March 30 - Full House!

Rebekah, Jen, and Dad went to London on Tuesday for a quick trip.

The London Eye

Big Ben

Tower Bridge

A flowering tree

Phone booth

Back at our house with their souvenir t-shirts.









Thursday, we went to see the Franciscan Friary in the morning then split up for our afternoon activities...

Since we only have one car, Dad and Daniel biked to Rinville Park where they met up with Jim, the sea kayak guide, who took them out on Galway Bay.

Dad brought two pairs of neoprene boots he has had since his Denver whitewater kayaking days in the 1970's.

A kids' sailing class with mini sailboats.

Dad in his element!

Snack break.

This sailor-in-training was proud to have his picture taken :)

A scene from the bike ride home.

Dad spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the boys - these are his pictures.

If there is a puddle, they will find it. This probably wasn't water - it hadn't rain this day for a change.

Dad apparently climbed over the fence to get a closer look at the horses. Oranmore Castle is in the background.



Meanwhile Rebekah, Jen, and I went south to go horseback riding.

Peter, the owner of the stables, had bought this 4yr-old off his neighbor for 100 Euros. The horse was wild and violent, so was about to be put down. This is 12 days into his second chance at life. He seems to be doing very well - guess he just needed a good trainer.

Rebekah

Jen

Abandoned farmhouse. They are all over. There is a website called Abandoned Ireland by a photojournalist (much better than my pics) http://www.abandonedireland.com/

Cows in the road...

...they moved off without a fuss.

Car in the road...squeezed by.

Galway Bay and the Three Aran Islands behind us.

Rebekah Dyrud, Horse Whisperer.

My horse, Murray, is an Irish Draught Horse.
(American English translation: Irish Draft Horse)

Outings today made possible by Grandma who stayed home with all the kids.

Back home, the girls spent the evening taking pictures of the kids. They took one of me sleeping on the couch in the midst of it, but it was very unflattering, and since I'm making this blog, I can exclude the pictures I really don't like :D