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Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts

Monday, February 2, 2015

First Day of (Home) School! Meet the Kids!

Today was our first day back to school!

I love starting fresh with new books, new supplies, and a clean house!
 
I'm joining Our Worldwide Classroom for the Aussie (Not) Back to School Blog Hop.
This week's theme - Meet the kids.
 
My favourite photos of the kids are the ones on my blog header,
but here are photos taken today on our first day of school.
 
My 7th grader.  Wow!  How did this happen?!  It dawned on me while preparing for this school year, that I am halfway through the school years with her.  A little bit about her: she loves anything outdoorsy - climbing trees, hiking, catching snakes with dad, and so on.  She wants to be a missionary when she grows up, and has a burden for Africa.  On her own, she has been studying Swahili.  She helps us with church services on the Indigenous community, and is chomping at the bit to teach Sunday School.  She also enjoys drawing and writing stories. 

My second grader.  He is definitely a momma's boy, but loves doing "man" things in the garage with daddy.  He recently got his first tool box and has organised it just so...hmmmm...wonder where he gets that from!  He loves cars and planes, shooting his bow, racing his RC car around the yard, riding his bike, and cuddling to read a book.  He's a bit of a homebody like his mum. 

For the first day of school I made pancakes and bacon. 
Not sure if you can see from the photo,
but the pancakes are in the shape of their grade.
We had a great first day back to school, I'm looking forward to a great year!



Our Worldwide Classroom
 

Monday, September 8, 2014

Relay For Life

This past weekend Autumn volunteered with her scout troop to help at the Relay for Life event.  She went to help not really certain what the event was for.  During the opening ceremony, all the carers and survivors got up and shared their story.   It then became personal for Autumn.  Just a few short years ago, her adopted nana died of cancer.  Nana was my friend's mom, Autumn's friends' nana.  Nana would make her granddaughters clothing for their American Girl dolls, and would also make clothing for Autumn's American Girl dolls.  Nana was one of the happiest people I ever met.  She always, always had a smile on her face.  She was one very special lady. 
 
 
 
Autumn bought this bag and decorated it in memory of Nana.
 
Here is the bag during the candlelight service.
I miss her, too.
 
 

Friday, March 14, 2014

The Australian Scouts - Autumn


...be prepared for action and adventure.






Autumn joined our local scout group.  Here the scouts include boys and girls.  The kids here take the scouts seriously, and the team effort is amazing.  This past week she was invested.  Which means she's an official scout.  She received her scarf and badges, and can begin earning other badges.  She has already learned a series of knots, and is looking forward to their first camping trip.  Because we won't let her go camping without one of us, Patrick "has" to go along.  He's looking forward to it, too.

Another bonus to this is she has been praying for opportunities to witness, and she will have plenty here.  Please pray she will have the boldness to share God's love with those around her.

Cody will be invested into his scout group - the joey scouts- on Monday, so I'll post those photos then.



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

10 Reasons I Homeschool


1. I believe God wants me to homeschool my children.
 
2. I enjoy having my children home with me.
Yes, I really do!
 
3. My children are able work at their own pace.
 
4. My children learn in a relaxed environment.
 
5. I have control over the choice of my children's friends,
as opposed to them being in a school setting where I don't know their classmates or their parents.
 
6. My children are best friends (for the most part!). 
 
7. I don't want strangers teaching my children.  
 
8.  I enjoy the one-on-one time with them.
 
9.  I love learning along side my children.
 
10.  I love having my family altogether!
 
 
 

Friday, November 23, 2012

Birthday Surprise!

Autumn turns 10 on Sunday.  She's been asking since she was 5 to get her ears pierced.  Today we finally went to get them done, but we didn't tell her until we walked into the store!  She was so excited that she barely cried when they did the actual piercing!  We are having a little birthday party for her on Saturday.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Poor Missionary Kid?

I've heard people say before that missionaries are making sacrifices.  Missionary kids, even more so.  Oh, those poor missionary kids.  I recently read this  quote by David Livingston, "If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice."   Yes, my kids live 13,000 miles away from their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends.  But we are exactly where God wants us.  I remember when I first told my dad that I was dating a man that had been called to Australia's Outback.  I asked him what he thought.  He said, "I would rather you live in the middle of Australia's Outback in God's will, then live next door out of God's will."

Some days it is difficult to not have family living close by, to not go to Cracker Barrel with my dad and brothers Sunday after church, or run to Wal-Mart and get everything you need in one trip.  But, oh how the blessings outweigh those little conveniences!  My kids have seen more of this world in the last few years than most adults have seen in their entire lifetime.  They have opportunities everyday to serve the Lord and serve others.  I do not want my children to feel special because they are missionary kids, I want them to feel honored that God chose us.  I've met some grown missionary children that have a sense of entitlement, like we owe them something.  This may be because people were constantly telling them how much they had to give up, and how sorry they were for them to have to grow up on foreign soil.  Not all missionary kids are like this, but I have met some that are.

I want my children to grow up with a desire to serve the Lord, whether we were living in America or here in Australia.  We were given a special call to come here to Australia, we are blessed.  There are children here in Australia that have lived here their entire lives.  No one thinks they're making a great sacrifice.  What sacrifices did we make to come here?  To live the American dream?  Well, we're living the Australian dream!  The Lord has blessed us with a nice home, my kids each have their own rooms (something they didn't have in the states, they shared a room), we have a nice Jeep (something my husband loves), and we have a dog (another thing we didn't have in the states).  So, if anything we were sacrificing while living in the states!  I am blessed.  My kids are blessed.  God has been so very good to us. 

So, I said all this to say this...don't feel so sorry for my kids...be jealous!  Ha!  Just kidding, well, a little.  :)  Seriously, my kids do miss their friends and family.  They get homesick.  I get homesick.  But like Paul said in I Timothy 1:12, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."  The times I do get homesick, I think of Heaven.  What a short time we get here on earth to spend serving the Lord and "sacrificing" for Him, but I will get all eternity to worship God and spend with my family in Heaven.  It's only a brief moment in time we have here on earth, and I pray my life will be used to further the Kingdom of Heaven for His name's sake.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

She's My BFF, Mom

Yesterday we went to visit some friends. Not just any friend, but Autumn informed me that they're "not just friends - they're BFF's, more like sisters, mom". Autumn (on the right) and Katie (left) are 7 months apart. Yesterday Katie turned 6, and for the next few months they will be the same age. Autumn and Katie have known each other since the day Katie was born. You see, Katie's mom and I just happen to be BFF's, too! What a quinky-dink! I am so thankful that I have such a good friend, and that our kid's are good friends, too. It also so happens that she has another daughter who happens to be 5 months older than my son. I will not tell you that the mom's have already planned their wedding, but I will tell you I saw Cody give Meghan a kiss yesterday...I'm just saying!

~ Jen ~