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| Arriving |
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| Main meeting room |
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| Small group time-shame they couldn't find a prettier spot to meet.... |
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| Climbing the 199 steps |
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Free time |
Sunday 20 October 2013
Levuka
Last weekend, Tony spent 3 days at a beautiful island called Levuka. He was the speaker at one of the student camps -speaking on the book of Ephesians. It is the former capital of Fiji and has alot of "firsts" there. Has the first school, church and hospital in Fiji. Even has the first fish cannery in Fiji.Apart from speaking at the camp, they all got to visit a boarding school, go to church and play countless games of volleyball. Very picturesque.
Church
Hannah took a few snaps of our church this morning -just to give you an idea of where we go each Sunday morning. We are starting to feel like part of the place now, learning peoples names and look forward to going each week and hearing teaching from the bible. The kids are particularly taken with the pastors 6 kids (American, but lived in Fiji for many years) and are loving teaching them Aussie games and rhymes. Hannah has even started helping out with leading in the Sunday School now and then.
Ethan's 12th Birthday
It's been a big week around here, with Ethan's 12th birthday and party celebrations! He got the day off school on his birthday. Given Ethan's intense dislike of school, Tony and I decided that for the last 8 weeks of term he could have 5 mental health days to get him through -and so the first one was used on his birthday. It was a day of playing squash with his dad, watching endless hours of Bear Grylls while drinking tonic water and a beautiful lunch at a new restuarant we found down the road.
We are very thankful to God for our hilarious and soft hearted boy. A story that sums him up happened the other day. When I found a baby ghecko in the fridge (and was about to chuck it carelessly outside), Ethan bolted over, carefully cupped it in his hands and blew warm air on it while rocking it back to full health. He's a kind, sensitive lad who loves his sisters and is extremely protective of both of them. Should be interesting in a few years!
Here are some photos of his big day and party over the weekend.
We are very thankful to God for our hilarious and soft hearted boy. A story that sums him up happened the other day. When I found a baby ghecko in the fridge (and was about to chuck it carelessly outside), Ethan bolted over, carefully cupped it in his hands and blew warm air on it while rocking it back to full health. He's a kind, sensitive lad who loves his sisters and is extremely protective of both of them. Should be interesting in a few years!
Here are some photos of his big day and party over the weekend.
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| Brekkie and present opening. |
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| Bear Grylls...hour 3..4?? Who can tell? |
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| Lunch out with his mum and dad. |
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| Showing off his most recent gardening success....check out that bad boy!! |
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| Pizza with his school buddies |
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| The cake (post dog attack) but still standing...and still edible. |
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| Movie and popcorn-obviously the dog had been punished enough and was allowed back in the house |
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| Finishing the weekend off with some fireworks we bought at the shop..not illegal here in Fiji. |
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| Bad photo but captures the happiness of a full birthday week of fun! |
Wednesday 9 October 2013
Update on homeschooling.
Thought I might dedicate a post to home-schooling as that what the last term and a bit have been consumed by for me. I must say that I had thought my teaching days were over -I was happy to do ministry and if anything other study, was keen for psychology. But here I am in Fiji homeschooling Hannah full time and also teaching in a women's prison. I guess God thought the other stuff could wait. Surprisingly, I have loved the home schooling.
1. I love hangin' and chillin' with my 14 year old daughter -see how much cooler I sound already?
2.I love programming and thinking of teaching ideas.
3. I do better having a structure and routine, rather than too much flexibility.
4. We have covered alot in a short amount of time -so given this season of life, it has definitely been the best decision for us.
5. It was always short term - and Hannah is very keenly anticipating having a social life again next year.
6. Hannah has spent a massive amount of time playing with her siblings and thinking up fun things to do, which wouldn't necessarily have happened back home in normal Year 8 land with friends.
Ethan hates school and it now looks like I will be home-schooling him all of next year, which doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball as it once would have. Actually looking forward to it (!).Just for next year.
Here are some photos of the last few months. I wish I had a photo of us doing pilates for P.E, but am glad I didn't capture the moment that we went for a walk for PE and then arrived home in a taxi! Not my finest teaching moment, but it's really hot here! Tony MAY have buried his head in his hands when he looked out the window. Next time, will ask the driver to drop us a few metres away.....
A few words from Hannah herself..
