Abe and Allie

Spirit of Adventure

2010-05-09T13:46:00.001-07:00

I know we're one of the last couples in America to see the movie "Up", which we did last night. The theme of the movie is adventure, which made me think about the differences between my husband and me. When we were dating, I remember walking to Grant Park and Abe telling me, "Stick with me and you'll live a life of adventure." Anyone who knows me knows I am not an adventure-seeker. Yes, I enjoy traveling and was the first in my family to visit Europe -- Eastern Europe at that -- but I like, well, tame adventure. Like museums, itineraries, and no liability waivers. My husband, however, has had a spirit of adventure from the get-go. Even his mom talks about how she used to find him as an infant outside his crib -- she could never figure out how he got out. While my family had great vacations that I treasure to historical places and beaches, Abe's family was more wild. He hiked Maccu Piccu with his dad. He para-sailed in Mexico. As a college student he flew back from Hong Kong by himself.

Without giving the movie's plot away, the theme is adventure that is lost. Someone who has a desire for adventure that gets lulled into everyday life that the adventure is still a dream years later. My husband routinely pushes us for adventure. And I've done and seen things with him that I never would have thought possible. He had us try surfing, which I was scared &$(*-less to do, but I did and, even with really crappy instruction, I did really well. I didn't hurt anyone else or myself, and the thrill of riding a wave was amazing. We also tried sea kayaking, which was an example of a failed adventure, but hey, if we hadn't tried we wouldn't have discovered the best shaved ice place on that side of Oahu.

As we prepare to embark on a few adventures in 2010, the movie made me realize that yes, stepping outside your comfort zone is scary, but the end result shows you that life is more than what you thought possible. And that is worth the risk.

This week

2010-05-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hi all...Abe here....not sure who follows this blog anymore, but I felt compelled to blog about life as of late. In short...what a whirlwind. First off, Allison and I just celebrated our four year "date-a-versary"....it was four years ago that my lovely wife and I had our first date. We just had pizza last night, just like our first date four years ago (I think that the pizza was better last night) :). I can't believe that it's been four years. God has really blessed us tremendously...it's been a fun 4 years babe :)

The other reason that I wanted to blog was to share what God has been teaching me as of late. I really feel as if the only thing sustaining me as of late has been God's grace. I've learned to really rely on God when there is a lot going on. The words of John 15:7 really resonate with me today: "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Abiding. I feel like this is the only way that I have been able to survive my busyness as of late. It's been so busy as of late... between work, school, taking care of a new house and a Certification exam....it's quite amazing that I have been able to juggle all of that.....

In any case, I just thought that I had to share this.

Have a good one ya'll....we're taking Allison's parents to their first Cubs game this weekend....ah, I feel like a proud parent! :)

The 2000s

2009-12-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...the third post in less than a week. :) What can I say? Christmas and the end of a year are always very reflective times for me. And what more so at the end of the decade.

I started January 1, 2000, as a college student. I lived with three other girls who I'm blessed to still be friends with today. Little did I know then the adventure God would have for me. Later that year I went to Europe for the first time -- on Summer Project with Campus Crusade. Hands down one of the best experiences of my life. I've since been on two other trips to Europe as well as a vacation to the Caribbean and Hawaii. I would have never dreamed all of that 10 years ago.

I also would not have predicted my current career. Or the fact my husband is Chinese and I disliked Chinese food until I met him. Or that I live in a large metro area. An area that gets snow. I used to hate snow, but the dumping we got this past weekend didn't seem to mind me much.

I've learned not to tell God that I won't do something. God has made me eat my words so much in the past 10 years, but they have been good times. God has changed and opened my heart. After that summer project I had a heart for Eastern Europeans. Now I feel a kinship with Asians when I meet them. Like I'm part Asian because my husband is Asian.

I've lost some loved ones this decade. But gained a husband, parents in-law, two sister-in-laws, a brother-in law, and a niece. I know those loved ones who passed on would have loved these new loved ones, too.

I don't know what the next 10 years holds. Lord-willing children for us and more nieces and nephews. Lord-willing health for our families. And Lord-willing more adventure with God. I could not have imagined this life 10 years ago. But it is so good. God is so good.

Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel

2009-12-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas morning and, frankly, I'm (Allison) in a bad mood. My manageable cold that appeared 9 days ago has morphed into something that makes me feel miserable. My husband is sick as well, so we missed Christmas Eve service, which we both were so disappointed to miss. I haven't even finished wrapping presents because, well, I don't even have the energy to do so. What compounds this misery is that I also was sick at Thanksgiving. Both times I served or am serving as host. God's also revealing some other disappointment that's played into my attitude as of late.

So I went to God about it, realizing this should be a joyous day for all believers like me -- God sent his son in the form of a baby -- this son who would later die for my sins. So how do I reconcile my desire to be joyful at this religious holiday with my expectations for the day itself -- like health and good time with family?

The good news about today is that Emmanuel -- this God with us -- is coming back. We are not left here to illness and frustration and unmet desire. If your Christmas doesn't look like you wanted it to remember that when Jesus does come back there will be no more disappointment, frustration or let downs. This is temporary. And when we celebrate Jesus in heaven -- wow -- that will be one party that won't compare to anything on Earth. So today I'm singing, "Oh come, oh come Emmanuel."

Christmas Thoughts

2009-12-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Frankly, I'm not sure if anyone will read this post. But here's to all of you who have patiently waited -- or have Google Reader.

As I (Allison) was driving home this afternoon -- watching the precipitation change from snow to sleet to rain to freezing rain -- I thought about how meaningful this Christmas season has been to me. Maybe it's because we now live in a neighborhood that's all decorated for Christmas. Or maybe it's because we've hosted family already and will host more in the coming days.

But I think the main reason this Christmas season has been more meaningful to me is because I've been reflecting on how much Jesus is worthy of all our worship. Not only is this baby in a manger our friend, even our Savior to those who have surrendered our lives to Him, but He is the Son of God -- worthy of all our praise. Our pastor has been speaking on Revelation lately and I've personally been studying Isaiah, which have increased my sense of awe and reverence for Jesus.

It makes me think about my favorite Christmas song, "O Holy Night." I get chills every time I sing the line, "Fall on your knees...oh hear the angels voices."

I pray this Christmas would be a meaningful one for you -- that you would be in awe and wonder at the birth of this King -- predicted for centuries -- this Jesus who came to die and who will come again. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel.

U2

2009-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if anyone reads this blog anymore as Abe and I have been silent for a few months. Abe suggested that I blog my thoughts on my first experience of a U2 concert, which happened last night at Soldier Field in Chicago.

You see my husband went to the Vertigo tour stop at the United Center before we met. For me, however, I never thought I would ever have the chance to see U2 in concert:
--Until this point, I've never lived in a town large enough to host U2.
--The tickets are always sold out.
--The tickets are always wickedly expensive.

My husband found a way to gain access to a pre-sale of tickets, and when he asked what I thought, I jumped at the chance. And I was not disappointed -- the stage alone was a sight to see.

I went thinking everyone would be singing every lyric, hands in the air, dancing to U2. That was the case, for the most part, but I did see some people there who didn't seem that into it. Maybe they take seeing U2 in concert for granted, but I don't. What else in the world is there to get you up moving and dancing? Bono is right in front of you people!

With listening to so much U2 lately (I've got it playing in our car and my iPod lately), it's amazing to me the lasting power, the unifying nature of these songs. To hear 70,000 people singing along to "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" more than 20 years after it was released was amazing -- especially in light of the words to the song. At times it felt like I was in a massive church service when we were singing "Amazing Grace" (although I didn't hear many around me singing along). I'm not sure if there's another band during my lifetime that has the lasting power of U2...that strikes such a chord in the hearts of their audience.

Did I mention the stage was awesome? At the end this giant disco ball spun at the top of the spindle -- illuminating the entire stadium. Lights beamed straight into the sky. An amazing stage for an amazing band that captures the hearts of fans like no other.

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long to write. Abe and I are getting settled in our new home. It's definitely been an adjustment, but there are so many benefits to our new place of residence:

--Able to have a choice in which bathroom to use.
--Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. Need I say more?
--Friendly neighbors.
--A kitchen that makes me want to cook.
--The room to seat all four chairs at a dining room table.
--Dishwasher. Washer. Dryer.
--No more street parking.

Abe and I have also had new experiences in this house, such as learning how to prepare a brand new mower for the first time. Since we were obvious new homeowners with the big owners' manual in our hands, some compassionate neighbors stopped by to offer their assistance. It's odd how quickly we moved from urban multi-unit dwellers to being Mr. and Mrs. Lawn & Garden. (I just got distracted by a dog yapping at a bunny in our yard -- oh suburban life.)

I think we've adjusted well. We're certainly sleeping better. No more earplugs!

Moving

2009-06-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

In just a few days, Abe and I are leaving apartment living behind and moving to our first single-family home. While we are very excited, we also recognize this is a big transition for our lives. Abe has spent five years in this apartment. This is the only place I have ever known of his. This is where we got engaged and where I moved into when we got married. There are some things we will miss about our lives here:
--Our church and small groups
--Walks along Lake Michigan
--Being so close to the city, good ethnic restaurants, and Abe's parents

Yet we think of the many benefits of our new home:
--Our own -- no renting anymore!
--A quiet neighborhood
--Twice the space
--Shorter commute
--A dishwasher (never underestimate the value of a dishwasher)
--Great outdoor space
--Being able to have the space to fully unpack as many of our wedding presents are still packed even though we've been married for two years.

Even though we're still in the same metropolitan area, in some senses it feels as though we are moving to a different city. So we say goodbye to this chapter with much gratitude, as we await our new adventures in suburb life.

A Zoo Wedding

2009-05-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

Allison here...blogging about the wedding I attended last night of our friends Nick and Zoe. They both like to do life in their own style, so I knew going into the wedding that it would be done in true Nick and Zoe fashion. For starters, the wedding took place at the Brookfield Zoo. May I say that is an awesome location for a wedding. I had never been there before, but the grounds are gorgeous -- like a botanical gardens. The zoo guests were taken a back by all the people dressed up for a wedding and, yes, we did hear a dinosaur roar every 2 minutes during the ceremony, but it was awesome.

The wedding was held in a pavilion outdoors and the bride looked beautiful. Most of the music was on CD from a group called the Vitamin String Quartet -- basically orchestral versions of rock songs. Part of the ceremony was to the song "We're Going to Be Friends," a White Stripes song I recognized from "Napoleon Dynamite." I nearly cried at the bridal processional song -- "The First Day of My Life" by the BrightEyes, but performed by the bride's sister and groom's father. Two songs I'm totally going to download.

After the ceremony, all the guests boarded a tram for a private tour of the zoo which ended at the swamp pavilion, where cocktails were served. It's kind of weird to eat food (especially an appetizer with meat) in front of a live alligator.

Then we were herded (fitting word for a zoo) back into the tram to the reception at the Discovery Center. The reception was amazing with great food and lots of good dancing. One of my friends is pregnant and it was fun to watch her get her pregnant groove on. Another of my friends is a choreographer -- best dancer on the floor hands down!

I've known Zoe through my small group at my church here in Chicago. It's been so cool to see her journey of faith and her relationship with her now husband progress. She looked so beautiful and so happy -- I was so blessed to be there.

At the same time, this is one of the last events I'll see this great group of friends I have been a part of for the past two years. So, I thought I would share pictures of these people who have been such a great part of my life.

I hope that we can still come in and hang out now that we're moving to the suburbs, but we're moving too far to attend our same church, so we'll have to find a different small group to attend. I'm so thankful for these ladies who have experienced highs and lows with me during the past two years. I will definitely miss them.

Getting Our Money's Worth

2009-04-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Since we're in the home-buying process right now, Abe and I are definitely trying to keep as much money in our pockets as we can. I thought I would share some of the ways we've been getting our money's worth lately:

1.) Free Parking (called "Pulling an Abe"): Say you want to get your hair cut and work out, but you don't want to pay to park. Take advantage of the one-hour free parking in our local garage. But these two activities will take more than an hour -- what to do? Just simply exit the garage, drive around the block, re-enter the garage and, voila, another free hour of parking. It's a savings of $2, but still. It's a savings none the less.

2.) Abe got his hair cut super short yesterday (read: he won't need a haircut for a while) and he went to a national chain that had a sale on haircuts. Holla!

3.) We got a great deal on seats for today's Bulls/Celtics playoff game. Little did we know that we would get our money's worth. The Bulls gave us an exciting game that went into two overtimes. Thankfully, the Bulls won. I also think that the Bulls provide a really fun event for their fans during timeouts and between quarters. My favorite was the "Swinging Seniors" -- a group of 60+ somethings who got their groove on to the latest hip hop music. That alone was worth the price of admission. We also have coupons for free food as a result of the game.

