Supreme Court

It's official! Our case, Rapanos v. U.S., is on Tuesday, February 21 at 10:00 a.m. Our case is first, so if you get a seat you should be able to observe the argument. We should start thinking about plane tickets and hotel rooms. Mom and I will look into it and let you know the options.

Birthdays!!!

Anna's birthday is Friday, Dec 2.
We celebrate on Sunday.
Happy Birthday, Anna!

Here are some others coming up:
Amara - Dec 18
Grammy Beal - Jan 30
Kristina - Jan 31

Ethan's First Week!

Check out the slideshow

Hello Family & Friends!

We welcomed baby Ethan into the world on November 14th at 3:03AM. He weighed 8lbs 14oz, and was 21 inches long. Everything went well, and we're home adjusting. We've had grandparents here taking care of us, which has been GREAT!! Amara has been very excited and is fully prepared to step in as mommy to baby "Nemo". Luckily she's accepted the concept of nicknames..... Anyways, we're doing well. We'll be in California for Christmas from December 20th to January 8th-not sure when we'll be in Davis or Livermore, but hopefully we'll be able to see some of you. Here are a handful of pictures we've taken in the last week. Enjoy!!

Keep in touch!

Alan & Kristina

New Baby Photos!

Cute!

Cuter!
Cutest!

Click image for larger view.

Supreme Court Visit - Feb 21, 2006

My oral argument is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2006, in the case of Rapanos v. U.S. It could be rescheduled for the following week. Please note that it is possible not everyone will be admitted to watch oral argument. You will all need to get to the court very early to stand in line. Once in, you should be able to stay for the whole argument. Small children are not permitted, so we will have to make arrangements for Amara and Ethan.

This will be a once in a lifetime experience, so I hope everyone can make it. Afterward, we should plan on spending a few days seeing the sights.

Check out these links to the Supreme Court:
Supreme Court Home Page
Supreme Court Oral Argument Page

Pictures from Nashville

Check out Mom's pictures from Nashville, including Alan and Kristina's homestead, Vanderbilt University, The Grande Ole Opry Hotel and Belle Meade Plantation. Just click on the header or the Family Photos link to the right. The album is Nashville 11-12-05.

Ethan Arrives!

Alan & Kristina's new baby finally arrived. He was born at 3:03 a.m. on Monday, November 14. He weighed in at 8 lbs 14 oz. Although Amara still insists his name is Nemo, he has been dubbed Ethan. A nice name for a cute boy. When Amara was told she had a brother she reportedly said,"So, he's out now?"

My Supreme Court Case - update

As you know, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear our case in Rapanos v. U.S. When it granted cert, the court consolidated the case with Carabell v. Corps. When cases are consolidated like this, the parties only get one attorney between them. That is, one attorney must argue for both parties. Often, if one attorney is not willing to yield to the other, a coin may be tossed to determine who will argue the case. It looked like that's where we were heading in this case, so I have been polishing my "lucky coin." However, we were saved from this desperate act this morning when the court granted our request for divided argument and even extended the time. Now, the Carabell attorney and I will be allotted 20 minutes each while the Solicitor General will have 40 minutes to argue.

Mom in Nashville

Mom is enjoying herself in Nashville visting Alan, Kristina and Amara. The Bensons visit tomorrow from Davis which should be a real treat. Mom is seeing some of the sights and waiting for Kristina to show signs of labor. Nothing yet.

We finally worked out the video conferencing with our iBooks and iSight cameras. It works really well. Now we can talk and see each other whenever we want. Should be fun when the new baby comes.

Thank you note from Congressman Pombo

Dear Reed,

I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your help in passing the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA). I hope that with your help, this important legislation will move through the Senate and become law. Additionally, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with Todd Willens, Rob Gordon, and Mike Wackman of my staff in Sacramento.

Please know that I am grateful for your support and look forward to continuing to work with you.

Sincerely,

RICHARD W. POMBO
Chairman

Hopper Family Photo