Faith Like a Child

 Just a moment of fun as my son reaches for the sky.  I never knew one could get so high on a swing...but he pulled it off!  It reminded me of what we can do when we don't let fear overcome our lives, and let our faith in Christ guide us on the right path to achieve the aims of God above. it may be close to the meaning Christ wanted us to remember when he said we needed "Faith like a Child."

-ehw  

Once Upon a Dream

    When you give my girl music, a dress and a light saber you get a whole new version of the Saber Dance!  She takes after her big sister who as I type is spinning in the kitchen as she loads up her breakfast cereal.   All children at some point need to enter the real world, but for now I love keeping them safe to dream and play in a wholesome way.

-ehw

The Doctor is In!

    The Doctor was in last Saturday night.  She did house calls for everybody!  Luckily she confirmed we are all in pretty good shape headed into our Fall Break from school.  We are almost homebound since we still have three days of dance, two Robotics classes, doctor's appointments, a dead refrigerator, and music!  Regardless of our staycation status, we should have time for plenty of moments like this one where we enjoy a few moments of family time...can get the house set for fall both inside and out!

-ehw

The House of Cards to Live in

   Today's I want to challenge each of us to look at the house of cards we live in.  Are the cards built from God's playing deck or of man's?  This rather simple examination of our personal lives can save our souls.

    If I was to look at the United States right now, I would say our house definitely plays with man's deck of cards.  Here are three examples.  The continued promotion of abortion by elites means we pay to kill people at the rate of over one million a year!  With a birthrate in the US of native born below replacement levels, you can effectively say we are committing genocide to ourselves.  The continued promotion of Keynesian economics says we play God with money, making something out of nothing.  The debts racked up, and increased economic burden they place on the economy also mean we are placing a noose around our future capabilities.  Finally the rewriting of history to remove the need of God to keep order in society removes a key component to our national system of laws.  Our legal basis for existence in the Declaration of Independence states we must act under Natural law or Nature's God for final authority in what we do.  Yes this is a Christian concept, when discarded allows us to convolute any decision to meet our personal tastes.  This allows materialism to sweep the nation, selfish leaders, and promotes issues one and two.

    I am just a fallen man, but I would say the house of cards photographed above provides abetter example of living life well.  St Joseph, the chaste spouse who cared for Mary and Jesus through years of exile and threat of death by the King of Judea silently following the will of God.  St Peter, the man who's Holy Spirit powered faith sustained him through trial, torment, and the creation of a church enroute to his own cross of crucifixion.  St Sebastian, who guarded the Emperor until he received the choice to burn incense to a false God.  St Francis of Assisi who gave us a great example of working towards peace, and always knew God creates things from nothing not man.  St Augustine who's writings illuminated the scripture, and demonstrated why he needed to turn from sin filled life to become one with God's will.  Finally St Boniface, who demonstrated to Druids their trees served the one God's will when he cut their biggest down to make a church from the lumber.

    We have a choice of cards to build our lives.  If we want the life eternal, it is best to pick the cards God designed, and the examples of those who followed God to eternal life in heaven as role models.  Following the example of Margret Sanger, Keyes or Stalin, Mao, Hitler and current history rewriters only leads to a life which ends with death and self chosen life of separation from the eternal paradise.

-ehw

Where did the baby girl go?

    Just a month ago I had a baby girl roaming my house.  Today I have this little girl, who reminds me she is a big girl.  She puts in hair in ponies and tells me she is cute, and plays with toy horses with glee.  She chases her brothers with lightsabers with complete abandon, and swings with power a Sith could desire.  Oh where has my baby girl gone?

    The baby girl is now a determined little girl.  Her red hair, gleams in the sun and proclaims the fire of her will to set things right.  Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara-the quiet man) would meet her match in this little lady! This little girl keeps the boys on notice, and then smiles coyly at her Dad...keeping him wrapped around her still little finger.  Oh the Daddy knows the trick being played, and only prays the rosary harder begging for her to use that fire for the Lord all her days!  What a force for God she could one day be!

    My baby girl is now a little girl...and all is as it should be!

