Reality starting to set in…

Some of you know already but for those that don’t…my parents are planning on retiring in Ireland. Yes…you read that right…they are leaving me, Owen and Yosh in California to live their dream and come home to Ireland.  Originally my dad was suppose to retire March 2011. But with the economy and some shifting happening at work he has decided to work a few more years. But this trip has made me realize that no matter how much I want them to stay with me they are retiring and its happening soon.

This was taken from Alan’s upstairs window…and is my parents 2.5 acre field, across the road from Alan's house. Mom inherited this field from her father and this will be the location of their home when they move home.

Dad thought it would be a cool idea to get the field excavated (cleared) so they’d have a good idea of what it looked like. So for a few hours in the morning of the 27th they had someone come out and clear the perimeter and see where the highest point was. Watching that big machine work its way around the field was kinda sad. I don’t want my parents leaving me…so seeing their field kinda come to life was emotional. The field has been there forever but we have never seen it NOT over-grown so it didn’t seem like a real enough place to build a home.

Owen thought the big machine was so cool, yet a little scared of it too. He finally sat in it…but only by being bribed by daddy.

Watching my Dad see his reality come to life was bittersweet. I caught this picture of him genuinely happy…and that isn’t something that happens very often. He was so excited to see his field open up…walk on it and imagine what his retired life will bring for him and my mom. But as I watched them walk that field I got scared…I can’t imagine my life with them in another country. I rely on my parents very much…they are all I have. Yes I have my husband and son…and of course my adoring in-laws but its not the same. When they leave California I will feel very alone and empty…and I dread the day. I want them to fulfill their lifelong dream…but I’m selfish too..I’ll miss them TOO much if they leave!

 

 

I wonder if my parents were walking with Owen…visualizing him being there to visit them as a young man…in many many years. As I watched them I thought about a few days prior, how I was at the post-office mailing a few postcards. It was a Friday and that's when and where the older people go to collect their social security. Some were brought in by grandchildren or great-grandchildren. It made me think…who is going to take my parents to collect their money when they are TOO old to do it themselves…who's going to take care of them?

But we walked up the road…to go find more Leprechauns…and again we found their house…but again the Leprechauns must be out at the shop. haha

   

Christmas 2011

I’ve realized that you think you know how amazing Christmas is UNTIL you have a child of your own…and they are old enough to “get it”.  Owens first xmas pretty much sucked because I was so sick…I thought Owen's 2nd Christmas rocked but no no no…THIS Christmas was totally awesome!!!

I was a little worried b/c all Owen has been saying is that Santa was going to bring him a train and train tracks…welllll hmmm….Santa had a 50lb weight limit on her his suitcase bag…sooo there weren’t any cool trains able to fit in there. But the morning of, he didn’t even mention anything about trains (thankfully). I THINK Santa might have left a train set and tracks at our house in Eastvale for Owen so he’ll get to come home to a pleasant surprise!  After being in Irishtown for Christmas Eve and Owen receiving a ton of gifts I’m starting to worry about how we are going to be getting these gifts home!?! haha Guess we’ll cross that bridge next week when we have to pack up to go home! haha

While in Ireland we’re staying with my cousin Alan and his family but for Xmas morning I wanted to be with my parents and for him to enjoy his kids and lil family. So we stayed the night at Mom and Dad’s little rented cottage just a few miles away from Alan’s house. 
 

Owen woke up at 9am…and whispered to me “Mama…did Santa come?” I was shocked he actually remembered it was Christmas…and watching him get up and be scared to find a big fat man in a red suit was one of the funniest things ever. It made me think about when I was a kid and I would be so scared of Santa…i’d make Paul get up, go downstairs and have a peek to make sure the coast was clear. I’m not sure why there is a lil fear of Santa but its there! haha  We walked into the living room…I asked Owen if Santa came and he said “nope!” haha I think he thought I was asking him if Santa was there…but once he realized the presents were there he got all excited. It was a windy  misty crap morning here…and as we stood looking at presents Owen said “I hear something…I hear Santa!!!” (he was hearing the wind outside!) haha It was so adorable. We made him go knock on Nana and Grandad’s bedroom door and then waited to open presents.  He whispered to the door “Santa came!” haha  Opening presents was so fun. I know some families take their time…one person opens at a time…its a long drawn out process…not in the Gallagher house…we pass out the presents and start opening…whole thing is over in 20 minutes! haha But Owen would pull paper and gasp at whatever he’d find in there. It was like EVERY present was the best one yet! He’d say “Look”, rip paper….“what”…rip paper…”I”…rip paper….”got!”

 

 

 

Oh the excitement in Owen was so fun to watch. And I loved seeing my dad, pure joy in his eyes. The joy that he’d have had back 15 years ago when he was doing this with my brother and I. Christmas time was always one of my dads favorites…I think he still thinks I believe in Santa…I’m still not allowed to say I don’t believe…no matter how old I am!

 

 

 

 

After the morning session of presents we headed “home” to Alan’s for dinner.

