Thursday, September 29, 2016

Camping 2016

About two weeks ago, we decided to take an impromptu camping trip to Cold Springs. Since we are going to Texas this winter, we had decided not to go camping this year. Well, some of us just couldn't break with tradition! :)

The best part about camping... the camp fires.

We took over the pavilion again. :)

The boys strung hammocks from the rafters while we girls slept out in a tent.

The weather was perfect!

Night time at the park 







Fried hotdogs and beans for supper! Yum!

Since we left in such a hurry, we forgot a lot of things... like a knife. So we pulled the hotdogs apart with our fingers.

Thankfully Mom threw a can opener in for us! :)



Every night we'd run out to the road to watch the moon rise.



The first night a huge thunderstorm passed through. It lasted from about midnight to four am! We got over two inches of rain during that period. There wasn't much sleep in store for us that night! Our tent was literally in a river! The lightning was pretty scary... Most of the strikes were, according to our phones, zero miles away from us. We expected to be either shocked by lightning or a tree to fall on us. It was pretty exciting! 

Abi and Grace ran to the bathroom. They took this picture of our tent from the doorway.

Yummy mocha!





Wraps for lunch!



We played a lot of foursquare in the pavilion.



There were some puddles in there that our ball kept rolling through. Our hands got so yucky!

The little guys had so much fun swinging on the hammocks! :) Blogger is being weird so I can't upload any videos of them. They were pretty hilarious! :)



The highlight of the day was when the boys got back. Let the fun begin!

Sam strung a blanket up for his hammock :)







We had a wonderful evening that night!We stayed up way late, telling stories, talking and laughing.

Our last morning... :(

We only stayed two nights, but it was still fun! :)

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Ireland Trip, 2012

Long ago, (four years, to be exact) six of us set out on a once in a lifetime journey to Ireland. We left September 3rd and left for home September 19th. It was the best trip ever!

I'd like to recap our wonderful trip there by highlighting some of the big events.

Our first glimpse of Ireland

 On Irish soil!

Our first Irish breakfast!

Cashel Rock

Loving it!

Gram stepped into her ancestors' church four generations later. The fourth, fifth and sixth generations were able to be in Kilgobnet church that day.

Where my six greats grandparents are buried...

Cobh, Queenstown, where Mary Dalton sailed to America from.

Dungarvan, where Mary Dalton was from.

Finding a map of our ancestors' land!

Gorgeous sunrises...

Barryscourt Castle

Tasting black pudding for the first time...

Blarney Castle





Jaunting cart ride through Killarney National Park

Muckross House


Staying in our very own castle, Ballyhannon Castle.



Wild beauty

Cliffs of Moher

O'Brien's Tower

Ancient roadside cemeteries 

Quin Friary



Rugged beauty of the Connemara...



Kylemore Abbey

Watching the sun set on Galway Bay...

The Dark Hedges

Seeing the Giant's Causeway during hurricane Leslie... :)

Dunluce Castle

Being scared out of our wits with the driving... :)

The Neolithic tomb of Newgrange

Shopping on Grafton Street in Dublin

St Stephen's Green

Dublin sights

"Doing" Dublin on a double decker tour bus

Christ Church Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral...



Ha'Penny Bridge

Kilmainham Gaol

Standing where James Connolly and other Irish revolutionists were executed was very sobering.

Vivid colors of Ireland

Life in Dublin...

Going Home!

If you'd care to read more about our trip to Ireland, feel free to check out my other blog by clicking here. :)

I'd like to close out my post with these songs by an Irish group, Celtic Thunder.

"My Land" epitomizes Ireland perfectly.

"Take Me Home" always does exactly that, it takes me back to Ireland every time I hear it.

Trying to Catch Up...

As you have probably noticed, I've gone off the radar for awhile. Ok, for a long time. I have one word for you. Life. Guys, life reall...