A Christmas classic

We don't actually have a Christmas tradition of Santa Claus pictures, but I think this one is an instant classic of the genre, at least for our family:

We went to the Notre Dame Club's Christmas brunch last week, our first Club event in some time, and it was a lot of fun.  They had a photographer there so we actually got some really nice pictures from the event, which was an added treat.  Excellent food and nice to connect with some old and new Irish friends.

Joseph wanted pretty much everything in sequence: eggs, pancakes, potatoes, fruit, and anything else we had

Malcolm carefully decorates his own ornament

Malcolm and Joseph spinning around

Notre Dame Dallas weekend

The Irish came to Dallas last month to play Arizona State at Cowboys Stadium.  Mike and I ended up not going to the game itself, but we did drive out to tailgate for the afternoon before the game.  Elizabeth watched Michael and Malcolm for the afternoon, so we just took Joseph and he enjoyed his second time out to Arlington.  It was unexpectedly chilly, but the rain held off for the afternoon and we had a fantastic time.  I got to see three of my classmates, two of whom I hadn't seen in six or seven years (!), who'd come in for this game from Houston, Austin, and Chicago.  I was so happy to visit with them.  I've said before that Notre Dame is really the only thing in my life  I experience nostalgia for.  It doesn't take much to remember studying all night at the heavy wooden desk in my senior dorm room, waiting for friends on the steps of South Dining Hall (and eating my trusty chicken patty sandwich for lunch all the time), making Easy Mac in my hot pot, scrawling notes on people's white boards, fighting the wind and trudging through snow during finals weeks, praying with friends at Sunday night dorm masses, standing on the wooden bleachers in the stadium (either baking in August or shivering in November), lugging suitcases and boxes up and down stairs every semester for move-in and move-out days, scrolling through microfilm in the library, listening to the weird radiator clanging sounds in old buildings, and just ... everything.  There's such a tremendous sense of *place* about Notre Dame that stays with you.  I've only been out eleven years and I know I'm probably as bad as any other alum in complaining about not being able to recognize half the new buildings around campus or having no idea how the technology has changed things about the student experience (why, in my day, ethernet had just been installed on campus, and MP3s were the new file format you could use to download songs from any student's folder on the open intranet, and I didn't even have a cellphone until senior year! *shakes fist*).  Still, enough stays the same that it doesn't take much at all to remember everything.  And of course the things I valued most about ND were the friendships.  It was a pretty amazing group.  And while many people, as noted, I haven't seen in years, they were the kind of friends that you can see after seven years and know that, while they're different, they're also still the same in so many ways and it's wonderfully easy to talk as if no time has passed.  I'm so thankful for that.

...And enough with the reminiscing.  We did not end up making it to my sister's tailgate, since the parking lots were a lot farther apart than I realized from looking on the map, but she also had a fun time, and she got to go to the game too.  Also, my parents came in for the weekend and so did Mike's dad, and all of the grandparents really enjoyed seeing the grandkids.

Michael is always so happy to see Lita!

Go Irish

Happy to hang out with Grandpa!

A special surprise this weekend was seeing Aunt Amanda, who came back for the weekend from where she is working in Guatemala.  You can tell how happy she was to see her little sobrinos.  They were pretty happy to see her too.  Que buena sorpresa!  :)

Target trip!

Silly faces

Michael and his godmother

Amanda and sobrinos

Sibs, parental units, and cousins :)

Special letter

We were not able to go to Ireland for the Notre Dame game this year, but we happily accepted a few souvenirs sent from the family members who did make it there.  Michael was thrilled to receive his very own postcard from Lita and Papi and read the whole thing by himself - the only word he really needed help on was "Wales".  He also nabbed the scarf and hat for his parents for himself, but we didn't mind (Malcolm took his turn later and they continue to be favorite articles of clothing between them).  It has been a great start to the season and we're getting the boys well conditioned to say "Go Irish!!"

ND Picnic

Beautiful weekend in Dallas - warm in the sun, but a bit cooler and less windy than normal this time of year.  Yesterday morning we all walked up to the elementary school to vote, and then continued walking over to the park for a few hours.  After voting, I had to run to catch up with the boys on the way to the park because I wanted to chat first with one of the city councilmen who was standing outside about retail development on our side of town.  The councilman was very engaging and informative, so think I voted for the right candidate for that place!


