German Travels 'Ende'

An after Mass with the bros pose on Zachary's 19th birthday; outside Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bellingham

After a month's stay in Munich for German studies at the Goethe Institut, and a grueling 24 hour trip home via Vancouver, BC, Zachary landed on US soil a few hours before his 19th birthday (PST).  Clean-shaven and nearly twenty pounds lighter due to a schedule that was light on cooking and heavy on walking, Zachary stepped off the adventure trail and back into life at home.

Castle view in Heidelberg, Germany

Souvenirs in tow, Zachary gifted each of us with a few treats, including sporty gear celebrating the 2013 UEFA Champions League winning soccer 'FC Bayern Munchen' football team and a beautiful Rosary from the Basilica in Munich.  So sweet.  A little board book he brought for the young cousins will likely bring many smiles; although the words are foreign, the cartoon-ish images of animals making doo will be easily understood and enjoyed without textual support.

Old jail cell for naughty students at University of Heidelberg, Germany

Castle damage from French canon ball, Heidelberg, Germany

World's largest wine cask, Heidelberg, Germany

All aboard for Zachary's 19th birthday celebration on the shores of Lake Whatcom

We showered Zac with birthday love on Sunday, celebrating his 19th birthday at a breakfast out with Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff after Mass, and a dinner party with the same great company +1 in the evening at their lake-front home.  Zachary shared the 50+ photos of his month abroad on Grandma's big-screen iPhoto, and his narrated slide show gave us insight into his travels and daily German experiences. 

Scheming for a return trip to Germany for a lengthier study abroad is already underway, but we are celebrating these precious days of having our family all together at home (and around) before Zac returns to Notre Dame for sophomore studies in late August.

Our New Arrival {Zac Returns from Notre Dame}

Joseph, Zachary and Peter together after daily Mass at Sacred Heart

His first semester at Notre Dame behind him, Zachary returned to the fold for a month's Christmas break.  Luggage in tow, fully bearded and dressed to the nines, Zachary arrived in fine form and our family of five was once again whole. 

With Zachary's return comes the reunion of his old gang of solid friends;  guys who have obviously missed Zachary and anticipated his return.  He's a wanted man, and does a fine job balancing his family time and 'bro' time.  The shortage of hours of sleep notwithstanding, Zachary's adjustment to life at home seems fairly seamless. 

One semester of intense German in his wake, with another on the horizon inspired Zachary to read the Gospel of John in German over the break.  Following along in English, I listened as he read the first chapter aloud.  I'm no German scholar, but he sounded proficient and certainly confident in his pronunciation. 

In these final days of Advent, our family and individual preparations for the celebration of Christ's birth draw us closer to one another, and closer to Him.  The excitement of having our first-born son return from college, as awesome as it is, pales in comparison to our hope-filled anticipation of the coming of our Savior ~ as at the remembrance of His Holy birth on Christmas we await our Returning King who promised to come again to judge the living and the dead.  Are you ready?

Destination Notre Dame {Day 6: Opening Mass and Farewell Hugs}

Opening Mass in Purcell Pavilion at Notre Dame for students and families at the close of new student orientation.

Knowing that only hours remained before our final farewell, we thoroughly enjoyed each and every moment with Zachary on Sunday.  Walking across campus together to the Purcell Pavilion after a brief wait in the 3rd floor study hall while he showered, we heard snippets of the events from the previous evening.  Upon entering the pavilion, the students were ushered to the main floor seating for the opening Mass, while the families were directed to the upper seats.   I asked the guys to be on the lookout to find 5 seats together as we climbed up into the stands, and Tim corrected me, "4."

Box lunch on the lawn, following the opening Mass at Notre Dame for the Class of 2016

Rev. J. King’s homily brilliantly illuminated the Gospel reading (John 6: 51-58).  He reminded us that so many thing Jesus taught didn’t seem to make sense, particularly the command to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life.  So many walked away at these words, these instructions of Jesus.  Fr. King encouraged us, “Dare to look upon Jesus as the ultimate answer to all your needs…for He has all the answers.” 

Assisted at the book store, Zachary locates $700 worth of  text books for his first semester at ND.

A gourmet box lunch picnic followed the opening Mass, and an errand to purchase Zachary’s first semester books allowed another hour together on campus.  Navigating the maze of shelves to find each course’s required purchases took a little doing, but the courteous staff made the job enjoyable. 

Dad, Firstborn Son, Mom

Leaving time upon us, we made one last visit to Zachary’s dorm room, inhabited with several new friends enjoying his roommate’s game system.  To allow for a few moments alone as a family, we asked Zachary to walk us to our van, which he willingly obliged.  Gathering together for a final prayer, we exchanged hugs and bid our boy farewell with well wishes for his freshman year.

Joseph, Tim, Zachary, Bridget and Peter

Further reflections on saying farewell to Zachary here.