Well, here are the second half of some Fall pictures, and activities. You'll notice I can rarely get a picture of the rascals both looking at the camera at the same time. Nor do we ever really have a family picture. Anyone want to volunteer to take some for us :) Nolan is always a stinker and either pushing Liv away, trying to pull on her, or poke her with something while I'm sitting them together. I think in one of the pictures he really does have a stick in hand. So we've wrapped up October and most of the festivities that come along...Harvest Party at school, pumpkin patch, and of course pumpkin carving, and Halloween. Hope you've all been having a Happy Fall! *I forgot to mention, Olivia was Belle(Beauty & the Beast,)and I had to use brown hairspray to change her haircolor. NJP was a cowboy.
Here's to...Greenbluff...AND~ Apple Picking, eating apples fresh off the tree, pumpkin picking, pony riding, wiggle worm wiggling, fresh Fall air, simplicity of life, and quality family FUN!
My running buddies~D,& Siri So I really haven't consistently worked out in months for lots of reasons. I've missed it, it's such a release for me, and for years it's been a big priority in my life. A good friend of mine asked me to run a race with her and I told there was no way I could, I would only have a few weeks to train, and I wasn't feeling very motivated. A week or so later I decided I really needed to do something for "me." I thought about the run again, and thought that was a perfect thing for me to accomplish. I had about a week and a half to train for the 5 mile run. I went on a few runs with the girls and then a couple on my own. Three and a half miles was about the longest I ran on my own, but figured I could run the extra 2 on race day. Well, I did it! As I've said before, I'm not a runner, it's never come easy to me. I do however like the challenge. What's next? I'm considering training for a half marathon. I've been dabbling with that thought for the last year and feel ready to take this challenge on. I'm super excited to see how this all pans out. Thank you ladies for twisting my arm, and helping me train for the race. I had a lot of fun! Although I could have done without~running over ice patches, freezing cold air, and a drippy nose from the cold. Otherwise, I thought it was great!
I cannot live without my music, and am truly a music junkie! I wish I could make a little money on the side to support my itunes habit. I would go to concerts every week if I could. My date of choice with Shane, a concert! It's also a great excuse to spend quality, uniterupted time with our friends. We had a wonderful time getting away with our friends this summer for a road trip down to the Gorge. We've gone to quite a few shows this year, AND they were all INCREDIBLE. Brandi Carlile/Katie Herzig, Coldplay, Keith Urban. And coming up, Mat Kearney. I was able to get some good pictures of a few my favorite hunky men. Oh don't you worry, I'll post some pictures of Edward Cullen soon :)
Stephen Christopher Hennessy 1921-2009 It's nearing 3 months since my Grandpa Hennessy passed away. I will always feel extra sad for my Dad since my grandpa passed away on my Dads birthday. Shane and I went up to Canada for the funeral, however, there were so many family members that couldn't make it up. So, my cousins and I planned a Memorial Service here in Spokane for all of those who could not attend. It was a really special, and emotional time planning it together. My cousins an I dug up some old photos, & put together a slide show for our family. It turned out really beautiful. I just wanted to share some of my favorite pictures that we dug out of the archives for the service. First, I want to mention a few of my favorite things/facts about my Grandfather~ ~He was born December 27, 1921 in Dublin, Ireland ~He served in the Royal Air Force(RAF) as an Bombardier Navigator and flew over 38 missions over Germany during WWII. During one of his missions, his plane was shot down, and he got shot in both legs when he was parachuting down. ~He moved his family from Ireland to Ontario Canada when my Dad was 13 years old. ~He smoked a pipe, and I loved the smell of the cherry tobacco he used. ~He loved Rita MacNeil and made us listened to her music all the time. ~He wore really cute slouchy cardigans~which are now called "grandpa cardi's" and I own a ton. I wish I had his, real & vintage! ~He married one of the sweetest, most unconditionally loving souls to have ever walked the earth, my grandmother Kathleen Sarah. ~Both he and my grandma used to tell us stories about Leprechauns and we'd build little makeshift houses and put them outside, because we thought they lived in our grass :) ~He came down from Canada to live with us for about 3 years after my Grandma passed. I wish I'd appreciated our time more back then, instead I was an ornery teenage girl! ~He has 3 boys(Patrick, Derek, & Peter,) and 2 girls(Margaret, and Madeline.) I really love my aunties and uncles, and wish they lived closer. All but one remain up in Canada. I will miss him! I have a lot of regret not going up to Canada more often to visit with him. Life is too short, and I often don't take that close enough to heart until it's too late. I am however, so glad to have so many wonderful memories, and memorabilia of both my Grandpa, and Grandma Hennessy.
I included a picture that my brother Noel had sent me from Greece. When he found out that our Grandpa had passed he was in Athens. He said he took a swim in the Mediterranean Sea that day for Grandpa. Then he put together his own little monument for him. He sat there for a while, and then he swept the rocks away into the sea. I thought it was really beautiful, and obviously a personal tribute to Grandpa. I'm so happy that my grandparents are finally back together, forever, in Heaven where they belong.
