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The Easter blessing of friends

13 Apr 2009 by

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

We had a blessed Easter Sunday yesterday and it was wonderful to share it with so many friends.

Adam had to serve the 9:30 a.m. mass so our friends Lauren and Matthew sat with the kids and I. It was nice to have a couple of extra laps and arms to help with the kids. We actually made through mass without having to leave! Alleluia!

We came home to have some brunch…of course the only part the kids ate was the resurrection rolls we made. It’s been a great and tasty tradition for Easter Sunday. All sixteen rolls were gone in no time.

After our Easter Egg hunt, we had some old and new friends over for Easter dinner and/or dessert. It was great fun to visit and share some of the sugary abundance we had.

The best and most blessed part though was at the end of the evening. After we put the kids to bed, and a few of us cleaned up, and another few taste tested Adam’s first batch of homebrew, and Zvezdana fixed some of knitting mistakes…the eight of us gathered in the living room and prayed the 3rd day of the Divine Mercy Novena. That was awesome. The blessing of sharing prayer with our friends is what my heart will remember of the holy days we celebrate them.

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Brenham reunion

08 Apr 2009 by

Last week we had a playdate reunion in Brenham with our friends the Ceys. It was so much fun and the kids really missed their play buddies. (I missed my “play buddy” too.)

Brenham has an amazing park! I haven’t been to a park that nice in Austin. Fireman Park had a covered pavilion with a ton of picnic tables, two play scapes, a merry-go-round and restrooms! Great meeting place for children 5 and under! I’m sure it’s there for all the school trips that go to the Blue Blue creamery.

Unfortunately I learned not to suggest taking a picture right after we got rejected from the merry-go-round.

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Birthday Brew

24 Nov 2008 by

Wow.

That’s all I can say. Wow. My friends really know me all too well – and truly love me. All week long I have been blessed with an overflowing mug of malty goodness from friends wishing me a joyful birthday. As of today I have received:

In addition I already had a selection of Abita’s Turbodog and Amber on hand.

Not to be outdone, my wonderful wife gifted me with related reading material:

Isn’t she the greatest? I don’t know yet if this will be a hobby I’ll pursue. From an economical standpoint, it’s a wash. Homebrewing is purely done for entertainment and crafting pleasure.

Getting back to the beer in my home, I’d love to share a pint with ya. Sharon has this strange idea that I won’t be able to handle it all on my own. I know, after nearly six years you think she’d know me by now :) . Anyway, we’ll be here all Thanksgiving week so come on by when you have some time and let’s have a toast to friendship. Prost!

Cardinal Ratzinger enjoying a brew

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Pray for the Alexanders

28 Oct 2008 by

Many of you know Greg and Julie Alexander, founders of the Alexander House.  Julie suffered a heart attack on Saturday.  For more information on her condition, please visit their Caring Bridge site.

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Rest In Peace, Fr. Rick

14 Oct 2008 by

Father Rick Miller was received into the hands of our Lord this evening. Our love goes with him.

Fr. Rick Miller and Gianna

Saints of God, come to his aid!
Come to meet him, angels of the Lord!
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.
Amen.

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Pray for Sick Priests

09 Oct 2008 by

In particular, please pray for Fr. Rick Miller.  He is an associate pastor at St. Boniface parish in Lafayette, Indiana.  Fr. Miller is suffering from cancer.

Dear Jesus, Divine Physican and Healer of the sick, we turn to You in this time of illness of our sick priests.  O Dearest Comforter of the troubled, alleviate their worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant our priests the grace and stength to accept this burden.  Dear God, we place all their worries in Your hands. We place our sick priests under Your care and humbly ask that You restore Your servant to health again.  Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge Your will and know that whatever You do, You do for the love us. Amen.

Jesus we trust in you.

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Roxy’s Baby Shower

20 Sep 2008 by

I co-hosted a baby shower this afternoon with Katie and Jenny. Graciously Katie did a lot of the  work and so I really should say, Jenny and I helped Katie throw Roxy a baby shower.

Roxy is such a sweet young woman. I truly admire the great faith life she has at such a young age.  (She at least a decade younger than me. )  I hope that when our girls are her age they will have their spiritual lives as together as she does.

