When I think of Jamie I remember a beautiful, bright, and curious young woman who had a spirit for adventure. I was a teacher in her world. At Conestoga she was an accomplished athlete and a top student. I didn’t influence her academic or athletic world. I shared my passion for travel and other cultures with my students by taking them to different parts of the world. Jamie joined my trip to Greece and it is in this experience that we became friends.
Like a little kid in a candy store, Jamie absorbed the museums of ancient Greece and walked the Acropolis. She wasn’t just there for the sun and the cruise. Jamie enjoyed learning. One night I took the students to a garden for dinner and live music. As we sat and listened to the Greek music, people gathered in a circle on the stage. They created a wild circling motion and their feet moved quickly to match the instrumental beats. I shouted out to the students “Come on, I didn’t bring you here to sit and watch. Let’s dance!” The students sat timidly ignoring me. I joined the circle and next to me was Jamie O’Brien with her big smile. We danced wildly and laughed until we were exhausted and had to take a rest. She said ” You’re crazy , Mrs. Barry.” And I responded, “But , isn’t it fun?” We laughed and danced. She wasn’t afraid to put herself out there. She enjoyed the adventure. Her eyes always spoke for her.
During the day we were surrounded by the sea as we gazed from cliffs. She loved the sea. I gave the students some time on the beach. I can still see Jamie’s bronze shimmering skin as she splashed in the water. She was like a mermaid. Continue Reading →
The biggest news of the month was Doug and Vanessa welcoming their baby boy, Aiden Christopher O’Brien, to the world. 
Aiden was born on July 19th at 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and 20 inches long. We are so happy to have a new, adorable addition to our family. Dan & Maureen were there to greet him at the hospital and Kathryn was able to visit him the following weekend. Aiden is super cute and his cousins John, Larkin, and Reagan and his uncle Paulie can’t wait to meet him someday soon.
The O’Brien-Kindem families began the month at their Watauga Lake cabin. The entire family, except for Doug and an expecting Vanessa, were able to attend (we missed them very much), so that meant 17 of us were there. Fortunately, our neighbor was kind enough to lend us their cabin for the week, so we were able to spread out a little bit. The week was filled with great food, good conversations, lots of swimming and boating, and just a couple adult beverages (wink, wink). One of the highlights of the trip was John and Larkin learning how to swim on their own. John and Larkin were not afraid of the water, but at first had the desire to be held or in a raft. However, miss independent, Larkin Lu, decided on day 2 that she wanted to swim all on her own. Paul would let go of her and she would swim to one of her other family members. Larkin had an extremely determined look on her face each time she set out to swim to someone, but a huge smile would emerge as she was grabbed by her doting caretaker. What a joy this was to see. It took John a couple more days of being in the water, but around day 5 he worked up the courage and was swimming by himself. John had a smile the size of the Grand Canyon as he swam and by the end of the week, both were staying in the water for hours at a time, sometimes with their teeth chattering. Continue Reading →
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