We counted down the days 'til our last visitors arrived...
...and, for the last time, we anxiously waited for bus 51 from Shannon Airport to come!I thought that Leah and Jake might enjoy walking home through the village - at least it would be good to stretch out their legs. The kids and I ended up getting caught in a rain shower on our walk to town. My one umbrella was not adequate...
...no harm in getting a bit wet. We were too excited to care.
Yay! Auntie Leah...
...and Uncle Jake, who the boys were especially looking forward to seeing for a certain reason. They remember how Uncle Jake plays with them (emphasis on how). I had asked Aaron, the day before, what he thought we should show Jake and Leah in Ireland. Aaron, without a pause, answered, "We have lots of couches - for Jake to throw us on!"
We had better weather on our walk back and a rainbow to greet us as we entered Bluebell Woods. We were thrilled to have them here - this kiss from Aaron was spontaneous! :)
Having a perfect record of receiving a gift or treat when a visitor arrives, the boys have no reason to believe that not every suitcase they lay eyes on contains something for them!
Knowing a good thing when she sees it, Moriah made off with the Silly Bands. Totally unknown to me until Leah introduced them, Silas told me several days later when I tried them all on out of curiosity, "All the kids back home are wearing them."Wednesday
Starting out on our first sight-seeing day...Moriah takes off her shoes and socks, without exception, every time she gets in her carseat. I know it's part of "learning", but it's such an annoying stage kids go through.
This place is now familiar to you who've been looking at our blogs all year...I'll link a blog for the history and not repeat it here. I'm pretty sure I've developed tendonitis in my right wrist from blogging this year :(
Notice anything odd in this picture?
Your guess at the story behind this is as good as ours! The boys were neither alarmed nor very surprised at seeing a dead chicken up close, having seen one just like it in their own kitchen before.
There was a big film crew here today (it felt like we were the only people there who weren't part of the crew - that is until a huge tour group of elderly French people arrived). We asked a man what they were filming. The Hallmark Christmas movie that will air before Christmas. I might have to invite myself over to Deb's house to watch it. :)
Somehow, I've missed this every other time we've been here. It's three successive drawings of what Bunratty Castle looked like:
1450 - "The O'Briens and MacNamaras continued to attack the castle and eventually drove out the Norman settlers. The present stone castle was built by the MacNamara family in the middle of the 15th century and later taken over by the O'Briens. This castle was attacked and ruined during the Cromwellian and Williamite wars and by 1700 it lay deserted."
Every time we've come here, something different has stood out to me. Today, it was the ornate bedspreads.
Aaron still really dislikes these stairs.
This is the first time we'd walked along this path... we found a pig in a pen. The boys enjoyed it, but I guess we didn't take a picture of the pig.
We had an Irish lunch in the pub.
Leah was with Silas and took this picture. He was showing her the tiny little daisy he picked for me. :)
Trying to get the Irish Wolfhounds to stand up.
No luck.
She would fall asleep just as we were about to leave...so of course she woke up getting her into the car and didn't fall asleep again on the drive to the abbey.
We walked to the Abbey, but couldn't go inside this time - some restoration work that wont be done until November. So we drove on to the Cliffs.
The Cliffs of Moher.
We've seen it in different weather and different lighting - it's spectacular any way you look at it!
Trust
We had just enough daylight left to see Poulnabrone Dolmen (link) and run around on the rocks.
The boys just LOVE this - and Moriah got to try it this time too! Aaron runs as fast as he can, and ended up taking 4 or 5 good diggers.
"Our" horses. It was cloudy and rainy when we woke up, but had cleared by the time we left the house and ended up being a gorgeous day in Connemara! They say here, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change." It's no exaggeration.
I had to make up for Quin Abbey being closed, so first we drove up along Lough Corrib to Ross Errily Friary. Everyone who visits Ireland needs to explore at least one monastic ruin, in my opinion.
I hadn't noticed this carving when we were here before.
In the oven.
