Claire waiting backstage at the Rebecca Cohn for her debut!

Claire's ballet recital.....

Sam and Jake relaxing watching morning shows!

Claires pre-school graduation.

Latest google search

actually it was a yahoo search but you get the idea...."humiliation men" What is that supposed to be about?

Check these out....for those of you who always liked my feet and you know who you are....what do you think of them now?

Al's not so sexy summer feet. Heat rash? Lupus? Any guesses anyone? And yes Andrea, I know the pink polish doesn't go with the red bumps!

Yeah....these are nice...

Funny Guy...

Upon reading my new Canadian Living magazine today, I thought we would try something new at the dinner table. The ideas were such that they would help you come up with ways to connect as a family over a meal. For a long time we would share the best and worst parts of our day but that was getting old.

Tonight I thought we could adopt the complimenting circle idea. I chose Daniel as tonights recipient of compliments and so off we went with Hud saying how great Daniels laugh is and when he hears him how it makes him want to laugh too. Claire said she likes hearing him play guitar because it sounds funny and she likes his tight hugs as they tickle! I said I liked his kind spirit.... and the winner that had us on the floor was Sam with his very serious...I love his big fat bummy! Of course as soon as we laughed he kept singing out, big fat bummy, big fat bummy....etc etc etc....

Can't wait to hear the compliments tomorrow!

My neighbor decided that I was having too much fun here in bloggerland without her so she decided to start a blog of her own.....

You can find her at www.babablah.blogspot.com

Emotions.....

Why is it that our emotions can so rule our being? I was having an average day when I noticed that a call had come in that I missed. I looked at the number and realized it was someone who I had not talked to in a long time. I figured I would ring them back. As it turns out they had hit my # by mistake on their cell phone but we chatted anyway. By the time I was done on the phone I was a totally different tempered person. I was elated to have spoken with them, filled with joy and foolishness all wrapped up together.

Since the phone call, I have been enjoying my kids more , not minding the cold breeze, not been overwhelmed by the stupid amount of laundry that needs to be dealt with etc....

Here's to friends who can touch you and change you in a matter of minutes. Take a look at the blossoms below and understand how I feel!

Some of the glorious blooms on the go in our yard. The pink is my flowering crab, and I am in love.

Nothing like a barbie bum!

She's beautiful!

The princess cake herself in all her glory!

Birthday cupcakes!

Birthday present time...

Claires new bike from her nanny.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE

Mom and Dad love you so much as do your brothers.
This has been a big year for you. You have grown up sooooo much. We made a big move which made you sad but you jumped right in here and made some new friends.
You are such a kind girl and I hope that that part of who you are just keeps growing.
I love how excited you get about things. Your passion for fun, and for nature and friends makes you a very special girl.
I hope today is fun for you and that this next year is a year in which you blossom even more into the girl that God wants you to be.

Love, Mom and Dad.

Boring!

So in light of the others who have figured out what people google that lands them on their site, I decided to find out what people do to get mine. Well, I discovered that mine are far from exciting....Alison
Forcing her jaws with elastics, etc...
But one has me intrigued. Someone put very specific search info...Alison Trenholm Halifax. Who wants to know about me, or was it really me? Maybe there is another such person. It's almost a little disconcerting!

Off to bake Claires Princess cake. Lets hope it's not too hot or the frosting will be a pain! We're holding out for the nice weather but the forcast is suggesting thundershowers. The day she was born was sooooo beautiful, sunny, clear, warm. I'd love it to be the same.

Even the shorts and socks took a beating!

See my hands Dad?

Not too much Sam!

Re-seeding the lawn....

Finally!

We have glorious weather! The temp is high, the ground is drying out, the trees are blooming, the kids are getting burned etc, etc, etc.

My bathroom will be ready to paint tomorrow, but not sure I'll get around to it as Claires party is on Sat. Robin, please hold on to the nasty weather til the party is over. A pinata in the house doesn't thrill me.

Daniel is away til Saturday afternoon. He went canoing/camping with his best friend and his friends dad. He left last night and I miss him like crazy. I even looked for him after school, sitting on the front porch expecting him to stroll down the street with his friends. I had to tell them that he was on an educational adventure in the outback!

