I was quite pleased when Bill was first planning our trip because I realized we would be here on Easter. We were all excited at the prospect of going to Easter mass in Ireland. When we got up this morning, I do have to admit that I was stressed and therefore a bit grumpy. My poor family is quite forgiving and I am thankful for that. We managed to get ready and out the door on time and the drive was uneventful.
We arrived at the church 35 minutes early which was what we were hoping for. We only waited a few minutes before other people started arriving so we went in. I'm glad we got there early because the church was absolutely full once it was time for the mass to begin. People were lined up all along the back wall and even up the stairs to the balcony. There were so many more people than when we were there in 2016 but that is understandable since it was Easter.
Today was a special day at the church. All of the special music was performed by the kids' choir. Listening to a group of children raising their voices in song to their Savior was incredible! The readings for mass were also done by children...most of which seemed to be 9-10 years old. Even though I didn't know the kids, I was quite proud of how well they did! I know adults that would be terrified to read in front of that many people.
After church, our plan was to go to a park close by called Peatlands Park. Since we were dressed up for church, I brought my tripod to get a few family pictures. We looked around for a while to try to find a spot for the pictures. Right by the water on a small boardwalk type thing seemed perfect. Sometimes it takes forever to get a good picture....having 3 kids means several takes to get everyone looking and smiling. :) Today, however, it didn't take long at all and I was thankful. :)
The park has literally miles of trails. I probably should have thought of bringing clothes for us to change into after our pictures, but sadly I didn't. That being said, we still managed to walk a couple miles. I'm sure we were once again dubbed "crazy Americans" for choosing to do a nature walk in dress shoes. :)
I had packed us all lunch, so after we were done walking around the peat bogs, ponds, and nature trails, we had a picnic. Why is it that sandwiches and chips taste so much better when you eat them at a picnic table? About half way through lunch, an ice cream truck drove down the lane and parked right by us. Bill was a trooper and walked back to the parking lot to get our cash. You see, ice cream here is like nothing I have ever eaten in the US. The boys each got a cone and Katie and I shared a chocolate sundae (well, Bill ate some too) and the cost was only £5 which I didn't find bad at all. *I should mention that the boys got their ice cream at the same time and these pictures were taken seconds from each other. Fuad likes to savor his food...Vladan, not so much. And I had to fight Katie to get some. :)
We did more before 1:30 than we typically do on vacation. But I tell ya, we did have fun! Once again, we got a giggle out of some of their signs. When we explained what a "loo" was to Vladan, he thought there was an actual bathroom for dogs. LOL!
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