Some Randomness

Okay. So, it's been awhile. But, not because we haven't had blog worthy material. Mostly because summer brings with it zero lazy-days at our house (perhaps a slight exaggeration with the word "zero" in an effort to earn some pity!).

Anyway, the point is, I have some catching up to do. But, I'm going to put that off a little longer.

As I was playing with the cool iphoto feature on my new Mac (which I'm pretty sure makes me cool), I ran across a couple of photos that made me smile.

First, guess whose suitcase came home from camp looking like this??

And, how cute is this girl?


Lastly, look what my kids looked like just a little less than one year ago...(This picture would have so much more impact if I had a current picture in the same spot so that the madness at how quickly they are growing would be evident...but, on my honor, they are growing up TOO FAST!)

Guess Who Got a MacBook??

Celebrations and Preparations

We had a great weekend of celebrations starting with my birthday on Friday, Emma's on Saturday, and Father's Day today! I came home from work on Friday to a spotless house and a bar lined with sweet home-made cards and awesome presents! Sarah took all the kids to Jake and Heather's and Wes and I had almost 24 hours completely to ourselves. It was the strangest thing!! We went to dinner on Friday AND lunch on Saturday ALONE.

I spent the majority of the day on Saturday getting ready to get ready to go to camp! I think the reason I hate packing so much is that the first step in packing is ALWAYS laundry, which at the Powell house looks a little something like this...(See, Mom, those piano lessons really paid off!)

Anyhoo, after packing for six people, I think we are all set for Kids' Camp tomorrow! JP, Abbee, Wes, and I are all spending the week at camp while Emma and JW spend some quality time with their Aunt Leigh, Uncle James, and Glory!!

I'm off to bed to get charged for the big week ahead. (Of all the people here in Oz, I think I'll miss my bed the most!!)

Happy 8th Birthday, Emma!

I think one of my favorite things about Emma is her smile! Rare is the day she doesn't face with a HUGE smile in tow. She uses it to celebrate life's best moments as well as to conquer life's greatest fears! Her mantra is: Just keep smiling, just keep smiling, just keep smiling, smiling! And, when you see it, you just can't help but smile right back!

She is also a girl of BIG ADVENTURE and is most at home in the great outdoors.


Most of her exploring is done with her favorite person by her side...
These two have been known to capture tadpoles, minnows, frogs, crickets, rolly pollies, and any other critter that might facinate them. They are never at a loss for something to do...especially if they get to do it together!

And, then there's her "funky" side. She is a free spirit for sure! She thinks outside the box and can often be found in "La La Land" where her imagination runs wild and her thoughts make us chuckle!

Happy birthday my super funky, super adventurous, super smiley baby girl! I love you to pieces!

The Reason My Sister Should Blog...

This little spit-fire is my crazy niece Randee. She gave herself a haircut yesterday hence, the egg-shaped bald spot she's now sporting atop her once beautifully adorned with red hair head!!