Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Happy Anniversary, Origin of Species!


150 years ago today, Charles Darwin's Origin of Species was published. It has since become one of the most important books in human history. Even though I am not a big science guy, I was raised by a Darwin enthusiast (my dad proudly gloats that the last book he ever read was Origin of Species), and the more I read about evolution the more I love it; I feel it fits perfectly within my Mormon faith. This last semester, I've been taking a seminar on "History of Science and Religion in the Christian Tradition," so it's been fascinating to learn about the many different authors who have dealt with the topic over many centuries.

I fear for the modern view that "religion" and "science" (especially "evolution" and "Christianity") are incompatible--such a view arises from absolutist positions concerning both topics, are are often based on misconceptions and misunderstandings. Secularists believing that someone who understands science is too smart for faith, and religionists who believe acceptance of evolution means rejection of God are both misled. Accusations from atheists that religion is irrational, and statement from believers that Darwinism is "only a theory" (come on, the idea that we orbit the sun is "only a theory") are both verbal assaults that are disingenuous at best and naive at worse. I look forward to the day when we (speaking as a believer) can all accept evolution and understand that it does not diminish the grandeur of God.

Perhaps the most fitting tribute on this day is the closing paragraph from Origin of Species.
It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction; inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the external conditions of life, and from use and disuse; a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

Also, I'll include a sketch from Darwin's journal--perhaps the most important "I think" clause of all time (including Descarte's "I think, therefore I am").




Sunday, November 22, 2009

Major Life Decisions


Sometimes decisions of perceivably small importance are the hardest to make.

For instance, I am currently debating what to do in the facial hair department. Since graduating from BYU, I have totally loved the freedom to grow a beard. Catherine, who originally did not like the beard idea, has really come to love it and doesn't want to see it go. I still love the beard, but am wondering if it is time to experiment with something else. Thus, I am opening a poll on the blog to get others' input.

Option A: Go Clean Shaven
This is what most of you probably know me as, so I won't put any pictures up. It's classic, slick, and professional. Plus, apparently it means you are more righteous within our Church culture. However, I'm going to be honest and say that this option is the least likely of the five that I will be succumbing to; I hate shaving too much.

Option B: Keep the Short-Trimmed Beard
Most likely option--mostly because Catherine likes it. I trim it every week or so, trying to keep the hair close to my skin for a professional/scholarly beard. The picture below, taken at the Pratt Brothers Seminar at BYU in July, demonstrates it rather well.


Option C: Trim and Shave into a Goatee
I'm kinda leaning towards this one. I have done it in the past, and here is a picture from two and a half years ago when we were on an Alaskan cruise. Catherine also likes the goatee idea.


Option D: Grow a Longer Beard
This option really appeals to me, because I really want to see what it would look like. Not too long, but I want to see it bigger and bushier--especially if it becomes curly. If it is long, stringy hair, then it will not last. Also, it would mean I don't have to trim for a while.

Option E: Grow a Neck Beard
Okay, so this isn't a valid option--but it would definitely be cool! I could be like good ol' John Taylor!


Thoughts?

Make sure to vote!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Laughing Sara

Sara was so fun today. We played. We laughed. She tried to eat my nose when she was hungry. Yesterday she was a wee bit cranky so it was so nice to have her so cheerful today. I was playing with her and she was giggling so big that I paused our game and ran and got the video camera, set it up where it could get us, and went for it. It's a bit dark because of this, but she is way cute.

video


This evening she and I were cuddling and Ben wanted a turn. In this video Ben is leaning his head back and saying "noooooo..." as he brings it back down to level. She loves this motion no mater what you say and will laugh and coo. It was so cute I had to video it to share.

video

A Typical Night in Edinburgh

This is beautiful Catherine chillin' with Sara on a typical evening in our Edinburgh flat. Notice the beautiful tulips. She must have a very generous husband...


This is Sara being cute on the floor. I'm definitely the lucky one to be able to come home from a full day at the library and be able to just lay down and play with this cute kid after Catherine has been trying to entertain her all day. While she may have some cranky moments (take a nap longer than ten minutes, girl!), she is usually quite playful, as this picture depicts.


She is also becoming very coordinated and is able to follow you around the room, or turn to wherever you are. She is so close to rolling over, pulling herself up onto her side, but being that she has no interest in being on her stomach, that is usually as far as she ventures. I swear she will be walking before she rolls over.


