A ray of light in my day...
This boy will be looking down on me in a few years. He probably grew two inches in the last four months. His feet are ripping through his shoes as well! He is working hard to be a good boy everyday and just finished up his first job this week! Great news for an eleven year old!
Boy Number Two
This little guy is the life of the party. You can see it in the energy in his face! What a happy child and a blessing to be around.
-ehw
My happy girls!
After dinner and having fun on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Playing with some light in a corner near the front door. The hardest thing is to get the three year old to look up at the same time the bookworm is pulled out of her library book!
-ehw
Flowers arrived by Mr Speedy Delivery himself
What is an anniversary without flowers for your beloved? Thankfully after 17 years of marriage I can tell by sight what she would like....I just wonder if she noticed I put some roses in this one for a change. Red roses at that! That was the sneaky item this time.
I know you all wanted a portrait of my lovely and dear wife for my project! No better time than an anniversary or Father's Day to get such an achievement done! If your wife is at week 34 of pregnancy, feeling achy, nauseous, and reminding you it is all your fault than you should probably wait a little longer for a portrait opportunity. it is best for the health of the photographer. I am sure I can get a fabulous photo, but I don't know if I could live long enough to develop it.
So until the better opportunity appears, you get a little memory of the flowers I picked up for my wife in the late summer sun on our front porch.
Just a reminder...if you have art needs please let me know. I would be happy to help capture your special day, a portrait or make some special art for your home. Ten percent of your final purchase price will go to charity..right now Regina Caeli Academy our family educational and spiritual home!
-ehw
Today my bride and I celebrate seventeen years of marriage. The rings you see above display the weathering, scratches and soil of living as a couple. These years included ten moves, five home purchases, four children (14, 11, 8, 3), one baby on the way (34 weeks thank you God), four miscarried babies in heaven, hundreds of friends across the country, illnesses galore (some very scary), tears of joy for children's achievements, arguments, resolutions, and deep religious growth granted by God's grace of faith to both of us inside the sacrament of marriage. We each fear the premature loss of the other more than ever. Just the thought takes our collective breath away.
We now, through the years of experience, understand the deep commitment required to maintain this relationship. We learned of the complex interaction between all the forms of love: agape (self gift), philia (friendship), ludus (playful), and eros (physical). At this point of our marriage we can only say we are starting to to keep them all in proper perspective. We find our marital joys multiply when we use these tools God built in us while building his kingdom here on earth. This understanding is right on time. Little kids normally only provide little problems. Big kids have the big head hurting problems to deal with. The next seventeen years should be more interesting then the last seventeen. Therefore we have a lot more work to do on our relationship.
My wife and I lamented the Supreme Court ruling yesterday. It was wrong on a matter of states rights and morality. More importantly it gave into the concept that everyone deserves happiness and love as they personally define it at this moment. The concept of love people throw around in common speech today, has a diluted definition resulting from poor catechesis by churches and schools. I also venture to say the concept comes from a lack of self reflection. The constant bombardment of noise in our brains from so many media sources provides no silence in which God can be heard. If our marriage followed such a fluid metric, we would be a separated wreck of humanity by now.
We will pray our country does not continue down this manmade path of tyranny. This is of course the inevitable result in any country refusing to subordinate itself (and its rulers) to Natural Law principles. This couple will continue to trust in God's compass, not our internally flawed guidance systems subject to radical narcism. We will need it to navigate the scary world now before us.
Thank you God for making my wife, and revealing yourself to us through the graces of his son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. I am grateful for the journey you gave us to travel together. Amen.
-ehw
The proof of the crime
As promised I continue the portrait work...here you see a portrait with a story. In this case, " How do you make sure you can beat Dad?" It is quite simple actually. Play Go Fish with a twist. Deal Dad a six, leave two sixes in the stack, and sit on the fourth one. My boys are genius!
-ehw
P.S. What I think actually happened was Son #2 dealt the card fast and flung it at his brother, Brother missed the card and did not notice it hit the seat. He moved once and it went under his thigh....and Dad did not see it until we cleaned up and he stood up! Photo taken with the Fujifilm XT-1, 23mm lens and processed in Capture One...
The first blooms of the year...and a tribute to resiliance
This is my third annual tribute to two of my Grandparents on what would be their anniversary month....my Babcha and DjaDja. This was the flower Babcha loved dearly, and my grandfather scrounged up for all their dates during World War II in Boston, Massachusetts. A special couple and full of love. Through better and worse they made a good life together, and have a wonderful love story. I miss my DjaDja and wish I could visit my Babcha more often...
What is hard to tell here is that two years ago this bush almost died in the coldest winter in decades. We had no blossoms last year. So this year I am loving the sweet fragrance of these flowers, and their beauty before my eyes.
My next project is to get my Nana's favorite flowers so I can do the same in the memory of my other grandparents! Such good people, and examples of time hardened marriages! Their grey hair are crowns of glory as spoken in proverbs, and had so much to pass on I just did not have time or the experience to fathom.
-ehw
The roar of the lion in Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia
The lion is ready to finally roar! After months of pretty serious thinking I thought I would remind folks out there I am a photographer, who is serious about learning his craft!