Heard a rumour that my sisters visit here may be kiboshed. That would be most unfortunate. The kids are too excited not to have it happen now. I have been busy thinking of fun food for Pernell, and looking forward to haveing someone here who appreciates my culinary efforts!

Have a good one, I'm off to work on seeding the lawn!

IT DIDN'T RAIN TODAY!!!!!!!

I actually got some plants in the ground. The air was very muggy but no actual precipitation. Maybe we are on our way to better days ahead.....

And the answer is.....

you are lavender #E6E6FA

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy. Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working. Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

check out Andreas site www.bumblingbav.blogspot.com to see the pink goddess!

The pics are from April when I went on the Ladies retreat. It was late at night and we were all very hyper. We performed our incredible feat of strength for the whole group of 150 the next morning with Janet actually standing on top of us. Everyone thought we were amazing!

Who needs sleep when we can do gymnastics?

Janet ready to take a leap

check out the rotton 2x4s. One more thing not disclosed when we bought this gem of a house.

old gyprock anyone?

more mess

the old surround is gone

got to get rid of this dust

Could we spend any more money this year?

I took Daniel to the orthodontist this morning. Yikes. Not only is his mouth a mess due to a small pallet and a cross bite, but his jaw is growing apart so he has a huge space between his upper and lower teeth. They would like to put a spacer in that we screw open a little wider each day. To the tune of two grand, thank you very much. They think that he will later need braces with elastics that will try to pull the two jaws together. If that does not work then he is looking at surgery. Poor kid. Poor us.

In other news.... we ripped the bathroom wall out today and noticed that the leak that we are repairing is not the first leak in that spot. In fact there is dried out rotton wood in the wall. Nice fix up job guys! Thankfully though we are not going to have to mess with the floor. Tomorrow Brian will be back at it to put up the new gyprock, and then we will let it dry for a couple of days, then put in the surround, then I will paint. I'm also going with some wainscotting. I can't wait til it's done. Maybe in time for Norm!

And now it is all over. The funeral was this afternoon. The tears and sobs were aplenty. The celebration of a woman who lived a life to the fullest. She was so much to so many people. She will be missed. Debbie, know that we will rally around your family and help them any way we can.

It's just not right....

We went to the funeral home tonight for visitation. Paul and the family left. It was just too hard for them. We entered the room and there lay Debbie in the open casket looking like anybody but Debbie. It was horrid. The sobbing was so hard to control. Her sparkle that was ever present had been removed. She looked old and tired. I guess it just goes to prove that we are so much more than our outward appearance. Everything that we are comes from inside. When our spirit is gone there is nothing left.

Perhaps we should just put in a pond and get ourselves some fish!

Can you say overload?

Can the garden survive the floods? Not sure the shed can.

Not sure these are made to sit in water....

Daniels bike,wishing it had been put away!

our before, although we had added the tree in the fall and dug out the side bed in the fall. In progress pics to follow when it stops raining....

Tragedy!

This morning we received word that a friend of ours died in her sleep. They think perhaps a clot took her young life. They are performing an autopsy today. She is a mom with two very young girls. Her husband is distraut to say the least. All day today I have gone around feeling sick. Another friend and I started phoning other people in the church which I think is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Dealing with my own grief and then the grief of those I was talking with. Most were in shock. I almost felt as though I were spreading a horrible lie. In fact I called the person back that had called me to confirm what she had said and then checked Huds e-mail again.

We take our lives and our time with our children so for granted. None of us expect to go to bed one night and not wake up the next morning. Please hug your children and spouses extra hard tonight and say a prayer for Paul, and little Emma and Annie.

Just to let you know Emily is up and running again at www.pumpkinhead7.blogspot.com

She has arrived....

4 weeks early, Rachel Marie Trenholm, 6lb 6oz. Finally a girl cousin for Claire on daddys side.

Progress!

Claires diet of late has left something to be desired. She gags and heaves at just about everything she is served. We are beginning to get a little concerned without wanting to go over the edge and have her end up with an eating disorder 'cos we forced her to eat. The choices set out for her are healthy, and what the rest of the family manages to eat without complaint.

