Growing Up - Joshua turns 9!

It has been a big countdown to the big day for you, Joshua. Not sure you still think you will grow an inch the night before your birthday as you did for the last few years but nonetheless you have reached 9 years old!

Our big 9 year old, soon to become an older brother to three siblings! When we told you that you were to be big brother again - you could hardly believe your ears and gave me hugs over and over in a state of shock and delight!

You are such an enthusiastic boy! You anticipated this day for some time. I watched as you and a group of friends splashed around the pool. You excitedly went from one to another, chatting away, enjoying a bit of rough boy play and splashing and having a grand time. You love to be with people and after the party is over you were just dying to go and visit someone or have more guests over!

You tend to make friends wherever you go - simply because you are brave enough to go up to unfamiliar faces and get to know them. Just love it. Our family has been introduced to so many beautiful people because of this boldness. We thank the Lord for it.

When I teach you at home I am amazed at how quickly you pick things up. Today I was trying to solve a maths question with you and you solved it before I could even get my mind around the question... As many know you have an amazing memory for dates and times and details - Daddy recently wanted to call some of your friends to reschedule an event and you had memorised the number and gave it to him just like that!

Lately it has struck me just how fast you are growing up, wanting to be more independent and try new things. Even lighting the candles on your cake was something you just wanted to do yourself! Daddy and Mummy are hoping we might be able to give you a room on your own soon so you can have some growing up space. We love you so much, Josh and we often pray together in the early mornings that you would grow to have an enthusiastic passion for Christ.

When we do our regular walks around the lake after dropping Owen at school I am aways astounded at how enthusiastically you spot insects, bearded dragons sunbaking, new ducklings and bobbing turtle heads. You even asked me recently if you could walk around the lake twice (considering the 30min. walking part isn't your favourite - you were so caught up in God's creation!)

Your enthusiasm for nature means that even simple activities like the animal farm

still excites you - you spent the majority of your time at Owen's Prep reunion, simply patting animals and trying to chase a chook around the pen.

There will always be new challenges, new experiences and disappointments ahead but we pray that as you grow, you would learn to cling to the Saviour who loves you, that you might see His hand always present even when the going is grim or when you are alone, doing tedious jobs you don't enjoy or frustrated at new challenges. He loves you dearly, Joshua, and more deeply than Daddy or Mummy ever could!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Cornelia and the Gracchi

I just sat down this evening to prepare some school work for Joshua who is to be at Grandma's for a few hours tomorrow while we attend a funeral. The chapter in 'A Child's History of the World' I read in preparation discussed the rise of the Roman empire - the aqueducts, the amazing way the Romans built roads, created long-lasting infrastructure, etc. While shocked again by reading of their gladiatorial, blood-thirsty appetitites I continued reading on and learned about a lady I have never heard of before. I will quote from the book, and though I know little else about this woman and her sons I just loved the picture of motherhood it conjoured up in my mind and told me of this woman's heart.

One day a very rich Roman woman was visiting Cornelia and showing off her rings and necklaces and other ornaments, of which she had a great many and was very proud.

When she had shown off all she had, she asked to se Cornelia's jewels.

Cornelia called to her two boys, who were playing outside, and when they came in to their mother she put her arms around them and said:

"These are my jewels."

Apparently these two sons (known as the Gracchi) grew up and set to work trying to help the poor in Rome to survive and be able to afford at least a small plot of land where they could grow crops.... Their attempts to help the poor lead to the death of one (hated by the greedy rich in Rome).

...and isn't there a children's Sunday School song called "Precious Jewels" describing children as jewels to Christ?

Credit to Australian National Gallery

Silly Putty

How to make slime (or "silly putty as it is called on youtube)


You need:

• Borax
• PVA glue (non toxic)
• Water
• Food colouring

Just click on this link for proportions and method:


My kids have spent a lot of time watching this goo, causing their mother to panic about where it went and just poking it and letting it creep over the edge of cups, etc.





And there you have it!


PS - No, Owen it is NOT edible though the colours might look yummy:)

Sprung

Just gotta love those huggy moments!

Bad blogger

The bad, bad blogger is back! I seem to avoid the computer at the moment with renovations and jobs around the house to put extra effort into. Either that, or I just colapse in bed at 8pm as soon as the kids are in bed. Big, round and tired at the moment but very thankful for my little tribe.

Well here are a few snippets:

It is mulberry season again at the Campbells.

Daddy made mulberry icecream. I think we have decided the only safe way for children to eat mulberry icecream is outside in an old tub of water with an rag to scrub them over afterwards:) Or maybe a fire hose:)

Considering it is just straight, frozen mulberries put through our ice-cream fitting on our juicer, I guess the stain factor is at its peak!

Invited friends from church to join us for lunch before convoying together for a wedding in the city. Here's the happy couple

Enjoyed a day at the beach with our new pastor, his wife and their grandkids who they were minding for a few days in school holidays. Joshua made great friends with their grandson so the two of them enjoyed playing and digging in mud!

Were invited to celebrate a friend's joy at her husband finally arriving in Australia after waiting 2 1/2 years. Her hubby was finally able to come face to face with his little boy whom he had never seen before.

Any guess which child is not theirs?

Here is the cutie, himself on his 2nd birthday!

