Its 6.32am on a Sunday morning and I am watching Dukie trot around the garden completely free and he looks SO very happy. Its a much nicer day already than yesterday when the fence went in and I am nursing my vanilla latte from my coffee machine and watching the sky change colour over one of the happiest dogs around.
We bought 8ft pre-treated fence panels from Kent and had them delivered on Friday in the downpour of the rain and got fence posts from a farm shop in Milford.


Paul and our neighbour Luc started to put the fence in around 7pm on Friday evening and worked with lights until about 9.30pm, they then re-convened at 8am yesterday morning on what had to be the absolutely coldest day possible. It was like we had been plunged back into winter.

Anyway they were soon joined by the rest of our wonderful neighbours and over the course of the day two yards were fenced and two dogs - Molly and Dukie became free to run for the first time.

I stayed in all day, well actually I went grocery shopping and then got home and made pizza for the work party and then hosted Lilys 5th Birthday party, which went, I think, really well.

A friend of ours came from Mahone Bay and had each little girl make a bracelet. The girls then played wildly around the house while I threw together some chicken nuggets and pizza and some cucumber, carrott and sugarsnap peas. We also had zesty lime chips and mango dip (for the grown-ups) , it was a blast. The wonderful Kimmie made Lily a Barbie Fashion Fairy Tale cake.

Once the party was done, and Paul had come in and showered, we then sat with Tracey and Nic and checked out our options for our Key West roadtrip next March. Happy Saturday.

Lily is nearly 5, the sun is shining and there is sadness elsewhere in the world

The weather has been remarkably different lately. We have had a couple of rainfall warnings and it really rained on Tuesday and at night but the humidity has also kicked in. The air is warm like in a bathroom when the bath has been running. I love it.

We had some pretty thick fog too yesterday, I left the house in what was like pea soup and then drove out of it at the airport into blue sky and sunshine. I could see it like a big green bank behind me, never seen anything like that in England, and then drive back into it again further down the highway.

The peepers are still chirping away like crazy in the evening which makes me want to go to sleep with the windows open, I so love the sound.

Today is bright and sunny and warm. Heres a shot of my drive into work this morning:

Today is the last day that my little Lily is 4. Shes getting so grown up now and everyday I love her and Chloe even more. Life with my family, with my children is just so good.

Talking of dear, sweet innocent children…..

Recently I have come across this blog whick breaks my heart. I wish I was in a position to do something about this, to take one of these children and save them. I know that if it was just me I would do it. But its not just me, I have a family and a husband and I am not sure Paul would. But, I am linking this in the hope that someone who can and wants to do something will.

The family who do this and who write this blog are just flat out amazing people.
http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/

Tuesday musing

Chloes birthday was great, she had a really good time. Her birthday cake was made by Kim and was designed by Chloe:

She had some friends come and watch a movie with her which was called A Dolphin Tale, which is a true story about Winter the Dolphin who now resides in Clearwater at a Marine Sanctuary. They run summer camps, Chloe wants to go and I am very tempted indeedy.

www.seewinter.com

Lilys birthday is this Friday and quite frankly I am at a loss as to what to get her. She doesn’t have a wish list, so I am off to Toys R Us today to see if something jumps out at me. She is nuts about Ariel but she does have lots of Ariel things, so I will have to look….

Paul purchased the material for Dukies fence yesterday – 17 pretreated fence panels, stacks of posts and a couple of gate kits. He is borrowing a trailer and hes going to pick it all up on Friday. The fencing begins at the weekend.

Its going to be one busy weekend as its also Lilys party, shes having some pals round for a bracelet party. Shes such a girly girl.

Today I didn’t want to come to work, I wanted to stay home with my family and wait for this rainfall warning to hit us, apparently we have between 50 – 100mm rain coming today. Its very windy, gusts at 70km/hr but it’s a warm wind, almost feels tropical out there.

I just want an at home day today.

I read an interesting post yesterday and one phrase stayed with me – written by a burns victim

~ “Every day is a blessing”

Chloe is 8

Its my Chloes 8th birthday today, so of course they got up at 5.15am! - I of course sent them back to bed until at least 6am (for goodness sake!)

Anyways she was super pleased to get $50 from Grandpa and some another $30 from Mrs Morriss and Omi and has extensive spending plans.

I, for one, cant believe she is 8. I have had this child for 8 wonderful, occasionally trying years. I am so proud of her, shes so sensitive, so kind, so deep and so loving.
She so loves the ocean and all ocean mammals and also her dog along with horses and other animals.

Tomorrow is her party, so she has a dolphin cake coming and some friends for a cinema date with KFC, all about the nutrition here (not!)

An "us" picture post

Ok, I realised today that I dont have many pics of Mr Paul on here, so thought I would throw some up, as one can see he looks utterly miserable here in Canada. Thank God he doesnt. This was my dream and he was awesome enough to let me try it out, thank you and I love you.

Oh and one of Lily, this was on the way to the cottage last summer.

These ones are at the Pirate Festival in Mahone Bay at a rather lovely pub, where I of course had fish (I'm just so predictable!)

Chloe so loves to clean the pool. It never ceases to amaze me quite how many bugs throw themselves in every hour. Cant wait to have the pool up and running again.

Lily at my so favourite beach - Melmerby. The water is often so calm that its like glass and its warm, love it!

Ah Peggys Cove

The Peepers are out

Over the last two nights I have noticed a noise. Its the sound of hundreds of little frogs called Peepers croaking, they sound like ciccadas and I love that noise. We are now back to sleeping with our bedroom window open and I go to sleep to the sound of the Peepers. Spring has definately sprung and you know what, its not that bad.
The grass is going green, the sun is getting stronger, theres more rain, there no snow (yes!) and its very pleasant to wander around the garden in a t-shirt.

Age is but a number

Or is it?

OK so I am no longer mid thirties, that lasted for what felt like oh two minutes and now I am mid to late 30’s

I was early 30’s until I hit 35 to be honest so maybe that explains how I got past mid so very quickly.

People say age is but a number and you are only as old as you feel. Sometimes I feel young and then I spend time with ladies in their twenties and I realise that we do, in fact, look different. I do look older.

I think differently too, I am the same person I was at 24 but I am not too. I say what I think now, try to be honest even if I know that person will find it hard to hear, I am hoping that I am not judgemental or critical though as that’s a pet hate of mine. I am more confident at work now and in my own choices than I used to be. (I would love to be 24 again though quite frankly!)

I do have wrinkles and some grey hairs now and actually my hair is changing, its more wispy and ridiculous. I don’t have that young look in my face.

Earlier today I briefly thought about death and dying. My mum voiced her concerns about my lack of religious beliefs the other day as she worries about me after I die (shes SO religious now) and I got to thinking about my own beliefs. I know I am afraid of death and its potential finality as I like living. I also realise that I then quickly move on in my thoughts about this and I wonder do we all do that?

I did ask my work colleague about this and his flip answer was that it wont happen to him - I think he must be in denial!