A couple of nights ago we had ham and potatoe scallop. She had a few nibbles of ham, and Hud asked her to eat one piece of potatoe. As I'm sure you know the potatoes are very thinly sliced. He cut the slice in half for her and asked her to eat it. She managed to get the first half down but the second half had her gagging. Saturday night she ate two bites of chicken. Today she actually ate a piece of toast for breakfast, folowed by half of a minigo. Lunch she had half a pb&j sandwich. For supper tonight she ate two meatballs without any trauma. I told her if she wanted dessert she needed to eat three more. I try to work on the one bite for each year of her life. She will be five in June. She said " ok mom, but I am 4 & 1/2 so I'll cut one of these in two pieces." Well did we ever laugh! We told her that she could take a smidge off as she was really 4& 3/4. She ate them and another minigo. I think that's the best meal she's eaten in ages!

Sams latest fetish...

involves shoving his hand down his pants while his thumb on the other hand his stuck in his mouth. I spend a good part of my day asking him where his hands are at which oint he pulls them out of their respective spots and says "here they are "

Well, it must be working to some extent as today he asked me if he could PLEASE hold his penis! I told him no and of course then the why and plllleeeeeaaaaaassssssseeeeee started. Sam, it's for pee only!

Sam loving chocolate cake batter. It's for all of you girls who have been wanting chocolate...COME AND GET IT !!!!!

Anyone seen my brain?!?

My brain has gone missing! Yesturday I went to the valley and did some garden shopping for bushes with some friends. I came home in the afternoon, planted said bushes, brought in the laundry and was contemplating supper when I was handed a birthday invitation for Claire. I walked over to the calender to write it on and noticed that the following weekend there is another party for a little boy. When I saw that I thought of his father and remembered that it was his party night and that I was supposed to be bringing the cake! This was at 4:30 the party was to be at 7:00. I was frantic but managed to get it together. Of course, I didn't have a sitter and Hud had a meeting so the frantic pace started again as I had to search out a sitter. Hud managed to get one and it all worked out fine.

Today I had a great day of getting stuff done. Even got a load of wash out only to have it re-washed by mother nature. Oh well...tomorrow is supposed to be nicer. It can dry then. Daniel arrived home from school and I looked at his agenda and he had written...doors open 6:15, concert at 7:00 WHAT?????? The spring concert and open house is tonight? Yes mom it's tonight. Where have I been? Am I that disconnected from the happenings around me that I am missing out? I never used to forget stuff like this. I panicked again thinking he was going to need to wear a white shirt and black pants. He says he can wear whatever. Lets hope he's right. I have a hair appointment at 4:45 then I need to grab the sitter who I got fast then realized I didn't really need as the others can join us for the concert as it is early.

I guess I need to take a deep breath and try to get myself collected in the brain department. Maybe when I go for my bone density test they can also scan to see if I even have a brain in there at all!

Claire too tired to even get through a book without passing out cold! It's tough being nice to mom ALL day

Birth mom and grandmother with all three of the hooligans....

Birth mom, grandmother and Claire and I on Mothers Day. Neat to be able to celebrate three generations of mothers together....

Here I Am....

I really haven't gone away. I just have not really had anything exciting to say. The weather has been relatively nice so I have been out in the garden lots, digging in the new bed, hitting the garden centers, helping friends with their gardens etc...

Life is good here, the kids are loving the season, the bikes never stop, the ducks are back in the lake which provides much enjoyment for all.

Renos will soon start on the bathroom, the roof will be done, and hopefully we can get through the summer without any more big issues. The water coming in the side of the house seems to have stopped which is a bonus.

Mothers day came and went as usual, hilarious cards from the kids, Sam causing injury to my elderly grandmother, Hud having a good nap on and off all afternoon. I commented on Coris blog that perhaps I will take Fathers day off.

SCARE!!!!!

We were all playing outside this afternoon when the neighbor got a call from the school asking if she had seen a seven year old boy. He had not made it to his sitters house so they were calling all of the parents of that grade. In no time the police were everywhere with photos of the little boy. Crews were at the lake, parents were pounding the pavement, Hud and the neighbor went off on their bikes looking in ditches etc. Tracey and I were stuck here with all of our own kids, feeling sick to our stomachs, praying hard. An hour or so later, the police were circling around to let people know that they had found the missing boy at his own home asleep in his own bed. Apparently for some reason he had gone home , climbed through a window and into bed.
The fear experienced by us was nothing I'm sure compared to that of his parents and the sitter, and I cannot imagine how I would react. I'm glad that this day is over and my chidren are all safe and sound here at home.