I know these are very small victories in light of the dollars that will be flowing from our pockets with purchasing a home, but I relish these victories and pray that we are being wise with what we have been given.

Dichotomy

2009-04-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

As Abe and I (Allie) were driving to Easter services at our church last Sunday, I took a look out the window and realized what a beautiful day it was to take a picture of the Chicago skyline. Yet a slight turn of my head brought me to a different sight as we neared our church. Some of the most notorious housing projects in the nation are literally a block away. Our church is in an area that's being redeveloped, which means some of the housing projects are now vacant lots, some are empty buildings, and some still house residents.

As we got out of our car, we realized we parked in front of a homeless man's camp. The man told us not to worry, that he would be the security guard for our car. This man without wealth was sitting with a million dollar view of some of the world's most famous and expensive buildings.

I've noticed that the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" is more pronounced in Chicago. Designer clothes and cars co-exist with homeless camps and immigrants trying to survive.

I don't pretend to have the answers to Chicago's problems. But this is what I do know: I don't want to be blind to the needs around me. I don't want to be lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that I am better than someone else because I have a roof over my head. And, I don't want to be so caught up in my life that I see the shiny towers and miss the desperate people.

House Hunters

2009-04-11T14:12:00.001-07:00

Since some friends of ours have blogged about their home selling experience, we thought it was time to blog about our home buying experience. We've had several interesting experiences just looking at homes -- we almost lost a homeowner's cat, had an issue with one house's toilet, and seen some personal sides of homeowners who left their underwear out for us to see. Awesome.

We actually did find one house we loved. It is gorgeous -- hardwood floors, granite countertops...So we made an offer. To make a long story short, the owners made it clear they were not willing to negotiate. Abe and I were insulted by the counteroffers. We could have tried to press further, berate them into selling us the house, or even ponied up and paid the asking price. But we knew that was not what God was calling us to do. We knew we had to walk away. This was not the house for us. I (Allie) am so proud of Abe for how he's handled all of this. It's been cool to see how God has brought us to agreement on how to handle things.

On another note, tomorrow is Easter. I know I'm far from perfect and, to be honest, most of my life is about me. Thankfully, this holiday and this life are not about what I have done, but what God has done. I am so often unfaithful to God, but he is always faithful to me.

Learning to Surrender

2009-03-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

Hi -- it's me, Allison. While I was driving to church on Lake Shore Drive tonight (as referenced in Abe's post below), I had an idea for a blog post based on a recent conversation with an old friend. I was telling her how God was teaching me even more to surrender my life to Him. I can get so caught up in my life that I miss the fact that much of my life as it stands now was not how I had planned my life to be. Last night I was sitting with Abe at our favorite Chinese restaurant when I had to just laugh at my life at this stage:

--I was at my *favorite* Chinese restaurant. Says a lot for someone who didn't eat Chinese until I met Abe.
--This was my second Asian meal in a row and I was OK with it (we called out for Thai on Friday night).
--My husband is of a culture that not only is different than mine but one I had no interest in until I met him.
--I can speak some Chinese and can, based on circumstances, interpret what my in-laws say to each other even though I can't understand most of their words when they speak Chinese instead of English. Waiters always look at me funny.
--I live in the third largest city in America. I am not a city girl.
--My church is in the shadow of the John Hancock Building and the Sears Tower.
--My occupation is not what I thought I would do post-college.
--My job allows me to travel to cities such as New York and LA on occasion. My only true business trip in my first job was to a city named Dumas. Say it out loud and get a laugh.

This is my life. It's not perfect. It's totally not what I thought life would turn out for me, but it's so much better. While I have dreams for the future, God is teaching me that I am really not as in control of my life as I think I am. I'm learning to surrender, to jump in and let God direct the flow of my life. Not just for the highs, but also for the lows, of which I have experienced recently. I think if I grasp this concept, I'll be much more at peace and content with life.

We're back! Well, sort of....

2009-03-01T16:22:00.001-08:00

Greetings all!

This is Abe blogging. Allison and I will have to apologize for not blogging sooner, but we've gotten pretty dang busy with work over the past few months. Right now, I (Abe) am actually recovering from the stomach flu, while Allison is at church. I really wanted to go today, but obviously God had different plans for me today.

Being sick is not fun--as a matter of fact, I really hate being sick. I am usually pretty active between work/school/other stuff, so it stinks when I get sick. I sleep a lot, watch a lot of tv, drink a lot, play my Xbox 360 more than my wife would like, and probably become more needier than I should be. The good news is that I am feeling better than even 24 hours ago.

Let's see. What is going on with me? I am about halfway through my MBA program at Loyola. I just started a Managerial Economics class last week--I can already tell that I will learn a lot from this class. As for Allison, she is busy preparing for annual meeting with her employer. We're also going to be house-hunting in the NW suburbs of Chicago in the near future, so we'll see where God leads us. Beyond that, my sister and brother-in-law will be coming into town next weekend, so we're excited about that! They are expecting their first child in the summer, so it may be the last time we see them before the baby is born.

In any case, we have become more enamored with facebook as of late, so feel free to look us up on Facebook. Have a good one y'all!

Starved Rock

2008-11-04T17:55:00.003-08:00

Here are some pictures from last weekend's visit to Starved Rock State Park. Enjoy!

Content

2008-10-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Allison here...I've been trying to cultivate an attitude of contentment lately, so I thought I would list some of the items I'm thankful for, especially in this time of national economic uncertainty:

1. Our apartment. I am thankful that it is a safe place, that it is a cheap rent for this area, and that renting gives us flexibility. I am thankful that this place is home and that we have not been forced to leave our home because of finances.
2. Our cars. I am thankful for our main car -- for the fact we have never had to take it in to get worked on beyond an oil change. I am thankful for how it has kept us safe during our long commutes and how it gets wonderful gas mileage. I also am thankful for our second car. Even though it's 15 years old, this car still gets us where we need to go, although it sits on the street most of the time.
3. Our experiences. We have traveled so much this year. I have been or will be going to San Antonio, Los Angeles, Denver, New York City (twice), Detroit and Waikiki. We have done more and experienced more than I could have imagined at the start of the year.
4. My gym memberships. I am thankful that I have access to gyms in my city where I live and the city where I work. I am thankful for ways I am strong and healthy.
5. My cell phone. What would I do without free nationwide long distance? I am so glad that became a reality the same time I graduated college because it has allowed me to have good conversations with family and friends.

So, what are you thankful for?

Seven Random/Weird Facts

2008-10-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hi...Allison here...my dear friend Mandy from college tagged me on her blog and asked me to post seven random/weird facts about myself. So here goes:

1. Two people commented yesterday on the shirt I was wearing. One said it was from Banana Republic; the other said it was from J. Crew. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I was in those stores. I hate to pay full price for anything, so that's why the awesome emerald-colored shirt I was wearing was from T.J. Maxx. Yep...T.J. Maxx.
2. I once flushed a pager down the toilet. Yes, it was an accident.
3. If I need some motivation when I work out, I flip my iPod to Justin Timberlake or other music you would typically hear at a wedding reception. Pretty much any JT song will get me moving on an elliptical trainer.
4. I recently joined another gym. Yes, another. Now I'm a member of a gym near my work and one near my home. Actually, I've been working out over lunch for the past week and I absolutely love it. It gives me so much more energy for the afternoon that I may be able to forego my lunchtime diet Coke habit!
5. I know how to say "Man, who just farted? Your fart stinks!" in Cantonese. (Thanks to my husband for that one.)
6. I recently learned that the soup I typically eat at my father-in-law's favorite restaurant includes chicken feet. I didn't know that until I saw my mother-in-law sucking on a chicken foot after I had been eating there for two years. Needless to say, my appetite was gone.
7. On that note, I was the pickiest eater growing up. I basically ate a hot dog every day of my life. I wouldn't even eat what my parents were cooking and now I'm having to deal with chicken foot soup! Who would have thought it?
8. (I'll throw a bonus fact in...) Mandy, the dear, precious friend who tagged me, tried to get me to eat more veggies (well, really, any) when we were college roommates. It's taken me a while, but I do eat a lot more veggies now. I now realize they are making me strong and healthy...and help me keep my figure!

Hope you all enjoyed this!

Our new sister!

2008-09-29T15:14:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from my (Allison)'s brother's wedding this weekend. We had a blast celebrating the marriage of Bart & Liv. Liv is one amazing woman -- she loves God, loves her family, and loves the hurting (she is so involved in helping improve her community). She is smart, funny, beautiful, and loves my brother dearly. We are proud to have her as our sister and to welcome in her wonderful sisters (and brother-in-law and their little ones) and parents into our extended family.

In order to welcome my family into the bride's Filipino family, the guys wore barongs at the rehearsal.

Redeeming Moments

2008-09-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today I (Allie) learned that officially Chicago is ranked as the most stressful city in America. Even crazy NYC is #2. Chicago is stressful because of its urban density, high cost of gas, wild weather, and commuting nightmares (OK, so I added some to the official list of reasons).

This ranking, of course, does not surprise me. The pace of Chicago life is enough to bring a person to his or her breaking point quite easily. Due to flooding and special events, it's taken me 1.5 hours to get home from work each night this week. And, my work schedule is such that I leave at an off time.

I just had dinner with a good friend who, like me, is a transplant Chicagoan. She and I talked about the disadvantages of city life, especially how we spend so much time commuting and dealing with cityness that we are not as involved in serving in our church.

Yet we know that God has a plan for us to be here. Yes, we could be more involved if we lived in more sustainable towns, but this is where God has us now. And, we know that God gives us ministry opportunities right under our noses.

Tonight, as I drove home from dinner with this friend, I stopped by our local drug store. I was contemplating my purchase, when a woman asked for my help selecting diapers for her grandson. I quickly explained to her that I don't have kids, but she still asked for my input anyway. She was a Greek immigrant who didn't speak or read much English. She didn't know which brand was best and which would fit well on the grandson she's babysitting. We walked to the check out counter, and as I left I said goodbye to her and smiled.

So, while yes, city life is stressful, God still places situations in our lives where we can love others and serve them. Whether it's simply not adding stress to the other drivers we're with on the roads each day or helping someone out when we could be too busy. The key is recognizing those moments and choosing to love and serve instead of focusing on our own stress.

Ode to Caramel

2008-09-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...sorry it's been three weeks since we've blogged. I (Allie) have been dealing with some dental issues that have caused pain and, at times, have prevented me from even eating or drinking. Lord-willing, I think we may have turned the corner.

So one thing I wish I knew before the dental work process is that I would no longer be able to eat caramel. I love caramel, and this season is the perfect time for caramel. Caramel apples, caramel in desserts...ahh...oh caramel. Unfortunately, I scheduled the dental work to happen right after our Hawaii trip so I wasn't as prepared with how the dental work may affect my eating habits. Anyway, I want to say goodbye to one of my favorite foods. Goodbye, caramel...:(

Ok, enough of the sob story about caramel. This season has been a good learning experience for Abe and me. We've learned how to talk each other down from going to "crazy town" (a term our friends Paul & Kristen use to describe freak outs) when we start having stress reactions. God always uses these experiences to refine us...it's just the refining fire is very hot!

Now that our lives (hopefully) are settling down, we're getting excited for a big event to come in the next couple weeks -- my brother's wedding! We are so excited to see our family and to spend time with our future sister-in-law and her wonderful friends and family. We're ready to party!

Adventures in Paradise

2008-08-24T08:51:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone...Allison here providing you with more details on our adventures in the paradise called Hawaii. (Check out Abe's post below for a more thoughtful reflection.) Abe and I feel so blessed to be able to go to Hawaii. This trip was an unexpected find at an affordable price. We booked it with the thought that we would have lots of adventures that hey, to be honest, we probably won't have the opportunity to do for a while either based on finances (since we're planning on buying a house next summer) or status of life (i.e. adventures that you can't do with a family). So, here are some of our adventures:

1. Surfing. We took a one-hour surf lesson. Well, actually it was 3 minutes of on-land training (1.5 minutes of that was in Japanese to accomodate our other classmate). Then we headed into the water. Abe calls this experience the scariest hour of his life. I was able to ride a couple of waves while standing (bear in mind that I didn't know how to stop so I almost hit two girls on a raft. Thankfully, they peeled off in different directions so only the raft went barreling through the air.) Surfing, however, was a humbling experience for Abe. He did manage to ride a couple waves, but had the same stopping problem I had (no one told us to stop you have to jump off, but we figured that out eventually.) In the end, I know I would take a surf lesson again, just with a different company. Honestly, I never would have even tried surfing lessons, but it was Abe's idea and, since he's always saying I need to be more adventurous, I was too chicken to tell him I was scared!

