The Deibel Crew

Please follow us!!!!!

2011-08-12T15:56:00.006+01:00

Well, we're sorry to do this to everyone, but the time has come. For many reasons, we have decided to go ahead and change our blogging service to wordpress. Overall, I think it's going to just be easier for us to keep up, and for it to act the way we want it to act. Hopefully this won't be too big of a deal for you, but if you would, please bookmark our site, replace your feed, whatever you do, but please, please, PLEASE, follow us over to www.thedeibelcrew.wordpress.com. We really appreciate those of you that follow us, and would love to have you continue!!! Thanks!!!!!

The Management. ;)

Summer Surprise Box Day 3

2011-08-11T13:26:00.003+01:00

Day 3 was exciting, as the girls were chomping at the bit to open their gifts, yet we somehow managed to wait until almost lunchtime!

Their Day 3 picks! All on their own, they picked different ones!

Hannah got some playdoh and the Cailyn got a lovely necklace, that matches her dress up dress perfectly!

Isaac's pick for day 3

Isaac got a Diamondback's Hat!

Summer Surprise Box Day 2!

2011-08-10T22:11:00.002+01:00

The girls were super excited to open their day 2 surprises! We managed to get them to wait until after breakfast (read: mom and dad have coffee) to open them.

Their picks for today

The both got pretty dress-up dresses!

Once again, Isaac was napping, so we did his later in the day.

Pretty princesses modelling their new gowns. :)

Thanks again, Granny and Papa!

More Summer Surprises

2011-08-09T20:16:00.003+01:00

So, we had another lovely summer surprise today. A box arrived from Granny and Papa, containing a week of surprises for the kiddos! (Mom and Dad got a gift, too! Thanks!!).

Displaying the instructions. They are to open one surprise a day for the next week!

The packages they picked for the first day

We did the girls' gifts while Isaac was napping, so he chose his later. :)

Hannah got Gummy Bears!

Cailyn got Gummy Worms!

And Isaac got a new rattle! (is it just me, or does he look way older??)

Thanks to Granny and Papa for a fun way to pass the time in the last couple of weeks before school starts back! Be sure to check back tomorrow to see what surprises came our way!

Summer surprise

2011-07-28T15:56:00.004+01:00

Now, I have to start off by apologizing for some lack of posting. I have some new software that I'm trying to get used to, and actually, I'm waiting on some other equipment to arrive :) So, in the mean time, I'm going to take some time to catch up on some over-due posts...

One evening a couple weeks ago, I was in charge of the kids, and to help bridge the gap to when Isaac was ready to go to bed (or perhaps the correct way to say that is that Isaac is past-ready to go to bed, but we just can't bring ourselves to put him down for the night at 4 in the afternoon. So days like that one when he boycotted his nap, much of the late afternoon is spent trying to help him bide his time...) I decided to just take the kids for a stroll up our road and kill some time. That's when our neighbor came rushing out of her house to ask if I'd seen the random patch of flowers that had popped up in the field next to hers. Since she's been there for many, many years, she knows for sure that it's been about 10 years since this particular patch of flowers had bloomed, and she was just overjoyed by it all. Amazing how the slightest event can bring us loads of pleasure, huh?

How to use a swing set...

2011-07-26T19:00:00.002+01:00

So, at this moment, the girls are outside enjoying an absolutely gorgeous summer evening. A perfect mid-sixties evening with just a little hint of a breeze. I just finished putting Isaac to bed, and came out and heard delightful squeals...and then I saw why:

In the paper

2011-07-14T18:24:00.003+01:00

So, Tuesday night was the big photo exhibition. It was a great time! The Mayor came and spoke, there was a collection taken for Autism Ireland (which thankfully raised a bunch of money) and plenty of snacks and drinks. The turnout was really good! Some of our friends showed up in support, and some that couldn't sent their well wishes for us. This is the second exhibition I've been involved in now, and I was just as proud to be a part of this one as I was the last time! The most exiting part came today though: Our family was chosen to be one of the artists put in the local paper! Here's the picture of all of us!

Unexpected Joy Received Today

2011-07-01T23:24:00.003+01:00

Today was a long day for me. Make that a very long day. I shot my second wedding today, and I have to say that it would take me a while to really get the hang of this to where I don't feel like I just finished a marathon! I did surmise that taking photos of a wedding is similar to an athlete performing during an important do-or-die game. You only get one chance to get it right. Lots of pressure, and the opportunities really go quickly. Like, say, the kiss at the end of the ceremony. That only happens once!!! But that all is beside the point to this entry...

This morning I showed up at the grooms house to document some of the action of the guys getting ready for the day, attempting to tie ties when they've never worn one, etc. It was a good time. The coolest thing happened at the end as we left the house to go to where the ceremony was being held. All the groomsmen loaded up in a traditional wedding car and where whisked away to the hotel. As soon as they left, I grabbed my gear, got in the car, and set out to follow them. Now, the house itself is really neat. It's registered as the oldest inhabited house in Connemara dating back to 1552 when it was originally built. To get to this house, essentially you have to drive from one end of the village to the other, and wind down a long stretch of road that's two way, yet barely wide enough to fit a single car. All down this lane, there are houses lining the road...probably about 30 in all. As I'm driving, I began to see smoke, and lots of it. I quickly realized what was happening. You see, in Ireland, the bonfire for ages has been a way the people have marked celebrations, major events and even the changing of seasons; a tradition that lives on today. On our own road into the city, for instance, if the local team wins a match, there's places along the road where fires are lit to show the support for the team. There's bonfires lit every Halloween night, and every Summer Solstice. You get the idea. Well, as I drove along, I noticed that every house had a fire lit next to the road. And not just a measly little camp-fire, I mean a fire. Hot enough I could feel it through the car as I zipped past. I was stunned at the symbolism of what this meant. Here's two people that have been living in this little village for several years getting married, and as a show of support, they light the fires. I know the fires in themselves weren't much, but the show of support, the "we're behind you in your new life" statement really touched me. I think they may have caught a glimpse of what "community" truly means.

Photo Exhibition - The Entry's

2011-06-29T13:08:00.001+01:00

Alright - now for my two that are entered:

You've already seen this, but the group really got behind this one. The rain on the lens, the woman finishing her race with the support of her kids on a dismal day really tells a great story. Perfect for what we're showing.

And this is my favorite. This is an old Abbey and Roundtower just south of our city.

Photo exhibition

2011-06-27T12:47:00.004+01:00

The little photography club that I'm a part of is having its second photo exhibition soon during the Arts Festival happening in the city in July. We're honored that we get to have an exhibit during such a packed week with so many artists and performers having their stuff on display! Our "theme" for this exhibition is based on a day in the life of our surrounding area, whatever that meant to us. We all gathered with our photos one evening a couple weeks ago to display them and have them voted on as a group to make our selections. I was fortunate to have 2 of my photos chosen to be entered!! We're also having a smaller display beyond the 24 photos of some that were great photos, but we just didn't have enough room for, and I have a couple in there as well. I'll show you my entry's in a couple of days, but first, I'll show you the ones that I had either shown to the group that night, or a couple that I held back. (I mean seriously...I didn't want to bring in my whole collection!! LOL) Here's my "alternates": And, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts!!!

A Bridge at Night

This Pheasant was caught in our front yard

A clear evening in our city

Obviously the same place as the previous spot, but I couldn't decide which of these two I liked better. What do you think???

The same location later that night. I was taking this photograph the same time as a friend of mine - we'd agreed that this would be his location to submit an entry. (Graciously, he gave me the location to one that I submitted)

This is one I didn't submit, but kind of wish I had. I really like this shot!

A Day in the Life of Isaac

2011-06-21T07:28:00.007+01:00

You may remember this post where we outlined a typical day in the life of the sweet Deibel girls. Well, I thought you might like a peek at what a tyipcal day might look like for our lil' Deibel guy!

Getting a little work done first thing in the morning

Take some time to play with my sister

Then it's time for some more work

Taking some time out for a photo shoot

Hit the gym for a workout

Then relax with a nice, hot meal

An Interview with Cailyn

2011-06-14T21:57:00.003+01:00

Ok, you ready to get started?
This is an interview of Cailyn Rae Deibel. One of the most interesting and wonderful 4 year olds in the world.I am going to ask you several questions about yourself so we can all get to know you better. Okay, let's get started.

What is your name? 
Cailyn *trying to hide in the couch* My name starts with a “C”.
Is that it?
*Yep.

How old are you?
 4
Where do you live?
*Ummmm….right at where we are.
Do you have any pets?
**nods head yes* I have a kitty and a bunny. Do you know how to write “bunny” and “Kitty”.
Yes I do. What are your kitty and bunny’s names?
* My cat is named Rose-rose and my bunny is named Pink-pink, not pinkey-winkey

Who do you like to play with?
*Ummm….Hannah
Anyone else?
*Yeah. Um, Katelyn.

What is your favorite Cereal? 
Umm, Cheerios

What is your favorite vegetable? 
Um, tomato *big grin on her face*

What is your favorite drink?
*Ummmmmm…juice
What kind?
Ummmm…Ribena

What is your favorite snack? 
Ummm, sweet popcorn!

What is your favorite toy? 
Ummmmmm….*playing with the pages in a book* my magnadoodle
Where did you get your magnadoodle?
*Ummmm….I don’t know.

What is your favorite book?
*Ummmm, Snow White. Lalallalalalal

What is your favorite restaurant? 
Ummmmm…the one that we went to yesterday when me and Daddy and Hannah went to check the car.
KFC?
*yeah, KFC

What is your favorite holiday? 
Ummmmm…snowing

What’s your favorite Holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
*Ummmm, St. Patrick’s Day

What is your favorite animal? 
Um, a cat

If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to?
*Ummm, to…ummmm…Cailyn Debbil

What do you love about your Dad? 
Ummmm…playing the game Daddy’s playing

What do you love about your Mom?
*Ummmm…Having a birthday.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year? 
Ummm…tooooo…I don’t know.

What is your number one wish for this year? 
Ummm…that Isaac loves me very much.

What is your favorite TV show? 
*Ummmmm…a kid show
What kid show do you like best?
*Ummm, Jake.

Thank you for your interview Cailyn Deibel. I appreciate your time.

An Interview with Hannah

2011-06-12T14:58:00.002+01:00

So, you may remember that every year we interview Hannah, asking the same questions. You can see last year's interview here. So, here's her interview for this year. Enjoy! Also, stay tuned for Cailyn's first interview!!

Ok, you ready to get started?

This is an interview of Hannah Jane Deibel. One of the most interesting and wonderful 6 year olds in the world.I am going to ask you several questions about yourself so we can all get to know you better. Okay, let's get started.

What is your name? 
Hannah
Is that it?
*Hannah Jane Deibel

How old are you? 
6

Where do you live?
*Inverin
Where is that?
*in Ireland

Do you have any pets? 
*thinks for a minute, then shakes head ‘no’*

Who do you like to play with? 
*thinks, wagging tounge back and fourth* Katelyn. Ow my lip hurts! I need chapstick!
Anyone else?
*No

What is your favorite Cereal? 
Special Flakes!

