January 2017
The new year had a snowing start and the boys loved it. Before we left Kansas we had our new traditional pant ball tournament but this year it was at a place that had way to many professionals. We liked the little back water place better from the previous year...so note to self don't go to the fancy place with the people with the fancy guns. We were all bruised and battered at the end of about 45min!
Miguel on his way back to Ireland having a few drinks with his friends...and a few rounds of spoons too...he still wasn't that much of a winner. I think he just has bad luck...it is probably not a good idea for him to play those games unless he is prepared to loose!
Day at Fota...feeding the cheetas!!!
January 20th Lino lost his first tooth. While we were in KC and at the dentist for the boys Christmas checkup Dr Day said that he had 2 loose teeth but we couldn't tell. Not even 2 weeks later the tooth really started to get loose so I told him to leave it alone and let it come out on its own but then Nini told me that it was better for him to play with it to help it come out...so eventually it did. I was trying to hard to help it out...I was trying with an apple and even told him we could pull it out with a string...which we tried but failed. It eventually came out while he was eating. We were starting to get nervous because he was almost 7 and hadn't loss a tooth yet.
January 22nd Lino lost his 2nd tooth...he pulled it out himself and only 2 days later. He was pretty brave this time.
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| Meatball making with daddy |
February 2017
So while we get to see GG for the week we are in Kansas for Christmas it is usually not enough and when she leaves KC I usually don't talk to her as much as I should. I just seem to have too many things on and I am always very regretful that I don't reach out to her more. The other issue is that our internet is horrible and I usually call her with an internet app so it makes it really hard for her to understand me so this was a nice treat to be able to chat with her one more time before she heads back to Gary. The family have been trying to convince her to move to Kansas and since TT is building a new house with GG in mind it only makes sense for her to go there but GG doesn't want to leave her house and she doesn't want to be a burden on anyone so it has not been an easy sell. But...it looks like the plan is to try and get her to move over the summer after the family reunion...lets see if that happens. It would be good for her but it could also be difficult for her too...leaving her friends and home of over 70 years.
A friend from Cuidiu had posted one weekend about going to this place near Killarny so I had made a note to go their myself and we finally made it there. I can't pronounce the name very well and every time I say it someone corrects my pronunciation...but oh well. Day trip to Gougane Barra. It was really just something to do but there is always something interesting to find on these trips. This time we saw a frog spawn as we were starting our trek. We didn't know what it was at first but then we saw another couple and I finally thought that it must be frogs...I had to google it when I got reception but yeah it was frog eggs. I have never seen this before and the boys were so intrigued by it too...we were all experiencing something new today
We didn't know where to go but we just followed the first trial that we saw. When we had got there it was raining and we almost didn't get out of the car but thankfully we waited it out...it only took about 10min for the storm to pass. I'm glad we didn't leave. This little church by the lake is so picturesque, apparently there are a lot of weddings held at the hotel here and on the grounds. I would have loved to been able to stay at the hotel, not because it was fancy but because they give mini fishing trips and the boys have been dying to go fishing...I have no idea where they got this idea from but it is in their heads and I keep saying I will find somewhere for them to go but we haven't. Maybe another time. The climb up was not hard but once we got to the top the weather got really cold. I had sandwiches and fruit for us to eat but we were getting beat up by the whipping rain that we had to eat quickly and run. Oh, not to mention that I gave Lino my jacket because someone forgot to bring it. Thankfully Mike had 2 sweaters so he let me have one so that Lino wouldn't be too cold. As it turns out we were all way under dressed. I had no idea it would be so cold up there. The good thing was that it was so cold that it only took 1/4 of the time for us to get down as it did to get up!
As we were leaving we noticed that a lot of cars were going towards what looked like some sort of nature reserve park area so we went too...come to find out this is where all the trails are. Then it made since why there were no other people up on the mountain with us. The forest looked really cool and we both agreed that we would need to come back to explore that part...until next time.
One lazy Sunday morning Lino got tired of us ignoring him and stalling to make breakfast so he decided to make daddy breakfast in bed!!!! A fried egg with lots of pepper and toast! Exactly the same breakfast that daddy makes every morning. This kid is amazing. We didn't even know he knew how to fry an egg!!!! After the excitement wore off I was nervous about him cooking and about the amount of oil that he put into the pan which was a lot (he said he didn't know how much to use and a lot came out which is understandable). But I had to let that go...he is getting big and independent so I need to let him figure it out. I did have to warn him about being safe and the oil starting a fire even though its an electric stove...he seemed to take it all in so we will see. So impressed and felling loved... that was such a sweet thing to do.
This is yet another funny story...I heard a lot of stories about how they teach religion in the school and a lot of parents don't agree with it for one reason or another. I generally don't mind because I think some religion is better than none. But on this day when I was going through Lino's Grow in Love book (the religious book) I cam to this page where he had to draw his family and I was so tickled by it I had to post it up. His depiction of us is so perfect yet so innocent. Daddy is peach, I am brown, Lino is a little lighter brown and Shaun appears to be some shade between Lino and Mike! We don't talk at all about color but he asked some time about why I am darker than daddy or why my eyes are a different color...so he can see the difference but it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference to him which is good. But when asked to draw your family we are all depicted with our different colors as we are in life...I just think its amazing how the little brains work.
So one of the first trips I had plan for this year was for Mike's birthday to visit the southern most tip of Ireland, Mizen Head. But before I get to that I must tell you the story of the Oatmeal war! My first born, my love my pain in the back side...Lino and I have been battling about food for years. He is such a picky eater it drives me crazy. Some say its because I was so particular with him when he was a baby others say he gets it from his father...either way I have had enough of it. Every night for dinner he turns his nose up at the food or he doesn't eat or he eats so slow it take him over 1hr to eat. If he does eat it is not without some sort of battle or complaint. To have to deal with this every night is just crazy. So one day I told him that I was done with feeding him different food and that I was just going to let him have oatmeal every day for a week and see how he liked it. I know it is cruel but people live on oatmeal for longer than a week so I knew he would be fine. At first he was excited because he loves oatmeal but he didn't realize I was giving him plain oatmeal...not the nice Quaker Oats with all the different flavors and sugar! No I was giving him plain ole oatmeal! So the first day he didn't seem to mind it too much but when he came home and he had more of it he wasn't happy. I had to remind him that when I would try to give him regular food he would give me the same reaction so that is the reason I was doing this. He didn't care and he didn't eat the oatmeal. We repeated this for about 2.5 days before our trip to the south. At one point I did feel a little bad for him so I snuck in a little honey into his oatmeal that morning and he had the biggest fit because he was over this plain oatmeal crap...but little did he know he had a little flavor and sugar in it. I used that opportunity again remind him of how he doesn't even try the food before he decides he doesn't want or like it. He had a melt down and I told him to try it because maybe it was different and he did...he gobbled that oatmeal down so fast I thought he was going to eat the bowl! So from then we made a deal that if he ate his oatmeal in the morning straight away I would add jam or honey to it at lunch and for dinner he could have vegetables if he wanted. He agreed but of course didn't follow through. Also, we had to leave for our trip this day so I couldn't really keep him to it. But I did pack a bunch of oatmeal to take with us...Mike thought I was crazy. So on the ride he was hungry and I whipped out the oatmeal and told him I could add hot water to it and he just cried...the poor boy. He refused it and refused it all day and even at the boathouse he refused it. Eventually he asked for some with a spoon of jam and I told him if he ate 1/2 of it plain I wold put jam in the other half...so he did. By that night I think he had only had about 3 bowls of oatmeal over 3 days. I know he was hungry! So we get to dinner and we are at a pizza place but they also have mussels so I order some for Shaun...now Lino normally acts like he hates mussels but when they came out he was drooling all over them saying how good they smelled and how much he wanted to have some. So I told him if he wanted to eat mussels he could...and funny enough he at them. But he at them too quickly because by the time the pizza arrived he started throwing up all on the floor at the table! It was a mess but the people were very nice about it. Mike told me at that point the oatmeal war was over. I had to agree with him...of course I didn't want him to be sick I just wanted him to learn to be a little more grateful with food. Thankfully he was fine, I think he was just hungry and tried to eat to much to fast. So we packed up our stuff and headed back to the house to finish eating after a quick shower. Lino had a slice of pizza and he was fine. The moral of the story is that I don't mess around when it comes to eating...but Lino is also a warrior...he doesn't back down easy either.
So back to the trip... A lot of people from work were telling me to go to the south of Ireland to see the cliffs there so I looked into it and it looked like a cool place to go. So I made a weekend of it but didn't tell Mike the plan. I just told him to get his clothes and to be ready to leave by 2pm on Friday (his birthday). So we went down to Baltimore and we stayed in this cedar boathouse...it was a little strange when I saw it on the website but it also looked very cool and different. I wanted to experience all of that so I booked it and went out on a limb...it turned out to be an awesome place to stay. The host and his wife have 3 kids around the same age as our boys and the boathouse was so cozy it was great. When we needed to wash clothes they let us in and they even babysitted for us for Mike's birthday dinner. We had a great time. The next morning we went to Mizen Head but the ewather was not good at all. We got to the entrance and I was not going to pay to get in...it was just a huge sky filled with clouds...I couldn't see anything. The only way I knew that there was water there was because of the smell and sound. I was so upset...I made Mike stall for about 40min before we just bit the bullet and went in. The people at the desk were no help either because they were like 'sometimes the clouds clear but sometimes they don't...you never know...its hard to predict' So with that we just went for it. We didn't realize it was a bit of a trek but that turned out to be a good thing because by the time we made it to the light house where the man who invented Morris Code had set up a station the sky was starting to clear. What an amazing view...highly recommend if you are in the area or even close. Its a long drive because you have to go along the coast and the roads are not the best but it is worth it...just incredible. 
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| Hurricane Doris on its way! |
Sadly on February 24th grandma Cutaia passed away. It was a very unexpected death and a very sad time for the family. Mike was able to take off some time to go to the funeral which was great and he took Lino with him. It is always hard to go home for such a reason but we were lucky to have been able to see her healthy and happy at Christmas. May she rest in peace.
