Final night in Youghal, Our friend Solene, and introducing Amy Button!

Surprise...I bet you thought you wouldn't hear from us again this soon, but here we are, in Cork w/ free internet again! We love free stuff, God loves us...we're so free!

We must take a step back and share about our final night in Youghal! We made a fabulous dinner with Valerie, two pans full of delicious Shepherd's Pie - our creation! We stuffed our faces...it was amazing!

Then we went to stretch our legs and finally attend our first ever traditional Irish music in Ireland! To be completely honest, the night started off kinda crappy. We got to the packed pub and being the polite spring chickens we are we propped ourselves next to a wall and waited patiently for a stool...and watched stools that were "claimed" to be taken, only to be taken by purses and jackets for the entire evening!

Finally, a table and two stools opened up. Providence by the hand of God - thank you! Kelly casually strolls over to grab them, obviously on her way and first in line for these sought after chairs. Out of the corner of her eye...a cougar comes running across like a lioness after her prey and hip bumps Kelly out of the way...with a surprised look on her face, as if she thought Kelly wasn't there. Kelly politely asked "oh..were you wanting to sit here?" w/ a slight sarcastic tone and the cougar stated, " Yes...you can sit there..." and pointed to a single stool across the way where Kelly and Amy would get to stare at her the rest of the evening. Kelly politely turned her down and allowed her to sit!

We went back to our wall, totally thankful for the Irish hospitality we had just experienced (which later was salvaged when we found out she was English). Not but 10 minutes later a nice young fellow by the name of Johnny McCarthy came over to chat us up and offered us drinks. Now thats more like it. We kindly accepted. We joined him and the rest of his lineage, because apparently there was a family reunion of 30 English from Irish roots staying in Youghal for the week. And oh yes...he was the nephew of the cougar. We spent the rest of the night with our new English friends...cracking up at them trying to speak in their best american accent, loving being the american outsiders embraced into an English family reunion and finding out that Johnny's dad was actually buying our drinks - since he was using daddy's money all night. Thanks pops! - Great final night in Youghal, no thanks to auntie cougar!

We woke up the next morning and asked ourselves, where are we going? Somewhere we answered and somewhere always takes you... somewhere...we decided Cork. So we called up our friend Solene, we had met in Tramore and there was a bed with our name on it at her house. We sadly left Valerie, the family and the Steak and Kidney pie that was offered to us if we stayed the extra night... :(:(:( - Guess it will have to wait till next time!

Each place we stay seems to get better and better as we are in an incredible house with a great view of Cork and yet another fabulous host. Our time walking around Cork waiting for Solene to get of work was enough time to get a taste of Cork and be over it and ready to get out in the country again. Last night we headed to a pub to meet up with some friends, called sine (that's it - in irish), and sat next to a professional Balloonaire - for those of you who don't know this is Kelly and Amy's word for people who create balloon animals, objects and people as an occupation. His name was Victor. As we chatted with him we found out that his favorite thing to make was characatures, and he kindly offered to make Amy. Amy cautiously accepted and Victor asked amy to turn towards him so he could look at her as he made mini amy. His first words were "you have nicely defined eyebrows" as he pulls out a black balloon. Great! Thus the birth of mini Amy, later to be named, Amy Button.

Our Day with Amy Button:
Amy asked herself "what do you do with a mini inflatable characature of yourself, but take her with you for the day!" Done! So Kelly and Amy headed out...first stop...coffee, second stop Blarney castle! Please see pictures below for snapshots of our day with Amy Button. Throughout the day we noticed that Amy started to get smaller and smaller...hence Amy Button, sadly having the same curious disease as Benjamin. But still the day with Amy was beautiful and others loved and embraced her as well! Multipule people wanted one of their own or pictures with her or of us with her. She is a great conversation starter...quite the people person. Highly coveted gem of girl! Table for three please...our party now consisted of uno mas!

Musician's at the Nook in Youghal from the beer garden where we attended the English Family reunion!

Coffee with Kelly, Amy Button and Amy (for those of you who can't tell...this is from right to left...as Amy Button did turn out to be a spitting image of Amy!)

Happy snaps in front of Blarney castle anyone?

No...Amy Button didn't fall from the sky into our good graces from a stork...but what child doesn't love to be tossed in the air by their parents!?

Or take jumping pictures with parents...she has quite the hops. We have hopes of her being on the WNBA one day! Probably gonna happen!

View from the Blarney castle.

View from the Blarney castle of the Blarney House!

More of the castle...Amy Button just loved it! She smiled through the whole thing. In fact she has never stopped...what a great child...easy!

She loved these birds perched on the fence and then of course chasing them :)!

But her favorite part of the day was when the nice gentleman at the top of the Blarney castle at the Blarney stone, offered to have our "puppet" -insult- kiss the Blarney stone. As a line of people awaited...we of course accepted this amazing and hospitable offer. And yes the professional photo was also taken of Amy Button, we viewed it but did not buy it for the 10 euro.

Yes this day really did happen. At the begining of the day carrying around a balloon object seemed a little akward, but by the end of the day we were all holding hands and skipping through parks! Completely normal...The end!

Family Photo! :)