Back to work Tuesday...

Hi everyone,

Well, summer break is coming to an end so we have been pretty busy getting all the last minute chores done around here. As you'll be seeing below, I have stocked my beer cupboard with home brew...that was a good chore done. We have also taken the kids to school to swim where Talor was also able to sit on the maintenance guy's tractor. He liked that. Lastly, there are a few cute pictures of the kids below as well. We hope that you are all doing well and that you're starting to thaw out in the states. Don't forget to sign up with Skype (free of charge) and stay in touch with us.

Jon

Shell's Sewing

Hi all, so I thought it was about time I updated you all on my latest sewing efforts, I'm really loving having the time to potter around with my sewing while Jon has been on holiday

Some Pj pants for layla and a friend's little girl

Crayon Rolls, I made these for a friends kids for Christmas

Dolls Carry Cot for Layla for Christmas

Art Storage bags for Talor's new markers, crayons, pencils and chalk & a couple of door stops

Reversable bags, this one is mine and I made 4 more for Christmas presents for friends

Some A-Line Skirts for me, sorry about the photos I just wanted the skirts in the picture

Latest Nappies I've made, some of them are for Layla and others are for my Friends Bubs, VJ. First photo is the front and then the backs

I have been lucky enough to borrow a copy of an Ottobre Pattern Book, which I am loving!!!! They have some great patterns in them and this is the little Pinafore dress. I ended up doing 2 of them because the first one is a little tight on her as well as very short.

So thats the update so far, I'll try and put the next lot of sewing/crafting up soon.

Have a great week everyone and bye from me!

Shell

Goodbye Frank

Hi everyone,

Some sad news from us, Frank has died. Frank has had good days and bad days, but last night we thought he had turned the corner. However, when we woke up this morning we noticed that he was not well and was not moving. We're not sure how or why he was sick, but Frank has died and is now buried at the side of our house. He was a good kitten.

Frank and Lola Bacarella

Hi again everyone and Happy New year. We wanted to introduce you to the new additions to the Bacarella family...Frank and Lola (all Parrotheads are smiling at the moment). We got them this morning and they have fit right in to the family. They are 8 weeks old and, in stride, have taken quite a beating from the kids so far. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about these two rascals in 2009. Take care and be safe!

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Hi again everyone,

Here are the latest pictures from Christmas day and Boxing Day. The weather was beautiful BOTH days! We had a BBQ breakfast on Christmas morning and then went to a picnic on Boxing Day. Santa was great to the kids and everyone had a good time. It's New Years Eve here at the moment and we have nothing planned really. We may go to the beach for fish n' chips, but that's about it. I may even be able to make it until midnight...we'll see.

Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone and look for more updates in 2009.

Merry Christmas 2008

Hi everyone,

Well, if you are reading this from the states then it probably sounds kind of silly, but too bad...it's Christmas here! Actually, I am writing this on Christmas Eve but that's okay. We had a great day today, waiting for Santa. We ended up going strawberry picking and had family over for pizza dinner. We have also been tracking where Santa has been...he was having cocoa in the north pole when Talor and Layla went to bed.

Anyway, Santa came early tonight due to the fact that the kids went to bed and are sleeping well. He came and had a beer with me (dad) and shot the breeze while putting the presents out. I took some photos to show everyone...this is what Talor and Layla will be waking up to in a couple of hours...pretty cool really.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone and have a great holiday. More updates to come soon.

Love,

The Bacarellas

A New Zealand Christmas

Hi again everyone,

Below are a few photos of our Kiwi Christmas happening at the moment. We went to the Blockhouse Bay Santa Parade where we ate ice cream and watched for Santa. We also put up our Christmas tree, which Talor loved to decorate and Layla loved to take apart. Overall, the weather has been pretty good and we are looking forward to Santa's arrival. Merry Christmas everyone!

Last week Friday was the last day of school for the year...what a relief. It was also the day that we drove to Lake Taupo to spend the weekend. A fellow English teacher wasn't able to use it until the following Monday, so she gave it to us for the weekend. It was right on the lake, it had a pool and two hot tubs, and the weather was fantastic the whole weekend! The kids absolutely loved the water and it was hard to get Talor out EVERYDAY!

There were also kayaks and other toys to use, so Talor and I took a bit of a paddle out to check out the boats that were anchored just off shore. Overall, we had a wonderful weekend and got lots and lots of sun. Now it's just time to enjoy the summer break!

Take care everyone and stay in touch when you can. Also, if you haven't already, dowload Skype in order to stay in touch, free of charge, online. It's great, and definitely worth it. Happy holidays...check this space as the holidays come closer...I'll try to update it a bit more often.