End of Summer 2016 & A Shout Out to Mom! - A Rare Russ Post

Our first FULL Irish summer is now in the books!  I can't believe at this time it's now over a year since we arrived, wow has time flown by.  We did a lot of the same things this summer as we did when we arrived last summer.  Swimming in the harbours (now that we had time to find more of them other than the one right in front of our house, pictured below), exploring on the DART commuter train and LUAS tram, and playing in the parks were recurring themes both summers. These were definitely some of our favorite things to do! As seen in the picture below, on the warmest summer days the harbour is a hub of activity, kayaking, fishing, swimming, playing in the sand, and our favorite activity to watch, pier jumping by the young adults.  Very entertaining!  

Playing in the harbour a year later.  Wow, these girls have grown up quickly!  Still as stunning as ever to take photos here at Coliemore Harbor.  Pier jumpers in the background!

A new swimming spot is pictured above! It's the Forty Foot in Sandycove.  This is very popular with the Irish sea swimmers who come here year round to swim.  It's crazy because it's bone chilling water and even worse when you get out, especially if windy.  You wouldn't catch me swimming here unless it's a warm sunny day, which is obviously rare in Ireland.  Anyway, the girls are starting to develop some Irish traits and here is another example... a love for swimming in the frigid water.  Not me! :-/

Teddy's Ice-Cream - a great location on the water in Dun Laoghaire. This is one of the oldest and most favorite ice cream places to visit in Dublin.  Bike rides typically end up here at some point!  Good thing the outdoor exercise equipment is close to Teddy's!

The pictures below are taken at the other side of the Forty Foot in Sandycove.  These pictures were actually taken after school started since they have the uniforms on, but two things I wanted to talk about here.  First, ice cream.  This is one of the girls true loves.  Be it, Poland, Italy, Ireland, doesn't matter, these girls love their ice cream.   Second, the bike riding was very popular for us this summer.   The bike itself was not very popular with Mom.  It was bike purchase #2 for me since being here in Ireland, so that didn't exactly go over well, but after explaining the NEED for it to Lyns and for her to see how happy the girls are when riding with me, I'd like to think she now considers this money well spent! :-)  As seen in the picture this setup is very different from my standard road bike which I use for all my long distance cycling or for shopping/errands.  This one is for kid hauling with the second seat attached near the handle bars at the front of the bike for Lo to sit.  This also has a front rack for carting the kids school bags.  We actually starting using this setup for going to and from summer camp.  The Trailgator is attached  to Anna's bike at the back.  This can be removed and shortened so that Anna can be towed or cycle on her own.  Pretty cool setup!  We all have a blast when we are cycling together!  Now we just need to get Mom a bike so she can come along!! ;-)  I still haven't mentioned my desire for a 3rd bike... Lol.  There is a distinct difference and NEED for this one as well!  This bike would be a packable/breakaway travel bike that can be taken on an airplane as standard luggage for cycling in various travel destinations!  I'm sure I'd have to sell another bike first or I'd be a dead man! ;-)

Here they are celebrating completion of the first week of school with some Ben and Jerry's, if you are curious Anna's favorites are Sofa So Good/Carmel Chew Chew and Lo's are Cookie Dough/Chocolate Fudge Brownie.  The weather was very nice to enjoy the first couple weeks of school!

Here we are looking at the Forty Foot from the other side.

Happy to be heading out to bike ride!

Last summer was such a blur and more challenging since we were adjusting, setting up many new things here in Ireland and tying up loose ends in the USA.  Supporting Lyns as she hit the ground running with her new job responsibilities, finding our bearings in our new home and community surroundings, and keeping the girls occupied kept me busier than I could have imagined last summer. Making a move across an ocean and getting everything sorted out in a new country has certainly took more effort than we thought, but we feel great about how quickly we ended up settling in.  It was a refreshing change and much more smooth sailing this summer, since we could sit back a little more and enjoy the fruits of our labor from the previous year. This summer was also nice to have tons of help from visitors to keep the little ladies occupied! Outside of staying busy with lots of traveling with our visitors (Cork, Ring of Kerry, Belfast, Liverpool) and with Mom for work (Poland, Sweden, Lisbon), this summer was a lot more laid back here in Ireland!!!

Here we go on the LUAS tram to city centre to visit Mom for lunch.  The girls are super excited any time we go to visit Mom at work.  When playing together at home these girls love to role play traveling, working in the office and being professionals like their Mom.  When they can actually get a glimpse of her work life and visit with her colleagues, it's even better for them and new material for playing pretend.   Lyns is a fantastic role model for these girls and I'm so thankful for the example she sets for them in all ways... whether its in the home baking birthday treats or in the office as a professional manager, these girls just adore her have no idea how lucky they are!!!   

Here we are at one of our favorite parks in city centre, Merrion Square.  Very nice natural looking playground with great climbing features and tall, fast slides.  Loads of fun!

Another tour of the Guinness factory... I can't even keep track of how many times we have been there or who we were there with this time. Lol.  Anyway, always a great time.  Here we have the lighted waterfall behind us and a description of how important water is to making Guinness.

One of our favorite places to view the city of Dublin, the Guinness Gravity Bar.  Wow.  It's worth the trip every time. :-)

The girls are always so happy here, even with their Sprite or water.  So much fun to hang out with the adults and to pretend to be one.  Don't grow up so fast ladies, it ain't all its cracked up to be. ;-)

Um, beer 12 or 13, not sure... J/K they only give you a ticket for one free beer, bummer.

Oh boy, here we are again at another of our favorite parks right on the bay between Sandycove and Dun Laoghaire.  Not sure why the girls want to go here to play on the outdoor exercise equipment, but I'd like to think my exercise habits are starting to rub off on them.  Just had Teddy's, keep on moving!!!

More exercise. Good work ladies!! Keep makin' Dad proud.

Here they are happy as can be sitting on some random statue in the park.  Ride on ladies, ride on.

Little man photo bombed us.  Not sure what the pull is for kids to this statue, but I assume it has something to do with the little mound you have to climb to get to it...

Other than the seaside views and water crashing against the shore, this is the next coolest thing at the park.  Climbing in makes for a good picture, we even had to wait behind a line of tourists for our nice photo op.  

That's about all for now with another summer in the books!!! As a parting thought to share, while reflecting on the last year, I often had to pinch myself. It could be while playing with the girls in the parks and harbours, cycling along the Irish coast, jogging through the quaint villages, sitting on the veranda looking at the boats in the bay while talking to Lyns, or as a family exploring the many European cities we were so fortunate to visit.  The opportunity is often still surreal to me. To think that a little over a year ago I was overworked, not very fond of my work, and out of shape makes me very appreciative for this career break and experience as a househusband!  It's also so amazing for the girls and I to be able to accompany Mom on some of her work travels to such wonderful places and see cultures we would have never seen otherwise.  Lastly and most importantly to have been able to get all of this time with Annelyse and Loralye, is the single best gift have ever received!   Our little girls are such enjoyable, sweet, intelligent, inquisitive, kind, humorous, fun and overall lovely little people to be with.  Thank you for the opportunity Lyns, I know the girls can't fully appreciate this right now, but I certainly can, and it is truly amazing. 

We will have so many great family memories and such a special family bond to cherish for the years to come!!! So again thank you, you are the best wife and Mom ever.  We all love you so much!!!  :-D

Here they are pretending to be business women like Mom when we were hanging out in the apartment in Warsaw.

So many great family memories and such a special family bond to cherish for the years to come!!! You are the best wife and Mom ever.  Love you so much!!!