Hi everyone, thanks for all your support! I have enjoyed homeschooling much more than i originally thought i would, which is good. As the people that know me well know, i'm a very chatty gal. So homeschooling has sometimes been boring and lonely. But it has been fun doing hands-on activities and to be explained things face-to-face not just instuctions from a book.(things i couldn't do at my old school here) I enjoy P.E. which means going for a walk, going to the local pool or Zumba on the tv at home. I also enjoy doing a Bible study with Dad every moring and listening to a sermon every Wednesday. Maths is my ABSOLUTE LEAST favourite subject. I find it so difficlult to learn and remember, it drives me crazyy! Mum who is good at maths and also likes it (i know she's strange) usually finds it hard to understand where i'm coming from and to be patient. Another subject i don't enjoy is PD eww. I like being able to watch tv at recess and having hot lunches from my kitchen not just chesse sandwhiches from my lunch box. I feel i'm actually learning things and making some progress which i guess is more important than wanting friends. Some funny moments was when mum and i went for our P.E walk down the hill and came back in a taxi. Haha Dad wasn't impressed! Another was us both being sick of science and going over to the nutella jar to stick our fingers in. Hehe yum! I hope Ethan likes homeschooling when he does it as much as i did.
1. I love hangin' and chillin' with my 14 year old daughter -see how much cooler I sound already?
2.I love programming and thinking of teaching ideas.
3. I do better having a structure and routine, rather than too much flexibility.
4. We have covered alot in a short amount of time -so given this season of life, it has definitely been the best decision for us.
5. It was always short term - and Hannah is very keenly anticipating having a social life again next year.
6. Hannah has spent a massive amount of time playing with her siblings and thinking up fun things to do, which wouldn't necessarily have happened back home in normal Year 8 land with friends.
Ethan hates school and it now looks like I will be home-schooling him all of next year, which doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball as it once would have. Actually looking forward to it (!).Just for next year.
Here are some photos of the last few months. I wish I had a photo of us doing pilates for P.E, but am glad I didn't capture the moment that we went for a walk for PE and then arrived home in a taxi! Not my finest teaching moment, but it's really hot here! Tony MAY have buried his head in his hands when he looked out the window. Next time, will ask the driver to drop us a few metres away.....
A few words from Hannah herself..
Hi everyone, thanks for all your support! I have enjoyed homeschooling much more than i originally thought i would, which is good. As the people that know me well know, i'm a very chatty gal. So homeschooling has sometimes been boring and lonely. But it has been fun doing hands-on activities and to be explained things face-to-face not just instuctions from a book.(things i couldn't do at my old school here) I enjoy P.E. which means going for a walk, going to the local pool or Zumba on the tv at home. I also enjoy doing a Bible study with Dad every moring and listening to a sermon every Wednesday. Maths is my ABSOLUTE LEAST favourite subject. I find it so difficlult to learn and remember, it drives me crazyy! Mum who is good at maths and also likes it (i know she's strange) usually finds it hard to understand where i'm coming from and to be patient. Another subject i don't enjoy is PD eww. I like being able to watch tv at recess and having hot lunches from my kitchen not just chesse sandwhiches from my lunch box. I feel i'm actually learning things and making some progress which i guess is more important than wanting friends. Some funny moments was when mum and i went for our P.E walk down the hill and came back in a taxi. Haha Dad wasn't impressed! Another was us both being sick of science and going over to the nutella jar to stick our fingers in. Hehe yum! I hope Ethan likes homeschooling when he does it as much as i did.
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| Experimenting with acids and bases. |
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| This is the Roy Lichtenstein artwork that Hannah produced! Andy Warhol this term. |
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| Presenting her assignment on the rainforest. |
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| Probably recess? |
A visit from the Wright Seniors!
The last couple of weeks have been full of visitors -the latest being Tony's mum, dad and brother, Pete.They stayed 2 days in Suva with us and then we headed down the coast for an extra few days away. Very relaxing and great to catch up on the last few months of missed cuddles. We even celebrated Ethan;s birthday 2 weeks early so they could be part of it...and not at all because Ethan couldn't sit and look at unopened presents for that long. Here are some happy snaps and I have to say that these will be the last "resort" holiday photos you will see for a while as it's becoming a little embaressing now. We have had some great holidays this year, but from here on in, the blog will show what we do the other 90% of the time when we're not sunning ourselves or pigging out on breakfast buffets! There, I feel better already!
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| Hannah and Sophie's dance concert. |
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| Soph graduated her class and will move up next year. |
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| Ethan scores a model aeroplane!! |
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| Early birthday celebration |
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| Soph and uncle Pete |
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| Kids fulfilling a lifelong dream at the "Swim up bar" |
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| Getting chucked up in the air by uncle Pete |
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| Grandad at his happiest with a table tennis bat in his hand. |
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| Soph at her happiest buried in books. |
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