Liam's Christmas Recital

The McEntees

The Sikoras

The Raybucks

Bob & Mariann's Christmas Party

After the dust had settled, my folks usually host a Christmas Party about a week after the holiday. This year there was another good turn out, and lots of good food and holiday cheer. I'll post some pictures from the party below.

Davey borught his Banjo which he got for his birthday. He's only been playing 2 weeks, but is strumming away just fine. He's using a book and CD to learn how to teach himself how to play.

All the Grandkids got their pictures taken, except Brianna, who was a bit shy. This was the only shot I had of her with the other kids.









Here we see the Farrell siblings with Cousin Jimmy Foley. We missed Joey and Pat not being there with us, but maybe next time.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Can anyone find the person who is trying the hardest to impress Santa Clause, just in case he was looking?

My two least favorite gifts

What was my wife thinking?

A present from Ralphie

Phil finally got what his mother would never buy him because she feared he would shoot his eye out, a Red Rider BB gun!

Christmas Dinner at Farrahers

We had the smallest group yet for dinner. Cullen and his family ate at Sam's mother's house. Ann cooked a brisket and it was great! Phil is not in the picture because he took it!

Christmas Day 2007

After waking up at the crack of dawn, the Farrell kids could hardly wait to run down the stairs and tear open their presents. Of course, before they do so, each year we make them wait so Mommy can get her coffee, and Dad can turn on the lights. Meantime the kids wait patiently on the steps as seen here.

Once the word "Ok," is uttered, it's to the races. Liam and Tristy both got remote control racing cars, ocean & polar play sets etc. Liam & Gilly each got video games, webkins, High School Musical stuff. Gilly got chapter books, a Barbie doll, and American Girl books. Other gifts included AM/FM radio headset, human body (glass) model, and a lot more. Too much to type really. Needless to say, they really enjoyed Santa's visit.

Later that day it was over to Sam's mother's (Betty) where we met the cousins and enjoyed juicy Filet & of course for dessert the home-made chocolate sauce over ice cream, a standard Johnston favorite. They make their own hot fudge sauce and it is out of this world! The kids each exchanged gifts with each other, and Jana is due any minute with baby #3, which they plan to name Luka. Betty keeps saying we'll need a bigger house with soon to be 8 Grandchildren running the roost.

Christmas Eve Travels

Christmas Eve was spent with my family this year, as we made our first visit to Grammy Farrell's, where Santa had preemptively left gifts for the kiddies. We also got a chance to wish Aunt Joey & Maggie a Merry Christmas as well. Gilly played a few Christmas songs on the piano, and Tristan enjoyed some Chocolate Milk. It was a nice, but short visit since mass was at 4:00.

The next stop we went to visit Aunt Sal, where the kids gave her their presents. I happened to take along my lap-top so I could show her the family Christmas gift, that of the Farraher's 1952 & 54 Christmas movies taken by Sara's 8mm video camera many years prior. Erin, Gram McEntee & I all collaborated together to have these old films converted over to DVD format, and our plan was to gift them to Phil & Mom for Christmas. I thought Aunt Sal deserved to preview her own handicraft since it was really thanks to her that we had such Christmas treasures. She was able to point out Aunt Helen Farraher, and really enjoyed seeing her own mother Mary Conroy open a bottle of Irish Whiskey many years ago.

Afterwards it was over to my folks home for Christmas Turkey and all the trimmin's. Colin & Erin, along with Gram McEntee all joined us for the evening, and then we exchanged gifts afterwards. The children got some nice gifts in the process, as did we all. Thanks to those of you who bought the children something special for the holidays. We really appreciate the kind gesture, and the kids really do too. It was a delightful way to bring in the holiday.

Christmas 07 at the Farrells

Once again we all gathered at the homestead for another wonderful Christmas.....we enjoyed all the family & friends and the chaos ...sometimes I think this family thrives on it...we missed Cullen and Sam and the kids but enjoyed them yesterday when they stopped over to see Grandma. Grandma is moving a little slower these days but we are thankful she is still here with us. We are blessed being in a family this big......and it keeps growing....we had Luke walking around with the duster stick...dusting everything in his path....Breanna was sticking close to her Mom and playing with her dolls. Bryan was everywhere...unwrapping presents that Jim & Renee brought him and Finnegan was not letting Tara out of his sight.....we had a visit from Santa (Sean played it this year) and we aren't quite sure whether Finn recognized Santa, but he didn't want anything to do with Santa, that is until Tara sat on Santa's lap with Finn.....(I think Santa really enjoyed that) but Finn had this look on his face as to why was Mommy kissing Santa Claus....all in all it was a beautiful day.... that is until I stepped in dog poop, which was on my list to clean up that I never got to......oh well....I cleaned them off and put them in my suitcase, because I'm heading to Missouri tomorrow at 12:00 and I'm hoping I got everything out of my purse that is lethal (LOL)....well Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.....

