I see the moon...

I see the moon

the moon sees me

the moon sees somebody

that I can't see

God bless the moon

and God bless me 

and God bless the somebody

that I can't see. 

Tonight on this very good autumn/winter night in Galway , a beautiful full moon appeared . It was very welcome and caught me my surprise . Amid my panic about essays and the usual manic Monday mood I almost forgot to look out the window...and am I glad I did - to see this beautiful moon staring back at me seemed to help ease the panic that had somewhat taken over me. 

So I procrastinated for a little bit , snapping pictures of this lovely sight , obviously not doing it just because...well it's the moon , but trying to capture it never the less ... and noticing that even the blurry pictures looked pretty in their own way.  It is so beautiful to think how big that is and how small we are... beautiful and a little scary . There is also something comforting about knowing that while I am looking at the moon here... someone I love could be looking at the same moon somewhere else. 

God bless the moon. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪ 

What God has promised and perspective.

 Life is all about perspective , the attitude with which you approach something in your life , your point of view. The funny thing about perspective though is that you rarely understand it in the moment . One of my favourite authors said recently that "you can't know what something will mean to future you until you are future you, you need millions of seconds of perspective which only time can buy" . We as humans have many different emotions , but it is how we react to those emotions that makes us the people we are . Every now and again you will get this feeling of despair , panic, loneliness, worry or sadness , but what you have to remember is that you don't always feel that way , your life is also filled with moments of great happiness , love , care, accomplishment and beauty. You might not see that right in this moment but when you look back that will become evidently clearer to you . Every day is a beautiful day it just depends of how you look at it .

I read this poem on facebook and I though it was so beautiful that I had to share it here .

God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives thro’;
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

God has not promised
We shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;
He has not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.

But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the laborer,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

                              Annie Johnson Flint

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

Autumn is here

Today is the 1st of October and in my mind that means the first day of  Autumn. For some reason Autumn has always been one of my favourite seasons , there is something about a slight chill in the air and leaves changing colour that makes me feel all lovely and cozy inside. With autumn comes warm jumpers, scarves, darker evenings with a living room fire, lots of hot chocolate and tea , leaves falling to the ground and hearing the crackle beneath your feet..... it's just such a perfect season. 

So today on the 1st I went for a run along the river of my university ,  but I stopped on occasion to take some picture of a place that was beginning to look a lot like Autumn....oh and some awesome swans :) 

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

My Best Friend... My Grandmother.

Today is the Birthday of one of the most important people in my life , it is the Birthday of the person who has influenced my life in the greatest way possibly . Today is my Grandmothers Birthday , such a special day for a special lady.

Let me give you a quick rundown on how awesome she actually is .
My nana ( Nana Lil) is :

• a mother to 12 
• a grandmother to 25
• a  great grandmother to 5

plus she is an aunt, a sister , and a friend to many more.

I can remember asking my nana when I was younger what jobs she used to have , and after listing off many many different professions she settled on Child minding - the job she began 58 years ago with the birth of her first son, my father - and a job she continues to do to this day . In those 58 years my nana has put through her hands I would bet 100's of children, of all ages and all walks of life . It was clearly what she was made to do . Each child that went through that house was loved like another grandchild, cared for like her own, we were all treated the same and all loved oh so much ... and everyone of those children... many of them to this day still call her Nana Lil  .
   Selfishly though I always felt fantastic pride in knowing that she really was my grandmother and when the day was over and the children were gone home , she remained my nana . The nana I could call up if I was feeling sad, or could run down to if I needed tea or some TLC and could just get hugs from always .

Nana Lil has been my only grandmother since I was 5 years old and has been my only grandparent for the past 6 years , so all in all my nana has been both a grandmother and grandfather to me for a very long time , but there is no one more perfect for the job . I could not have been more blessed with such an incredible grandmother.

She is my best friend, the person I literally tell everything to, the person that always has a smile for me when I come in the door of her perfect little house with pictures of all the grandchildren scattered in every available space , the grandmother that has no favourites but at some stage I'm sure we have all though we were her favourite because she always makes us feel so special . The woman who helped raise me, thought me right from wrong , helped me with my homework and kissed away the pains . The person I can not imagine my life without .

