Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Our Year in Review {2013}

 

I can't believe that there are only three weeks left in 2013!  This week has been super busy with the launch of the new crew year.  Meeting the new ladies on the team, organizing all the behind the scenes things that need to take place in order to bring what's new in the curriculum world.  Changing things up on Pinterest and planning for the year ahead...

I have been a little stunned by this being the final Homeschool Help post for 2013! This is edition 30 of the series and it's a reflective one.  It feels like the other day that I shared about our year in review for 2012.

This year has seen some great changes in our homeschool.  I have been challenged and stretched in a good way by my fellow Homeschool Help crew who have inspired me to grow and think more deeply about the things that are a part of our home education journey and to them I say thank you so very much you have made my life so much richer with your insight and wisdom.  Keep blogging and sharing of yourselves.  To Savannah I say thank you so much for the opportunity this year to be a part of this journey.

For Sir N we were both a part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew and with that territory came new experiences.  Together we reviewed
  • Two Apps
  • 5 Books
  • 11 curriculum's
We each had our definite favourites and altogether it's been a wonderful experience and I am truly blessed to have been a part of the crew journey for 2012.

I participated in two 5 day blog hops

Sir N and I still did a few field trips and sadly many of them did not make it onto the blog this year.  A thing I am planning to change in 2014, so watch this space. Field Tips is something I feel quite strongly about as it's a wonderful way to use your environment to grow in relations. Some of the trips we did do are
  • We went to Melbourne central at night to see the Christmas lights
  • Went to see Melvin Tix in concert
  • Attended a workshop in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens
  • A couple of trips to the zoo
  • Did our annual Night Zoo trip
  • Attended three science days at a highschool science lab 
  • Saw the Claude Monet exhibition
  • Started a trip to the Simpson Desert.  Sadly this was cancled a week in due to my brothers car catching on fire ... 
  • We went to witness an Annular Solar Eclipse in Balarat.
  • Attended a Not Back to School Party
  • We went to a stage production to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  This was simply marvelous and if it comes your way do go see it.
  • We also went to see Cinderella the ballet for children.  I hope to do this again.
  • We also attended a few Melbourne Symphony Orchestra things which was amazing and has broadened my horizons tremendously.
  • The Immigration Museum
  • A day at The Shrine of Remembrance
  • We explored the first cathedral in Melbourne: St James Old Cathedral.
  • Sir N had the privilege of releasing some Bandicoots at Werribee Open Range Zoo with his Dad.
All in all it's been a busy but fruitful year.  Looking back has helped me appreciate just how blessed we are as a family and for that I am grateful.  Taking time to count these blessings has renewed my enthusiasm for home educating and I look forward to many more adventures in 2014.  I would love to hear about your year and some of the high lights that have encouraged you.  If you have blogged about it please leave a link so I can come and read or leave a comment telling me which thing was your favourite.

Chareen

This post is part of the Homeschool Help series brought to you by a group of home school Mom's from around the globe.  Do not forget to visit and read their inspirational insight.



This week
 ---ooOoo---

Thank you to Free Digital Images for the 2013 image by Idea Go
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Devotions from Genesis {Book Review}

In our family my mother is the one who is keeper of the family tree.  On her journey to create our families heritage she discovered that somewhere far back we are from Jewish decent.  Ever since she shared this with me I have had a deep seeded desire to know more about the Jewish people.  So last month when I heard about the Devotions from the Torah series I couldn't wait to take up the opportunity to use them.  I received a digital copy of the first two books in the series: Devotions from Genesis and Devotions from Exodus Part One.

To meet the author and read an interview be sure to pop on over to Grace-Filled-Moments and read: Meet Nicole Vaughn, Author of Devotions from the Torah

Isn't that an amazing thought ? "God is the only one who ever took absolute nothing and made something." I love knowing the meanings of words and digging deeper.  Nicole says: "When we look at Genesis Chapter one in the light of the Hebrew translations of our English words, we can see intricate details that have often times been overlooked, details that expound upon the character of our Creator."

Within the first pages of this devotional she welcomes you in as a friend, it has an easy conversational tone which is not at all 'preachy' but is as one friend sharing a deep and meaningful insight with another.

The book of Genesis is divided into the following sub-sectiions of study
  • Chapter 1-11 Learn to see into your own heart as you look at the lives of those from Adam to Noah.
  • Chapters 12-36 Walk the journey of faith. See how God grows your faith through the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
  • Chapter 37-50 See the foreshadowing of Christ in the life of Joseph.
In Devotions from Genesis Nicole encourages you to first read your bible then go to the devotional.  It is not scheduled in any way so there is no pressure to read from one item to the next to keep up. I am a busy Mom, Wife and Blogger but my hearts desire is to have hours a day to dig deeper. One of the things I have appreciated is that this devotional is not set up in sections to read.  There are no dates or days of the week with set amounts to read.  I could read from one devotional to the next or simply choose to read one page and meditate on what I had learned.  No pressure.  No feeling like I was getting behind in the "schedule"  I appreciated that Nicole encourages you to follow the many references presented and see how Scripture interprets Scripture. Nicole helps you to discover the heart and character of God as you study and dig deeper into the book of Genesis.

Each devotional is finished with a prayer.  These prayers are different from the traditional one or two line prayers you find in five minute devotions.  These prayers are heartfelt and full of scripture (and their reference points).  They help you to see who God is.  They help your heart and soul to worship and abide in His presence.



Author Nicole Vaughn is the Children’s Ministry Director at Shiloh Baptist Church in Somerville, AL. She is the co-administrator of CrossRoads Christian Academy. She is the founder of Proven Path Ministries. She has also lead inductive Precept Upon Precept studies, has served as an advocate for her local crisis pregnancy center and has shared the testimony of Christ throughout her community and abroad. Nicole is a woman who is dedicated in her faith, devoted to her family, and driven to share the truth of God with others. She and her husband, Patrick, currently reside in Decatur, AL with their two youngest children.


Devotions From Genesis takes you from creation to the bondage of the children of Israel
  • ISBN-13: 9781616631505
  • Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises, L.L.C.
  • Publication date: 7/6/2010
  • Pages: 216
  • Product dimensions: 5.20 (w) x 8.10 (h) x 0.50 (d)
  • Available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle

Devotions From Exodus Part One will take you from the bondage of the children of Israel to their freedom. Devotions from Exodus


Connect with Nicole
Thank you to Nicole for the opportunity to use these books and dig deeper into the word of the Lord with a Jewish insight.

Blessings
Chareen

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Monday, 9 December 2013

Our Reviews 2013


Coming Soon

Apps {Educational}

Books
Curriculum
Personal


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