FLYING BACK TO THE USA..CRAZINESS AT THE AIRPORT!

September 7, 2017

We flew home from DUBLIN to NEW YORK and then on to UTAH. But what a crazy time we had at the AIRPORT. Before we got to the AIRPORT they were weighing our suitcases so we would know if we would have to make some adjustments. They told Mom hers was like 47 pounds so she would be fine. So Deb gave Mom some of her stuff to put in her suitcase. When we went to go CHECK IN Mom's suitcase was now too heavy! So we took Deb's stuff out and I had it in my hands as we were hurrying to go through SECURITY because we didn't have time to even put it in our CARRY ON'S. Jenny's SUITCASE was also too heavy so Joyce hurried and pulled out their IPad, and a make-up bag without even thinking about what she was grabbing.

Now I have to tell you a back-up story. Joyce for months told us she was only taking her CARRY ON SUITCASE because she didn't want to lug a big suitcase around. She was smart! Anyway this story is funny because of all the people, She was stopped at SECURITY because she didn't take out her IPad and she didn't take out all of the liquids. (She forgot she had put all of Jenny's liquids in her bag. Plus she had her liquids. Too much! So they pulled those 2 aside and it took a long time for them to go through everything so once we made it through SECURITY Joyce and Jenny said, "Just go without us and we will catch up!"

OK, now back to the other story. So I had Mom go before me to get through SECURITY. Well, I should have known, she had been gathering all the little shampoos, conditioners, and lotions from every hotel we stayed in for the past 2 weeks, plus she had all of her make up and liquids that she forgot to put in her check-in suitcase. So when they opened her suitcase she had 3 or 4 large bags full of LIQUIDS! The place was packed and we were in a rush so it was like crap! They told her she had too much and she needed all of it to fit in a quart size bag. So I had to hurry and grab her suitcase, go to a table and I just said, "We are throwing all of this away." Then we butted back in line and went through SECURITY.

We pretty much ran to stand in the long line at CUSTOMS. We were there for a long time and worried we might miss our plane it took so long. We kept looking back and we could not find Joyce and Jenny. We were getting really worried about them! I was praying they wouldn't miss the plane.

Finally, they caught up with us and got in line with us. Whew! That was crazy! We made it through CUSTOMS just fine and then went and got something to eat and sat waiting for our plane.

I was so happy to be going home. I was really not feeling good and I just wanted to get the rest I desperately needed.

 Goodbye IRELAND

Hello NEW YORK!

On the airplane I was coughing every few seconds and it was awful!  I was able to watch a movie for the first time in my life on a plane. Thank goodness for 2 different Motion Sickness measures I took. And then I slept for hours!

It is a LONG WAY from DUBLIN to UTAH. And I don't care if I ever fly again. I just don't like it!

My Dad picked us up from the AIRPORT and stayed the night at Mom's.

**Well an update...it's September 24, 2017 and I am still at My Mom's. I have been SO SICK! I have not been home for a solid month. 2 weeks on a trip coughing everyday plus 2 solid weeks of staying here sicker than a dog. I have BRONCHITIS, a DOUBLE EAR INFECTION and the WORST HEAD COLD I have ever had with CLOGGED EARS. I feel like I'm 10 feet under water!
 I am on antibiotics but so far it doesn't feel like they're doing as much, as fast as I was hoping. I am starting to feel a little better and I hope and pray I can go to work tomorrow. It also has been one month since I have been to work!    Wish me luck!

DAY 13: DUBLIN, IRELAND, TRINITY CHURCH, AND SHOPPING!

September 6, 2017

This morning we got on the bus ready to go to DUBLIN. Here is what I wrote for ROLL CALL:
                                                   We're on our way to Dublin, it's where we're going to go      
                                                   It's the last day of our trip, please tell me it's just not so!
                                                   We've had so much fun along our way.
                                                   We really wish we could have just ONE MORE DAY!

So we drove to DUBLIN, IRELAND. We picked up a city TOUR GUIDE and she drove around with us on the bus telling us some pretty cool stuff about DUBLIN. Afterwards we were dropped off at TRINITY COLLEGE to see THE BOOK OF KELLS and the coolest LIBRARY I have EVER seen! I LOVED IT! And then we SHOPPED, and SHOPPED and SHOPPED!

CITY TOUR:

 These statues represent the horrible POTATO FAMINE Ireland had in 1845-1852. So sad!

 Look at these cute little kids in their uniforms going to school! So cute!

The tour guide told us they call this statue THE FLOOZIE IN THE JACUZZI  LOL!

The we went to TRINITY COLLEGE to see THE BOOK OF KELLS. It's the 4 GOSPELS in illustration. They were really cool but we weren't allowed to take photos of them.

Here is the most incredible LIBRARY IN TRINITY COLLEGE:

 Look at all those old books row after row, and on two levels. I tried to soak it all in. It was incredible!

On our way home we say the Irish White House:

We ate dinner when we got back and this is how they served it to us, on cutting boards. Mine was SO GOOD!

 This was my BRISKET and SALAD. Super good!

 This was our last day on our BRITISH ISLES TRIP. FUN FOR LESS TOURS was FANTASTIC! I highly recommend them to everyone and I will be going on another trip with them in the future!