What the?.....

I was sitting here this morning reading blogs etc , when all of a sudden I hear a loud pop, lose some light, and feel something fly past my head. We have some track lighting here in the family room and one of the bulbs literally blew out of the socket. It left the screw part behind, sailing past me as an intact bulb. It was so hot that by the time I found something to pick it up with , it had already melted the carpet. I'm glad it was me sitting here and not the kids.

Last night while brushing kids teeth etc, I noticed that part of our bathroom wall was wet. It would seem that we now have to replace a wall and our shower. We really needed another big job to pay for at this point as I'm sure the roof is not enough.

I can't believe it!

Today I popped over to a friends for a bit after lunch. The kids played nicely for awhile then her two had a meltdown. I figured it was time to head out and let them get on with their regular rest time. That was at about 3 mins to 3. Daniel gets home from school at 2:40. The kids and I still had to bike home. We were only a block away but the house was locked and the van was gone. I am so lucky that the neighbor was home and noticed Daniel pounding the front door down. She has a sense of humour too which is helpful.
I feel like the worlds worst mother. Who forgets their kid?
The sun is shining away today, it's still cold though thanks to the wind. I have been so cranky the last couple of days. It would seem that everything sets me off. I even set myself off. Maybe I need a vacation from being me!

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!

And for those that want to know.....

Since I last blogged ..... my dryer gave out, we put a ton of money into our van, some of my bulbs are coming up, my new closet is finished,I finished babysitting,I left all of the kids overnight with a sitter while Hud and I went away with the leaders from our church,I grew a pimple in my ear,a friends mother died,a baby was born to our friends,I realized even more how fragile life is and how each day needs to be appreciated for what it is.......

The new look that I can't duplicate....

For Lori

Love the colour

Spring has sprung in Nova Scotia

WHAT THE??????!!!!!!!!????????

So I came downstairs this afternoon after spending a few moments in the bathroom to find that I was missing two kids. The younger three were all sitting watching a movie n=but the older two were gone. Daniel appears from the dark laundry room and a second later the girl I watch after school also appears. When they were asked what they were doing Daniel pipes up with..." we were talking" I asked about what and he couldn't come up with an answer. I then sent him upstairs so I could interrogate them seperatly. I asked said girl and she claimed forgetfulness. I kept at her until finally I told her to get it figured out in her mind by the time I came back. Daniel eventually told me that they were talking about the movie cos they didn't like it. I came back down and finally got out of the girlie that Daniel had asked her to find his ticklish spot. I was horrified! So back upstairs I went armed with the conflicting story, telling him that there would be serious consequences for lying. He finally spilled out a similar yet not totally the same story.
I can't believe this. They are almost 9 and 6. What is going on and how much further would the tickle game have gone if I hadn't come down?!? She is always writing letters to him, making him cards expressing her love to him. I realize they are just kids but it seems so early for them to even notice each other never mind going to a dark room together!
HELP!!!!!!!

May she now rest peacefully, no more pain, no more fighting, only calm. God bless you Terri.

He's done!

I just realized a minute ago that Sam no longer sucks his thumb!

It's coming....

Spring is on the way! I am so excited as I am discovering new life bursting forth. For me it's a time to re-evaluate my existance and a sense that it's time to make a fresh start, to fix the things that I'm not happy about in regards to my attitudes and behaviors.

Kids!.....People!

We were at the grocery store today, Claire, Sam and I, which in itself is a mistake on a saturday never mind the sat of easter weekend! We were walking down the baking isle so I could get some shortening to make lemon meringue pie. We pulled up next to a lady wearing VERY traditional muslim attire . The only part of her face showing was her eyes. Sam looked at her and declares VERY loudly " I see God mom, I see God" he repeated this over and over only varying it to add that " I see a nice God mom!"
Eventually we made it through the throngs of people to join the super long lines. As I am standing there I suddenly feel as though my chest is getting a draft. Well, as it turns out, Sam had unzipped my sweater so there I was standing there, bra exposed to anyone who cared to check it out.