-ehw

Enjoying Moments...a Large Family Blessing

    The vast majority of people outside our little homeschooling community think we were nuts for rejoicing on the possibility of a fifth child in our family.  I could not disagree more with the majority.

    The Bible described children as a blessing, and large families were a reward from God.  Nowhere in the Bible does a large family equal a curse.  I would agree having a large family however can present a challenge from time to time!  So far nothing I've faced is insurmountable, just a great set of challenges.

    With the arrival of child number five, good young John Paul, I look forward to enjoying one more round of moments like this one above.  I have the seasoning of parenthood four times before to know snuggling with my baby on the couch, in between diaper changes, is one brief moment in time.  The only moment in which I get to love my son with these cuddles.  In a few years, he will be all boy and want to wrestle the old man into submission!  

     I received five wonderful sets of moments like this.  I am looking forward more good times ahead, with the full knowledge valleys of darkness will exist as well.  It is all part of the large family blessing I behold day in and out.

-ehw

P.S. Photo credit to my favorite assistant Carrie Wojtkun who caught me sleeping on the job!  I did all the post processing for her!

Boy to Little Man at 12

    Today I officially received two more grey hairs.  Kalen turned 12, and John Paul celebrated eighteen days!   Kalen planned out his birthday almost all by himself.  

    The day started last night with vigil mass for the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady.  Kalen organized a simple get together today with good friends for a day of Nerf gun wars and legos.  He made his gluten free cakes with Grandma, a time honored tradition, this AM to provide dessert.  For lunch?  Simple hot dogs with gluten free buns for those of us on the dole with him for sensitive tummies was his planned menu.  It was his party, followed by a family pizza night where he watched a funny movie about Penguins from Madagascar.   Tonight he went to bed beaming with the joy of friends and family being with him today.

    All of his actions got me to thinking about when does a boy crossover to become a man?  I could only think of the answering: "The man arrives when the boy begins to seek and take responsibility for his actions."

    This young man is doing just those actions.  It makes me proud to know he will do everything in his being to be a real man as he grows older.  It makes me sad to know my eldest is no mere boy any longer.  It also worries me, since I know this little man tries to take on more than he can chew or is responsible for.  

    I am still happy today to keep the promise made 12 years ago today.  I promised to always get to church on the Feast of the Assumption and say a prayer of thanksgiving for a healthy child.  Just attending mass with him last night was pure bliss in an of itself. 

-ehw

P.S.  John Paul is not a noisy child...unless he needs momma's special blend.  He is also not a huge believer in flash bulbs!    

Dad was I this small?

   Kevin: "Dad was I this small?"

    Dad: "Yes son you were once that small"

    The joy of teaching a culture of life to your children is that even when the baby gives a yelp, the older kids know this is part of respecting life from conception to death. You know you succeed in reaching their souls with with this understanding when they have such great awe for the new members of the domestic church...and all people created in the image of God around them.

    My older children saw the trials Mom went through for nine months to get John Paul to birth.  They understand more than ever the depths of love she had for each of them before they were born.  Each of our children, at the age of reason, now understands this baby was their baby brother from the moment of conception in the womb (even if they haven't had "the talk.").  

    The big kids will soon will associate what Mom suffered as part of her agape love for each of them, when only our God knew their name and destiny.  The older kids now also understand in a larger sense why abortion is decidedly agains the commandments of God. John Paul was never a bunch of harvestable organs and stem cells. John Paul was John Paul when two halves became one whole.

    As crazy as the calendar is now these are the good times.  As crazy as life will get it the coming days, months and years if we get the concept of agape in their heads and hearts I think we have a good chance of succeeding as parents.  I hope we raise children who fulfill the Lord's two great commandments: To love the Lord with all your heart mind and soul.  To love your neighbor as yourself.

   I pray to God we, and parents everywhere, achieve this noble goal as well.  For there is no other option than this if we are to form a civil society where peace can reign.  

-ehw

Boys by Fireworks

    Boys like their summers filled with wonder and awe...and this year both found fulfillment in home based fireworks over the Fourth of July!  If you remember your childhood, I bet it was moments like this you remember for a lifetime.  I know memories like this are seared in my mind!