Today we went to the ND Club picnic and had a very nice time visiting with some new friends and seeing a lot of familiar faces.  Michael played around, then spent a long time coloring with chalk on a concrete retainer wall by the park pavilion.  Mike was keeping a close eye on him for awhile, but when he looked away for a bit, he caught Michael hiding behind the Notre Dame banner eating chalk.  Hopefully that's harmless!  Michael also kept asking Theresa, "Where's Amanda?"  She tried prompting him to say, "Where's Aunt T?"  He did not take the hint.  He did bring her a cookie later, though, so I don't think it was personal.

I wanted to take a picture with Stefani with our babies, since this time last year we were there looking very pregnant (Canon ended up being born later that night!!) -- but we had to leave for naptime before we got a chance to.  We still got a few pictures of our boys.

Joe Cool, one year old

Malcolm checks out the shades

Future Irish

Between stops at Mike's aunts' houses in South Bend yesterday, we had to swing by campus for a quick photo opportunity.  No one was around at all, it was pretty cold, and we really only had time to jump out of the car and back in -- but when you drive the whole way from Dallas to South Bend, you can't miss the chance to visit, right?  I was happy to introduce the boys to campus -- maybe they'll be back someday!

HUUUGHES!!!

All's Well That Ends...Well?

Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky
Gives us free scope, only doth backward pull
Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull.
(All's Well that Ends Well, 1.1.209)

  Since we are days away from yet another season of Notre Dame football, now seems like a perfect time to post a video that encapsulates much of what has led us as Fighting Irish fans to this point in time, where we once again place our faith in another head coach to finally right the ship that has been drifting for so long. As the often say, let's go to the tape:

St. Paddy's Parade on Greenville

Bearing good fruit

Last Friday I read this moving story by a woman who became pregnant as a senior at Notre Dame 10 years ago and chose to have her baby, despite a lack of support from her boyfriend. She wanted to ask Fr. Jenkins, "Who draws support from your decision to honor President Obama—the young, pregnant Notre Dame woman sitting in that graduating class who wants desperately to keep her baby, or the Notre Dame man [like her boyfriend] who believes that the Catholic teaching on the intrinsic evil of abortion is just dining-room talk?" I don't think he's listening at this point. Extremely disappointing.

I was finally motivated, though, to go back to the Planned Parenthood off Greenville that I prayed at a few times last Lent. This time I brought Michael with me and had him in the sling while we stood on the sidewalk praying. In a very small way, I hope that witness helps. How can a cute baby not help? It was a good experience. I met someone who knows Chris (naturally!) and talked with the woman who prays there every morning. We said a rosary, and Michael was great -- he was eating the rosary beads, mostly, since we used the nice, colorful wooden child's rosary he got for his baptism :) We will try to go back this Friday.

Students at ND are organizing a prayerful demonstration during the commencement. They could use your prayers too.

Obama situation gets worse

Arizona State isn't going to give the President an honorary degree at their commencement this because they don't think he's done enough yet in his career.  But Notre Dame is conferring a law degree when the only things he *has* done as President in a legal capacity are things pretty much antithetical to Catholic principles?  (Unless spending $2 trillion dollars is such a pro-Catholic thing somehow it negates the federal funding for abortion groups and embryonic stem cell research -- how, I'm not sure.)  I have more here and here.

More fallout at ND

I have another post up here.   Bishop D'Arcy has decided not to attend Commencement for the first time in his 25-year tenure, and several student groups, including the pro-life group, have organized to express their opposition to recognizing President Obama with an honorary law degree.  As the students note, "To award a Notre Dame law degree to a lawyer and politician who has used the law to deny equality to the unborn diminishes the value of the degree itself."  That somewhat understates the matter, but it's clearly correct.  The media are starting to take notice.  I think the University must have known they weren't doing the right thing here, but they must be surprised by the scope of the reaction.  How are they going to respond?

Scandalous invitation

The news broke late Friday that President Obama will be Notre Dame's commencement speaker this year. That the nation's preeminent Catholic university would invite the most pro-abortion president we've ever had to give such a prominent address and receive an honorary law degree is astonishing and unjustifiable.

After a weekend with little to no comment from the university -- they must realize how objectionable this whole affair is -- Fr. Jenkins commented yesterday in an interview with the Observer. My take: I'm still as upset as I was on Friday when I heard about it, and a lot of other people are too.  I bet Bishop D'Arcy won't even attend the ceremony.

