Home Sweet Home...it's about TIME!!!

The picture may be blurry, but I just had to post it.  I was so happy to be home.  Walking through the door was like coming home to Heaven.  The boys had made crafts for me, one of which was the American Flag hanging on the door with "Sweet Home USA" written underneath.

When people ask me how long I was gone, I'd say "a week and a half."  But that doesn't do the absence justice!  It's funny how my perception of time has always been.  I've always looked at time in two ways: the overall and the in the moment.  This trip for example, I look back now on the trip and it seems like it was just yesterday that I was getting on the plane to travel to Africa, yet here I am happily at home in the "blink of an eye."  However, living each of those days that I was gone, it really makes me want to stress to everyone how long "a week and a half" is.  (If you're wondering, it was 9.125 days, or 219 hours or 13,140 minutes.)  In a way, I think this is a glimpse of what God sees in our lives.  We see the moment that we are in, and we can reflect on the moment that just passed, or postulate about the moments to come.  God, however, sees the entire trip from start to finish.

It was no mistake that I read A Severe Mercy while on this trip.  One of Vanauken's themes throughout the book is time, or rather, the quest for the Timeless moments.  Those moments that last forever, when you are unmolested by what's next or what appointment is pending, etc.  Of course, this doesn't exist here on earth, but only in Eternity.  It was interesting that he, and C.S. Lewis, used this yearning as a proof of an Eternal Afterlife.  Our souls are not meant for this world, and as such, they long for Eternity.

Another interesting point of view I gained from this trip is how uncertainty, which is basically fear, can rob us of what God truly wants us to have.  The ultimate gift that God wants us to have is Eternal Life with Him in Heaven.  In order to possess that ultimate gift we have to pay the "ultimate price" of our lives.  I love life, and to be quite honest, the thought of death is uneasy for me to say the least.  There are lots of uncertainties with death and the afterlife.  We have some promises that we can fall back on, but there is no "eye witness proof."

So, my trip to Africa represents my present take on death/dying.  I did not want to do it.  I dreaded leaving my family (death) and the long lines at the airport/long flights (Purgatory, no doubt).  But once I arrived at my final destination (ok, I cannot, in truth, call Africa "Heaven"...sorry) It was OK.  I was OK.  I was pleasently surprised at how "normal" it was.

Conversely, my return trip home from Africa represents what I'm striving for as a Christian.  I looked forward to it.  I was leaving a place that I knew was not my home (death.)  Yes, the lines and flights (Purgatory) would be long and taxing, but I knew what was waiting for me when I arrived at my final destination of home (Heaven.)  Again, walking through the door that day was like entering the Pearly Gates of Heaven.  I was greeted by my children and loving wife.  The house was so warm and cozy.  So welcoming.  Candles flickered on the table and many more on the mantle.  It was nothing short of heavenly.  It was one of those "timeless" moments that I just wanted to freeze and remain there...after a shower, of course.

"It's a Black Mamba!!" (And some other African Scenery)

Today, my office mate, John Paterson, took me out in the field just to get out of the office.  While out on a back road, we spotted a few hawks eating a black mamba!  It was really cool.  Then he took me down another road that had village on it.  I'm impressed with the things that these people have done with so little.  They make their own bricks and build their houses with them.  They farm the land and use every last bit of the crop.  Nothing is wasted.  The women here do all the hard work (I guess just like a pride of lions!)  They do the work in the field, carry the crops back on their heads, cook, clean, everything....all with babies strapped on thier backs!  It is unreal.  Just like National Geographic.

One of my fellow coworkers today was, again, taken aback that I was named after his country.  He had been to the States and he said that he was surprised to see other people named Chad.  And that some women's names was the name of his tribe.  What is the name of his tribe, you ask? Guess!  KIM!!!  I laughed and said, "That's my wife's name!"  We all got a big kick out of the fact that me and my wife were named after his Country and his tribe.

Lunch time!

He's guarding the snake from us!

"It's a Black Mamba!" (Go watch Duma)

I'm not a bird watcher, but this appears to be a Blue Heron.  It was great!  (pun)

The village

Dear Evan, Elliot and Drew...(a love letter to my family)

Be Thankful

Evan is thankful for:  Having good parents and brothers.  Legos. MP3 Player. My own laptop (not really), the Wii, Pokemon cards, bike, scooter, Dish Network, flat screen TV.

Elliot is thankful for mom and dad and the whole family.
Drew is thankful that he slept all night in his bed

Catching Up

Well, we've got some catching up to do to close out October 2009 and to ring in November (the most fabulous month of the year in my opinion - and it isn't just because of my birthday...)

The Vocations Chalice
We were honored to be the hosts for our Parish's Vocations Chalice for the week beginning on Priesthood Sunday.  I was amazed to read that the Chalice belonged to a LaSalette Missionary!  (The LaSalette Fathers have a special place in my heart, as I grew up attending LaSalette Parishes, and also since my Grandmother gave me the sermons and writings of Fr. Veillard, a LaSalette priest and former pastor of her parish years ago.  These sermons are over 100 years old, yet still speak to the heart today.)  Throughout the day we kept the Chalice on the Dining Room table and we prayed at mealtimes with the Chalice.  Then at night, I'd bring the Chalice up to the boys room and place it on the dresser between their beds and we'd pray for vocations along with our night time prayers.  The boys loved having "The Holy Grail" in their bedroom at night.  Drew and Elliot said that they slept "super good" having the Chalice in the room with them.

The Vocations Chalice, aka "The Holy Grail"

Hmmm, which one is going to be the Priest?