-ehw

P.S. Always a challenging shoot when darkness is involved, and you will not use the flash.  The rewards for catching the special moment of light are immense.  

Pray-The Timeless and Priceless Tradition

    Today our parish celebrated four men from our parish, and are working their way through seminary discernment of their vocation.  It was a wonderful moment to see the men up there.

    One of the seminarians reminded us we were a parish of 4,000 families, and many more vocational discernments exist in a parish that size.  He asked us to pray for vocations from the men and women in the pews to continue filling our seminaries.

    I remembered what good priest told me about a year ago regarding discernment.  He told me all the hectic activities we do today divert both adults and children from prayer time.  Just think of the distractions we all face: secularized schools where God is forbidden up to ten hours a day, too many sports, too many dance classes, entertainment celebrating drunken and drug filled activity on every station and TV show.  Every marketing company seeks to get you attention with each second of your day to sell their wares though logos, tunes, and embedded messages on other media.  It creates a mess for forming individual prayer life.

   The challenge to each of us is to create the space and habit to pray in the midst of this clutter.  We need to pray in silence at first.  In a world filled with so much marketing this is actually the greatest challenge.  Adding sacred music and art in our prayer time later is a bonus, which when used properly, will draw our minds up to God.  From these mountains of life we can feel and see the glory of the Lord.

    When the valleys of life come our way (say a 3AM infant which does not want to sleep or the 3 year old having a really challenging day I am talking to between sentences) we can always fall back to our basic memorized prayers bring our daily life back to focus on God.  Using these prayers we still remain connected with God despite the noise around us.

    Whether we are young or old, we must learn the timeless and priceless traditions of prayer.  I am finally understanding this, at the age of 43. So there is hope for us all!  John Paul seems to prefer the early morning Rosary already...he made it a point to schedule me in three times already!  The boys have me each night for boy prayer time, and my big daughter seems to live her life as a prayer.  This is all just wonderful...and I hope a set of traditions we continue through thick or thin.

-ehw

P.S.  This photograph is a real challenge with my camera in one hand and three limbs trapped by a semi-sleeping baby.  Battery box attached to my forehead, changing apertures with a loose thumb...it was definitely not a textbook solution.   It worked though. 

My Woman of Worth

  At the start of the month I began my proverbs review.  One chapter at a time..and since the month has thirty-one days I get to read Chapter 31.  This is a chapter I have to read aloud to her, and I must say she deserves it in spades.  I cannot match the beauty and wisdom of the Bible so her are the words of Proverbs, and some photos to follow showing the riches my wife brought to our family.

Proverbs 31: 10-31

10  Who can find a woman of worth?  Far beyond jewels is her value.

11  Her husband trusts her judgment; he does not lack income.

12  She brings him profit, not loss, all the days of her life.

13  She seeks out wool and flax and weaves with skillful hands.

14  Like a merchant fleet, she secures her provisions from afar.

15  She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household, a portion to her maidservants.

16  She picks out a field and acquires it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17  She girds herself with strength; she exerts her arms with vigor.

18  She enjoys the profit from her dealings; her lamp is never extinguished at night.

19  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.

20  She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.

21  She is not concerned for her household when it snows—all her charges are doubly clothed.

22  She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing.

23  Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.

24  She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.

25  She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come.

26  She opens her mouth in wisdom; kindly instruction is on her tongue.

27  She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, too, praises her:

29  “Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.”

30  Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.*

31  Acclaim her for the work of her hands, and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.

Proverbs 31: 10-31 from the USCCB in the New American Bible for Catholics

I hope you can see the love on these faces!  It is real.  Their work and prayers helped get us here.

-ehw

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Kellie Meets John Paul for the first time.  "John Paul has nose!"

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Kevin marvels at his new pine cone picker upper helper

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Kalen wants to cuddle with baby all day long.

