Our Newest Additions

Hi All!

As many of you know if you follow Dan or Abby on Facebook, we have 2 new members of our little family - Sophie and Gracie:

Sophie (the black one) is a Tibetan Terrier/Maltese mix and Gracie is a Lhasa Apso/Maltese mix.  We got them just over 1 month ago and love them!  Yes, they are a handful at times - if 1 puppy is a handful, just imagine 2!  However, we thought it best to get them both so they would have a playmate when we are at work all day.  They are adjusting very nicely.  They sleep all night in their crate and usually are up and ready to go at around 6-6:30 am, which is fine since that's about the time we get up for work.  They still haven't figured out that they can sleep in on the weekends though haha!  Potty training-wise, they are doing ok as well.  When we are home, they usually give us a warning when they have to go out.  We are still struggling a bit with the times we are at work however.  Since they are still young, they cannot "hold it" quite so long.  We'd rather not crate them all day since we crate them at night.  Dan ordered what is called a Pup Head, which is basically a tray that has a layer of artificial turf for them to do their business on.  We are just waiting for that to arrive and will be training the girls on that.  Sophie really likes to take walks and has a lot of energy!  Gracie is happy just laying down and having anyone rub her belly.  She even enjoys laying down and letting Sophie clean her ears:

All in all, they are doing very well, they know how to sit and come and Sophie LOVES playing fetch with Dan.  They are just absolutely loveable and while occasionally we have a "What were we thinking????" moment, overall we are very happy we got them!

The girls giving "Mommy" some love and getting belly and neck rubs in return.

Sophie and her "Daddy" just fooling around.

In other news, as you may remember, we signed up for an 8k (about 5 miles) a while back.  Well, we stayed true to ourselves and completed it on October 21.  Abby set the pace the entire time, and then, as men are prone to sometimes do, with about 1 kilometer to go, Dan started to sprint and ended up with the faster time by about 30 seconds.  Regardless of who had the faster time, we were both very proud of ourselves, as we both finished under Abby's goal of 50 minutes.  We even got some nice medals.  All in all it was a great experience and we were very glad we did it, especially as it was to benefit cancer research - a great cause!

Unfortunately, at some point during the race, we are not sure when, Abby injured her knee and has only been able to run 3 times since, still with quite a bit of pain.  If anyone out there is knowledgeable about knee injuries, let us know as any advise would be greatly appreciated so that she can get back into running.

With the holiday season approaching, it is hard to imagine not being home.  We have planned our Christmas trip to Berlin and know that will be an amazing experience but if we could trade it for being home for the holidays, we'd do it in a heartbeat.  We miss you all very much and hope all is well back in the States.  We would love to hear from you!

That is all for now...take care and we'll try to update you again soon :)

Love,

Abby & Dan

The Emerald Isle - (the Final) Part 3

On to the final leg of our trip - DUBLIN!

We got into Dublin on a Friday afternoon after taking a bus and a few trains.  The night before we left Lisdoonvarna, Abby just happened to see on her brother Neil's facebook that one of Neil's friends, who is also a boy that Abby babysat many years ago, Marcus McKeough, got last minute tickets to the Notre Dame (American) college football game.  Marcus is no longer the little boy Abby used to babysit.  He is a proud member of the Air Force and stationed in the UK (Thank you Marcus for your service!!).  She made a comment on the status that if he heard of anyone with extra tickets that we would be very interested in them.  Luckily Marcus saw this and told us that the guy he got his from had 4 tickets and still had 2 available!  Marcus gave Abby the contact information to get in touch with the person with the tickets and she sent him a facebook message right away asking if he still had the 2 tickets available.  Every hour or so (well, actually every 20 minutes, but we were so exited about the prospect of getting tickets that it felt like hours) during the train ride to Dublin, Abby checked her facebook to see if there was any response.  Just before we arrive in Dublin, we heard back from the guy with tickets and he confirmed that they were ours if we wanted them.  We almost jumped out of our train seats with excitement!  We arranged to meet the guy at The Gresham Hotel in downtown Dublin that night to pick up our tickets

We eventually made it out to Bray and checked into the hotel where we were staying.  We had a seafront view room, overlooking the Irish Sea.  The hotel itself was a bit disappointing, but the views were spectacular:

There was a cross on the top of this hill and Dan was able to zoom in and get a pretty neat picture.

This was the view from our room on our first morning!