March 2017
While Mike was away one weekend I decided to make one of my favorite Nini dishes and grilled fish for a few friends. Of course, like any great Italian dish there is no recipe for it...only ingredients (sometimes not always the right ones or the same ones) and some rough estimate of the proportions. So as I am asking my MIL for the recipe and trying to decipher it like mores code I was able to create something pretty close to what she made me. I was very impressed with myself since it had been over 6 years since she made the dish for me and we only had it once!!!! Anyway, I think I did a good replication of it but I doubt I could do it again...the ingredients might change to much and throw me off. It was funny to see the comments from the family when I posted a picture up on FB about it. Nini said it was OK but the rest of the family said it looked pretty good. Then the debate on what ingredients should be used to make it ensued...such a funny thread to read. 
Ha Eun and I took the kids to Fota back scene...basically we got to help the trainers feed the animals. It was fun and the kids loved feeding the rhino because one of them was a little slobbery and would take the food right out of the kids hands. It was a little scary at first because I thought someone was going to loose a hand but the most damage was all the drool.
St Patrick's day weekend in Edinburgh. So for March I made a plan for us to go to Scotland for St. Patty's day. I didn't even know if they celebrated the holiday but I knew we had a few days off and we hadn't been there yet so why not go. It is kind of funny because Scotland was one of the first places we had looked into going to when we first arrived in Ireland but we were put off by the cost of hotels so we didn't go. Finally after 4yrs we have made it and the hotels were not that bad after living in Ireland for a while. So this trip started off great but had a few bumps in the road. We arrived and went to some fancy place for dinner and this is when Lino fell in love with fish and chips!!!! Apparently this place had the best fish and chips that he ever had because he made us order him a second plate which never happens!!! We couldn't believe he at it so fast and even asked for more fish...he is like Mike with fish and even with fried fish he wouldn't normally ask for more. So it was a nice surprise. The first 2 days we did a few touristy things like the HOHO bus, went to see the Britanna yacht where we had tea and scones like the royal family. One day we went to to this place called DynamicEarth...it was a kids museum that was freaking awesome. We obviously don't travel to new countries and cities to take the kids to the museum but when they have really nice ones like they do in Scotland it is hard not to go. A friend of mine who's husband is from here said that they have really good things for the kids so when we saw this we just went to try it out. It was a good find. I was amazed at how well it was put together. It talked about the big bang theory, ice age, evolution of plants/animals/bacteria/etc, and so much more. We definitely could have spent a whole day there but unfortunately we got there late so only had a couple hours. It was still a good find and a great treat for the boys.
The next day we took a tour around the city and didn't do a whole lot. We tried a few cafe's and had some really good coffee. That night Shaun got sick...he woke up just crying and upset but then soon I realized what the problem was or at least what the most recent issue was...he had a stomach ache and had to throw up...a lot. The poor kid was up all night throwing up!!! I was getting a little worried that he was going to make his self even sicker but slowly the next morning it started to ease up a bit. The nice thing about our apartment is that I was able to go into the front area and close off the door so that we didn't wake up Mike & Lino. So by the morning time I was so exhausted and Shaun was too so Mike & Lino went off to explore the city. I was hoping that Shaun would feel better by lunch and when they came back they had went to one of the local farmers market and got us a few nice treats. One was a Scottish egg that was wrapped in black pudding and it was delicious. Of course daddy also got some cakes and they were good too...he said the market was really nice and I was sad to have missed it but glad Mike at least got to see it. So after I ate we were trying to decide if Shaun was ok to go but he wasn't really feeling that much better but when we told him that we were going to go to the big castle he said he wanted to go. I knew there was no way that he would be able to walk around the castle sick so I had to come up with something to manage him. We didn't have the stroller and I didn't have a wrap or anything with me but I did have my bookbag so I emptied it and opened the straps and used it for a carrier. It wasn't the best but it did the job. So we were able to explore the castle and a little of the city with Shaun in the book bag!!!! Lino was getting a little upset because Shaun was in the book bag and he wasn't but eventually we were able to explain to him that it was just because he was sick. So we went to the castle and it was pretty nice but once we got there Shaun was getting a little sicker so Mike took him to the cafe and they both slept on the bench for about 2hrs while Lino & I walked around. After their little nap I think Shaun had recovered enough that he wanted to see a little so we ended up going to a demonstration and the boys participated in learning how to fight with a sward. It was funny. So the big takeaway for me was that the castle had more British history inside of it than Scottish...I don't know why I was so surprised but I was. 
After the castle tour I became more interested in the history of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce...I always loved the movie Braveheart and now that I had the chance to be in Scotland it brought out even more curiosity. So we made a mental note to try and find the historic battle area for William Wallace the next day when we were going up to the Highlands. 
After the castle tour we ended up at doing a whiskey tour. Neither one of us like whiskey but it was just outside of the castle and it looked cool...and it was. I didn't realize how much whiskey was produced in Scotland. And this site held one of the oldest liquor collections in the world apparently. We got to taste whiskey from one of the 4 regions in Scotland...the boys got juice. Although the whiskey that I tried wasn't as bad as I expected it I knew that I was not a whiskey person...but Mike apparently had a secret love for it because he was super excited about the one he tried. So we had to get a bottle to go and he got another bottole for Gernot because he likes that kind of thing.
The next day we took a drive up the highlands to do a Loch Ness tour. But on the way we did find William Wallace's home town (if that is what you want to call it) and his castle. There is so much to know about him and even the historians have a hard time piecing together his story. It seems that a lot of what is known of him was created by some story teller who of course would have taking bits and pieces of the truth and exaggerated them. One of those stories is about how Wallace held his area with only a few hundred men against the massive British forces...apparently he got lucky because the bridge that the British soldiers were crossing was weak and after they filled the bridge on their way to attack the bridge collapsed...this is what gave Wallace the edge and helped him to win that battle. Anyway, a little piece of trivia that I didn't know before.
After our detour it was on to find Loch Ness!!!! The boys had never really heard of the story so we told them about it on the drive up...we probably told them the story about 10x before they remembered it and understood what we were talking about...well maybe they didn't actually understand us but they got the gist that there might be a big dinosaur like monster in the lake but probably not since no one could prove it...hahaha. The drive up was absolutely beautiful!!!! The countryside is just so stunning I didn't have any idea. And there are so many distilleries on the road that if we didn't have to drive and had more time and didn't have the boys we could have done a little tour of them...maybe another time. So the boat tour we took was pretty nice. The boat had coffee and snacks on the inside and the boys got a Loch Ness bag when they boarded. We took a short 1hr ride up the lake and the guide was very entertaining...he even sang for us a few times. Thankfully the boat was going pretty slow so I didn't get sick. The tour took us to one area where we were able to visit a ruin.
On the way back to our apartment Lino started to feel sick. We thought it was all the candy or maybe even a little car sickness because they were both going crazy in the car. But then he threw up all over the rental car and we knew it wasn't just car sickness...he had what Shaun had. So while we were not sure what had caused Shaun to get sick we figured that Lino had it now too so maybe it was just a vomiting bug that was going around and not food poisoning...which I am not sure which is better. So the poor boy was so upset that he got sick and that he threw up all over the car. I felt so bad for him but it wasn't his fault obviously...so we pulled over and let him get the rest of it out. Thankfully we were only like 10min from our apartment so it wasn't like we had to sit in the car for a long time with the smell...because the smell was awful!!!!! We stopped at a Tesco and got a few cleaning supplies and took him home. Mike was in charge of getting him cleaned up and I was in charge of doing some major cleaning in the car so that the vomit smell didn't stay so that we wouldn't get charged a bunch of money for the rental. It took me about 30 min to scrub the seats and floor but I think I got the smell out. After I scrubbed it with fairy I used this foam odor neutralizer stuff that was meant for dog and cat odor. I probably used the whole can just to be sure. I didn't want to take any chances...if the seats were a little wet when we returned the car that would be fine but if the car smelled like throw up that wouldn't go down well. So I planned for another long night but thankfully Lino wasn't too bad. He got sick a few other times but really it was way less than Shaun. The car was also in pretty good shape the next morning so we were all good to go. It was such a pitty that the boys got sick during the trip because they will probably remember that more than they will all the other stuff. Oh well, its all part of the experience.So when we got back home, I was starting to feel sick myself so I just went up to bed and figured I would sleep off whatever crud I had picked up from the boys. Mike said that he was going to make dinner but I wasn't to worried about it because I was sick. Then later that afternoon our friends show up at the house for dinner. Apparently Mike had planned to do a birthday dinner for me and he had invited Ha Eun and Gernot over. When I got there I looked like death and I was so upset with Mike. I was sick and he still invited them over but I guess he just thought I was tired. But not just that I was sick/tired but the boys had just been throwing up the days before that. So I had to tell them all about what happen and Ha Eun was worried that the kids would get sick so they were going to go and Mike was getting sad because he had did all this cooking...it was a no win situation. I didn't know if what the boys had was contagious...Lino hadn't been sick in about 24hrs so I assumed that he was fine and it had been even longer for Shaun so we just chanced it. I wasn't throwing up but I guess I could have been a carrier too??? Who knows...anyway, we had a nice dinner and in the end Hami got sick 3 days later!!! I felt so bad and then upset with Mike again!!!! That was a total no win situation...I guess we gambled and loss. Poor Hami was sick for like 3 days though which wasn't the same for the boys so it is hard to tell what it was but I am pretty sure we must have given her something.
So the weekend after we returned from Scotland it was time for Shaun's birthday party!!!! This cake is another one that I really liked. Shaun was going back and forth between wanting a Paw Patrol cake and a cops cake...So this is what he got. We were lucky again with the weather and we had a really warm day. We were going to get a bouncy castle but I was worried it would rain...I mean it is March but it didn't rain...it was hot! We got a fire engine for him and inside the people did a little magic show, painted faces and they watched a little movie. It was a nice change and the kids loved it.