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Julia loves having another sibling

Child, Hear your Father's Instruction

Proverbs Chapter 4

THE TEACHER AS MODEL DISCIPLE

1  Hear, O children, a father’s instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!

2  Yes, excellent advice I give you; my teaching do not forsake.

3  When I was my father’s child,  tender, the darling of my mother,

4  He taught me and said to me: “Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, and live!

5  Get wisdom, get understanding!  Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth.

6  Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;  love her, and she will safeguard you;

7  The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; whatever else you get, get understanding.

8  Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honors if you embrace her;

9 She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown will she bestow on you.”

The New American Bible for Catholics, Proverbs Chapter 4

-ehw

Welcome John Paul

    Our fifth child is here!  John Paul Theodore entered the world at 9:09 PM weighing in at 8.5 pounds and 21 inches in Atlanta, Georgia.  Mom and baby are doing fine.  Brothers and sisters are excited and unable to get to sleep.  He is, for a few weeks, the newest addition to the Regina Caeli nursery!

    A special thank you to all those who have prayed with us on the journey thus far...we could never make it this far without your support and intercession with the Lord.

    More later...but for now we are all smoked!  We have a date in the nursery floor in about an hour...so I need to pack up the gear and get ready for our first move.

-ehw

P.S.  We will never forget our babies already in heaven from miscarriages.  We love all of you: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta.  Thanks for guarding your brother these last few months.

Ready to Climb

    A playground always brings out the best in kiddos...open spaces and fresh challenges every day!  I always love to watch the little guys and gals climb the slide backwards for the challenge and shortcut to the top!  In the case of this mountain climber the hill will pose no obstacle!

-ehw

P.S.  for you tech-cats  this was the X-T1 sporting the 18-135 zoom.  A nice all around tool in good light.  When you hit the playground it is good to have a tool which reaches out and goes wide at a whim.  You don't miss too much action that way!  If you hire a photographer for an event, make sure he has the tools for the job you need done.  That is why a good guy will have to charge a little bit more...he has to pay for the right gear and it costs a good amount to purchase.

The magic of the 56 at 2.8

    About two weeks ago I splurged on a tool used for a job I did this past weekend: A Fujifilm 56mm F1.2 prime lens.  This is primarily a portrait lens, and it fits right into my goal for the year, to take better portraits of people.  Last year when I test drove this lens for ten days I was sad to see it go home, and I vowed to one day find it one sale.  I found this copy used without the box and lens hood...but for 30% off retail it was a good deal.

    I will be the first one to tell you, it is not the equipment which makes a photo. The photographer makes the photo using the equipment at hand.  I know people who can shoot circles around me using manual film cameras and while developing film in the darkroom.  I will also tell you it does not hurt to have a special piece of equipment or two to use from time to time.  

    So here is one of my first four shots from my short telephoto (ok purists a 56mm on an APS-C sensor is an 85mm on a 35mm camera so yes it is a short telephoto).  A really nice shot of happy boy, who is growing before my eyes this summer.

    I look forward to sharing more from this lens in the years to come.  With a little permission from my last customer maybe I can show you the work I did this weekend for some wonderful women.  Fuji made a classic lens, and I am very lucky to have one to learn more of my craft.

-ehw

Almost time to be a Big Sister

    My baby big girl will only be a baby a little longer!  I cannot believe how she grew, and how our family of six changed since we moved to Roswell, Georgia three and quarter years ago!  Any time between now and the end of the month Baby Echo will be on his own here in the house, and little big girl will be a BIG SISTER in a family of seven!  She'll always be my rascal princess.  She will be full of life and opinions until the end of her days.  She also makes a cute picture perfect cutie from time to time!

-ehw

P.S.  This is exactly why I always try to have a decent camera with me...cell phones are great...but I just cannot hold them steady.  So to me a proper camera is still a decent one.  In this case my XT-1 with a walk around 18-135 zoom.  Using the new version 4.0 firmware, the lens and camera combo are like a thoroughbred.  So instead of wanting a new camera, I become willing to purchase new (to me used to you) lenses and hold the camera a lot longer.

God, Family, Country

    As the sun sets on this 4th of July weekend I had wonder about the radical changes sweeping our country.  Lots of mixed emotions in this land.  I cannot believe how much we've changed as a people in the last 25 years.  I still need to sort it all out in my head.  Until then, I will snap up a few more pictures evoking the memories of the land I swore with my life to protect 26 years ago....before it disappears forever.

-ehw