After checking into our hotel, we decided to take a short walk around Bray and got a bite to eat.  After relaxing for a bit, we then went back into Dublin to do some exploring.  Our hopes were to meet up with the Garys, but we got a little bit mixed up and went to the wrong hotel.  They were staying at The Maldron and we all figured out too late that there were 4 hotels by that name just in Dublin!  At that point we figured we might as well walk around the city a bit.  We got out our trusty map and checked out a number of shops.  The big "tourist" shop was called Carroll's, and as it was a chain, it had a number of stores throughout the city.  We thought it might be good to pick up some ND Emerald Isle Classic shirts or sweatshirts to wear to the game, but when we went to the shop, they only had baby and children's sizes.  The gentleman there said every Carroll's in the city was sold out of ND adult gear.  The Fightin' Irish American fans had definitely stormed the city!  We heard from several sources that more than 25,000 Americans had come over to see the game.  At least 4 different locals told us that they had never seen so many Americans.

Later that evening, around 9:00 pm, we met up at the Gresham to get our tickets.  Once we had them in hand, we were so excited and could barely contain ourselves.  Yes, of course we had hoped that we would be able to score last minute tickets, but we thought that the chances of that happening were slim to none.  About 30 minutes after our arrival, Marcus came and got his tickets as well, and we found that our seats were next to his.  Marcus pulled up a diagram on his phone of where are seats were, and from the picture, it looked like they were pretty good!

After getting our tickets we chatted and had a few drinks with Marcus.  We wanted to stay longer and catch-up with Marcus, but the last train to going to Bray left at 11:28pm.  If we weren't on that train then we would either have to stay in Dublin or pay for a taxi to take us all the way out to Bray.  We hopped on the local tram, called the LUAS, to go to Connolly station where we would catch the last train to Bray.  We had taken this trip a couple times so we were confident we would make it, but this time the LUAS went right past Connolly station without stopping.  We weren't sure what was going on but by the time we realized we missed the stop we were far past the station.  Time was running out to catch the last train to Bray and we started to get stressed.  We got off the tram and got on the next tram going back towards Connolly station.  The LUAS stopped about 300 yards from the station.  We had less than 5 minutes to catch the train.  We sprinted around the corner, across the street, down the block an up the steps to the station.  A quick look at the departure board and we ran to the platform and straight on the train.  Just after we got in the train the doors closed behind us.  We thought we were so lucky!  As the train started rolling we suddenly realized...the train was going North and we needed to go South.  It was the wrong train!  We were gutted.

We got off at the first stop and took the next train going back to Connolly station.  Unfortunately, the last train to Bray was long gone.  We arrived back in Connolly station and went out front to hail a taxi.  We found a taxi that would take us to Bray.  It was a 40 minute taxi ride and not cheap, but it was the only way to get home.  The worst part was that Abby strained her Achilles tendon during our sprint to the train station and it would bother her for the next 3 weeks.

On Saturday morning we woke up and got some breakfast in the hotel restaurant and were SO excited for the game.  We were going to try and meet up with the Garys again before the game but we weren't able to so we made plans to hang out with them later that evening.  We took a train to the area where the game and we got off.  We were walking down the road and it was almost like being on the ND campus - the energy was incredible, we could smell barbecues in the air and there were ND fans EVERYWHERE!  We haven't heard so many people speaking American English since we lived back in the States.  It's a small thing, but hearing so many familiar accents made us feel at home.  Another great part of the walk around was the Navy personnel and everyone's respect for their service.  We constantly saw people walking up to mid-shipmen, shaking their hands, thanking them for their service and asking to take pictures with them.  Navy was the 'enemy' of ND that day but the respect for the men and women who chose to put their lives on the line for us transcended all competition.  No one can ever thank them enough for what they do.

We came here to The Bath pub where we planned on meeting up with Marcus to grab a drink then walk to the stadium.  The place was packed and we thought it would take us FOREVER to find him, but low and behold, just as we were walking indoors, he was walking out!  For old time's sake, we had to take a photo of Abby and Marcus, when she babysat him, he was quite a bit smaller than he is now:

We then decided to walk to the game - we were so excited and still almost could not believe we were actually going.  We really lucked out with the weather (we actually were very fortunate weather-wise for the entire trip) - it was sunny and comfortable.  On our walk to the stadium, we had a magnificent view, as Aviva Stadium is a very cool architectural structure.

On our way into the stadium, Dan snapped this photo, thinking this is the closest we would get to the field...

We finally made it to our seats and they were INCREDIBLE!  Notre Dame dominated Navy with a final score of 50-10.  We thought we could attempt to write about the game, but agreed that the photos would be a better way to describe it.

The spectacular view from our seats!

Loved the Irish, American and Emerald Isle Classic flags all together.

We couldn't have been happier!

There were a number of very cool tributes to the Navy and everything they do to serve and protect our country.

Thanks to Dan's awesome zoom on his camera, we were able to get some great shots of Brian Kelly on the sidelines:

Because we had such great seats, we were able to get some up-close photos of the teams in action.  Check out ND's shoes!

Of course, we had to snap a photo of the Irish Guard.

This little fella tried to run out on the field dressed as a leprechaun but the ushers caught him and escorted him back to his seat.  He couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old!