Thunderland!!! Ha Eun got tickets for the family to go to this traveling amusement park that was in Cork for a few weeks. The park was near to the Cork City football stadium. The night that they had the free tickets I had something else on so I couldn't go so Mike took the boys. Apparently that opening night was free rides for everyone who had tickets. So the boys got to ride everything that they wanted!!! I think the ended up staying for like 4hrs...almost until they closed. They didn't want to leave of course. It is hard to find things like this in Cork so they were trying to get as much use out of it as they could. A few weeks later we all went back and we were able to by 3hr wrist bands for a reasonable amount so that is what we did. We took Miguel with us too even though he was feeling a little sick from the previous day. But apparently he is a big amusement park guy too...so all 4 of the boys were having a ball. There was no way that I was going on those rides...I barely like the permanent rides let alone the ones that fold up and get put on the back of a truck! I can't even believe that I let my precious cargo go on those rides...hahaha...no honestly I just can't ride the rides or I will be sick as a dog! The boys favorite ride was this water log thing...they must have rode it about 15x!!! I mean as soon as they got off they got back in line to do it again. It wasn't a very warm day but for a little while the clouds parted and the sun came out so I guess this is why they thought it was OK to be getting soaked on this ride. Either way we had to force them off of it at one point. Then the guy looked at their band and side that their time was up...they were so sad. So we went to another area and they didn't seem to care about the bands...that was fine by us. But anyway we had been there a long time so it was about time to go. Then Miguel was starting to get sad about leaving because there were a few rides that he wanted to ride so we told him to go and do his rides and we would leave later. I think we stayed for 4hrs!! This place isn't that big, there isn't that many rides, so how could we stay for so long I have no idea. Eventually we decided we were going to go but Miguel wanted to ride this one ride and he was able to convince Lino to ride with him. After they got off the ride Lino was so excited he wanted to go again...we were shocked because we thought he would be scared but he wasn't. So they went on again and this time Miguel looked like he was going to throw up!!! The boy guy, a 6yr old could handle the ride better than him. I told him that is what age does to you!!! 
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| A little manual labor is good for the soul |
April 2017
It has been about 2 years since we did family photos so I said we should do some before we leave Ireland. The last time we took pictures I had a girls night at Nicole's house and I drank way to much and was hungover for 2 days after. But somehow I managed to pull it together for the 2hrs we were doing our photos but as soon as we were done I threw up!!!! Thankfully this years session wasn't even close to that. I made sure to stay home the night before because I couldn't have another day like that...hahaha. This year we took our pictures at Fota Gardens which is kind of fitting because we spend a lot of time at Fota. The other option was to go to the beach which would have been nice too because we don't have that in Texas but Mike didn't want to go because of his hair...he didn't want to get wind blown!!!! Seriously!!! Anyway, the boys love Fota garden too because they can climb up on almost all of the trees and they love exploring the place and seeing what they can find. This day started off really nice and it rained for only a few minutes but otherwise it was beautiful. A great way to start spring off. I love the pictures and I really love the little video that Michelle did with the photos...she is a really good photographer...so relaxed and chilled and she takes such natural pictures. I think our family is so cute but these photos are so much...
One thing to note about our family pictures is that Lino had one top tooth that was super duper loose and I tried to get him to pull it before the pictures so that he could have a cute snagga-tooth picture but he wasn't haven't it...he said it hurt too much. I tried everything but couldn't get him to do it so now we have the memory of that phase in his life...it was cute. But only a week later that tooth fell out...it was so ironic. The day it fell out I also burned the poor kid on the arm with my hot pot!!! He as so brave and didn't cry a whole lot...I felt so bad and he kept telling me how I should have been careful and watched out for him. He couldn't have been more right...I'm just thankful it wasn't some liquid which would have been even worse
Since it's April its time for our next trip...this one was a biggie. It took us a while to decide what to do for Easter. We toyed with doing something with Ha Eun and Gernot but then they suggest that we go see the Fjords in Norway...I had no idea what that was so I had to look it up. After doing a little research we decided to go for it. But this is a Renee Cutaia trip so we couldn't just do the Fjords...we needed to do something else too...so after consulting with the map...several times...I realized that Iceland was pretty close to Norway. So why not hope over and add Iceland to our trip??? Mike was totally down so that became the plan. But somehow in the middle of that initial plan and when we booked our tickets we were considering going to Finland to see the northern lights up in some crazy ridiculous winter resort but that just was to crazy to justify. Then we talked about going to the "North Pole' in Lapland...but again it was just crazy to do it...not just was it a lot of time to get there the price of both of those places was ridiculous. So eventually we settled on a day trip to Stockholm. Why Stockholm you might ask...for very simple reasons...1) to add another country to our list of places visited and 2) because of the books we both read, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. That meant that our 9 day trip was going to consist of 3 countries!!! Sounds like an impressive trip...could you imagine putting together the itinerary for that??? Well that has become my specialty it seems. And I usually do to much but this trip was definitely the busiest one we have had so far. In order to do all the things we wanted to do and see we basically had to keep moving every day. So for the 9 nights we were there we had 8 different accommodations...even I was shocked once I put it all down on paper. I basically had to do up a full itinerary like I was a travel agent so that we could keep up with all of the bookings! It ended up being a really really awesome trip and very very exhausting too but I am glad that we did it.
We started our trip off in Stockholm and we had just 1 night, 2 days there. I was not overly impresses with the city but it could have just been because we had so much trouble getting around. We did the HOHO bus as always because we were with the boys and didn't have a lot of time to travel on foot but the bus company that we picked was horrible and wasn't the standard red sightseeing tour bus. This crapy knockoff version was horrible, the audio didn't work in most of the seats and when it did work they only gave a 30 sec description of what we were seeing for the 5 min long bus ride between stops. The stops were horrible and the bus was in bad condition...just a bad experience all around. What we did like about Stockholm was the cool Icebar that we went to. We didn't know about it before but saw it while we were there so we booked in and the boys thought it was the coolest thing ever...literally and figuratively. It was so cold in there and I did think it was cool but it was just to cold to stay longer than 20min. We got our drinks and took our pictures then we had to run out of there before I turned into an ice princess!!! Its all a great experience an all until mommy get frozen then its time to go!!!
The other nice thing about Stockholm was the cool dinner that we went to...we found this place at the last minute and was able to get a reservation. I guess it was a Viking dinner banquet? It is very similar to the medieval banquets except there was no skit only a very large and loud man that introduced us as we entered the dinning hall. They also had some people playing traditional music...it was an experience. Oh, one other thing that was funny about Stockholm in general was the coffee...apparently it wasn't that good because we kept going to espresso house and they had really bad coffee but they had really good pastries. Its almost like BB's in Cork. We keep going back to get coffee and muffins but complain the whole time about the coffee. It was too funny because Mike was so not happy about it. He was really looking forward to good coffee or maybe he was just upset that a place that had such delicious pastries should have better coffee to go with it...haha. Random but funny bit of information.
Next on our trip was Iceland!!! I know that Stockholm is just next to Noway but believe me it worked better this way for our itinerary...for the time that we save and the return flights to Ireland...I tried other options believe me...this was the best one! Iceland must be one of favorite places that we have visited. I love Berlin a lot but this whole place was amazing to me and I have absolutely no idea why!!!!! It was nice and there were a lot of different things to do but I can not put my finger on what about this country made me love it so much. It is super expensive too so that is not the reason. Whatever it is I would love to come back when the boys are bigger so that we could do a few more physical things like glacier walks and surfing or even hiking up some of the trials. The terrain in this country is so different in the different areas it is incredible. If you are in the north you could be on a glacier if you are in the south you could be by a volcano (like the one that erupted when I was pregnant with Lino!), or you could be on the beach going for a surf. Reykjavik was our base for most of the trip and we saw mostly the southern portion and the Golden Circle. The weather we had was really great too...it was a little cold but it wasn't that bad. We did have a problem with our Glacier tour because the weather for that area got bad one day and they had to cancel our reservation...luckly we had booked that to happen on one of the first days were were there so we were able to reschedule it before we left. 
On this day we took a drive to the black sand beach in Vic. Before heading out we stopped at this cafe to get breakfast to-go but the menu was so weird that we ended up with lunch...it was delicious. It was a mix of Haiti and Icelandic dishes...like I said, strangely delicious. As we started out the day started out nice in the city but as soon as we got outside of the city limits it was like some sort of snow storm blew in!!! We actually had to pull over on the side of the road and wait for it to pass. There were a ton of cars doing the same thing that we did. It was crazy...its like it came out of nowhere. We sat there for a while waiting for it to die down and every time we started to go again another big gust of show and wind would come through...it took us about 30min for the weather to settle down for us to continue on. And after about 5 min of driving it was all clear again...we never could figure out if that was just that area or if it had blown in and passed? Regardless we should have been a little forewarned about the wind but we didn't pay it much attention. We kept going to the beach and when we got there it was so COLD AND WINDY!!!!! I am the one who wanted to go here and when we got there I didn't want to get out of the car...haha. But we did and the boys nearly blew away!!! Poor Shaun was so tramatized even to this day if we ask him if he wants to go back to the black sand beach he would slap and shake his head no! It is too funny. While it was a dramatic it was a cool beach and the lava rocks were very cool.
Of course being in Iceland there are a ton of beautiful waterfalls to see and we saw a couple on our drive. We stopped to have lunch at Stoker (where we were suppose to have stayed for one night) and we were able to enjoy the view of the waterfall from the restuarnt. The boys have never seen such a big waterfall so they were really impressed. I think they wanted to go into the water but I had to explain to them that that was would kill them it was coming down so hard...they believed me so I didn't have to scare them any further.
On to our Glacier tour...but before that we must talk about Oils coffee. So when we got our rental car we also got a loyalty card that was suppose to give us discounts to a few places and also we got free coffee at these Oil's gas stations. Mike thought that was a cool perk so the first one we got would have been on the way to the black sand beach and it was not good...so we both tossed them. Then we tried it again on the way to the glacier and it wasn't any better but it was growing on Mike or he was just so tired that any caffeine was better than no caffeine. After that second cup he as hooked...he stopped almost every time he saw one of those gas stations and he got his self a nice free cup of tar!!!! I couldn't even stomach it and I had no idea how he was either....it became the running joke of the trip. How much tar he consumed and how much he actually enjoyed it. Anyway, back to the Glacier...this was a very neat tour. We were totally not prepared and as we were driving there we realized just how under prepared we were. I have become some what of a packing condisour and I usually make sure that we pack light for trips like this. Most of the time we re-wear shirts or if need be I wash some items in the sink. But for this trip I had planned to do some laundry so I wasn't too worried. But I didn't want to pack a bunch of winter clothes either so there is a fine balance...so in my minimal packing I didn't put enough thick clothes in their for us. So when we finally got to the tour (which we were late to because the route we took was closed off and we had to take a major detour that added at least 45min to our trip) I had to bascially put all the clothes that we had in the suitcase onto the boys. I had 3 pairs of pants on myself but even that wasn't enough. Thankfully they were prepared for people like us so we were able to get snow suits for the boys which was a life saver. The tour through the glacier was so cool. I learned a lot about glaciers.  |
| Corridor |
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| Water pocket within the glacier |
This was the big truck that we rode going to /from the glacier. It is an old missle carrier truck that the military use to use. The boys thought it was the coolest thing...it was actually nice and warm inside!!! Thank goodness because we were all frozen after that tour.
