Ireland: The Priory

If I were to begin at the beginning of our adventure in Ireland, I would have to explain how we almost didn't go. Dramatic story made short, my kidney decided to rid itself of a stone. Events set into motion on the way to the airport. I suddenly had a pain deep in my back that got progressively worse as we drove along. By the time we got to the airport and parked the car I was having difficulty walking. By the time we checked our bags I was having great difficulty standing. The pain and nausea were excruciating, but even more so was the uncertainty of what it all would mean to this trip that had been two years in the making. Fortunately 24 hours, a trip to urgent care, some abdominal images, a priesthood blessing, and a few prescriptions later, we were under way. (And we were underway against the advice of my doctor. But there was no way a couple millimeters of calcium could keep me away.) Though it was disappointing to get a late start, we never complained about the timing. We were so grateful we didn't get stranded along the way trying to get medical care, and that I didn't have to endure that pain unmedicated at 30,000 feet- a possibility that would have been certain reality had the little stone decided to slip out even just 45 minutes later than it did.

The children did amazingly well on the trip over. We arrived into Shannon Intl. Airport exactly a day later than planned. Dad had arranged for our transportation and it all worked out for us to meet up with them right after they had finished going to Church and having lunch.

Before I start in on any of the touring we did though, I want to write about the place we called home while we were there- The Priory in Killarney. It is a priory house that was originally built in 1780 that has about the grounds a few other cottages that were built in the decades that followed. The O'Donoghue family owns the whole compound and they have restored it and brought it into the current century. For most of the year, they live in the main house with their four children. During the tourist season, they move into one of the cottages and rent everything else out. We felt at home immediately there and we were as sad to leave it and the O'Donoghues as we were to bid farewell to anything else about this trip.

The Irish and American flags live side by side here. Tim O'Donoghue is as Irish as they come. His wife, Bernadette, is a proud Chicagoan.

This side entrance is the one we used most frequently. It is also the one all the O'Donoghues' friends use. We became accustomed to people walking in at random to say hello and to just sit down in the kitchen to chat. 

This kitchen has no less than six clocks hanging round about and none of them tell the correct time.

Grace, Grant and Eden slept in this room that my mom called the Peter Pan room. We left the little window open every night, but alas, no pirate ships...

This is Oscar, the O'Donoghue's dog. He was in and out of the house all week to the great delight of our children. I don't know how I managed to catch him napping. The animal was in constant motion.

Tim and his son made us a crepe breakfast one morning. Cori and I were especially grateful as it had been our morning to cook! We loved being around their family all week. They have a full time job keeping the grounds there and Grace and Grant were all too happy to go out and distract them from their chores when we were home. The sun goes down very late in the summer there, which made evening futbol matches in the front garden a possibility nearly every night for Grace and Grant. They played with the O'Donoghues and with any of the other children that were staying in the adjoining cottages. 

There were a couple of nights where Dad had dinner catered at the house. One of these meals had a particularly fancy menu, so we scrubbed up and dressed the part. 

Though the adults went into town one night or other to experience some of the culture that comes flowing out of the pubs when the sun goes down, Dad arranged to have a pub crawl brought to us. A local bard, who can frequently be found singing in a pub downtown, came to the Priory to have a music night with us. We learned some Irish folk music (I have The Girl with the Black Velvet Band stuck in my head even now). This man's voice filled the whole house. Other guests staying at the cottages mentioned it to us the next day - they got a little concert too if from across the courtyard. The kids danced and we all sang. He even knew some American folk music. This was great as my father is a great guitar and folk music enthusiast. We were all raised singing John Denver songs while he strummed away. It was fun to do it with the next generation in the room! This was a definite highlight of the trip.

the events

I was excited and so grateful when Brittany invited me onto her Ragnar team. She had been invited by her friends and they ended up a runner or two short. I was thrilled to fill a spot. I even got to take another crack at the legs I ran last time. I was not nearly in as good of shape as I was last time. I still have a chunk of weight to lose from my pregnancy with Jeffery. And our move wasn't the best thing for my training schedule. But I did my best and was really happy about my runs. My first run gave me a little glimpse of the old me. My second run, the 11.6 miles around Echo Reservoir, stunk - but mostly because my headlamp needed new batteries and I could barely see where I was going. (Rookie mistake!) My legs had more juice, I just had to go more slowly to avoid breaking my ankles. And my third run was the 4.6 miles up the famed Ragnar hill. I definitely felt stronger the last time I encountered that climb. But I made it up at a decent-for-me pace and was so, so happy to have completed it. Our van was full of fun ladies who made the whole weekend a treat.

The exchange at Snow Basin. So beautiful!

A glorious sunrise I encountered upon exiting a honey bucket at some ungodly hour Saturday morning. 

Van 2!

My last run began down in that valley and ended not far from where I took this picture.

At first, this is how I felt about it.

Then I drank a gatorade and felt a little better.