What is your favorite vegetable? 
cucumber. I mean, cucumber is a fruit! Hehe So, it’s, celery – with peanutbutter! *holding 1 finger up in the air*

What is your favorite drink? 
*licking lips* Ummm…7-Up

What is your favorite snack? 
Peanuts

What is your favorite toy? 
My puppy
Where did you get your puppy?
*From Granny. *big grin*

What is your favorite book?
**shrugs, and giggles* Ummmm….Grandma’s Magical Storybook. Mommy, watch this: *rubs her toes on her cheek and pops her lips*
What’s your favorite story in it?
*Sophie in Toy Land

What is your favorite restaurant? 
Chili’s!
What’s your favorite restaurant in Ireland?
*Umm….*puts her blanket on* um, um, um, um, Supermac’s!

What is your favorite holiday? 
Colony??
Holiday
*oh! Germany, hehehe
Why?
*Because I like to see Maddie, and Isabel and Jacob, and Dawn and Philip.

What’s your favorite Holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
*Christmas; every holiday haha!

What is your favorite animal? 
Rhioncerous (manical giggle) Actually, no, no, no, no, cat. Kitty cat. A little kitten.

If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to?
*Amy
What would your middle name be Amy? 
*Jane! Deibel. Amy Jane Deibel

What do you love about your Dad? 
That he loves me so much.

What do you love about your Mom?
*The SHE loves me so much.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year? 
Africa!

What is your number one wish for this year? 
Number one wish? I wish I could be a superhero.
What would your superpower be?
The power to spell! Hehehe Like Princess Pea in Super Why!

What is your favorite TV show? 
*Hmm…Lilo and Stitch. I mean, Jake!! (Jake and the Neverland Pirates!)

Thank you for your interview Hannah Deibel. I appreciate your time.

For the Grandparents

2011-06-11T12:25:00.000+01:00

So, it was recently finally warm enough for Isaac to show off some of the outfits given to him by his awesome grandparents...

Thanks, Grammy and Grandpa!

Thanks, Granny and Papa!

Comfort Food

2011-06-09T08:18:00.000+01:00

Ok, so we know that food is just that...food. And we've found some local fare here that we just can't get anywhere else, that we crave and pine for when we are away from here. However, there are a few American delicacies that we can't find here. Slowly but surely, they seem to be finding their way over here at different times.

For a week or so now, we've been hearing about this new shop in the city:

This shop carries all kinds of sweets and treats from around the world, but mainly America! We were excited to go and see what kind of things they had. A sweet coincidence? This shop happens to be directly across from this place:
A Mexican food restaurant. The people who opened this place spent 6 months in New Mexico and Arizona learning how to make authentic Mexican food (read: NOT Tex-Mex). It's AWESOME! So, we had ourselves some Mexican food for lunch, and then went to Candyland and got this stuff:
They had loads more American delicacies, but we limited ourselves to these things for our first run. The candy prices are a bit steep (which is probably a good thing), but their sodas are only E 1.50! Most times imported sodas run upwards of 4 euro! These are the same price as any soft drink!

A Final Blitz

2011-06-04T20:05:00.007+01:00

So, today was Hannah's last camogie blitz until the fall. They've had 5 blitzes, will train all summer, then have 5 more blitzes in September, and then the season is over until spring. A blitz is where several teams meet at one field and play several short matches, rotating who they play. Hannah's played as many as six matches at one blitz! But, thankfully, today she only played 3. Anyway, here's what a typical blitz looks like for our wee family:

Cailyn and her friend poised to watch the action

Isaac hanging in his stroller (this is the day after we were running around in shorts and t-shirst roasting!)

Daddy and his boy enjoying a day of sports

Playing a little game of their own

Cailyn "cheering" on her sister (aka practicing summersaults)

To start the game, 6 or 7 girls huddle up and they toss the ball into the group.

Hannah starting off the game (she's the one in the red helmet and purple polka dot socks)

Poised for action!

Half time. Getting a drink and some words of wisdom from Daddy

After the blitz, since we were already in the city, we went for some lunch and to check out a new shop we've been hearing about. But that's another post...

After a long, busy day of sports, eating and shopping, everyone needed to blow off a little steam:

It was a really great day, despite the cooler-than-expected temperatures. Hannah has really enjoyed her camogie experience, but thinks maybe next she wants to try Irish dancing...

Isaac's favorite toy...

2011-06-04T19:45:00.002+01:00

So - we got Isaac a new toy last week. Needless to say, he LOVES the thing. Can't get him out of it. Jen and I had an idea of how we could "show you" his new found love, and this is what we came up with. Enjoy!!!

Another Manic Monday

2011-05-30T19:17:00.006+01:00

Here is what our day looked like around the Deibel house today:

Hannah started running a high fever last night, so she stayed home from school today with a fever and sore throat. It's so sad when any of our kids our sick, but it tugs especially hard at my heartstrings when it's Hannah. She's normally such a happy, boisterous kid. But when she's sick, she gets so lethargic and just lays there with her rosy cheeks. :(

Cailyn was pretty subdued today as well, and spent a good portion of the afternoon after school playing on Daddy's iPhone (which is way cooler, by the way, than Mommys [read: used to be Daddy's] first-gen iPod Touch).

Isaac is working on his next two teeth pretty hard core. He was up for the day nearly 2 hours earlier than ususal, so was just off form for the rest of the day. My usually happy, smiley, giggly baby was really fussy, and not wanting to be put down or to play on his own at all. He needed some extra snuggles.

But the days wasn't all sad and gloom. We had a few glimpses of our smiley boy:

Hannah perked up for a bit this afternoon, and even treated us to a bit of Irish dancing (before her fever returned just before bedtime :o( ).

And Cailyn, Isaac and I met some friends down at the playground for awhile before dinner to enjoy the first sunny, non-windy day in weeks.

So, there you go, folks. A glimpse into our Monday...

Friday Fun Pics

2011-05-27T20:17:00.003+01:00

What better way to finish off a work week than with some pics of a couple of the cutest kids ever??? Enjoy!

You can see his tops gums getting swollen with new teeth on the way!

There's no denying they are related!!

He really resembles Grandpa Deibel in this pic!

Sitting on the couch like a big boy!

Beautiful Evening!

2011-05-24T12:23:00.005+01:00

Last night I was up in the mountains and witnessed something incredible. Thought I'd share it with you...Enjoy God's handiwork!!

Picture Overload!!

2011-05-23T19:08:00.004+01:00

So, we broke down recently and purchased a new point and shoot camera to keep around the house. Our other one died a horrible death quite some time ago. And while we LOVE our "big" camera (the one Seth uses to get all those awesome shots you see on here all the time), it's not the handiest for those "quick! get the camera!" moments. We also realized we have an extreme shortage of pictures of Isaac's infancy as compared to the girls'. We realize some of this is to do with the fact that we have three kids to keep up with...but, really, how long does it take to snap a photo?? So, with the hopes that I (Jen) can keep this camera with me and snap some more candid (and not so candid) shots, and the hopes that I can get some of these on the blog more often, this camera will prove to be a good choice.

So, without further ado...pictures!!

Isaac is...amazing. He's defintiely his own man. I've never seen a baby, child or adult that smiles and laughs as much as this little dude! His name means "laughter", and he lives up to it!! He's also very laid back; not in any hurry to get anywhere. What he's more concerned with is standing, and bouncing. He's still not able to stand on his own (which, at 7 months is fine with me!!), so we end up holding him a lot so he can stand and "jump" to his heart's content. Because he wants to stand all the time, he's been much slower to sit unaided than I would've anticipated. Every time I try to put him to sit, he arches his back, juts his legs straight in front of himself, trying to stand. But today, he did this:

He was so proud of himself!! And while he sat a good few minutes...

He still isn't terribly sturdy.

The girls were really excited to see his latest accomplishment and rewarded him with toys and ooh's and aahhh's.

I added this pic for my mother-in-law. The look on Isaac's face looks SOOO much like that picture you showed us!

And, because we DO have THREE children, here are a couple of pics of our lovely ladies of the castle:

Triathlon

2011-05-22T00:10:00.005+01:00

As you may have known, Jen began running a couple years ago, and ran a 5k. Unfortunately, that was the only one she could do because of some things in our schedule - and the whole Isaac being born thing. Well, I'm so proud to tell you that after just 7 months after delivering Isaac, today Jen ran the running portion of a triathlon held in one of our local villages. Now, not to stray from how impressive this feat in itself is, let me tell you a little bit about today, just so you can get a feel for just how great today was:

The weather was really the star of the show today. We woke up this morning to lashing rain, near gale-force gusting winds - just a miserable thing. But, the show must go on! The race format was set up for all the pro-class athletes to begin before the rest of the group, and they started the others in intervals after that. Well, when it got to be the time for Jen's team to start, the swimmer is actually a guy that swims the ocean every day here. The frigid, 50 degree ocean. (Can you say, psycho?) So, he was the only one doing his leg without a wet-suit! He stood out like a sore thumb, looking something like a single white pill in a field full of black licorice. Then the son of some of our friends did the biking leg, leaving Jen to do her 5K (which turned out to be 5.7 due to a last minute change in course.) Well, let me tell you...it was awesome to see Jen go out there, run her legs off, and finish the race. No stopping. No slowing in pace. She did it. Couldn't be prouder of her. Hannah and Cailyn even snuck up towards the last bit and finished the race with her, which was awesome. Me and the kids hung out in the wind and rain, and even though it was cold, it really was amazing. Nothing a good hot shower and cup of hot chocolate didn't take care of when we were done! (For those keeping track and all you worrying mother types ;), Isaac was the warmest of the bunch. He took a nap in his cocoon-enclosed stroller all while we were waiting. We were all jealous of him!)

Enjoy the pics I got! (There's only a few...the rain was just coming down too much, and I couldn't keep the lens dry to save my life...)

Jen getting started on her first lap of the day

Getting to the finish...Hannah and Cailyn were great supporters!

Very proud moment!!

If you want to know what the day was like, the girls' faces will tell you, lol

Cailyn is 4!

2011-04-18T23:32:00.004+01:00

Her birthday was last week actually, but really she's had it pretty good this year. A few posts ago, I showed some pics of the 1st birthday party she got to have while we were in Arizona with our families. Then there were different days of opening presents with family. So, once her actual birthday came around, we had a nice small celebration. But overall, she had a pretty good day. Her friends at school had made a card, and she got to go to a story time at a local library. That portion actually has a funny part to it:

If you've seen the movie, "The Italian Job" there's a part where the computer tech guy wants to be referred to as "The Napster" and won't do anything until he is called by that name. Well, Cailyn had similar thing that day. When Jen was introducing her to the other moms at the story time and they would as her her name, her reply was, "Birthday Girl." LOL! It was really the first time she's made that much of her birthday! It was so sweet to watch and it was a great day. Here's some pictures of her with her cake (as usual, crafted by Jen!)

The request this year was a Tinkerbell cake. Pretty good, huh??

Blowing out the candles

I asked her which piece she wanted. Of course, she wanted Tinkerbell. So...I cut her out!!

