Snapshots and Memories

There is always so much I can and want to say about my family, but pictures are worth a thousand words, right? 

Feel free to share, comment or just enjoy.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

5 Reasons Older Siblings Are The Worst

You may remember my most recent post, "5 Reasons Siblings Are The Best," but all of us who have siblings know that sometimes, they're the worst. Not really the, "I hate you never speak to me again" kind of worst but more of the, "You couldn't be more annoying if you tried" type of worst. From another Buzzfeed inspired post, "The 24 Worst Parts of Having Older Siblings," I thought I'd share a few that resonated most with the Quinn Family experiences.

• Your parents never got your name right on the first try. This is something I know all of my siblings have experienced, primarily from my dad. Whenever he's trying to call someones name it starts with, "Hey Pat!...I mean Dan...no Con-...sorry MATT!" Fair, he's got four sons, sometimes that must be tricky to get them all straight. What's not as forgivable, however, is when he refers to me as "Maddie," my dog, or calls one of my brothers by a name that none of them have, like Kevin, his brother's name. No matter who he's actually trying to speak with, he usually doesn't get it right on the first try.
• You were always the last one to reach any personal milestone. Graduating from college in May? Not so exciting when you're the fifth kid. What is exciting for my parents, however, is the end of the "paying out their ass for college tuition" era.
• Your siblings would never pass up an opportunity to embarrass or annoy you. Oh yeah, this one is for sure. I specifically remember sitting at my kitchen table one evening with my brother Matt and a few of his friends when my brother Pat made up a rumor that I was constipated and told everyone. Pat must have just learned the word and decided it would be HILARIOUS to tell everyone. Not so funny for me. I hid in my room for the remainder of the night and have done my best to black out that memory. Besides now, and I'm sharing it with the internet.
• You were always the one who had to try something first. Have you ever eaten the tail of a shrimp? Probably not, because everyone takes those off. One Christmas, my brothers tricked me into thinking the tail was the most delicious part of the shrimp and encouraged me to eat it. Haven't eaten shrimp since. 
• You always had to be player 2. Video games were a hot topic in our house and usually ended in a fist fight, among my brothers of course. Who was going to play with the best controller and be on the best team always caused a dispute. I, on the other hand, was never encouraged to play because, "video games are for boys."

These are just a few on the long list of why being an only child has it's perks. On the other hand, what's life without a little entertainment and conflict?

What do your siblings do that drives you crazy? Comment and share!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

The Quinn Family Addition

At last, the Quinn Family has expanded and a new generation of Quinn's is upon us. His name is William John Quinn and he was born a whopping 9.5 pounds and 22 inches long. He'll be a linebacker, we've joked. His name comes from William, Abby's father's name, and John, my father's name. I think I finally understand why parents brag about their kids so much. Will isn't even my baby and I want to put his picture up in Times Square and show the world how perfect and amazing and cute my nephew is.

In all of my 21 years, I've never seen my brother as happy as he was than when his son was born. The pride, joy, relief and excitement could be felt throughout the room. Here is Will, the most perfect baby I've ever known.

 My brother Matt, holding his son Will

 Will bonding with his only auntie, me!

I just had to add this-my brother Pat (age 23) sent out this snapchat of the baby...

because we couldn't be THAT mature.

It really doesn't take much for me to cry, so it's no wonder the tears were flowing when I first saw a picture of him and again when I met him in real life. While I am so incredibly grateful Abby and Will are happy and healthy, I can't wait until Dan comes home and we're all a big family again.

I can promise that you won't find better or more loving parents for Will than Matt and Abby and that we already love him more than he'll ever know. So brace yourself, World, another Quinn boy has just entered. 

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

The Waiting Game

The phone rang at 2 this morning. "Abby's water broke," my brother told my mom. She hopped out of bed, changed and was out the door in a flash. As a maternity nurse of almost 30 years, there was no chance she was missing the birth of her first grandchild.

But then started the waiting game for me, my dad and brothers. What's happening? Is the baby born? Is Abby okay? Why is this taking so long? We've waited 9 months, so why does today feel like an eternity?

Then came the text at 8 AM. from my mom. "Abby's doing well. 8 cm dilated, hopefully he'll be here within the next few hours."

But the waiting continued. 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM. No news. Ugh, "I should do something to take my mind off of this," I told myself. So I worked out, I showered, I ate lunch. Still no news. So I played with the dogs and kept waiting.

And then at 1:57...............


Want to know what happens next? Stay tuned for my next blog post! Any last predictions for names?