In its 2004 statement "Catholics in Political Life," the USCCB advised, "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." This should be a no-brainer, but the frequency with which Catholic institutions host such speakers means it needed to be said. Unfortunately, Fr. Jenkins seems to be ignoring the clear meaning and context of this directive in favor of hair-splitting interpretations: The president's honorary degree, he said, "does not, it is not intended to condone or endorse his position on specific issues regarding life. That's not what we're honoring."

So how is he going to make that clear? As the USCCB statement implied, it's hard to separate public honors and accolades of a person from censure of his positions. That's assuming censure even occurs, which I doubt it would here. Fr. Jenkins can tell the alumni and students in the student newspaper that of course we disagree with the President on life issues, but is it likely he's going to say even that much on stage? - much less give any sort of harsh rebuke to the President for causing taxpayers to fund international abortions or destruction of human embryos? Of course not. (You can already tell from Jenkins's comments that he is looking forward to honoring Obama as a "powerful and eloquent" speaker who is "an inspiring leader." Um, sure.)

Even if Catholics could delude themselves, a la Doug Kmiec, before the election that Obama was somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, really pro-life in practice, there is no way they could think so now. The President has gone out of his way, during a time of economic distress, to allow taxpayer funding for embryonic stem cell research and abortions. He routinely selects pro-choice Catholics (Biden, Daschle, Sebelius) for key positions, including ones that will affect health care in America. And regardless of whether it's likely to end up on his desk, he has said he will sign the Freedom of Choice Act to eliminate all legislative restrictions on abortion. This is morally and ethically wrong, especially to Catholics. Fr. Jenkins doesn't pretend otherwise (I don't doubt he adheres to Catholic teaching on life issues; of course he does); he just thinks hosting Obama will allow us to have a dialogue and engagement with Obama on these issues.

I think this is unlikely, to say the least. I think, instead, the media and public at large will miss any nuanced "dialoguing" that happens on campus in connection with the event, leaving the main narrative perception of the commencement events to be that Notre Dame hosted Obama, and so abortion just must not be that big of issue for the American church today. (Everyone today remembers Mario Cuomo's "personally opposed" debacle in the 80s happened at Notre Dame. Was there "dialogue" on campus at the time? Who knows?) It gives cover to the Pelosis and Bidens of the world who promulgate ludicrous misreadings of Church teaching and continue publically supporting abortion and other moral wrongs in America. It undermines the moral standing and Catholic character of Notre Dame. It's a huge disappointment for anyone who loves the university and cares about its character. For shame, Fr. Jenkins.

(cross-posted with my other blog)

National Signing Day

Today is Christmas for college football fans around the country. Charlie Weis unwrapped several presents today, including California RB Cierre Wood, New Jersey prep stars Tyler Stockton (DT), Theo Riddick (RB), and Carlo Calabrese (LB), and Illinois offensive lineman Chris Watt.

Notre Dame Adds 17 to 2009 Roster

But none was more important than Hawaii native Manti Te'o, the consensus #1 linebacker in the country. Te'o announced this morning at a signing conference this morning with other football players from Hawaii. His decision was ultra-suspenseful because he had told media earlier that the school he chose would not know of his decision until he announced it this morning. There is a great video of ND coaches reacting to his announcement on the official athletic website.

Punahou's Manti Te'o signs letter of intent with Notre Dame

[caption id="attachment_593" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Consensus #1 Linebacker Manti Te'o"][/caption]

Notre Dame also landed a commitment today from 2010 defensive end Chris Martin, from Oakland, CA. Below is a video of Martin at a USC camp in June 2008.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2049735&w=425&h=350&fv=id%3D8597519%26shareEnable%3D0]

more about "Chris Martin 2010 Defensive End", posted with vodpod

Impressive.

Michael's New Friend

Michael got a new friend today. Thanks to Ryan for the frightening leprechaun.

