I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get my Christmas 2008 family newsletter to publish here. If anyone knows how (I wrote it using Publisher) could they let me know how it is done! Instead I will just re-type it - it won't look quite as fancy but you will get the gist of what we have been up to! Here goes!
Melville-Smith Family News
One of the problems with the children doing their own newsletter every few months is that they have all the fun designing them - I'm not sure that they would call it fun writing the articles! The other problem (if you can call it that) is that the articles are written from their perspective and quite naturally about themselves. So while you have caught up with a lot of what we have been doing this year, there is a lot more to our lives than just what the children write about. I will endeavour to update you a little on what life in the Melville-Smith household looks like from the parent's perspective!
The highlight for us as a family this year has been our involvement at Tea Tree Gully Anglican Church. The time that we have spent away from the structured church environment over the last couple of years has allowed us to focus on Christ and His Word, rather than on how we fit into the organisation called the church. It has been a time of significant growth and has been a real blessing. We felt however that it was time to integrate ourselves back into a body of local believers and we have not been disappointed. We all love attending church on Sunday morning, the younger two are involved in Kid's Club once a fortnight where Hannah is also a junior leader and the girls go to Youth Group on alternate Friday nights. It is a family church where we have all made some solid friendships, a place where we not only feel encouraged but are able to have input into other people's lives also.
In October we celebrated our third anniversary of homeschooling. While I had seen many benefits from the start, this year I have begun to feel much more relaxed and happy about what we are doing. Homeschooling allows us to educate the children based on our lifestyle. We desire to disciple the children and train them in godly character using the everyday learning opportunities that surround us. Our lifestyle provides the experiences that will give them a rich education. Book learning does take place but you might be surprised at how little! And I might add that the children are not the only ones being trained in godly character. I think homeschooling is as much about educating the parents as it is about educating the children!
Another encouragement to us has been our increasing involvement with other homeschooling families. Our pastor and his wife home school their five children. We have established a good relationship with their whole family (and others) which has provided significant interaction between adults and children. It has been great seeing the children's growing respect for adults outside the home - some of whom have become real mentors (not all of these adults home school their children). We are very aware that we cannot provide everything that the children need to become well rounded adults so appreciate all the support and learning opportunities that others have offered. As an added bonus, I have enjoyed some great conversations and much encouragement over many cups of coffee.
Music has always been a focus but this year it has become somewhat of a passion. All three continues with their piano (and flute for Michelle) lessons but now Stephen and Hannah have added clarinet and trombone respectively into the mix. They have all joined a concert band program this last half of the year which has involved weekly band practices and quite a few performances. What we have loved seeing is the way that music has encouraged them to interact with each other and how willing they are to use their music, even though they are not necessarily all that proficient yet. We are treated to mini concerts almost every day as they practice. There are many opportunities within the church to play an instrument and this has led to further interaction with adults and children alike.
Hannah gained her provisional driving licence back in October. She wasn't the only one to gain some freedom - her parents have too! Fortunately Hannah enjoys being out and about so hasn't yet balked at the task of taking her siblings to many of the places that I once had to. I will have to get her a sign for the car saing "Hannah's Taxi"!
It has been an interesting year for me health wise! I don't know that I would call it the five star holiday resort that Stephen did, but if you had to be in hospital, the Wakefield wasn't a bad place to be. It can't have been too bad since I had three visits there in the space of three months! I have on-gong auto immune issues which seem to be slowing settling down. This time of enforced rest has not always been easy but I have seen God at work even in this situation. When things are going well it is all too easy to be thankful to God but not necessarily rely on Him. When we are forced out of our comfort zone, we are often forced into the arms of our loving God yet find Him to be all that we ever needed anyway!
About mid year due to poor health I resigned my job at the Children's Hospital. After doing my initial training there, it is also the hospital that I have worked in for most of my nursing career. I have found that not working, even though it was only part-time, has been a blessing in itself as I have been able to take on a stronger role in 'educating' the children. This in turn has played a part in the new found peace that I mentioned earlier. I have given myself permission to enjoy Christmas with my family and so will begin looking for work early in the New Year. It will definitely only be part-time and may be down a completely different path to what I have previously done. I am actually quite excited about where God might be leading me!
Warren continues part-time/casual work putting up plasterboard ceiling and walls. The real bonus for him is that not only does he work with his good friend Ken, they also travel to and from jobs together, enabling them to listen to and discuss sermons! He will be enjoying several weeks holiday over the Christmas break.
We wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas, one where God enables you to keep your spirit gentle, your house peaceful and your heart filled with His love.
Looking forward to hearing from your family,
love Sheena and Warren
Go to http://sheena-thingsabove.blogspot.com / if you want to read more about our family from my point of view.
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