Uncle D visits from CA

Fighting Irish! Watching the first
game under the lights in 21 years.

Uncle D did a lot of this...

and this....

and this on his trip to Indiana.
(playing football)

ND vs USC under the lights,
too bad it ended the way it did...

Inside the Basilica.
Can you spot the shamrock in this picture?
(Look lower left.)
It wasn't supposed to be there. They
think some student snuck in and painted it. :)
They didn't want to take it off, fearing
it would ruin the original.

This alter was craved out of gold for
Father Sorin's 50th birthday.
The statue of Mary holding Jesus up top.
Jesus was supposed to be wearing a crown too.
Some student took it to borrow for a play, then
realized how much trouble he was going to be in.
So the story goes he threw it in one of the lakes.
They never could find it.

The tabernacle in the Basilica.

The Basilica in the bright blue sky.
The Main Building (Golden Dome)
to the right.

Dustin and me watching the trumpets
perform under the Golden Dome
before the ND vs USC game.

Touch Down Jesus.
Hesburgh Library.

Dustin before his first ND Football game.

The view inside the Golden Dome.

Uncle D and Finn in front of the Grotto, Monday.
There were finally enough spaces available for
us to light a candle. They fill up fast on home football
game weekends.

The Grotto at night. Sean and Dustin walked
home from the pep rally Friday night, it was late,
but still really full of people.

Sean took Dustin to Corby's (famous from the movie
Rudy). They stopped by here after touring
the College Football Hall of Fame.

Sean walked Dustin by the old cemetery where
Father Sorin was buried, on the way home from
the pep rally. They said there was a low fog, and
it looked like something out of a scary movie.
Too bad the picture doesn't show it.
(You can see a couple cross markers.)

Stations of the cross lit up at night.
This is on a trail off the beaten path. We pass it
every time we do our walks around St. Mary's Lake.

We had a wonderful visit with Uncle D! We did a lot during this short visit. He came in Thursday. Friday he went to the football players luncheon, where Brian Lohr surprised Sean and had him recognized before it started. After the luncheon they went to the College Football Hall of Fame, then onto Corby's Bar for a few beers. Then we linked up at Rocco's Restaurant for wonderful Italian pizza after the boys got out of school. They then went to the pep rally on the Irish Green and Sean showed him several sights on the walk home. They even fell upon the band performing at the Golden Dome at midnight!

Saturday Sean's cousin James Ahern and family came by for a visit before the game. The babysitter came and Dustin and I walked to campus for all the pregame activities. (Sean stayed behind waiting for our friend Matt to get there.) I also showed Dustin around campus some more, 1st Down Moses, Touchdown Jesus, etc. Then we linked up with Matt and Sean for dinner at the tailgate, Trumpets under the Dome, and the band marching to the stadium. "Here come the Irish!"

Sunday we woke up and went to mass at the Basilica. It was PACKED! We barely got a seat in the back. Did you know that mass is now broadcast live on Catholic TV? 10am ET. We hurried home and had lunch, got the boys in their costumes and hurried out to Zoo Boo, at our local zoo. It was CRAZY! I'm glad D was with me, my voice was gone and he was a big help carrying Finn's costume. :)

Monday Finn and I took Dustin back to campus while Sean and Cullen were in school. We were able to light a candle in the grotto. Finn rode his bike around campus. We got to hear several stories from an university worker showing another out-of-towner around. Come to find out, that other out-of-towner was from Garder, KS. Dustin and I talked to him about it, telling him our mother's family is from Edgerton. He knew all about our grandpa's station! The old car cut in half ("Divorced, she got half.") and about the book, In Cold Blood. That man stole from grandpa an he was mentioned in the book and was in the movie. What a small world!! Then we went on over to the Bookstore, so Dustin could shop without the massive crowd! He was able to go with me to pick up Cullen from school that afternoon. Cullen thought that was great. ;)

Before we knew it, it was time for Sean to drive him back to the airport. As they backed out the driveway Cullen said "I'm gonna miss Uncle D." I think that sums it up! We had a great visit!! Now I just hope he doesn't get my laryngitis!!