Grace is 15 Months Old!

As hard as it is for us to believe, Grace is 15 months old today! Where has the time gone? It seems as though every month goes by faster than the one before. As I'm feeling that ironic combination of happiness and sadness today that only parents understand, I've been thinking about something someone said to me this summer that has stuck with me.

"You only get one chance with your kids."

That's one of the most profound things anyone has said to me in awhile. It's such a short sentence, yet it packs a punch. I've repeated those words to myself many times lately, reminding myself that each and every day of Grace's life is a precious gift, and I need to cherish each moment with her.

As I've been reflecting on what it means to only have one chance to be a good Mom, a new song came out on the Christian radio station that brought me into a deeper understanding of that powerful statement. The song is called "One Life to Love," and the chorus goes like this:

"You only get just one time around. You only get one shot at this, one chance to find out the one thing that you don't want to miss. One day when it's all said and done, I hope you see that it was enough, this one ride, one try, one life to love."

What an awesome way to restate the old cliche of living everyday to the fullest! Let's all strive to love this one life we have and to be thankful daily for all the ways we've been blessed.

Home Sweet Home!

It was with heavy hearts that we arrived in Austin this evening after our wonderful journey to Ireland. Saying goodbye is the worst part of any trip to see family, but particularly in our case. The distance between us is so great that saying goodbye hurts even more.

We flew from Shannon to Newark (7 hours), then Newark to Austin (3.5 hours). Grace slept quite a bit on both flights, but not enough to please those sitting around us. She had moments on both flights when she cried uncontrollably. We think it may have been the change in altitude affecting her ears. Regardless of what made her unhappy, the journey home was rough on all three of us. Nineteen hours of traveling with an almost 15-month old isn't easy. In fact, it's downright exhausting. Martin and I agreed, though, that it was worth it. Our time in Ireland was so special, and we wouldn't trade it for anything, not even a carefree international flight!

The two highlights of the trip home both happened in the Newark airport. First, Grace had her first Happy Meal. She enjoyed her first taste of fast food, although we warned her that we'll be keeping the Happy Meals to a minimum, even though McD's has come out with healthier options (including milk instead of soda...YAY)! The second highlight was Grace's discovery of the moving walkway. She thoroughly enjoyed it, under our very close supervision :-)

Grace's Nana and Pop-Pop picked us up at the airport, and she was thrilled to see them and her Uncle Billy! Even though she was worn out, she still had plenty of energy to play and reacquaint herself with all her toys at home. We're all winding down now and looking forward to (hopefully) a good night's sleep. But then I'm up at 4:30 AM to take Mom, Dad, and Billy to the airport for their trip to Philly. Good night, one and all!

Friday and Saturday in Ireland

Well, it's Sunday, and our trip is winding down. We've had such a nice time and aren't looking forward to saying goodbye. The week flew by, and it's hard to believe it's nearly time to return to the States. We really wish we could've stayed longer...maybe someday the U.S. will come around and give employees more time off every year. Here's to hoping!

Friday was a very chill day for us...we did a tour of the graveyards where various family members are buried and paid our respects. We had a delicious lunch with Mam and Dad while we were out and about and were so pleased to have that quality time with them. Grace is lucky to have fantastic grandparents in Ireland and in the U.S. Every child should be so lucky :-)

We returned to Caroline and Willie's for "bun burgers and homemade chips," a.k.a. hamburgers and fries. I realize that much of my blogging is about eating -- we did a lot of that on this trip, and all the food was awesome! We had an evening of family time with cider and beers. Grace was in bed by 10 PM for the first time on our trip, which gave Martin and I more time with Mam and Dad at home. The moments with the family have been the most cherished times of our trip. Everyday we've been blessed with moments to remember.

On Saturday, we went to the wedding of Martin's cousin, Sean. It was my first time to experience an Irish wedding, although I missed most of it since Grace was in no mood for sitting quietly. Luckily, there was a side chapel in the church, and we spent the majority of the ceremony in there. Martin got a lot of pics so I feel like I was there.