2. Snorkeling. We had a much better experience snorkeling than surfing. We saw tons of fish. The only downside was that in order to see the fish you had to swim near coral without trying to touch it since coral is a living organism. However, since we went at low tide, this was tough, especially when the waves started picking up. I have a welt (not a bruise, but a welt) on my leg from getting knocked into coral. In the end, we would definintely do this again. This was Abe's favorite part of the trip.

3. Kayaking (Attempt). This adventure did not go as well. Being midwesterners, we were unaware that doing anything water-based in the late afternoon was a bad idea due to high tide and fiercer waves. (Bear in mind this was why our surfing experience was so bad -- we went surfing at 3:30 p.m.) So, here we were at 3 p.m. trying to put a kayak in at a beach. We flipped over at least 3 times before some locals felt sorry for us and towed us out. But then the tide pushed us to an area of the water we weren't supposed to be in. We got yelled at by some kite-surfers, but were really unable to do anything about it. (We were paddling like crazy, but we were actually making negative progress.) We eventually let nature bring us back to shore before hauling our kayak back to the rental place. Thankfully, there was a great shaved ice place in the same shopping center. And, we took a scenic route back, so it was a good experience in all. We would try this again, just on a less choppy body of water!

Overall, we had a great trip. We did a lot of things we never thought we would ever have the opportunity to do. And even the rough parts of our adventures left us with good memories that we'll never forget.

Thoughts on our trip to Hawaii

2008-08-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Aloha everyone! This is Abe blogging! Allison and I just got back from Hawaii Wednesday night. Allison will come up with a separate blog post shortly, but I thought that I'd just share with everyone what God revealed to me during this trip. In short--our lives are too cluttered with stuff/things that distract us from God and our relationship with Him. For us, those distractions include commuting, work, internet, e-mail, tv and school as examples. I think that it's partially due to city life and partially due to our society as a whole. Society says to us, "You're not busy? What is wrong with you?" So we just keep going and going and going--it wasn't God's design for us to live harried, crazy lives. As a matter of fact, moving too fast actually hinders our relationship with God. We never slow down long enough to hear his voice. It gets so much easier to listen to God once we take away those distractions. Which brings me to our trip to Hawaii....

As you may know, Allie and I try to take a quarterly marriage retreat four times a year--this time is meant for us to connect (or reconnect) with God and each other. After coming back to Chicago, I realized how many things have been distracting us from God in Chicago. When we were in Hawaii, however, all those distractions were gone--no school, work, limited internet access, and no tv (except for the Olympics at times). It was just us, nature, and God (not to mention that we were in Hawaii!) What a perfect setting to have a marriage retreat.

I think that Allison and I really enjoyed ourselves (heck, we went surfing, hiking and snorkeling!), but, more importantly, God revealed some things to us that we need to work on as a couple. It was very humbling when God revealed this stuff to us.

Anyways, I think that the book that I have started to read has helped me to unclutter my mind a bit. One of my favorite authors is John Eldredge (author of "Wild at Heart"), so I started reading his newest book "Walking with God." I've learned from personal experience that life is so much easier when you walk with God and ask God for direction, as opposed to doing your own thing--it's when I haven't asked God about a decision where I've gotten into trouble.

Anyways, mahalo (this means thank you in Hawaiian!) for reading! We'll have another post up shortly!

My Driving Philosophy/Why I Love the Olympic Opening Ceremony

2008-08-08T19:05:00.003-07:00

So here are some of my (Allison's) random thoughts, if you're interested:

Driving here in Chicago is so interesting. People here do really crazy, agressive and downright stupid moves. If you allow more than 2 feet between you and the car in front of you (no matter the speed), someone will try to fit into that space. While people are by and large driving slower on the freeways to save gas, there are still the people who zoom-zoom between cars like it's a video game. While I could try to either drive that fast or be agressive so that I block other people, etc., I've realized that it's not worth stressing over, so if people want to pass me, they can do so. Because with the price of gas being $4 a gallon or more, driving faster or being more agressive is actually costing me more money. Even if it took 1/4 gallon of gas to be more agressive, that's a $1 out of my pocket. No offense, but the other drivers of Chicago aren't worth my money.

On another topic, I've been watching the Olympic opening ceremony tonight. I love the opening ceremonies. (Some of you attended my opening ceremony party for the 2006 Olympics.) Here's what I love:
--the crazy artsy stuff that's usually pretty freaky no matter the host country
--watching the parade of nations. This year I decided to cheer for countries in which I have been in or in which I know someone from. (I said a special cheer for Hong Kong!) :)

Anyway, I just love seeing all of humanity coming together in all its diversity. It's fun to root for countries just because I've met someone from there in my time of being in Chicago, like Ecuador, or a country I've been to since the last Olympics, like the Dominican Republic. Diversity is God's design, so it's awesome to see so much diversity in one place. Yea Olympics!

Abe's Thoughts on the first year of marriage

2008-08-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

This is Abe here. I figured that I would post my thoughts on our first year of marriage since Allison just did. In short, WOW--what a ride. Marriage is unlike anything that I have ever experienced. You really learn how selfish you can be. Actually, marriage and your faith go hand in head. Scripture calls us to die to self and to look out for others' interest first--building a marriage is no different. You have to look for your wife's interests first, and put them above your own. I'll be the first one to admit that I have failed in this area at times. It is truly humbling to realize that someone loves you just for who you are, even though you have disappointed that person from time to time--but God sets the perfect example for us on how to love others (see John 3:16).

I look back at how much we've accomplished in our first year marriage, and all I can say is--WOW--totally a God thing. From a personal standpoint, we've made it through our first year of marriage and have adjusted rather nicely to each other and to marriage. I'll be the first one to admit that it hasn't always been smooth sailing, but we've been able to work through our challenges. From a professional standpoint, Allison found a nice Public Relations job and has been able to travel with her job (albeit begrudgingly at times). I have been promoted twice in the past year and have been able to do pretty well in my MBA classes--I'm about at the halfway point of my program. I am truly humbled by how much God has blessed us. It has all been a God thing, and I would give all the glory to God-without Him there is no way we could have accomplished so much in a year.

In any case, we will be on our way to Hawaii in about a week or so, so stay tuned for updates! I doubt that we will blog from there, but stay tuned for lots of pictures and stories from the trip.

Have a good one everyone!

Thoughts on One Year

2008-08-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Allison here...Today marks our first wedding anniversary. It seems really odd that we've been married a year already. We're still adjusting to each other and our life in Chicago. Heck, we're still trying to use up the saran wrap we each had in our separate households.

But I'd be lying if I said that life has been all wine and roses, although I did receive some beautiful roses today. But that's not real marriage. Real marriage is when you are being a brat and the other person is being a brat and yet you work through things. You love each other. You are committed. And you receive being loved and cared for by someone who's there no matter what. Someone who forgives you. Who loves you for all your good and bad. No hiding who we really are, huh?

Anyway, I know that some of those who are reading this blog are single and I want to show them that while marriage is awesome, it's hard. Marriage is a living organism, and thankfully, my husband and I know that we have to protect our marriage and come together in agreement in everything.

We've had such great times to celebrate. We've traveled so much in the past year. We're getting ready to welcome in our new sister-in-law into the family. And, praise God that our family has been healthy.

It's fun to see how God has worked in our lives (and in your lives, too) in the past year. God has crazy plans for all of our lives. I would have never thought this is what my life would be like, but it's better than I ever could have imagined.

Abe's Birthday

2008-07-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...sorry I (Allison) have been so lax at blogging. After working on a computer all day it's tough for me to want to jump on the computer to blog. But I thought I would share some pictures from Abe's birthday celebrations.

We went to Abe's favorite restaurant, Ben Pao, with his parents. It's an upscale Chinese restaurant in downtown Chicago. Abe was so happy because they gave him a free dessert for his birthday.

Abe had lots of presents. (I had so much fun thinking of cool stuff to get him.) I also tracked down a black forest cherry cake the day of his birthday, since that's his favorite type of cake. (Apparently, that's not a common cake to have on hand at grocery stores in Chicago.) It was so fun surprising him since, well, he had a lot of fun surprising me with our wedding proposal so long ago.

One of my favorite presents I got him was this shirt. Abe loves ramen. It's insane. He probably eats ramen at least 3 times a week. I saw this shirt several months ago and had to be patient. I wanted to show it to him, but then again I wanted to surprise him with it at his birthday. It's funny, too, because one of Abe's favorite shows is "Everybody Loves Raymond." Get the joke?

This weekend is my brother and future sister-in-law's bachelor party/bridal shower/please don't call it a bachelorette party. Then we celebrate our wedding anniversary a week later. I've been thinking of a good blog post reflecting back on our first year of marriage, so stay tuned!

Josh Hamilton--Superstar player and an inspiration to us all

2008-07-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Abe blogging here. As you probably know by now, I am a huge Cubs/baseball fan in general. In any case, I was watching Josh Hamilton put on a show in the Home Run Derby tonight--he hit a HR Derby record 28 home runs--in the first round!. This guy is a machine! Even though he ultimately lost the HR Derby, he put on a great show tonight! There is more to this story,however. Josh has a very inspirational story. I won't say too much here because I don't want to screw up telling his story, but he has a great story to tell about how his faith has saved him from his own personal demons.

Here is the link to his testimony-it is a truly amazing story

Have a good one ya'll!

Analysis of the Rich Harden trade

2008-07-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

In a deal today with the Oakland A's, the Cubs received pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin for pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton, Eric Patterson and minor leaguer Josh Donaldson.

I'm here to provide expert analysis of this trade. On paper, this looks like a good trade for the Cubs, as they get two good pitchers in exchange for two outfielders who were good but not great players. The Cubs get two good pitchers in Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. Harden is 5-1 this year with a 2.34 ERA and a WHIP (Walks and Hits per 9 innings) of 1.14. Gaudin is 5-3 this year with a 3.59 ERA and a WHIP of 1.28. Both have respective WHIP numbers. They also get Rich Harden this year and the next year, whereas CC and the music factory (i.e., CC Sabathia) is essentially a rent-a-pitcher who becomes a free agent after this season. The only negative that I can see with this trade is that Rich Harden has landed on the disabled list 6 times in the past 6 years, so he seems pretty injury prone. Still, all in all, a pretty good deal for the Cubs.

I thought that the Cubs were the favorites in the division even after the Brewers trade for Sabathia, and now....well...I won't even go there, seeing that it's been 100 hundred years since....well, everyone knows (I don't want to jinx the Cubs).

I give the Cubs an A on this trade. Great trade for Cubs! Now let's see if the Cardinals can go out and get someone in a trade....

We have a new church building and summer in Chicago!

2008-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! This is Abe blogging. I must admit, life has gotten pretty busy for Allison and I, so our apologies for not blogging more frequently! In any case, let's see....what have we done so far since Memorial Day:

(1) Been to Madison, Wisconsin to Bratfest--contributed to the world's record for most brats eaten one festival.

(2) Been to NYC, saw a game at Yankees Stadium in its' final year.

(3) For me, getting used to my new position that has more responsibility at work.

(4) Saw two awesome movies already (which I HIGHLY recommend): "Get Smart" and "Wall-E."

(5) Watched the Hot Dog Eating contest yesterday on ESPN. Saw an eat-off because there was a tie (grossest "sporting event" I have ever witnessed in my entire life).

(6) Played "Rock Band" on the X-Box for the first time last night (still have the Weezer song "Say It Ain't So" stuck in my head).

(7) Witnessed about 50 different fireworks displays going on all at once last night from our friends' Paul and Kristen's 26th floor pad!

(8) Moved into a new church building--Yes, at long last we are at are new church building! For those of you who don't know, we attend Park Community Church in Chicago. The church was started in 1987 by some folks from Moody and has been a traveling church for the past 21 years or so. Well, we found a good location to build about 2 years ago or so, but due to construction delays, increased costs in building, etc., we moved into our new building about a year late--still, it's a testament to God that we have new building. It will be a huge adjustment for everyone as the area that the church is in is a gentrified neighborhood--a lot of people are not used to this. We have half million dollar condos next to the church and housing projects less than a mile down. Still, this will give us great ministry opps once we get used to it. Check out the new building at parkcommunitychurch.org.