Nana has this amazing ability to remember all of the 42 Birthdays we have collectively as a family , plus her own siblings and many more I am sure .... so on her Birthday I wanted to write something to give a little glimpse into how much this special lady means to me - because my nana is not just important on her Birthday she is important everyday and although I doubt she will ever read or even see this I wanted to do something special for her .

Happy Birthday Nana , I love you more then words can say ♥ 

 

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪ 

(p.s. fun fact, the Elizabeth in my name is after her, so I have a little piece of her with me always) x

The Little Things

Have you ever heard the expression  little things can go a long way ? Well I am a firm believe in this saying . I am a big fan of the little things in life , the perks of being alive in this world is experiencing little moments that make you feel very glad that you are apart of it. My first week back to college has come and gone ( more on this later) and I seem to be noticing and experiencing these splendid little moments of goodness more often , or maybe I am appreciating the little things more because I am away from home... either way I have decided to compile somewhat of a list of the little things that make my heart smile.
(in no particular order )

The exciting buzz around college , meeting your college buddies , having tea/coffee/hot chocolate in our old perches and picking up the conversation where we left off 4 months ago . 

Living with 2 people who never fail to make me feel at home  away from home . 

Leaving my favorite perfume at home so that when I go home at the weekend it is the smell of weekends and home life ... ( but remembering to spray a little bit of my teddy so if I need it that comfort is here too)

Hot water bottles. 

Sugary tea in a big mug 

Holding my 1 month old nephew for an hour and just staring at him because of how perfect he is .

Having a 1 month old nephew.

Talking to him about everything and anything and for the first time EVER in my arms watch and hear him giggle ...for the first time ever...

rubbing his left cheek and seeing the little smirk that will act as his weapon to get out of tricky situations in his future. 

Seeing that very same smirk in my 4 year old niece and knowing it works on me. 

Talking to Lilly about her very busy week at preschool and  how great a big sister she is . 

Watching her be a great big sister. 

Tickling her and listening to her beautiful laugh . 

Laughing when she tries to tickle me back . 

Getting a big smile from an old man in a church just because he is happy to be there . 

Smiling back because I can , and because I am happy to be there too .

Seeing a tour guide hold up a "thank you" sign when a driver leaves the tour bus go on a very busy bridge in Galway ( this is a sort of you had to be there moment,but trust me it was very sweet)

Saturday evening tea with my grandmother... one of my favorite things in the entire world

Hearing her call me darling 

Lovely random text messages. 

Having one of those awesome AHA and WOW moments when you read something in your bible... or another book . 

Yankee Candles

8 track ( an awesome little music website/app that I am currently obsessed with)

tumblr and Pinterest 

The Cathedral in Galway. 


There are I'm positive many other things that make my heart smile , there really are too many to mention but these are the more obvious ones that have dawned on me lately . I heard somewhere this week that I should enjoy the little things in life because one day I will look back and realize they were the big things... do I believe this ... absolutely .

I hope that everyday you can find something that makes your heart smile but please remember to do things to make other peoples hearts smile too.

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

New Year , New Room !

So another college year has come around again , which means a new apartment with my lovely friends . Getting to decorate my new room whatever way I wanted was very exciting , and with help from my friends I finally got it just the way I imagined :) 

This is a little inside into my college life !!

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

Summer showers...

There is something unmistakably beautiful about a shower of rain after days upon days of beautiful sunshine that just feels so natural , so beautiful and so real. For when there is Sunshine , rain often follows - well in my neck of the woods anyway. So this all too familiar thing began to fall from the sky , but I welcomed it , like an old friend who had been away for a while .... I ran out in it , with outstretched arms I embraced it , I felt the cold drops drip from my hair after many days of scorching heat and it felt amazing.

the sun shines though the rain.......

but what is so amazing is, after a downpour like that , when thunder and lightening strikes and puddles are made ..... the sky can return to this just a few moments later with beautiful clouds that could only be created with the paintbrush of God.

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

Why today is a Great Day !!

Today is a great day , because firstly I woke up at 7:30am to the most amazing...amazing news one could wake up to. I have been super blessed with a fabulously beautiful little nephew . A new terrific little human being who is at this current time not yet a whole day old , just hours old and yet has become one of the most important humans in my life .... did I mention he is fantastic.

