Fireworks

It's been half term this week and we have enjoyed time off from work, school and college.

We helped staff the local Scout firework display, with Josh directing traffic in the car park.  Andy & I stayed warm in the refreshments tent serving burgers and hot drinks. This is always a great event and the same parents generally help year after year, so we have become a well oiled team.  This year we had some new faces, so it was good to meet and form new friendships.

Scout Fireworks, Lydiard Park - The calm before the crowds

Bonfire Night always marks the start of feeling festive for me and I have already watched my first Christmas Movie of this season -  The Santa Clause.  Its become a family tradition to watch all the Christmas movies we have in the time between October half term and Christmas Eve.

Christmas Movies - Cheneycraft selection

Christmas preparations have continued at a pace this week and my to do lists in my Christmas Planner have started.  These started out from a blog I read, handmade-holiday-organizer, about to do lists for Christmas.  I have refined mine over the years and although I have used the blank ones provided in the past I have now designed my own with headers that fit our family.

Craft this week has been for our activity day at church.  I used the harvest theme and majored on pumpkins.  We played "Beetle" but drew pumpkins as we rolled the appropriate number on the dice.  We then sent the children outside on a scavenger hunt, finding a list of articles to fit in a small drinking yoghurt bottle.  The children also collected fallen leaves ready for the craft options.  One craft used the leaves to make a hedgehog picture.  Another craft was designing paper aeroplanes to turn into balloon rockets, to be raced down the length of the church.  The final craft was "prayer pumpkins", using strips of paper with prayers written on (or drawn depending on age of child) and then held together with pipe cleaners.  We hung them on our prayer tree in church, which had flowers on from a previous messy church session.  The day finished with a movie on the large screen while the children ate toasted sandwiches.

Prayer pumpkins

This week's Bible verse reminds that we are God's people, called out of the darkness of our lives to live in, and through, His glorious light:

But you are a chosen people, 

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 

God’s special possession, 

that you may declare the praises of him 

who called you out of darkness 

into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

Our prayer as a family this week is for those around the world suffering from the Ebola outbreak and for all those who are caring for them.  May they know God's love and protection and healing spirit.

With God's blessing from my family to yours,

Jo x