We traveled up near Connemara a couple of weeks ago. We lucked out with sunny blue skies and amazing scenery. It was just what I had been needing. Nate made it even better for me by willingly pulling over and letting me get out and take some pictures., something I haven't been very good about lately.

 

Soccer anyone?

The house we are "letting" in Ireland has some very interesting "art work" hanging on the walls. It's not exactly my style and it's something that has bothered me ever so slightly since moving here. For any of you who know me well, you know that I am constantly tweaking things around my house and think nothing of rearranging a roomful of furniture at any given minute. Not living in our own home with our own furniture and belongings has definitely put a cramp in my style. Until now.

I was sitting here the other day getting frustrated yet again that I can't really do any projects for this house, when a light bulb finally went off and I thought, why can't I? So, I removed the interesting pieces of "art" next to the front door, attached a note to remind myself where they belong, and put them away for safe keeping until our time here is through. And then I oh, so happily replaced them with my own newly purchased picture frames and pictures of my favorite people. It sure doesn't take much to make this girl happy.

Guest Post

I was recently contacted by Heather Von St James,

a wife and mom who has, quite literally, faced my biggest fear and won. 

Heather asked if she could share her story on my blog
to bring more awareness to others. 

I was so moved by her story that I couldn't refuse. 

Here is Heather's story in her own words.

 

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You Have Cancer-Words that Changed Everything

There are some moments in your life that you will always remember. Some of these moments are good, and some are bad. I will never forget how it felt to look at my newborn daughter for the first time. I will also never forget hearing the words, "You have cancer," just 3 1/2 months after she was born.

I would not be surprised if you have never heard of malignant pleural mesothelioma. I did not really know anything about the disease before I found out that I was suffering from it. My shock continued when my doctor explained that mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. I was a young wife and mom at the age of 36, so I had no idea how I could have been exposed to this dangerous substance.

After some investigating, we found out that I had actually received secondary exposure to asbestos. My father is a wonderful man, and he supported our family by working in the construction field, especially with drywall. Many years later, we would find out that much of that drywall was contaminated with asbestos.

It breaks my heart to think of how excited I was every day to run into my dad's arms when he returned home. I would wrap him up in a hug and bury my face in his shoulder. However, the clothes that I was touching were filled with asbestos fibers. I was breathing in the poison that would later completely change my life.

In the past, most mesothelioma patients looked a lot more like my dad than myself. Patients were usually older males who had been active in construction or other trades.However, my case is not as rare as it used to be. Now, many women and young adults are also receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Most of us were unwittingly exposed to asbestos by our family members. When a worker would come home each evening, his wife would be the one to wash his clothes. Thousands of other children hugged their fathers and touched the clothes that were contaminated. We are now the faces of mesothelioma.

I would never have chosen a mesothelioma diagnosis for myself, but there are plenty of positive things that have come from my struggle. Mesothelioma treatments have come a long way in the past few years, and more patients are surviving and leading normal lives.

The best part of my cancer journey has been the people that I have had the privilege of meeting. I know that mesothelioma patients are some of the strongest human beings on the planet. They are also some of the kindest and most generous. We love working together because we are committed to a common purpose. We want to make more and more people aware of mesothelioma. As awareness increases, more funding is available for research for new treatments.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma changed my life, but it has not broken my spirit. I am honored to be able to advocate for this disease, and I will never stop fighting.

To learn more about Heather, check out & “like” her new Facebook page dedicated to mesothelioma awareness & support! You can follow her journey:https://www.facebook.com/HeatherVonStJames?ref=hl

Just Some Stuff

I've sat down to write a new blog post numerous times, but haven't been able to make the words flow well enough for my liking.  Thinking bullets are going to have to work for this one since this is the way my mind seems to be working right now.