So, this was not your run of the mill shower with baby games, but a very beautiful Christian celebration of life.  Katie asked the guests to bring a holy card or scripture verses to share with Roxy and to support her during these last few weeks and in labor.   Katie had the frame and we put it together for Roxy to take home with her and then eventually take with her to the hospital.

Holy Family, pray for us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

St. Gerard, pray for us.

St. Gianna, pray for us.

St. Monica, pray for us.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.

Mary Clare, pray for us.

All Holy men and women, pray for us.

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Party Central

20 Sep 2008 by

Well, I finally get to sit down after a very festive few days.  We started the morning bidding farewell to our friends the Cey family who have been staying with us since Thursday afternoon.  Just being in their presence it a party in and of itself.  I know I’ve been running off the adrenaline of just seeing them since they moved back in May.  “Thanks” to hurricane Ike, they’ve been without power since last Saturday and needed to do some laundry.  We’re blessed they chose to come all the way down here to do it! :)   The kids had the best time seeing each other and playing.

Then off we went to the house warming lunch of the Selvaraj family.  They just bought a new house close to the school their daughter is attending.  It’s HUGE and I told Adam that when we win the lottery, he can buy such a house for me provided we have enough children to fill the space!

Then I was off to co-host a baby shower. (More about that in the next post.)

Finally we just arrived home from celebrating the 30th birthday of our friend, Thuy. I can’t believe I’ve known her as long as I have.  We met when I was teaching at UT and she was in one of my classes.  And now our kids are growing up together! Blessed be God!!

They had a great party theme.  It was a potluck–bring something that looks like another food or something else.  With hosting our friendly evacuees, and the baby shower, we didn’t have much time to think of anything.  So we whipped up these Oreo creatures:  frogs, snails, octopi, crabs, and fish.  The other guests came up with some fun stuff:  a shepherd’s pie that looked like a real pie,  meatloaf and mashed potatoes that looked like cupcakes, and Thuy’s husband, John, made a birthday cake that looked like a hamburger.  Happy Birthday Thuy.

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Bridal Shower Reunion

30 Aug 2008 by

Earlier today I was blessed to go to the bridal shower of our friend Vanessa Garza who lives DC.  Her parents live in the area and we know them well from pro-life circles.   Adam and I were blessed with Vanessa’s friendship 6 years ago when we were courting and she worked for the Office of Pro-Life Activities for the Diocese of Austin.  She’s one of those phenomenal Catholics that never found the right guy, but you knew whoever is the blessed man to marry her, he’s got to be special!

So after 5 years, she’s to marry her match made in heaven.  Her future husband is indeed her “equal.”  He is the vice president for public policy for The Knights of Columbus. He works directly under Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight.   And I think she has one of the most romantic wedding proposals I’ve ever heard. He proposed to her at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome after mass in front of the tomb of St. Peter!  Blessed be God!

Best wishes and many blessings to you, Vanessa and Patrick!

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Update from the Patient

02 Aug 2008 by

Greetings, everyone. I can’t thank you enough for all you have done for me and the family these past few days. Your help has been very appreciated. I’m well enough where I can give my beloved a little break on the updates and fill you in myself.

  • All my meals will be through a straw or a large syringe for the next few weeks. I expect to tire of it shortly but I never expected that the meals would be filling. It could also be that I don’t have much of an appetite. Sharon sure does know how to pack a lot of nutrients into a glass.
  • I take medications regularly: Pain meds, antibiotics, mouth washes, and nasal sprays. These have been very helpful, but they do make my drowsy. I rest as often as I can.
  • The lower portion of my face is quite swollen. Talking and swallowing are difficult and tiresome. I occasionally apply hot-packs to my face for temporal relief.
  • Nosebleeds are frequent and expected. Part of the surgery was done in the sinus area so the swelling pressure is relieved through the nose.

So far there hasn’t been any surprises and we can hope that recovery will continue at a good pace. I see the orthodontist and the surgeon early next week so I’ll have more news to report then. I’ve remembered all your prayer intentions for those of you who sent them. I haven’t forgotten a one and still turn to them in moments of discomfort. Thank you again for all your prayers. I cannot do this alone.

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