[caption id="attachment_498" align="aligncenter" width="468" caption="The Fightin' Irish"][/caption]

Busy day

Yesterday was a really full day, which left me pretty exhausted by the end of it, but it was fun overall!  We slept in in the morning (since we know those days are numbered).  Then we headed out to do early voting, just in case I'm indisposed on actual Election Day.  I must say, it is nice to be back in a red state.  Ohio was an interesting place to be as a swing state.  Then I lived in the People's Republic of Montgomery County, Maryland, for a few years, where I pretty much got funny looks from the poll workers when I would ask for a Republican primary ballot (and would listen to endless anti-Bush chatter in the poll lines from people in line around me :).  Bethesda is pretty much like DC - about 85% Democrat - so I had my share of years with my vote not counting at all.  But Texas is pretty solid red country (even if Dallas County has a fair mix of Democrats, which is fine with me) so I'm glad to contribute to re-electing Pete Sessions (a strong pro-life candidate) and helping win Texas for McCain-Palin.

After voting, Mike and I went shopping for a few lunch items and we hosted Fr. Louis, the associate pastor at our parish, for lunch.  It was so nice to meet him and we enjoyed some turkey sandwiches while learning more about Nigeria (where he's from) and discussing a bit of theology.  Fr. Louis is one of seven children, and it sounds like his parents were pretty strict about education for all of them, since they are spread out internationally and seem to have a variety of classical degrees.  Fr. Louis speaks English pretty fluently and also German - sounds like he likes reading Pope Benedict in the original, from some things he was quoting.  Father blessed our house also, which we are grateful for.  So we are all protected spiritually here :)

After lunch, we headed to Uptown to watch the Georgia-LSU and Texas-Oklahoma State games with a few of my co-workers and their friends, which was definitely fun, and then we went to the ND gamewatch to enjoy a total shutdown of the Huskies.  As one commentator said, Clausen picked a good day to look like a sophomore, because even at half efficiency, the Irish still dominated the game completely.  Go Irish!  An OSU loss capped the evening.  And then I had to fall asleep, since all these high-impact aerobics going on in my stomach are just a bit exhausting.  Mike thinks the baby is getting closer to figuring out where the trapdoor release button is located in there.  Ha.

Catharsis

The Quinn Factor

[caption id="attachment_223" align="aligncenter" width="468" caption="The Brady Quinn Endorsement"][/caption]

Babies are cute

Giant ankles are not, but that's what I've had for about a week.  Mike helped me when we got home from work the other night by setting me up with about seven pillows to elevate my feet!  Also I did get to try out the nice new bathtub on Thursday before we went to South Bend.  It felt great.  If we can get the pool water back in balance, I'll try that too.

The game was great on Saturday - best seats I've ever sat in, although somehow I forgot about how that fall sun can be a killer when you're out directly in it for four hours in the stands.  So, I didn't wear my pink shirt the next day to the baby shower since my neck and arms were about the same shade :)

[caption id="attachment_210" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Grandma G, Mom, T and me at the tailgate "][/caption]

The next day was the baby shower at Mike's Aunt Sue's house.  They have a gorgeous house in South Bend on the river.  I had never been there before and don't think I even knew houses like that existed in town!  They have that early 20th-century manor architecture and detailing - a bit European (like I could come down for tea and a murder mystery :) and a bit like Northwest D.C. estates (although way more space than even some of the nicer D.C. houses I've been in).  Anyway, it was very gracious for Aunt Sue and Uncle Paul to host.  I got to meet several of the Lawler cousins (including my name twin, the original Kim Lawler :) and see a few I hadn't met since the wedding.  Mom's friends Chrissy Klauer and her sister Tricia were there, Dr. Schuda from Columbus came for a little while, and there were even a couple of babies there between my 10-month-old niece and Mike's cousin Laura's new baby.

Theresa, Mom and Mrs. Lawler did a great job hosting the shower and I did really enjoy it!  T set up a baby present bingo game which I think people had fun with.  I got a ton of adorable baby clothes, bibs, blankets, and towels, so Michael the Baby should be largely set on those.  (Except that everyone keeps saying you can go through four onesies a day!)  I also got a boppy pillow, which is supposed to be a great support pillow for breastfeeding.

[caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Boppy pillow!"][/caption]

I need to get to writing all my thank you notes now.  Thanks first to Kelly (Dan's girlfriend) for keeping track of who gave everything - it is really helpful!  Thanks also to Mrs. Lawler for providing transportation to and from the airport :)  We had a fun visit on the way to and from South Bend and thanks to Google Maps on my Blackberry, we even managed not to get lost.