CHEER, CHEER FOR OLD NOTRE DAME!!!!! Final score: Notre Dame:50 Navy:10.

After the game, we had finally arranged to meet up with the Garys in a small town called Dalkey just south of the stadium.  There were throngs of people so we figured we wouldn't be able to find them at the game and would just meet them in Dalkey at the pub.  We got on the metro and were waiting for it to leave when low and behold, we look out the window and see the whole Gary clan walking by!  We ran out of our train car and caught up with them at last.  Abby was so excited to see Michelle and to catch up.  We rode with them out to Dalkey where we joined them for a drink at Flanagan's pub.  The decision was made to go there because the owner of the pub is best friends with a neighbor of Brianne (Michelle's sister) and her husband Joey back in Chicago - small world!  We hung out there for a bit and just enjoyed ourselves, our friends and Dan even made friends with some of the locals.

 

Best friends reunited - couldn't be happier!

This is Sean one of the locals Dan met and his dog Buddy.

After a few drinks at the pub we went with the Garys and their group to a restaurant right around the corner for some good food and good fun.  We had a great time catching up with the entire Gary family - Abby has been friends with Michelle for years so it felt like we weren't just friends, but family as well.  It was amazing to have the opportunity to enjoy our friends and family from home and we loved every moment of it, wishing it didn't have to end.

Abby with the Gary family.

Just having a little fun!

Poor Chad was getting tired.

Abby and Melissa, Michelle's youngest sister.

The time finally came where we had to say our goodbyes to the Garys.  It was very sad but we were so thankful to be able to spend time with them.  We are so lucky to have such amazing friends.  Here are a few parting shots we took of them as we were waiting on the opposite side of the train tracks:

Don't ask.

Always smiling Michelle - Chad is trying to look tough.

Happy to be in Ireland!  We were so sad to seem them go...

Final waves good-bye - a fun bunch!

We finally arrived back in Bray late that evening.  It was a clear night and we knew our trip was ending the next day, so we walked along the shoreline for a bit, just soaking it all up.  We both agreed this was the best vacation we'd ever taken and were so sad that it was just about over.  

We returned back to our hotel exhausted but happy and content after an amazing day.

The next morning we woke up and went into Dublin to do a bit of shopping for gifts for a few people.  We walked around a bit here and there but we did not spend too much time in the city.  After we found all the gifts we wanted, we took a bus to Dublin Airport.  We can say this much - we did not want to leave at all.  We had such an amazing time (clearly, since it took 3 long blog posts to detail our trip) and would DEFINITELY recommend Ireland for anyone even remotely thinking about a vacation in Europe.  It was definitely one of those trips that we will never forget and will tell the story to our children some day.

Well, that is all for now.  We hope you've enjoyed our Ireland trip and are maybe even thinking about going there now yourself.

We love and miss you all very much!

The Emerald Isle - Part 2

 The first two days in Ireland were an adventure with the Hillary family.  The third day we struck out into the Irish countryside on our own.

Read 'The Emerald Isle - Part 1' to see what we did the first two days in Ireland.

Thursday morning we got up early and had a great breakfast prepared by our hosts, Bernie and Ollie, at the Lisdoon Lodge.  We walked into 'downtown' Lisdoonvarna ready to catch an early bus to the Cliffs of Moher.  Our plan was to take a bus to the Cliffs, spend a few hours there, and then take another bus to Doolin for the afternoon.  But we waited at the bus stop and the bus never came.

We figured out that the bus we were waiting for doesn't run after August 24th, just under 1 week before; and the next bus going to the Cliffs that stopped in Lisdoonvarna didn't arrive for another 2 hours.  You can walk through the entire town of Lisdoonvarna in a couple of minutes.  We knew there wasn't going to be enough to keep us entertained until the next bus arrived, so we decided to walk.  There were signs indicating our general direction and we had a map.  We figured the best idea would be to follow the route our bus had taken 2 days earlier when dropping us off in Lisdoonvarna.

The roads are about as wide as the average car is long.  Many roads are even more narrow.  When two cars come upon each other, one driver has to find a small spot to pull off the road and let the other driver pass.  It can get even trickier going around a blind corner if the cars are speeding.  Needless to say we stayed vigilant on our walk.  Along the way we came across a couple asses who seemed to take an interest in us.

We walked about 3 miles to The Tweed and Woollen Centre - a great stop if you are interested in authentic Irish sweaters, but be ready to pay for the authenticity.  Down the hill from The Tweed and Woollen Centre is the coastal town of Doolin.  (A 'JTB' for ya: The McGann's, O'Connor's, and McDermott's pubs in Doolin are known to have some of the best Irish music in Ireland).  And another 3 miles past the town of Doolin is the Doolin Cave.  It was a tiring walk, but as it was such a beautiful day, we were lucky to get some great photos.