Today, we are going to eat at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building! Our parents called yesterday and decided that they wanted to take us to brunch there today. It's a perfect day for it due to the gorgeous, sunny weather that we are having.

Well, have a good one y'all!

The Pigeon Warrior

2008-07-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...sorry we haven't blogged for a while. For the first time since we met, Abe and I are actually experiencing a relatively low-key summer. So, we haven't had any cool things to write about or pictures to share. We've just been hanging around Chicago relaxing and enjoying the summer.

However, we have had some funny experiences to write about. First off, I'll explain the title of the post -- the pigeons love our window air conditioner. We realized yesterday that two of them are hanging out there. (We think it's mating season?) Needless to say, my husband, who has had run-ins with pigeons and squirrels over the years (hopefully, he'll post about the great squirrel escapade sometime!) is on edge always ready to kick the pigeons off their beloved perch. I've nicknamed Abe the pigeon warrior.

Another funny moment happened when we took our beloved Ernie (Abe's old Corolla) to get his oil changed last weekend. Ernie is, of course, a guy since he's named after Cubs great Ernie Banks. However, our Russian mechanic (always full of funny quotes) said, "The old lady's running well." Our poor car was violated -- called a woman! I know, we're weird.

Other than those experiences, we have seen some great movies (We loved WALL-E). And, I have to say that right now as I write this, Abe has turned the TV to the Hot Dog Eating Contest. What an interesting summer as newlyweds.

New York, New York

2008-06-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Abe and I spent an extended weekend in New York City as part of a get-together with Abe's sister, brother-in-law and their friends. This was my (Allison)'s second time in New York City, and once again I realized that New York City is like Chicago on crack. Going to NYC always makes me so much more appreciative for Chicago's smaller scale.

We spent one day at a Yankees game where we saw A-Rod entering the stadium. (He is so built!) There was a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth, so that was very exciting. We also had an interesting experience trying to avoid the birds that were circling the upper deck (we were three rows from the top). That day we also had dinner with our good friend, Pam, who's in NYC for the summer with Campus Crusade for Christ.

We also spent another day doing just sight-seeing in the city. Our favorite place was Central Park. I thought it would be like Lincoln Park in Chicago, which is an awesome urban park, but I was truly blown away by Central Park. We saw the settings for so many movies and TV shows like the Mall (grove of trees) and the lake where people rent boats. There were really good street musicians playing in the park, so I felt like we were in our own romantic movie!

We spent another day at the beach in Connecticut, where we were staying with our brother-in-law's dad. I had never been to Connecticut before (wahoo for visiting a new state!). It's essentially just forest with winding roads between the towns -- absolutely gorgeous. We had a lot of fun out on the beach and on a speedboat.

Unfortunately, we had quite an ordeal getting home. We had a connection through DC on the way back, but storms in Chicago caused our flight from DC to Chicago to be canceled. Thankfully, we were able to make our way back very late at night, but we were originally re-booked for the next day. It's never fun when you're considering whether you should sleep in the airport or get a hotel room. Abe made good use of the time studying, as you can see from the picture above.

So, we had a great time, but we're really thankful to be home. We got more of an overview of NYC, so we're excited to go back sometime later and visit more in-depth.

Catching Up

2008-05-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...sorry we've been so lax at blogging lately. We've had a lot going on, which I'll show in pictures.

First off, Abe's sister and her husband flew in to surprise his mom for mother's day. Unfortunately, my camera's batteries died and I was unable to snap the "surprise" moment. Doh!

Then, of course, it was my birthday! Thanks to all you who sent your birthday wishes. Of the many great presents I got this year, I got a special one from my husband -- my own Cubs jersey personalized with my name and the number 1. (He said he's talked to Koskue and he's given the OK to share his number.) The old me would croak if it new future me would have my own Cubs jersey. But that just shows the power of love...awwwww...

Since I last wrote, Abe and I have also spent a weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. For those of you Chicagoans, it's a great medium-sized town getaway. Our favorite experience was visiting their botanical gardens.

They have this Thai pagoda that's the only one of its existence located in gardens outside Thailand. It is gorgeous. We thought of our friends Mandy and Jordan who've done missions work in Thailand. The whole pagoda is covered with gold leaf.

And, what would a trip to Wisconsin be without bratwurst? Yes, we went to Brat Fest, the annual event in which Madisoners try to beat their own world record for brat consumption.

Abe and I contributed by downing brats (2 for Abe; 1 for me). We're proud to say this year was a record.

That's it for us. We're both enjoying warm(er) weather in Chicago. We took a nice walk along the lakeshore on Memorial Day. How beautiful!

Mr. Peanut and Harry Potter are in the Trash

2008-05-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yea! Abe finally got new glasses! As you can see, Mr. Peanut (his pair of glasses that was missing, well, one glass) and his Harry Potter-ish glasses from his college days are now in the trash. It was a historic moment in the life of Abe. He's a pack rat of sorts, so I know that letting go of non-functioning (let alone non-fashionable) glasses was a lot for him. I love the new glasses. I think they make Abe look very handsome and distinguished.

To show you that I'm just as dorky as my husband (I swear he's the only one in America who's still has a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt), I've posted a picture I took last Sunday night.

I got my haircut and loved it, so I wanted to make sure I knew how to recreate the look. At 11 p.m. Sunday night I got out the digital camera. I know it's nerdy, but hey, it helps!

I have also been dreaming a lot about Punta Cana, which is where Abe and I went for our honeymoon. We had a great time and our resort was perfect. My latest thoughts about Punta Cana were magnified when I found a CD in our car of music from there. Listening to it in the car helps me relax. And, ever since we went there I have loved pineapple. I loved eating so much fresh pineapple at every meal and, as you can see from the swim-up bar photo, I also loved the pina coladas. Now whenever I eat pineapple it takes me back to that place. We just saw a deal there in the paper, but we're planning a trip to the Canadian Rockies this year to attend Abe's cousin's wedding. That's OK -- I smile to myself whenever I open up pineapple yogurt in my lunch.

Yow Mo Gaw Choh A

2008-04-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

I (Allison) just had to post about what I just saw. Abe and I were watching TV when an AT&T commercial came on about a guy in a Chinese restaurant who is about to offend his prized Chinese customer. At the end when the full-screen graphic is up you hear the Chinese customer in the background saying, "Yow mo gaw choh a," which means in Cantonese, "Are you freaking kidding me?" It's one of the phrases Abe and I say to each other all the time. In fact, I said it this morning when I noticed we were watching ESPN's coverage of round 6 million (ok, so I'm exaggerating) of the NFL draft -- Who cares at that point?

Anyway, for the first time I actually understood something on TV that was in Cantonese. Usually, Abe's my translator, but this time we both got the joke!

Easy Ways to be Green

2008-04-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Do any of you have creative ways to save the planet? Abe and I have incorporated some ways to be more responsible including:

--Using large IKEA bags to haul our groceries in.
--Reusing any plastic bags we accumulate as lunchbags (which can be used until they fall apart) or as bathroom trash bags.
--Substituting ground beef in recipes with ground turkey (it's healthier and takes less grain and water from our Earth.)
--Carpooling to work (granted we live far from our jobs, but that will change someday.)
--Driving cars with great gas mileage. (Wahoo!)
--Wearing our clothes until they have seen better days. After that, donating them.

I'm also exploring a few options and would love your thoughts:
--Using cloth napkins. (Does anyone do this? I would love to reuse fabric for this. Any ideas?)
--Making bags out of old t-shirts

I also found a Web site I plan on using. Supercook comes up with recipes based off the ingredients you have. This saves food from going to waste and money!

The Musings of An Oriental Man

2008-04-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! This is Abe blogging. I figured that I would blog tonight since it's been awhile since I've blogged. I'm also nursing a cough right now, so it's easier for me to write out my thoughts as opposed to talking right now (my vocal chords and throat will thank me too).

Well, as I was thinking about all the things that have been happening over the past month or so, I was reminded today that God has been playing a huge role in all of it (duh). I think that living in Chicago makes it very easy and normal for people to run at a fast and frenetic pace--the problem is, when you get to where you want to be, you're so burned out that you can't really enjoy it. I see this attitude in the workplace all the time. I hear of people saying that it was worth it to work those long hours because they are more successful in their careers. When I hear this, I usually think to myself, "that's great--but at what cost?" I don't want to sound preachy, but my priorities will ALWAYS be as follows (in this order): (1) My relationship with God, (2) My wife Allison, (3) My family and friends, (4)my career. This is very key because it's very easy to make one of these priorities an idol. For example, it's a very good idea to place Allison as a very high priority in my life, but it's not good if I place her above God--she essentially becomes an idol. We all have them, from money, to work, to material things. Don't get me wrong--none of these things are bad in itself, but taken to excess they are.

I think that people just want to move through life way too fast sometimes. For most of us it's graduate from college, get married, buy a house, have kids, do well in our careers, etc.--we are never quite satisfied. But God is calling us to trust Him and Him only—He will fulfill all of our needs.

Being sick has been a very humbling experience for me. I have had to consciously slow down the pace of life and have not been able to sit close to Allison. It has forced me to take better care of myself both physically and spiritually. It has forced me to stop running so fast. Between work, school, and a newlywed, well, I have a lot on my plate.

In any case, I thought that I'd share with everyone some of my thoughts right now--I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I say, but I hope that this blog post makes you think.

I'm going to sign off now because I think that I'm ready to hack up a furball (*cough*) (*cough*)

Caedmon's Call in Chicago!

2008-04-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last night's Caedmon's Call concert was awesome. It brought back memories of the last time I (Allison) saw them -- I believe it was my sophomore year of college. While they played some of their new songs, they did play some old ones that I (somehow) remembered the lyrics to even though I haven't heard those songs in nearly 10 years. The show was in a university chapel, so it was really intimate. Abe had a blast, too, since the lead singer's dad is the pastor of the church Abe went to when he lived in Houston. Caedmon's Call is one of Abe's favorite bands, if not his absolute favorite.

The shring lok tong (Hot and Sour Soup) turned out well. It was definitely hot -- it cleared out Abe's sinuses and I had to eat some ice cream afterwards to calm my burning mouth. It was an awesome feeling to know I recreated a very traditional Chinese dish on my own! E-mail me if you'd like the recipe.

I also forgot to mention another weird note from yesterday. Robbie Gould, kicker for the Chicago Bears, sang the 7th inning stretch, which is hilarious since the last Cubs game I attended (April 2007) was when he sang the 7th inning stretch. It's a good thing we like him!

There's No Place Like Wrigley...

2008-04-19T13:47:00.001-07:00

Abe and I just got back from watching the Cubs/Pirates at Wrigley. Yea, Abe was well enough to go!!!

Going to Wrigley is always an adventure, so I figured I would blog about some of today's notable experiences:

1. Our ride on the El. The El is always an adventure, and today was no exception. On our train was a goth couple who started singing Genesis' "Land of Confusion." We were trying to determine their illegal substance of choice.

2. Our pitcher today was Jason Marquis, also known as "Sparkles." He earned the nickname from my friend Jane's mom who works at a jewelry store and noted that the marquis cut of a stone has the most sparkle. I texted Jano the following:

Allison: @Wrigley watching sparkles. Oh no. He's pitching.
Jano: @Busch with the good team. Jano.

Needless to say, the Cubs won 13-1, while the Cardinals, I believe lost. Anyway, I love Jano that we understand each other's goofiness for baseball.

3. Since the Cubs have signed Japanese player Koskue Fukudome, Wrigley has entered a whole new level of weirdness. Today there were three guys in Fukodome jerseys behind home plate acting all ninja like whenever he came up to bat.

4. I got to see Ronnie Woo Woo for the first time. Ronnie is a homeless guy who always yells the Cubs' lineup with "woo woo" after each name. For example, "Lee Woo Woo, DeRosa Woo Woo, Fukudome Woo Woo, etc." He's a Chicago legend, or as Abe calls him, the Cubs' unofficial mascot (the Cubs let him into each game and provide him with his own jersey). The Cardinals have a guy in a bird suit (Fredbird), while the Cubs have a homeless dude. It can't get crazier than that.

Anyway, we had a great time, actually the best seats either one of us have ever had. Now it's time to rest, cook hot and sour soup (shring lok tong in Cantonese...thanks Amanda for the recipe), and then it's off to Caedmon's Call. What a fun day!

In Sickness and in Health...

2008-04-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Allison here...Abe is sick once again, which means one of us has been sick since March 24. That was the Tuesday after Easter. In the grand scheme of things, we've only dealt with minor illnesses like the flu and an infected finger. But still, it means one of us is always out of it while the other is always trying as hard as possible not to contract whatever the sick one has. I'm also realizing the problems of living in a one bedroom apartment. I can't wait to (Lord-willing) get a house next year where we can split up sleeping arrangments if one of us is sick.

