AWABAKAL walk in the Bush

Today was another outing with our homeschool group. Yesterday was our monthly social chit chat, kids get together day. It was a great few hours.

Today we went on a guided walk /talk around the area of land owned by the ancestors of our area, the Awabakal tribe. The guide showed the bush in a new light and how it would have been used by these people. The kids got to break into groups, make shelters out of the things on the ground, take water temperatures, see insects and animal life through netting in the ponds, observe different plant life and consolidate it all by a simple work sheet. They had fun. Just a few pictures that say it all.

I just wanted to share these photos of the day.

Girls having fun

Brid turned 11 just before we went to homeschool camp at Fitzroy Falls.

Brid was my birthday present 11 years ago. Well she arrived the next day.

By tradition in our family, the birthday person gets to have breakfast in bed and be queen or king for the day.

Brid always wants to have breakfast in our bed, so that's how her day started.

Her big sister surprised her with a cool present. To have her ears pierced. I said to Louise, "When would you like to take her?" ( Thinking big sis/ little sis special time together).

Louise replied "You had better come too, I don't think I can handle it if she cries".

So that will happen soon.

Party time with some of her homeschool friends was next.

It was a lovely girlie party, and truly they could have entertained themselves, if we didn't have games and activities organised. A lovely bunch of girls.

To top of the day, my parents came over to have afternoon tea after everyone left for there homes.

And then a family movie of Brids' choice.

Such a Blessing.

A little look into our day

We surprised Brid today with an early birthday present. Brid loves horses, and she has been saving up really hard to take some lessons. So, today we took her for her riding lesson. She has riden before, so that was a start.

Instead of just a lesson, Brid was invited to stay for some hours and help out as well.

Well of course she was keen, so as I got a good feeling about the centre, felt OK about her staying, I left her to her lesson and chores. Great.

I was needed at home anyway.

Dermot and my Dad have been putting up a fence on the lower side of our property. Dad was there by himself as Dermot was busy. So after I made Dad a cup of tea and toast- he always has morning tea at 11am- and had a chat, we set off to work. Well I thought I could do something, but Dad wouldn't let me lift anything- he is old fashioned. He relented and I filled the post holes with cement and water. And as they were close to finishing began removing un needed tools.

So between Dad Dermot and myself we got it all finished, just in time for me to pick a very tired, but very excited daughter up. She had a ball and has of course asked to go back, but she will need to do extra chores. Todays lesson was a gift from her Mum and Dad, which she was delighted about, of course.

Today was also the day Louise fixed up her phone, so she could txt me, that was another yeah!!, back in contact moment. They ended up 're booting' it.

So after all the busyness of our day, we had some friends come to visit, and they stayed for dinner. The kids played and we chatted. It was a lovely finish to a beautiful sunny Autumn day.

I do really enjoy this time of year, it is such nice season of the year, for so many reasons.

Trusting

Its been a huge journey over the last 12 months. One I would not like to place on anyone, but we are stronger and much more resilient than before.

Who would have believed the way family and others have turned there backs on our pain and judged us.

It has spiralled us both to a very dark pit, and climbing back to middle ground- can't say we are at the top-, it has renewed our faith in Our Lord. The last few weeks have shown that to us in a big way.

I can truly say, I Trust in YOU Lord, because I know it is through him that we will receive any healing that we need.

I know He has a plan and we just need to let him show us the way.

If this means to pack up and follow him to the ends of the Earth, we will.

I still struggle in crowds and places of familiarity. This is my humanness, and its an area again I need to ask Our Lord to heal.

So as we, as a family, place each step on the ground and walk with Jesus, we just Trust that he knows what we need.

We place before him our lives and our needs, and saying that we say, we surrender all to You and 'Yes', I will do it according to you will. So out of this comes newness, new life, new hope, new challenges and a new family. And in it all, deeply aware of God's providence in our lifes.

So with all this in mind we can sing

New Spirit, New heart give us a brand new start,

so the world can proclaim the glory of Your name.

Take pride and resistance,

give faith and obedience and love.

You give us new life!

He is Alive

Our daughter came in to us today singing the words of one of my favourite songs.

I will share with you the chorus.

He is Alive, yes He is risen
He is Alive, yes He is risen,
Risen, He is the Lord, Jesus the King.

written by a friend of ours.

May the Lord bless you today on this most beautiful day.

NOVENA

Today is the first day of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

It is my favourite Novena. Would you like to say this Novena with us?

My favourite season of the Year

Lent is always a time of reflection and a time that our parish Priest has always encouraged us- his parish; to form small group, gather in homes read the Gospel and prayer together.
As we have done for 16 years, in our Parish, Dermot and I gathered in our respective groups once a week.
It was a great program, set out by Wollongong Dioceses. Great Music and a Prayer in all seasons was the focus. I got a lot out of the program. My friend S was the first person I had contact with in this parish, when we moved to the area, and it is always special to share the journey with her.
We knew we would have a busy Lent because 2 nights of the week were taken up with Lenten groups. But added to that was our Engaged couple we were mentoring weekly, and a course I have been attending weekly. So we have stepped into Holy week and the Triduum rather exhausted.
I love the Triduum, it is something that I have grown in, and just sit after Mass on Holy Thursday in tears. Like most of us, it just touches me right in my own sorrows and challenges.
Tonight was no different, but the difference, was that we felt very peaceful to just stay as long as we wanted to, to wait with Jesus in his Agony. Brid was touched and just wanted to sit close to us and be still.
Driving home the mood was sober. But peaceful.

And my favourite words that have been a mantra for me over the last 10 months have been 'watching and waiting', and there were those words again tonight. Did it hit me, yes like a tonne of bricks.

Have a blessed Easter.