On a different note entirely... I have been following the Terri Shiavo story very closely and I cannot believe what is happening. We don't get much in the way of the story here in Canada but reading info from the US it is so scary that they can get away with what they are doing to her. Noone is listening that can do anything about it. Why is he so afraid to let them rehabilitate her? Her parents have asked him years ago to move on with his life, they would care for her. He has moved on with another woman with whom he has fathered two children. Why is he so adament. How can they know she cannot be rehabilitated after not trying for 10 years? She is not in a a permanent vegitative state if she can laugh, follow a ballon, pull away when the dr is rubbing her face with a swab, open her eyes when asked to do so....
All the money he was awarded with which he was supposed to rehabilitate her has gone to everything but that.
What kind of world are we living in? It's merciless, starving someone to death. There is a website where you can get all sorts of info www.terrisfight.net

YUMMY

Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches

Serves 4; Prep time: 15 minutes; Total time: 15 minutes
There’s always room for dessert, especially for this sweet treat; it’s delicious and takes almost no time to prepare.

2
large eggs
2
tablespoons milk
4
large slices challah or Italian Bread (cut 3/4 inch thick)
4
ounces thin semisweet chocolate bar
2
tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting


1. In a large, shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.


2. Form two sandwiches with the bread and chocolate (break chocolate as necessary to cover bread without extending over edges); dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture to coat.


3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; transfer sandwiches to skillet. Cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Cut in half, and dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Here I Am....

Haven't blogged in a little bit as I really have nothing to say.The weather has also been nice enough that we are outside all afternoon.

Things around here are pretty much the same as usual. I'm mising my valley friends, I'm trying to maintain this household, and trying not to lose my mind in all the lonliness and chaos that can sometimes be my day.

Bulbs are coming up, which is encouraging. My new closet is coming along nicely which means that I will soon be able to unpack more boxes. That will help clear out the other front room and we can start the process of finishing off that room. We will need to cut through the foundation to put a couple of windows in but once that is done we will be all set.

I was watching Sam with interest this morning while he ate his breakfast. He does this every morning but I had never paid too much attention. As he eats his cereal, he moves from seat to seat taking his bowl with him. The time in each seat varies depending on the amount of time before he drips milk on the table. As soon as he has done so, he moves on to the next seat. He stresses only when there are no more clean spots. To him that is easier than getting up for a cloth with which to wipe the table.

I was excited to see that starting on Saturday night they are going to have a new Little House series on ABC. It will run for one month. They claim that it will be true to the books. Claire and I are looking forward to it as we have been reading the books at bedtime.

Anyway, off to try to be productive.....

Random Ramblings....

It's been a week of spring break. Break for who? We have been busier this week than any normal week but I guess that's the point. Karen and I took the older kids to Crystal Palace in New Brunswick. Sam stayed home with Hud so we only had to take one vehicle. The kids had a blast. Claire who is afraid of everything begged me to accompany her on the rollercoaster. She loved it, I did not!
We had someone come and look at the roof and his opinion is that we need to do the whole roof. Nice. There goes my window money! We also need to replace the side door as it is leaking down into the basement. Not a huge problem now , but it's where we are in the process of putting a closet. We don't need the closet ruined.
Hud and Daniel are away at camp for the weekend, Claire had an overnight at her Nannies house so Sam and I are just hanging out. We went shopping today and I bought a blouse. I'm thrilled with everything but the fact that it is an x-large. What is happening to my body? My arms and face seem to be losing weight, my bum looks like a saggy granny bum and my boobs are growing. I was just getting used to my body and here we go morphing again! What will the end result be this time and for how long?!?
I was examining my garden this afternoon and noticed that I have some sedum starting to send up it's new growth. What an encouraging sight.
Sam has a wart on the thumb that he sucks. Not too exciting to the average soul but for me the result of putting on a wart remover bandaid is grand. He has tried a few times to suck his thumb but quickly pulls it out as the feel isn't right. He fell asleep last night without sucking it and all day so far he hasn't. He has asked a few times to have it removed but I have been telling him it needs to stay and he just goes off to play. We may be on the road to ending the sucking routine.

