Boxing Day in Belfast

So, Jonny and Michaela picked us up at the Dublin airport this morning at 9am.  Nick confessed that our flight from Philly to Dublin was the worst flight in his entire life (so far)!!!  It wasn't MY worst, but it was up there.  The drive from Dublin to Belfast took about 1.5 hours, which to Michaela is equal to an all day road trip!!! Crazy.  She would die on one of Nick and my type road trips!!!

As soon as we arrived at Michaela's parents house, we were served a "snack".  It was a boiled egg in a fancy bowl with a spoon, another fancy plate with two pieces of cut and buttered toast with a fork and knife (still used my fingers...) and home made pumpkin spice latte coffees!!!  We visited until it was time to go to Michaela's grandparents' home for Boxing Day dinner, which is their yearly tradition.  We ate so well and when I was stuffed beyond happiness, Michaela's grandfather brought me more dessert, even when I said "no thank you"!  

The entire morning/afternoon dragged on as we tried to force ourselves to stay awake until at least 9pm tonight.  We have now been awake for 32 hours!  Until we pass out, we are watching Home Alone with Michaela (the bride), Jonny (the groom) and Rachel (maid of honor/sister of the bride).  I tried to take a photo...

It is beautiful here, but I have no photos to prove it yet...we will see what tomorrow holds:)

Goodnight!!!

It's Christmas in Killarney

Okay...well...it's the day AFTER Christmas...and we aren't in Killarney...but, that was basically the only time I will probably ever be able to use that title in a blog post...so I did:). We are getting ready to land in Dublin and I figured that's close enough!

The Philly airport really didn't have that many options for food...well any good looking options, that is.  The Chick-Fil-A was closed for Christmas, there was no Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts was sold out except for one crusty doughnut...no thank you.  So we went to the Healthy Market and got a salad and a wrap and had a picnic on the floor.  I was under the assumption (you know what they say about assuming...) that the airports would be like ghost towns on Christmas Day, but they were packed!  We had to search for a good floor seat and a plug to charge this iPhone!!!  Charging this iPhone is TOP priority...can't leave y'all hangin'...right?!!?!?!?!

On Christmas Eve my Grandaddy got a phone call from a man that he hasn't spoke to since somewhere in 1950!!!  It was an old roommate.  Then Christmas morning, we got a phone call from Medehen!  She lived with us while we were living in Ethiopia...I haven't spoken to her in 19 years and she sounded exactly the same:). Random facts, I know, but I wanted to add them...and it's MY blog...so I can:).  Nick would tell me to edit that last sentence out, but he's not reading this right now.

Thinking about Ethiopia makes me remember the good ole days of travel.  We would pack those XL duffle bags and had a weight limit of 70 lbs...AND each person could bring two of those enormous bags, plus their normal carry-on and purse and/or briefcase.  I also remember getting several meals/snacks/drinks per flight, good pillows, real blankets and little toiletry bags with eye masks, socks, earphones, chapstick, toothbrush, toothpaste and lotion.  Boy has international travel gone downhill...take it from a pro, we are all getting ripped off!  THIS trip is our most rigid yet!  The airline has the size and weight of the bags down to no bigger than our old carry-ons.  The pillows lost their fluff, the blankets shrunk and lost their warmth (unless I keep my knees hooked under my two front teeth that I got for Christmas...or you're 3.5 years old...then you're good!), the earphones have to be requested, the toiletry bags have totally disappeared, and the edible items---we won't even go there:(.  I even got to ride in the cockpit with the pilots on a flight from Germany to Ethiopia, as a little girl...never ever never would that happen now!  Anyway, If I wasn't a claustrophobic maniac and Nick wasn't a giant, travel would be wonderful!  Just kidding, I DO love to travel, but I tend to lean towards meltdowns and temper tantrums...Nick (of course) always remains calm and reminds me "this is a small thing in the large picture" or "it's not about the destination, but the journey"...seriously, how can someone always be so patient, so sweet, so calm, so positive...?!  That's why God put us together...when I'm a crackhead, Nick puts me in my place.  This is not a joke.  I'm serious.  Let's move on.

This is what we looked like two flights in with the longest yet to go...almost dead.

So we got on the flight from Philly to Dublin...let me sum it up, very crowded, old plane, dirty feeling/looking (due to oldness), children crying, two VERY giddy/giggly/loud/excited girls next to us in the back of the plane.  Meltdown began and I pulled out my oils to handle the situation before I did something I would later regret.  The girl in the aisle next to me says "I smell Thieves! Can I have a drop?"...yup...I shared my oils on the plane with a total stranger!!! 

So we are now decending into Dublin.  It's 2:45am in Florence, SC and we have yet to sleep (not for a lack of trying)!  We look like death...not warmed up at all...I actually have a dread lock forming on the back/underside of my hair...you'd think this was going to be a bad day.  BUT, we have gum, our loved ones love us no matter how scary we look/act AND we are landing in Dublin, Ireland...it's going to be a good day (and we are going to sleep goooooooooddddddd tonight!!!)!!!!

Good morning everyone!!!!

We're Leavin' on a Jet Plane

...but we know when we'll be back again!!!

Woke up this morning, washed a last minute load of clothes, opened gifts and stockings, had Christmas breakfast with family and said "see ya later"...

We are at the Florence airport waiting for our flight to Charlotte.  I have a front row seat and I'm soaking up vitamin D...it might be the only vitamin D I get until we return on Jan 16th:)

On the way to the airport, Maggie downloaded Instagram to my iPhone after years of begging me to "get with it"...so now you will all have new and improved photos from me along our journey.  Maggie sold me when she said "it will make your Blog better"!!!

So...our next stop is Charlotte, then Philly and finally, Dublin.  I'll see you on the other side!!!

Merry Christmas Eve

So I got my December oils order!!! Yay!!!  If you ordered one from me, you'll be getting it ASAP!!!

And here is what you were waiting for:

Yes, we are packing again...life is short and our bucket list is big!!!  We are off to visit Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland!!!  Stay tuned for daily travel updates:)

Happy Anniversary To Us!

     So, today we are celebrating our 6th anniversary!  Yes, six years!  It has flown by!  Each anniversary has been exciting in a different way...this one is exciting because we have just moved into our first house, like OUR house, like we are BUYING it and will OWN it and be OURS!!!  Sorry, but this is a BIG deal after renting for six years!!!  I just want everyone to know that this is the 35th time that I have packed and moved somewhere!  And actually since the last time I counted, I have remembered some that I forgot to count, so who knows!!!  I'm hoping that unless we go back overseas into missions, or move to another city in the USA for a job, THIS WILL BE MY LAST MOVE!!!!!!  Not likely, but whatever...a girl can hope!!!

     As you can see, it is a work in progress type thing, but we live here now!  We want to have you all over, but don't want to be responsible for anyone falling down the stairs and killing themselves, or breaking their neck and suing us and taking our house.  Bottom line, we will have an open house when we have stairs and rails!