The wedding started around 2 PM, and we were at the reception until 1:45 AM...just imagine the day we had with Grace! After the wedding ceremony, everyone hung out in the bar at the hotel until the meal was served at 6 PM. The band started playing around 9:00ish and that went on until around midnight. Then the disco started, and the dancing continued. I've never seen anything like it. It was unreal! Apparently, it was a typical Irish wedding. I was impressed!

I'll admit it was a very long day. Grace wasn't very cooperative, not that I blame her. After all, she's a one year old little girl who was surrounded by loads of people, loud music, and disco lights for the first time in her life. She had her shining moments though, particularly when she got out on the dance floor and showed us her moves!

My other Grace highlights for the day included her tight squeeze hugs and kisses and watching her dance with her Daddy. During the last week, Grace has started to hug you back when you're holding her, and it is the sweetest thing. The first time she did it, it brought tears to my eyes. She's such an affectionate little girl. Sometimes, she'll just walk over and give me or Martin a kiss out of the blue. I'm so proud of her I could just burst!

Today is our last day here, and it's been low-key so far. We took Grace on a walk and hung out with the family. This evening we'll be having dinner together and enjoying our last evening with the fam. So that's all for now, and my next post will be from our home base in Austin, Texas.

How Do I Love Thee?

There are moments in every marriage when you fall in love all over the again. For some couples, those moments are few and far between. I feel exceedingly lucky that I experience those moments incredibly often. Our time in Ireland has been packed with those moments. I'm certainly not eloquent enough to put into words the depths of my love for my husband. I wish I could. I really do.

One of my favorite quotes is, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Since the day I met Martin in Rosie McCaffery's Irish Pub in Phoenix, my life has been filled with moments that have taken my breath away. What a life we have built for ourselves in the last three years --- I'm in awe of what has grown since that fateful night when I spotted the love of my life for the very first time.

During this trip, it has been so special to watch Martin introduce his daughter to his relatives. It was special to watch Martin dance with his Nanny and spend time with his uncles, aunts, and cousins at the wedding. It was special to see him make his newest niece, Melissa, smile and to watch him playing with Michelle, Liam, and Conor. It was special to watch as he joked with his sisters. And twas special to see the bond that clearly exists between Martin and his parents. He's a family man who I respect and admire beyond belief.

As our trip sadly comes to an end, I pause for a moment to give thanks for my AMAZING husband, our daughter, and our incredible family here in Ireland. God has blessed us abundantly, and we are truly thankful.

Thursday in Ireland

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - it was another wonderful day in Ireland! This trip has been perfect from the moment we arrived. Our Thursday was especially spectacular :-) Martin, Grace, and I took a nice walk around Clogheen. I love hearing about memories from Martin's childhood and seeing the look on his face as he reminisces. We spent a few hours hanging out with Sharon, Tom, Michelle, and Conor. Grace is a big fan of her cousins and had a great time checking out all of their toys. Grace was particularly entertained by a megaphone toy they had. I'll post the video of her playing with it when we get home; it's hysterical :-)

We got home in time for another amazing home-cooked meal, complete with steaks, mashed potatoes, and veg! Mam and Dad are such gracious hosts, and we never go hungry when we're here. After dinner, we took a walk to a pub in Clogheen for a drink with Martin's cousin and her fiance and Caroline. Grace came along, but slept in her stroller (a.k.a. buggy) the whole time we were there.

After that, it was time for one of the things I was most excited about on this trip - seeing Michelle do her Irish dancing in the show at the community hall. The show is called Draíocht na Faille Deirge and is a show full of Irish dance and music. Words cannot even begin to describe the experience! I was blown away by the beauty of the music and talent of the dancers. It was definitely a highlight of the trip! Michelle, our niece, was the STAR of the show, and we were so proud of her! It was truly an honor to be there to see her dance. Rest assured that I'll post several videos of the show in the days to come, along with pictures of our beautiful and talented niece, Michelle!

They served scones at the show, and Grace thought the world of them. She was very entertained by the music and dancing through most of the show. I loved watching her sweet face as she looked in awe at the dancers. She literally devoured an entire scone herself, which was quite the spectacle :-) Perhaps Grace will grow up to be an Irish dancer like her cousin!

