Good morning and happy Monday! I know it’s been a little quiet around here lately. I took the last few months off to spend with my sweet family…especially my eldest daughter {photo above}, who graduated from secondary school in June and then recently left for a college on the west coast of America.
As you can imagine, the past few months have been filled with lots of emotion in our Irish home…and by that I mean way more than would normally be the case with one mother and two teenage daughters living in the same house!
With each passing day, we held on to one another a little bit tighter and squeezed as much fun out of life as we could. Here are a few snapshots of our recent memories; I’ll write about some of them in greater depth in the coming weeks.
First up, for mid-term break, we flew to Hawaii with dear friends to soak up some sunshine. This was our first trip to Kaua’i. The weather wasn’t much better than it was back in Ireland at the time, but we loved the relaxed feel of this gorgeous island.
Then there was a sweet event at which my husband walked our daughter “down the aisle” so to speak. Oh my goodness…it was a vision of what her final “white dress” occasion might be like!
Next up, a girls trip to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. If you haven’t visited Moab, do consider it for your bucket-list. From Ireland there is no direct flight to Salt Lake City, but don’t let that stop you. Utah has a number of state and national parks that are amazing {and if you are going that far, I suggest you check out Colorado too}. The Delicate Arch, under which we are standing, is an 18-meter, 60-foot-tall, freestanding natural arch. Hiking out to this point at sunset was just one of the highlights of this quick girls trip.
Then there was a best-friend graduation trip to Rome. How cute are these two? They’ve been friends for twelve years!
And the Debs…!
And, finally, before we knew it…it was time to say goodbye.
Letting go of this sweet girl wasn’t incredibly hard…it was just incredible AND hard. She was ready for her next adventure and we are happy she has more room to grow.
Through the tears and the hugs and the laughter and the heart-ache, we’ve had an amazing couple of months. Now each of us is adjusting to our “new normal”.
I’ll end today’s post with some wisdom passed along from both my grandmother and my mother-in-law. Their advice has served me well recently. Maybe they will be helpful to you too either now or some day. From Mama I learned, “a mother’s job is to let her children go”. Spoken like a true Irish mammy. From Gma El, I learned, “You GO Girl!
~ XoK
Additional Notes, Related Articles & Credit:
* We love Utah as a destination: it’s clean, safe, and full of outdoor activities. Click here to go to the Visit Utah website.
** Moab, Utah is home to two national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. Click here to jump to Visit Moab’s official website
*** Go Hawaii’s official website was really helpful to us as we planned our holiday.
**** Did you see the gorgeous meringue cake I baked for my youngest daughter’s birthday party? You can learn to make it here.
***** And last, but not least, if you’re considering a holiday to Rome, check out Rome’s official website here.
Good morning Kim! I loved reading your post and catching up on your beautiful family! So happy to hear everyone is healthy and that you had a wonderful summer. It IS hard to let your precious ones go, but when they share their growth and experiences with you, it will make your life fuller than you can imagine. I think you will enjoy this and the next chapter of your life! Enjoy! Love to all, Jean Thank you again for “talking” to my friend Bev. She so appreciated your input:)
Hi Jean!
Thank you so much for your sweet note. I welcome your thoughts on mothering and letting go: you are ahead of me on this and I know you have done a wonderful job raising your crew and setting them free. I see it in T. every time you are together or whenever she posts photos. There is great love and respect between you. Please God, I will be as successful!
I hope your summer was wonderful too. It was my pleasure to talk with Bev about her trip to Ireland. You know you can ask any time.
Hope to see you again soon.
XoK 😊
Thanks for showing us your lovely family!
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Hi Peg! You are most welcome. It’s not easy to be so transparent…but I’m trying. We’re all good. I hope the same is true for you and yours. XoK ❤️
So many adventures and memories.
Yes, indeed, Joan! Thanks for stopping by and for leaving a comment. I hope you are well.
Nice post
Thank you! Hope all is well with you too. 😊
Love seeing all of you — what a beautiful post. Where is she headed for college? What an exciting but also emotional time! You did it right xoxoxo
Hey Ms Amy! How are you? Thank you so much for reading the post and for sending a sweet message in reply. Hold on to those babies of yours…they grow up so fast! I’ll text you for a proper chat! ❤️
What a beautiful daughter! I hope she enjoys my home state as much as I do, and takes advantage of everything here. Kau’ai is by far my favorite Hawaiian island. Hope you enjoyed it despite the weather.
Hi Claudia. Thank you for your sweet message. She is enjoying her start to university. And we loved Kau’ai! What a beautiful, peaceful, place.