After the glacier we tried to make it to Thingvilir national park before they closed. I didn't exactly know what it was but a lot of reviews said it was a great place to visit and take a hike. I did look it up before we got there and I saw that it was where the drift was and I told this to Mike and he was like we can't see the drift because its underground. I didn't really know, this is not my sort of thing, but I told him that is what it said on the website...he didn't believe me. So we got there and parked at the first place we found and started down some random trail. We didn't have a lot of time because we were heading back to Reykjavik for dinner. So we were on this trail for a while and we were about to head back when we finally see a bunch of people at a different car park! And next to that car park was the main entrance to the drift...well at least we got a little walking in. It was a great stop I just wish we would have gone up to the right carpark. Either way we did see the drift which was amazing and we saw a cool waterfall.
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| View of Reykjavik from the church tower |
I am not sure why we didn't plan this better but we booked to go to the Blue Lagoon on a day that we had to go out of our way to get there...we should have gone either when we arrived or when we were leaving because it was near to the airport. Oh well. This was a truly unique experience...it was a beautiful drive to the lagoon and I didn't get to take a picture because I was so engrossed in the scenery. Once we got to the lagoon we were not sure how it was going to work...it was so cold outside we couldn't imagine being in a lagoon in this weather. After I lost Mike in the changing room and we all got sorted we headed out and had a great little afternoon in the lagoon. The boys thought it was the coolest thing! Shaun is still talking about the blue lagoon. I don't know why we didn't bring the phone with us (maybe because we didn't have a water proof case) because everyone who was there was taking videos and selfies except us. 
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| Last day in Iceland and we went to see the Keri crater |
Our first night in Oslo was uneventful. We found a new place that we liked called Deli de Luca which had these tasty hot dogs...this because a favorite stop for us of course...otherwise nothing to note. As if constantly moving from place to place wasn't enough I found a way for us to travel from point A to B while sleeping!!! Our first sleeping cart train ride...Lino was so excited about this...he had no idea what it would be like and we didn't either. It turned out to be pretty neat. In the sleeping cart they have bunk beds and the bed at the top has this seatbelt that you can put on and where while you are sleeping...I guess to keep you from falling off of the top or to keep you from falling if the train suddenly stops. Either way it was cool. Lino slept on the top of course. We should have got to the train a little earlier so that we could have explored more and got the boys settled and ready to sleep as soon as the train left but that didn't happen...it wasn't the end of the world but only 6hr of sleep isn't enough for the boys so the next day had the chance of being very bad if they woke up on the wrong side of the train. 
So our train from Oslo to Bergen was very uneventful but exciting all at the same time. When we arrived in Bergen we didn't think we could check into our hotel because it was 8am but we were able to which was nice. So we got cleaned up and had breakfast then out to see Bergen. I didn't know much about Bergen before coming here but I knew it was one of the main stops on the Norway in a Nutshell tours so we decided to stay here for 2 days. As for the NIN tour we were going to do it on our own to save ourselves so me money but it was too complicated for an already complicated trip...if you decide to go and you have the time to plan it I would say book it on your own because it does save you money. For us it was fine because it wasn't that expensive. So this day we did a hike up to the cablecar which a lot of the locals were just jogging up or strolling up on their normal daily jaunt...Mike on the other hand had some troubles and the boys were tied as expected but we made it to the top. There wasn't much up there but it gave us a nice view of the city. 
After that we tried to find something else to do and we decided to do a mini Fjord tour. This was just a small taster for what we would see in the next few days. One cool thing about Bergen other than the cool look and feel of the town was the fish market that has some amazing seafood. We had some sort of fish soup and it was so good. We probably could have eaten there a few times but that goes against protocol to repeat a dinner when on vacation...there are strict rules to vacationing with us!
Next day was a train and bus ride to our Fjord tour...what a cool place to visit. Going in between those mountains was spectacular. The views were stunning every direction you turned. The boat that we were on was awesome too because it had this neat walkway that kind of zig-zagged its way up to the top. The boys spent most of the boat ride going up and down this ramp. When we got them to stop for a few seconds to enjoy the sights they were impressed. Simply beautiful.
The boat tour ended in Flam and we stayed the night there instead of heading on back to Oslo. We walked around the little town and came back to have dinner in the bar onsite. We ended up meeting these 2 ladies who were from Germany. We had dinner with them and it seemed like we had made new friends. It was so random and nice...I didn't expect that. The next day was the Flam railway train transfer. This is one of the oldest running railways in Norway. On the short ride up to the main train station we learned a little about the history of the railway and we even saw a few small villages where people still live. I couldn't imagine living in these villages so isolated and away from civilization and covered in snow!!! But they were nice to look at.
May 2017
After not seeing our besties for several weeks due to travel and life we were excited to have a good catch-up...that means that we eat and drink a lot and half of the time don't remember what happened. This was no different. The guys were over at our house this time and ended up just staying over because it wasn't worth it to drive home after all the drinks we had...plus the kids wanted a sleep over so it worked out. The next day it was beautiful out so we had a water fight...let me clarify...it was a nice day but it wasn't that warm!! But we had a water flight none the less. The kids do not feel the cold at all so it is fine for them.
One of the last rugby practices for the season and they brought out the army guys and army tank to end the season with a bang!!!! The kids did drills for their training then got to go inside of the tanker...pretty cool. Even Shaun went into the tanker!
Crafty Hands for Hami's Birthday party...even though we celebrated her birthday at our impromptu Cinco de Mayo party Hami wanted something just for her...as she should have. The kids had a great time creating this cool bowls made from their hand cutouts. Very create
This is too funny...we Mike & I went to the Aghada school fundraiser and of course we don't know anyone there...we are just there for the fun. Me and Ha Eun get our picture taken not too long after the night starts and of course it ends up in the paper!!! I think it was just because they got a lot of diveristy in one picture...the editor probably gave the photograher a bonus because it isn't everyday in Cork that you get a Korean and Black person in the same smiling picture!
One of the things about Cork and maybe Ireland but I won't speculate is that once something gets popular you start seeing a million of them. For example, when we first got to Cork there were only a few burger places but about 2yrs ago a new place opened called CoqBull and the whole burger revolution began. Within the year another 3 or 4 burger places opened up in Cork city! Now that may not seem like a lot but each one of them were only at mad 7min walk from each other. And last year another 3 opened...one just next door to the original CoqBull! So that is what we are dealing with now with donuts...one placed open called Huckleberry's and it was so popular everyone thought they could make these American style filled donuts...so now after only 1yr of the first donut shop opening we have 4 in the city. All that to say that this one is one I was getting for one of my closest friends here who had just had a mastectomy. She was in great spirits but a nice syringe filled donut definitely would make anyone feel even better!
Last minute trip to Killarny! There was a beer festival going on so we said why not!!! There was nothing else going on and it was a nice weekend so perfect opportunity to get away for a quick overnight. We always seems to find a way to have a good time. On the way back to Cork the next day we went to Gougane Barra into the actual reserve park and climbed up the mountain in there...it was a bit of a trek but it was good.
June means its time for some fun in the sun!!!! Although we don't normally like to do repeat trips there isn't a lot of cheap, quick options to to go to so we went back to Spain but to Malaga area this time. This was a really good trip because we stayed in a resort place that was full of Irish people. I saw 2 people that I knew (lady from the bank and lady who gives the boys extra sausages at the Tesco in Mahon). The resort isn't fancy but its 1000 functional!!!! They have an onsite grocery store that has everything you need and want and for cheap. There was 2 pools and it was walking distance from the beach. They even had a billiards room and kids movie time that was at night during the night show. It was great. There was a lot of sun, San Miguels and ice cream on this trip...the boys had a blast. Did I mention that there was a lot of sun??? Well Mike took it pretty serious because the last time he ignored the sun and said some crap to me about not burning because he is Italian he was a lobster. We had heard that the sun could be pretty strong here (that is another reason we were there) so we didn't want to take any chances. The boys got all lathered up and so did daddy...it just so happen that when daddy got lathered up it made him look like a vampire! I guess that is better than a lobster...hahaha
While this is our 'relaxing' vacation we still have to do a little sightseeing because there is only so much pool/beach time mommy can take. So since we were so close to Granada we decided to take a day trip up to see what it was all about...it is a very unique city. It is so Arab and I wasn't expecting that at all...it made the place like no other that we have seen in Europe. The biggest attraction here is the Alhambra, and while we had tried to get tickets to get in even before we arrived in Malaga we were not able to so we said we would chance it to see if we could get tickets at the door because sometimes you can...we didn't have any luck there but after we asked a few people we were lucky to find tickets with the lady who was coordinating the sightseeing tours. We thought it was a little bit of a scam at first like when the guy in Morocco showed us around or like when people buy tickets for an event that are sold out only to find out that their ticket is a copy and not valid...but it wasn't like that. We did have to do a little shady manuver to get Lino in because I think she only had 2 tickets but it worked out. We got in and it was amazing...and HOT! Like blistering hot!!!! We thought it was warm by the beach but being up here with no sea breeze to cool you off was crazy. I guess that is how it feels in Texas?? I think I have forgotten already. Well we were kind of dying and the boys were kind of dying too...we tried to keep them hydrated but they were so bored with the place it was impossible to keep them happy. The tour was a little long but again it could have been because of the boys. Poor Shaun had to pee inside one of the flower gardens!!!! There were no toilets that we could see plus Shaun just drops his pants and does his business whenever duty calls. Lino on the other hand just peed in his pants...I have not figured out why he does this but I guess I never will. Anyway, it was a great eye opening tour...I am glad that we were so lucky to get tickets. After the Alhambra we went to the town and had these amazing fried sardines and chicken nuggest at this place that Ha Eun recommended...so good. Then on to a bus tour of Granada where we decided to go to a Flamingo show. It was suppose to be one of the best in the area but I am not so sure about that. It was good don't get me wrong and the people were very good it just didn't seem like what I had expected...maybe I expected more flash and it was not flashy at all but very traditional. Before heading back we had to find a kebab place because Miguel said he had the best kebab there. The place we found was ok but not the best ever...we must have picked the wrong place.
