The picture on the left is one my most treasured photos I have of my mom and I. It is one I have looked at over and over. I get joy in see it because I can seeing the happiness on my moms face, and the determination in mine. It was taken 30 years before the picture on the right. The picture on the right is now also a new favorite of mine. I can see the happiness on Desmond’s face, and also the determination to catch me as I run backwards snapping the photos. I also have to give major props to my dad for snapping the photo on the left. Back then he did not have a fancy camera with the ability to snap several photos a second and delete photos that did not look good. He caught a moment in time of my life that I can have forever, and that is why I love to take photos so much.

It also seems that Desmond has found his sweet tooth. Last night at The Cracker Barrel he had just finished eating an entire biscuit, some egg, toast, corn bread, chicken, lemon and whatever else was tossed his way. We look over at him, and he was slumped in his high chair looking both delerious and quite happy with himself. That was until Jackie’s dessert showed up on the table. It was like the boy got a triple shot of espresso injected into his system. He perked up, bounced around and had a look of pure WANT on his face. Hands reaching, eyes glazed over, the family at the next table all stopped eating to enjoy the show he was putting on. He gets that sweet tooth from his mom for sure.

Every Sunday when I was growing up meant a trip to see my Nana out in the county. It was about a 40 minute drive out to County Limerick. I loved it. I looked forward to it every weekend. Here are a list of things I would look forward to:

1. Hot tea with lots of Sugar!
2. Dripping cookies into my hot tea and sugar!
3. Apple Pie or Rhubarb Pie!
4. Chocolate!
5. Finding an awesome stick to play with.
6. Wandering the hills.
7. Heating doughnuts over the fire and rolling them in sugar.
8. Playing with Tiny the wonder dog.
9. Playing in the GIANT SHED!
10. Going to Lough Gur.

Yesterday we took a trip to see Mamó. I was reminded of the Sunday drives to see my grandmother. Now I was doing the same for Desmond, taking him to see his. It made me realize how old I am getting, but somethings never change, we maybe in a different part of the world, doing different things, and have very different lives, but taking a small boy to see his Mamó still brings out the excitement in a child. That is one thing that will never change.

Dear Desmond,

your daddy was born in Ireland, and moved here to America when we was a small boy. Here is the story of how it all happened.

18 years ago today when I was a weee lad, my family packed our bags and set sail for the new world leaving Ireland behind us. We sold all our belongings. Mamo sold her favorite teapot, Pop’s sold his favorite fishing rod and potato, your Auntie Jenn sold her favorite Barbie Ferrari and Kylie Minogue cassette tape, and your Daddy sold his favorite Star Wars everything! and his favorite goat, I loved that goat.

We made our way to the docks, where our ship awaited. Her name was the Crytanic, they named her this, because everyone that ever boarded cried as they left their home land. It was handcrafted by many a drunk irishman, and glued together with mashed potatoes and peas. She was a beauty. As we left the port of Shannon, we could hear the sounds of Leprechauns, Fairies and Nana crying because the Hogans were leaving Ireland, we waved and hugged each other as we sailed off through a sea of shamrocks and into the sunset.

The trip was a long one, we ate spuds and soda bread for days on end. It was a good thing they had hot tea, or we all would have died on that ship. The seas were rough, I lost my spuds a few good times, but we held on, for America was close, and soon we could eat some McDonald’s, because this was our reason for leaving Ireland. It was all about the BigMac. I have moved on to Whoppers now, because whoppers are for big boys. One day you will understand. Little did I know that also one day I would marry the American Girl of my dreams, but she would frown upon my American Dream of BigMac’s and Fries. Your mom is a strange American woman, she does not eat meat. But one day when you are older, you will understand the power of love and what you are willing to do for it. (Don’t worry me and  you will eat whoppers).

Anyway, I am getting off track. When the Crytanic landed in Warner Robins, GA (don’t ask me what port, I think its closed now) we were so excited! But Desmond, the excitement faded when I realized that American’s had no sense of color for the outside. Everything was brown and dead. The color green did not seem to exist! I had never seen brown grass before. I cried, and ran back to the boat, I wanted to go home, but it had already sailed away down the I-75 river. I was stuck here in the land of the brown. I missed my goat.

Ohh but don’t worry Desmond, things changed and got better. I made new friends, sure they were not leprechauns or fairies (ok some where, but a different kind). I met your mom, I had my family. Today America is now home for us, 18 years is a long time, but it feels like yesterday. One day I will take you to Ireland, and we will hunt for treasure, dig for gold, find a leprechaun, and chase a goat. I will show you what I left behind so that I could find your mom, and also find you. You see Desmond, your my little Ireland, your my little leprechaun, and you are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

And that is how and why we moved to America!
The End.

