Is Everyone Going?

I feel (this is Lisa speaking -- I am encouraging Sheila to post, but she hasn't yet.... Look forward to that!) extremely lucky that we get to take this opportunity to pause our lives and spend some quality time with our family. Maggie is quickly approaching high school and we can feel her slipping through our fingers, wanting to spend more time with friends, and just being all-round busier. For the short time in Ireland it'll be just us and, at least for a while (before we figure out which hurling team we will be joining), we won't be bombarded with the usual activities (although I will dearly miss hockey--both mine and Johnny's). We recently were having dinner with Sheila's parents and I told them how grateful I was to them (and to my own parents) who gave us the opportunities to become who we are now--the sacrifices they made for our enrichments and educations--to get to the place where we could embark on such an adventure. Having said that there are times that I ask myself "What the heck are we doing???" My sister-in-law (mother-in-law to said Irish Gal) told me the other day that she wondered why they never took such a trip and I responded that they didn't because it was "expensive and terrifying!" Seriously. But I keep assuring myself that we could wait, we could save the money, we could take such a trip when we are older... When there is less at stake. But then, where will the kids be? In their own lives telling us they can't come visit... Too much to do, too much hockey to miss. Etc. Etc. No. This is the time to do it. This little pocket of time before it all changes. The funniest thing people keep asking me is "Is everyone going?" At first I thought they meant -- "will you be taking the kids?" To which I responded that Maggie and Johnny will be staying with them (whomever asked the question). But shortly after that I realized they meant Sheila! (Sheila is known for her dedication to work and, apparently, it was unfathomable that she would take a short break from it!). No worries. She'll still be connected via all the technology in the world. Just an ocean away.