Wednesday in Ireland

Yesterday was another awesome day in Ireland! We went to Cahir, a town close to Clogheen for lunch and to do some souvenir shopping. Cahir is the home of Cahir Castle, which was constructed in the 13th Century and was used to film the movie, Excalibur. It's a spectacular castle!

The streets of Cahir were alive with activity, as a movie was being filmed at Cahir Castle and there were lots of interesting costumed characters on the streets. Also, it was the day of the "deb's ball," which is Ireland's version of Prom. We saw a bunch of teenagers all dressed up and preparing for their big night out.

We went to a pub for some soup and met up with Neil, one of Martin's buddies from his days in Oxford, and his girlfriend, Rachel. We made plans to meet up with them again in the evening and headed to the souvenir shop. They had ice cream there, and Martin shared a cone with Grace. Grace ended up with it all over her face, but she enjoyed every bite!

We headed back to Clogheen, and Grace and I had a nice nap. We awoke to the most amazing smell...Mam's famous pork dinner! We had a truly delicious meal together with Mam, Dad, Caroline, Willie, Liam, and Melissa. Martin was in heaven since his Mother's pork dinner is "his favorite meal ever." I must admit that it knocked my socks off too, and Grace was thoroughly impressed as well.

After dinner, we had a visit with Sharon, Martin's sister, her husband, Tom, and Conor and Michelle. We gave them their gifts and hung out for a bit before heading out for the night. Grace stayed home with her Aunt Caroline, cousin Liam, and grandparents and had a great evening playing with them. Meanwhile, Martin and I met up with Neil and Rachel in Cahir for beers. Later, Eamon, another of Martin's good friends, met up with us, along with his daughter, Tara, who I befriended on Facebook awhile back and finally had the pleasure of meeting. We did a pub crawl to three of Cahir's pubs, enjoying beer and cider at each. We had a really wonderful time hanging out with good friends and experiencing Ireland's nightlife.

My favorite thing about pubs in Ireland is that people can stay and drink past closing time. The pubs closed at 11 PM last night, but we were there until 1 AM. You arrive outside a pub, and it looks deserted from the outside, but once you're inside, you see that the party is still rocking on :-) No nasty bouncers throwing you out at closing time like in the States...gotta love that!

All in all, it was yet another brilliant day! That's all for the moment :-) TTFN!

We're in Ireland!

Hello to all, and greetings from Clogheen, Ireland - the home of Martin's family! Clogheen is in County Tipperary and is a lovely town. I marvel at the beauty of this country each time I visit. This is my third time here, and I am still in awe. As a matter of fact, three years ago I visited Ireland for the first time (in August 2005), met Martin's family, and said yes to his marriage proposal. I hold all of those memories so near to my heart. It's hard to believe that three years later, we're traveling here as a family with our beautiful daughter, Grace Calleigh. What a spectacular three years it has been for us!

We arrived on Sunday morning, August 17th. It was about 7:30 AM Irish time, but just 1:30 AM Texas time. Needless to say, the three of us were worn out from our journey. We flew from Austin to Newark, and Grace was great on that three and a half hour flight. She slept for about two hours and played nicely the rest of the time. The first half of our trip was great! In Newark, we had dinner and tried to wear Grace out. She ran all around the airport; she loves having big, wide open spaces to run free. When we boarded the plane bound for Shannon, Ireland, we had high hopes that Grace would sleep much of the trip. No such luck :-) We ended up sitting on the plane for an hour and a half before taking off, and Grace was really not impressed. All she wanted was to run around the plane, which of course she couldn't do. We managed to keep her somewhat tame, but then we had 6 hours of flying to get through. I'll spare you all the details, but suffice it to say that 2 nasty poops and several "baby meltdowns" later, we arrived at the Shannon airport. In spite of being worn out, we were thrilled to land on Irish soil!

