New Year

It has been a while since I last blogged, not since the last decade infact!
This is not because I haven't had anything to be thankful about, because of course I do!
I just am not in the swing of all things bloggable and it is easier to do quick updates on Facebook!

Something to be majorly thankful for was New Year.

Almost every 31 December in the "naughties" was spent with greenfingers and a varying combination of our friends in some cosy cottage/modern house in the depths of Kerry, Cork, Waterford or Wicklow....to start with we were either single or dating. We are now all married and even more bizarrely some have procreated...

So New Year was looming and the desire to have us all together was high.

But where to find a five bed house for 8 adults and 5 children-aged 2 years 4 months, 21 months, 9 months, 3 months, and 3 weeks....
Kilkenny!!!!

Since one couple with two kids including the newborn couldn't drive, she having had a C-section and he having had an epileptic fit earlier in the year which disqualified him from driving for a year-they had headed to her parents farm where there was a "spare" 5 bed house for them to recuperate in. Which left 3 bedrooms for 3 couples! An answer to prayer.

Snow, icy and floods couldn't hold us back and we spent a lovely 48 hours together.
The older kids played together and the younger ones were passed around to give tired parents a break.
Granted not a lot of decent rest was had with 5 kids up at various stages of the night- and some of the menfolk playing poker til the wee small hours, but it was totally worth it. To see us all together, as spouses, parents and friends was unique. I even managed to get a photo of us all together and it will be framed and displayed prominently as a reminder how blessed we are.

On the way home a dear friend-espero- and her husband-jaybercrow- with her three wonderful children were staying only 15 minutes away. We normally live at the total opposite end of the country to each other so to be able to spend a whole day together was just the best start to the year. Watching our children play along side each other warmed my heart. Meeting her little Princess for the first time was just tear jerking. Again special memories were captured on camera.

Now how to get ALL my friends, spouses, offspring together at once....??