Fall Festival 2011

Every fall, our church hosts a Fall Festival. This is a day of  fun for the entire community with food, music, games for the kids, crafts, petting zoo, and bounce houses. Everything is free. The church raises money and the members donate items to make it a free day of fun. The number of people who attend is amazing...it really is a great community event. For the past few years, I think Haley was 6 years old the first year, the kids have been performing a bit of Irish music for the event. I don't think it has ever been rained out and this year was no exception. The weather was relatively warm though a bit windy.

Here are a few pics....

Blogging....

Haley started her own blog this past week. She really loves to write and has been spending a lot of time writing her own novel. I hope, when it is finished, she will add it to her blog. Here is a link to Haley's blog if you'd like to check it out. She'd really love some traffic there... Haley's blog.

House Concert...

Haley with Andy Irvine

Last night Haley and I went to see Andy Irvine at a house concert in the city. When we originally received the invitation, she recognized his name from her Patrick Street CD and was excited to see him perform. 

It was an amazing concert. He sang or played harmonic while backing himself on guitar or bouzouki. Some of his songs made us laugh and others made us want to cry. You know a musician is great when the audience is filled with many of the best local musicians in the area! 

The house where the concert was held was in the center of the city and they had a roof deck with an absolutely stunning night view of the city which we took in during the break.  Haley lasted the entire night and was so pumped, she also stayed awake most of the drive home at midnight! It is almost 9am and I haven't heard a sound from her yet this morning, though.

Remember When???

I googled my daughter's name tonight and found a number of interesting things I didn't know existed. Including this gem from the very first public performance Haley and Dylan did together. They were so little then!!!!

Cumberland County DOES have Talent » Haley and Dylan

Celtic fiddle player Haley (5 yrs) and her brother Dylan (9yrs) on guitar. They played “The Merry Blacksmith,” “The Butterfly” and “The King of Fairies.”

Performing with friends...

 Haley, Dylan, and two of their fellow All-Ireland competitors from the area were asked to perform from the Delaware Valley CCE last night. This wonderful group helps all the kids raise money for their trips to Ireland so playing for them is an honor.

The kids arrived a bit early and put together a program with some tunes together then some solo tunes and various duet combinations. They all took a turn announcing their tunes and did a great job playing together.

After the program by the kids, there was an evening of dancing fun. Haley and I enjoyed dancing our favorite The Haymaker's jig. She and a friend danced a waltz together which was a little funny because it was the two of them surrounded by a pairs of adults. They looked to pinballs bouncing off the different groups in the room. Here are a few more photos from the evening...

Haley fiddling.

The whole group including the audience.

Dylan rockin' it on the banjo...awesome!!

Haley's friends had asked her to learn one of their favorite slow tunes, Inishear. So she dedicated it to them. This is their reaction.

Jack O' Lantern...

 This is the site I encountered upon coming home from work on Thursday night. Haley and Daddy had bought a big pumpkin and were happily turning it into a scary Jack O'Lantern. Haley did not want much help and kept asking her Daddy to let her do it herself.

We have a kit so she was using a not very sharp cutting tool to cut around the holes they had poked around the pattern they used.

Picture after Haley asked Daddy to stop helping for the 80th time. Ha!

Homecoming...

The last day of school in June, Newt had his Poppop cut off all his curls giving him a crew cut. I think he aged 5 years with that haircut. He is such a good kid and a handsome young man.

Newt is a high school sophomore this year and will turn 16 in another 6 weeks or so. So hard to believe the teeny little baby stuck with tubes and wires in a NICU incubator, is already 16 years old. Time certainly flies. Two more years and I will be sending him off to college. Ahhhh!!!

Here's a picture of Newt with his friend and homecoming date Kayla.