• Scarlett started going to school for the full day this week.  She has been so excited to finally be able to eat her lunch at school (though she never finishes because she eats oh, so slowly).
• The kids are coming home sounding more and more Irish.  Scarlett was upset the other evening because Gray was being "cross" with her, and I hear things being described as "class" constantly.  Grayson has also taken to describing food as lovely, or "SO nice!" 
• I signed up for a sewing class at the Limerick College of Further Education.  I was pretty apprehensive about my first class last night, but I think I'm going to really enjoy it.  The class is titled "Curtains and Cushion Making" so I should be able to deck my house out once I'm finished, right?
• Grayson is back to soccer training.  It's so great to see him doing something he enjoys so much.  I've noticed definite improvements from last year.  Really hoping this is something he will stick with for years to come.  He expressed an interest in playing basketball here, so I found a league for him to sign up with.  He hasn't been too thrilled so far.  I think it has more to do with the fact the training time is on Sunday mornings, than Gray not wanting to play.  He seems a little overwhelmed with not having a day "off" to be at home all day and just hang out, which I completely get.
• I'm still trying to settle into my new normal of having my days to myself.  I haven't managed to get myself into a real routine yet, but I'm trying.  I am attempting to do something around the house every day, so that I don't have to spend entire days cleaning.  Floors one day, bathrooms the next, etc.  Hopefully with my sewing class starting I'll find myself with something other than cleaning to do.  
• Scarlett is 2 weeks into her ballet class and LOVES it.  She gets upset that she can't go everyday.  Her little friend, Eve, is in her class with her and it is so cute to see them dressed in their dance outfits together.  (Again, having trouble with uploading pics on the blog.  If you follow me on Face Book, you can see a pic of ballerina Scarlett there)

That's it for now.  Hoping I can get my head back in the game for some more frequent blog posts soon!

Catching up

For the first time in way too long, I am sitting in a quiet house all by myself.  Nate is at work, the kids are in school, I have no errands to run, and no chores requiring my immediate attention.  In short, pure bliss.  I have almost forgotten how very much I need these quiet moments alone to sit with my thoughts, calm myself, and regroup. 

We've been back in Ireland for 3 1/2 weeks now and are finally starting to settle back into a more normal routine.  The kids and I really enjoyed our time at home in the States, especially when Nate was able to be there with us, but by the end of the 6 weeks, I think we were all looking forward to coming back to Ballyneety.  Living out of suitcases for 6 weeks is only fun for so long, and we all had a difficult time settling in without Nate.  It was an eye opening experience in the sense that it became very clear that it really doesn't matter where we are, or where we live, as long as the four of us can be together.  It's been nice to all be in the same house again and to finally have all the suitcases unpacked and put away. 

My mom was able to come for a 2-week visit when the kids and I got back and it was so nice to introduce her to Ireland.  (For some reason Blogger isn't letting me upload photos.  Grrr!)  We did some traveling around and visited the Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher (yes, again), Galway, West Port, and Dublin before heading back to spend the last few days at our house.  Hopefully mom will be able to visit Ireland again with us.

The kids started school last Thursday and are loving it!!  Watching Scarlett bounce into school every morning with a backpack almost as big as she is takes my breath away, and hearing her tell me how much she loves her teacher already completely melts my heart.  Grayson walked into the school like he owned it on the first day, and hasn't looked back since.  He's very happy to be back with his friends, and surprisingly excited to be using his new textbooks. 

Gray decided he wanted to play basketball this year in addition to soccer, so we're already busy getting back into the swing of our extra-curriculars.  Scarlett is thrilled to finally be old enough to participate in dance class, and will be trying ballet for the first time next Tuesday. 

I'm still not sure what exactly I will be doing with all of this "free time" on my hands, but I'm sure I will find plenty to keep me busy.  Hopefully I can finally make a comeback with the blog and get some pictures posted for your viewing pleasure.  ;)

See you soon!

Blarney, Co. Cork

After leaving Fota Wildlife Park, we drove to Blarney and stayed at The Woolen Mills Hotel.  Using that as our base, we had some things we wanted to check out with the kids in the surrounding areas.  Unfortunately, we ran into a little bit of car trouble on our second day.  Luckily, we were able to find someone who could fit us in right away.  While we were waiting we wandered around Blarney and through a cemetery in the village.