PumpkinFest
Every year since 1988, my parents have had a little shindig called PumpkinFest.  It had humble beginnings:  gather the family together one Saturday afternoon, carve pumpkins, roast hot dogs, tell ghost stories beside the fire,hang out and go on a hayride.  Judges - who remained anonymous until it was time to judge - would decide whose pumpkin was the best.  The creativity - and competition - was such that we had to expand to include categories for the pumpkins:  Freehand, Pattern, Decorated, Kids w/ no help, Kids pattern & Kids decorated.We did it again the next year and the next, and before we knew it we had a full blown family tradition.  The festivites and crowd grew, and it became one of those things that you look forward to even when it is months and months away.  I'd find myself in the Spring looking at something cool and saying to myself, "this would be a good pumpkin idea for PumpkinFest."

As the years passed, we started scaling back on the invitees, eventually settling in pretty much on immediate family and close friends.  It is still a blast and we can still count on some things that will never change such as the Pumpkin Egg Hunt, the Hayride, and my brother-in-law Glenn winning first place with his pumpkin regardless of what it is!

This year, PumpkinFest was in danger of being cancelled.  Pop had come down with fever the night before, so we opted to remain in Kingwood and not take the chance of passing it on to the kids.  The boys were downright bummed.  Halloween was on Saturday, so we made the decision that we'd have our very first PumpkinFest West on Halloween morning.  It was a simple affair with some tables for carving, some hot dogs for munching and some good friends to share it all with.  Everyone seemed to love it and the boys were so excited to have our very own PumpkinFest, that I foresee this as an annual affair.  I was really proud of the boys, especially Elliot and Drew.  Evan is pretty handy with carving tools, but this year, Elliot and Drew really wanted to be independent with their design and cutting/gutting of the pumpkin, so I let them do it alone.  The results are remarkable.  We had the three designs set up for the trick or treaters to vote on as they came to the house for Halloween.  Don't let the others know, but Elliot's pumpkin won by a landslide.

The first annual PumpkinFest West

Elliot hard at work

Drew concentrates

Evan's Masterpiece

Elliot's hard work pays off

Drew's is really good...and creepy when lit (see below)

Wow, look at those pumpkin-shines!

Later that night, we took to the neighborhood with Anakin Skywalker and two Ninjas to demand candy from our helpless neighbors.  No one can resist a Jedi Mind Trick, and even if they wanted to, they wouldn't dare cross a Jedi when his entourage includes two ninjas!  We had a borrowed Lion costume for Dylan, but he only wore it for the photo op.  The next morning, the boys had their candy laid out and there was some rudimentary trading going on.

You will give us all of your candy!

Roar!

All Saint's Morning

Beer Judging
Kim had gone to the store that morning and came back with a "pick your six" six pack of beers and we had a little beer judging going on.  They were all good for the most part.  The only negative came as result of Kim's Party Foul.

Leinenhugel's Fireside Nutbrown Ale - Thumbs Up!

Sam Adam's Boston Lager - Sideways thumb, uh oh!

Kim's Guinness meets an untimely end...definite thumbs down!

Shiner Cheer - Thumbs up with it's peachy flavor!

Saint Arnold's Christmas Ale - Thumbs up.

(Not shown: Kim had an old favorite, Dos Equis Special Lager, which of course is a big thumbs up in our house!)

...for old time's sake...ah, Florida...

Official PumpkinFest
The next weekend we went to Gran and Pop's house for the re-scheduled Official Pumpkin Fest, so we can now say that PumpkinFest celebrated it's 21st birthday!  Wow, that is so hard to believe!!  It was a little weird having it in November, but all the important elements were there, especially the family, and we had a blast.  On the Hayride, we are always saying that we need to come up with some "pumpkin carols" but we never do.  Back in High School, our Chemistry teacher, Mr. Andreyk, went all out for Halloween including a slew of Pumpkin Carols that were usually set to Christmas Carol melodies.  None of us remember any of them.  So this year, we made one up on the fly called the 12 Days of PumpkinFest.  We made it up by naming all those things that we love about PumpkinFest and sang it as the hayride wound throughout the nieghborhood.

So, without further adieu, I give you the 12 Days of PumpkinFest:
One set of pumpkin carving tools
Two pumpkin seeds
Three hot dogs
Four carving lessons
Five orange pumpkins
Six brownies
Seven miles of hayride
Eight pumpkin eggs
Nine marshmallows
Ten winning prizes
Eleven scarecrows
Twelve Glenn victories

Everyone is hard at it

Creativity abounds

Kim gets it just right

This pumpkin is mine

My baby angel pumpkin darlin' doodle dandy

Drew's pumpkin had a scar like Anakin Skywalker

Another pumpkin egg bites the dust.

The hayride

Evan leads the way

Gran's birthday was October 16th, Kim's Mom's birthday was on October 30th, and mine was November 8th, so we took the time for some birthday celebrations before heading home.

Elliot drawing in the dirt at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Pioneer Day
Saturday November 14th was Pioneer Day at Jesse Jones Park in Humble, so we went there and had a great time seeing how it was way back when.  We missed out last year, so it was nice to get back and check it out. This time, Evan and Elliot both showed off their master skills with the bow and arrow.  Up first, Elliot with his third try shot an arrow through a ring earning himself a handsome Large Red Feather.  Not to be outdone, Evan on his second shot, not only shot his arrow through the ring, but also nailed a turkey!  His prize was to keep the turkey to show off to all his friends and family.

Uh oh, a house divided!  This is a new take...

...on a classic photo.  Oh my, how I love, Love, LOVE this picture!!

Led Zeppelin wasn't available, so they brought in the Fretted Friends

Evan shoots

And Scores!!

Ah, to the victor goes the spoils!

Nice shot!

Elliot's Red Feather

Drew got a blue feather just for being so awesome!

Life is good ya'll!!

Love,

Chad, Kim and the Boys