Pop Pop

After Easter the boys and I stayed a week in Amarillo to play with Gammy/Gia and Pop Pop! We had a great time. Avery enjoyed cooing and singing to a new audience, I enjoyed more sleep and Paul Thomas enjoyed his Pop Pop! They had a blast together. Below are a few highlights.

Bubbles!

Yaahoo!

This is taken after I offered to play cars with PT and he took the car from me and gave it to Pop Pop, then he grabbed his hand saying "come on". I must admit I was relieved as car sounds are very difficult for me.

So silly

Boy + dirt = at Grandparents

Thanks Pop Pop for all the fun! Can't wait to come again.

A special thanks to my dear sweet husband for giving up his family for a week. We love you and are grateful for your generosity.

I'm not a Pharasee, am I?

Of all the disgusting horror and filth of which humans are capable, the case of Josef Fritzl seems to out-do most others. I will not describe here all that he did to his family, but, if you so choose, here is one place to start. It’s difficult to avoid feeling nauseated, or angry, or both about such evil.

When one encounters such vile, depraved, wicked events—other examples that come to mind are the Holocaust, Gulag, Darfour, “mercy killings”, abortion, rape, waterboarding (OK, that last one was a joke; just making sure you were paying attention)—a common response evoked in us goes something like, “how could anyone ever do that?” or “I just can’t imagine…” Psychologists, physicians, neurologists, and other experts spend a lot of time and energy trying to answer those questions. We think, “There must be something wrong with that person [clearly, Fritzl is profoundly disturbed]” or, more likely, “That’s messed up.” It goes without saying (though I’m saying it anyway) that humans are not supposed to act this way.

Having encountered all the previously mentioned thoughts/reactions when I read this story, later that very same day, I read the following passage from St. Augustine:

“There is no sin or crime committed by another which I myself am not capable of committing through my weakness; and if I have not committed it, it is because God, in his mercy, has not allowed me to and has preserved me in goodness.” (Confessions 2:7)

I suppose I should say I read it about 15 times in a row, over and over and over. I began thinking of my own sins, which, again, I will not describe here. I began to ask myself, “So, what’s the real difference between me and Josef Fritzl, or Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Jack Kavorkian?” No, I have not killed anyone, nor ordered the extermination of any people… but I have sinned. The only reason I am not the one on trial for those crimes is because of the infinite mercy of God. Yes, every time I make a good choice, every time I cooperate with the divine help offered to me, I do merit further grace to, among other things, avoid sin. But Fritzl is no less of a human than I am, in terms of his created goodness anyway, and I am no more deserving of God’s gratuitous grace than he.

Please do not misunderstand me to be saying that Fritzl’s actions are anything less than worthy of the last circle of Hell. All I’m trying to say is that our sins make us just as deserving of those same eternal flames.

A blessed priest friend once reflected out loud to me the following thoughts (in general): our whole lives are spent trying to show the world, our associates, friends, spouses and children just how good we are. This is not necessarily an ignoble pursuit, but we have to be aware that every man, behind the shiny, polished, glittering side of our heart that we want all to see lies deep, gaping, black, stinking holes of sinfulness, of which we are justly embarrassed and ashamed and which we want to keep hidden. The sooner one recognizes his own sinfulness, the earlier he stares at and smells those holes in his own heart, as opposed to sending all his time looking for glimpses of other people’s oozing wounds, the more quickly he will give that human heart to the Divine Physician (in sacramental confession), who alone has the power and authority to fundamentally make us anew and worthy of His eternal bliss.

Good Baby?

Since the birth of little (well big now) Avery, many admirers have asked an interesting question, "Is he a good baby?"

What other kind of baby is there; bad, spoiled, troublesome, inadequate?

All babies are good, they don't know how to be anything else...they do not purposefully spew there last meal on you. Nor do they ask you to do the cranky baby dance because they want to embarrass you. No they only know of and cry out of needs. They do not have alternative motives when at 4 am they need a complete change and feeding, they simply want a dry diaper, a bit more milk and maybe a kiss.

Of course he is good! All blessings are good!

Buddy!

To my Buddy! Thanks for all the years of mud pies and hide-n-seek. Thanks for lazy summer days and never ending Monopoly games. Thanks for great childhood memories, ones I hope my children will have and will cherish as much as I do.

I am blest to have grown up with a buddy, as are my children, with theirs.

Let the mud slinging, tree climbing, fort building and memory making begin.

Thanks Ashley Ann and Doodle Dan for the memories made and ones to come.

HEBI Family

At Easter we took family photos. Here are some of the them.

The H of the family.

The E's

The B's

The I's

Uncle Ash is prepping for Baby Ribbie. (Name given by Isabelle)

Gia and Pop Pop with the grand kids...this will be outdated in six months as seems to be the case with our family.