~Hope everyone has a grand weekend and that you have more excitement than me!~

Kissing...who knew?

Read an article today about kissing. Who knew people actually analized such things.


Kissing not only feels good on your lips and in your nether regions, smooching is actually beneficial to your health. As two tongues touch, nerve endings fire off messages to other parts of your body: various muscles clench, your lungs start to work harder and your lips swell (who needs Botox?), to name but a few. As your heart rate increases, your veins dilate and all that rushing blood can make you feel hot and sweaty. A French kiss requires the use of more than 30 facial muscles (bonjour!), toning your jaw and cheek, which in turn reduces the likelihood of sagging chops. A good make-out session burns about half the calories of jogging and makes your mouth water, which helps flush out plaque and prevent cavities. And, kissing is good for your soul, too. Physical touch boosts certain hormone levels in your body, which can create that warm, fuzzy, feels-good-all-over sensation. Nurturing, bonding and loving, the therapeutic power of a kiss may have started the first time your mom kissed a boo-boo on your elbow.

So to Cori I say, we want to see a record of the number of kissing hours you put in on a daily basis....

Crystal palace fun.....

In Answer to Andreas Question....

the little clear drip of snot from anyones nose!.... How can they not know it's there?

had to do it this way cos it wouldn't let me comment on yours....time to switch to haloscan

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

What an ordeal!

Holy cow. I have just spent the better part of an afternoon/evening trying to set Daniel up with another blog, unconnected to mine. It was far from easy but I think now we have done it. You can find him at the same address www.snowboarddude.blogspot.com I'm sure he would love any visitors......

Damn the weather!

Why is it that every time I get a chance to do something fun the weather wreaks havoc on me? We didn't go to the valley last night because we ended up with slippery roads due to snow. We are supposed to go away first thing monday morning for spring break and Karen is supposed to arrive here on Sunday but we are expecting 25 cm of snow sat-sun with high winds. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!

I ran out for supplies this morning in case we are storm stayed and while out I went to the mall just to see if I could find the kind of winter coat I have been looking for. Nobody had the style I wanted left by the time my birthday money came but I thought I'd give it a go. Well, as luck or whatever you want to call it would have it, Reitmans had ONE coat. Just what I wanted. $160 coat, taxes included $45 and change. I guess it's my day?!?

The insurance adjuster was here today to look at the roof. He tarred it a little as we had plywood exposed. We can patch it but we figure we may as well replace the front of the house. The back and sides are good for another 5-10 yrs and I think we will leave them as they are. The roofers will come at some point today to give us a quote. Could we get anymore exciting?

Just a note to say that my son Daniel has entered the world of blogging. His page needs a little help still but he is writing at www.snowboarddude.blogspot.com

It's Over....

and all is quiet. We survived a night and day of hurricane force winds with not too much damage. I thought for sure our big trees were heading into the house but somehow they held fast. I had visions of being pinned on the bed in a compromised position.....
Daniel ended up not having school but we didn't know til he had already gone across the street to meet his friend. So, I ran in my jammies and he decided to stay there. Half an hour later I got a call from the head of the phone tree to have me call my list. A lot of people hadn't caught the cancellation so had sent their kids. The school had not had power all night so I'm not sure why they hadn't cancelled first thing.

Off to the Valley tonight to see a production by the Woman of Wolfville called Bodies Without Borders. Two of my friends are in it, so a few friends here and I are taking a road trip. Should be a good time. Lets just hope the weather holds out til we get there and back safely.

Enjoy the day....

The roof after our serious wind storm. 'cos you know we really needed another summer project. And for those of you that know what I'm talking about, the wreath from a previous post is STILL hanging.

For Andrea!

Could someone please tell me why my stupid grapevine wreath which is only hanging by a tiny piece of wire on a screw can manage to remain hanging but my shutters must get ripped apart and end up down the street?

He's a survivor!

Today is the day!

Today is the day that our friends wee babe has major open heart surgery. He will endure a five to six hour operation to correct some problems that keep his heart from getting oxygen. Please say a prayer or two or ten for he and his family.

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS DEAREST ANDREA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He did it!!!!!!!