...and she couldn't wait for a bite

I was reminded that I never posted a picture of Hannah's cake earlier in the year...another masterpiece by Jen

Camogie

2011-04-09T16:37:00.005+01:00

Organized sports have begun in our household! Hannah is old enough this year to begin playing the sport of Camogie. This is a sister sport to Hurling, which is an ancient sport; estimated to be about 2,000 years old. It's fairly straight forward - two teams line up and try to hit a little ball called a sliotar (pronounced, shli-tur) in the opponents goal using something called a hurl that resembles a hockey stick. There aren't too many rules, other than you pretty much can't intentionally bash an opponent with your hurl and the ball has to stay in between the lines. It really does resemble hockey, which ultimately are shared in origin.

Today was just a spectacular day; absolutely beautiful outside, and perfect for going and playing some sports. She was a bit behind today being that they actually started when we were in the states, but she took to it right away. Immediately she began drills on how to hit the ball, and then moved to some practice throwing and catching, then they actually played a scrimmage. And the best part is, Hannah scored a goal!!! She was so excited and happy to be out there. Though there was a little nervousness as she began the day not knowing how to do it, she really took to it well!

Learning to hit the ball

Catching drill...not going to well yet ;D

Hannah got right into the action!

She may have just been as excited to run around on a nice day as she was playing!

Proud girl after her first practice!!

St. Patricks Day - Arizona style

2011-03-19T17:54:00.004Z

Alright, this is the second post of our trip - For St. Patrick's Day here, we decided it would be fun to have an early birthday celebration for Cailyn and her cousin Jared since their birthday's are so close together in April, but we're all together now. So, we all loaded up and went to this massive indoor play place. This place was awesome! All indoors there was go-karts, bumper cars, laser tag, bowling, miniature golf, and a whole section just for the little kids with tea-cups a carousel and one of those circle "roller coasters". So we spent the day just having fun, playing arcade games, and riding rides. It was so much fun!!! Here's some more pics of our time (not just of the day at the arcade)

One thing we absolutely miss are the Arizona sunsets. They are simply amazing. I haven't really had the chance to get any landscape pictures, but one night as we were hanging out at the pool, I thought this scene was pretty spectacular:

Another picture with Grandpa and his grandkids. Isaac looks pretty comfy!

Hannah and Cailyn had to demonstrate some Irish dancing. Cailyn is giving it her best shot!

And then Hannah gave some lessons to her cousin and Grammy

The birthday kids!

This was called the frog drop. It basically lifts the entire group up to the ceiling and then drops them. And lifts them. And drops them. It's so fun! Hannah and Cailyn were a bit nervous before the ride, but as you can tell, they're loving it! Cailyn had this look like, "Where has this feeling been my whole life?!?"

And Isaac got to go for his first Carousel ride!!

Hannah and her cousin on the roller coaster

And Cailyn and her cousin took a turn as well. Such joy!!

Arizona!!!

2011-03-17T16:45:00.004Z

We're so happy to be back 'home' even for just a few weeks. The weather has been awesome - mid to upper 80's, and just absolutely perfect in the evenings. We've had such a good time so far, just relaxing and reconnecting with our families. Jen was able to see her family last year briefly, and they've been to see us in Ireland, but it's been two years since we've seen Seth's family. So it's been great. We've just been eating some good food (Mexican mainly!!) and enjoying time at the pool. So far, it's been great! Sorry we haven't posted a lot of pictures, but taking time to be on here has been limited! Here's some shots for you though of the trip so far...these first ones are of Isaac as he's meeting Seth's family.

Meeting Grandpa Deibel

Meeting Grammy Deibel

3 generations :)

Isaac has been full of smiles this whole trip!

Off we go!!!

2011-03-10T19:55:00.001Z

We're so excited! At the moment, I'm sitting in our hotel lobby in Dublin, looking forward to tomorrow. We are getting to have 3 weeks in the states visiting family and a few friends. We wish so bad we could see everyone, but on this trip, there's just not enough time! We'll hopefully be sharing lots of pics, and stories so stay tuned!

Prague

2011-03-01T13:07:00.005Z

I was in Prague last week at some meetings. I thought I would share with you some of the pictures I got while I was there. Thankfully I had a little bit of time to get out and explore the city. It really is fantastic! It's a city that was barely touched by WWII, and has retained much of its original architecture and feel. I didn't know really what to expect going over, though I had seen some pictures from some of my friends and heard it was a great place. It was my first experience in a post-communist country, and I have to say that my first taste of seeing Prague from where the airport is made me think it wasn't going to be very good. However, when I got down into the city and began to look at it, I really was amazed. Overall, it's a very interesting city with some great things to see!

This is a pic of the Charles Bridge in the middle of Prague and Prague Castle behind it. You may recognize this from the first Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise, and again in XXX with Vin Diesel...

Prague's famous Astrological clock which tells time and the seasons (solstices)

On the Charles Bridge looking at Prague Castle at night

Random city building. I took this while waiting for my tram.

Czech National Opera House

This is the decor of the Metro's in Prague - one of my favorite shots from my time there

Yes, I know...don't take pictures on the tracks while the tram is actually going by. Typical street with high buildings and a cathedral in sight.

This building was used as barracks for the German forces when they occupied the area during WWII

Another view of the same building...

One of the squares in Prague. In 1945 during the Prague uprising (taking control back from the Germans) this was filled with people and tanks.

One of the strangest things I've ever seen...this is at a massage shop, and is one of the treatments. You put your feet in hot water filled with these fish that suck the bacteria off of your feet. It's supposed to be a holistic cleansing technique. I did not try it, though I have to admit I was very curious!

Creepy Pic of the day...

2011-02-21T00:02:00.003Z

There's always something special about watching your kids sleep. (And no, it's not just because they're quiet and not moving, but we won't decide that it's not a slight bonus, ha ha) Ever since Hannah showed up, it's always been a moving thing for me to watch them. It gives me opportunity to reflect and pray over them, as well as just to think of all the things I enjoy about them. Isaac is no exception. But, each time I see him sleeping in his little Moses basket, all bundled up nicely, there's just something creepy about the way he looks. All nice and peaceful, but at the same time, a little like he's perhaps a little too peaceful.

New Playground!!!

2011-02-16T22:35:00.005Z

Something VERY cool has happened in our village...they opened a brand-new playground! Just in time for spring! The other day, we all got out on a nice (yet cold) day and just played and laughed and enjoyed the glimpse of Spring coming right around the corner. The great thing is this ground is just a couple minutes' drive from the house adjacent to the local sports grounds. Already having been there a couple of times, we've run into loads of people that we know. It's going to be a great place!

Got a capture of Isaac's face when we put him in the swing for the first time. I'm not sure he was liking where this was headed...

But then, the smiles came out! He loved it!!!

Hannah showing off some hopscotch skills

First time all 3 kids in what we refer to as the "bubba-tub" swing

Now THIS is the main attraction. It's a zip line! You get up on a ramp on one end, and zoom down to the end where there's a spring mounted on the line which both softens the end of the line, but shoots you up in the air a bit too. This is a continuous motion capture of Hannah all stitched together...came out cool!

And, not to be outdone, Cailyn had a go. I'm no longer allowed to walk next to her on the ride after this, her first time. She's a pro now...

This is actually the first picture I took at the park that day. Jen just ran and jumped on it! The girls thought it was hilarious seeing mommy do it!

And of course, I wasn't to be left out!

3 cuties...

2011-02-02T09:33:00.003Z

3 happy kids!

Finally...

2011-01-24T01:55:00.005Z

After a long break, we're finally putting a post up on the blog. YAY! Literally the day after the last post we had, Seth got a really awful case of bronchitis. Couple that with the adventure of not having water in our house for the week leading up to Christmas and him having to haul water in buckets up into the attic to fill the storage tanks, and the fact that Isaac is still just a newborn and hasn't totally figured out this whole concept of sleeping, it's been a long, long month. Seth was on some serious antibiotics and steroids to get rid of the bronchitis, and praise the Lord, they worked well, but the effects took a large toll on him. He just in the last week really feels back to somewhat normal after everything.

We have been quite busy as well, which is the best thing, and has taken up a lot of time. We've met with several friends, actually went out one night without kids (the first time since Isaac came along!!!) and celebrated a 6th Birthday (that's for another post...). It's been a busy time around here, and for those of you who are still following us, thanks for keeping us in mind!Here's some pictures of Isaac and what he's been up to lately...

Jen found him a very cute Santa suit for his first Christmas!!!

His new thing...he is a VERY smiley baby! Such a sweet smile! The laugh is just about to start, so hopefully soon we'll have that for you too!

I love this look he gets on his face. Kinda looks like he's about to ask a question, or spit up...we can't tell.

And the best picture of the night...my cute wife holding her boy.

A few random pics of the kids

2010-12-21T00:39:00.005Z

Ok, so there's been several things happening the last couple weeks. Mostly, just trying to maintain life and adjusting to Isaac, so nothing too major. But, I have a few pics that I'd like to share...enjoy!

Isaac, when not screaming, is already turning into quite the little smiler! This is the best shot of him smiling we have so far...

Face painting is quite popular here. A couple weeks ago we took the kids to the little community fair in Hannah's school where Santa made an appearance. One of our friends painted their faces up for them. Cailyn clearly a butterfly. Hannah...a flower. And not just a little flower on the cheek...a huge flower covering her whole face! (her idea!)

I went up one afternoon to get Cailyn up from her nap and found her at the top of the stairs...

Second tooth has made it's exodus...now Hannah really can sing, "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!"

And finally, Hannah was in her school play last week where they recounted the story of the Nativity. Hannah and the rest of her class were angels...(the garland she was asked to wear is nice, but our tree doesn't look so good anymore!! Ha!)

Isaac helping us Christmas shop...

2010-12-18T01:31:00.004Z

With the way things are here, with us having the one car, the lack of time during the day due to the girls' school schedule, traffic always unbearable around Christmas time (that and because of the "snow" we've received making traffic move especially slow - but that's another story...) we weren't sure how we were going to accomplish Christmas shopping. Luckily, an opportunity came up for us yesterday where we had to be in the city. Jen had a follow up visit at the hospital for all the post-delivery "fun" she was having just after Isaac was born. Glad to report that she's doing great, and everything is still on track for her recovery wise, so we praise the Lord for that! Anyway, surprisingly the appointment actually didn't take 4 hours, and we had a brief window to get to the toy shop, get our stuff, and make it home to pick up the girls from school. Of course, this meant Isaac was with us. We'd left his stroller at home, so we just set him in the trolley. (Yes, I said trolley...shopping cart to most of you). See, Isaac has a wonderful trait about him. When it's about nap time, if he goes for a ride in the car, he's out. Like a light. We say this is wonderful, because he's the only one of the 3 to do this. Hannah would just stay awake. Anyone that knows Hannah now can see this; that's just a part of who she is - having to see what's going on around her, figuring stuff out, etc. Cailyn screamed. All the time. From the moment she was set in her seat, to the moment you rescued her from the torturous trap, she screamed. Isaac loves his seat. He sleeps. If he's really ready for a nap, he'll be asleep before we get past the gate leading to our house. Well, by the time we got to the shop after he'd been awake during Jen's appointment, he was asleep again, so we just left him. And so, he got to help us with our shopping! We got several strange looks, piling all the presents we had to buy around him like that, and more than a few double-takes from people inspecting our cart as we walked by. It was funny, Isaac was cute. He's the pic.