Christmas Cookies

Every year, a family tradition is to make Christmas cookies from scratch. The kids love to help, and I thought I'd put up some pictures from this "messy" albeit tasty holiday event.

We put on Christmas carols as we worked, and of course the best part of the night was getting to much on some warm soft cookies as they emerged from the oven.

Trimming the Tree

Just some shots of the tiny tots decorating the Farrell Christmas tree. Using ornaments from both the old and the new days of the season, we put on Christmas carols, and turn the kids loose.

Every year we seem to get more and more ornaments, and seeing them again is like a visit from an old friend.

"Deer" Santa... Please bring me a new Honda

"Fritzie" took a header on the way to work. The deer got the worse of the hit, but needless to say my Civic will be out of commission for a week or so. When you teach out in the middle of nowhere, its sort of like playing Russian Roulete with the Deer. Its only a matter of time until you bump into one.

Still, one hit every 130,000 miles isn't too bad a ratio.

30 Somethings Birthdays-a-Plenty

This is the week of the 30 something birthdays. For my birthday, my folks invited my family down to Shaler, where my father treated me to a fantastic seafood dinner, which included king crab legs, muscles, shrimp cocktail, and we topped it off with Chocolate Cake. Thanks for the gifts Mom & Dad. Thanks also to many of you who mailed me cards as well. It was very thoughtful.


Sam's birthday is 1 week later, which we celebrated tonight. Sam tells us its her last birthday she's going to celebrate, since it marks the last year she can call herself, "30-something". Scary thoughts! I always tell Sam she should be ashamed for 'robbing the cradle.'

Farrell's Thanksgiving

Hi All - This is all new to me, being a first time blogger, but I'll give it a try. We had an enjoyable Thanksgiving up at Mairsey's this year and of course Janie outdid herself once again with all the delicious food. We all arrived up at Annie & Dave's house about 2:00 and enjoyed the fireplace and appetizers. I drove Maggie and Bea and Grandma Farrell up and Pat & John came by themselves and Bridget & Tara & Sean and Finnigan came together. We went over about 3:30 to Mairsey's and Jack & Joanie Mansell were there with Janie's other sister Midgie. Davey & LeAnne and Breanna & Luke & Bryan were also there. Of course we had to have 3 tables to accommodate us and I made the mistake of getting up and Davey sat down and took my place, but we all enjoyed the food but most of all we enjoyed just being together. We have so much to be thankful for this year, most especially having Mom and Pat with us, who had their trials and tribulations this year. We're thankful Pat is a Survivor of Breast Cancer and she's finished with her treatments. Now we have to pray her through her surgery (cancer they found on her kidney) on January 4th. We'll appreciate any prayers you send her way. We are all blessed just having Mom with us for another year and for all the new generations that keep this Family Tree growing with the strong Irish Roots it's always had.

Thanksgiving at the Farraher's

Nobody makes stuffing like my Gram-Ma. I wait 2 years in-between servings and boy is it worth it! This year saw Phil & Vee McEntee, my Mom & Dad, Mary Louise, Ann McEntee, and my family squeeze in around the table and stuff ourselves full. Here we see a picture of Phil, using the New York Times website method of carving the hallowed turkey.



One nice thing we got to do after dinner was each go around the table and state why we are thankful. Each of us shared a special reason and the mix was as diverse as to the opening of the 31st street bridge as it was to being thankful to the troops serving overseas away from their families.



Dessert was out of this world, sporting pumpkin, apples and chocolate pies along with hot coffee. We then each took turns reading thanksgiving prayers from various cultures, as spotted in a Post Gazette article Mom found in the paper. Phil read an e-mail about the Pilgrims struggles during the founding of the Plymouth colony, and connected it to today's reasons to be thankful.

Our family has a lot to be thankful for.

