Our Arrival in Dublin

I am trying really hard to remember to take pictures of everything.

This time, at the end of our long journey, it was a huge sign in the baggage claim area of Dublin's new terminal that reminded me to take out my camera.

Connor's Goodbye Circle at Preschool

Last Thursday, Connor went to preschool for his last day. In addition to giving Connor a little goodbye celebration, it was also their annual St. Patrick's Day Party. The children loved looking for the golden coins, and I think Connor genuinely loved the goodbye celebration.

The children sang "Make New Friends" to Connor, and I was so touched. Then, they presented him with a card and a couple of gifts. When Connor opened the card, it sang to him and made him smile. The gifts were a LEGO minifigure and a LEGO sticker book that all his classmates had signed on the inside cover. I was holding back the tears, for sure. It was very, very, sweet. Connor was so into the LEGO book, that Teacher Ari showed the children Connor's Ireland photo album (depicting our house, his bedroom, and a few other places here in Dublin), and Connor simply gave the descriptions of the pictures.

It was a magical event, and I definitely think it helped Connor feel loved as we transitioned from our Oregon home to our Ireland home.

Our Last Supper

Our last night in Portland, we stayed in for a family dinner. It was delicious, thanks to a Christmas gift Alan got from my Aunt Teri: Omaha steaks, chicken, fish, and potatoes. Mmmm, mmm!

As you can tell from the photos, Alan is still feeling drained, and I am in my pajamas from having rested for most of the day (I've been fighting a sinus infection). The highlight of our dinner were the cupcakes Connor and Mom made.

Our Departure

It was a whirlwind of a departure.

In the matter of one week, all our belongings were packed, moved, shipped, or stored and we were left with an empty house. With one day for cleaning and fixing odds and ends, our renters moved in 48 hours after we left. Whew!

It was tiresome, for sure. Because Alan was still down with his pneumonia, and I had The Bump, we really couldn't have done it without my family. Mom, Dad, and Kimberly helped pack our suitcases, load our cars, and run errands for us.

It was all a lesson in surrendering, that's for sure.

Where We'll Be

Today I put together a little album of Ireland for Connor. He's already shown a few friends pictures of where we'll be living, places we'll be going, and family we'll be seeing.

So I thought: I should do the same. :) For those of you getting my emails, stay tuned b/c we'll be sending you our new address soon.

We're moving to Ireland

Hi Everyone,

Yup! We got an ex-pat assignment in Ireland. First it was wait, wait, wait. Now it's go, go, go!

The movers came today and started packing up the house. Man, they move fast! They finished packing up our garage, playroom, 2 guest rooms, living room, dining room, and 1/2 our kitchen in less than 5 hours. It was amazing! They'll be back on Tuesday to finish the job, and then Wednesday they'll load the truck.

When are we leaving? I'm not really sure right now. Alan's getting over pneumonia, so I'm not in any hurry to put him on a plane. After he's better, we'll go. But rest assured, it'll be somewhere between the 18th and the 23rd. It's so nice we have a green light, and we can't wait to be reunited with our Irish family!