As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

Family Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Today is Family Photo Friday, which means another ludicrous photo of the Quinn family. This week features Pat and me when I was about two years old. You might notice a dark area around my right eye, and yes, it is a black eye. My brothers put me on our two year old golden retriever, Katie, and sent me down the driveway on her back. Naturally, that ended exactly how you'd expect-pretty terribly-and I ended up with a black eye and scratch faced. But I rebounded and the moneymaker has remained intact ever since. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right?

So here is week 2 of the caption contest; post in the comment section or tweet at me! The most clever will win next weeks!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

The Family We Choose

This blog about my family wouldn't be complete without mentioning those who are just as close as family, my friends.  These are the people we don't have to love, we don't have to get along with, we don't have to build relationships with, but we choose to. We accept them for their flaws and support them in their endeavors, not because we have to but because we want to. Of all the friends that have been like family to me, there are a few in particular that I just couldn't live without. These four are my best friends, my sisters and the women I depend on when I'm away from family.

Madeline, Sam, Natalia, Me, Darya

First, we've got Madeline. Mad and I have been roommates since freshman year of college and have grown together and been through more experiences (good and bad) together than with anyone else. People often mix up our names; I've become used to answering to Madeline and she to Meaghan. But more importantly, we're there for each other, regardless of the bullshit in life, and I know we always will be. We've joked about living in the same neighborhood and raising our kids together, but at the end of the day I think there's a little truth to our jokes because we can't imagine not being close together. She'll be at my wedding, likely standing next to me as my maid of honor, and known as Auntie Madeline to my children. She's more a part of me than most people and I really couldn't live without her.

Next, there's Darya and we've lived together for almost 2 years. She's one of the least judgmental and most supportive people I have ever met, which are two truly unique characteristics of friends these days. I can talk to her forever about things plaguing me, knowing she'll give great advice or be a shoulder to lean on. She always tells me I'm not a very affectionate person, which is true, but I gave her a hug today so that speaks volumes about our friendship.

Sam is one-of-a-kind. We met after joining the same sorority freshman year and instantly clicked. Sam and I agree on almost every aspect of life-our beliefs, our upbringing, our political views, our social views, etc. We can also bitch at each other like sisters, but it never impacts our friendship. After knowing Sam for a few years, she's definitely a guarded person that doesn't open up to everyone, but she's opened up to me. We've got a pretty unique friendship and really just accept each other for who we are.

Last, but certainly not least, there is Natalia. We actually met through Sam and have been close ever since. She's the type of person you always want around and has the most infectious personality and positive outlook on life. She's the friend that you can grab a beer and laugh about life with or snuggle in bed and complain about anything with. We come from similar families with similar backgrounds and just fit together. I couldn't imagine my college experience without her.

As I near the end of college, I don't know what I'll do next year if we all don't stay in Boston. I'm not quite ready to give up the nights we spend together watching movies at my apartment or acting like fools in T's Pub. I know that even in the future, no matter where we're living or working, we'll remain as close as we are now and appreciate the time we spend together even more.

I recognize that not everyone is super close with their immediate family, but friends are just as important and can be as close as family. I can't tell you how many times I've leaned on these girls or shared things with them I didn't share with my family. No matter who you consider family, hold them close, don't take them for granted, remind them you love them. If you're feeling super sentimental, maybe even give them a hug (I keep those for very special occasions.)


As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

Let's Keep in Touch

How many times have we said "Let's keep in touch!" to our family members, especially distant family members, after a great weekend or a holiday together and never made it happen? Too many. "Remind me to call your Aunt," "Remind me to call my cousin," "Remind me to send her a birthday card." These are standard conversations we're all used to hearing. But we get busy, we get lazy, we get caught up and forget to do the things we promised we'd do. As the holidays approach and you'll likely see those family members you promised you'd keep in touch with last year, I thought I'd share a few strategies I use with my family to stay connected.

• Family email chain. This is super easy and definitely works best with immediate family. As my brother says, "the spirit of this chain is to make the communication easy; we do not need a daily update on everything but it will be nice to hear from people." We started this email chain when Dan left for Afghanistan, but it's been a great tool for everyone to update each other on different happenings.
• Adding everyone on social media. As silly as it sounds, why not follow or friend your aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings on social media? You might not want your whole family to see you chugging from a bottle of champagne, but let's be real people, that probably shouldn't be on Facebook anyway. Plus, social media is a great way for everyone to keep in touch. Since I have almost 50 cousins on my mom's side, I often forget where they go to college or when their birthdays are, but an extra reminder from the social media we are already checking daily goes a long way. 
• Make time. It's easy to get caught up in our own lives, and I'm guilty of that for sure. But making time for each other is the best way to keep a family close. My family started monthly family dinners, where we all get together and just catch up. They've ranged from fancy dinners in the North End to pizza parties at my parents house. We always invite friends and significant others and put aside our crazy lives, even if just a few hours. Maybe monthly isn't feasible for your family, so make it every other month or twice a year or even use a Google Hangout to virtually eat at the same time. All that matter is that you make time for each other.