Christmas Gifts this Year

Just a note to my friends and family. (saves a mass e-mail blitz campaign)

Just to let you know, this year when it comes to Christmas gifts, Sam and I are going to be doing some things differently. I'm sick of giving over my cash to Wal-mart & big box stores buying gifts for people which they may or may not need. The commercial holiday shopping spree has run its course in my mind, and I don't wish to feed into it any more. Nor am I a scrooge who hates the holidays, but I do hate what the holidays have become... a compulsive shopping fest.

Instead for this year, I am taking the money we would spend on gifts for people and making donations (on behalf of those I love) to Doctors Without Borders charity foundation. I figure the kids of the Sudan or the 3rd world can use the money for medicine and anti-retroviral drugs, and this seems more in the true spirit of giving for the holidays.

So this year, you won't be getting a physical gift from us. Instead you'll be getting a letter from this charity stating that we made a cash donation (in your names) to make a difference in this world. If you were trying to figure out what we want for Christmas, please feel free to do the same. I would rather you give the money to a good cause rather than to somebody's 4th quarter retail profits. I'm sick of the mega-corporations of this world (retail & consumer goods) reaping all the benefits of the holidays.

Lets all give a gift that really counts this Christmas,

Lets take back the holidays, and revive the spirit of giving.

Cullen & Sam

Happy Birthday Gram and Erin

We all took a ride over to the "dark side" to visit Erin and her and Grandma McEntee to lunch to celebrate their birthdays. First, we stopped to see Erin's house. Maggie and Grammy Farrell never saw it. Everybody loved all the old pictures. After the visit we all went to Aladdin's restaurant and had a great lunch. Presents were given as you can see.

Little Luke's Birthday Party

Grammy Farrell got to play a duet with Liam. They played "Ode To Joy" by Beethoven. She and Gillian played "God Bless America." Then Tristan took the bench and stated that he would rather play alone! But they ended up playing Happy Birthday together. Annie and Dave hosted the party, and it was a wonderful event.

Trick or Treat!

Well, its that time of year again. Ghosts, Goblins, and Farrell kids are on the prowl for candy. Here we see Jack Sparrow, a Spider Enchantress, and Bat Man in their spooky outfits. Luckily the rain let up last Friday night so the kiddies didn't get soaked. They scored big on the candy collecting, as their Mom drove around the town and returned home after an hour or so. I stayed home to pass out candy to the neighbors, which seem to be fewer and fewer each year.


We also have the tradition of carving the family pumpkin, which the kids design themselves. We put a candle inside of it, and set it out on our doorstep. The kids also have their own small pumpkins which they grew themselves in the garden this past summer. They'll get around to painting scary faces on those, and have them set out on the step as well.

Happy Halloween everyone!

More Cemetery Fun

The Indian Caves

I took Liam and Tristan to find the Indian Caves over in the cemetery. When I mentioned their might be a raccoon sleeping in there, they decided to go back to the car! When we got back down the hill, the "Watchy" was sitting there in his car watching us. Thankfully, he then drove off. We then went on to visit some neat places and had a great day!

Peer Leadership Weekend

About a year or two ago, my buddy Jack kept after me for years to come out for Peer Leadership, which is an event that happens twice a year in the Spring and Fall. This is a School sponsored event where about 45 kids from various grade levels 9-11 accompany a handful of teachers and head out to camp (Pine Valley, near Elwood City) for the weekend. The kids even get to call us teachers by our first names for the weekend, and the atmosphere is positive and no put downs are allowed. This was my 2nd time going, and I had a blast.


While there, the students are involved in all sorts of activities. Some of the cool things we do are "Steal the Bacon" in the mud pit, where kids get their number called, and have to dive into the mud to try and play tug of war with the inner-tube. We also do all sorts of discussion groups about peer pressure, self respect building, bullying, put-downs, and other kinds of stuff. My buddy, X-Karns City Teacher, Denny Barger created something called the Starfish program, which has been enacted in over 240+ Pa. schools, and he's spoken to over 100,000 kids across the state of Pa. He was one of the original teachers that enacted this program.

The next day, we head over to the Geneva University ropes course. There, the kids are taught how to work together as a team to overcome obsticles. The weekend is dedicated to helping kids cope with growing up in today's world, and usually by the last meeting of the weekend, kids each take a turn standing up in front of the group and have great things to say about themselves and each other.

Its one of the more rewarding things I get to do as a teacher working with kids, watching them grow in just 2 days. Then we turn them back over to the high school and hope they remember the Peer Leadership life lessons, and experiences.