The end of 2009

It's been a funny week in Sydney - funny as in not sunny, very rainy and occasionally cold - so really not funny at all!

Despite that we've been busy - visiting friends in Elvina Bay (stunning place just 30 minutes by car and 2 minutes by boat), walking in the Blue Mountains and doing some shopping.

Boxing Day involved the start of the Sydney Hobart. Our friend Jules was sailing on St Jude, a 47 foot yacht, and set of at 1:00pm on the 26th - finally arriving in Hobart some 4 days later. We were very excited on the 27th as for about 16 hours Jules and his crew were leading the race on Handicap. Sadly the winds changed and the ended up a very creditable 20th - but not quite 1st....

Elvina Bay is a glorious part of Pittwater. You get there by boat and there are 84 houses. Our friends Nigel & Helen have been staying up there for Christmas (with our boat) so we went and joined them for the day. We had a great time jumping of the jetty and watching the world sail by.

We also found a small creature underneath their dinning room table. I insisted it was a Pygmy Possum. The girls insisted it was a baby possum that had lost its mum. Well the RSPCA were called and the little Possum was then taken by boat to the RSCPA guy on the mainland. The next day Helen was called and asked to go back and collect the Pygmy Possum and return it to the woods! So, next time you are in the bush with Emma ignore anything she says about local flora or fauna.

Tonight it's Manly fireworks at 9pm then home for the main Sydney fireworks at midnight. I am sure a New Year blog will be required to share some firework snaps.

Ken

Some Christmas snaps

We have had a great Christmas in Sydney. Despite terrible weather we still made it to the beach on Christmas day for a swim and had an excellent dinner (in doors) with all the usual turkey & trimmings.

These are some initial snaps of the day.

Xmas Greetings

A few more snaps from the show

Cannot get video to work...so more snaps instead. There were taken at the dress rehearsal.

The Twelve Days of Christmas -like you've never seen it before!

A few months ago Emma was asked if James & Olivia wanted to take part in a Christmas production. The production theme was "The 12 Days of Christmas". After 5 rehearsals, including a full dress rehearsal the show took place last night - and what a show.

It was put on by the local C3 Church - which is a bit happy/clappy for my liking but they know how to manage a stage show. Great music, amazing light show and the kids performed like real stars.

James was one of the 12 Drummers Drumming and Olivia was a butterfly - not quite sure which "Day" she was part of.

Did you know that the Twelve Days of Christmas all have a biblical meaning - for example The French Hens represent the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Love?

That was all a little lost on the kids, but they had a great time. The grown ups managed to escape from the clutches of the happy/clappy crowd without too much damage to our wallet - this was not like churches I grew up with - there was a credit card slip on each chair to make your donation with! Father Jackson would be turning in his grave......

The video will follow soon!

Talent Show

The local primary school has a talent show towards the end of each term.

This year James did not enter but Olivia and her friend Tess did.

They finished in the top 3 and qualified for the final - sadly we were away camping and Olivia could not take part - but we clearly have a talented young lady in our family!