One of the last few days before we left we were able to put the boys in the kids club for the day and we headed to Malaga to do a food tour. We would have taken the boys too but we knew that they would not appreciate it so it worked out well that they had a full day kids club at the resort. The funny thing was that there was a note on the wall inside of the club that had instructions for the instructors on how to call an Irish moms phone!!! That just goes to show you how many Irish families go here...I see why though because it has all that you need. So the food tour was pretty cool and we went to a lot of places that the tourist may not know about so that made it even better. We started off in the market there and it was so amazing. So many different foods, smells, colors it was great. I love the English Market here in Cork but it is nothing like this market. After that we had a few tapas at some different places and just chatted to the lady...we were basically on a private tour. We had a great day together. By the time we left no one wanted to leave! The boys loved the weather and the hotel it was hard to get them to go. I almost forgot about the awesome burger place across the street from the resort. We snuck out a few times to go over and get a burger and wedges for dinner...it is not like us to have that kind of food while on vacation but it was so good we couldn't resist. We had loads of tapas too so we did our duty but those burgers just seemed to be calling us. We even had McD's one day after the beach because the boys really wanted it...see we can be relaxed sometimes. |
| Party in Fota Gardens with Donovan & Jace |
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| Afternoon at Ha Euns...kids love the outdoors |
It seems a little crazy that we take a week off to go somewhere in June when the boys finish school at the end of the month but it just works out better and it is always cheaper and less crowded so we figure its not the end of the world to miss a few days of school for something like that. So after our trip its time to get ready for Lino's bday party. Also, at the same time we are planning our move to a new house. We received confirmation in May that the landloard (Ronnie) was selling the house at the end of our contract which he had kindly extended by a year already. So by the end of Aug we needed to be gone. The problem was that I was going to be in the states for the summer so I didn't want to have to try and find a place while I was gone and have to move and unpack when I got back so we went on the hunt for a place and found something pretty close to the house which we were very lucky to find. I guess we could have moved to a different area but we didn't want to have to change schools or add to our current commute time. We also knew that by the next summer we would be gone so we wanted to keep it the same as possible for the boys. So we had the house picked out and Mike was going to do the move a few days after we left for Chicago. We tried to get things organized as far as what we wanted to take and get rid of but you know how that goes... The good thing was that we had sold Shaun/Lino's baby bed in May and we had got rid of a bunch of crap so we at least wouldn't be moving all crap over.
Back to Lino...so Lino had his birthday party at the house...he really wanted to do it at Go Safari but I just can't stand those places. We did Shaun's there once and that was enough. Again, you never know how the weather is going to be so we got a bouncy castle but made plans to pull the kids inside if the weather was bad...thankfully the weather was great so I had to send out a message to the parents to let them know that we would have a water fight (same as last year) so that they would be prepared. Lino loves him some water fights...I don't even think he minds getting hit by them he actually likes all aspects of the game...except when the water balloons run out or when you are trying to fill them up...otherwise he loves it!!! 
The cake...right so this year he wanted a Master Yoda cake. I looked on Pintrest for something and this is what I came up with...some combination of Master Yoda and Star Wars. He as happy enough with it and I loved the way the galaxy showed up on the black. I kind of just wanted to keep the cake like that!!! Now the death start was another story...that thing took me a lot of blood sweat and tears to put together. Mike even had to put in some overtime to help me with it. We had to place every single one of the lights in the death star and I had to draw all those lines to make it look real. I don't think I would win any awards but it came out pretty darn good. I always wonder if I will keep this up when we go back to the states? I feel like now its the tradition so I guess so...plus I have all the supplies for it so I mine as well. So water fight, death start Master Yoda cake and a military obstacle course bouncy castle...happy 7th Birthday Master Lino!!!!
So for the boys birthday Miguel got them Real Madrid jersey's. Shaun got his for his birthday and Lino got his on his birthday...they wear them everyday!!!! They love them and have become these little European kids who are in to soccer and have a favorite team and everything...it is so stinking cute!!! Shaun like Barcelona and Lino like Real Madrid. We call Lino a little Relino like Renoldo because he acts like him when he is playing soccer. Shaun likes Barcelona because everyone else likes Madrid. Is it like this in all houses??? One does something because they don't want to do what the other one is doing??? It is crazy but that is our life.
So after 9 months of torture from us and the boys Miguel is leaving...and to make it worse he isn't even going back to Spain!!!! He got a job at FoxPro and will be living in the city. I can't blame him though...being with the kids all the time is a stressful job and it takes a special person to do it on a regular basis. Regardless of his reasons he was a great aupair and we will miss him...even though he is only 30min away I'm sure he will be to busy to hang out with us. So he sent us a few of the highlight pictures of him with the boys...they loved him to pieces and loved to stress the poor boy out.
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| Going away dinner at Corn Market |
Before the summer starts we have to have our annual 1st/2nd/3rd...etc of July BBQ. Crowley's butchers hook us up every time. This time the spare ribs were dirt cheap. They side that most people don't want them because they don't know how to cook them...well have no fear Mike knows how to handle them. And his little helper is getting up to speed early so we will probably have another master griller in the family soon enough. This time is the last BBQ/event for our Fernly house...it is sad to say that but all good things must come to an end.
Making rolls!!! I was trying to give directions to Miguel and Vicky but the process is so long that I had to finish it up without them. Lets see if she can replicate. I sent on the recipe but I think you have to do it a few times before you get it.
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| Super heros at the BBQ |
July 2017
Off to the states for a 6 week long hiatus!!!! If only it were that easy, I am actually going to do a bunch of work but that is ok because it is for GG. The first stop on the agenda is to drop the boys to NY. This was almost a bit stressful because the traffic in NY is so unpredictable...so there was some crazy accident that was making PopPop late and we were both worried that he wouldn't make it in time for me to make my flight but it was thankfully ok...then on to Chicago for me. So my job for the almost 3 weeks that I was in Gary was to help GG get her house packed up so that she could move her stuff to TT's house after the family reunion. Well that was the plan we all had but that was not the plan that she had in her head!!! Of course it wasn't because GG does what she wants to. So either way I was there to try and encourage the process which I did. It wasn't easy I tell you. She has been living in that house since before my father was born and that is the only house that she has ever called her own so over 60 yrs of living. 5 kids, 10 grand kids and 14 great grand kids that is a lot of crap to sort through! But to be honest it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. She has a collection of clothes and shoes and jewelry because that is what she loves but otherwise it was almost as much stuff as I have...oh well minus the scrap book and sewing stuff. So for the first week I spent a lot of time going through all of her clothes and shoes trying to figure out of there were some things she would be wiling to get rid of...there wasn't much but we got through a few things. It seemed like every morning she started out strong and would want to keep everything but after lunch she was tired of me asking her and she would finally give on a few things. This was the normal routine and after I realized it I kind of eased up a bit. I was a little forceful in the begining because that is how I am and I know I shouldn't be but that is how we interact with each other. If I am not speaking my mind she is wondering what is wrong with me...so there is no hope for me. So what we had agreed on in theory was that the stuff she said she wanted to get rid of we were going to try and sell first and maybe give to the goodwill if it didn't sell. I was not interested in selling the stuff because that was just a lot of freaking work. I know it sounds bad but some of this stuff she had was 20+ years old and to ask someone to pay money for it would be cruel. But she didn't want it to be thrown away either which I totally agree with so the compromise was the goodwill. The thing that she doesn't know is that we sent everything to the goodwill...well at least most of it. That was the best idea ever! Aunt Tracy was helping me every day and keeping me sane so we worked together to get it organized. After the first week were were going to do a garage sale over the weekend but the Taste of Chicago was on and Josh & Jonah wanted to go so we went. Of course these crazy kids didn't check the train schedule and when we got to the train station we had just missed the train and the next one wasn't for another 1.5 hours!!!! We had planned to go up for a couple house then come back but with this delay we ended up spending almost the whole day there. It was a lot of fun and it was fun to hang out with my cousins too...we don't get to do that much these days with all of us having kids and living in different cities/states/countries. The point is, we didn't go to the flee market to sell the stuff. Instead we went to Popeye's to have chicken and we got White Castle burgers and we hung out at the house. Yeah that was critical, GG had no internet and my Ireland phone doesn't have international coverage so all I could do was call on my flip phone so whenever Aunt Tracy came over to save me and bring me to the light I would connect and get all my updates...my much needed touch with reality!
The second week I was there I took a trip to North Carolina to see Mel. It has been too long since we have hung out and she was pregnant at the time so it was nice to see her glowing like she was. I only went for 2 days but it was nice. We got to hang out and catch up and I met her new husband and Gabriel who I haven't meet before. I was only suppose to be there 2 days but my return flight got canceled so I got an extra evening there...I can't wait to meet the new little one and for our boys to all get together...now that will be a sight.
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| All the Great Grands |
After the reunion, Mike went back to Ireland but only for a day because then he was off to Singapore for work. We packed up GG's boxes the next day and pretty much everyone left too except Danielle. The AC in TT's car went out that morning and she had the car in the shop first thing so we were waiting to see what the story was with that before we headed out...well we couldn't leave without AC. Thankfully the car was fixed around lunch time so we were good to go...we hadn't lost much time really. But instead of getting on the road we ended up going to this candy factory that I had never heard about that Danny was so excited about. The kids loved it and we got a few bags of the gummies that apparently are the best ones she has ever had and she had no idea the original shop was in Merrriville. So after this we went and got some Vienna Dogs because we don't get those often...and now we have stalled to long for any of us to leave so we make pallets on the floor and make a plan to head out the next morning early. GG is not coming with us but that is OK. TT is driving the Uhaul and I have her car...I am not looking forward to this drive but it must be done. Lino was excited about the Uhaul and wanted to ride in it with TT...at first I wasn't going to allow it because it just doesn't seem safe but what the heck...you only live once. He was also good company for TT...when he wasn't completely into his iPad. 