So yes, today is a great day , because I love a little human being whom I have not met yet but know will be a fantastic part of my life for the rest of it , because although I don't want this awesome day to end as I can feel magic in the air- I also can not wait for the next day to come because that will bring me closer to holding my new nephew, and cuddling him , holding his hand and just gazing at him .

Today is also a fantastic day because my niece who is now sound asleep on my side of the bed " because this side is more comfy" is now a big sister  (which seems like a crazy concept because I cant imagine her being a "big" anything) ... came running into my bedroom today as I was getting things ready for her to go to bed and declared that she had "great news" , we sat down and told me that "today I got a baby brother" and my heart melted inside because I now have 2 of these amazing little people in my life and I could not be more thrilled .

So today is an awesome day for me :) I hope it was an awesome day for you too....and if you don't think it was , think again I know that in every day there has to be something good that happens to every person , there is a blessing in every day ..... waking up in the morning is a blessing in itself.

HAPPY AUGUST 1ST EVERYONE  !!!

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

(a very proud auntie) 

What a beautiful day to be alive .

During the last week or so the weather here at home has been absolutely amazing. Beyond anything Irish people are used to or expect, even for the summer months. One can't help but feel blessed waking up every morning to sunshine seeping in through your curtains and a clear blue sky above you .

I am somewhat unaccustomed to this sort of heat wave experience, especially here at home. The last time we had weather like this in Ireland was apparently 6 or 9 years ago and if I am honest I don't really remember much of it ... but now I know it is fabulous . The mornings are bright, the afternoons are HOT the evenings are refreshing , it is glorious . Being able to leave your window open until 11 p.m at night , because it has almost been bright up until that point and cold air is something that hasn't been here for days ( and is encouraged to stay away for a little while longer) .

This sunshine and fabulous weather being so rare to me , I of course have spent every waking moment I could outside in it , with the result that I have gotten myself a rather red , rather painful exterior. Yes my pasty Irish skin was unprepared for the intensity of the sunshine and ...well lets just say I am no longer pasty !! But I am not complaining, buckets of after sun later and staying in the shade is perfectly fine , I am happy to see this sun stay for as long as possible :)

This truly feels like this is  what summer should be , blue skies, sunshine, flowers growing, warm sea water, writing in the sand , sandals, sunglasses, reading books  , BBQs , friends , family and beautiful sunsets ... it's the summer you hear about it books and see in movies . The perfect summer . This is a blessing , to experience such beautiful days . We must appreciate every glorious day , because everyday is glorious .Thank God every day for what we get. Every day is ... a beautiful day to be alive .

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

Faith , Friendship and Music ♪♫

There are few times in the year and few places in the world that give me more joy and lifts my heart more then that first week in July when I travel to Maynooth and experience what has to be my favorite week in the entire year. It is practically impossible to put into words how much this week means to me.

When I drive though the gates of St.Patricks College Maynooth at the beginning of the week I am filled with the extraordinary joy of what is to come . My heart literally lifts and I am full of excitement for the week to come, the people i will meet and the music I will experience. There is nothing like this in the entire world and there is nothing that could take it's place in my heart. 

There are many experiences throughout the week that bring equal excitement. First arriving and meeting everyone as they arrive from all over the country is one of my favorite parts of the week  - Hugging my friends from all over and  picking up where we left off sometimes almost a year before. Receiving my new set of music books that because as usefully as my right hand for the week and remain always by my side , full of magnificent music by amazingly talented composers . Helping new people who are here for the first time , bringing them to their rooms and watching them throughout the week....watching them fall in love with the place as I did 5 years ago. Watching them fill with awe and wonder at how fantastically beautiful this experience is . 

I have met the most amazing people in Maynooth , friends that will literally be part of my life forever . It is a testament to our friendship that we can just pick everything up from where we left it a year later without seeing each other throughout the year . Although we do try to meet during the year it is not always easy , and   practically impossible to get everyone in the same place at the same time again . So that is why the week of Summer School is so special , everyone is there , we are all together and it is wonderful. 

Every year I always meet new people , wonderful people that just make you want to smile and love life. This year I met several fantastic people , I helped these people to their rooms while chatting about the fabulous music, the wonderful place and how wonderful it is. I love helping people and it makes it so worth it to hear them say at the end of our chats " You're a great girl" , in fact "great" seemed to be the adjective of the week , everything was great, everyone was great .... life is great when you are in Maynooth. 