My attempt here was to create some emotion in the viewer with this photo. Let me know if it worked!
-ehw
We had a wonderful set of school plays this year, and this is a collection of images from the wonderful evening with the Musicman!
It also serves as a test for embedding video..so bear with me while I work out the details! If you have any problems viewing or enjoying the video stream let me know so I can try and work out a fix with my service providers, Squarespace and Smugmug.
Enjoy the work of a wonderful cast, crew and production team! As always I try my best in these types of parent shares to get as many participants seen as possible.
If you enjoy my work please help support my habit and mission of Capturing His Glory in the faces and places we live. If you see anything here on this site you like, please contact me and I can help you take it home! I remain available for assignments in a wide array of photographic missions! Please contact me using the button above and let me see if I can help you build a piece of art!
-ehw
A moment of joy to remember for a lifetime...
Tonight I caught a moment with my lens which says we are going to be alright somehow in the big picture of life. It took a lot of work from everyone to make Mom's day nice, but it was worth it.
Moments of joy like this are what we need to pray for, live towards, cherish and be willing to sacrifice for. Moments like this are what we need to thank the Lord for when they come, since they can be few and far between in this imperfect world.
-ehw
Live not in vain, but in the light of Christ
Two days ago I attended the funeral for a friend's husband. He passed unexpectedly after a bout with cancer. I heard testimonials from several friends of the deceased. They told the story of a man who lived a life of love for his fellow man. From what his wife told me in the months we've worked together, these were no exaggerations. These tales exactly described his character.
This gentleman was a leader. He bore other's burdens with joy. He called out other men to be leaders in their homes for their wives and children. He was the rock on whom his wife and boys could lean at any time of the day or night for support. From what I heard, and knew from his wife, he was also not a man who allowed blind love of another person to cover up their faults in his eyes. This man called all people to raise themselves up to meet the challenges of life. He carried the same attitude when he looked in the mirror as well. He had confidence in himself, but never a vanity for himself. So when he did not know answers to life's hard questions, he reached out to a trusted circle of friends and the Lord for guidance.
Good men seek challenges, camaraderie, glory in the Lord, and lay down their life in service. Somehow the best of the good men do all these things with a smile. Obviously this gentlemen was all of these things.
So as we stood at the Canton American Military Cemetery, I looked out at the headstones and thought of what this fallen soldier could teach others in one sentence. It really came down to what all good military men have in common. He lived love not vanity.
Please pray for this family. My friend and her two good sons lost a good husband and father. Now they will need the strength to carry on their own lives, with the direction left by a good man in the example of a life well lived inscribed on their hearts.
-ehw
PS Just a note about the photo above. In American Military Cemeteries on US Soil we are not legally allowed to photograph the names on the tombstones (per the custodians at the Los Angeles National Cemetery). So in the four minutes I had to take a few photos before a huge thunderstorm...I got a few quality photos...under that specific guidance. Took some adjustments to make sure I stayed in the law, but I think it worked out.
Professor Harold Hill and you have trouble!
Our school put on one of my two favorite musicals this year....Musicman! If there ever was a show I'd want to be the male lead in, it would be this one! The directors did a great job with the kids on this production. Having been in plays in high school, and our class production at West Point for 100th Night, I am ever in awe with how much work everyone puts into making such a fantastic night.
The teachers and cast turned an old stage into a place of magic for this old soul for just a little while.
For right now I can say I have three of my children who performed on stage for the first time tonight. My daughter did her favorite thing...sing and dance. One special music teacher has my big girl singing with confidence for the first time in her life, and it is a blessing from heaven to see her smile when she sings! One teacher let my daughter dance, and taught her to act. Another teacher took my sons...one who did not act and one who is a natural...and brought out something special in each for a night they are taking into next year in the lower school play.
More later...late night is just about done. I just got all the photos ready to push out to parents from both upper and lower school performances. Only a couple hours of work...learning a lot of tricks and techniques building my style and processing plans. It really is my only contribution to the work the teachers and kids put into it. I hope they like the album and can just sit back and enjoy their hard work with these memories I give them tonight.
-ehw
Timeless glamor
One great part of recitals are the timelessness of costumes and many dance moves. I often think this is why so many parents return to sports fields or the arts. We can literally put ourselves right there in the center of the action if we simply suspend belief in our current age.
In this photo I simply waited for the girls to assemble for their final pose, and snapped away. With the classic hair and costume it was easy to go black and white to add to the timelessness of the image. I wanted to to make viewers wonder if this was last week, last year or ten years ago.
A great photo is really a timeless. That is what I want to keep learning to do.
-ehw
The Holy Mother leads us always to her son Jesus Christ
The greatest gift of motherhood, and femininity, is the the gift of building communities. The most important community women form is their family. In almost all homes, our mother teaches us the traditions we will remember into our adulthood. It is to our mother that we cry when in need, or desire to share a success.