Once back to KC it was unloading and relaxing time. This was my first time seeing the new house so I got the grand tour by Morgan...she is such little lady. Their new house is so nice and big...I am so happy and proud for TT because she has wanted to move on to a new place for a while. She will be very happy in her new place for a long time to come. And she will have a tone of visitors in November for Thanksgiving so it is perfect!!! The time in KC was just chilled. We had decided to go to Texas for a few days but since we didn't leave Gary until a day after scheduled it kind of put a pinch in our plans. TT also had a bunch of work to do so we didn't know if we were going to go...in the end we just moved our dates around and decided not to go to Houston because we just didn't have the time to do it. So we just went to Texas with Morgan and the boys. It was a quick 2 day trip and on the way down the AC in the car went out again. We couldn't believe it. It must have been the hot weather because it was pretty warm. The ony good thing was that we were only about 3 hrs from Fort Worth so we didn't have to drive for too long without it. When we got to FW we got a rental car and heading to Gina's. I had booked TT into a day treatment because she was so stressed from the past few days so she took us to the water park by Gina's house and she went for a little R&R. The boys had a blast and it was nice that the part was only $10 after 5. Morgan wasn't feeling it at first but I think it was just because she was hot because after I convinced her to get into the water a little and help me find the boys she started to come back to normal. The rest of the time there was all about eating and seeing friends...Gina is so awesome because she had went down to West Texas the weekend before to get me Kolaches. Those things are so addictive!!! She is amazing I am telling you. It was so good to see her and just hang out. We don't have to be doing much to have a good time. We understand each other and feed off of each others energy...it is a great balance...I miss my girl all the time. Outside of hang out we hit up our favorite eating spots...we made it to Uncle Julios and Taco Stand which was a huge feat. Then on the way back to KC we had to pick up HardEight.August 2017
Back in KC it was all about going to OOF or WOF for the boys. I was not interested in that at all so I let mom handle it. I did get to take Morgan to her introduction day when the kids get to decorate their lockers. This is such a crazy thing to me but it is such major thing for them!!!! Some of the stuff those kids had was incredible. I am glad that I have boys because I didn't see any of the boys doing much decorating of their lockers...maybe a pencil holder or a whiteboard here and there but otherwise it was just get your locker code and practice a few times and head out! That is my kind of introduction.
There is always a night out before I leave! I hardly get to see my family so it is nice to hang out. We went to P&L again and started off at this old school arcade room with adult games...well it had games that adults would have played when they were kids. It was fun...the whole night was a blast and Robert & Frederick are 2 comedians I don't even know how the manage to walk a straight line sometimes...love them to pieces all the same.
Back to Ireland....after 6 weeks in the states it was time to go back to reality. It is crazy the feeling I have when I am in the states...its not exactly vacation but it is just a sense of freedom...it is nice. So once we got back the boys wanted to do something so we went to Leahy's farm. We haven't been here since the first summer in Ireland...back then we didn't like the place at all but Lino had went with his class for their school trip so he really wanted to go back. We were pleasantly surprised that it had drastically improved from the last visit.
So not even being back a week and we are having a BBQ at the new house. Mike got us all moved and set up over the summer but it wasn't as easy as we had originally planned it because he spent 2 weeks in Singapore so he couldn't do a lot of unpacking. But to fair to him he pulled it together in the few days that he did have in Ireland. When we got to the new place I only had to change a few things and that is just because I am crazy not because they were in the wrong place. I really do appreciate that he did that for us...it made everything so much easier. So yeah, BBQ at the new place but not for us for Cuidiu. I kind of got volunteered to do the BBQ for a few reasons, 1) because we have the best BBQ in the area, 2) we love parties 3) our space is usually the most accommodating. So we pulled this BBQ together in 3 days and it actually was good. Everyone enjoyed it who came and those who didn't were sad they missed it. |
| Gift from GG |
August 28th Hurricane Harvey hits Houston Texas. One of my closest friends from grad school lives in Houston and was there during the hurricane. Her and her husband were able to get out of the town before it hit but the city was heavily damaged because of the storm. So many people were displaced and homes destroyed due to the water it was incredible. She told me that Harvey poured down over 40 inches of rain during it arrival which was an incredible amount. I have never been in a hurricane so can't even imagine what it would have been like. They were lucky and had very minimal damage to their home but houses near to them were not as safe. This is just another example of how lucky you are sometimes when you don't even know it.
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First day of school for both!!!! And first picture in front of the new house door! They both have clean uniforms on but they both have dirty uniforms on...how is that possible? They only have had those uniforms on for less than 20min! Lino is starting 1st class and Shaun is starting Senior's (Pre-K).
September 2017
Mike and I had planned a last minute date evening and were going to go to Golbergs which is a place that I went to with my work colleagues once before and really enjoyed. I think I liked it because of the free food and the cool atmosphere. So the plan was that Mike was going to take the train in and meet me there. I was working only a little ways away so I was just going to walk over after I finished working. As always I misunderstood Mike's text about when he had arrived at the station so he made it to the pub before me and who was there??? Gernot!!! So we ended up having a few drinks with him and a couple of his colleagues too. What was a date evening turned into a 3 some!!! It is always hard to say no to a friend...we had a good time but got way to drunk way to quick! Poor Gernot had to be driven home by Mike...which I am not sure if that was a good idea or not even though it was my idea. 
The KC crew come to visit!!!! So Morgan, TT & Nana came for a week this year and instead of just staying around Ireland we decided to go to Germany for a few days. They hadn't been and we have been wanting to go back so it was a win-win. I know we keep saying we don't like to repeat places but this year has been hard to avoid it. Plus its always different when you travel with family. So we had a busy scheduled planned for them as always. When they arrived we were suppose to head to the mountians somewhere for a nice Sunday afternoon walk but they missed their connection in London and the next flight was 5hrs later!!! Morgan said it was Nana & TT who were moving super slow and caused them to miss the connection but who knows. London airport is kind of complicated anyway. So that changed the plans for the day, I tried to still fit in something but it didn't really work out. So instead of a hike we went to Glounthaune playground where they were having a family fun day. They hung out there for a while, while I sorted out the rental car (such a nightmare now because they make you pay for insurance on the car even though I have insurance so it makes the rental 2x the cost). After a quick play it was to the house for dinner with the friends! We wanted to make sure that our friends got to see them for at least the afternoon because after that we were going to be gone. Mike had made a huge pot of vodka sauce and chicken cutlets so we had a feast waiting for us. It was nice for everyone to be together...even though it was a little rushed. The next day we were off to Belfast...well Mike stayed back to work. Our first stop was to the Old Castle Ward which is where Winterfel is protrayed in the Game of Thrones. We thought that it would be cooler but it was pretty basic...it didn't even look like Winterfel to be honest but at least we got to say we went. We walked around the grounds for a while too but then heading into Belfast. It is a long drive up with 3 kids so we just hung out in the city for the evening. The KC crew were still tired from their previous day of traveling...even thought I let them sleep in until 8am when we were suppose to leave at 7am! When we got to the apartment I was checking out the bags and couldnlt help but laugh at the size of them. So from left to right the owners of the bags are: Lino/Shaun, Mike/Renee, TT, Nana, Morgan!!! Why does Morgan have the biggest bag? I have no idea...that girl is going to be a mess when she gets bigger. 
The next day was the Titanic museum which we have been to before but the KC crew haven't. Lino loved every minute of it of course and I think they did too...except Morgan was bored....this is so common these days that I don't even pay her any attention. After the museum we heading on up north to see some of the sights.
First was Carrick-a-rede-Rope bridge which is pretty awesome and terrifying all at the same time. Nana was freaked out about crossing the bridge but she musturd up some courage and did it. The views from the other side are always amazing. We had a really great day so you could see the little islands out to the east and you could see ocean for miles. Truly spectacular. I am glad that they were able to see this because it is pretty neat. I don't think the boys remember going here but we went the first year we were in Ireland and I remember the day was wet and windy but we still thought the views were amazing. This day was so much better...maybe it was the company :-)
After the rope bridge we made our way to Giants Causeway. Another classic stop and we continued to have great weather! The bad part about the afternoon was that we got to Giants Causeway to late to use the shuttle bus so we had to walk all the way down and back up. By this time the boys were exhausted and were not interested in seeing the Causeway so we stayed back and played just up from where they were. Nana said she was tired too but kept going anyway. On the way there Morgan reminded me that we had went here the year before but I totally forgot!!! I thought this was the first time for them even thought I remember going up this way I just didn't know we went there...so Morgan & Nana had been but TT hadn't...so I did it for her which is fine...at least that is what I told myself. Either way its so nice and unique that you could see it several times and still be in awe of the beauty of it.
Next was some random building that I had seen on the internet!!!! I was looking for things to do in the are and I saw this 'castle' thing so we went to check it out. It was getting late so we almost didn't go but we didn't have anything else to do but to go to the hotel so we went. It wasn't very special but it was cool the place where it was at. The grounds are huge of course and its right on the edge of the cliff looking down on this beach and small town. Next was to Dublin to the cheap cheap hotel that I booked that was absolutely horrible!!! I knew it was going to be bad but I didn't expect it to be that bad...the only good thing was that the sheets did look clean so I wasn't to afraid to sleep. But otherwise the room was damp smelling and had no hot water and I had to wash the boys because they were filthy from playing in the sand at Giants Cauesway so I had to boil water and use the kettle to make them a shallow bath at 12am! It wasn't nice but it had to be done. Oh and it was close to the airport so in the morning it only took us 15min to get to the airport which was nice. Mike met us at the airport and off we went to Germany!
After checking in to our apartment and airing it out (man did it smell) we headed to our first stop which had to be Falafel's at Dada Falafel...our all time favorite place for falafels...we thought that every would enjoy them and they did! It was such a hit that Morgan wanted us to go back later that night. I don't know what they do there but they make a superior falafel plate.
After that we had to head over to the bike tour. We thought it would be best to do the tour the first day before the young where to hungover to cycle. Well it never fails Nana was tired and she was falling asleep while the guy was explaining the tour to us...this is so Nana. How can she sleep standing up I will never know. After we all got set up on our bikes we were off. It was a bit colder this time that it was the time we came but the weather was still nicer than it was in Ireland. I think the Ireland crew were in short sleeves while the KC crew were bundled up in winter coats!!! It is so funny how the body aclimates to the weather...I never would have thought that I would be out in a t-shirt in 20C weather. 