 
Alan did an impeccable job with the cooking! Yummy turkey, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, garlic bread and bruschetta, sliced ham…and I contributed by making my “Mexican style” potato salad (with American yellow mustard and hard boiled eggs). They loved it…which was nice…made me miss my dear friend Erika who is on the other side of the world in Warden, WA. Erika is that friend that always comes to my house EVERY x-mas evening…luckily we got to skype this year which totally made my day!!

The LeapPad is a total success…Owen doesn’t put his “learning pad” down…haha

After dinner was over the rest of the family came over for dessert and drinks. Was a great holiday! Now we aren’t the type to be sitting around baking cookies and singing Christmas carols, we were sitting around drinking booze, watching “Mrs. Browns Boys Christmas Special” and talking shite BUT either way, I’m feeling very blessed to be able to be here and celebrating with them!!

Merry Christmas everyone…from my family to yours!

 

PS. Yosh is still learning some of the slang words and phrases used in this country. At 2 am after everyone was gone homemyself, Denise, Alan and Yosh had to clean this place up. The boys (after probably a few too many drinks) were cleaning up and annoying Denise with cling film (serran wrap) she told Alan to “fuck the turkey out” (which meant put the turkey in the trash)…but Yosh thought that meant like fuck the turkey out…literally!

 

Off the balcony the it went…in the pitch black dark there was a flying turkey! And when we woke up in the morning the WHOLE thing was gone…bones and all! The cats, badgers and who knows what else had a great Christmas dinner! haha

Night on the town in Ballina!

    

A night out with the soon-to-be bride and groom (who are NOT those pictured up there..thats my cousin Alan and his wifey Denise)…we’ve been in Ireland for a week now and this was our first night out (on Dec. 23rd)…ohhhh how times have changed. Back when I was younger I get into Ireland..have a nap and then I’d be dragged outta bed and into the pub until who knows what time in the morning. Oh man. It would take me DAYS to recover but with my old age and children…my partying days have been tamed!!  We got to get out as kinda a last little mini hen/stag night for Catherine and John. We went into Ballina and met up with friends! We went to Catherine and John’s local pub first, the Shebeen…its a cute little place that I think most Americans would expect an Irish pub to look like.

Me and the bride…and Catherine and her bridesmaids!!

From Catherine’s nice little local we decided we need to go dancing…haha yes I know what your thinking…Erin and dancing don’t mix! haha But we walked a mile uptown to another place…LONG story short we got into the Broken Jug…which was packed and everyone was hammered there. I liked watching my surroundings…seeing things that would NEVER happen in America…

yes that group of men hugging were singing a Christmas song titled “Fairytales of New York” and being very emotional the whole time we were there…haha ONLY in Ireland!  Also random men asking women to dance…like jive dancing…not like bumping and grinding…its funny!

This was a much larger bar…loud music…but just want the drunker people ordered…it was good for the short time we were there! The bar was packed…took a good half hour to get a drink…with only 4 bartenders on…Very annoying!

But it was a great night out with friends…we’re getting old so those crazy times we used to share aren’t the same anymore.

We stayed for one drink and got a taxi home to call it a night. All the chippers were closed so Alan and Denise fried up a feast for us!!! Thanks for helping me fit into that bridesmaid dress!! hahaha

Twas the Night before Christmas…

Usually we’d be at Disneyland on the Christmas Eve…which is a tradition that Yosh and I created 9 years ago when we first started dating (and can read more about by clicking on the red text). The holiday season is hard for me…brings back the most memories of my brother and being a happy family with my parents…but things have changed oh so much. Since Owen has arrived our holiday festivities are a bit easier than before…but we all still find it hard to not think about and miss our Paul!

This year we got to be included in the Irish Christmas Eve tradition….which is meeting up in my Grandma’s house to have all the younger kids open presents. We were here in 2007 for x-mas and got to partake in this event…but this year was different…so many kids have been brought into the family in 4 years! Its weird because the “younger kids” used to be me and my cousins…then was the youngest cousins came along Caoimhe and Caolan…and is now the youngest cousins AND the babies (my grandma’s great grandchildren!!) Mom and her 3 sisters…their spouses, kids and grandkids. Its a whole lotta people in a VERY small house, but its nice!! Its not an all night affair…the older people have to get to the 9pm mass service (Thankfully we were allowed to skip out on that this year…too late for Owen! Darn! haha)  Mom told me later that the mass was amazing…it was done in candlelight and was gorgeous…so I kinda regret not getting to see it now!

 

 

The youngest and the oldest family members…lil Addison who is JUST shy of 6 months and Nanny Molloy…81 years old!  Lovely ladies in navy on this magical evening!

I love seeing the happiness on everyone’s face…makes me smile!! Togetherness can make people happy and has a way to mask the sadness that some of us are feeling during these holiday celebrations.  Some of us are missing parents, some missing siblings, and others missing children…those that have passed on and are forever missed. And some just not able to make the journey to be with us this year; Derek, Carmel & kids in Philly and Jason in Australia.

But whether we are in California or Ireland…I’m grateful for my boys…Merry Christmas Eve!