Holidays are for taking it easy together!!

This is a very visual post of what we have been up to over the past 3 weeks!! We have enjoyed slowing down our pace and rethinking next term.

A balancing game...

I set up a balancing game for the littlies and much to my surprise it entertained all of them! especially when Josef turned out to be best at throwing the ball into the bucket!

If they missed they had to try again from where it fell..

 Our last week of term our friends visited to share an activity...paper baskets!

 Damon has been very enthusiastically, planning trips overseas!! He is researching aeroplanes, costs and itineries!! He is trying to talk us into saving for one to Europe!

 Op shopping was fun this holidays!! We picked up a marble run, jigsaws and a car mat for Josef! We were thrilled with our bargains!

 Avril's Birthday!! 
 Avril turned 6 this holidays!! She decided that an under the sea party would be fun! So we started to make decorations!

 Our guests were sent home with buckets full of surprises!

 And of course there was cake! Avril chose a blue star fish!!

 Avril surprised us all dressed as seaweed! And enjoyed receiving her presents.

 We decorated the outside with an under the sea theme!

The kids all made jelly fish..

 Avril blew out her candles...

Then it was time for food! Blue ocean punch!!

Parasol cupcakes!

 Then it was time to get wet!! Well that wasn't the plan, but it is sure what happened :)

A very innocent game of toss the water bomb at the clown, was crashed by a crazy mum, who decided it needed more excitement!! 

The clown was no longer the target!! But me!!

Followed by a game of What's the Time Mr. Jellyfish!!!

And Pin the Tail on EEyore - he was visiting the ocean for the day!!

It was a fun morning for us all celebrating Avril's 6th birthday!!

Steamfest: Each year our local town throws a special time of celebrating steam trains. Each year there are lots to explore and a race to look forward to, between a plane and a steam train! And every year we find ourselves heading there!

And across at the local park, the vintage car enthusiasts gather. So we always head over and check it out!

Of course the girls love all cars pink!! And why not!

And Josef likes anything with a special 'fast' stripe splattered across its side!

Always a great weekend!

The kids and I have been enjoying each other at home!

Adele made herself a bow and arrow, that actually worked!

We dabbled in some art!! Vincent Van Gogh being our first attempt!

 We read some fantastic books from the library! Josef loves Green Eggs and Ham! We have never really read much Dr. Seuss! And Avril surprised me by picking a book about May Gibbs life! It turns out that Adele has a love of history, through living books!

We have also been watching a series called Step back In Time, which has us all fascinated! It is set back in England and for each era, they send in several families who get to really live it!

And I am very excited because one of my friends has taught me to make soap! And it has worked! Now just to wait whilst it hardens up so we can use it!

It certainly has been a refreshing 3 weeks, that we all needed! It has been a great time to get refocused on what really matters! But my next post will explain all of that!

Easter Adventures!!!

Last week we took time off our normal studies to focus on Easter and the meaning that comes with celebrating this event. The two big kids and I worked through some catechisms from the book, Truth and Grace Memory book. We searched the scriptures on Sin, looking at Adam and Eve, why they ate the fruit, who tempted them, what was their consequence and how it has effected us! We also searched the scriptures for what our sins deserve and we talked about if anyone can go to heaven with a sinful nature! We discovered the answer was no!

So what hope do we have? Jesus!

We looked up the word - regeneration - a change of heart. How do we get this change of heart? Through the Holy Spirit!

We looked up righteousness - God's goodness! Can we get to heaven by our own righteousness? The answer is No! No one is good enough!

So what hope do we have? Jesus!

We found out what a covenant is - an agreement between two or more persons. And we discovered the Covenant of Grace! The agreement made with God and His people to save them from their sins! We looked at what Jesus undertook in this covenant - keep Holy law for His people and to SUFFER punishment due to our sins!

We discussed whether Jesus ever sinned - the answer NO! But He died for ours! We are justified through Jesus. We have been granted righteousness! He saves those who repent of their sin and believe Jesus! we need to be sorry for our sin and to hate it, turn our backs on it because God dislikes it!

Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we be saved! To help us do this we need to pray to Him for the Holy Spirit as we can do nothing good without God's spirit. We need Him!

And of course Easter wouldn't be Easter without Chocolate!!

We made chocolate bunnies...

I discovered on Play Eat Grow, a poem entitled, The Sweet Truth of Easter! This poem uses MMM's to illustrate the meaning of Easter. Turn the M to look like and E for Easter, 3 for 3 days in the tomb, M for mercy, W for worship.

 

I really wanted to make a resurrection garden but had none of the resources needed! Thankfully during prayer, God gave me this idea! A papier mache resurrection garden!

I also tackled some gluten free hot cross buns, which tasted yummy!

Easter day came, firstly we attended church to celebrate Christ's resurrection! Then it was the egg hunt :)

The kids decided because dad missed out as he hid them, they sent him inside and hid some for him...no one missed out!

Avril had to help Daddy, as she had just stood by the garden and thrown it to wherever it landed!

Avril found this ring of leaves and exclaimed - the crown of thorns!

 We also had a chocolate egg and spoon race...

Other things we have been up to! The Well, God made us unique! The kids made some pet rocks and they knew every bit of their pet because they were the creator!

 Damon finished off his model aeroplane...

 I signed the kids up for Xtramaths..it is free and gives the kids practice on their maths skills.

 Avril is using All in one Homeschooling to help her with reading..they have a complete free homeschool curriculum plan, with links and online books! The use McGruffy readers to teach reading.

Even Josef had a turn!! A-A-A!

Adele and I read Ephesians 6 today. We read about the Armour of God. We discussed the importance of each of the parts of armour. We used an orange to illustrate the need for this armour. As we took off parts of the armour, we watched the orange sink into the water. We need God's word to help us stand firm in His ways, without falling into lies and destruction.

 We have a had a great couple of weeks looking at what Christ has done for us, hope you all had a great Easter too!

Jesus takes the punishment for our sins, conquering death, sin and the enemy! Thank you Jesus!!

John 19

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

19 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. ² And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. ³ Then they said,^[a] “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

⁴ Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

Pilate’s Decision

⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
⁶ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our^[b] law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
⁸ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
¹² From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
¹³ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
¹⁵ But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
¹⁶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.^[c]

The King on a Cross

¹⁷ And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, ¹⁸ where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.¹⁹ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁰ Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

²¹ Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. ²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”^[d]

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Behold Your Mother

²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

It Is Finished

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing^[e] that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” ²⁹ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

³¹ Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and thatthey might be taken away. ³² Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.³⁵ And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. ³⁶ For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”^[f] 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”^[g]

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

³⁸ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. ³⁹ And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰ Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹ Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴² So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.