We also recently received news that a friend of ours passed away in much the same way David's father did, from skin cancer. He was a Godly man and so we rejoice though we feel the loneliness and sorrow his wife faces as she continues the journey alone.... but yet, not alone!

It seems there are many more things we did during the holidays - Joshua had spent time with his friends, time catching up as well as days were we did very little, but just pottered, visited the library or ran wild outside.

I do feel my posts have been somewhat boring for outsiders, just factual and lots of unfamiliar faces... have always felt a little vulnerable getting into deeper subjects on my blog, though I know that those type of posts are the ones I enjoy the most when reading friend's blogs. A spiritual challenge, a call to think more seriously about life/parenting, etc. and personal struggles that have helped me to grow...

Bubsies

What a joy a little life can bring. This is my friend's latest addition. After five boys a little girl was quite a surprise! We have been praying as a family that little Fiona will grow to know and love the Lord.

Not sure of Sudanese traditions but it seemed this poor Mum had quite a full house

after Fiona was born - she looked especially tired and sore being up half the night and having had a C section.

I rekon' Fiona will be one tough lil' cookie with four big brothers (eldest overseas) to keep her in line:)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Plunge into Science

You just have to love experiments and boys. We were discussing air pressure, and reading through a Science book which suggested we try using a plunger on various surfaces to see which ones it would stick to...

A few surfaces worked.... a few didn't...


But trust Josh to come up with this one!

Tenderness

Awwwhhh - don't you just wish you could take away the runny nose and dizzy head and put a
smile on her face?

My Mamma used to grate up apple and orange for us when we were sick - perhaps it was easy for us to eat, had some vitamin C - I only remember that it was yummy and helped to lighten up my sniffles by a few degrees! I tried this trick with Rosa at lunch (Mum I haven't worked out the nack of grating orange) and sure enough she managed to gobble it down.

She then reluctantly agreed to read some books in bed - took one look inside the cover and then her head was down.

Can we even begin to know just how tenderly our Heavenly Father cares for us?

Church BBQ

One of the down sides to being a part of a small church is having no one show up for the church BBQ except for the new pastor and his wife and our family:)

Quite disappointing but you know we enjoyed ourselves anyway - had a chance to get to know
this dedicated couple more.

David and I have been quite encouraged at his enthusiasm for reaching out to our community. As well as the dedicated time he gives to preparing his messages, he has been working on his TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course and is hoping to start English lessons locally. I think that once the word gets around this will be a fantastic opportunity! We personally know of a number of families who would greatly benefit... David has been helping a teenager from Ghana to understand his homework, I've had a little opportunity to help a friend prepare for her citizenship test and we have seen how so many in our neighbourhood have such a tough time fitting into Australian society because they simply need more English/need a friend or need to understand the way our funny Aussie society works.


So while the turn up wasn't great (later the pastor's daughter and her family joined in much to Joshua's absolute delight as they have a boy Joshua's age) we were encouraged that the Lord cares for our suburb, the needy neighbours around us, those who come to church and can only understand a few words here and there as well as the 'seasoned saints' who are no longer able to contribute due to ill health. We also thank the Lord for bringing along a pastor who cares deeply for his flock...

Thankyou, Lord, for your continued work right here in our humble suburb!

Oh, and you wouldn't know there were only a few of us with this spread of meat!

Father's Day

I like to make something special for the Mums on Mother's Day and so it was time for something for the Dads this time.

I had some gold, unused coffee bags sitting in my cupboard. So I decided to fill them with some goodies...

I made some Rocky Road (which was very hard to keep the family from nibbling as I made just enough)



Then I pinched an idea from little sister's gift to me (a little sticky-note cover) a while ago..

and made a masculine version:

Here's the inside...(white sticky-notes are nicer but I couldn't find them so I stuck with the option of avoiding running around town...)


Then I packed the sticky-note pads, pen and decadent smelling (no I didn't covet - but was very tempting!) Rocky road into the bag, decorated the outside a little (convieniently covering the coffee bag fresh seal with a Father's Day tag...

... multiply all that by 12 (some real benefits to being in a small church;)

and had just the right amount (phew! - thought I was making extra...)

for the Dads at church


And this is how poor Daddy looked when awoken for Father's Day surprises this morning!

Then it was off to church - Daddy was preaching from 1 John 2:28 through 3:10- challenging us to know if we are in Christ - and if we are in Christ to be reminded that His seed is in us - and it grows and we will ultimately be perfected in Him in glory...

Later when we had gormet pizzas with Daddy - Daddy's choice was this unusual one with cashews, mango chutney and snow pea sprouts!

Now Daddy and Josh are pumping up bike tyres and are off for a cycle down nearby streets... Josh is oozing enthusiasm - just loves these Sunday arvo. rides...

Thanks David, for being a wonderful Daddy - for explaining all those electrial device gimicks to Josh, for sharing your heart with the children during evening devotions, for encouraging hospitality in the home, for showing your diligence for God's Word and never taking the lazy way out in sermon prep!, for letting the kids bounce hard on your belly (and actually enjoying it) for letting our little ones get underfoot and remaining in a fun, playful spirit! They always find outings and times alone with Daddy so much fun! Most of all, thanks for loving each one in a way that makes them feel treasured and helps them to get a taste of the love the Father has for them!


XOX - We love Daddy!