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

Quinn Family Addition (Coming Soon!)

The Quinn Family baby boy is coming within the next few days, and the latest update is that he already weighs over 9 pounds (what a chunk!) My family played a guessing game with birth date, weight and name-and we've all already lost!

And just for fun, to brighten your Hump Day, check out this Buzzfeed post about a baby and a dog.

Does anyone have any guesses for the newest additions birth date, weight and name? Post in the comment section below!

3 Times I Felt "So Adult" As A Kid

While reading Buzzfeed the other day, I stumbled across a great article: "14 Times You Felt 'So Adult' As A Kid." Immediately, stories from my childhood popped into my head so I thought I'd share vignettes from just a few.

• Buying your first CD with your hard-earned allowance money. I'll never forget this day or the lyrics to any of the songs on Britney's "Baby One More Time" album. My dad, Pat and I hopped into our tiny red two-door pickup truck and went to the redemption center to cash in Bud heavy bottles for precious coins. After we received the loot, my dad took us to Strawberries' music store and let us each pick our own CD-I chose Britney Spears and Pat chose Lui Vega's "Mambo Number 5" and we spent the rest of that Saturday jamming out to our Walkman CD players. And now I feel really old because Strawberries, CD's and Walkman no longer exist.
• When you were allowed to prepare your first meal by yourself. As the youngest of five kids, we'll just say my upbringing was a little more "lax" than your standard. I can't remember how old we were (old enough), but for some reason Pat and I were home alone and hungry for some breakfast. As the older child, Pat assured me that he'd take care of breakfast for us and popped some Eggo waffles into the toaster oven...along with the plastic plate that our mom always served them on. Well, plastic and heat don't quite interact so well and we had a bit of a situation on our hands. After that, we were allowed only cereal or granola bars for breakfast and banned from using the stove or toaster oven until an adult was home. 
• The first time you got to put some fancy lipstick on. I could write about my experiences with makeup, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Me (middle) with my cousins Grace (left) and Eily (right) with blush, blush and more blush, just the tiniest touch of lipstick and matching bathing suits.

Do you have any great childhood stories about wanting to grow up? Comment or share!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB

5 Reasons Siblings Are The Best

Can't live with them, can't live without them. That's how my teenage self would likely explain my sentiments towards my brothers. They were infuriating, outrageous, over-protective and downright annoying. But, they're also the biggest support system and best friends I could ever ask for-and here's 5 reasons siblings rock.

• You'll always have a cheering section. Even when you'd reaaaaallllly rather not have your 25-year-old brother yelling, "KILL HER!!!!" at your high school tennis match, you will. But it's only because he cares and wants to see you succeed. 

• No matter how bad you mess up, it's only a matter of time before someone else does too. Fail your history test? No worries. It's likely someone else is going to get caught drinking Mom's pinot grigio and or Dad's skunked beer, which will probably be a bigger issue. And then someone else might get a speeding ticket or caught skipping class and you're in the clear. When you've got siblings, take heart in knowing there's a finite amount of time that you're the dumbest.

• Holidays are more fun. Seriously, who wants to be an only child on Christmas? Awesome, I'll sit here, opening presents by myself, unknowingly showing them to the people who bought them for me. No way, siblings always make it exciting and chaotic. *Cue the "Dale got hulk hands?!" video from stepbrothers.*

• People support your ideas, no matter how bad they are. One time Pat encouraged me to open a candle making store and even helped find a property, because someone was definitely going to rent to an 8-year-old or invest in the super lucrative business of candle making. But his support made me feel like I could be the next Yankee Candle Company, which was better than any profit I'd have made anyway. 

• Unconditional, lifelong friendships. In all honesty, siblings are amazing. They're the best friends, the best supporters, the best entertainment. They'll make you laugh when you want to cry, they'll take your side even when you're wrong, they'll fend off anyone who even comes close to hurting you. They'll motivate you, they'll teach you, they'll pave the way or follow in your footsteps. And eventually, they'll fall in love, get married, give you new siblings (finally sisters, in my case), and the honor of becoming an aunt (or uncle). 