It is no different that Catholics should turn to Mary as our Christian mother. Mary dutifully spent everyday of her life working God's will, and as a reward received God's graces. She carried Jesus to birth in her womb, guided Jesus through his youth, helped him start his ministry, and wept as his lifeless body came off the cross. It was to Mary the angels first announced Christ's resurrection, and then Mary became the mother of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. In the tradition of King Solomon, Christ's mother Mary became the Queen Mother of the church and heaven in due course of time. Everything she did continued to lead others to the teachings of her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In our domestic churches, mothers deserve no less respect and admiration. In my home, my wife is the heart of the family. After months of severe morning sickness, today she was able to spend great amount of time and energy with her children. They responded to her voice, her requests, and felt her love anew. It formed many wonderful new memories. I found myself reminded of why I knew on our first date almost 18 years ago she would be a wonderful mother.
So today I hope you were able to pray for and share a moment with all the mothers in your life.
-ehw
P.S. Capture One Pro 8 is a wonderful editor....and one I find better each time I learn another trick!
The "Our Father" is the perfect prayer since Christ himself taught it to us. It is therefore so fitting we say it just before we approach the altar to receive communion. I reminds us of the awesomeness of God, the reverence for his name, the greatness of his kingdom, the submission to his will required to be part of the kingdom on earth and in heaven. The prayer then foreshadows the transubstantiation of Christ in the Eucharist by asking for our daily bread! Finally it asks for forgiveness of our sins, and the openness we must have to forgive others who also come home to the Lord. Why? We are all sinners in a fallen world where temptation lurks everywhere. We will all fall from time to time, and have a need to come back into the good graces of God.
-ehw
PS Sorry my thoughts are so jumbled this week. I feel like I have a huge case of writers block!
Joy
Seeing the joy on so many young faces this weekend at first communion was a great experience. This is actually one of the best parts of parenthood. Helping your child experience these good steps towards adulthood should fill you with joy as well. Helping our children to know and love the Lord is a challenge, and of the greatest importance to parents for our own eternal salvation. So let us pray we do our evangelization joyfully, and the children respond in kind as they continue their rites of initiation!
-ehw
Father Mario consecrates the eucharist
This weekend we celebrated another wonderful family milestone. Our third child received the Most Holy Eucharist for the first time. With family, friends and a wonderful priest around us; we had a weekend to remember for a lifetime. On a weekend where I had tears fill my eyes as Kevin approached our priest, I just wanted to share one thought with you right now.
Father Mario, of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Alpharetta, is a very special priest. Last year it was this priest who rearranged his calendar to help my wife through the miscarriage with sacraments, and me with prayer. Father Mario, and several deacons, constantly encourages the altar service of my oldest son...and made a call for my second son to join him on the altar at the First Communion Mass. This wonderful priest also quietly will touch my arm every time I pass him, and asks how the new baby and my wife are doing. His homilies always have humor, yet never shy away from calling us out to increased holiness. He also does not shy away from answering tough questions on the homily from my three oldest children...and this happened twice this school year already!
I ask for each of you to pray for the ministry of this special man. He is doing God's work, and not shying away from the challenge of calling men out to join him on the journey.
God Bless you Father Mario!
-ehw
P.S. With so much craziness around us, I wanted to let you my friends know people do exist in this world who are making a difference to add souls to God's Kingdom. For so many of them, raising them up in prayer is the only thing we can do to help sustain them. While some may think this a trite thing to do, it actually can mean the difference in their sustaining their strength in their difficult job! If you agree share the sentiment along the way!
Father visited each First Communicant at the sign of peace
Father Mario takes a moment to bring God's grace at every opportunity
Father Mario's standing order to altar servers...if you are here for daily mass suit up!
The last few weeks are the prettiest of the year in Atlanta. Flowers and blossoms exploding with wonderful color all over town. Our metro area is the most forested in the United States, and we have lots of blooming trees and bushes! It is also the only time my eyes want to be closed shut to fight off the pollen! I am doing a little better this year thanks to my doc...but it is really tough!
-ehw
The balloon
For the record: If Napoleon thought he could inspire Grand Armies with little ribbons I think I may be able to solve the problems of children everywhere with enough balloons. Just one ballon for each child can solve childhood obesity, cooperation, sleep deprivation and getting behind in physics!
-ehw
Boxing
Cooperation
St Bridget in John's Creek
Good Friday was a day for set up as a quest for three young Blue Knights, an aspiring squire, and two dads! We accepted a challenge to travel vast distances to visit three churches, attend stations of the cross, and locate our dear Jesus, St. Joseph and Holy Mother Mary at each stop. We did all our good prayers at each stop! We were lucky on this journey to also encounter friends from Regina Caeli at two stops!
On a Daddy note, it was wonderful to see some full churches and services. It is always painful to dwell on what the Lord did for each of us. Yet, when I saw brothers and sisters filling the pews I knew the message still carries the day in more hearts than the devil cares hear of. So in the midst of the tragedy unfolding then, and now, I still could feel the victory of Christ on the Cross alive in my heart.
Next up? Big Kids and Dad attend veneration this evening!
-EHW
PS Rare photo of the author and his boys at the end!
Kevin reads the stations...
All the boys participated! Wonderful!
St Brendan in Cumming, GA
St Bridget in John's Creek
Ok enjoy it while you can...A proud Dad with his boys.