Meanwhile, we had fun last weekend with my brother, Bart, and his fiance, Liv. We had tickets to the White Sox/Tigers game (since they're from Detroit), but it was 40 degrees outside with rain/snow/sleet/wind. In light of my recent illness, we decided not to go...although I haven't heard from Abe if he's up for tomorrow's tickets to the Cubs vs. Pirates since he's sick (let alone our tickets for tomorrow night's Caedmon's Call concert). The combination of bad weather and illness does not bode well for enjoying April baseball in Chicago. Please pray for health!

So, instead of watching the White Sox/Tigers play, Bart, Liv, Abe and I went to the Chicago Historical Museum, which is one of my favorites in Chicago. We also tried Ethiopian food. The food was pretty good -- just word to the wise, you can't use utensils. Like you are only given a napkin -- no fork, spoon or knife. And all the food is brought on one plate, so you take a piece of this spongy bread and use it to grab some meat and veggies which you then stuff in your mouth. Thankfully, Liv and I both brought hand sanitizer, so we were prepared to share one big plate (this was the one day Abe and I both felt healthy). Abe and I would definitely go again, we just have to go with people like Bart and Liv who we're comfortable enough to enjoy a very close and personal dinner like that.

Denver in a Day

2008-04-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Allison here...I went to Denver for work last week and got to have dinner with my friend Amanda, and her new husband, Mark. Amanda and I met in 2000 on Campus Crusade for Christ's summer project in Hungary. We quickly learned that we traveled well together. I remember one day in Prague asking Amanda what she wanted to do that day. She named off about 7 or so sites she wanted to see which were, amazingly enough, exactly the sites I wanted to visit. And even though we were only in Hungary together for two months, we've managed to keep our friendship going even though we went to different universities. Amanda is one of those friends for me who I can call up anytime and we can pick up where we left off. Needless to say, we had a ton of fun at dinner. Mark and Amanda took me to a Jamaican restaurant. We all tried the jerk seasoning for the first time, which was really good. Unfortunately, Abe wasn't able to join me on this trip. And, since I was only in town for about 28 hours, I wasn't able to visit any of our other friends and family in the Denver area.

So some of you have asked me if I knew I was going to travel a lot for my job. While I have been to New York, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Denver in less than six months, that was pretty unexpected. Part of that is because I was given responsibility for a large project at work. And, I don't expect to travel anywhere else for work until November.

What's funny, too, are the difference in responses. My Chicago friends are used to road warriors who leave Sunday for work and come back Friday night only to do it all over again. So, they don't really say much about my travels. However, to my downstater friends and family, this seems like a lot of travel. I guess having to make a connecting flight negates the effectiveness of business travel some of the time.

Wacky Wednesday

2008-04-02T16:46:00.001-07:00

Wacky Wednesday (a school event where eveyone dresses up crazy) was the topic on KLOVE's morning show today and, little did I (Allison) know, that I would experience my own Wacky Wednesday today.

No, I didn't go to work with 12 ponytails or with mismatched clothes. I actually managed to flip the orientation of my work desktop upside down. So, basically, my computer's settings were flipped so that it showed everything -- my wallpaper, icons, even the start button--upside down. Our IT guy didn't know how to fix it, so he cleared my whole profile on the network and started over. 1.5 hours later, I was finally able to start work. All because of a keystroke I made that I didn't know how to fix. That's wacky.

Through this process, it came out that someone else in IT actually had heard of the problem before and knew how to fix it. So, if any of you want to know how to prank someone on April Fool's Day 2009, just let me know...:)

Uh...so can I check my fantasy baseball team?

2008-03-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

So this is what I (Allison) will be hearing from now until fall. The start of the baseball season means the start of (once again) fantasy baseball at Abe's work. Bless their hearts that they still want him in their league since he's won two years in a row. (My husband's a bit competitive.)

Opening day is a wonderful day. It really signifies the start of spring. Once again, Abe and I will be having a summer of baseball. We already have tickets to two Cubs games, one White Sox game and one Yankees game (at Yankee Stadium)! Abe and I have been kind of lethargic lately (emphasized by the large amount of snow this winter and Abe's recent bout with the flu), so we can't wait until baseball. Going to games is fun for both of us.

On another subject, my wonderful husband gave me an amazing present for no apparent reason. He gave me a spa package at one of Chicago's famous spas. Thanks, honey!

My favorite childhood moment

2008-03-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all! This is Abe blogging. I figured that it's been awhile since I've blogged, so I will do so today. So I was working out at the gym the other night and got thinking about what my favorite childhood moment would be. It quickly became obvious what that moment was. Here's the story.

As many of you know, I am a big baseball fan. Did you know, however, that I was quite the little league baseball player in my day? I remember this like it was just yesterday. I was a little league baseball player at Welles Park in Chicago--it was a hot summer day, and I stepped into the batter's box against one of the toughest pitchers in the league--his name was Mike. We were in a tight pennant race with his team, and the count was full at 3 balls and 2 strikes. The next pitch that I got just spun up to the plate--a hanging curve ball. Heh heh. A hanging curve ball is essentially a curve ball that is supposed to dip sharply when it gets to the plate but it doesn't. It's a mistake pitch, so when it gets to you, it just "hangs" up there at a lower speed--a perfect pitch to kill. In any case, I got a hanging curve ball and my eyes lit up. I proceeded to produce arguably the best swing that I have ever had. *Ping*! I hit the ball so hard with my aluminum bat that it went way over the rightfielder's head (I'm a lefty). I was so shocked that I hit the ball so hard that I literally stopped at every base. Well, I finally crossed home plate--I had just hit a HOME RUN! My teammates and my coaches were waiting for me by the time I got to home plate. My teammates were all screaming and cheering for me. My coach nearly had a heart attack and told me, "The next time you hit a home run DO NOT STOP AT EVERY BASE!" He then gave me a big hug. The funny thing is that the next batter Timmy also hit a home run--that knocked Mike out of the game. We ended up winning that game 8-3.

It was the best moment of my childhood. It was also the first, last, and only home run that I have ever hit in little league and high school. We ended up winning the championship that year. But there's more to this story...

The team that I played that day? The Cardinals. My wife's favorite baseball team? the Cardinals. God truly has a weird sense of humor since I am a die-hard Cubs fan these days.

What's your favorite childhood moment?

Elliedub

2008-03-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's me, Allison, here. Today was a stinky day for me, but one of the highlights was receiving a t-shirt I bought from www.elliedub.com. The site sells really cool t-shirts as a fundraiser for the adoption of Eliana, a Guatemalan girl, by Chris and Lindsey Wheeler.

I found out about Elliedub through a friend of mine from college. Not only did receiving my order today make me smile, but so did reading more of Chris and Lindsey's blog. They've been through so much hardship with this adoption. Yet, they persevere through Christ. My trials of today are so minimal compared to what they go through, yet my tendency is to give up, to get mad and act out (One of my frustrations from today was driving home in massive snow...yeah, I know it's Easter weekend...I got so frustrated I started yelling obscenities at drivers and then I called my husband and he bore the brunt of my wrath. Nice, huh?)

Life will stink. It will. The key is keeping my eyes focused on God...to claim His strength...and rely on Him. I came home and started reading Chris and Lindsey's blog, which encouraged me. Life will not be easy. In fact, it's a battle. But God is mighty and he gives us strength to fight.

Nayok Gai Lan

2008-03-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I (Allison) was quite daring -- I tried making Abe's favorite dish for the first time. He loves beef and broccoli (nayok gai lan in Cantonese). I've tried cooking Chinese before, but nothing quite like this. I would give my first attempt a B. First off, the recipe came from the label of the soy sauce we have, so I'm not sure how authentic it was. Second, I overcooked the beef. And, the rice cooker overcooked the rice again, so I'm going to have to see how I can fix that.

Regardless, Abe enjoyed the nayok gai lan (he called it "ho sik uh" which means "very good" in Cantonese). And, he ate it like he always eats food. I know he will eat anything, but I want him to crave my version of his favorite food. Hopefully, I'll get better each time I cook it.

Mr. Peanut

2008-03-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that Abe's glasses have been falling apart lately. Of course, they're pretty old -- He wears contacts during the day, so there's really not a need to get new glasses regularly. But Abe's frugalness is being tested. First, the piece over one of the ears fell off. Then, one of the lenses fell out. I (Allison) have been bugging Abe to get new glasses, but since he uses them so rarely, it hasn't been that big of a deal to Abe.

So, Saturday I came into the living room and saw Abe watching TV with his glasses on -- even though they only fit over one of his ears and contained only one lens. I called him Mr. Peanut. He was confused, until I brought my can of peanuts over to him.

Africa!

2008-03-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Allison here writing about my sister-in-law and brother-in-law who are spending the next month in Africa. Barb (Abe's sister) is working at a hospital in Uganda, while Frank (her husband) isn't sure what he will be doing in that country. So, please pray for their safety, the health and protection of their families while they are so far away, and that God would use them in a mighty way. You can read about their trip at: fhomess.blogspot.com.

Meanwhile, Abe and I are enjoying being back at home. Traveling is fun, but it's always nice to come home. While it's still very cold and snowy here, the sun is out more, so that has helped us be patient for spring.

I think I'm also adjusting even more to Chicago life. Today I had lunch and coffee with some new friends of mine -- lots of fun!

Sunny California!

2008-02-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! Abe and I (Allison) are finally back from sunny California. I had to go to LA for business, so Abe flew out and we tagged on some extra days to enjoy a break from the frozen tundra of Chicago.

First, I stayed in Santa Monica, which was convenient for my work obligations. Actually, we had a day between work events (by design), so the group of us went to Universal Studios, where we saw actress Brittany Murphy on the backlot.

On Saturday, Abe and I met his aunt, uncle and their teenage sons at Chinatown for Dim Sum and shopping. We saw traditional lion dances for Chinese New Year, so that was cool.

We spent the last couple of days in the Newport Beach-Laguna Beach-Huntington Beach area. Below is a picture of sunset on Laguna Beach.

Our favorite place, though, was Huntington Beach, were we spent Tuesday at the pier watching surfers and dolphins. It was awesome.

This was my first time to LA, and I really enjoyed it. Yes, traffic stinks and home prices are through the roof, but those are things we have to deal with in Chicago, to some extent. Abe and I really enjoyed our rental car's sunroof and satellite radio. :)

So, now we're back...bundled in sweatshirts and thawing out from another commute home in the cold. Please come soon, spring!

Also, I wanted to say kudos to my smart husband (in Cantonese, my ho lack lo.) He got an "A" in his most recent MBA class. Good job, honey! :)

Ernie is stuck

2008-02-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

So Abe here....quick blog post. For many of you that live in the midwest, you already know how lousy this winter has been. Between the snow, freezing temperatures, potholes, etc., well....let's just say that this has been a bad winter from a weather standpoint. Today, however, illustrates just how bad it has been:

Allison--takes two hours to get home from work. Yes, that's right, two hours.

Abe-spends 45 minutes trying to get Ernie (my car) out of my parking space on the side street, but can't due to the ice underneath it. Ernie can get me from point A to B most of the time, but tonight he would have needed ice skates to get anywhere. We tried kitty litter and pushing the car--Ernie wasn't going anywhere. Furthermore, Ernie has developed a nice little crack on his windshield now that probably needs to be fixed. Ugh.

All I can say is--I can't wait until Friday when I can meet my lovely wife in LA--last I checked, the highs were in the lower to mid 70s. Aaaaahhhhhhhhh.....California Dreamin'........

If I see another tortilla...

2008-02-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Allison here...I got back from a long business trip to Texas last night. While I do enjoy Tex-Mex and Mexican food, I definitely hit my full during this trip. My co-workers and I weren't sure if we were going to make it home due to bad fog in Chicago, but we finally made it in. Thank God! I missed my husband so much!

I didn't really get to do any sightseeing, since it was all business. I know Abe and my family were all so jealous since I was in a much warmer place, but I was stuck inside most of the day anyway. But I did enjoy the moments I got to spend outside.

One of my favorite activities to do when bored on an airplane is to read the sky mall catalogue. For those of you not familiar with this, it features the most quirky and totally unnecessary products created for all mankind. Who buys this kind of stuff? I, of course, had to look for my favorite sky mall product of all time, most recently featured in the mid-90s: a dummy you can put in your car (or home window) so people think you're not alone and they don't rob or carjack you. The dummy looks totally ridiculous!

