Dublin with the McCormacks

We had the special treat during this last trip to get to meet up with the McCormack clan while they were in Dublin for the girls' Spring Break. Carol and Paul are my sister and brother-in-law and they have 3 beautiful daughters who are three (of our five) lovely nieces. Paul was born and raised in Dublin and his mother still lives there so we were blessed to get to see Grandma Mary as well on our visit.

With some careful coordination (and lies, as Susan was quick to point out) on Carol's part, we were able to surprise the girls with our arrival. I hate that we didn't capture their surprised faces as the door opened but I will certainly never forget it. Their sweet faces went from confusion, to shock, to sheer joy in about 30 seconds. We were quickly tackled with hugs in the doorway. "Aunt Katie and Uncle Jim!!" I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.

When I moved to DC in 2006, Carol was pregnant with Susan, the oldest. So, my seven years in DC were filled with watching these beautiful girls grow up. Jim and I even lived with them for a month after our wedding when we were waiting to move out to California. It has been hard being away from them for the past two years but we were lucky that they visited us in Monterey and so glad to see them in Dublin. Hopefully we will see them again before we move back to the states. Thank goodness for today's technology where we can see pictures and videos regularly. It really helps us feel connected across the miles.

Thank you McCormack clan for including us on your Spring Break! It was wonderful to see you!

We went to visit Tom Tom's grave (Paul's dad) at the most beautiful old cemetery in Dublin. It was a really special experience.

It was a solemn place for a morning visit but really special for the girls to get to see where their grandfather is buried.

We took a little day drive to the coast to a charming little town where we had lunch at a coffee shop. Too bad it was so windy. We would have liked to walk to the end of the pier and explore more. Cecilia has gotten so big! She was attached to my hand pretty much the whole 48 hours.

Cecilia enjoying a "99" vanilla soft serve ice cream cone with a chocolate flake stuck in the side. This was one of Paul's favorite treats growing up. It was fun that he shared with us!

Susan, Anne, Paul, Jim and I went on a walking tour around Dublin with Paul as our tour guide. It was pretty great to be shown around by someone who grew up there! Here we are on the campus of Trinity University where the Book of Kells is housed.

Unfortunately, in the end, we weren't able to get a picture of us with all three girls but this one of us with Susan turned out great. It was such a special time to get to see the McCormack family after a year apart. We miss them greatly and can't wait until our next adventure together!