Isaac's Passport pic

2010-12-12T17:58:00.003Z

Here's the picture I got for his passport...what a cute little guy!

Welcome to the US Isaac!!

2010-12-06T21:42:00.005Z

*Long post, but hopefully worth the read...*

Well, he was a US citizen technically from the moment he was born, but this weekend we made a trip to Dublin so we could go to the Embassy and get him properly registered and apply for his passport (a very important item that will come in play later!) It was a neat trip and sort of exciting...in the combined 4 years we've lived in Ireland, we've never actually BEEN to the Embassy before!

Now, a little background on what's going on here lately: Ireland has come under the thumb of a massive Arctic blast that's actually terrorizing other parts of Europe. As well as Ireland can cope with cold, it comes to a stand-still when there's any kind of snow involved, especially the multiple inches they got over the last week or so. I've been diligently watching how much snow Dublin has received knowing we were going to have to head over, and thankfully, the last few days have seen some relief. I know what you're thinking: why didn't you wait? Good question, BUT, we had to go; the Embassy makes you schedule appointments and we'd made the appointment weeks ago. As I watched the snow reports, I tried to see when the next available date would be and cancel this appointment and reschedule but nothing was open until February, and we just couldn't go for that. That's just too late for some other things going on for us to get it...so we basically had to go. Thankfully, I grew up in snow, and though mishaps happen even to experienced drivers, it helps that I've driven in snow a lot before...we just figured that the trips across country would take some time. So carefully, we headed out.

We got to Dublin and popped in to see some friends we know there, and had a great afternoon (aside from me getting a migraine and having to take solace in a dark room for a while) and then headed to our hometel. Yes, I spelled that right. That's what the girls call it. All 5 of us in a room for the first time though...oh boy! We were waiting for disaster. Surprisingly though, things went well. Isaac actually slept really well, and Hannah and Cailyn did, well, alright. They just love staying in hotels so much that they're pretty wound up about it, so sleep doesn't come to them (or mom and dad) too quick.

Got up today, and the adventure continued, though not for the best...one last task we had to do, of course, was to take a passport photo in for Isaac. Of course, it has to be a white background, and mom and dad's hands can't be visible holding his head up. Easy, right? WRONG. Infant passport photos are insane! I was able though to get a good photo of him and tried printing it at our pharmacy the other day...it worked, but the picture wouldn't qualify because of one little part in the background wasn't white. I didn't want to risk delaying the process anymore, so yesterday morning before we left, I staged another one and took it with us on my jump drive, thinking we could just get it printed in Dublin at the mall near our hotel. Wow...NOT. I go to the pharmacy to print it, and theirs don't print passport sizes prints. Of course! How silly of me to think a drugstore in a city of +1 million people could do something a pharmacy in our small neighboring village would do...ugh. They did have the option of using a little photo-booth, but since we'd already taken a road trip from the hotel to the mall lasting more than 30 seconds, Isaac was asleep, so that wasn't really an option. (Bear in mind the photos have to show his eyes...) Thankfully, there was a film processor in the mall, so I ran to see him with my jump drive. He immediately tells me he doesn't do infant passport photos. CRAP. Now...we're about 1.5 hours ahead of our appointment, and at this point, I'm starting to freak out. This SHOULDN'T be this hard!!! He begrudgingly decides to help me out by trying to use the pic I had on my jump-drive (which is what I asked him to do in the first place...not take a new photo) and he yanks the jump-drive out of my hand. Apparently he had to save all my photos to his hard drive, then to an sd card, and then into this little printer he has set up just for passport photos...like it's a holy grail or something. It wouldn't work. He tried opening the photo in photoshop and resizing it and resaving it on multiple sd cards and, still nothing happens. It's like the photography twilight zone...this one photo won't open. His special little machine wouldn't read it. He brilliantly (after I make the suggestion) crops the photo to a 2"x2" passport size photo and prints them on 4x6 paper. genius! Thankfully, this works, and we now only have just over an hour to make it through the city center and get to the Embassy on time for our appointment. (While we were waiting for all this, Jen ran and got us Starbucks...probably our saving grace emotionally...) Oh, by the way - Isaac now needs to eat before we leave the mall. AARGHH!!! Jen gives him a quick snack to try to tide him over, which works thankfully, but now we're down to 45 minutes. Somehow, we're able to get to the appointment on time. Actually, we showed up early which is something we learned that we're not allowed to do. We had to pace around in front of the gate in the freezing cold for 20 minutes until 1:00 on the nose before they took us through security, which is more serious than airports. Like seriously...they would be well suited to take all these body-scanners of the airports hands and make their lives easier...After that though, everything went smooth. The paper work got filled out, we paid our fees, and in a few weeks we should have his social security card, and passport!

We had decided to be as American as possible on the day, since technically, we were stepping into US soil while we were in the complex. So, with me wearing my American flag t-shirt under my jacket, I helped the girls say the Pledge of Allegiance in front of the building, then we headed to T.G.I. Fridays for an early dinner before beginning our snow-bound journey home tonight. The whole first half of the trip home was just a downfall of snow...the kind that when you switch on your high beams you blind yourself from the light bouncing back at you off the flakes. The trip was cool for me though; it reminded me a lot of when I was around 12 years old? playing for the Flagstaff All-Star soccer team. We played our tournaments in the winter, and we always played in Phoenix. Even though we knew storms were on the way before we left for the tournaments, they graciously drove me down to play only to make the long journeys home in blizzards just so I could play my soccer. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

Overall, it was a fun trip with a little excitement just to keep it from being dull.

PS. While we were wandering around waiting for our time-slot I asked jokingly if Mr. Rooney was in (Pittsburgh Steelers owner and current US Ambassador to Ireland), and was politely was told that he wasn't. I thought it was just because he would have been up late the previous night since the Steelers were on Sunday Night Football, and he stays up to watch all their games if he's over here. Actually, he watches it via sling-box and apparently has to keep calling his family to tell them to quit changing the channel! LOL) Anyway, as I was writing this blog, I had the game on from last night (I'd recorded it to watch when we got home)...lo and behold, Dan Rooney was actually at the game. I thought it was funny anyway...

All of us in front of the Embassy with Old Glory waving behind us...

On to the American food!!!

This was hilarious to me: Everywhere in Dublin snow is all over the sidewalks; EXCEPT for all around the US Embassy. Yeah, that's right...we actually SHOVEL snow! LOL

We took a walk down the major shop street in Dublin after dinner before heading back to town...this old man playing the whistle was great!!! Now we know how Santa occupies his time before making his run! ;)

And of course, there's a Leprechaun in Dublin...

Random Isaac pics

2010-11-28T20:16:00.006Z

Who doesn't want to see some more pictures of a really cute little boy?!?

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T15:11:00.005Z

This was the sunrise we saw this morning as the girls and I came downstairs to get going for the day. Here in Ireland, there's not an official Thanksgiving (though many companies are beginning this year to commercialize the "Great American Holiday" as some refer to it here.) Nonetheless, it will always be Thanksgiving to us no matter where in the world we are. We have so much to be thankful for this year, without a doubt. Obviously, the addition of Isaac to our family is a blessing. But even beyond that, we realize how much we have to be thankful for. We have a God that loves us and always provides. We have wonderful supportive families that we miss very much. We have friends all over the world that we love. Today, we hope that you are having a wonderful day, and we send our blessings and thankfulness to you.

The Deibel Crew

Wedding shoot prep...

2010-11-21T23:33:00.005Z

If you haven't heard, my little photography hobby is about to take a huge turn toward, well...it's making a huge turn. I was asked over the summer to do a wedding shoot for some friends that's coming up in just a couple weeks. Needless to say, I'm getting a little nervous about it. I want to do a great job for them, and I want to have a little fun with it as well. As I've been preparing, I've used my "guinea pigs" to help me. Yesterday I loaded them in the car and we went to the hotel that the wedding is going to be held at to test some shots out before the big day. It turned out to be a fantastic time though, and any time I get just to turn the camera loose on the girls, I always get some keepers!

Any time I say "smile" this is usually what I get...a little pose

Now this is a pose...lol

I just thought Cailyn's face in this shot was creepy...

Walking down the aisle...

I've seen this look a lot lately in photo-shoots, and I thought I'd make one up...I brightened this quite a bit. What do you think?

After a little "work" mocking up some shots for me, the girls turned the open space into a track meet...if only I could include the giggling noises!

And...it's football season!!!

Awe...

Are we done yet???

We've lost a tooth...

2010-11-14T22:32:00.006Z

Well, tonight Hannah made yet another leap in her movement up the development ladder. She came to us earlier in the afternoon complaining that her tooth was bothering here, and sure enough, it was loose and we could see the new one already poking our a bit underneath it. We knew it would only be a matter of time! She got really scared as she began eating her dinner that it was going to hurt, so we set off to investigate the tooth a little more. (Mind you, Hannah had taken a couple chances to wiggle her tooth a little bit, so by now, it's really been worked over!) I saw right away that it was ready to come out. Of course, by this time, Hannah's getting freaked out because she realizes that this thing is actually coming out. I got her to help things along a bit by pushing her tooth with her tongue loosening it up a little more. After that, it was just about fell out as I reached in for it. She was SO excited about it...obviously, just a massive moment for her. And Cailyn was just as excited for her! It's now resting under her pillow, excited for her first visit for the tooth fairy!

Here's the even in pictures...

Sitting there waiting to come out...

Her new smile!

Liked this shot...holding her tooth and you can see the hole in the background

The culprit

Cailyn was unbelievably excited! I think she was happier than Hannah!

Properly placed under her pillow before bed

Speaking of the girls...

2010-11-08T18:57:00.003Z

Not that I'm not ready to dedicate every post to Isaac or anything, because he's just cute as a button!, but I thought I'd give you a quick glimpse of what the girls have been doing through all of this. I know I've put on here before how they're becoming SUCH good friends and playing so well together. Well, tonight after dinner, they went in the kitchen and we heard a bunch of singing so I peeked around the corner to see what they were up to...

Pics from Halloween

2010-11-06T11:58:00.003Z

We ended up having a good Halloween this year, even though going into October we didn't know what would be going on. The girls (thankfully) wanted to be princesses, and we already had the dresses from their dress-up wardrobe. We climbed in the car and visited some friends, and then we were able to take a walk up our road for a little trick-or-treating. Isaac even got into the act with his little pumpkin outfit! I don't have too many pics from the outing itself, but here's some of the kids in their outfits!

Here's the princesses!!!

The girls were thrilled that Jen decided to curl their hair for the night!!!

And our little pumpkin....

Some more pics of Isaac...sorry it's been so long!

2010-11-03T17:24:00.005Z

Wow, so it's been a pretty crazy few weeks for us since Isaac decided to show up on the scene. Hard to believe he's already 3 weeks old! If you didn't know before, Jen was actually back in the hospital last week after developing an infection from the surgery. She's doing much better, and we're all home; happy as a new family of 5! Because of all that was going on, I just couldn't really get going on posting any pics...so sorry! Hope you understand though!

Isaac is settling pretty well. He's a great sleeper so far...3 weeks old, and he slept for 8 hours last night! (A big woohoo from Jen!!) Overall, aside from the bout Jen had, things have been great so far. We're blessed with our little guy, and love already watching him grow! Hannah and Cailyn dote over him all the time; they have to kiss him when they get home, hug him before bed, and they're so proud of him! They really love their brother!