Chinese New Year Spectacular

2008-01-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

Allison here...As you can see by the post below, life with Abe is always an adventure. Saturday we took his parents to the Chinese New Year Spectacular, a show filled with dancing and singing performed by a national touring group. It was a good time, although the show was very political -- as in anti-Communism.

Anyway, we had some funny moments. Like when his parents wondered how much shorter they would be if someone cut their heads off. (Using his dad's pocket calendar, we figured out his mom would be about 5 inches shorter.) Don't ask me why they decided to figure this out during intermission.

But one of the funniest moments for me came when I saw what Abe put on his evaluation. It asked why you bought tickets and had several possible check-in-the-box answers like:
--I like this theatre.
--I saw this group before.

No, my husband didn't choose any of those. He selected the "Other" box and wrote in the following: I'm Chinese.

I love it. My husband makes me laugh an average of 100 times a day. In fact, he just put something in the sink that fell and he said, "Doh!" like Homer. I love it.

Anyway, last night we headed to Abe's family's favorite Chinatown restaurant -- His dad has connections. I love how people look at me since I, obviously, stand out. I love our cultural differences, and I love the fact that Chicago's diversity allows me to experience Chinese culture through adventures with Abe and his family.

The Boneheaded Move of the Year

2008-01-26T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! This is Abe, and I thought that I'd share the boneheaded move of the year that I've made so far (granted the year is less than a month old--work with me people :)). I'm sharing this story to show that yes, even a reasonably intelligent person such as myself can make the dumbest moves. This is also to further illustrate that I'm not perfect (imagine that?).

So I was working 8:30-5 on Wednesday because I was able to work from our downtown Chicago office (I share a cube at the downtown office with a colleague of mine). Well, work wasn't too crazy that day, so I was able to leave right around 5. I typically take the Metra train (public transportation) to and from work when I work from that location. The downtown station is about a 13-14 minute walk from my office, depending on whether I am speed walking or taking a leisurely stroll. There is a 5:15 and a 5:21 train that leaves from the train station that will get me back to Evanston--both are about 22 minute rides. I was planning on taking the 5:21 train.

Well, I leave my office at about 5:02 or so and am speed walking to the train station because it is colder than snot outside (wind chills approaching 15 below zero). There is a big digital clock right when I get to the station that says 5:13, so I figured, "What the heck? Let's go for the 5:15 train!" So now I'm really busting my butt trying to make this dang train--I look on the big board to see what track that it is--Track 6! Yay! So I bust a move and get to the train just as the doors were closing--the doors literally closed as I got in, I had to pull up my book bag because it was stuck in the door. Thinking that I am genius, I relax for a minute. One minute later an announcement comes on the intercom: "Welcome to train number XXX to Arlington Park." At this point, I'm thinking, "Whoops--I got the wrong train. That's ok, I'll just get off at the first stop--my normal train and this train share that stop." A few minutes later as we are approaching this stop--the train isn't slowing down. I think to myself, "Uh-oh. This isn't good." About a minute later, the train whizzes right by the stop and right by the train that I was supposed to take. By now I'm panicking, so I ask another passenger what the first stop is on this train. It turns out that this train runs express to Arlington Park--where the racetrack is--not close to Evanston at all, and will get there at 5:49. I got on the 5:16 express train to Arlington Park, not on the 5:15 train to Evanston. Now realizing my huge mistake, I had to figure out how to get back to Evanston. Fortunately Arlington Park is not far from where Allison works. Now feeling completely embarrassed, I proceed to call my wife at about 5:30 or so.

Allison: "Hello?"
Abe:"Hey, it's me."
Allison: "Hey! What's up?"
Abe:"Uh, I just made the boneheaded move of the year...."
Alison:"Oh. What did you do?"

From there I explain the situation and she agrees to pick me up. By now several passengers realize what happened and start laughing with me. I explain the situation to the ticket agent that swings by—he laughs too, still has to charge me for the joyride though. They were pretty nice, telling me that everyone makes mistakes. So I get to Arlington Park at about 5:47, and try to figure out what to do while I'm waiting for her. There is a McDonald's across the street, but in order to get there, I would have to either (a) climb a fence about 5 feet high, or (b) walk all the way around this stupid fence that stretches a half a mile long. By this time I'm outside and freezing again. I think to myself, "Ok, I've had enough adventure for one day; I'm going to walk around this stupid fence." So I walk around the fence and get to McDonald's, order a McFlurry, and proceed to call my mother-in-law to share my boneheaded moment. I don't think that I've ever heard Donna laugh so hard in my life. By this time it was about 6 and Allison shows up with a grin on her face.

The morale of the story: Sometimes you just need to slow down in life, otherwise you'll end up at the racetrack when you really want to be in Evanston....

Our Future Sister-in-Law!

2008-01-21T06:19:00.000-08:00

Bart popped the question Friday night and now he and Liv are engaged! We're so excited to have her in our family. Although, my (Allison) mom had already decided to adopt her regardless. The picture above was taken shortly after he proposed, so you can see the giddy smiles both of them have.

Abe and I have really enjoyed getting to know Liv since they started dating in March 2007. Liv is an incredibly smart businesswoman who is always doing something -- serving at a rescue mission, organizing a benefit auction, cooking for friends and family, or trying out a new sushi restaurant. Liv loves life, and she and Bart have so much fun together.

We also love Liv because of her love for the Lord. Bart and Liv met through friends at church.

We're so excited to not only attend their wedding this fall, but to participate as a bridesmaid and groomsman. We can't wait to officially welcome Liv into the family and to meet all of the people Liv holds dear, like her precious niece and nephew who we've heard so much about. We love you, Liv!

What a Year

2007-12-30T20:34:00.001-08:00

We were just reflecting on the awesomeness of 2007. Since we got engaged 30 minutes into 2007, we knew it would be a crazy year. It's been more fun than we could have imagined. So, we thought we'd share some of our most memorable quotes of 2007:

"Wow, someone my size!"
--Abe's dad while hugging Allison's grandmother at our wedding rehearsal.

"Sit down. Sit down."
--Our mechanic when we came to pay for repairs.

"How is Mr. Abe Lincoln?"
--Our Russian mechanic to Allison in reference to Abe.

"We have an appointment to go sumo wrestling, so I'll call you tomorrow."
--Abe to Allie on the night before the wedding reheasal. Sumo wrestling (in the big puffy suits) was a part of his bachelor party.

"I am not lucky. I am a winner."
--Abe's mom while playing Uno at Christmas.

"Miami bags never make it."
--An airline employee when we filed our claim for lost baggage when returning from our honeymoon. The bags showed up a day later.

"After you've had 9 kids..."
--Rev. Rich Case in our wedding sermon. Allison's knees buckled when she heard this. It's noticable on our wedding video.

And finally...
"We now pronounce you man and wife"
--Rev. Rich Case at our wedding

We've loved having you a part of our lives in 2007. May God bless this new year.

So long, So

2007-12-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

So Taguchi, one of my favorite members of the St. Louis Cardinals, and my car's namesake, has signed a deal with the San Diego Padres. I was so (pardon the pun!) disappointed. Of last year's Cardinals, three of my favorite players are gone. I secretly think Abe is coordinating this so that I will transfer my affections to his beloved (and now our hometown Cubbies.) It's kind of sad since we don't get many Cards games up this way and I won't really have the opportunity to get to know this new team. So long, So...you're taking a piece of my love for the Cardinals away.

Our First Christmas

2007-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...It's Allison here and our Christmastime with our families is over. We had a great time with some hilarious moments, like when Abe's mom (whose native tongues are Chinese, Vietnamese and French) tried to speak Swahili using the phrase book we got Abe's sister and brother-in-law for their upcoming trip to Kenya.

Even though we were dating last Christmas, we weren't able to spend the holiday with both sets of our families. It's really fun for both of us to be included in two families with are both so wildly different. Sometimes being with Abe's family felt surreal. I would never have thought I would be drinking aloe vera juice at a Thai restaurant talking about the Chinese words Abe has taught me. Abe has always told me that life with him would be an adventure, and it definitely has proven to be.

My favorite moment of the weekend was playing Uno with his family. Uno is a game I played at Christmases growing up with my mom, cousins, grandma and great aunt, who used to say "You-know" instead of "Uno." Abe's family is incredibly welcoming, but I sometimes feel somewhat out of place with them since I'm not used to the cultural differences yet. But playing Uno made me feel very much at home. We had a lot of funny moments, too.

After spending time with Abe's family and eating all sorts of unhealthy Asian food, we both were glad to visit my family and have a typical American Christmas. My brother and his girlfriend flew in on Christmas Day, which was awesome.

Abe and I drove back to Chicago last night since he had to work today. It was dark and we both realized this was the same time in the evening we typically left each other's home to drive back to our own home when we were dating. We both looked at each other and said how thankful we are to be married and to share one home together. And we're both enjoying the diversity in that home which is reflected in our leftovers in our fridge -- Thai food from our meal with his family and leftover cake from our wedding that my parents' defrosted; Vietnamese sausage from his parents and ham from Christmas with my family.

How cool that we are now a part of two very distinct families that bless us in such different ways. And, both of us bonded with our respective mothers-in-law through some funny moments: I bonded with his mom when she found out I knew how to say the Cantonese word for "fart," while Abe bonded with my mom when he needed some instructional help on how to properly wrap my presents. Anyway, we are feeling very blessed this Christmas to have so many people who love us so much.

Christmastime in the City

2007-12-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's Allison here writing Christmas greetings. Abe and I have had a fun time with his family this weekend. The picture above is us with the Christmas tree at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. We went down there last night to see the Christmas lights and windows at Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) on State Street. We also have had some of the most unhealthy Chinese food thanks to dim sum (like a Chinese version of tapas) and dinner at our family's favorite restuarant in Chinatown. Once again, my husband ate one of his favorite dishes at dim sum, jellyfish, although it was pointed out to me that jellyfish has a similar consistency with Thai pad siew, which is also Abe's favorite (and mine as well).

Anyway, I've been more aware this year of just how odd it is that our culture celebrates the coming of our Savior even though they don't fully buy into the Savior's death, resurrection and, well, everything that makes him our savior (including our need to be saved). I was at a store shopping and heard a Christmas song with words about Christ and wondered how crazy it is since it's not like they would play "Amazing Grace" or a song by David Crowder any other time of the year.

Yet, while it seems the whole earth is proclaiming His name, this year, I've also heard some versions of songs meant to revere Christ that make me cringe. A local store used "Joy to the World" to promote a carpet sale. The jingle went something like this, "Joy to the world...installation is free...if you buy your floor today." Hello! You are likening a carpet sale to "Joy to the World the Lord has come"?

Anyway, it just encourages me to make sure my heart is connected to the awesome wonder that God would send his Son to Earth to rescue us -- and to do so in the most humble way possible. May you seek God and be found by Him this Christmas.

Life in the city...

2007-12-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

It's been about four months since I (Allison) have moved to Chicago. I have to say it hasn't been the easiest of adjustments. I went from a town of 100,000 to an area of a few million people. And, with it I've changed my marital status, place of living, job, church, and the list could go on and on... My poor husband has had to adjust not only to me but to me adjusting to him and the city he's lived in for nearly his entire life.

I don't feel like I'm a Chicagoan yet. I'm sure Abe could tell you how I drive way more conservatively to be called one. But every so often, like the sun that peeks out from the clouds on winter days, I am able to put my frustrations aside and embrace the difference. I love the diversity in ethnicities. And feeling like our diversity is accepted. I love the options for restaurants from nearly every cuisine on the globe. I love that we can go to Chinese festivals on a whim and order our food in Chinese at restaurants where no one speaks English.

So I'm trying to focus on the positive while I'm frustrated this city is so large that it's tough for us to feel connected to our church that's 30 minutes away, especially since our jobs are another 45-60 minutes in another direction. I get frustrated that housing is so expensive that we have to live a very frugal life just to afford a modest house someday. And I don't know if I'll ever fully get used to the crazy drivers who leave no room for error.

But every so often I catch myself acting like a local. Like yelling at the drivers in front of me who act as though they have to be in the iPass (tollway transponder) lane even though they can use the iPass in a regular tollbooth. I find myself rooting for the (gasp!) Cubs. And, I no longer have to put an appointment on my calendar at work each evening to remind myself to check traffic before I leave my desk.

So here I am. Not quite still a downstater. Not quite a Chicagoan. And, not quite sure if I want to be a stereotypical Chicagoan. But we're here and, Lord willing, we'll be here a while. So this Christmas, I'm hoping that I'll feel at home here in this new city and maybe, just maybe, blend in with the locals.

