OK...OK......
I'm back!! I do have some great beach photos...We were lucky to have great company and great weather. Even though it rained on Friday, we still had a good time, playing Cranium with the kids and drinking wine. Ahhhh that's the life!

So first thing first....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLE!!!!

We had Pecan Pie instead of birthday cake. (her favorite, her request)

Frank and the girls looking for "sea stuff"

I'm not sure if you can see the look on lily's face here, but she was so excited, hanging in Frank's arm being carried over the water!

This is my...Put the #$%&$ camera away and stop taking pictures of my ass, you ass.

What?? Are you trying to piss me off??

Chasing the Gulls... (I'm just out of the camera's view)
He is learning.....slowly....

Digging for treasures..

Well, we're off to Shediac for beach, sun and lobsters!!
We'll be back in a few days!

I'm sure there will be great pictures and lots of stories...

ok, i found some wedding pics. These are scanned so not the best ever.
I can't believe how young we look.




Look at us Lu....(my maid of honor)....we look so innocent and young....
We haven't changed a bit! LMAO

Happy Anniversary Hunny Bunny!!

11 years ago..I married my best friend.....
my high school sweetheart!
Today, your still my best friend, my sweet heart!

I love you Sweetie





I'd post a picture of our wedding, but I'd be damned if I can find one!

Sommelier in the making???

"gluckie" explained

I thought I better explain just what is a "gluckie". According to Lily it is her very special blanket that we brought with us to China.

When Lily was put into our arms for the first time, (besides smiling) she put her right hand into her sleeve and softly rubbed the edge of her sleeve against her top lip...saying "Gluck Gluck Gluck...mmmmmm....mmmmmmmm" "Gluck gluck gluck, mmmmmmm...mmmmm"
We knew right away that this was her way of self soothing.
When we went to visit the orphanage, all the nannies would turn to us and put their sleeve against their lips and say "ahhh..Qian Qian...(her chinese nickname)..gluck gluck gluck" and they would smile...

We had that blanket with us all the time to cover her up, it was the only one I brought actually. I had no idea that she would transfer from rubbing her sleeve on her lip to rubbing the blanket to her lip. She started that about 1 month after coming home, and now, she wraps her index finger in the blanket and gently slides it against the blanket, still holding it to her nose, smelling it.

Thankfully, I have 2 of these blankets, even though they are not the same in color, she has taken to it from the start. whew!!!! We never leave home without 1 of them.

So now you know what a "Gluckie" is....


It was only after being home for a few months and looking back at photos, did I realize just how much that blanket was with her..

From one of the first moments in our arms....

to today.......

In China, still using her sleeve...

At home with mommy, sick with a fever..

cuddling on the couch with mommy, she has double finger action going here! LOL

Both Gluckies...and a face full of Popsicle...

My daughter is an ADDICT......

Is it just me????

Or does Lily's new haircut look at tad bit like.......

Concerts in the Park

During the summer, there are concerts held in our downtown "square" every Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
We went out for supper with all the kids, then went to the concert. We had a great supper at a Mexican restaurant, were we all had fancy drinks, nachos and burritos...Mmmm Mmmm..
When we were leaving a women who had be seated behind us the whole meal, stopped me, looked at all the kids and said, "I had NO IDEA that there were 5 kids sitting there! They were so well behaved." I smiled, said Thank you, and told her that I had spiked their drinks with booze to keep them quiet! LMAO Ahhh, she said, so that's your secret! LOL
The waitresses also commented, saying they've never had so many kids in there be so good, and quiet. It's funny because we all thought Lily was being loud.

Here are some pics of the night.
Lily had her groove on, dancing all around us. It was a flash back to the 80's, she did the worm, the robot, and the running man, then peed her pants!

I have my nephews visiting for a few days, (yes, in total this week I have 5 children!) Needless to say I am quite a spectacle out getting groceries etc.. It looks like I have 2 sets of twins and 1 toddler. They are all so close in age.
The kids get along wonderful, so that makes it much easier.
Yesterday while Lily was sleeping, and it was too hot to go outside, I thought I would try to entertain the older ones. We decided to have a "cook-off".
We had 2 teams, ingredients on the table with proper measuring cups and spoons, I read a banana bread recipe to them, and they had to remember quantities and order etc..
AND I set the timer for 20 mins!
Well, they finished with 1 mins and 49 seconds left, and boy did they have a BLAST!! The flour was flying, and the bananas were bruised! Since it was soo hot out, I didn't dare turn my oven on, so I cooked them outside on the BBQ! Then we had Frank do a blind taste test and guess whose bread was whose!!