We saw and learned so much on this trip. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to go on this amazing trip. I love my TRAVELING COMPANIONS too!  But I am looking forward to putting my feet back on U.S. soil. There's just NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

DAY 12:IRISH COAST, GIANTS CAUSEWAY AND THE TITANIC

September 4, 2017

Today we took a beautiful drive down the IRISH COAST. Oh my gorgeousness! This is what I wanted to see in IRELAND. It is absolutely beautiful. I just want to capture these views and forever remember them.

This morning before we left this was our ROLL CALL:
                                                                  We're headed out to see Ireland's coastal ocean view
                                                                  We know it will be spectacular, for us, a dream come true!

Here are lots of photos of what we saw along the way:

 A few of these were taken through the bus window so they are blurry or has a glare on them.

We stopped at this awesome place to take the coolest photos of this hanging rope bridge that gets to  this little white house and the other side of the little island. It is so beautiful! I wished we had to time to walk over it!

These are my favorite views. I just love the water, the beaches and the green grass. Beautiful scenery!

 

 They have sheep everywhere in Ireland!

 Then we stopped here for a fast potty break which is called a SPLASH AND DASH!

 We stopped to see GIANT'S CAUSEWAY.  You have to read the story of how some came to believe it came to be. It's super cute! It's about a giant named Finn McCool You got to look it up! 

You could walk downhill quite a ways with breathtaking views to get there, or you could take a little shuttle like me and Mom did. It hurts for me to walk downhill with my knee problems. So we met Deb, Diane, Joyce and Jenny down there.

We were told not to climb up on these stones cuz they can be very slippery. One of us didn't get that message!

This is what I wrote for ROLL CALL:
                                       The Giant's Causeway is really neat.
                                      We took lots of photos that can't be beat.
                                      Group 5 is all here sitting in their seats!

Then we got back on the bus and we saw some more beautiful scenery like these pic below. I love it!

 We stopped to see CS LEWIS SQUARE:

 CS LEWIS wrote THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and here they have several bronze statues from THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

Then we stopped to see where the TITANIC was made. They had a really cool tour in there with videos and photos of the men building it, and then the rooms inside of it, a neat little ride, and then you could stand on some pexiglass to look underwater as a video played of them finding the sinking ship. It was pretty cool!

 This is what I wrote for ROLL CALL:
                                                    The Titanic ship was very grand
                                                    It's a pity it never made it to US land.
                                                    So many lost their lives on that icy cold night
                                                    Group 5 is in awe of their awful plight!

When we drove back to BELFAST we drove past a bunch of murals depicting political issues. One of them was from 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and their leader Bobby Sands. There were murals of revolutionary groups, etc... I thought they were very interesting. Take a look at some pics I took from our bus window:

Now when we got on the bus after the Titanic, they asked me to READ MY POEM I had made up and give the BOOK OF MORMON to our bus driver, Dan, who was leaving us.
This was the poem:
                                            Dear Dan, we are so sad to see you part.
                                            You've been so amazing from the start.

                                            We've thoroughly enjoyed your knowledge of the things
                                            you've shared with us.
                                            Your comments, your jokes, your beautiful voice
                                            that filled this Big Blue Bus.

                                           Because you've become so dear to us, there's something we want to do
                                           We'd like to share this book with you, what's in it is so true.

                                           It's another witness of Jesus Christ. It's changed our lives indeed.
                                           We promise it will do the same for you, if you will choose to read.

                                           We've left little messages in the back of this sacred book,
                                           So when you get a chance, go ahead and take a look.

                                           Our paths will probably never cross again between you and me,
                                           but that's OK because we have such great memories.

                                           May God bless you all along your way,
                                           Farewell our friend, in our hearts you'll always stay.

I went to the front of the bus and took the microphone so everyone could hear as I read my poem. I gave him the BOOK OF MORMON and he was so grateful. He gave me a big hug and then took the microphone and he thanked all of us. Then he said he didn't know much about "MORMONS" before he picked up our group. So he looked us up on the internet. He was surprised that we weren't more "Amish". He said he was going to go to the library to get him a copy of the book when he got home. He promised he would read it. He said that he was impressed with everyone on the bus. How fun and kind we were.

When I was walking back to my seat. I looked up and most of the bus was crying. They would grab my arm and tell me what an amazing job I had done and that it was just perfect. That made me feel so good! This was a highlight for me on the trip and I think from now on, when I travel, I will always bring a copy of the BOOK OF MORMON to give away. What a great idea!

This was our final goodbye to Dan. He was a great COACH DRIVER. I hope  He said that on our last stop he had actually read the introduction already. I hope he does read the BOOK OF MORMON and it changes his life like it has ours.

This is the view from my hotel in BELFAST, IRELAND:

We are going to DUBLIN, IRELAND tomorrow. I can't believe tomorrow is our last day of sightseeing on this trip. It's gone by so fast. I am kind of looking to go home at this point though because I am really not feeling good. For 2 full weeks I have been coughing my lungs up and I just want to go home and rest. But this had been the best trip so far! I have learned so much!