purposes and glory. Love to all are friends old and new.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Isaac Asimov's "Foundation"
Here's a post I started back in July of 2006. ("B.H." -- Before Hannah. Yes, Mary and I used to read books before Hannah came along.) But apparently I never finished or published it on the blog. So here it is...
For the past year I've had a growing interest in fiction in general. Peter Kreeft (a professor of philosophy at Boston College) has described fiction as "applied philosophy". I fully agree. I've talked to people who don't see the value in fictional literature, but I have a very quick and simple argument for them: Jesus taught almost exclusively using fictional stories. Fiction, it seems, has a unique power to explore philosophical and moral questions.
Within the world of fiction, I've been especially drawn to certain books. These books enlarge my imagination, and somehow resonate with me at the level of the soul. (Some examples: Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, and even the Harry Potter series.) These stories somehow make me deeply happy. They have a childlike fantasy quality, but they also strike me as being painfully real and intensely true. They paint a universe that seems very much like the universe I live in, and they describe a humanity that seems very much like my own. Yet there's a magical quality that seems perhaps even more true than anything to be found in the world I live in. Something in my soul responds to that.
So, having grown up on Star Wars, and having seen the movie "I, Robot" (based on a story by Isaac Asimov), I decided to give real science fiction a try. Maybe the world of science fiction has something to offer that's similar to what I've experienced through Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling?
Of course, I can't necessarily answer that question after reading just one book (and that by Asimov, an atheist). But I would like to write up my thoughts on this particular book, being my first experience with the genre.
In a sentence, it was good entertainment, but terrible philosophy. And very, very unsatisfying.
Asimov's story is simple. Hari Seldon is a mathematical genius who has developed a specialized branch of mathematics called "psychohistory", which allows him to predict the future based on the probabilities of human psychology. Seldon lives in a "galactic empire" (sound familiar? -- yes, this predates Star Wars) that is in the process of falling apart from within. The empire has stagnated, and Seldon alone realizes that its destruction is imminent. He determines that, although it's too late to save the empire, he can bridle the resulting chaos by founding a small colony of scientists on a remote planet called Terminus who will collect all human knowledge in a great "Encyclopedia Galactica". By preserving the knowledge of civilization, he understands that the universe can continue its progress after the empire collapses.
All of this comes to pass, exactly as Seldon describes. (Remember, Seldon can predict the future based on his study of psychohistory, which allows him to see the large statistical movements of society many centuries into the future.) As the story unfolds, the inhabitants of Terminus face a series of "Seldon Crises", where the future of civilization is threatened by some internal or external force that Seldon foresees. In every case, Seldon perfectly predicts the crisis, and gives instructions for how to overcome it. He is always right.
I don't want to be too harsh on Asimov. The story was fun to read. It kept my attention. There was real suspense, and I really wanted to find out what the next crisis would be, and how everything would work out. (He also had an amazing imagination, for his time. The book was written in 1951, and I'm sure his vision of the future was very technologically progressive for his time.) His story was inventive, creative, and unique.
But Asimov has a dry, mechanistic view of human nature, and it pervades his book. His characters are puppets in his story, having little life and personality of their own. Rarely does he reveal the personal world of human emotion. He seems to truly believe that in an ideal universe, people would live their lives on a day to day basis by strictly mathematical, logical principles. He views society on a scale that is far too massive, where humans are nothing more than statistical data to help determine broad political trends and events. He's much more interested in the direction of civilization as a whole, than in the life of any particular person. All his characters are the same. Taken in large groups, he believes human beings can be reduced to statistical determinism.
I don't think I could tolerate the universe that Asimov describes. Nor could anyone. His world is one that is completely devoid of beauty, emotion, longing, love, feeling, good, and evil. It is a world of sterile scientism; he worships reason, logic, science, and mathematics. His book is like Brave New World, except for one key difference: he seems to believe he is describing a good world, while Huxley knows he is describing a bad one.
I had the same sensation when reading the collected stories of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. (Or, I should say, almost reading them ... I could never bring myself to finish the final set of stories.) His characters and plots made for interesting stories, but they offered little insight into the questions I'm interested in. Conan Doyle sent me away from the real universe, to a world where every crime is solved, where every mystery is revealed, where Sherlock can logically deduce anything given enough data and observation. This isn't a world that resonates with me, because humans are much more than machines. They are made in God's image, and are, like Him, inexhaustible. Like Sherlock, all of Asimov's characters are more like machines than men. They entertain you for a while, but eventually they seem empty.
(Shortly after finishing "Foundation", I decided to try the sequel, "Foundation and Empire". I got about half-way through before admitting defeat...)
