It has taken me a few months to get this trip documented....laziness. But in October Jim took me to Ireland for our last big vacation before the baby comes. It was a combo anniversary/ birthday + a little nagging vacation. It is our baby moon, last big trip before our lives change forever. Some of our favorite traveling companions came with us, Heather and Don (Jim's sister and her husband). To start this trip off we were blessed to get upgraded on some of our flights. Thank you business class, for reclining seats so I could elevate my legs. Heather and Don were very gracious, even though they didn't get upgraded, sorry guys.
The weather was better than we expected, which left Jim feeling bitter cause he never experienced that kind of weather the other times he has visited. We only had a few days of chilly and overcast, most of the time it was clear and warmish.
We had a fabulous time sightseeing and having Jim as our tour guide. We ate dinner with a family that he knew from his mission. We started off our trip by going to a soccer game. Talk about fans, the energy is crazy.
We also went to the Waterford Crystal factory. Beautiful stuff but not baby friendly! No crystal for us!
We ate a LOT of chips (french fries) and chocolate. Chips are served with everything, even Italian food. And well, the chocolate is so good over there so we always had a stash for car rides or walking tours. We might have gained a few pounds...but what can you do. (Work it off when you get home, or blame it on pregnancy) We saw lots of amazing castles! Here I am kissing the blarney stone for the gift of eloquence. Not sure it worked.
Here we are in Kinsale checking out the forts. Grass grows on everything, cool.
A stop on our drive through the countrysides of Ireland.
The Giants Causeway. Amazing what nature can do. Kind of reminded me of the Superman scene when they are in the ice cave talking to Superman's dad.
The Cliffs of Mohr. You can't tell from this picture but they are gorgeous. Jim was mad that they have put up fences so people can't go close to the edge of the cliffs like they once could. Apparently some people have been blown off, but Jim's theory is "Survival of the fittest!" I told him guidelines to keep us safe are not a bad thing. But he likes to live on the edge, so we hopped the fences and walked the path by the edge.
Ireland sights were amazing. We had a great trip and the only snag we had was when we (not mentioning any names) put the wrong kind of gas in the car. Had to take a 2 hour detour to drain the tank and refuel. The most amazing thing was the mechanic didn't charge us for the service cause he said we paid enough in wasted gas. So NICE! It's always a good reminder to be a giving and Christlike person.
