Nice back!

Bloated chicken pox belly!

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!

.....the pox have arrived! Poor Sam!

Alison Is .....

Robin suggested trying this. Type "(your name) is" into google, then post your favorite results...

HERE ARE MINE....... Alison is 16 stone 4 lbs

Alison is available to give a personal concert for your group( not sure doing what)

Alison is a very strong, independant, determined, down to earth Bajan woman

Alison is the girl you see standing knee deep in her spotty Boden wellies

Alison is a telepath of unspecified power level

Alison is attacked by an unseen creature as she steps outside for firewood

Alison is the one! ( was there ever any question?)

Alison is desperate

Alison is dumbfounded

Alison is a goddess ( thank you, thank you )

Alison is now wearing a golden satin dress with sequin adornments along the collar ( and don't I look grand!)

The background is darker, clearly Alison is the focal point

Alison is also known to be the kisser of men

WEIRD.........

latest google searches that have brought up this blog......

about ladies puking with two men

I bleed when I poop

three men and a stove

and one that had to do with things I don't need to know about!

Rare shot of Hud and I together.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVERYONE FEEL FREE TO WISH HER A GREAT DAY. YOU WILL FIND HER AT WWW.ALITTLEBITOFMETOSEE.BLOGSPOT.COM

did your wish come true?

Daniel with his #9 birthday cake as requested!

Keep your balance...

Here duckie duckie....

Sam and Claire at the lake..

A fabulous day at Peggy's cove with the family. We are only missing a pic of Samantha...more to come later...

MARGIE AND CLAN ARRIVE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's to a week of fun and chaos! 6 kids 9 and under, sisters who haven't seen each other in 2 years, and two husbands who do not do much other than laugh and add to the fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA

Stunt Man!

Happy Birthday Sam!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are such a busy man. You sure keep me on my toes and when I'm not paying attention you get into little bits of trouble. You are an amazing boy who is so full of energy and I want you to know how very loved you are.

Three years ago today you burst into my world with such gusto and I am so glad that you are here. I hope your zest for life never changes and that you always remain such a happy guy.

We are so blessed to have you as our son and we thank God everyday for the gift of you. Be well my little man, I look forward to many more years of racing through life with you!

I've been tagged.....

Total volume of music files on my computer: I'm at a loss...I have no flippen clue!

The last CD I bought: Ron Sexsmith "Retriever"

Last CD aquired: "The ultimate relaxation collection"

Five songs I listen to alot or that mean alot to me:
"Be Thou My Vision"- Van Morrison
" Sand and Water"- Beth Neilson-Chapman
" Feathers, Bones and Shells"-Beth Neilson-Chapman
"Love Song For A Saviour"-Jars of Clay
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness"-Thomas Chisholm

Five people to whom I'm passing the Baton:
Margie
Robin
Lori
Pernell
Emily

Sam sound asleep on the play room floor.After some frantic searching and yelling we found him passed out in the corner.....

SAM!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?????

Latest google searches.... rotton(?) not sure what that is...
barbie bum ....who would want to know about such a thing?
big bumps housewife....again who would want to know?

It's time to share your latest as well...what are people googling that gets them you?

24 Hours of Freedom....

Friday night my friends from the valley came and got me and we went into the city to the Delta for the night. We used Nancy's aeroplan points to get the room(thanks Nancy), which of course left more money for fun and frivolity! We enjoyed a wonderful meal of Thai food at a new restaurant in Halifax. Huge menu, fabulous spring rolls and curries. The wine wasn't bad either.
We then wandered up Spring Garden Rd, did a little shopping and then hit La Cave for cheesecake. Meandering our way back to the hotel, we kept laughing about the potential for people to pop out of doorways at us etc... We made it safely to the hotel and enjoyed the hot tub for awhile. In so doing, we entertained some guys in the hallway as we were waiting for our elevator in our bathrobes. After some relaxation, we went down to the lounge and mellowed out with some drinks,(sadly there was no one playing the piano for Hooper to sing along with!) then went up to do facials etc....
Karen and I let loose with a whoopie cushion, and actually had Christine in the bathroom gagging and retching. She was sure she had smelled something and was feeling sorry for me as I seemed to have such a serious gastric issue! Of course we couldn't give it up yet and continued on in the morning when we finally felt we could let the truth out. Sorry Hooper, I really do feel bad that you almost puked!
Saturday we went to market, bought a bunch of stuff including a fabulous piece of art, and trellises for my gardens. Brunch was enjoyed by all followed by some walking through the Public Gardens and then the hurricane ravaged Point Pleasant Park. Of course, our shopping wasn't done. We hit a mall and went bra shopping...think of the fun. That pretty well used all of our time, so I was dropped off and they continued on home to the valley. That was tough for me...saying goodbye. I wanted desperatly to go with them, almost wishing we hadn't moved. The time was fabulous but it almost felt as though salt were being dumped on an open wound. Oh well...I'll manage til next year! Thanks girls...you really are the best.

Jodi where are you?!?

I grouted our bathroom floor today. I now need to figure out what I want in the way of wainscoting and put that up and I also need to settle on a blue and paint the bathroom so it will be done in time for summer company. And then of course there is the question of towels....do I go with yellow as I originally thought? I think it would be too hard to match the blues....

The next big project will be building the swingset, trying to fit it into the space I want it. I like my little sitting area with my chairs and I'm not really willing to give it up.

Margie will be here in two weeks and then she'll help me put in a new bed. The more the merrier digging is my theory!

It's Monday!

Well, we survived a crazy weekend. Claire had so many engagements that we were kept hopping. Friday we had her graduation rehersal, sat morning her graduation. In the afternoon we had her ballet recital rehersal. Sunday was the recital itself. Her little group was #25 of 30. The kids all had to wait backstage watching movies til it was their turn. She was so pleased with herself and seemed to have lots of fun. On the way home, the van decided that I needed to understand what Hud had been experiencing with it kicking out on him. We had the problem fixed so we thought but here I was in the middle of an intersection and the van dies. I tried to get it turned onto the side street and in so doing managed to lock my steering wheel. After a guy behind me honking at me which eventually resulted in me getting out and telling him that I could NOT move the stupid thing and that I really didn't sit in intersections for entertainment, two other guys came and helped to unlock the steering and pushed me off to a less trouble causing location. Hud , my brother and the tow truck were all called and I was soon rescued. To top it all off.... I went into the corner store to use the bank machine to pay the tow guy and took out 60$ When I went to pay him, I only had 20$ Now you tell me what happened. So back I go and withdraw another 40$ There was one transaction between my first and second so I have no idea what happened to my first 40$. I need to call the company that owns the machine today. Last night Hud went to the mechanics and hopped in the van and wouldn't you know it it started right away for him. He left it and went to talk to the guy this morning. We'll see what happens next.

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.