Grace got to use her Irish passport for the first time, and she and Martin sped through the EU line, while I waited in the long American line. Grace had fallen asleep toward the end of our journey (FINALLY) and slept through our arrival, getting our bags, and walking through the doors to her anxiously waiting grandparents! She finally woke when I changed her diaper in the airport and gave lots of cuddles to her Nana as we walked to the car. We drove back to Clogheen and had an awesome Irish breakfast waiting for us. It hit the spot! We met up with Martin's sister, Sharon, and her two kids, Michelle and Conor, plus Martin's nephew and Godson, Liam. It was a great way to start the day!

After breakfast, we headed to Martin's parents house to get ourselves showered and dressed for Melissa's Baptism. The Baptism was beautiful, definitely the most unique one I've ever witnessed. It concluded with the priest singing to Melissa, who smiled away at him. After the Baptism, the party got rolling at Martin's sister and brother-in-law's house (Caroline and Willie). The party raged on all day long and was fabulous. Loads of family and friends came to celebrate Melissa's Baptism and Liam's 8th birthday. The day was complete with typical Irish weather...in other words, it rained all day long! That didn't stop Liam and all his friends from playing on the bouncy castle though :-)

When we finally got to bed at midnight, all three of us were exhausted! But guess what? We slept in until Noon the next day and felt a world better! Monday was a day of relaxation and hanging out with the fam. Grace got comfortable in her new surroundings and had a blast playing with her cousin, Liam. I got my long-overdue cuddle time with my new niece, Melissa, and fell in love with her! Grace was really sweet to her and gave her lots of kisses!

Tuesday was the long-awaited trip to the Cliffs of Moher! I've wanted to go there ever since seeing my brother, Billy's amazing pictures from his trip a couple years ago. Martin has never been there either, which still blows my mind. The Cliffs are about 100 miles from Clogheen, and we all set off for the journey. We arrived JUST IN TIME to see the Cliffs...as we were snapping our photos, we watched a huge cloud roll in from over the Atlantic and sure enough, it started to dump rain on us about 20 minutes after we arrived. NOTE: This pic is not from our visit to the Cliffs...I'll post ours later, but the backdrop wasn't nearly so clear. Alas, such is life! It was quite the adventure, as we tried to keep Melissa and Grace dry and warm. It was certainly worth the trip because the Cliffs are absolutely breathtaking and the scenery on the drive was equally as magnificent! I saw my fair share of "fields of green and fences made of stone."

We made it back to Clogeen around 8 PM and got Chinese food for dinner. We just chilled out, ate dinner, and relaxed after our long day. It was another great day in Ireland! That's all for now; keep checking back for more about our time here! Love to all back home :-)

Ireland, Here We Come!

Tomorrow morning the Fogarty family will set off for our journey to Ireland! It will be Grace's first trip to her Daddy's home, and we couldn't be more excited! We've been counting the days for months, and the time has nearly come. We can't wait for Grace to meet her Irish family, especially her new cousin, Melissa, who was born in May :-) It's going to be such a special time for all of us. Rest assured that we'll take hundreds of pictures to commemorate the experience, and I'll blog all about it.

I believe Garth Brooks says it best:

"Ireland, I am coming home. I can see the rolling fields of green and fences made of stone. I am reaching out; won't you take my hand? I am coming home, Ireland!"

Home Sweet Home!

After three very long weeks in Minnesota, I am home at last! I listened to the Daughtry song "Home" a lot while I was away..."I'm goin' home to the place where I belong, where your love has always been enough for me." It is so good to be home. Truly, this is the place where I belong. Martin and I have spent much more time away from each other than we would have liked during the early days of our relationship - that's what happens when you fall in love with someone who lives in another country. We endured a lot back then, and those times were tough, but not nearly as tough as the last three weeks. We are a family, and it pained us to be apart. It especially pained me to miss out on three weeks of Grace's life, although I saw her almost every day on web cam.

When I saw her today, I couldn't believe how much she changed while I was gone. She's grown up so much! She has four teeth on the top now that are almost fully in...when I left, there were three just coming through! She is starting to talk a lot more, and Daddy taught her lots of new words while I was gone. The cutest one is "cheese," which is her favorite thing to eat :-)

Now tomorrow it's back to work for two weeks before we head to Ireland. We are SO excited about Grace's first trip there! Introducing her to the rest of the fam is going to be a blast and seeing her play with her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents will be the BEST!