This weekend turned out really fun! We found $5 Nats tickets online and invited Sarah to join us for a night at the ballpark. We all split a bucket of chicken and fries which we totally got ripped off on because the entire bottom half of the bucket was crumpled paper! The regular fans probably know how to find the good deals. Perhaps someday that will be us! But until then, we'll be the ones holding kid-sized fountain drinks and pulling paper out of our chicken buckets. ;) 

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It seems fitting to end this series of vacation blog posts with a few sunset photos of the World's Most Photographed Dog. Sadie is 16 years old and therefore doesn't move around that quickly anymore. But at the beach it was a whole different story. She seemed to come alive once her paws hit the sand. Her trail of paparazzi could hardly keep pace as she zipped along. It was pretty adorable. Sadie is most definitely a beach dog.

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This week has been a long time in coming. I think a lot of us were more than ready to put our hectic work lives behind us for awhile and slow down to “island time”. Both Seanathair’s and Seanmhathair’s health have been declining this past year. It’s been pressing on us to visit with them as often as possible while Seanathair still has some recollection of who we are. Also, the little cousins are growing up so fast, and we want to be part of their childhood memories. Even if they are running around too much to notice us, we see them. The O’Clisham family is special because they show up for each other and they truly love each other. 

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Our rental house was super charming and had a great living room and kitchen hangout area, but the best part of the whole house was the porch. Everyone congregated there. It was perfect for sipping that coveted Wawa coffee or breaking out the acoustic guitar. Any reason at all to enjoy that fresh ocean air. We were just a few blocks from the beach but still close to town. It was the perfect setup.

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You know what's great about family? They're your family.

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At last! The long-anticipated beach week finally arrived. Monday afternoon we threw our bags in the FJ, secured the kayaks on top, and off we went! Sea Isle or bust. Shortly after Brian and I pulled up to the house, Sarah insisted we walk to the beach for the sunset. There is nothing quite like witnessing the golden hour at the ocean. I drank it all in – the wide open space, the softly crashing waves, and of course the beautifully painted sky. How can anyone watch a sunset without being overwhelmed by the goodness of God?

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Birthday girl getting her philosophical thinking on at the National Gallery of Art.

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As you may or may not know by now, Brian and I are last-minute travelers. Sometimes this works for us, sometimes it doesn't. (Usually it does, other than the part where I stress because I'm a planner!) On two separate weekends we tried to make this trip down to South Carolina but the rain storms moved in and hunkered down right over the entire East Coast. This time, however, we checked the weather at 7pm on Friday night, decided to "weather" the scattered showers, and started packing for a whirlwind trip leaving the next morning. Does it seem like I use the word "whirlwind" to describe most of our vacations? :)

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I've got a lot on my mind these days. Springtime seems heavy this year. I was reading an article the other night about how the fear of appearing foolish keeps us from sharing the gospel. Our culture worships knowledge. The ultimate transgression is to be considered ignorant. This is why social media is such a firestorm: everyone is desperate to share an opinion and make themselves appear wiser than their peers; at the same time the brutality in which they tear down is shocking. "Ignorant" is a curse word. When Jesus said he chose the foolish things of this world to shame those who consider themselves wise, he was talking about those considered foolish by the world’s standards. But in the Bible, actual fools are those who don’t look to God for their source of wisdom. 

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Friday night we did what we haven't done in forever: go to a concert! Sarah knew this band called Rend Collective and they were playing in DC, so she, Maura, Elena, Brian and I met up Friday evening to check it out. RCo (as the cool kids call them) is a Christian folk/rock band from Northern Ireland. They put on a great show. It was loud and colorful and it made you wanna jump around. Really really fun. :)

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It was another Irish Catholic family reunion. Cathleen and Mike invited everyone to their home for brunch, and two dozen of us showed up! Half from New Jersey and the other half from DC. Even Sham and Shan made it down. Is there a better way to spend your Saturday than catching up with your crazy family in the warm spring air, sipping mimosas and eating quiche? Let me answer for you: no, there is not. Thank you Cathleen for pulling this all together and being such a wonderful host! (more…)

Happiest of birthdays to one of my very favorite sisters-in-law! I am so glad you came into our family four years ago. Life has certainly changed because of you, and we are blessed to know you. We wish God's best for you this coming year.

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We spent a fair amount of time at the Del Ray Marina checking out all the fancy boats and eating at the marina's restaurant. I expected their seafood to be good, and it was! I ordered fish and shrimp tacos, the most popular item on the menu, and they were amazing. Such a good choice. Just thinking about those tacos is making me hungry! The marina was full of boats. Puerto Rico is a popular destination for luxury sailing, and we saw an entire fleet of beautiful sailboats. Brian and I strolled over the docks, taking in at each one, but I didn't want to be rude and take pictures of people's homes.

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Hello from Puerto Rico! We just returned from a beautiful but brief trip to this tropical island in the Caribbean. I thought the island might be stripped of foliage from the recent Hurricane Maria, but my fears were put to rest as soon as we landed. We found our rental car and headed to the Wyndham Resort, our last-minute hotel of choice. I found an amazing VRBO rental in the jungle that I really wanted to check out, but we were only there for two days and it was on the opposite side of the island. I didn't realize quite how large Puerto Rico was! Definitely not like Cozumel, which Brian and I had driven around in just an hour or two. So instead, we picked the Wyndham resort. Not a bad runner-up. ;)

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Affogato is an Italian dessert, traditionally vanilla gelato "drowned" with a shot of hot espresso. There's an adorable shop down the street in Old Town that sells this, and it is my favorite place to take people for dessert or an afternoon pick-me-up.

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Sunday afternoon proved to be even more beautiful than Saturday at the golf course. After church and lunch the group of us (minus thr napping Conor and Sadie) headed down to the bay to skip rocks and soak up the sun. It never gets old looking at the serene water. I can't wait to bring out the kayaks, but that may have to wait another month or two! Sasha is the only one who actually ventured into the water. She loved it! I'll have to buy her a new doggie water boomerang so we can play fetch. :) Bill and Sarah were the clear winners at skipping rocks. Conceptually I know it's all in the wrist, but practically I end up chucking each rock speedily into the watery depths. Clearly my skills lie elsewhere.

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What a beautiful Easter weekend! The sun came out and warmed up the chilly April air. The budding trees provided a great and timely reminder of life after death. Death is conquered, as proved by the empty tomb. Jesus is a living savior! Because he lives, so do I.

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Last weekend was Brian's birthday!! We celebrated in style and I'm still thinking about that ice cream cake. :) Happy birthday to you, lovie!

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I don't mean to get sappy, but you guys! I got to see Alissa! And Jesse! And Tony! (Obviously I see my brother a little more often, but it's still pretty awesome.) It was like a mini Morris reunion, but with people I actually love. The fact that they (and Ashley) live in different parts of this huge state gives me actual anxiety. How could I move back to MN and choose who to live near?? Can you all please consolidate into one town or city? Thanks. :)

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