Jim-Jim is going where?????

2007-12-15T00:41:00.000-08:00

Uh-oh....straight from ESPN.com. There is going to be at least one unhappy person in Champaign if this is true (and you know who you are):

SAN DIEGO -- Hours after talks broke off with Mike Cameron, the San Diego Padres agreed in principle to acquire center fielder Jim Edmonds and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leaguer.

The deal was waiting approval from the commissioner's office because it will involve around $1 million going from the Cardinals to the Padres, according to a source with knowledge of the deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized.

The Cardinals will get minor league third baseman David Freese.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak declined comment to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Friday night, but sources close to the situation said Edmonds agreed to the move without compensation for waiving his no-trade clause.

The paper said that leading Cardinals prospect Colby Rasmus is expected to be given the opportunity next spring to vie for Edmond's vacated center-field slot.

Edmonds, 37, was slowed by injuries last season but the eight-time Gold Glove winner recently pronounced himself fit.

The trade comes after the Padres were spurned by three outfielders in less than a week.

Cameron's agent broke off negotiations for a deal to bring back the center fielder on Friday. Left fielder Milton Bradley on Sunday accepted a one-year deal from the Texas Rangers worth approximately $5 million. The Padres had offered $4 million.

The Post-Dispatch reported that Mozeliak and Padres general Kevin Towers intensified talks Friday afternoon after the Cameron talks collapsed.

The Padres also lost out in the bidding for Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who signed with the Chicago Cubs.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

What Really Matters

2007-12-04T19:06:00.001-08:00

So I (Allison) have been thinking of blogging for a while, but I haven't had the time to sit down and do it. Now I'm here and I'm confident of what I'm going to write.

I first thought about telling you of my discovery of Guitar Hero, one of the most awesome games ever. Then I discovered peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks and thought that was worthy of a blog post. Or I could blog about my most recent annoyances like the Great Soy Sauce Flood of 2007, which happened in my refrigerator last weekend. But a letter in today's mail showed me what's really worth writing about.

You see Abe and I decided to sponsor a child from World Vision after our honeymoon in the impoverished Dominican Republic. We sponsor Jaifri, a 10-year-old Dominican boy who lives in a community ravaged by AIDS. So far, we've received a picture of him (he's so adorable!), and sent him a card and a Christmas/Birthday package. Yet tonight was the first time we heard from him.

We received a letter in the mail from Jaifri's mom. She asked about our family and talked about her son, sharing that he enjoys eating mango and playing ball. But it was this that got me, "We thank for the support you will give to the boy, family and community. Thank you."

It struck me what it's like for Jaifri's mom, Orquidea. She lives in an area worthy of help from a ministry to the poor and needy. She has seen the devastation of AIDS in her own community. Yet what can she do for her son? I can't imagine being a mother, wanting so much for my child and be unable to do much about it. I find hope in knowing that our measly $35/month is caring for this child and providing for him in ways his parents could only dream of.

So, in this Christmas season, I challenge you. I hope that you join the ranks of us who are using part of our Christmas list to make charitable donations in the names of our loved ones. Because, truly, what do we need? Maybe the gift of Christmas is realizing you already have your gift -- finding joy in what you already have. And maybe it's giving hope to a family in need so far away.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2007-11-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday morning and I'm (Allison) sitting here thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner we're hosting. Since Abe has to work Friday, we're staying in Chicago and hosting his parents and our brother-in-law (unfortunately his sister can't make it). As I'm mentally thinking through our shopping list, I keep remembering my childhood Thanksgivings--where my family, my aunt and uncle's family, and my great aunt would all gather at my grandparents' house on Thanksgiving day. My grandma would get up at some ridiculous hour of the night to put in the turkey. We would arrive by 10 with our meal to start at 11. My grandpa would say grace and we would all eat--of course, I always sat with my cousins at the kids table. The food would be set up buffet-style with as many dishes as possible--jello salads of all sorts, noodles (my cousins' favorite), macaroni and cheese (just for me), Aunt Sheila's rolls, and, of course, turkey. I loved our sides so much I almost never ate turkey itself. Then we'd all watch football and snack throughout the day on leftovers and my mom's cheese ball.

But even that somewhat idyllic scene hasn't been the same for quite a while. My grandparents moved into a retirement home in 2000. I was away from home for Thanksgiving (my immediate family came to visit) for two years. And, in 2004, both my great aunt and my grandpa passed away.

We've carried on with Thanksgiving at my grandma's retirement home with, basically, the same people. Actually, we've had some new additions--my cousin's husband and my cousins' kids.

I knew our Thanksgiving together would change. It needed to. How many people could fit at that retirement home dinner? I'm excited for this year. Abe and I will get to watch the Chicago and New York City parades snuggled together on our couch. We get to start new traditions.

But the lesson I'm taking away this Thanksgiving is that, like the insurance commercial, life comes at you fast. You get so used to holidays being the same way--the same dishes, the same location, the same people. But you never know when you end one year what the next year will bring. This year, I have all these new people in my life--my in-laws, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, and my wonderful husband. We get to start new traditions. And, be thankful, for the people in our lives and for each holiday we get to spend with them.

I-L-L.........

2007-11-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

I-N-I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo hoo! Go Illini!

Ok....as you've probably figured out by now, this is Abe blogging. Ok--I'll be the first one to admit that I am a huge Homer when it comes to my favorite sports teams--from the Cubs, Bears, and the FIGHTING ILLINI (woo hoo!), I am pretty passionate about my teams.....and it's one those teams today that won arguably one of the biggest games in their football history. Let's face it, Illinois has traditionally been known more as a basketball powerhouse and not a football powerhouse.

As you probably know already, the Fighting Illini upset the #1 ranked team (yes, the #1 ranked team in the country) in the land today! They beat the Buckeyes from Ohio State 28-21, even though the superstar running back from South Skokie (sorry Jano!)Rashard Mendenhall did not even lead the team in rushing.

This is historical people....Illinois hasn't beaten a #1 ranked team since 1956...this is the first time they have ever beaten a number 1 ranked team away.....

I must say......I can write a whole lot more, but all I can say is "Go Illini!" I must say that I was screaming a lot today!

As for next week....I will probably be the only resident in Evanston rooting against Northwestern! :) GO ILLINI!

26 Hours in NYC

2007-11-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

I (Allie) just got back from spending a little over a day in NYC. It was an interesting work trip. Fun, but, well, the city that never sleeps wore me out. And I got 7 hours of sleep. But I kept processing through my first time in the Big Apple (shout out to my friends who used to live in the Little Apple--Manhattan, Kansas).

Anyway, I just got back, but I thought I would write before I forgot the crazy stories.

First, I used my organization's standard procedure to get to the Chicago airport--a car service. However, when I looked out my place's window to see if they were here, I did a double take. You see I saw the front of the car and then it just kept coming. I got to ride to the airport in a stretch limo. All by myself. It was awesome. I guess I'm a VIP the 3rd week on the job!

Anyway, the flight out went well. I was amazed by an older couple who managed to sleep through the entire take off. Now, I, for one, can only sleep on flights when I am dead tired, i.e., returning from a week in Europe. This couple didn't mind all the G-forces of lifting their bodies thousands of feet into the air wake them up. Amazing.

NYC was interesting. I told Abe that it's like Chicago on crack. You see, Chicago's the largest city I've ever been in, let alone lived in. Now I know a place where the streets are actually more narrow, more crowded, and people come even more close to getting hit by cars.

I did, however, have a celebrity sighting--Mr. Joey Fatone--former 'NSYNC-er and "Dancing With the Stars" alum. But, since we were staying in Times Square, we knew we'd likely run into someone cool. It reminds me of the time I saw Louie Anderson in the Fort Myers, Florida, airport. But that's another story.

So after a swanky dinner, I retired to my room where I could actually see the pole the New Year's ball is dropped from. Pretty cool.

I was there for work, which went very well. I hope to be back in 2008 with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. New York, to me, is somewhat sad. All of these Midtown Manhattan people striving for so much yet who really matters is God. It makes me think about the book of Ecclesiastes--it's all meaningless, the book says. Yes, we honor God with our jobs, but so much of Manhattan is workaholism, pride, selfishness, and greed. It's amazing that we humans get such a kick out of Times Square--a place that's filled with billboards to get us to buy stuff! What a trip!

Anyway, I'm home safe and earlier thanks to an open seat on an earlier flight. I can't wait to sit down and watch my favorite Thursday night TV.

Oh, one more thing, I really like the show "Chuck" on NBC. In the show, they talk about a spy store that used to be in the same shopping center as the Buy More. Today, in Chicago, I saw a Best Buy right next to a spy store. Amazing.

Hiking and Halloween

2007-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...Allison here updating you on our lives. We went hiking at Starved Rock State Park last weekend and had a great time. We hiked for 6 miles, but they were vertical miles with all the elevation changes. Needless to stay, we were very thankful for the hotel's whirlpool.

Also, my work had a crazy Halloween bash in which my department became "The Simpsons." It was a good time for me to get to know other people since I'm new. I really like my job.

The benefits of marriage

2007-10-29T20:13:00.001-07:00

Greetings All!

This is Abe blogging. I felt compelled to blog tonight about someone near and dear to my heart tonight: my wife Allison. Yes, I may be getting mushy here, but I really do love that lady! :) I did not have a good day today at work...I had a client complain about me for no good reason....so by the time Allie came to pick me up at ADP, I was in a rather bad mood.....but Allie was very kind, and compassionate....even extending me grace as I struggled to comprehend the beating that I got today (figuratively speaking of course). As the night progressed, Allie further demonstrated more of the traits that make me love her more and more every day. She took time to listen to me, care for me, cook me a great meal.....it was exactly what I needed.

In any case--I just thought that I'd blog about the joys of marriage roughly three months in. Although we still have a long way to go (our entire lives), I feel truly blessed to have such a great, Godly woman at my side as my wife!

Adventures in Stereotypes

2007-10-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

The following scene just happened to me (Allison) this afternoon as I was picking up our dry cleaning.

STORE OWNER: (Looks at my last name on the cleaning ticket.) So, do you have any family here? (said with a suspecting look in his eye)

ME: Yes. My husband. Abraham. He told me to come here.

STORE OWNER: (With a doubtful look as though he thinks we are talking about different people.) He is....

ME: Chinese

STORE OWNER: (Doesn't comprehend that word.) Oriental.

ME: Yes.

STORE OWNER: (He still doesn't think we're talking about the same guy.) Like...(uses his hand to gesture Abe's approximate height.)

ME: Yes. That's him.

STORE OWNER: Oh. Okay.

It's funny the types of stereotypes we run into now that we're married. People will say an asian joke not even aware that my husband is asian. People will ask about my last name, curious to know the nationality of my husband. Or people won't recognize we're together when we're in line at a restaurant.

The store owner in this case was actually Korean. I've learned stereotypes exist no matter the culture. I hope our (Lord willing) future kids will be an example of God's love for all people and that they would be welcome in this world no matter their ancestries. I hope they embrace their backgrounds and love their features that make them look more like mom or more like dad.

Newlywed Leave

2007-10-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Alas I (Allison) have a job and will shortly say goodbye to my three months of jobless life that I refer to as my newlywed leave. Similar to a maternity leave, newlywed leave is the period between the wedding, move, being setted in and landing a permanent job, which I have all encountered in the past three months.

I can't believe it's been three months since I've had a job. In fact, I'm really glad I didn't have a job to return to after the honeymoon. I've spent the past three months fixing up our apartment, cooking meals for Abe, and having the freedom to stay up as long as I want with my night owl of a husband.

Above all, it's been a time to pause. No more daily grind. No more wedding planning. No more commuter dating.

I've learned a lot about Abe and about myself. I've discovered I really do like my career field. And my local grocery store. I've learned the best time of day to avoid the pushy personal trainers at the gym. And, I've learned patience. I've learned to wait on God and to trust him. You can only job search for so long each day until you have to just give it up to Him and trust He'll provide the right job at the right time.

And I think he has. Taking this job helps give short-term answers to some of the life questions we're facing. It's a new life for me--a new organization, new role, and a long commute to the suburbs, which, thankfully, Abe can join me in for half the week.

So, here I am on a new adventure. I don't know how we'll keep our house clean or where I'll find the time to work out or how I'll not go crazy with all the driving. But I'm trusting God. One day at a time--knowing He'll meet me as I close one chapter and open another.

Simply Pleasure

2007-10-14T14:37:00.001-07:00

Abe and I (Allison) had an experience of a lifetime yesterday. We rode on "Simply Pleasure," a boat owned by our friend, Mark, as he took the boat from a harbor in downtown Chicago down the Chicago River to the dry dock where he'll store it for the winter.