I am in the process of scanning old photos. As I find ones I like I post them. The first picture above is of my mom and her brother Kenneth. I thought it was a very sweet picture. I also see Desmond’s smile in that picture on my moms face. I love it.

The next picture is of my Nana and Granddad at their wedding. They both look very fancy indeed. They also look very happy.

The third is of my mom and I. It is one of those picture booth photos. If I remember correctly there was one at the train station in Limerick. Mom can you confirm this? Is my memory that good at such a young age?

The last three are of Myself and Jenn. I am also noticing how blond my hair was! I want that hair back! As a side note. I would like to tell you Jenn, you make me laugh, and I love you. Going through these photos I see that we always looked like we were having a lot of fun. I am glad we still have that today.

I guess this will be a combo post, here is a picture from the last 24 hours. I think in a week he will be sprinting. We are not ready! But he sure is! He loves that he can move himself around more. Guuuulp.

Such a Show Off!

Ohh, funny thing the other night, we were watching TV and I was clipping my nails, and Desmond was all quiet and mellow. Until he heard the clipping sound the nail clippers make as it cuts the nail. Every time he heard it he laughed the most amazing laugh. I almost cut my nails down to the bone, because I did not want him to stop. It was great.

Today is my moms birthday.  I dug up some photos to share as it is Memory Monday. Are you still wondering were Desmond gets the tongue thing from? Must be a Hogan thing. The proof is in the pictures. Happy birthday Mom, way to turn 60! You don’t look a day over 55!

Just kidding, she does not turn 60, but that will teach her for telling Jennifer she did. Poor Jenn called me last week freaking out, because 60 was a big deal, and we needed to do something HUGE for it!

This weekend we got to spend some quality time at the Hyrutt in Atlanta, its a 5 star BedNBreakfast. That also serve a nice healthy batch of quality fun. Ohh and do not get me started on the bathroom products they offer, there are endless possibilities and combinations. I smelled glorious all weekend, and still do. I am speaking of the Rutledge’s of course in case you did not catch on. Thank you guys, we had a great time! Being as it is Memory Monday, Kelly gave me an idea for its post. She keeps saying how I must have looked like Desmond as a baby. So I dug up a photo that was similar in pose to another Desmond photo. So you be the judge, do we have a little Greg impersonator?

Here is a picture of Desmond and Danny, they were not really interested in any photos at the time, so I gave up on them looking to the camera.

As summer comes to an end I am reminded of my summers out at my Nana’s house in Ireland. It was and is my favorite memory of my time in Ireland. I would walk for miles and miles through fields. I would be gone all day, from early morning to late at night. This picture shows me in my camouflage gear sitting over looking those fields, looking for my next adventure. My mom bought me those clothes here in Warner Robins in 1986 when she came here on her trip before we ever moved here. You could not find camouflage clothes in Ireland back then. I wore them all summer, they made me feel one with the country side. Also the watch I am wearing was my Batman watch. I just remembered that watch when looking at this photo. How fitting as I just saw batman last night, uhh and it was AWESOME!

Also here is a picture of my Nana and her house. Her house is 300 years old. It does not look it, but the walls are 3 feet thick of hand cut stone, she wired and installed all her own plumbing. She pretty much is amazing. Also is a picture of me in 1986 playing with her dogs in her front yard. Sunny is the black and white one, and Sunny’s mom Shelia is the other dog. Also notice I am wearing a Robins AFB T-Shirt, little did I know that 4 years after this picture was taken I would be moving right next door to the AFB. Pretty Wild.

My first real pet was named Jimmy. He was a blue budgey as you can see. In Ireland my dad would breed birds. Lots and lots of birds. We had a huge avery out back, and there would be hundreds of them in there. Jimmy was a lucky one, because he got to live inside. Or maybe not so lucky. He survived many a scary adventure. Like the time a cat got in the house and tried to eat him. Or the time I burnt down the kitchen, he lived in the kitchen. He survived that event 3 times. Yes I burnt the kitchen down 3 times. I blame the toaster, and Saturday morning cartoons. How so you might ask? Well the toaster would not pop up when the toast was done. So I would put my bread in, push it down, and go back and watch cartoons. I would forget about the toast and it would catch fire and burn the cabinets and walls and well you know the rest. Nothing like running up the stairs to your parents who are asleep in bed and screaming FIRE! on a Saturday morning. They hated that.

In the picture I do not look very happy, well the reason is, Jimmy just took a crap on my head, you can see a little turd if you look real close. They say if a bird craps on your head its good luck. I think he was just trying to get me back for all the times I almost killed him. I guess I deserved it, Thanks Jimmy.