The O'Brian's Visit, Part 2

Sheila, Ricky and Sheldon headed back to their desolate rock in the north Atlantic today. Before they left, we did have a gathering with other aunts, uncles, and cousins in Chadd's Ford on December 29th, which was also Mary's birthday. Happy Birthday Mary! 29 again. See photo's here. 

On New Year's Eve, Mary, William and I took Sheldon on a tour of old City Philadelphia. We stopped by the Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, The Dream Garden, Jeweler's Row, Jim's Steaks, South Street, New Market (which is really an old market), Penn's Landing, Elfrith's Alley, and the Betsy Ross House. All in one Day! Then we got home in time to go to our nighbor's house for a New Years Eve Celebration! See Photo's of our day in Philly here. 

We enjoyed our visit with Ricky, Sheila, and Sheldon, and hope someday soon to visit them! 

Russell, Mary, Emily, William and Paddy. 

The O'Brian's Christmas Visit

About 23 years ago, before Mary and I were married, we visited her mother’s homeland of Fermeuse, Newfoundland, Canada. Most of Mary’s aunts and uncles left Newfoundland in the late 1940’s to come to West Chester. The oldest of Mary’s uncles, Uncle Ned, was already married and had a family when the rest of the Kenny clan emigrated, so he stayed behind. On our visit we stayed with Mary’s cousin Sheila O’Brian, Uncle Ned’s daughter, and her husband Ricky.

Mary and I had an absolutely wonderful visit to Newfoundland in 1989. The drive to and from was quite an adventure, which included a hurricane, an iceberg, black bears, cod tongues, hundred of thousands of seabirds and a hike up Gros Morne where we napped on giant boulders surrounded by Rock Ptarmigans. We got to met Uncle Ned and Aunt Anna and the rest of Mary’s family while we were there. Shortly after this visit, Mary and I got married and moved to the west coast. We haven’t seen any of Mary’s Newfoundland relative since.

This Christmas, Ricky and Sheila came down to Pennsylvania for a visit. They brought their son Sheldon, 20 years old and who we had never met, along with them. We basically picked up the conversation where it left of 23 years ago. They head back to Newfoundland on the 2nd of January See photos of the O’Brian’s visit, so far, here.

See photos of Christmas day and the Rogers/Moore house here.