Chicago

Here we are, moved in to our apartment in Wrigleyville. It’s so great being here. Two weeks of separation from Karina was definitely too much.

We have several grocery stores nearby and it seems as if we won’t have to drive anywhere for errands. I love that.

Karina has started work with her dad and I’m really glad. She seems to thrive there.

We look forward to being here a good, long time.

Ordination

Yesterday my Dad underwent his ordination council. I got to hear this guy’s wisdom throughout the day, affirming the promises of God and our responsibilities to Him. I’m so glad I’ve got a father like this.

Cougar

I shot this mildly frightening image of our school mascot for the cover the The Pulse, our student publication.

The best camera…

Came across an interesting concept today. Chase Jarvis, a Seattle-base pro photographer, launched a site called The Best Camera which touts a matching iPhone app.

The name comes from the old photo adage, “the best camera is the one you have with you.” The app includes some fairly powerful photo editing software with a great interface.

The appeal of being able to apply basic image adjustments to photos I take everyday is huge. If used right, this could be a great tool for eye-exercise. I always have my phone with me.

One of the cooler features of the app is its social network integration. After I process a photo, I can choose to upload to the “Best Camera” website, facebook, twitter or e-mail, by simply checking boxes and hitting send. I hope flickr integration is coming soon.

I’ve just started, but if today is any indication, I’ll be shooting a lot more. I’ve uploaded twenty-seven photos today and thoroughly enjoyed working with the clean, simple interface.

It’s not without its kinks, however. It’s impossible to find photographers on the “Best Camera” website unless you happen to see one of their photos in the recent uploads. There’s also no comment feature and the “thumbs-up” rating system is only available on the iPhone app, not the main website.

These short-comings aside, what Mr. Jarvis is doing here is admirable. The easier it is to make photos and share them, the more we learn.

Mexico

When I was fourteen, my parents put me on a plane to Uganda to visit some friends working at an orphanage there. I was so excited I could barely sleep the night before. Being in a new culture is something I long to experience as often as possible.

My excitement was multiplied with our recent trip to Mexico because this is the culture of my new family. Karina’s parents are both Mexican and her father grew up in Guadalajara, where we stayed for a few days.

We stayed at his mother’s house and enjoyed enjoyed the sound of nearby church bells every fifteen minutes. José was excited to give us a tour of his beautiful city.

In the middle of our trip, we spent a few days in Puerto Vallarta, a beach town on the Pacific coast. My uncle and aunt kindly gave us a timeshare there and we were able to spend a few days relaxing as the waves rolled in.

The most enjoyable part of the trip, though, was the family dinner. José invited many of his relatives in Guadalajara to come and celebrate our new marriage and the 25th wedding anniversary of José and Loren.

I was surprised to learn later that the meal had taken four hours. There was just so much joy, laughter and excitement that the moments flew by.

I came back refreshed and amazed by this country. The mountains, trees and oceans are gorgeous, but the most beautiful thing I found was the love this family shares.