A small tour group came in, walked into the kitchen, and the guide began telling about it. The boys went over, sat down, and listened intently. Wish they paid this kind of attention to their parents when being spoken to...the tourguide, who we couldn't see behind the wall, said to the boys in the middle of his speech, "kids'll be half price." :)
We drove past Ashford Castle.
And around the top of Lough Corrib past some beautiful views on our way into Connemara(link).
The beach in Ballyconeely.
We stopped for lunch in Clifden and were impressed by the presentation of Leah's salad...
...and the thickness of Jake's burger.
We drove out on Sky Road - a favorite scenic spot. Leah thought this view overlooking D'Arcy Castle fits the idea of "Ireland" in many people's imaginations.
We visited Kylemore Abbey. (link) The wind was incredible!
I'm a little embarrased looking at this picture...I was too busy trying to get the picture to notice that Leah was trying to take Moriah in the stroller up the steps into the chapel. Aaron noticed, though, and offered whatever help he was able.
Jake and Aaron were being the comparison...that is a rhododendron hedge behind them!
The one I planted at our house four years ago is now a pathetic two-and-a-half feet tall. (I don't know if this speaks more to the difference in climate or skill of the gardener.)
Just as pretty when drying up - I love hydrangeas!
I bought this shirt for Moriah because it says, "Pretty Bird". My late Grandma Kristan always had a little tweety bird for a pet. Suffering from dementia in her last years, she named one after another bird "Pretty Bird". This is one of my favorite memories of Grandma - she was so gentle and sweet. I miss her.
We had enough daylight left for a hike through Connemara National Park.
We were startled by these goats just a few feet away from us in the tall grass. There was no fence between us (not that a fence can stop goat, I suppose), and a couple of them had deadly-looking horns! We stood there watching them for a while, and I doubt I was the only one hoping that goats really don't charge and butt as often as stories about them would make you believe.
Yay for being downhill on the way back!
You can thank Leah for this one. Silas had to go potty, but was determined to wait until we got back to the visitor's center rather than go outside. He walked a long way very uncomfortably with this goal in mind...then I remembered that the visitor's center, along with the bathrooms, was already closed. Left with no choice, I made him go outside. Jake was scolding Leah for taking several pictures of the poor child since it would surely embarrass him. As soon as he finished he ran over to Leah and eagerly asked to see the pictures.
Starting out on our first sight-seeing day...Moriah takes off her shoes and socks, without exception, every time she gets in her carseat. I know it's part of "learning", but it's such an annoying stage kids go through.
This place is now familiar to you who've been looking at our blogs all year...I'll link a blog for the history and not repeat it here. I'm pretty sure I've developed tendonitis in my right wrist from blogging this year :(
Notice anything odd in this picture?
Your guess at the story behind this is as good as ours! The boys were neither alarmed nor very surprised at seeing a dead chicken up close, having seen one just like it in their own kitchen before.
There was a big film crew here today (it felt like we were the only people there who weren't part of the crew - that is until a huge tour group of elderly French people arrived). We asked a man what they were filming. The Hallmark Christmas movie that will air before Christmas. I might have to invite myself over to Deb's house to watch it. :)
Somehow, I've missed this every other time we've been here. It's three successive drawings of what Bunratty Castle looked like:1250 - "The first Bunratty Castle was a wooden structure built on high ground by the Norman adventurer, Robert de Muscegros (near the site now occupied by the Shannon Shamrock Hotel). By the end of the century, a town of about 1,000 people had developed."
1275 - "In the late 13th century, the lands were granted by King Edward I to Thomas de Clare who built the first stone castle on the present site. De Clare drove out the native people and brought Norman settlers to live in the town. This resulted in the castle being attacked many times by the Irish O'Brien and MacNamara families."
1450 - "The O'Briens and MacNamaras continued to attack the castle and eventually drove out the Norman settlers. The present stone castle was built by the MacNamara family in the middle of the 15th century and later taken over by the O'Briens. This castle was attacked and ruined during the Cromwellian and Williamite wars and by 1700 it lay deserted."
Every time we've come here, something different has stood out to me. Today, it was the ornate bedspreads.
Aaron still really dislikes these stairs.