Mark invited us and some other friends to join him on, what turned out to be, a 7-hour excursion. As you can see, in order for us to get to the dry dock on the South Side, the city has to open about 20 bridges, causing a traffic nightmare. While we were sleepy from the very early wake up call (we left our place at 7:15 a.m.) and a bit cold, we enjoyed brats on the boat's grill as well as the scenery.

Goochie's Back

2007-10-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

Our Toyota Corolla involved in the accident a few weeks ago is now back home. Yea! However, he's missing his nameplate. For some reason, the body shop told me he was ready even though he doesn't have "Toyota Corolla" on his back. So, I have to take it back Friday to have it taken care of. Shouldn't they notice stuff like that?

Anyway, the frustration continued. I drove away and realized the airbag light was on. The airbags didn't deploy in the accident, but they needed to be reset. The body shop couldn't figure out how to do it and told me to go to a dealer who would take care of it for free.

So, I drove the long way back to the Toyota dealer, which I kind of knew where it was. After searching around to no avail, I ended up calling 411, which I hate to do. Anyway, I finally located the dealer. I told them the situation. They said that would be $99. Um, heck no. So, I called the body shop and they decided to pay for it. It's lunchtime and it's going to take 1.5 hours to fix the car. So, I walk to the nearest deli and read a magazine. Thank God they took debit cards!

As you can tell, driving in Chicago (actually, life in Chicago) is incredibly frustrating. People make their own lanes, push their way in, play chicken, and cut you off. I had to honk at two people today alone. I just don't understand it. It's so rude. Why can't people wait their own turn? So, I honk and yell and then get mad at myself for doing so. I know I'm all jumpy because of the accident, too, which happened because a guy wasn't paying attention. Back where I'm from, if somebody does a stupid driver mistake there's typically a reason--not from here, etc. But here people are intentionally rude. They intentionally play chicken with you and speed up to cut you off so you have to slam on your brakes. I know God calls me to give grace to others, but this is really showing me that God has so much more to work in my heart in this area.

On a random side note, I originally thought about blogging today to complain why Chicago drivers typically have 1 or both of their rear taillights out of service. But then I thought that sounds like something a crochety old man would complain about. Well, in my drive to the autobody shop (which, ironically, took me right past the scene of the accident), I had 3 different vehicles in front of me with taillight malfunctions. So, Chicago, check your taillights!

You can have my tofu

2007-10-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I (Allison) would tell you all about my first experience eating Thai food. Now I know I'm way behind the times, but, hey, just be glad I'm eating Chinese! I've always been a picky eater and one who doesn't venture out into new territory very often. Since my parents just ventured into Thai last week, I decided it was time for me to try it.

Abe and I went to his favorite local Thai restaurant. He told me to get Pad Thai, which I have to say was pretty good. Thankfully, I have been around enough asian cuisine lately to recognize what's tofu and what's chicken. My first tofu experience came as a shock--I picked up what I thought was a chicken salad and put it on my plate at a salad bar. That was defintely not chicken salad. Eww...

I did, however, enjoy our appetizer--crab langoon (ok...so in typing this I just wrote "crap langoon" by accident. He hee hee!) :) Seriously, that was really good. I think frying things automatically improves their taste by a good 75%.

So I, of course, had leftovers and told Abe he could have my tofu. But we were eating outside and this large bug decided to fly into my pad thai and dig all into it. Therefore, I did not ask for a to go box. But we paid for our meal with a "buy one entree, get one free" coupon, so we were happy.

On another note, Abe and I are completely without the cars we own today. He's driving our rental and I am driving the loaner car from our mechanic since we decided to take Abe's car into the mechanic for an inspection. I was driving the loaner home when it started raining. I turned on the wipers only to discover they're screwed up and act funky. The way they move is kind of like how they dead people move their hands from side to side in the air when they come out of the grave in the "Thriller" video. Weird.

GO CUBS GO, GO CUBS GO!

2007-09-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

HEY CHICAGO WHAT DO YOU SAY, THE CUBS ARE GONNA WIN TODAY! Woo hoo! Yes, as you have probably figured out by now, this is Abe composing this blog post, and I must say, BOY AM I EXCITED! I don't even care if I have run-on sentences or other grammatical errors in this blog (sorry Donna! :))! Seriously though--the Cubs clinched tonight, and boy am I psyched! Having lived in Chicago practically my entire life and having to live through the 1984, 1989, 1998, and, more recently, the 2003 Cubs fiasco, well, maybe this is our year!

This year, however, has been a little different, because this is the first division title that I have been able to celebrate with my lovely bride Allie. :) Ah, yes, it's been fun celebrating this division title with her. It's been cool because I had a chance to celebrate the Cardinals' World Series title with her and her family last year when we were just dating....now, she gets a chance to celebrate this division title with me!

Ok, I am going to stop now. I just had to blog tonight because I'm just so excited! Jano, Allie, Chuck, Donna, and grandma, it was your year last year....maybe this year it will be ours!

GO CUBS!

Oh Blessed Frigidaire!

2007-09-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

In an act of divine intervention, Abe and I got a new stove today! Our old stove had many issues and our apartment janitor decided there was no way to fix it. I'm so happy--it's actually quite crazy how happy I am for this new stove. You can definitely tell I'm a wife now who cooks regularly compared to a single gal. I can't wait to use it tonight for dinner!

Allison

Moochie and Moon Cakes

2007-09-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very interesting day. We were headed to a community-wide service project for our church when we got rear-ended (at a good speed) by a large pick-up truck. My first reaction was to get out and scream, "My car, my car!" I knew Abe and I were fine, but we have emotional attachements to our cars and to see my car smashed in majorly was very traumatic. Thankfully, Goochie (named after Cardinals player So Taguchi) will survive, he's just in serious condition. So, after arguing with the insurance company, we got a rental, a Nissan Versa that we've named Moochie since he's Goochie's temporary replacement and he's a way for us to mooch miles off another car. The one good thing is that my car will be in the shop for several weeks so it won't have any miles put on it for a while.

After that traumatizing incident, Abe and I went back home to rest. (I cried a lot.) Abe had told me there was a festival in Chinatown that day called the Moon Festival, a harvest festival. So we went to Chinatown with his parents, their friend A Wing, and his family. We didn't have to wait for very long for a table at his parents' favorite restaurant thanks to his dad's connections! His parents arranged the seating so the people who spoke only Chinese sat on one side while the people who spoke only English sat on the other side. It was awesome.

The Moon Festival was interesting. I always love learning about Chinese culture. We missed the lion dance, but we did manage to catch the end of the Chinese American Idol competition. When the singers were introduced, they played a song over the loud speaker that sounded very familiar..."she bang, she bang...she move, she move..." Oh, yeah. William Hung was on the loudspeaker! I don't know if it was a joke or not--I'm guessing he's Chinese!

In traditional Moon Festival fashion, you are supposed to eat dinner with family and then eat a Moon Cake--a Chinese pastry filled with something--ours was filled with lotus seed paste. Abe's mom got us some, so we came home after the festival and Abe and I shared our family's first moon cakes together.

Thankfully, by the end of the day, we had quite a laugh about the day's events. I think it's fitting the accident happened on Moon Festival day since it's supposed to be a day of thanksgiving. Getting in an accident less than two months after being married makes me very thankful for our health and safety and for the experience of sharing each day with Abe. Praise God.

Learning Chinese...

2007-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Abe and I use some Chinese words and phrases to communicate now. I don't know why we do--somehow, it's more cool to say "cheapskate" or "full stomach" or "good food" in Chinese instead of English. However, most of the words he's taught me aren't very appropriate. Let's just say I know how to say anything you would need to say regarding the bathroom and I can tell him off in Chinese as well. He taught me one phrase in the pool on our Honeymoon, which prompted another guest to say, "Who's going to cut whose head off?" I explained that we just got married and my husband was teaching me Chinese. He must have thought we were a part of the Chinese mafia!

I've also discovered that my favorite Chinese food item is a pot sticker. I went into the city yesterday to have lunch with Abe and we went to this awesome place that sold pot stickers. Yummy!!!

Allison

Whoops...

2007-09-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

So Mrs. Domestic made a cooking faux pas last night. I was making brown rice in our rice cooker in the middle of a conversation with Abe. Well, apparently I was more involved in the conversation than cooking since I put in half the amount of water needed to make rice. So it was the driest rice ever. Poor Abe--he still ate it. I threw mine out.

I can normally follow recipes pretty accurately, but every so often I screw up. I remember the time I made M&M cookies with twice the amount of butter. I realized that when I wondered why the cookies were so greasy. Thankfully, all of these screw ups just result in bad (or incredibly buttery) food, which in the big picture, could be worse.

So I'd like to hear from you--what cooking mistakes have you made?

Allison

Mrs. Domestic

2007-09-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have to say I really like being Mrs. Domestic. It's not like I have to be just because I'm married now. I actually enjoy doing (most) domestic tasks. (Abe helps out, too.) I'm guessing the newness will wear off soon, but for now I'm enjoying it. My favorite household tasks are grocery shopping and cooking. I love discovering how much I can save at the grocery store. I went to the store yesterday with beef bouillon cubes on my list since I was making BBQ Beef. The first box was $2.99 or something like that, but I scanned the shelf and found one brand on clearance for only 79 cents! That totally made my day!

I also find cooking really satisfying. Yes, I get to eat the end result, but I really like trying a new recipe, discovering that I've probably screwed it up only to find in the end that it's perfect and yummy! Thankfully, Abe will eat basically anything I put in front of him. I feel really satsified when he compliments me on my cooking.

Anyway, I'm sure domestic life will be a total chore once life starts becoming busier, but for now I'm enjoying the simple life.

On another note, I've discovered a TV program that I love. It's on BBC America, a channel we get because Abe has digital cable to watch ESPN News. It's called "How Clean Is Your House." Two women (who are hilarious, by the way) take one horrifically dirty British house and deep clean it in a day. They have great tips, too.

Allison

Allison's Version...

2007-09-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

So Abe got me thinking this morning about what I'm thankful for. It's easy for me to think of what I don't have (like a full-time job, but I am freelancing though!). So this is a good exercise...maybe Abe has secret reasons that coming up with this list will help me not be in an unemployment funk!

So...drum roll please...

10. Our financial situation--even though I don't have a full-time job we still have a roof over our heads and food on the table. (Last night we had Chicago-style pizza...)

9. My favorite sports teams: St. Louis Cardinals/Mizzou Tigers. Take that, Abe!

8. The joy of reading--I've been reading some novels lately and really enjoying it.

7. Free nationwide long distance--My life would be radically different if I couldn't use my cell phone to call people whenever I want.

6. Beauty of nature--I've been walking along Lake Michigan lately and LOVE it!

5. My health/being able to work out--Definitely not to be taken for granted even though we're young.

4. My friends--It was really awesome to see how much my friends supported me and served me during the wedding. Some of them made very large sacrifices on my behalf.

3. Our families--I'm glad I'm within driving distance of nearly everyone.

2. My handsome, God-loving, smart, yet goofy husband!

And now...

1. God's unending love (and patience!) for me!

Top Ten List-Top Ten Things that I am thankful For--Woo Hoo! Abe's Version

2007-09-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! Allison and I were talking about posting separate top ten lists this morning of things that we are thankful for (ala David Letterman). Yes, married life is treating us well, it's nice not having to drive 150 miles on the weekends to see each other!

In any case, here is my top ten list (drum roll please):

10.My health

9. My job at ADP

8. Beef and Broccoli :)

7. Summertime in Chicago!

6. My beloved Cubbies! (I won't say anymore on this :))

5. My new brother-in-law and his girlfriend Bart and Liv

4. My sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Frank

3. My parents and Allison's parents

2. My dear wife Allison

And the Number One thing that I am thankful for (big drum roll please):

1.God's grace and mercy! Woo Hoo!

Allison will publishing her list shortly! Have a good day everyone!

Welcome!

2007-08-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog! We plan to post regularly to keep you up-to-date on our life as newlyweds in Chicago. We've been back from our Honeymoon for a couple of weeks now. We both miss it. After a tough grad school class for Abe and wedding planning, we both were ready to make three decisions each day: pool or beach? waterfall pool or pool with a swim-up bar? pina colada or mudslide? As you can tell from this picture, our resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, was awesome.

Now it's back to reality--Abe is back at work while Allison's been cleaning the apartment and getting it in order. She's starting to job search, too.

We hope all is well with you. We hope you check back regularly or else we'll just post for no one!

Abe and Allison