Since Mike and I have done this tour before it wasn't as interesting as before plus the tour guide wasn't as good as the one we had the last time either so we just hung out to the back to keep an eye out for Nana. We were worried that she was going to crash into some car or crash into herself and get hurt! Who knows when the last time she got on a bike...she wouldn't tell us so we were even more nervous. She did do OK but there were definatly some scary moments. There were also some moments when she thought she was some sort of DMX racer and she was peddling like she was trying to win a race. It was a lot of fun and frustrating all at the same time. Poor Nana wanted to take a picture at everything but because she was in the back of the group by the time she would get to the monument it was almost time to go. Mike was pulling up the rear because he had the boys in the chariot but even he was going faster than Nana at some points. The boys were pretty excited to be in the chariot and were actually really good. But half way through they got tired and passed out inside. It was actually really convenient that they were there because we didn't have to worry about caring them or trying to keep them up. Shaun was the worse...he was so tired and didn't care about any of the history. Part of the bike tour is to go to the beer garden and have a meal or a beer or both. The beer garden is huge and people cycle, run, and just hang out there all the time. By the time we got there for our break it was getting late and it was getting cold so I don't think the KC crew got the chance to really appreciate it...they did like it but were to cold to fully enjoy it. After the tour it was time to head to Kruzburg for our favorite kebab's. I know it seems like we just ate but none of us got a full meal, we shared a plate at the beer garden and that was it...so it was about time for a proper meal! We got to the place early enough that there wasn't a major line which was nice. Mike & I were so excited to have the kebabs our mouths were watering since we left the bike tour and they were pretty darn good. I hate to say it they were not as good as the first time but still amazing. While this is the area that we liked to hang out at we had the kids and had an early flight in the morning so we had to head back to the apartment.
Off to Munich for TT, Mike and I! We had planned a one night trip to Munich to go to Oktoberfest. Nana, Morgan and the boys stayed in Berlin and went to the zoo for the day while we went for beers. I know it is quick but since were were in Germany we had to do it. TT hasn't ever been and there wouldn't be a better time then now. So we flew down and were planning to take the train back up so that we could duel purpose the train as a hotel room which made it all much cheaper. When we arrived it was early so we had some time to visit Munich...I wasn't honestly impressed by it the first time and still not the second go either. But it is a major city so it was nice for TT to see. Then we headed to Oktoberfest! Before we arrived I had to change into my Oktoberfest outfit!!! TT had one too I think but I think she was a little shy to put it on...I didn't care and I had brought it with me so I was putting it on. Our first tent was the fish place because I have been dreaming about this fish for a couple of years now. TT and I ended up splitting a seabass that was actually quite big...it didn't really have a chance. Mike of course only had a few bites but he did say it was good. I think TT really enjoyed it. We walked around for a little before going into the next tent. TT was surprised to see that it was more like a carnival than just a beer festival. Which is the same way we felt about it. I don't think people really realize that its much more than just getting drunk and having big beers.
So the rest of the evening is a bit of a blur to me :-{ I know we went to another tent and had drinks but after that I kind of lost track. I honestly didnt think that I was drinking too much too fast because I was trying to keep the pace for TT. She is the one who isn't a beer drinker. And in preparation for this weekend she was drinking different beers almost every night for 2 weeks so that she wouldn't be completely disgusted by the beer. She even had a few nights where she spiked the beer to try and replicate the strength of an Oktoberfest beer...she is a good student! So anyway I didn't think that I was going fast at all but apparently I was and so was Mike because that hill that we had seen all those drunk people on 2yrs ago...that hill full of people at 2pm in the afternoon had me and Mike on it! Well it had me on it and Mike just came down to warm me up and ended up napping with me. I think TT took a nap too at some point! Its amazing we didn't get robed or something but I think the people there were to worried about their beer to be bothered with a few drunk Americans. So after our 'nap' we went back for round 2. I remember most of this up until when we left the tents...I can't remember if we got kicked out or if it was closing. Either way all I know is that we got separated...TT went one way we went another. I passed out somewhere and wouldn't move. Mike was trying to get me to move but I wouldn't and some guy was fussing at Mike saying he was being mean to me. Mike I'm sure was already annoyed with me so that guy didn't help the situation at all. Then the cops came and treated to take me to jail unless I moved to the curb...which apparently I willed myself to do. Then I was there for a while and wouldn't move. Finally, finally, FINALLY Mike got me to get into the tuc-tuc and we went to the train station. Thankfully we told TT where we were leaving from so eventually she found her way there but she was looking for us for so long that some lady must have thought she was homeless. I think I had puked at least 3x at this point and everything on me smelled of barff!! I was still out of it and passed out on the bench in McD's I think at that point we were safe and together but it was still tramatic. I must have slept off some of the beer because I remember being asleep on the bench and getting up to go to the train. I remember being cold and smelling like barff. When we go to the train I also remember Mike looking at me like he was going to KILL me!!! I did feel bad...I mean I felt really bad...not about his look but about my hangover!!! hahaha No I knew I was in trouble but I just didn't have the strength to deal with it. I am so luck that he always looks out for me but I do need to be careful. So we had a nice 6hr train ride back to Berlin. I got the recap story which is my favorite and both TT and Mike were looking at me like they wanted to take turns pulling my finger nails off. I'm sure there is some other part to this story that I can't remember them telling me but that is the gist of it. I do somehow pull it together enough to clean myself off a bit in the train bathroom so when we got to Berlin I was 1/4 human. We were all super tired but we didn't want to waste the day either. Thankfully Nana, Morgan and the boys were out on an adventure so we didn't have to rush back for them. We go to the apartment and passed out! Slowly one by one we joined the group. I was the last one to come all the way back so I decided to find the laundromat and take our clothes for a washing. I thought our apartment would have a washer at least in it and it did but it was broken so no good for us. The laundromat wasn't too far from the apartment and it was nice out and I needed the air so it all worked out. I was able to get all the stuff washed by the time the family got back. TT, Nana and Morgan went to see something (I can't remember) and Mike took the boys to the playground. It all worked out. That evening we all had dinner then Mike, TT and I went back to Kruzburg for drinks. Since we were all still a little wounded from the previous night we didn't stay out late and only had a few beers. It was also kind of dead that night so it wasn't as enjoyable as I would have liked. It was still nice to be out.
Our last day there was a busy day. I felt bad that we didn't do much the previous day so I made all these plans in my head for all the things we were going to do before we left. So that morning the KC crew got up early and went to the parliament building because they had tried to get tickets to get in the day before but they were all sold out. So they did that and were suppose to meet us for falafels for lunch. We were going to have a quick lunch then go to see the East Side gallery then head to the apartment to get our bags and then to the airport. All this was suppose to be done in the span of 6hrs I think! Very aggressive I know but doable if you stick to the plan. So we were all good for a while, the KC crew made it to the parliament building without getting loss (they used the subway on their own) and we took the boys to the little mini aquarium. We missed a call from them when we were in the aquarium and that is where all the issues started. They finished up and wanted to head to us to get pastries at the place we were at. We told them to just meet us at falafel because it was close to them but they didn't. They ended up on a bus that has a sign for the radio tower on it but they didn't know what direction it was going. We finally got them to get off of the bus and take the train to us. It took them about 1hr to finally make it to us. So then we got our falafels but we didn't have a lot of time for East Side gallery. So said we could get falafels to go because I wanted them to see the wall. I don't think anyone was happy about this because they were hungry. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that we had got kebabs one last time while we were in Kruzberg and none of us finished them so we said we would take them with us in the morning to eat as a snack so that we could make it until the airport or falafels...well no one listened to me...maybe I was to bossy. But they were hangry! I made a decision that we were going to race to see the wall and just take our falafels to go and that is what we did. TT was saying that she didn't want to rush because she could come back some other time to see the wall but I didn't think she would actually come back. It's not like she just lives a couple hours away from it. So I knew this was going to be the best opportunity to go...so I made them go and she was not happy with me at all. TT knows me well enough to know that once I set my mind to something there is little chance of talking me out of it...so she just stewed for the train ride. But once we got there and they got to see it I think everyone forgot how hangry they were because it was so cool. I mean its a piece of history that a lot of people never get to see. I really wanted them to see it and I didn't think they would go back...I would have felt like I cheated them out of something special if they came all the way to Berlin and didn't see the memorial wall. So we spent about 20min there and raced to the train to race to the apartment to race to the airport. We were doing OK except the taxi that Mike called came and left before we even arrived at the apartment. I told Mike they would but he didn't think so. I wanted to make sure the taxi was there when we arrived so that we could just bring our bags down and go! Well it didn't work out exactly that way but we did get a taxi soon enough. While I had estimated a 30min cab ride Mike infomed me that it would be almost an hour to get there which would have been cutting it way to close for our flight. So I said a little prayer and told the taxi driver that we were in a hurry and somehow we made it there on time. Man...what a worldwind of a trip! By the time we got our bus back to Cork I think everyone was ready for a vacation! We really saw the world in a short time. I am glad we did because we won't get those chance all the time so we have to take advantage of them when we can. Poor TT and Morgan didn't even get a afternoon break...the next morning we were up early and packing up and heading to the airport. Nana stayed for an additional week but TT had to work and Morgan had to get back to school. Until next time! 
The week that Nana was here was uneventful, she took a day trip to Dingle and was going to go to Portugal but she didn't have anything planned so that didn't happen of course. She got sick, the poor thing and basically rested. That is probably what she needed because she is always going. TT got sick too so I guess I did run them both into the ground. The last day before Nana left we took her to Kinsale for dinner. She hadn't been there so I let her walk around for a while while Lino & I napped in the car...we were all pooped. There isn't much to see so we decided to take a drive up to Old Head before dinner. We would have gone to Charles Fort but it was already closed...both places I haven't been to before. I saw somewhere that Old Head as suppose to be nice so and had a nice walk along the cliff so we decided to go. Well unfortunately the best part of the Old Head view was limited access to the golf club so we couldn't go in but what we could see was very nice. It was pretty cool view and we were lucky that the sky cleared up for a short while while we were there because most of the day was gloomy. Its crazy that this place was here all this time and we have never been...its only like 30min away...Ireland never ceases to amaze me. 
