A Quick Pictorial Trip with the Folsoms

Trinity College in Dublin......

Statues representing the starvation that took place during the potatoe famine -- 1845

Mollie Malone -- don't look too close......!

In Dublins fair city,

Where the girls are so pretty

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

She wheeled her wheelbarrow, Through streets broad and narrow

Crying cockles and mussels Alive, Alive, Oh!

Looking out on the Irish Sea -- complete with lighthouse

Who could leave Ireland without a few shamocks!

The wind blows hard but the view is spectacular!

Our new best friend. Our guide was a member of the church and so she let us in free!

Just another bridge........every river has them.

Home at last! (A castle in Wales)

And so if he quits his day job..........there's always another church!

15 Wadham Road. Remembering Gr. Hinckley

Smallest house -- right here in Wales. And the man who lived in it was 6'4"

How's this for a great bunch of kids!

Grandpa Hinckley's digs when he lived in Nelson. It is reported that at one time, during his stay in Nelson, he suggested to his companion that they just shoot everyone and preach baptism for the dead! Probably would have had more success!

It was a great trip. Hopefully the Folsoms will add more to the blog.

Temple Trip with the Bensons

Last week we got to attend the temple with the Bensons.  It was Sam's first time with baptisms and Peter got to baptize both Sam and Emma.  We are so happy they would let us participate in this special trip. 

Afterwards we of course had to go to Cafe Rio.  No you did not read that wrong, Washington D.C. has a Cafe Rio and the food is amazing.  The whole place was filled with Utah natives and is apparently the place to be after going to the temple in DC.  We felt right at home!

1st ER Visit!!!

5 Kids and 1st ER visit -- Not bad but could have done without it!!!

So about 8:45 last night we had finished FHE and after many late nights lately, we were trying to get our kids in bed.  But....  of course they were not liking that idea and thought it would be more fun to be completely disobedient and keep escaping out on the deck and down onto the trampoline!

Funny thing -- my Relief Society lesson this Sunday is on Obedience! 

So at one point when they ran outside to escape us and disobey, and shut the door behind them.  Well...  William was standing near and had a finger in the hinge part of the door.   Yep OUCH!!!  When I ran over to pick up screaming William I saw his finger that was dripping blood all over and his finger nail that was ripped completely out of the nail bed and barely hanging on by a thread by the tip of the nail. 

So me being the mother of 5 children had no idea what to do so I had Rich frantically call the ER doctor across the street ...  he said to run him over so he could look at him.  Once over there he gave us the unfortunate news that we needed to take him to an ER.   LOVELY!!!!  Just what we wanted to do at 9:00 at night when all the other kids should have been in bed! 

So off we went to Primary Children's ER where we saw countless nurses, residents, doctors and everything else in the ER!!!  They took x-rays which all looked good and then made us soak it in some stuff.  Then hours later ---  they came and gave him some stuff to make him loopy and then put him on the table wrapped him up tight and shot 2 shots into the top of his finger to numb it while they then proceeded to push the nail back up into the bed and stitch it back on!  Yep it was tons of fun!!!  Now he has a nice splint and bandage all over it and will eventually lose the nail but keeping it on for now they said will help create a healthier environment for a new nail.

So when we finally got home about 1am and got him settled in bed, I got in bed about 1:45 just in time for a huge lightning, thunder and rain storm to start that was soooo loud and made something go crashing down of the shelf in our family room.  So then the storm woke Joseph and Eliza up and they were in our bed!   Basically I didn't get to sleep until about 3:30 and then William woke up screaming at 5am!  

I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!!!!

We are the ULTIMATE tourists

This is us trying to figure out the Metro.

Not one Folsom speaks a word of French (except sometimes Ange tries real real hard)

Having a blast here across the ocean!  Can't wait to see G&G!

It's chiiiilllly here, we definitely didn't come prepared!

Invasion Of The 13 year Cicadas!

This (unfortunately) just happens to be a very special year for St. Louis.

It is the year that the 13 year cicada's come to town.

aka it's extra noisy.

Make sure your volume is up extra high so you can join us here in St. Louis for this wonderful experience!

Seriously though, they are everywhere.

At our ward activity on Monday the little kids were running around collecting them in cups.

Wally got out and was back waiting by the door within 30 seconds because even he couldn't take the noise!

Trying to carry on a conversation outside is pretty much pointless. (especially with TomTom whose hearing is already going)

Here are the lovely bugs themselves.

and here are their nasty little shells they leave behind EVERYWHERE.

They come. They mate. They lay eggs. They die. Not to return again for another 13 years.

Ah... the circle of live.

If only they could die a little sooner rather than later...

- The Blair Fam -