Ok...the good stuff...some more pics!!!

Mommy and her son!

Daddy with all his kids on his lap...won't last long like this!

Isaac relaxing a little bit

Isaac's first man to man...

This guy loves his sleep! (As opposed to his older sisters at his age!)

He had a bit of an eye infection for a few days, but it's cleared up pretty good. He's taking a long look at the couch here...

oooohhhh...

Anyone ever think that new babies look like old men?

Proud dad and an experiment...

2010-10-22T21:24:00.002+01:00

Our family went out for a quick meal tonight, which was great...really the first time all 5 of us went somewhere together (other than a quick trip to the doctor yesterday, but we're not counting that!) Well, tonight was just a gorgeous night...the full moon and the crisp clear air after all the rainfall we had today. I went out to take some shots of the moon with the help of the girls, and then I got an idea; I've seen many examples of a photo-technique called "light-painting" and I thought I'd give it a quick try. And what better thing to do than paint my new son's name in lights! It's not the best light painting I've ever seen, but not bad for my first go!

Hands...

2010-10-21T00:45:00.002+01:00

One thing about Isaac is that he has some REALLY long fingers...I'm sort of reminded of ET in a way...like I want to slip a Reese's Pieces in there! You'll probably see several of these type shots in the coming weeks/months/years ;)

Hannah and Cailyn come to meet Isaac

2010-10-15T11:12:00.008+01:00

Oh, what a GREAT night last night! Hannah and Cailyn were able to come to the hospital last night and visit Isaac for the first time, and boy were they happy!!! Isaac was in great form, and loved meeting his sisters. He really did act like he knew them! Both girls got to hold him, and it was just a great time...the first time our whole family was together! As I combed through all the pictures that were taken, tears have come many times because I am SO incredibly blessed with a wonderful family!

A big thank you also to our friends W & D who have been watching the girls, really since all this started for us Tuesday morning, and they were our photo/video crew for the event...guys, this week has been really amazing with all the help you've given us. We appreciate you so much!!

Anyway...enough talk! How 'bout those pictures!!!! ;)

Hannah seeing him for the first time

And then Cailyn's turn

Both girls really were anxious to give him kisses!

Hannah getting to hold him for the first time

And then Cailyn got her chance. She was so taken with him!

Isaac was so thoughtful and brought them princess dolls as presents!!

Isaac needed a little help from his sisters opening their gifts to him...

First picture of 5 member Deibel Crew

Cailyn got another chance to hold him before we headed home

Amazing how tiny he is, huh? I love this picture of us!!

Sweet picture of the new big sister holding her brother

Not sure if you can tell but Hannah REALLY loves her new brother! Love this shot!!!!

Isaac is here!!!!

2010-10-14T02:34:00.004+01:00

Whew!! A long couple of days, and Isaac is finally with us! He was born about 10:15p.m. local time by c-section. Everything went great, and Isaac did perfect through everything. It was a long time, basically, because they were trying to give Jen every chance to deliver naturally if possible, and things just didn't happen right. Since her water had broke on Monday night here, there just wasn't any more time they'd risk letting her try for the safety of her and him. Not what she wanted, but all is well. The most important thing is that we have a very healthy baby boy. He's very laid-back so far (only cried for about 10 seconds when he came out and never started up again for a long while!) and took to feeding pretty quickly. The numbers: 7lbs 12oz, 21.5" long. You know that more pictures are on the way, but here's some we got just after he was born. Thanks for your prayers everyone!!

Isaac Edward Deibel

First set of clothes!

Reacting to said clothes...

VERY proud daddy!

Tired, but very proud mommy too! Jen, you did so amazing!! I love you so much!

Panoramic of the sunset tonight behind our house...

2010-10-08T21:26:00.006+01:00

Ok, I know I show a lot of sunsets on here, but what can I say? The colors are awesome, and it's just a gorgeous scene. Tonight, I tried taking a panoramic shot of the sky as seen standing at the back door...hope you enjoy it!

Little scenery for you...

2010-10-06T17:44:00.000+01:00

We've had a group here from the States this week, and it has been great. One of the things I love about time with groups that come is that I usually get a chance to see some neat stuff around our area. Usually, it's places I've seen, but sometimes that one spot you see over and over just has that certain difference that makes it a little "different." Here's one of our favorite spots near our house up in the mountains: it's a beautiful waterfall that isn't always running this much, but with the rains we've had the last few days, the water was really moving.

These walls have ears...

2010-10-04T22:01:00.003+01:00

The other day, I went back to the horse-fair I went to last fall. It was a bit different this year, but still fun. Just a day of people showing their horses, buying, selling, and trading all sorts of animals. I didn't too many great pictures, but this one I got of some donkeys was a great moment. I was walking along a bunch of trailers when I looked up and saw this one with just these ears sticking up. I thought it was great, and got this shot...hope you get a kick out of it too!

Photo shoot with Hannah...

2010-09-22T17:22:00.003+01:00

I decided to take Hannah to one of our favorite spots this afternoon and practice some different techniques. Some of the shots came out pretty good! Enjoy!

When she's asked to smile pretty, she goes all out!

LOVE this one!!

Caught in the tree...

Dublin Zoo

2010-09-19T16:55:00.005+01:00

Since we didn't really do something "big" for summer this year, we took a quick trip over to Dublin to check out the zoo. It was a well deserved break for the family, and sort of a last chance to do something together before Isaac comes (and the subsequent down time that will follow!) We had a great day, even though there was rain off and on the whole day. We just tucked into shelters and under trees as each shower would come, and then we'd continue on. The girls absolutely LOVED it! It really was a blast for us, and though today we're tired from the quick trip, we're very glad we went! Here's some pics of the day with the kids. (the pics were limited because of the rain, but there were some good pics none-the-less)

Sweet picture!!

Jen and I laughed a bit at this sign...did they miss anything?!? LOL!

...and in the spirit of that sign, play the "Jaws" theme song in your mind at this one! If they don't want little kids chasing or doing anything on their little signs, then don't put peacocks out in the middle of the paths! LOL

Tiger sleeping blissfully next to the glass...

Mom helping them get a good look

This was probably the coolest thing that happened. We walked up to this enclosure where the otters were and we at first couldn't see them. Then I noticed some grass rustling and knew they were coming, so Hannah and Cailyn made their way over. The otters (no joke) SAW the girls at the window and came right over to them, and they all just stared at each other for a couple minutes. It was neat!

And the obligatory face in the Orangutan photos...Hannah

...Cailyn

...and a mommy who refuses to grow up! LOL

First Day of School!!!

2010-09-07T18:48:00.003+01:00

Big, big things happening around here! Hannah is in the next class up from last year. In the states, we're pretty sure this would be 1st grade, but it's sort of like a second Kindergarten. She was really chomping at the bit to head back to school and be with all her friends again. No problems dropping her off...she just marched right into the room, found her seat and started coloring.

Bigger though is that Cailyn started school! She's in the preschool that Hannah went to, and absolutely LOVES it so far. She has several friends from the day-care place that she was at and has already made some new friends. She is really doing well with it! It's busy again with the school schedule, but there's something about it that just seemed like it was time! Here's a couple pics of the morning...

Lunch bags in hand, headed out the door (can you tell Cailyn is happy???)

Dropping Cailyn off at her school

Around our house today...

2010-08-18T16:01:00.006+01:00

Sorry it's been a while since we've posted anything. To be honest, I just lost a little steam. Something cool though: we just sold our old camcorder and were able to get a Flip-type that hopefully will enable us to post videos easier. The old camera was a little tedious with a couple things, and this should go smoother, plus the video quality is much better.

With that in mind, I thought I'd post what's happening at our house today...in the field joining our house, our landlords are having a little work done - breaking up some rock so they can clear it. Not sure what is going to be built, but it takes a lot to break the rock up. They're using a pneumatic arm that is annoying...personally, I'd rather they just rigged up some dynamite and got it over with. You can hear the noise, but if you really want to experience this, you need the help of a friend (or other kind of volunteer). FIrst, play the video. Second, in time with the rock being pounded, have someone gently knock you in the head with the back of their fist...not hard like a punch, just a little pulse so you can feel it. Now, imagine that all day.

And oh yeah, some friends of ours just got here for a visit with their 2 month old son...and he's trying to nap. Good times.

Beautiful Sunday...

2010-08-03T18:35:00.005+01:00

We actually had a really nice day on Sunday. The skies weren't exactly clear, but it wasn't rainy, making for a great day. Nice and warm(ish) and just a day you need to get out and be outside. Since I'd been away, our family really needed to get out away from the house and just hang out together. One of the neighboring villages has a brand new playground that the girls love, so we loaded up the car, grabbed the camera and headed out. Simple day really, and we weren't there for more than an hour, but it was worth it...just a sweet, sweet day. Here's some pics for you...

Close up of Hannah...

...and one of Cailyn

Cailyn is getting so big! She's getting better on the "big girl" swing!

Hannah recently has mastered the fire-pole slide...but, as you can see, it still requires ultimate concentration!

Here's a fun toy...it's an uneven ring that circles around the track. It's fun to get a few people on it and spin them around...the uneven-ness makes it hard to stay on! Jen was a willing sport...

And alas, a father's day is not complete without a little relaxation, am I right?

Signs ---

2010-07-27T19:20:00.004+01:00

Well, I'm finally done with all my traveling for the time being. I returned, and Jen survived...and so did the kids! A BIG thank you to K. for coming over and helping out!!!

While I was in training last week in Switzerland, I didn't really get the opportunity to take a lot of photos, but it was a great week, and I was able to come home with a bunch of good information that will hopefully be useful in the coming months.

I did however, get one picture I wanted to share...a sign that I saw from the tram. I don't know why, but I found this sign really funny...maybe because of what went through my head when I saw it:

In case you want to know where France is, it's, uh, down that road. Right there. France. The whole thing...not Paris or anything, just...France. Where's France? Right there. Down that road...go past the airport, and you'll be in France.

Anyway, that's what I saw... :)

Welsh Lighthouse

2010-07-21T19:15:00.002+01:00

I took this picture last week...unfortunately, as I'm learning photography, I didn't get this captured as well as I wanted...as often happens. BUT, I thought I could share this one anyway...it was truly amazing with the sun rays over the ocean in the background.

Couple more castle pics...

2010-07-17T10:27:00.002+01:00

Caernarfon Castle

2010-07-15T09:25:00.007+01:00

One of my favorite things in North Wales are all the castles that Kind Edward I built in the late 13th century. History wise, I don't like what they stand for since they were built to keep the Welsh under control. But there's 6 castles built along the northern coast, and they're all magnificent. The "prize" though, is Caernarfon. It was built in a way that it would actually house the King if he chose to come, as opposed the other ones being simply garrisons. Over time it has been abandoned, attacked, rebuilt, and eventually restored and used as a place where Princes were invested. It now stands as an awesome structure, and for many, the intrigue of medieval times.It was never actually finished, however. The use of the title "Prince of Wales" originates from this castle; Edward II was born here, and was presented as the "Prince of Wales" beginning a still-used tradition of the heirs to the English throne being invested as such. Prince Charles, the current Prince of Wales, was invested at this castle in 1969.