This is the first time we'd walked along this path... we found a pig in a pen. The boys enjoyed it, but I guess we didn't take a picture of the pig.
Our outings are more complicated with a toddler who would much rather be out of the carrier than in it!
We had an Irish lunch in the pub.
Leah was with Silas and took this picture. He was showing her the tiny little daisy he picked for me. :)
Trying to get the Irish Wolfhounds to stand up.
No luck.
She would fall asleep just as we were about to leave...so of course she woke up getting her into the car and didn't fall asleep again on the drive to the abbey.
We walked to the Abbey, but couldn't go inside this time - some restoration work that wont be done until November. So we drove on to the Cliffs.
The Cliffs of Moher.We've seen it in different weather and different lighting - it's spectacular any way you look at it!
Trust
We had just enough daylight left to see Poulnabrone Dolmen (link) and run around on the rocks.The boys just LOVE this - and Moriah got to try it this time too! Aaron runs as fast as he can, and ended up taking 4 or 5 good diggers.
Thursday
"Our" horses. It was cloudy and rainy when we woke up, but had cleared by the time we left the house and ended up being a gorgeous day in Connemara! They say here, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change." It's no exaggeration.
I had to make up for Quin Abbey being closed, so first we drove up along Lough Corrib to Ross Errily Friary. Everyone who visits Ireland needs to explore at least one monastic ruin, in my opinion.
I hadn't noticed this carving when we were here before.
In the oven.
A small tour group came in, walked into the kitchen, and the guide began telling about it. The boys went over, sat down, and listened intently. Wish they paid this kind of attention to their parents when being spoken to...the tourguide, who we couldn't see behind the wall, said to the boys in the middle of his speech, "kids'll be half price." :)
We drove past Ashford Castle.
And around the top of Lough Corrib past some beautiful views on our way into Connemara(link).
The beach in Ballyconeely. 
We stopped for lunch in Clifden and were impressed by the presentation of Leah's salad...
...and the thickness of Jake's burger.
We drove out on Sky Road - a favorite scenic spot. Leah thought this view overlooking D'Arcy Castle fits the idea of "Ireland" in many people's imaginations.
We visited Kylemore Abbey. (link) The wind was incredible!
I'm a little embarrased looking at this picture...I was too busy trying to get the picture to notice that Leah was trying to take Moriah in the stroller up the steps into the chapel. Aaron noticed, though, and offered whatever help he was able.
Jake and Aaron were being the comparison...that is a rhododendron hedge behind them!The one I planted at our house four years ago is now a pathetic two-and-a-half feet tall. (I don't know if this speaks more to the difference in climate or skill of the gardener.)
Just as pretty when drying up - I love hydrangeas!
I bought this shirt for Moriah because it says, "Pretty Bird". My late Grandma Kristan always had a little tweety bird for a pet. Suffering from dementia in her last years, she named one after another bird "Pretty Bird". This is one of my favorite memories of Grandma - she was so gentle and sweet. I miss her.
We had enough daylight left for a hike through Connemara National Park.
We were startled by these goats just a few feet away from us in the tall grass. There was no fence between us (not that a fence can stop goat, I suppose), and a couple of them had deadly-looking horns! We stood there watching them for a while, and I doubt I was the only one hoping that goats really don't charge and butt as often as stories about them would make you believe.
Yay for being downhill on the way back!
You can thank Leah for this one. Silas had to go potty, but was determined to wait until we got back to the visitor's center rather than go outside. He walked a long way very uncomfortably with this goal in mind...then I remembered that the visitor's center, along with the bathrooms, was already closed. Left with no choice, I made him go outside. Jake was scolding Leah for taking several pictures of the poor child since it would surely embarrass him. As soon as he finished he ran over to Leah and eagerly asked to see the pictures.We had a long ways to walk to get back to the car and not much dusk left. There would be absolutely no light for our path pretty soon. The boys, especially Silas, weren't going along very fast, and they get too heavy to carry for very long. Jake thought of a brilliant game. He told them that they could get a tictac if they caught him, and off he ran! Several tictacs and a lot of running later, we reached the car before dark. :)
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