I was so happy also on Sunday to get to see Whitney, who was able to drive down from St. Joe for the shower.  Whitney and I only get to see each other maybe once a year or so since we used to spend hours at Panera and Arby's in law school.  We also only have about four pictures taken together since we originally met (since Panera and Arby's aren't big picture-taking locales!) so my mom snapped one here.

[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Picture #4 of me and Whitney since 2002 :)"][/caption]

(Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but it really hasn't been that much!)  I'm glad to hear she and Brian are doing well - they just bought their first house too.  It was great to visit so hopefully we can do it again soon.

Baby Shower - Saturday

Kim and I were treated to an excellent weekend in South Bend. It was perfect weather and we both had a lot of fun with everyone who decided to come out. We are very appreciative of all the hard work that went into planning the weekend. I don't think Kim had a thing to worry about all weekend (except her swollen ankles!).

At 7:00 Saturday morning, my Dad, Ryan, Lucas, and myself drove early to South Bend to tailgate with my cousins John and Andy, who are regulars in the Joyce tailgate lot. Before too long the Blackwell's made an appearance, along with Kim's grandma. Kim and my Mom, who left a bit later, were able to fight the traffic and make it by 12:30. I always appreciate how welcoming everyone is at Notre Dame and Joyce Lot seems to be insulated from the regular surveillance of the NDSP.

Before too long we made it to our seats, which, thanks to the generosity of Lucas and the Blackwell's, were located in the lower bowl of the stadium. It was the best seats I've ever sat in at a regular game. Aside from a row of Purdue fans behind us, the game experience was excellent. Even though Notre Dame got off to a slow start again, the eventually outshone Purdue through their superior talent and effort. It was best game the offense has played since 2006.

After the game, Kim & I enjoyed a delicious meal in McKenna Hall with the Blackwell's. Then we headed over to my Aunt Susan's house where the baby shower was to be held, and vegged the rest of the night watching Alabama crush Georgia and Penn State swat away Illinois.

Palinized

Since last Friday, when John McCain selected Alaska governer Sarah Palin as his running mate, Kim & I have been waiting to hear her speak at the convention. We were rooting for her even before the media started ripping apart every aspect of her personal life and smearing her with unsubstaniated rumors and innuendo. Gov. Palin's speech last night amplified our enthusiam for her selection as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. I think we've both experienced (Kim more personally) the absolute contempt in which conservative women are held by liberals. They are considered traitors for not whole-heartedly co-signing the Democrats' platform of absolute abortion rights and are sneered at whenever they champion the cause of domestic motherhood over professional success. Gov. Palin's nomination and speech last night went a long way in destroying the Democrats' myth that their philosophy and policies are the only way for women to advance in the world. Below are some highlights from the speech picked out by conservative blogger Bob McCarty.

“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”




“I might add that in small towns, we don’t quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren’t listening.”




“But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.”




“That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.”




“…we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we’ve got lots of both.”




“But listening to (Barack Obama) speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.”




“This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word “victory” except when he’s talking about his own campaign.”




“Victory in Iraq is finally in sight … (Barack Obama) wants to forfeit.”




“Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay … (Barack Obama) wants to meet them without preconditions.”




“Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America … (Barack Obama’s) worried that someone won’t read them their rights?”




“Government is too big … (Barack Obama) wants to grow it.”




“Congress spends too much … (Barack Obama) promises more.”




“Taxes are too high … (Barack Obama) wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.”




“And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change. They’re the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.”




“(Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid) said, quote, ‘I can’t stand John McCain.’ Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we’ve chosen the right man.”




“My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of ‘personal discovery.’ This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn’t just need an organizer.”




“There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you … in places where winning means survival and defeat means death … and that man is John McCain.”




"It’s a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office. But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.”




“It’s the journey of an upright and honorable man - the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.”




“As the story is told, ‘When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe’s door and flash a grin and thumbs up” - as if to say, ‘We’re going to pull through this.’ My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.”

http://bobmccarty.com/2008/09/03/sarah-palins-top-20-jabs-at-the-democrats/

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* One final note: In her speech, Gov. Palin told the tale of another POW who was held in the same prison as John McMain during the war. His name was Tom Moe. He's an ND man. Below is a link to his account of his experience in Vietnam in the Winter 1995 edition of Notre Dame Magazine. An absolute must read.

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http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/moew95.html

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