What a Year

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

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

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

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...

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?????

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

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

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.........

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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!

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