Once the car was fixed we headed off to our original destination, The Price August Toy Soldier Factory.  We didn't take any pictures while we were inside, but it was pretty cool.  The kids each chose their own mold, and then Grayson was able to pour the liquid metal and cast his soldier and Scarlett's ballerina.  Once the molds had set and been primed, the kids were able to paint them.  They loved it!  I most definitely want to visit again!  When we were finished the kids climbed up the hill behind the factory asking for their picture to be taken at the top.  In the second pic, Grayson had just accidentally smacked Scarlett in the head with his bag.  Oops!  :)

Guinness, anyone?

When the driver of this truck looked up and saw me taking pictures he gave me a big smile and a thumbs up.  ;)

Fota Wildlife Park, Co. Cork

My aunt and I took the kids to the Fota Wildlife Park while she was here in April.  We lucked out with fairly good weather, and the kids really enjoyed themselves.  While there were fences to separate us from the animals, we were able to be much closer to them than we ever had at a zoo.  There was no zoom on the camera in either of the next two pictures!

The kids were thrilled to discover that they could buy food for the ducks and feed them.  Scarlett loved these babies!  They actually jumped out of the water at one point and waddled around a bit.  Scarlett was even able to pet one before it jumped back into the water.

This guy was so expressive and easily my favorite.

And this guy shocked everyone when he jumped up on shore right in front of us.  He. was. MASSIVE!  I wish I could have put Scarlett next to him in the picture for comparison.  Never knew pelicans were so big.  Look at those feet!!

I think the highlight for the kids may have been the train ride around the park.

Loved the way this guy was peering into the train as we drove by.  ;)

There were plenty more animals, but it was kind of nice to just enjoy the day without snapping pictures every other minute. 

Sunny Days

It's days like today, when the sun is shining brightly in skies of blue and there is a gentle breeze blowing, when it's easy to remember all that I am thankful for.

Days like today when it is easy to smile at their crazy antics and take a step back and soak up all that they are and all that they offer this world.

Days like today that get me through all the other days.

Nate and I have had a lot of conversations lately about the length of our stay here in Ireland.  It's come up at the office for Nate a few times in trying to get a game plan together for what needs to be accomplished while he's here, and it's come up at home as we try to think about things that we want to accomplish as a family while we're living abroad.  And I'm struggling with what I'm feeling.

I love Ireland.  I love what we have here with our little family of four.  I love the relationships that we are making and the laid back lifestyle we have found.  I love that my kids are happy here, that they have made friends so easily, and that they know the freedom of running and playing outside with those friends.  I love that they are happy at their schools and that they are learning and growing in leaps and bounds.  I love that I can support Nate in his role here and that I can be here for my kids before and after school. 

This isn't to say that I/we love every. single. minute.  But I will come clean and admit to all of you that I have actually asked Nate about the possibility of making his position here permanent.  And then....

And then we skype with friends from back home and my heart aches from missing them and hearing about all of the things that we are missing out on.  Or my kids talk about all the things they want to do when we get to Bloomington this summer.  I think constantly about projects I want to work on in our home in the states.   I think of sitting on my couch in my sweat pants having a glass of wine with my closest girl friends.  And I don't know that I could ever do this permanently, the giving up of all I've ever known.

It's not easy, living with a foot in two different places.  Missing friends back home while still trying to form relationships with new friends here.  Trying to make this house a home all the while the place we consider to be our "real home" is thousands of miles away.  Adjusting to a new environment and relishing the new-ness while eagerly anticipating returning to the familiar. 

I honestly don't know what the future holds for us long term other than the fact that we will be back in the states at some point.  I don't know how we'll feel about returning to Ireland after spending 6 weeks back in the states for the summer, or even how it will feel to be back in the states after living in Ireland for 10 months.  It all just seems so uncertain to me at the moment, and it has been consuming my every thought.  I'm trying as hard as I can to stay in the moment and enjoy the here and now, but keeping my thoughts where they need to be is proving more difficult than I would like.  All I know for sure at this point is that there is definitely a piece of my heart in 2 separate places thousands of miles apart. 

