Happy New Year! If 2011 is half as eventful and fun as 2010 then it will be a great year. Since last writing we have been busy celebrating our first Christmas in Kinsale. The weather was the big story this Christmas and I just read that it was the coldest December on record in Ireland. Amazing I still think it sometimes gets colder in Dallas so it did not bother Gwen or me too much but in fairness it did get mad cold. Christmas morning in Kinsale was -11C which is cold no matter where you are from.
So what have we been up to? Santa was very good to the girls who were surprised with pairs of roller skates and a giant Barney for Jessica. The skates were a huge hit and they have been pretty much wearing instead of shoes since then. Dinner on Christmas was traditional turkey (brined) stuffed and served with roast and mashed spuds as well as a nice selection of winter veg. I made gravy using the giblets and neck which turned our really well if I may say so! It was a lovely quiet family day and we never left the house the entire time.
St. Stephen’s day (26th Dec) was another quite day where we had several rounds of turkey sandwiches and the trifle that we could not fit in the day before.
On Monday 27th we packed up the car and headed up to Dublin and Bray to visit family. My sister and her husband were over from England and they and my parents got to spend some time with our girls while Gwen and I absconded into Dublin and checked into the Shelbourne for the night! This is the Hotel where we had our wedding reception way back in 2002 and the first time we stayed there since then. We ended up having a lovely day in town being tourists and got to meet up with some good friends for dinner and drinks.
We headed back to Kinsale on the 30th when later that evening our must frequent guests, Kiara, Neil and Shane arrived to spend New Year’s Eve with us. New Years eve day started with a drive to Baltimore and a subsequent ferry trip to Sherkin Island for a picnic in the middle of a field with all the kids! It was freezing and mucky but the views and quietness of the mostly abandoned island was really nice. A quick pint in the epic Bushes pub in Baltimore and then headed home where we cooked up huge steaks that Neil and I had the foresight to pick up at the butchers that morning.
Our visitors departed on Sunday afternoon (lots of tears!) and now everything is starting to get back to normal again.
Happy New Year everyone and as always some pictures follow.
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| Rollerskating on Christmas morning |
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| Christmas Turkey - mmmmh! |
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| Anna ate about 20 Brussels sprouts. What's that all about? |
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some delicious cheese and drinks from Somerset courtesy of Simon and Clodagh
(most already eaten and drunk!) |