The HEBI Family...minus a H add a B. Thanks Uncle Tim for standing in for Uncle Matty. This is the fourth consecutive Easter that one of the girls has been pregnant...any takers for next year?

Changing Table

Changing diapers is not the most glamorous aspect of motherhood, however it provides opportunity to truly be with your little one.  Avery has begun to open up and share with me the wonders of his 2 1/2 month world.  

Even the mundane task can be rewarding.

New Toy

Hey guys!  I just discovered something amazing!

My right fist!  Every time I lie down it pops up, bringing with it minutes of gooing entertainment.  Oh how grand this world is...with fists and all.

Special Treat, for Under Two

One of the benefits of moving back to Dallas has been seeing more of Poppy.  Granted the visit mainly take place inside Love Field Airport as Poppy travels a lot with his job and often has layovers there. Every now and then, when the all the stars line up a grandchild gets to join Poppy on a flight.  This past Wednesday was PT's turn as he was the only non-nurser under two (they fly for free).  

Paul Thomas really enjoyed his special time with Poppy.

After the plane landed Paul Thomas turned to Poppy and asked for "more."

Thanks Gia and Poppy for this special treat...both for Mommy and PT.

Happy Easter

Alleluia!  He is Risen!

Happy Easter!  

Why Monks are not Communist

Eavesdropping is great! I recently overheard a conversation between a monk-friend of mine and a very contrarian classmate. The brother, a Cistercian, was explaining the basics of their monastic community and the Rule of Saint Benedict, which they faithfully follow. One of the basic principles of many monastic communities is that all property is held in common; aside from underwear and toothbrushes the confreres don’t claim anything as their own. All of the monks, in this Abbey, teach and are paid by their various schools and they are thus able to afford community cars, food, a building in which to live, and electricity. As class was about to begin, the conversation ended with the classmate concluding, “So it’s basically communism and it seems to work really well for you.”

Now, while communism finds its practical application in various ways, the underlying principle is that every individual in a society has a responsibility to the society as a whole, both to provide for that society the necessary means for its sustainability and advancement and to use only that which he necessarily needs to live. It is personal sacrifice for the greater good of the society. Sometimes, personal property in principle is abolished; “that car (or phone, bike, house, microwave, land, TV, money) really isn’t yours, but you are permitted to use it until a greater need for it arises.” The fruit of one’s labor is collected and then distributed accordingly.

That sure looks like what my monk friend does, doesn’t it? Was “The Classmate” correct in her assumption about the commonality between the principles of monasticism and communism?

Let’s take a deeper look, first at communism, shall we?

The ultimate goal of a communist programme is, in a word, utopia; the perfect society in which no one is wanting, oppressed, or unhappy. The means to this end is the society itself; in theory, a well-organized, efficient, and un-corrupt people will produce enough goods to satisfy all, not only a lucky few. Practically speaking, because this “new order” always arises out of societal strife, the process required to arrive at that perfect state is indefinite in length and necessitates sacrifice on everyone’s part. Greed and selfishness are the greatest obstacles, so they say, to achieving the goal – “you have no right to that [insert desired commodity here], no one else has one!” In the end man, in the communal sense, is able to fulfill himself through his productivity and intelligence.

While all that seems awfully attractive, is it what Sts. Luke and Benedict taught about the religious life? In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke the evangelist twice notes the first Christians practicing something rather unexpected. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need (2:44-45).” And again, “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made to each as any had need (4:34-35).” Are the Apostles establishing the first communist society?

There is a fundamental difference between communism and monasticism, that which my classmate failed to recognize, and makes the two, in fact, polar opposites. That difference is Charity. Charity, the desire for the good, the best for another human being; the inner word which says, “I want the absolute best for you simply because you are a person loved by God.” The verse immediately following Acts 2:45 reads, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.” This is what Christ taught by word and action: “love your fellow human and help him to be with me.” The society, for Christianity, is only an avenue, a means to that ultimate, unending goal; it is not the goal itself. The indwelling of the Trinity in us is the only way to possess Charity and nothing we humans do can create that in ourselves. Only Divine Charity has the power to transform a person, or a people, into Perfection and no amount of coercion or “motivation” from a state can accomplish that.

Las Colinas

A beautiful day, an early nap and an empty wallet brought us to the Las Colinas mustangs today. We had a good time exploring a tucked away treasure. Not to worry no mustangs were hurt during our exploration.

 

PT and his Daddy explored the overs and unders of the water fall...

While Avery slept.

Make a face like this PT! The horses love it.

Run, run like the wind

Yup still sleeping...totally unaware that a oversize bronze statue is threatening to squash you and your buggy!

Wow! He is completely over sized!

And again still sleeping...Mom you've got to quit putting me in these awkward situations.

Ha take that you non movable horse! This is for looking like you were putting my brother in danger!

What a wonderful time horsing around with my boys!

Back from the cousins

Two days away and this is what we get back....a monkey! A very cute monkey!