Sam is now trained. Too fabulous. We went to church today in our underwear and a restaurant too. At the restaurant he told us he had to use the bafwoom. Good Boy! He told Karen later on the phone that he used the toilet at the french fry house. Funny kid.

just a few of my favorite things

trying out the collage thingie....sorry Lori, family secret is out.

Poor Sam....

Sam is desperate to go snowboarding at Martock so I called this morning. It is going to be awhile for him as the smallest board they have is the same height as him. The smallest boots are a size 13. He takes a 7.5. I guess he will just have to settle for Daniels old board in the back yard, and cardboard in the house.

Today I read something interesting...

I am still after four years struggling with moms feelings regarding my finding my birth family. I thought I might find some useful info online that would help me deal with her thoughts. She has told Hudson and others that this Christmas was very hard for her. I thought it was one of our better as I didn't yell at her. She felt as though it was a competition between she and my birth people. Anyway, as a lot of you know, I was a beast growing up. I was angry all the time, yelling crying, being hateful. I felt I didn't fit and that no-one understood me. I felt rejected, and disconnected. I stumbled upon a number of articles this afternoon that really made me take notice. 'the severing of that connection... causes a primal or narcissistic wound..which manifests in a sense of loss, basic mistrust, anxiety and depression, emotional and/or behavioural problems, and difficulties in relationships with significant others' (Verrier 1993)


~Being there to support my daughter in her search and reunion has brought us even closer as an adoptive family. When I hear that other adoptive parents are afraid of search and reunion because they fear losing their son or daughter, I am not surprised that they don't realize that it actually strengthens their relationship. I cannot imagine not supporting your son or daughter in their search and reunion journey anymore than I can imagine not allowing them to get their driver's license or go on that first date or leave home to attend the college of their choice. Why be afraid of more people that will love your son or daughter? Adoptive parents have one more parenting task to do for their adopted son or daughter than biological parents. That additional parenting task is to support them in their search for their birth family as a part of the process of their growing up adopted and feeling good about who they are and where they came from.

Adoptees often have abandonment issues from their original relinquishment. To feel abandoned a second time by their adoptive family just when they are trying to resolve these issues through search and reunion is an emotional hardship. To ignore or discount the importance of their biological family feels like genealogical genocide to some adoptees. If blended families are possible in families that divorce and marry new partners, then blended families are also possible in adopted families. Searching is not about adoption and it has nothing to do with the quality of adoptive family parenting. Searching is about relinquishment and the search for who they are as a physical person. ~


This is where mom struggles so much. She feels that I will turn against her either on my own or with their help. She has suggested that I need to choose as no-one can have two families. I don't and never have wanted two, I just want one big one that includes everyone. However, I have realized that this is not a realistic concept and so I will begin leading a secret life. She will not be totured with the knowledge of my goings on. Her being privy to the happenings in my life has only brought her pain, so this is where it stops.
She is not able to accept the fact that my emotions are everywhere. My loyalties are everywhere. My love can be everywhere. How can it be wrong that I am loved by people other than her.

For me these thoughts and the many others I read made me realize that there is nothing wrong with me( at least in this regard) and that I can own the feelings that I have. I will just keep them to myself.

Hud holding on for dear life, trying not to fall out the window. In the end he had to get right out while I held one leg inside.

Hud trying to remove the damaged shutter frame so it won't land on someones car.

Outside view...check out the original colour of the house. Nineteen years of sunshine does a lot of damage.

Claire's bedroom window...notice the broken shutter blowing in the wind.

IN LIKE A LION.....

Well, it looks like March is hitting us with a bang. We are in the midst of a snow storm that is supposed to change to a freezing rain fiasco. The school buses are not running so they have cancelled schools. Even though we only live a block away!
However maybe this means the month will head out like a lamb, nice and gentle. Gardening here we come!

update on little man- a procedure was performed on sun that is feeding oxygen to his heart through his umbilical cord. That is working well so they can hold off on the surgery for a bit. He was able to be held and nursed which is a good thing. He will remain in the hospital until the surgery but after if all goes well, he will be able to go home in three days. Please keep praying for the whole family as it is still a very difficult time for them. They meet with the dr. today so pray that they will have an understanding of what needs to be done. Thanks.