October 2017
As if I hadn't had enough time at Oktoberfest...I ended up going with Ha Eun and Kai!!!! Mike had said I was banned from going but I promised him that I would behave so it was OK. So the threesome went to Oktoberfest in Cork and had a pretty decent time. Last year we went and we got totally wasted and it wasn't good so we went easy this time. I know I say that a lot but I really did...actually I was the most sober one (I think). It wasn't super crowded and we had a good time chatting when we got there. Then some of Ha Eun's work friends joined us and the party really got crazy. Those people know how to party! We ended up closing the place down and I had to ride in the cab to Ha Eun's house and then to my own house. The Ha Eun was way drunk and Kai had no idea how to get home...so I had no choice...plus I was worried about them. It all worked out anyway and we stayed pretty responsible. It was a lot of fun...I'm glad we got to hang out! |
| Lino's last Gaelic Football Match |
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| Killeah Woods |
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| Working outing at Cork County Gael - Escape Game |
I have been talking about going up to the tippy tippy top of Ireland for the past 6 months...mostly because Michelle keeps telling me to go to Donegal. I have attempted to make it to Donegal at least 2x in the past 4 months with no success. Its not that we haven't had the time its just that the freaking place is so akward to get to. It doesn't seem that far away but the way the roads are it takes around 7 hours to get there from Cork. For me a 7 hr drive is only about 1.5hrs away from Kansas which is about 500 miles from our home in Texas. So for me to drive less than 250 miles in about 7 hours is just mind boggling. So needless to say it hasn't been the easiest sell to Mike. But eventually we made it there. We planned a one night stay and went for it. It wasn't as bad of a drive as I would have thought which was good. We went to the Glenveagh national park, first to do a little hike but the tram to/from the welcome center and the start of the hike was done with the departure trips from the welcome center when we arrived. So we hiked it over to the castle (which is where the hike is suppose to start) only to take the bus back to the welcome center. It was such a worthless walk but it was something to do and exercise since we had been in the car all morning. The boys were not happy with our pace but once we got onto the bus it was ok. Then we decided to do another little loop around the forest before heading to town. I wish we had more time because I am sure it would have been nice to see more of the park.
On the way out we saw one of the coolest sun set. Try trying to explain to a 4yr old why the sky looks like its on fire. It isn't an easy thing but you could see how he would think that. I just thought the sunset was so stunning...I'm glad the boys noticed it too. Maybe we aren't doing too bad with them after all. So we had a nice drive from there to the hotel and then to dinner at a place Michelle also recommended...it was awesome. A little out of the way but well worth it since we were so close.
The next morning it was up to the tippy tippy top as Shaun likes to say. We made it there finally!!! The weather was crap which sucked but we made the most of it. The directions to get there were also a nightmare and the road even worse but oh well I guess it is just a part of the experience. The nice thing about this cliff was that there was a little trail for you to walk along so we didn't just have to be at the cliff which was good for the boys because they could explore the area without really being to much in danger of falling off the cliff (this is my very irrational thinking kicking in). I must say compared to the southern most point this one was just a little lacking. Mizen Head to me was spectacular but maybe it was because of the weather. Either way I am glad that this wasn't the first one that we saw because I might have been less encouraged to see the other side. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful even with the crap weather it just did not have the same dramatic feel as Mizen Head did...but that is just my opinion. I am glad regardless that we got to see it. Now we can say that we have traveled from the tippy tippy top to the tippy tippy bottom of Ireland and all in between!!!
October 16th Hurrican Ophila hits the SE coast of Ireland. There were warnings about the hurrican for at least 5 days before she hit but I don't think many people paid it much attention because Ireland doesn't really get hit with Hurricanes but this time it did. It wasn't as bad as the hurricane that hit Houston...not even close but it did cause a lot of issues. I think the country is just not set up for major natural disasters so it just makes everything that much worse. So the storm came and what we saw was a lot of wind. I didn't go to school that morning because the boys schools were canceled but Mike thought it was nessasary for him to go in...he is so dedicated. So I was working away and then all of the sudden no power! So I had to get off of my conference call. It was time to start a fire because it was getting cold anyway. Then a little later the winds really started kicking up and I was getting worried for Mike. Thankfully he was in the process of leaving but he had stopped at the store to get us bread so that we could make sandwiches. I had saw people on facebook talking about cooking a few meals up to be prepared but I didn't think it was needed. Most of the time when the power goes out it comes back within 12 hours so I thought we would just have sandwiches for the day and be back to normal. So when Mike didn't arrive after an hour I was really worried. My messages to him didn't seem to be going through either so I didn't know what to think...well I did know what I was thinking...that the wind picked up his car and tossed it to the side of the road! I only realized after he left that morning that he took the small car instead of the boat which wasn't a good idea. There wasn't much I could do because I wasn't going to leave the boys so we just waited and he finally made it home...with the bread! Apparently there were 2 trees down on the road so he couldn't get to the house. He had to park on the road and walk up. The high wind seemed to last for only 2-3 hours then it died down some. It was all over before 2pm so it wasn't that bad. We kept the fire going and just made due. We only had a few candles so we got those and prepared for the dark evening. Our phones went out sometime during the day too so it was really nothing that we could do...so we decided to do a puzzle! And I was hungry for more than sandwiches so I decided to make meatloaf...I had food that needed to be cooked. So I figured I could cook on the stove in the living room...and it worked. The food was sizzling in no time! The boys were playing their legos and watching the iPads (that thankfully had full charges) and we finished a 1000 piece puzzle in 6 hours! The power didn't come back on for 4 days so I had to get creative with the meals and cooking...I cooked up all the meat that we had, put pototes into the stove to cook those and we had pretty good meals for those days. We didn't go to work the next day because by the time the tree was moved it was late and the boys didn't have school so we just went to the mall to charge devices and get out of the house and get a new puzzle. By the 3rd day we were back to work even though we didn't have power. Its amazing how resourceful you can get when you have to be. I say that I did pretty good for a city girl.
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| Soaked after walking to train station in the rain |
For Halloween this year we were talking about doing something like we did the previous year but we never decided on anything so of course at the last minute we decide to go somewhere. So Ha Eun and I were scrambling to find something interesting and we came up with going to Limerick for the Bunratty Castle dinner then seeing if we could get into the Halloween event in Galway. We were able to book into the castle dinner which was good but our 1st choice for hotels was booked but we got into the Bunratty hotel which was even better because it was walking distance from the dinner. Ha Eun and her crew made it out before us because we ended up going to Lino and Shaun's soccer and when we got to Shauns soccer we found out that there was no class due to the holiday...duh! Anyway, a quick drive up and we were there. It is always an adventure when we get together and this year was even more of an adventure with Kai and her 2 in the mix. It is just an incredible blend of people and it is crazy how well we all get along. Our kids really enjoy each other and the adults always have a ball together. This was no different. It was just a good time all around.
This was the first time they had been to the dinner and the first time going to the Bunratty castle for me & the boys. It was the same as the one I did with Morgan & Nana but the castle itself is much different. The kids seemed to enjoy it which is really what is important. It was nice that our hotel was close because we were able to go to the pub after and have a few drinks. It probably wasn't the best idea because the kids were tired but they had the ipad so it wasn't the end of the world. It was funny though because Ha Eun made friends while we were at the dinner and they joined us at the pub but then she had to go take Hanno to bed and left us with her friends!!!! So typical Ha Eun. Eventually Kai joined her but Gernot, Mike and I stayed out for a while drinking and talking.
The next morning we split up...Mike and the boys went to the folk park and the other group went to the pool. I stayed in bed because I was to hungover for some reason...I could not get out of bed to save my life. Mike was nice enough to let me sleep which made all the difference.
Once everyone pulled themselves together we headed up to Galway. We had lunch at Dough Brothers which was a surprisingly good pizza place...then to the Halloween event. It was in this garden place that was all decorated for the event. It must have been very popular because we were on some crazy long waiting list but were able to make it. The kids seemed to enjoy it and they even had this treasure hunt type thing for the kids to keep them interested. It was pretty intense if you ask me but thankfully they had Hami to direct them. She was on the ball let me tell you and she was leading them to all the places. It was funny to watch them 'work' together. Someone would get distracted and the another would get them to come back to the task at hand. Once the completed the puzzle they were able to run around and enjoy the day. We were there for the entire day it seems and outside the whole time...I have no idea how they didn't collapse when we finally left.
The bad thing about last minute plans in Ireland is that you need to make a reservation for everything!!! And since we only knew 2 days before that we would be there we didn't even think about making dinner reservations...so after the bonfire at the garden we head back to the hotel in search of food!!! There is none to be found...we called at least 10 places it seems but to no avail. Eventually we ended up at the Radisson hotel which turned out to be a good place. They had a buffet for the kids which was perfect and it was walking distance from our B&B so we could drink and not have to worry about driving. We were all tired from the day and looking forward to a few much needed drinks. Since we were all on the same floor of the B&B we were able to hang out more after dinner which was even nicer. I can't say we did anything to exciting because we were all worried about waking up the kids but just being together having a few cold ones was enough to make it a great weekend.
The next morning was a mess...Poor Ranien got sick during the night and Kai had a little bit of a mess to clean up. I was set on going to Connemara park because we were so close but it was out of the way. I felt like it was almost like going to Donegal and I would never make it unless we just went for it...but in the end logic won out. There was no reason to kill myself to go to another national park..it was probably very similar to the others that we have gone to. Anyway, we were trying to make a plan for the afternoon and couldn't decide on anything so we eventually picked something and just headed out...well we tried to head out but Mike & Hami was up in the room glued to the kids Iron Chef competition...those 2 are so funny together. They are like the weird mix of structure and chaos. If you could have heard those 2 talking about the contestants you would have thought they were old old friends. And they were not moving until the final decision was made!!! Too funny...so after the next kid iron chef was named we headed off. Mid-course we changed the plans and decided to go to some other place that Gernot found. It didn't matter to much to us so we just went with it. So we stopped to get stuff for sandwiches for a picnic at the ruin we were going to and we followed Gernot. For a while we thought we were going nowhere but we ended up in the little place. It wasn't much at all but its not always about the place but the people that you are with. OMG...what an amazing time we had this afternoon!!!!! The kids were all over the place and we started playing tag then the adults got involved and we started playing serious tag. Then somehow we got on races!!!! I have no idea how it happen but it did...so we started racing each other. Kids first then us. Our grown ass out of shape none running asses start running around this gravel area like we are Usage Bolt! On my first race, with Kai, I eat the gravel bad! Now I am no pump so I don't let that stop me. I had a whole in my hand but I was more upset that I lost the race. Then we had couple relay races which Mike & I lost, then we had couple races and I gave Mike a big head start and I think we tied. It was a lot of fun and too much running!!! Thankfully I wasn't the only one to eat the gravel because at one point even Kai took a tumble...it took all my strength to not pee my pants from laughter...that was just pure fun. What a great way to end the weekend!!!! End of recap/catch-up
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