If I were to just provide the above picture with no further explanation, what would you guess the food was? Biscuits? Rolls? No-bake cookies? Nope. Stuffing. That's right, stuffing. The directions instruct you to roll the typical mixture into balls, place in an oven pan, and then bake in the oven. It was actually good to. The texture was crispy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. Just like typical pastries. Weird Scots.


This was our yummy dinner tonight. Steak, mashed potatoes, honeydew, and the stuffing biscuits. It was great!


(Also, apologies for not posting in the last four months, especially when we have an adorable new baby that everyone wants updates on. Let's just forgive and forget that the whole blog-neglect ever happened, ok? Ok.)

A Little About Us...

We are currently living in the beautiful "Athens of the North," Edinburgh. We welcomed our first child, angelic Sara Mae, into our family in July, and we celebrated our second wedding anniversary in October.

Ben is working on a master's degree in theology and history at the University of Edinburgh, attempting to balance a full load of classes, a master's dissertation, and his own personal research. He loves the access to numerous libraries and archives in this historic city, as well as the 1840s Scottish church building that he attends classes in. Ben is also in the process of applying to PhD programs for next fall, and should know by March where we will be spending the next 5-6 years of our lives.

Catherine gets to spend most of her day playing with Sara, exploring the city, and even gets to read a few books whenever Sara will allow it. She is finally getting familiar with the differences between British food, shopping, and cooking, not to mention appliances. She is excitedly decorating for Christmas, and our flat is already looking quite festive (the missionaries told us that our home was the first they'd seen with a Christmas tree so far). She is not enjoying the cold so far, but at least it is not snowing like Utah!

Little Sara Mae is growing like a weed. She loves being held, playing talking or giggling games with her parents, playing with her humpty dumpty, her rattle, her teathing rings, or her bunny, drooling over anything that happens to be beneath her, and going on walks through the city. She hates naps, playing by herself, having boogers sucked out of her nose, waiting thirty seconds for her food, or waiting for anything in general. All in all, she is a wonderful child and we love having her as our daughter.

Monday, November 16, 2009

About Us... posted June 09 till Nov 09

We are living in Provo, Utah enjoyingf year. Ben just graduated from BYU with a degree in Eng some nice weather this time olish and in History. Currently he is attending a historical seminar that will last 6 weeks until July 2nd. He is hoping Sara doesn't come early because he delivers the paper he is researching and writing for this seminar on July 2nd. The seminar is in on the Pratt Brothers, Orson and Parley, and Ben is one of eight selected to participate. Since he is spending so much time researching and writing the paper, they pay! So this is his job for the summer. He is done working for the Joseph Smith Papers Project, but keep looking for his name in the acknowledgements because he did a lot of work for a lot of volumes. He loved working for them and does miss it.

At the beginning of September we will be making the big move to Scotland! Ben will attend the University of Edinburgh for a one year Masters Program. His degree will be Theology in History. We are so excited for this new adventure!

Catherine is still working at the Salt Lake Temple doing housekeeping. It's nice that she does not do it that often because it makes it such a late night for her when she works. She is getting bigger, but still surprises everyone when they ask how far along she is. She still loves to go swimming for exercise. She has officially entered countdown mode and can be heard to say, when she has to get up from awkwardly sitting or is feeling the un-comforts of pregnancy, "six more weeks, only six more weeks." For our birthing classes we have been learning about HypnoBirthing. Which teaches deep relaxation and breathing techniques to make delivery a lot more comfortable.

Monday, June 15, 2009

It's getting closer!


This is me at 36 weeks:

This is Ben at 36 weeks:
There is just a slight difference. ;)

We are a little past the 37 week mark now and Sara is officially considered full term. Which means she could come at anytime with no worries. Today the doctor checked me and found I am dilated 1 cm and effaced 80%.
We are on our way!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

36 Weeks!

Yay! Only four more weeks! I'm definitely ready to not feel so uncomfortable. I think I've gotten to the point that I'd like to be done with the pregnancy. Why isn't it that pregnancies take 8 months instead of 9? Or even shorter? But since it is 9, I really hope Sara stays in the last 4 weeks. Besides I'm really not ready for the birth, we have a lot of relaxation practice to do to be ready. Also, it almost doesn't seem real; I wonder if it won't till Sara is about a week old. And it will just hit me and I'll think... "Wow, this kid came from me and Ben. She's ours. She's the creature thats been kicking and moving inside me. Wo!" We'll see when reality actually hits though. :)
We are so excited to meet her face to face in a month!