Aghagower and Westport, Co. Mayo

We were finally able to drive up to Co. Mayo Easter weekend to visit my cousin, Shari, and her husband, Olcan, at their gorgeous new home in Aghagower.  The drive up was great and we loved seeing all of the baby lambs romping around the fields.  They were SO cute!

 Olcan takes photography groups on 10 day tours through Co. Mayo and had his coach (bus) at home for the weekend.  It was so nice to be able to all drive around together while he showed us around Westport and the surrounding area.  Scarlett was especially thrilled.

 Olcan pointed out this pub to us which just happens to be owned by a member of The Chieftains, who I love.

A beer garden AND a playground.  What more could you want?  :)

My kids loved this bicycle sculpture.

Back at the house, my kids were obsessed with Olcan and Shari's cat, Mr. Pip.

After a delicious dinner, we headed down the road to explore the cemeteries in Aghagower.   The kids were thrilled when a neighbor's dog, Daisy, started walking down the road with us.

Olcan is an amazing tour guide and Nate and I were trying to take in as much as we could.  Olcan was great about getting Grayson involved, too, and had him on the hunt for the oldest person buried in the cemetery.  According to the headstone, he was 137 years old!!

 Olcan was showing us around the ruins of a  monastery and pointed out the "face in the window," and "3-D Jesus." 

I couldn't pass by this phone booth without snapping a picture.

Unfortunately, my camera died at this point and I forgot to bring the charger with me.  We had a fabulous time visiting with Shari and Olcan and absolutely can not wait to go back to see them soon!!

More with the Ohio Irwins

Our 3rd day with the Ohio Irwins was spent at the Cliffs of Moher.

We've spent a lot of time at the Cliffs, but it never ceases to amaze me.

Unfortunately, day 4 dawned with a stomach bug descending on our house.

Within 24 hours, Grayson, Nate, Chris, and myself were all struck with a 24-hour bug.

It meant postponing our trip to Dublin by a day, and even then, Scarlett and I ended up staying home.  I think everyone else had a great time on the Viking Splash Tour and at The Guinness Storehouse, though they would have to tell you more about it themselves.  :)

We spent the last 2 days of their visit hanging out at our house.  It was great to let the kids enjoy some down time with each other playing around the house and outside, especially since it meant that the adults could spend time doing this:

Thanks so much for making this trip happen, Chris and Laura!! 

We so enjoyed having you here!

Can't wait to see you in July!

Catching up

Can't believe how long it's been since I posted here.  Life has kind of taken over the past month or so and we have been completely busy.  We just finished up 3 weeks worth of adventures and travels with family that came to visit us here in Ireland.  It was so amazing to share our new home with family, and I can only hope that they enjoyed their time here as much as I am.

Our first set of visitors were Nate's brother, Chris, and his family. We were so incredibly excited to see them!  It was great to see the kids pick up right where they had left off like no time had passed at all.

We tried to lay low their first day here so that everyone could catch up on some sleep, but we did sneak in a short trip to Lough Gur.  The kids were quite happy to run off some energy, and most of them were happy enough to pose for a couple pictures.  ;)

Love all of the fun "wellies" in this one.

I think we managed to get some great family pics of the Ohio Irwins.

 I love the way Katelyn is standing in this one. 

It's very "Katelyn," and makes me smile every time I look at it.

That night Laura and Katelyn surprised Scarlett with a new nightgown.  She was beyond excited when she realized that it matched Katelyn's.

After a (surprisingly) good night of sleep, we headed to Durty Nelly's for lunch,

and then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.

The girls were thrilled to get up close and personal with the "princess" at the castle,

but I think it's safe to say that the animals took the cake,

especially Irish Wolf Hound, Finn.

Stay tuned for more of our adventures with the Ohio Irwins!!