We arrived at Doolin Cave and ordered some lunch in the cafe while we waited for the tour prior to ours to end.  When it was our turn, we felt so lucky because we were the only two people on our tour so it felt like a tour made just for the two of us.  Our tour guide, Jim, took us 250 feet below sea level to the base of the cave.  Before we went down into the cave, however, we were required to wear these hard hats for safety purposes:

 Once we had the required safety gear in place, Jim took us to the belly of the cave and it was pitch black.  We felt a bit like we were spelunking in the Bat Cave for a bit.  We knew we were in the open area of the cave but that was about all we knew.  Jim told us he was about to turn the lights on and we would see a magnificent sight - he was certainly right!  Hanging from the ceiling of the cave was what is know at "The Great Stalactite."  It is the largest free-hanging stalactite in the Northern Hemisphere, measuring 23 feet long.  It was so incredible to see!

      

Jim concluded our tour and we were all set to walk back to "downtown" Doolin when he told us that he did not have another tour for 30 minutes and that he would be more than happy to drive us into the bus stop in Doolin where we could catch the bus to the Cliffs of Moher.  We said that was not necessary but he insisted, advising it was the least he could do. We gladly accepted the offer and jumped into his car for the quick ride to the bus stop.  He dropped us off and made sure that the bus actually stopped there before heading back, as he said he did not want us to be stranded and have to walk even more.  We checked the time table and let him know that the next bus was coming in 35 minutes and he wished us well in our marriage (we told him we are engaged, getting married next summer), telling us we were very well matched.  We thanked him for his kindness and tried to pay him, but he refused to take anything.  We waved to him and he was back on his way towards the cave for his next tour.  We sat enjoying the beautiful day and the sunshine when no more than 10 minutes later, who comes driving back down the road but our tour guide Jim!  He rolled down his window, told us that his last tour of the day was cancelled and that he would drive us to the Cliffs.  We told him we did not want to inconvenience him at all but he assured us that it was on his way home, so we got back into his car.  It was such a great ride because he gave us a bit of history about the area on the ride, so not only was he a tour guide of the Doolin Cave, but our own personal local area tour guide as well.

Along the way to the Cliffs, he pointed out the tower below and told us the story that it was once part of a castle and that the coast below was where the Spanish Armada was wrecked.  The 10-15 sailors/soldiers that survived the shipwreck went to the tower where they were captured by Queen Elizabeth I and then were marched to Lisdoonvarna (the town where we were staying) where they were hanged.  It was such a surreal story and especially surreal knowing that the grounds we stood on were a very rich part of history.

Shortly after stopping for those photos, Jim dropped us off at the Cliffs.  We again thanked him for his kindness and generosity and wished him well.  He is definitely someone we will never forget.  If any of you ever go to the Doolin Cave, ask for Jim to be your tour guide and send him our well wishes.

When we arrived at the Cliffs, we were immediately awestruck.  The Cliffs of Moher are such an incredible place that even these photos below will not do it justice.  The Cliffs stand about 650 feet above sea level and on a clear day such as the day we went, you can see for miles and miles.  We were so lucky and blessed with such beautiful weather that day.

There is a wall which you can climb over to walk along the edge of the cliffs with no gate to prevent you from falling.  Also, Jim told us on our ride to the Cliffs that taxis are not permitted to take anyone to the Cliffs alone after sunset.  This was very saddening to hear, and seeing these signs made us really realize how lucky we are to be so blessed in our lives, and also reminded us to be very careful.

That being said, we were very careful when taking these photos:

The Cliffs of Moher were probably one of the most magnificent natural wonders we will ever see in our lives.  As mentioned before, these photos really do not do them justice - they are absolutely breathtaking!

After we had walked along the edge of the Cliffs, we headed back and got some dinner in the cafe and then waited for our bus to take us back to our last evening in Lisdoonvarna.  We got back to the Lisdoon Lodge Guesthouse where we were able to speak with Bernie and Ollie about our check out time the next day.  As we were leaving quite early for Dublin the following morning, they allowed us to check out and pay in the evening and Bernie told us that they would wake up a bit early to make sure we had some breakfast before leaving.  We packed up that night and sure enough, when we were leaving in the morning, Bernie and Ollie were already up.  Bernie asked if we would have some light breakfast before we left and we told her we would love to, but we were running a few minutes late and had to catch the bus in town.  She told us to go ahead and sit down, that Ollie would drive us to the bus station since it was raining.  We obliged and when we left, thanked them profusely for their hospitality. They were amazing hosts and we would definitely recommend the Lisdoon Lodge Guesthouse for anyone staying in Co. Clare.

Well folks, this is where The Emerald Isle - Part 2 ends.  As we mentioned, there was so much to see and do and tell everyone about that we've had to split the blog into a few parts.

Stay tuned for Part 3 - DUBLIN!

We love you all and miss you very much!