A relaxing time in Waynesville
We had a wonderful time in Waynesville and are very thankful to God. 5 whole days off. We spent the first two days with Eric, Amelia, Alaina and Jadon. Waynesville NEVER gets old. It is so beautiful. We went hiking and read a lot during Hannah's naps.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
My fast is over
Not my fast from milk, but from my beloved Ipod. As some of you know, I lost my beloved Nano on our plane to San Antonio back in Feb. I lamented for a while and then accepted reality (after calling the airline- I know it was a long shot). So I downgraded to the new shuffle. We have an Apple store around the corner. They have what they call "refresh" ipods... ones that have been returned within the 2 week time period. It comes with the regular warranty and was $50 instead of $79. I went walking with it on Saturday, and it my life is better now:)
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Our Trip to Chicago
Hannah cruising around town
Hannah standing on her own
Hannah standing on her own
Tour of downtown
The FMI Food Show
Brian at Gino's East
At the Grand Luxe Cafe
At the aquarium:
Dinner with Bryan and Lynn
More aquarium
The FMI Food Show
Brian at Gino's East
At the Grand Luxe Cafe
At the aquarium:
Dinner with Bryan and Lynn
More aquarium
Well, it definitely has been an adventurous trip. It was a little more work than we were expecting, but it was worth it. On the plane ride to Chicago Hannah decided she did not want to take a nap, but instead wanted to look at everything going on in the plane. She did pretty good, but eventually her missed nap caught up to her and she started fussing a little. She fussed on and off and then her eyes could not stay open any longer and she fell asleep on Brian's lap (see the picture below). We made it to Chicago and were on the Hertz shuttle going to pick up our rental car when we realized that we probably did not need a car. So we circled the whole airport a few times (the airport is VERY large), canceled our reservation and hopped on a shuttle. Three hours later after we landed we made it to the hotel. Hannah fell asleep on the shuttle. We went to the Weber Grill with one of Brian's co-workers and called it a night. Our hotel was in the heart of downtown, but unfortunately the first night we were the subjects of harassment by a bunch of students on a high school trip. I won't go into all the details, but we ended up with a voucher for a free hotel stay.
The next day Brian went to work and Hannah and I took a stroll down Michigan Avenue. We stopped at the Hershey Store and the Water Tower. We also went to Navy Pier. I think we walked 10 miles on this day. Brian spent the day with his co-workers setting up for the FMI show (Food Market Institute). We were all so exhausted by the end of the day that we ate a sandwich shop next to our hotel and went to bed. Thankfully the highschoolers left!
On Sunday I gave up on trying to get Hannah to take her daily naps. She was so distracted in the hotel and right when I got her to sleep the cleaning people called and woke her up. I thought it would be fun to have a relaxing day at the park. We decided to walk to Millennium Park b/c Bryan told me it was really cool. We get there and there are thousands and thousands of people there. Turns out the Dali Lama is speaking, so we can hardly even walk anywhere near the park. We found a different park and had a picnic. That night we went to a restaurant with Brian called the Grand Luxe Cafe. It was really fun. It turned out to take a long time and Hannah's eyes started closing as she was sitting up at the table. It was really funny. Brian had a great time at the show and met a ton of new people from IBM and all sorts of other companies. Oh yeah and Hannah and I also got to see the Marsha Field's picketers protesting Macy's:)
Monday, I decided it would be fun for Hannah to see the aquarium. We figured out the bus system, since I was very tired of walking. It was fun, but Hannah seemed to like her reflection in the glass more than the fish:) The view of the city from the aquarium was AWESOME! Then we met Bryan and Lynn for dinner that evening. Lynn's parents were in town and Bryan had finals, so we were glad they could squeeze us in. We went to this restaurant where they are rude to you on purpose. Kind of like having my brother's friends from high school as your waiters, but they are suppose to be sarcastic to you. Then they gave us a great tour of the down town area.
For the last day Brian really wanted me to go to the Food show. So we made it on the bus (barely). I got evil stares by a few people b/c we had a big stroller and there was a women with wheelchair, so it was a little tight. It was awesome. There were a million free samples of everything you can think of. I mean a million. It was awesome. One of the new things they had was diet coke with vitamins... Now Jenny, can get all of her daily vitamins from her 10 diet cokes a day:) I LOVED the organic show and I got to meet the owner of the cloth diapers I have been using. Plus there was not as much junk food at the Organic Show. We stopped by the Art museum on the way back to the hotel. I was tired but very glad I decided to do this. I had to sneak in all my food from the show, but luckily no one caught me. When Brian got home, he finally got to have Chicago style pizza at Gino's East- deep dish crust with cheese, sausage, and sauce in that order. He also got to bring home a bunch of free food from the show.
We just got home and had an EXHAUSTING but good trip. We are praying Hannah catches up on her sleep and gets back on her schedule.
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