Nature Journaling has begun......

We have just returned from Central Australia. We enjoyed the company of great friends from the UK . Brid & I had been studying Botany –apologia, all last term, and we decided to put it in to practice. We purchased journals, researched and talked to experienced Nature journalers and just began.

Brid took it very seriously and she took her journal everywhere we went. She drew and looked at everything in a different light. I was very impressed. It certainly gave our holiday a different feel, as Brid wanted to stop draw, look at a tree or the spider web, picked up soil and asked lots of questions. It was a great start to nature journaling. I have lots of photos to share over the next few weeks.

Just couldn't resist sharing this one

Life in Our busy home

Just a quick post
We have been enjoying friends from UKs' company over the last couple of weeks and fly to Northen Territory this week. We are all very excited. Today I am resting I have an awful Head cold.
We have just come back from Fitzroy falls camp and had a very peaceful and special Homeschool camp. I found it very strange that Dermot didn't send me my morning txt, and I was feeling a little low about this. BUT on Thursday lunch time Dermot surprised both Brid and myself by driving to camp to join us, just for one day and night. I saw him walking toward me, and just cried tears of joy and exitement. I held him very tight and was just feeling very loved and special, that he had made the effort to come to be with us. Brid was delighted and had a huge smile on her face.
So why did he not txt, he was busy working and finishing off different jobs, so he was free to join us. He is so caring.

Friends

Hi to all,

This blog will be fairly quite I think over the next few weeks. We have great friends arriving tomorrow from the UK.
so I doubt with Homeschool camp and visitors have a great deal od free time, so I apologize in advance.

Triduum

This Weekend has been a very Blessed and Holy time for us as a family, as we reflect and discuss the last few weeks.
We had an amazing 6 weeks getting to know new people in our parish, during a Lenten group.
We attended the Station of the Cross every week at a local church.
We prayed, fasted and did all that was expected of us, as Catholics.
We attended Confession and made ourselves ready for this most beautiful Triduum.
We entered Holy Week, and where honourd to collect the Oil of Catechumens and Sick from the Sacred Heart Cathedral Tuesday evening, in the Chrism Mass.
As a family, we have gotten to know many more parishioners by smiling and saying hello.
On my way into Mass, for The Lords' Supper last Thusday, I mentioned to one parishioner, that this was our first Easter here. She made the effort to chat to us after Mass. We were touched by her effort.
Brid helped on the Alter, with an Acolyte all weekend, and her face just shone.
We were invited to share an evening with friends on Good Friday. We normally would keep the somber mood that we had after the Passion of Our Lord. It was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends again, so we said yes. We all had a great time, just loving 'being'! and being part of a long standing tradition.

I must admit our highlight was going to our old church for The Stations... 10am Good Friday. Somethings just don't change.

Happy Easter Season to everyone.

Seder Meal

Tonight before we got ready for Mass, to Celebrate the Lords' Supper, we had a Seder meal.
A few weeks ago, Brid was looking through our copy of Lent & Easter in the Domestic Church.
She particularly liked The Seder Meal.
She wanted to organise it herself, (as much as she could).
So this afternoon Brid began organising our dinner table, setting the table with a nice tablecloth, choosing the best crockery, cutlery and glassware. Setting up bowls, candles, carafes, different spices, cushions for us to lounge with.
Then came all the fidderly bits. All the parts of the meal.
We had a roasted meal. Used unleaven bread as it was called for in the meal, and the nutty apple mixture.
It was a lovely occasion, and really set our mood for this evening. In fact, we would like to do this again, as it was a little rushed, as we needed to leave in plenty of time for Mass.
We thought we had left plenty of time for the readings. Anyway, Dermot led the readings for the meal as was asked in the instructions.
I would encourage you all the do this lovely tradition.

This is our first Easter weekend away from our last church. We are embracing the changes and seeing the goodness in the 'church', God placed us in.