ireland: swinging

when she swings, i just want to capture her joy and laughter
and put it in a bottle, because there is nothing sweeter

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ireland: my two loves

{ A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart }

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ireland: just because i love this photo

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ireland: christmas day

Both our families were together for Christmas Day. We eat and eat and then eat some more! Turkey and all the trimmings.

Lilah got her much longed for guitar and glasses, and a whole lot more. She spend the day putting on 'guitar shows' for us, strumming and singing. I think she's in love!

Later in the afternoon her cousins came around. There is nothing better than a day spent with family.

Keeping her two grandpa's entertained!

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ireland: it's christmas eve

warm mulled fruit punch
almond mince pies & homemade shortbread
sparkly reindeer food
an excited little girl
and a stocking

It's Chrismas Eve.

ireland: the radiance of winter

winter is the king of showmen
turning tree stumps into snowmen
and houses into birthday cakes
and spreading sugar over lakes
smooth and clean and frosty white
the world looks good enough to bite
that's the season to be young
catching snowflakes on your tongue

winter is the time for comfort
for good food and warmth
for the touch of a friendly hand
and for a talk beside the fire
it is the time for home

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ireland: smitten with the farm animals

Pa & Na have a farm, a dairy farm. Well I should say, Na is a nurse and has been for many years, at a local doctors clinic, but technically she has been retired for a couple of years now, even though they call her now and again if a staff member is sick or needs the day off. Retired is a redundant term to use on Na though, she literally never stops. She helps milk the cows, can whip up a fine dinner, plods away at the crazy amount of bookkeeping it takes to run a farm, educates herself in all the fancy new electronic gadgets farmers are required to have nowadays and everything in between.

I'm 99% certain I would not have made it as a farmer's wife.

The jury's still out on Lilah's desires to farm!

In her defence, she does have a love for animals. She's very very caring and gentle and loving. I know by times that Na can see Sally-the-dog far enough, but Lilah, she absolutely adores that dog and I'm pretty sure the feelings are mutual. She also thinks Tyson-the-horse is pretty amazing and every single morning she was bound and determined to find and see the sheep.

You just never know, if we got her out of the big city a bit more often, there's a possability she could be a farm girl. Although I'm quite certain she'd need to ditch the white coat and the regular "Ewww. What's that smell?"

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ireland: birdy it's cold outside!

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