North Wales

2010-07-13T09:25:00.004+01:00

I'm on the road this week with work, and fortunate to be in a place that I've been several times; now though, I have a good camera! We've had some really gorgeous weather, and the views have been spectacular. Yesterday the group we're with went to a village that's situated at the base of the mountain range here and spent some time. It really was beautiful. I've been to this area, again, several times, but this time was stunning...just so beautiful! Here's some pics for your enjoyment ;)

Valley near Snowdon Mountain

Dolbardarn Castle - built in 1230 ad

Cute pic of the day...

2010-07-10T22:21:00.001+01:00

Got this picture a couple weeks ago...Hannah giving Isaac a kiss!

Cutie of the day...

2010-07-06T10:00:00.001+01:00

So, you've been seeing a lot of Black and Whites lately...I don't know why, I just am really liking the way they're coming out. Hope you've been enjoying! Let me know what you think!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T21:31:00.005+01:00

Whew! We just got home from a great 4th of July celebration at a friends house. Dressed up in our American Flag Old Navy t-shirts we had Hot Dogs and Hamburgers, game of something resembling baseball, and lots of laughter. I have to admit, today I do miss being in America. I was asked by a couple of people what I'd be doing if I were home. Not much more than we did today I had to admit, but I know that I would be with family and friends, (hopefully at a Diamondbacks game!) I do miss being in America today, but I love the freedom of my country, and that freedom allows me to continue to be proud of my country no matter where I am. Actually, it was interesting; several people that we spend a lot of time around asked us a lot of questions about our 4th of July and its significance. It was such a great feeling to be able to explain why our country was started the way it was. I found myself having a lot of pride as I explained some of the details to the people on why America became a country, and how it all went down. They asked about all kind of things like the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere and the lamps in the tower; all things that I have taken for granted because we had to study them so much in history classes! Having those conversations did a lot for me in other ways though; It did make me dream of chances to talk about Ultimate Freedom, and was a great reminder of why we are living here. Today especially, we thank those of you who think about us and support us and are following our lives here. We hope this blog occasionally shows what is truly happening here with us, and helps you as you do think about us.

Blessings and with our love,
The Deibel Crew

PS...We also would like to thank Youtube. When we got home tonight, we watched some fireworks displays before the girls went to bed. Even on a computer screen, they're amazing!

Cookies...

2010-06-30T20:04:00.010+01:00

Hey, Jen here: We started our first week of summer break this week. I didn't want it to be a whole 2 months of just sitting around, watching TV and doing nothing in particular. So, I sat down and made a list of fun things I wanted to do or try with the kids. One of those things was to finally use one of the packages of real Nestle Tollhouse morsels I brought back with me from my time in the States.

Now, I have to admit, I'm not a great mom when it comes to involving the girls in the kitchen. The mess and disorganization stresses me out, and it's just "easier" to do it all myself. But, I knew they'd love making these together. So, I got everything together and out on the table beforehand. We all got gussied up in our aprons and hairbands and set to work.

I couldn't believe how smoothly it went, and how much fun we ALL had! I was so proud of them as they took turns, helped each other, and praised each other throughout the process. All I did was read out what we needed to do with each step. I helped Cailyn measure out the items, and only helped Hannah if she really needed it. Other than that, they did it ALL themselves.

I tried really hard not to train them to make cookies my way (aka, eat half the batter before you even put it on the baking sheet). And we did have to switch spoons a few times b/c someone couldn't resist the urge to sneak a lick. We did each get a spoon to lick when it was done, and of course a warm cookie at the end.

It was the perfect way to kick off our summer and I'm SO glad we did it all together!

Everything is set!

Cailyn carefully pouring the flour

...and stirring it up

Hannah's turn!

Such concentration...

You can almost hear a 'Homer Simpson' groan - mmmmm...cookies....

Carefully cracking the egg...so proud she did it all by herself!

Hannah proud of the finished mix...Cailyn - well...yeah...

Time to enjoy!

Galway boats...

2010-06-26T18:42:00.002+01:00

Fishermen a couple hundred years ago decided to figure out a better boat to serve their area. With all the inlets and coves that line the Bay here, there was a need to have a boat that could handle the shallow waters and enable them to fish more often. They developed what is called the Galway Hooker. While it still serves a purpose, it's more of a historical masterpiece nowadays than a working craft and any chance to see one is always like looking at a painting. Here's a shot of one we got to see last night -

Long, long days...

2010-06-19T19:57:00.004+01:00

So, I blogged several times in the winter about how amazed I was at how early the sun goes down; missing seeing the sun setting over the ocean at 4:00 in the afternoon. Well, short winter days mean we also get very long summer days as well. With the amazing weather we've had this week, the sky has been bright well past 9 in the evening, with traces of daylight still visible past 11. It's just amazing to me. The evenings feel odd at times; we find ourselves having to keep close eyes on the time because dinner time just doesn't feel like dinner time, and there have been a couple days when the girls got to stay up quite late because we lost track! Well, last night I was in the office on skype with a friend of mine at almost 11 when I looked outside and saw the sunset. The colors were amazing, and I just had to get out and try to capture the scene. I came pretty close...

The warmth of the sun...

2010-06-17T10:54:00.000+01:00

We have had some amazing weather this week! I think summer came in full when we weren't looking. It's so great when the weather is like this...everybody, and I mean everybody is outside; working in the garden, staring at the ocean, having a cup of coffee or tea while the sun beats down on them - it's all great. It's amazing the way it changes the mood of the place; Ireland is so "warm climate" in their culture in terms of relationships in that they're always willing to talk, friendly, and enjoy a chat. But with the sun and the amazing warmth, that's even more so. We see so many people that are normally just going about their daily routine outside enjoying the beauty. You may think it's a bit extreme, but people around here have learned: enjoy it while it lasts. I remember last August lighting fires because the warm weather didn't stay. When it's here, it's to be enjoyed like it's going away tomorrow...because, it just might!

A couple of pics of the girls savaging for sea shells. I was about to start fixing dinner when I decided a quick walk on the beach was in order. They love the beach!

School Walk Day

2010-06-15T13:52:00.002+01:00

This morning was a fun day! The school Hannah goes to does all they can to encourage the kids to exercise and be active. So, aside from the sport day from a few posts back, they'll go on sporadic walks and explorations, especially when the weather is nice. It's almost as if the teachers see a sunny day, and as everyone else does here, find whatever excuse they can to be outdoors. So, this morning the whole school met at the local pub and had a mass Walk to School. Hannah really thought it was fun, and there was a good spirit all around. And with summer here, the weather being so gorgeous today, it was just an amazing addition to what is normally a routine activity!

Hannah decked out in her safety vest, ready for the walk!

This actually turned into a huge cultural experience for me...as I mentioned before, we met at where else? THE LOCAL PUB! Only in rural Ireland!

On Cailyn and my walk back to the car, there were a couple of horses that were really ready for some attention. So, we stopped, petted them and Cailyn thought they were great!!

Funny perceptions of law...

2010-06-14T00:21:00.004+01:00

I had a conversation a couple weeks ago with a man that is sort of a park ranger/manager of a particular place I like to go - You've seen pictures of it here before, and probably will again; a 5,000 year old burial chamber. Around this burial chamber is a rope. Yep, a rope...security to the extreme! Anyway, the day I'm talking to this guy, he's explaining to me that this rope is there only for show basically, and that they really don't want to keep people away from the site necessarily. Just groups of people, like over 30 or so at a time, they don't want anyone crawling around the thing. But, if it's just one or two or so at a time, they don't care. He told me, "When it's just yourself, sure! Go ahead and hop over...take your photos. We really don't care!" He went on to explain to me, since he obviously knew I was American, that their laws aren't quite like our laws. Our laws are meant to be kept. The laws here, well...not so much. I mean, speeding, burglary, theft, arson, general traffic regulations...yeah, those aren't the ones I'm talking about. It's more like the public notices, the "don't litter here" or "no parking here" things that really turn more like suggestions. In this case, it's the single rope strung up around a 5,000 archeological treasure that's really not meant to signal "keep out," rather, "one at a time, please." At first, I thought this guy was joking, but then I realized that he got much of his information like the rest of the world does regarding American laws: from CSI and NCIS and any reality show that's shown cops, park rangers, and any other kind of law enforcement actually doing their jobs. He went on about how strict America is compared to Ireland, which I thought was just hilarious. But, there you go...there is a sense of the menial things being overlooked here. And some are sadder than others like minors in rural areas able to buy alcohol pretty easily. The authorities don't like it, but they don't do much about it either. In someways it can be sad. I've grown up thinking, "if it says don't do it, it means don't do it" mentality for the most part...but apparently here, not so much. But, there's a good feeling to it as well...there's a trust that people are actually doing things right, and authorities aren't clamoring to "bring justice" to every infraction they see either. Either way, it's kind of interesting.

All this to show you a great photo I got the other day. Jen and I were at the hospital getting the scan of our baby when I looked up and saw this sign:

The funny thing to me is what I read into it after the conversation I had with the man at the historical site; "No smoking. And this one we actually mean no smoking...no seriously...no smoking. Please...for real. Don't smoke. Sorry, but we really mean it this time..." and on and on.

Today's Cutie...

2010-06-09T11:24:00.002+01:00

The girls have really enjoyed the weather lately. With the evenings really long right now, it's great for them to be able to enjoy being outside, sometimes right up until the go to bed. It's light now until past 10, which is great. Anyway, the other night the girls grabbed their bubbles after dinner and headed outside. I was able to sneak in a few shots of them having fun...here's one of Cailyn

A Sneak Peek at the Newest Deibel

2010-06-04T21:21:00.004+01:00

This has been an exciting week for our little Crew! We had our "big" doctor's appointment this week and were able to get an ultrasound of our little Pumpkin. We were all anxiously awaiting this day, hoping baby would cooperate in allowing us to find out if we were having a sister or a brother!

Most importantly, we found out that baby is perfectly healthy, right on track with grown, and all organs and limbs look perfect. When the scan started, baby was sitting in the breech position, with it's bottom down and head up pointing towards my lungs. In this position, it's often difficult to get a good gender shot, but our little one cooperated anyway.

Baby Deibel, with pointer finger on lips, pondering whether or not to let us see if it's a boy or girl

Thankfully, they decided to cooperate and showed us that they are a healthy....

BOY!!!!

This little piggy went to market....

Flexing his muscles for Daddy

A look right at his face; looks a lot like a scan pic we have of Hannah!

Profile shot - mouth open, ready to suck his thumb!!

Another profile shot, hand up by his face

We are all so happy and excited to be welcoming a boy into our family! His name will be forthcoming soon!!

Sports Day

2010-06-01T19:09:00.006+01:00

Every year, the schools have "sports days" where they load the kids in the buses, take them to the local field and have a day filled with games. It's a great day, and all the kids get to participate. The older kids have some games like the distance run and high jump that Hannah didn't get to take part in, but she got to do a lot. It was a great day today to be out! The sun was shining, and there were lots of people from the community there as well. We got to talk to a lot of people that we normally wouldn't see for more than a few minutes, so that was really good. I took lots of photos (of course) and just enjoyed the day. Here's some pics of Hannah's Sports Day!