There is a small mountain looming behind us in this picture. That climb was the unpleasant surprise that was Brittany's to run on the last leg of the race. They changed the course and didn't announce the change until the day of the event. So we got to the end and Britt found out that she would not only have an extra mile added to her run but that it would be up that hill. She booked it and got done so fast that we weren't ready for her at the finish line. So we had her go back a little ways and run through again so we could cross the finish line with her!

Meanwhile, over at Soldier's Hollow, Cori, Cory, Damien, Danielle, Tiffany, Brett and Randy were working it out in the mud at the Spartan Beast. 13 miles and 20+ obstacles. Everyone but Damien and Danielle competed in this same event two years ago, and they all agreed that this time was harder. Cori keeps trying to convince me that I would love doing something like this. I'm still not feeling it. But I will say this for the Spartan Race series- they have a much better photography situation set up! The crew came away with some really great photos.

That night we all caught up with each other at Cafe Rio- the perfect way to celebrate a job well done!

Utah!

Cori and I committed to participating in a couple of races that ended up being on the same weekend in the same place. I got to run the Wasatch Back Ragnar with Brittany and Cori got run the Spartan Beast with a bunch of his family. Originally the plan was to treat it like a little getaway and leave the kiddos behind. But it was too good an opportunity to pass up and we decided to bring everyone along. Our Utah family outdid themselves keeping everyone happy during our stay!

The World Cup was in full swing and through the marvels of internet and mobile devices, Cori didn't miss too much. I caught him watching two games at once...

On the Saturday of our event weekend, Grace, Grant, and Eden (thanks to her Grandma Sandy running with her) got to race the fun run in Elk Ridge. After that, pretty much every mommy, daddy/auntie, uncle was competing somewhere. This left over a dozen grandkids in need of supervision. So they got parceled out along the Wasatch front. Grace and Eden stayed with Grandma Sandy and Papa Ray and the boys spent the night with Aunt Sara and Uncle Kevin. They got a trip to the Hogle Zoo and Grant got to play 'sweet games' on Kevin's Kindle without having to share. That night, Cori and I rolled up to Sara and Kev's house close to midnight, sweaty, muddy and sleep deprived. We loaded their washing machine with an entire drum-full of workout gear, drained their water heater with our showers, and slept the sleep of the dead in their guest bedroom. The next day, we and the boys went with them to Church.

Before heading back down to Elk Ridge we stopped in to hang out with Mondo and Grandpa Randy. Grant loved playing on their new pool table. We watched more soccer and munched on rice crispy treats. 

We had dinner up at Beer Can Flats one night. The location actually has a respectable State-issued name now, but this is what Cori has always called it and it is the only name I can remember... Brittany made us dutch oven dinner and dessert and we spent the evening in the company of some cousins who were traveling through on their way back to Arizona. It was so nice seeing Aunt Mary, and Heather and Jamie and their crew of kiddos are always super fun!

Brittany and Grandma Sandy bought up a bunch of passes to Seven Peaks when they were on sale earlier in the year and generously used them up taking a huge group of us out for the day. Arianne came with her boys. Aunt Mary and Co. joined us as well. We spent the whole day playing in the sun.

That night we had a late dinner back at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I love how no matter how many people are around, there is always room here for everyone- not because of the size of the space necessarily, but because of how gracious Ray and Sandy are about taking care of everyone.

Heather's daughter, Jorja, celebrated a birthday that night too.

We met Gradma and Grandpa at Payson Park one afternoon during their lunch break. This little corner of Utah has enjoyed a super beautiful summer this year. And the mountains! How we have missed them. Houston is pretty dang flat.

We had a couple of days where the kids were able to just hang out and play with their cousins while everyone else was at work. Grace could be found at any given time buried in a new book. And we drove up the hill to Britt and Cory's house just about every day to play with Ashton, Hunter, MaCaleb and Nadia. Brittany was so good to let us crash in on her for the whole week.

A nearby neighbor has a cherry tree that was absolutely bending to the ground with fruit. We spent a couple hours harvesting (and eating) and made not even the slightest dent.

The G's spent the night with Ashton and Hunter one night leaving Eden behind. She slept with Pierre, the giant teddy bear and felt quite reconciled.

They planned another fun outing for us all out at the Museum of Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point. That is a fun children's museum. We spent the whole day playing interrupted only by a brief picnic lunch break.

That night, we changed into pajamas and went up the hill to Cory and Brittany's to sleep out under the stars. We had tin foil dinners cooked in their fire pit and slept on mattresses and the trampoline on their back lawn. The view from their house is hard to beat. Grandpa Ray set up the rocket launcher before the sun went down. Notice JJ chewing on the chord. It never fails.

The next day was the 4th of July. Grandma Sandy set a fun table for us to eat dinner before heading up to BYU campus for the rest of the night. We watched a soccer game and then spread out our blankets on the soccer field to watch the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire happening down the street.

Love the star-spangled Y!

That was a late night followed by an early morning. This was not made any easier by our baby who projectile vomited all over himself, his car seat and a bit of our rental car as we were trying to abscond BYU campus. Good times! But we made it home safe and sound but for our hearts that always break a little when we leave family.