The fabulous music experienced at Summer school is like no other. It is practically impossible to put into words . Walking around the hallowed hallways hearing beautiful music glorifying God to the high heavens . I remember walking into bottom loftus on the first day and just being overwhelmed by how fantastic it was to be back , how glorious to be around my Maynooth family and how enlightening it was to hear God being glorified with one of the most beautiful and fantastic things in this world.... music . 

So now I sit here , missing my lovely friends , wishing I could hear that glorious music with wonderful people in the fabulous college chapel but knowing that although I am lonesome and missing everything about it - I know that the glorious experience , the fabulous people and the feeling and need to Glorify God to the most high will last in my mind and my heart for the rest of my life. I am truly blessed .

   
Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪

It's funny how.....

It's funny how when we grow up things seem to change so much , but when you take a moment to reflect on it things haven't really changed all that much at all . How we age , but we never really grow up .

It's funny how when I was younger even the mention of me having to wear a dress would cause me to kick up a fuss and run into a corner to hide, yet once it was on I didn't want to take it off . Now I can't wait for the opportunity to wear a dress and get all glitzy and glam for a special occasion . Having said that , when that special occasion is all over and done I like nothing more then to hop into my cozy tracksuits and warm jumper .... the tomboy lives on in me.

It's funny how if I was up this late at night I would be in big trouble because it is wayyy past my bed time . I remember that when I heard the introduction music for the 9pm News it was time to go to bed ,on school nights that is . Now a days I am up much much later - yet still I look forward to cuddling up in my pjs with my teddies at bed time.

It's funny how tea was something my nana gave me when I was sick , or tired, or at 4:30pm or just because we felt like tea . Now tea is something we do with friends, in fancy hotels with finger sandwiches and scones and little tea cups, laughing over wedding idea and just having fun with your buddies . It is an experience that makes memories with the people you love ..... But to this day the best tea in the world  is my nanas tea, she still makes it when I am sick or tired , or just for the sake of tea. She makes the perfect cup of tea , just the way I like it .



It's funny how during the summer I still get surprised when it is still bright outside at 10pm . That I can freely walk outside and wander around my garden at night time and still see where I am going . I remember when I had to go to bed when it was still bring outside...which to a child makes absolutely no sense at all. Now I walk the barriers at the side of  my driveway , which was the tight rope of my childhood ,  I can walk it without fumbling or falling now ....well mostly . I can climb the walls at the end of the driveway, which were my Everest , and walking along those walls making me feel 10 feet tall....that feeling has not gone away. I still feel that little bit of rebellion being up that high when I stand up on that wall, and I still feel that slight fear of falling even though if I did I would land safely on my feet .

It's funny how buttercups have grown in my front lawn for as long as I remember , yet I still get excited to see them . I always picked a few to play  " he loves me , he loves me not "  , despite the fact there was never a "he" in real life , the game was still exciting to see what the outcome would be. I still play that game , even though there is still no "he" to love me , or not love me but the game is still lovely in its own little way.









It's funny to think that I have walked, run ,cycled  up and down my driveway a million times and yet every time is different, every time I walk down that driveway something new is awaiting me and I will walk back up differently. I remember the first time I sped down that driveway on my little pink bike, unable to break fast enough and breathing a massive sigh of relief when I finally stopped just before the road. I can also remember my brother screaming from the door when I was speeding away on my bike . Now theses are memories, then it was terrifying for both of us .... but hey I survived.

It's funny that we all "grow up" , it's inevitable in life , yet things don't change all that much at all. I am having a slight nostalgia moment , but although I have gotten older , I haven't forgotten who I was when I was little . That little girl who was a bit of a tomboy but could be coaxed into a dressed , still loves the comfort of putting on her pjs early . The girl who knows that no matter where she goes on this earth , her nanas tea will always be the best in the world. The kid who still picks the petals from the buttercups to see what the outcome will be this time . The girl who never knows what adventure is ahead of her when she walks down that drive way , all she knows is that she will always come back , and always walk back up that drive way having experienced something new but remaining the same girl she always has and will be.

Aoife Marie Elizabeth ♪