Hannah in the wheelbarrow race

Potato sack (or actually a coal sack) race

The egg in the spoon race - of course, we live in Ireland, so they use Potatoes instead...

Having fun doing some Simon-says games

Can you tell she got worn out??

Cailyn came with us, of course...and had to have her own events. Not sure what she's doing here...it was almost a somersault, but then she stopped. But she was proud of whatever it was!

Cailyn asked us to sit in the stands so she could give us a show. She did her best ballerina dance for us!

Another trip to the Cliffs - only this time it was...

2010-05-29T21:12:00.004+01:00

Yeah, the absolute best I've ever seen them. There was a couple of friends in town, so I went with them so they could see the spectacle that is the Cliffs of Moher. I've been there many times now, and I know I say this all the time; they get better every time I see them. I hope it's always that way! This time however, I ventured farther along the cliffs than I ever had, and the view was a-mazing. The sky was clear, and the water was amazingly calm for the day...well, enough of the words...here's the picture...

The last few...

2010-05-26T09:19:00.007+01:00

Yeah! We've reached the end! Now, there are a ton of pictures we could show you, but what we've done is posted a few that really shows what our trip was like. The last bunch here is just some random pictures from different parts of the week. Hope you enjoy!

When we got to our villa in Tuscany, this guy was in the road. Now since I was the only one in the car with her, I have to tell you (with her permission) that Jen was a trooper...shrieking, jumping at every movement the beast made, the whole bit. At one point she may have considered crawling out of the window and standing on the car...but alas, I got my picture, and we simply drove away.

Of course, you go to Italy, and what is one of the most important things there to experience? The food! Jen and I are having lunch at a cafe in Positano looking out over the cliff. Ravioli and lasagna...awesome

And no week in Italy can be done without partaking in more than a few pizzas (partly because you save money doing this as it's the cheapest food you can find, but mostly because they're awesome)

One tradition that we love in Europe is that all the cars used here for brides on their wedding day get decorated. We were walking around a quiet hill-town and saw this. I thought about photoshopping in a couple '53's and some stripes, but I didn't...but we did, however, find the real Love Bug!

Jen took this off the back of the scooter. It's not too often you find a boat that blue actually match the water it's sitting in!

Alright - funny story with this one: This couple is in the Square in Pisa "holding up the tower." I was just trying to get a good angle to take a picture of the tower when I noticed a bunch of laughter coming from the group this couple was a part of. It took several minutes for them to get the pose right and the camera lined up for the picture to work, but in the mean time it was funny: One of the women in the group said (with a posh British accent), "I don't like that pose...it's not proper!"

Picture of the facing of the Duomo in Pisa

We saw many great back alleys and walk-ways as we were touring around. I love places like this because there's a bit of mystery to them; where does it lead? what's at the other side? Sometimes the look of the actual path is more exciting than what the path is for...and it makes for great scenes!

Another back alley...

And finally...a sculpture done by Michelangelo that sits in the Duomo in Siena. This one is accompanied by 5 other sculptures done by other artists. he truly was amazing as you could see standing there the difference in his work versus others. His is SO much better; much more detail, much more life-like. This is of St. Peter...

Tuscany

2010-05-23T16:45:00.007+01:00

The later part of the week we got to spend was in Tuscany around Florence. We really enjoyed our time here as well. We got to go see the leaning tower of Pisa, Michelangelo's David, and a lot of the Tuscan country side. For the most part, we just took our time driving around, enjoying the country side. Here's some pictures for you:

I'm sure you've seen pictures of people that stand in front of the tower and get their picture taken while they're "holding it up." We refused to participate in this...however, we did get swept up in a moment of cheesy-ness an got this shot of us at Pisa

The main square in Pisa with the tower, Duomo (church) and Baptistry building. What you may not know is that all 3 structures are not straight. The tower is obviously the worst, but the Baptistry (the closest domed building) leans the opposite direction.

Ah, the tower. Another landmark that we're amazed we've been able to see. What I never knew was that the construction was actually going on while the tower was leaning. They discovered the problem after the first level was built, but continued on. You can see above the 4th level (where the scaffolding is) that they tried to counter-balance the tower, and again with the belfry. It took many attempts to correct the issue, some of those almost bringing the tower down. It wasn't until about 30 years ago that they were able to stop the leaning, and it's actually been straightened to where it was when they began construction on the 5-above levels.

You can see how pronounced the lean of the tower is over the Duomo

Country side in Tuscany

A villa in tuscany set on a hill. These are everywhere!

Another villa

And yet another...this was the favorite though...the grass was so green, and the view was amazing!

Tour of Pompeii

2010-05-22T10:59:00.001+01:00

One of the things we really wanted to see was Pompeii, so we took about a 45 minute scooter ride to check it out. For those who may not be familiar, this town was completely decimated during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. And not more than 15 years before that, it was virtually wiped out by a major earthquake. They were really fighting a losing battle it seemed, and everyone was basically condemned by just living there. We were amazed as we went at how big the entire city was, and how much they've been uncover. Things for the most part are in-tact, and though they've moved a lot off to the museums in Naples, a lot is still there. It really was amazing to be at. And of course, as we stood looking at Mt. Vesuvius in the background, it was a little spooky knowing what else is going on the world! Here's some pictures of our time in Pompeii:

In the ruins with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

Yes, this is great - Jen going all Abbey Road. But, the other thing is how this is a real "crosswalk". They built their roads below the building levels to help with drainage, so to keep people from having to step way down in the road when they crossed, they walked on the "crosswalk" made of the major raised stones, spaced just right so carriages could still pass

A clay pot excavated from the ruins...

This is in a cafeteria of sorts where people would go every day to get there meals. Warm meats, stews or whatever was on the menu would be warmed in these counters which would have been topped with marble. People would come get their fool, and take it back to there homes for their families.

A fountain inside one of the communal bath houses.

Wall decorations in the bath house

More from the scooter...

2010-05-19T21:52:00.019+01:00

We decided the best way to show the fun of riding a scooter in Italy, we had to take some video of it. Jen grabbed the camera and got some video of us going through the town, so you get a quick "tour" of Positano. You'll see some stuff like how restaurants actually have seating across the road from their entrances so waiters have to dodge traffic as they serve, and all the shops that line the road. As you watch the video though, there is one funny part - Jen's reaction after someone tries to pull out in front of us!

I actually took this picture while I was driving the scooter...I was trying to show how the road is actually built out away from the mountain, just hanging over the ocean. I thought it came out cool!

Driving along the Amalfi Coast

2010-05-18T05:34:00.037+01:00

While we were in Positano, there were several things we tried to do. One of those was just to relax and drive along the coast and the surrounding area, just enjoying the beauty. I somehow was able to convince my wife to do this on a scooter! (Anyone who knows Jen will understand how out-of-her-element this really was!) We spent an entire day just driving up and down the coast, stopping for lots of pictures and coffee, and really enjoyed the day. Here's some of the pictures:

Proof that I got Jen on a scooter! It was fun! Nothing like being on something like that, riding on a very windy coast road!

Beautiful spot in a cove along the road...

Another picture of how great all the colors in the water were...

Another cute picture of Jen from the week

This was actually taken on the bus as we were leaving the area. I loved that little rain shower just getting ready to sweep over the little island

Another stop along the road...

Positano, Italy

2010-05-16T17:33:00.000+01:00

Alright, the waiting is over. I've been going through all the pictures from last week, trying to figure out the best way to show all of where we were with 2 things in mind: Not boring everyone with showing you every one of the 1,200+ shots we got, and also showing enough for you to see how great this trip was for us! We really had a wonderful time, as we said, so now, let us show you!

Our first few days were spent in a village called Positano, just south of Naples. Jen had seen it on a travel show some 12 years or so ago, and has wanted to go if she ever had the chance. When this big anniversary trip was coming, knowing how easy we could get there, there was no option really; we were going. Positano is built right on the coast on the west coast of Italy, and really is a dream location: mountains that join the sea. It has been featured in many movies, including Under the Tuscan Sun. It's very self contained, and it's obvious why this is a popular tourist destination. It's just so beautiful there, it's hard to describe. Here's some of our favorite pictures from Positano:

This was the view from our hotel

The colors in the water were unbelievable...this really is how it looked!

This was probably the most amazing time we went to this spot...it was so clear, all the little curves of the coast just kept going and going as far as we could see; and that water again...

I got this shot one night from where I was in the picture above...the 3 cars and a bus that passed while the shutter was open made this shot pretty interesting!

Another time I snuck out to this spot again just before sunset...you can see the sun-ray coming over the ridge down the coast

Ah, the happy couple!

And Interview with Hannah

2010-05-14T15:15:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm a bit late with doing this. You may remember this post from last March where I interviewed Hannah. The idea is to ask her the same questions every year and see how their answers change (or stay the same!). I had fun reading over her answers from last year, and hearing her answers this year. I think we may go ahead to do Cailyn's first interview this year, too. But, for now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you, an interview with Hannah!

Ok, you ready to get started?

This is an interview of Hannah Jane Deibel. One of the most interesting and wonderful 5 year olds in the world.

I am going to ask you several questions about yourself so we can all get to know you better. Okay, let's get started.

What is your name?

 *Hannah

Is that it?

*Yes.

How old are you?

 *5

Where do you live?
*In Ireland

Do you have any pets?
* No. Oh yeah! I have a stuffed pet.

What kind of stuffed pet?
*A Puppy.

Does the Puppy have a name?
*Princess Flower

Who do you like to play with?
* I like to play with my sister, Cailyn.
Anyone else?
*Nope

What is your favorite Cereal?
* Cereal with milk. And my favorite cereal with milk issssssssss….corn flakes. And the name of corn flakes in Irish is cailloga arror.

What is your favorite vegetable?
* Corn.

What is your favorite drink?
* Milk…actually, no not milk. Juice.
What kind of juice?
*Strawberry and vanilla juice
(yes, this is an actual kind of juice here)

What is your favorite snack?
* My fravrite snack…my favorite snack isssss….a Rice Krispy Bar.

What is your favorite toy?
* My favorite toy is my puppet.
Where did you get your puppet?
*From Italy.

What is your favorite book?
*Christmas book.
What’s that about?
*Um, I don’t know.

What is your favorite restaurant?
* Powercins. I said Powercins!! What’s the name of it again?
Padhricin’s.
*Oh! I thought it was Powercins.

What is your favorite holiday?
* Germany. Actually, no, no, no, no, America.
Why?
*Because I’ve never been there since I’ve been in Ireland for a couple of years.
What’s in America?
*People, animals, houses, stores, shops, BBQ’s, bags. *giggle* and bedrooms.

So, what's your favorite Holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.?
*For Christmas I like going to….Germany. *hehehe* (we've never been to Germany for Christmas :o) )

What is your favorite animal?
* My favorite animal are….giraffes. Funny giraffes!! (giggles silly and waving her feet all over).

If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to?
*Sleeping Beauty
What would your middle name be, Sleeping Beauty? 
*Bay. I’m all curled up like a chick, I mean like an egg. Am I shaped like an egg?
Mm-hmm.
*I thought you’d say that!

What do you love about your Dad?
* Playing with him, and tackling his head!!