What do you think is the best part about having siblings? Comment or share!

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB

Family Photo Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!

I thought it might be fun to start Family Photo Fridays, since I have a bank of some pretty great, potentially embarrassing photos of my family. Submit a clever caption in the comments or tweet at me and I'll reveal the winner on the next Family Photo Friday!

So, here's the first from 3 years ago of Dan and Rosie on Thanksgiving. 

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB

Family Vacation-All I Ever Wanted

Family vacations were always cause for excitement. 5 kids, 2 parents and a dog piling into a minivan or, if we were super lucky, getting on a plane. It didn't necessarily matter what the destination was or who we were going to see, but the fact that we were changing scenery and adding a little excitement to our otherwise boring suburban lives was thrilling enough.

Disney, ski trips to Maine and Vermont, Arizona, Washington D.C., the Bahamas, Italy, Ireland twice and countless trips to our house in Claryville. These are the places we've traveled and explored together. Although I may not have realized it when I was younger, I think these family vacations have helped to make us as close as we are by creating priceless memories and shared experiences.

 Disney, 1996. Check out those grins.

Arizona, 1998, visiting the grandparents.

The "younger years" family vacations were a blast for us; they meant all-you-can-drink soda (which always made Pat throw up), no bedtime, relatives galore and best of all, missing school. We'd play the license plate game, jump on hotel beds (or cots) and devour the crappy continental breakfast as if it were decadent cuisine. While these vacations meant tons of carefree fun, I've definitely appreciated the vacations we've had in more recent years for different reasons. 

These trips were when I was 16 and we traveled to Ireland, when I was 18 and we traveled to Italy, and most recently, when everyone came to Dublin to visit me while I was studying abroad.

Ballyhaunis, Ireland 2008, in front of the house my grandfather lived in

Rome, Italy 2011 (only missing Dan, he was in flight school)

Wexford, Ireland 2013

These three family vacations all have something in common: rain. Just kidding, they were all so fun and so meaningful and so memorable, but it does happen to be raining in all three of the photos above. We make the best out of rainy days though, you just can't slow down the Quinns. I think I appreciate these trips a little more because we're all older and busier so any time that we do get to spend all together is that much more meaningful.

During our first trip to Ireland, we were able to see where my grandfather was born and lived before coming to America. The best part of this trip was that he was there to explain everything to us-from the shed he was born in to the house he eventually moved into. There were still dishes and teapots in the house, as if one day they just picked up and left. Experiencing where my family comes from with my entire family is something I'll never forget.

Now, family vacations are more about the stories we'll share with our kids someday, the time spent together and the memories created than unlimited sodas and missing school. They're about getting together, experiencing new cultures and taking time away from our busy lives to connect with each other. Some people may dread their family vacations, but for us they're an excuse to leave reality behind and have a blast together. And I guess it doesn't hurt that my family happens to be a really fun set of goofballs.

Do you have any family vacation stories? Comment or share!


As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-AB

Thoughts on Veterans Day

This Veterans Day is a little different, a little special, a little more difficult than others have been. Throughout the duration of the war on terrorism in both Iraq and Afghanistan, I've had family members down in the trenches. My cousin Adam, my uncle Tom, my cousin John. But there's something so different about having a brother fighting in a war. Something so worrisome. Something so real.

I remember the days leading up to Dan's deployment. We went down to Otis Air Field on the Cape and had a departure ceremony for all the deploying soldiers. I was doing alright until I saw tiny little kids with signs that said, "I'll Miss You Daddy," and pregnant women who would give birth to their children without their husbands by their side. All of a sudden, the sacrifice that these men, women and families make became abundantly clear and emotions overwhelmed me. For me, for you, for celebrities in their Beverly Hills mansions to go about our daily routines, others have to risk their lives.

So today, and every day, we should be thankful for the veterans who risk their lives for us. If you feel compelled, here are a few easy ways to get involved.

1. Download the Charity Miles application and log miles for the Wounded Warrior Project-it's entirely free to you
2. Donate to Soldier Socks, a nonprofit organization that sends essential items to soldiers on the battlefield and provides support, employment help and other services after soldiers return home
3. Thank a member of the armed services, even when it's not Veterans Day
4. Get involved with any other nonprofit that helps armed service members, including Soldiers' Angels and Pets for Vets

The men and women who risk their lives daily so the rest of us can live comfortably and freely deserve more than just a day, they deserve our constant praise, thanks and respect. 

And Dan, I'll be counting down the days until you're back on US soil, safe and healthy. 

As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"-AB