Merry Christmas Everyone!

We are not going to write a long message telling you of all our ups and downs for 2008, you can see the highlights in the many blog entries for 2008. We like the blog as it focuses on the positives rather than the negative.

Instead we thought we would perform for you all a Christmas Jig!

We are all happy to have our health and finances in tact (barely) and we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Love and hugs and butterfly kisses from The Powell Family - Stephen, Fran, Kayla and Caleb ~O~ xxxxo

PS: This is the latest Christmas Snap - will Santa bypass our house? Not when they look this good!

Dance Concert 2008 (Sneak Peak)

Dress rehearsal today. Kayla and Caleb are both in this year's concert being held on Sunday the 7th of December.

Kayla is in 3 dances - Jazz (The Fast Food Song & The Lion King) and Ballet (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)

Caleb is in one dance - Jazz (Greese Lightning)

Photos from today's rehearsal below. They really do love each other...really...

Lights, cameras, action, "I am ready for my close up Mr Deville"

"Some day I wish upon a star...."

"I just can't wait to be QUEEN!"

"Would you like fries with that?"

Kayla the Artist!

This is Kayla's entry in the 2008 Sawyers Valley PS Art Exhibition. "Pink and Grey in a Tree"

Kayla Grace Powell 2008

Gidgegannup Show

A day a the fair today. The children enjoyed the sights and smells of rural Australia. Here is a little clip of Kayla and Caleb on the cup and saucer ride.

PrePrimary Kayla Grace

This is Kayla's recent photo from school. She was very sick on this day and she still looks beautiful! We can't believe how much she has changed since the photo taken at school last year. She is growing up fast into a very clever and head strong little girl. We love her soooooo much!

Caleb at 3 Year Old Kindy

We got this picture yesterday so we thought we would add it to the blog to be a record of his fist official photo in a school type setting. This was taken just before his eye operation in August. The photographer photoshopped the cyst off his eye. Far less painful than surgery don't you think? What a big spunk!!!! Love him loooooots!

Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere

Just too Cute to not post!

Check out Caleb's Cyst on his left eye.

A Very Happy Un Birthday to You!

No, we haven't decided to kidnap our own children, they were blindfolded for an event that we are hoping will become a bit of a tradition in the Powell House. Both Kayla and Caleb have late in the year birthdays and it is very hard when they attend birthdays and have to wait so long for theirs and other children have 6 months wait where as they have 12, if you are a December baby you will know what we mean. Anyway, we got the idea from Alice in Wonderland where the mad hatter sings about the unbirthday. So we had a little unbirthday tonight. They were blind folded by Fran, lead to the kitchen to the cake and small gifts and lollies. They had 8 candles as that was their combined age. The gifts were really just things they needed and a couple of small toys. We played Alice in Wonderland at the same time on the DVD. A reall surprise to say the least.

Blind folded before the surprise!

Cake and pressies revealed!

The Um Birthday cake, it was our first attempt so next year the cake will have 'un', not 'um'!

We are now VOLVO drivers!

Pictures of the new car replacing the camry. A Volvo S40, 2001 model, 76 000 Km young.

The Extension is FINISHED!

At last the Powell's can tick off another goal, the extension is finished with the dryer being placed up on the wall to complete the laundry. Now the hard work, PAINTING!

A couple of pics and a little video of the laundry to let know what we have been raving about!

Laundry facing West

Old laundry now hall with cupboards concealing a fridge and freezer.

Feature Tile

Also, Happy 41st Birthday FRAN!!! Love you! Stephen, Kayla and Caleb xxxxo

A Day at the Perth Zoo

On the 6th of April we went to Perth Zoo. We went with our friends Linda and Isaac. The weather was perfect and we managed to see many animals that are usually hard to see. Here are some pictures to remember the day.

The extra picture is of a cubby Kayla built in the dinning room where everyone was invite to have tea. She used bed sheets, small table and chairs and the esky was an effective fridge.

'A'pril - 'A'ir b'A'se 'A'nd E'A'ster

This month had two events worth a mention.

Easter and a visit to Uncle Paul's Airbase.

The children really enjoyed the Easter egg hunt however Kayla had to be content sitting and watching as the day before she had twisted her knee somehow whilst playing and therefore had a terrible night and subsequent doctors visit on Easter Sunday morning. It turned out to be quite bad with a course of rest and anti-inflammatory to reduce the fluid. We have a tradition that where we find an Easter egg, we plant a daffodil so that we remember where the Easter Bunny left the eggs. So hopefully we will have a field of daffodils in the future.

Fran was invited to take the children to Pearce Air Base to take part in the family day. The kids went in a helicopter, machi jet and fire truck. A good day was had by all.

Jay and WASO at Kings Park

On the long weekend we went to see Jay from Playschool sing with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. Here are a couple of snaps. Photographs courtesy of Tamonic.

New Addition

Our latest art aquisition by Margaret Bird. Now on show in our garden!

Holiday Oh Lovely Holiday

We went to Albany and stayed at Emu Beach Holiday Park for a quick holiday and to catch up with the family who have recently moved there. We also went to Nannup to catch up with Stokes at the oh so quiet Holberry House for a night before returning to HOT HOT Perth.

Here are a few Happy Snaps and a movie. Kayla and Caleb at the beach, 3/4 of the family at the Gap, Stephen bouncing on the bouncing balloon with the kids and the wee children at the Wind Farm.

The movie was taken at Emu Point Beach. Kayla and Caleb loved racing the waves with Mum.

In The Garden

We thought we would add a couple of photos showing some recent additions. These two sculptures are so simple but so effective. The one with a bird on top was a 40th Birthday Present for Stephen from the Stokes and the butterfly one was recently purchased from the Kalamunda Markets. We have converted both of them to simple water features that operate while the sprinklers do their 15 minute water. One tops up the water lilly pot twice a week. They make great bird baths.

Kayla and Calebs' First Week at School

Today is the end of the first week of school for Kayla in Pre-Primary and Caleb has attended 3 Year Old Kindy for the first time today. They have both had a wonderful week, no tears anywhere. Makes you think that they want to get away from us!

Here are a few happy snaps taken today.

Extension and Kids

Just a few happy snaps of the extension. Stephen managed to paint the gutters which makes it look more part of the house. The glass is all in, now we are just waiting for cabinets and the plumber to finish.

On the Australia Day long weekend we took the kids to see Hi5. It was Caleb's first big concert, he was just a bit excited and loved every minute.