What do you love about your Mom?
*Hugging you.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?
* America!

What is your number one wish for this year?
* To be a mermaid to live in the sea.

What is your favorite TV show? 
*Mickey Mouse.

Thank you for your interview Hannah Deibel. I appreciate your time.

Shot of the week...

2010-05-13T18:14:00.001+01:00

I'm still working on the photos, pouring through the 100's I took so I can get some to post. They're coming though. In the mean time...

Here's a picture I got of my incredible wife. She's stuck with me for 10 years, and I'm absolutely blessed to share my life with her! We were in Positano for the the day, tooling around, and we decided to go back to our hotel, which meant waiting outside of the church to get the bus. I got this of Jen taking a much needed moment of rest...One of my favorite pictures of her ever...and one of, if not the, shot of the week.

We're home!!

2010-05-11T18:43:00.000+01:00

...well, almost. I'm actually blogging from the bus across the country, but we'll be home soon. Last week was just awesome! We relaxed, reconnected, and just had a great time. And yes, there are pictures! But more of those later...for now, we leave you with one to see where we were the first few days last week: Positano, Italy

Write a caption contest...

2010-05-08T10:54:00.000+01:00

Here's a picture of Cailyn I got on accident the other day...make a caption for it!

Cute children pic of the day...

2010-05-06T13:23:00.000+01:00

While we're away, I thought I'd post some pictures in the mean time. I got the girls to pose a little for me after playing out in the yard the other day...

Happy 10 year Anniversary!

2010-05-04T10:04:00.002+01:00

Ok, so our actual anniversary isn't until June 10, but since June is going to be a busy month around here, Jen and I are taking a vacation a little early. See, we really haven't been able to celebrate too much since our 1st anniversary because for one reason or another, we've had work going on and haven't been able to do anything more than just a quick dinner out together. We've had some nice evenings together, but for this year we wanted a little bit more than just going out to dinner; something very special! So, we're off to Italy! There's a place that Jen has always wanted to go, and everything worked out for me to take her. We're so excited! Some friends of ours are staying with the girls this week (a HUUUUGE thank you to you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and we're getting a week on our own. We're so excited! We hope we'll be able to put up some pictures during the week, but we'll have to see how available internet is while we're there.

Here's a picture from our wedding...who are those kids???

Hair cut for Hannah...finally...

2010-05-02T14:56:00.002+01:00

So, we've been trying to think when Hannah had a hair cut last. We're pretty sure it was around September of 2008 when we had her hair cut last! We've kept her bangs (or fringe as they call it here) trimmed, but other than that, it's just grown, and grown and grown. So, we finally took her to get her hair cut...here's the adorable pictures for you!

Before After

Delayed Party

2010-05-01T15:48:00.001+01:00

Ok, so Cailyn's birthday was actually a few weeks ago. However, since Jen was out of the country, we decided to wait to celebrate until we could all be together - and Jen could make us cake! This year, Cailyn decided she wanted a Snow White cake. It was a great night with some of our friends, and after cake, Cailyn was completely taken with her aqua doodle (a special gift form her cousins!) Hannah sang her "Birthday" from the Beetles guitar hero, and then Cailyn drew some more. It was a great night! Happy Birthday again Cailyn!

More Spring time...

2010-04-27T11:11:00.000+01:00

A few days ago, I posted about a spring-time tradition of ice cream as a spring time tradition. Well, as I had said in that post, lambs are another major aspect of spring. I have seen a ton this spring, but haven't actually had the chance to take any pictures of them. Well, I looked through my pictures from last spring and saw a few that I hadn't posted. So, with that, here's a couple lambs!

Coming home!!!

2010-04-24T16:38:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone - if you have been watching the news lately, you've seen the disruption that the volcano in Iceland has caused. Well, sure enough, we were effected by it; almost immediately after we returned home from Scotland, we got word that Jen's grandfather had passed away. (That's another post that I've been working on...sorry that it's so late!!) Anyway, we were able to put Jen on a plane so she could be with her family, which was very good. The kids and I really wanted to go, but we just couldn't swing it. We sent Mommy off to represent us and give our love to everyone. Well, that's when the volcano broke loose. She's been stuck in Arizona, and is FINALLY returning home tomorrow morning. The girls and I are sitting in a hotel room near the Dublin airport watching planes landing anxiously waiting for her to come home!!

As a caveat, I do have to put my own spin on her being "stuck" - now granted, she was away from her kids and myself, BUT, she was so fortunate to be with her parents unlike many of the people that were in airports bathing in sinks. She was home enjoying family, eating at American restaurants, going to Diamondbacks games...well, ok, maybe just one Diamondbacks game, but still...all that to say, we're really thankful for the extra time she got at home with her parents. What a gift it was! But alas, "stuck" time is over...time to come home!!!

Here's a picture of Jen when we were in Scotland

Local wildlife

2010-04-22T11:07:00.000+01:00

Since moving in our new house, we've been seeing a bunch of animals that are around. Of course, there's cows, donkeys and horses, but much more interestingly, there's pheasants, badgers and foxes. Over the last week, the pheasants have been going crazy around the house, and I hear them at different points of the day. A couple mornings ago, I saw a few so I grabbed the camera and got a few pictures:

On the prom...

2010-04-20T11:26:00.000+01:00

Another photo that I'd taken a while back...one evening on a nice day a couple months ago, we took the girls for a bike ride on the promenade in a neighboring village. It was a great evening, and we had a great time. Well, I was looking at the pictures, and I saw this on of the sun as it was coming down...

Random picture

2010-04-18T12:46:00.002+01:00

I was just going through some old photos when I came across this one. It was taken just before Christmas on a nice night just before sunset...

Last pics of Scotland

2010-04-17T13:48:00.001+01:00

On the way home, we were able to stop and see the castle that I had pictured a few posts back (Eilean Donan - click here if you missed the sunset pic I got), only this time we were there during the day...it was great, and maybe the best part was the piper that started playing towards the end of the show...it was great!

Spring time traditions

2010-04-16T12:14:00.001+01:00

What comes to mind when you think of spring? The April flowers bring May flowers rhyme we all learned in school? Baseball season starting in April? I don't know...for all of us, it's different. Even if Spring isn't necessarily your favorite season, there's always something special about it. Winter is over, warmer weather is coming. It's just a great time of year. Here, the signs are the same as home; flowers are blooming, everything is turning green(er) and there's new life around every corner like the lambs and calfs that dot the country-side. Well, another tradition here that I think is awesome is the ice-cream. Yep - ice-cream. All the gas stations have soft-serve ice-cream machines that make their way out every year in the spring. After talking to some friends of ours, they equated this happening to mark the official sign of winter being over. The weather would begin to warm slowly, and the anticipation every time they would pass the station to see if may that was the day that the machines would be put into action. It's funny to see how many people get a cone; when you make a trip to the shop, on the way back to work; just going for a stroll; men enjoying their cones while driving to the job site in their trucks - it's everywhere. Makes me think of a new slogan: Ice Cream - the official sponsor of Spring

Here's the "sign" - a giant ice cream to state that the ice cream is available

She's 3!!!

2010-04-13T06:40:00.001+01:00

Today is Cailyn's 3rd birthday! She is such an awesome girl, and this year has been a really big year for her. Thinking back to last year, she really is a different person; she's beginning to read, she's talking a TON, her thought process is so different, her independence is shining through, and she's just really making so many strides in her growing up. This last year we've laughed lots, she's learned lots, and it's just been great. We are so proud of her in every way. Cailyn, we pray that you have on fantastic year ahead of you. You're an amazing gift from the Lord, and we're so grateful that we get to share in your life. We love you so much!

Here's some pics of her lately...

Hanging out in the kitchen

Throwing some rocks into a puddle

What does she know that we don't?

Common appearance: comfort from her blanket

She asked me for a picture of her with her new toy dragon...thought it came out neat!

Scottish Lighthouse

2010-04-06T10:36:00.000+01:00

A couple friends and I went up to a point not far from where we were staying and looked at this lighthouse:

Castle Eileen Donan

2010-04-04T11:35:00.000+01:00

On the way up the other day, there were lots of spots to take pictures, and if we'd stopped at them all, we'd probably still be on the road! We did get the chance to stop at Castle Eileen Donan just on the edge of the Isle of Skye. I was told that it's the most photographed castle in all of Scotland, and has been used in several films including Entrapment with Sean Connery. We got there just as the sun was setting, and though we didn't have a ton of time to explore, it was an amazing sight to see. It's nestled on a lake surrounded by mountains, and is simply spectacular. Here's my favorite of the shots I took:

The trip that...

2010-04-02T23:27:00.009+01:00

Well, I was about to say the trip that never ends, but alas, after a long few days, we've made the journey from Ireland to the Isle of Skye. After our ferry was delayed and the long arduous drive we had today, we finally made it. I have to say, the Isle of Skye is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. The Mountains are just spectacular, and with the snow they've received the last few days, it's even better. We were moving along quickly, so most of the pictures I have are from the middle of a huge van while I was sandwiched in between Hannah and Cailyn. It was quite the adventure though, and the girls did great! They got to watch several movies, and even got to have a little snowball fight at one of the stops. We saw amazing scenery, and tons of deer and even a few mountain goats. A long, LONG day, but it was good in the end. Here's a few shots of the day, and I'll post more later...

If you remember, a couple weeks ago at the parade, we saw William Wallace's sword.

Today, we saw the William Wallace Monument - "for our national hero"

A group of stag deer feeding at dusk

Snow covered mountains

Went to take a picture of Cailyn about 12 hours into our trip...doesn't that look just sum it all up? And it looks like her kitty feels the same

At the Coffee Shop

2010-03-28T14:00:00.005+01:00

One thing that we absolutely love here is this little coffee shop in a neighboring village. We like it for many reasons; it's close, the people that run it are great, and the food is awesome! If or WHEN you ever come visit, this is a place that you will definitely be going with us! For us, this place is really kind of special. We got to Ireland during the doldrums of winter when the sun is only up for maybe 7 hours a day, if it can even be seen from behind the clouds. This cafe was the first place we ever really were able to feel comfortable being. We go to this cafe to meet our language tutors, meet friends, do some computer work, or just relax. The kids love it, and we love it...it's our place...the place we go. Life would be different if we didn't have the chance to go!

One funny thing about it: we've posted on here a few times about the kids having these things called Baby-chinos. Basically, they're just seamed milk with a little chocolate and some marshmallows. But, it looks very similar to an espresso. This is a very common thing in Europe, but it hasn't hit American yet, or hadn't by the time we left. It's so funny for us to see the American tourists come in the cafe, see Hannah sipping her Baby-chino, and look at us like we're the worst parents in the world! Granted, it does look strange, but it's fun for us anyway.

We went today, and I took some pictures on my phone so you can see a little what it's like:

The girls enjoying their drinks...

The Baby-chino has to be just so...

Pic of the day

2010-03-22T11:01:00.003Z

After the parade last week as we were walking back to our car, there was some commotion going on in the river. I saw quickly that 2 male ducks were fighting for the affections of a female, so I quickly began shooting some pictures. I got some of them actually fighting in the river that I may post here soon, but there's one in particular I wanted to share; I got one of those "I got the shot I was hoping for, I just can't believe I actually got it" pictures...