FHE Lesson {New Year/Resolutions/Planning}

One of our favourite FHE lessons. We've done this for a few years now.





Opening Song:

Opening Prayer:


Lesson:


Talk about the year in review.
Ask children to mention some of their favourite things of 2014.
Here is a Year in Review Questionaire for older kids so inclined to fill in answers
(and you can keep them over the years)

Get children to list things they would like to DO this coming year 2015

eg my kids come up with {last year} :

Iceskating
Camping
Rockclimbing
Beach
Visit Planetarium
Visit favourite Parks
mentioned a few of their favourite family traditions

We decided that we had enough activities for half a year and will designate one saturday a month to check off the above activities.

Via design mom I heard about these fun questions to ask your children, fill out as a questionnaire.
{and keep their replies to look back on over the years}

This year:

Something I want to do
Something I want to read
Somewhere I want to go
something I want to be better at
Something I want

Maybe you can also include:
spiritual goals: {prayers, scripture reading, holding regular FHE etc}
physical goals: {games to play with kids, daily walks together etc}
Places to go:
Mental health/organizational goals: {kids helping with chores}

Write goals on a Calendar or large piece of paper to keep in view.


 Have fun planning out an awesome year! I find written down goals seem to happen more and better!


Activity:

We have little voice snippets/video segments of our children saying "Hi my name is ____ I am ____ years old. My favourite thing is ____ . I go to______ school. I love to do______ . It is so fun to look back on the old ones and how they used to sound. Our 7 year old was mimicking her 4 year old voice after we did this activity. She was surprised at how 'babyish' she sounded.

Since we only have a couple of these random snippets we thought it might be a nice thing to record each year. Around New Years would be a good day for it?
We said our names, ages, where we live, what we like to do, favourite things.
Each segment lasted about 30secs to 1min.
This is one of our kids favourite things and they have asked about them, saying where is that video about me from when I was ..... old?


Make a family time capsule to store all your comments/questionnaires in for the year and the coming years.


Closing Song:

Closing Prayer:


Treat: Have a mini new year party with sparkling drink and sparklers

Christmas Is.. {or was..}

While the kids eagerly await the big day, I tell them my favourite parts of Christmas are before the 25th. The whole month is my favourite really.

Christmas Is.....

^^ Putting up our tree and a yearly photo

 

 ^^ Advent Calendars from Germany! My gift to me this year! Loved them.

 ^^Names of Christ Tree

^^Nightly reading of Christmas Books - see our beloved stacks!

^^ Advent Calendars. LaLa Loopsy Mini's were a hit!

 

 ^^Early Morning and Nightly playing under the tree.

I Loved how the tree became a magnet, a new place to play

 

 ^^Sunday Night Christmas Devotionals

^^Grandparents Christmas Dinner

 ^^ Gingerbread houses to take to school

 

 ^^ Beautiful LollyLand

 

 ^^Aussie Snowman and beach holiday

 

^^Carols night and Facepainting. She sung in the choir

 

 

^^ Creative play and photo by Miss G with Felt decorations she sewed

(she aimed to make for her whole class but only got to about 8, so we kept them!)

 

^^Live Nativity and Carols night at my church

 

^^City Tree

 ^^ Christmas Parade. I go for the Camels (and this year there were REAL reindeer!)

 

^^Myer Windows

^^City Hall Lights

^^Sleeping Under the Tree

^^Presents out and Waiting for Christmas Morning.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas and Goodnight all!

FHE Lesson {A bit of Christmas Everyday}

This lesson inspired by A bit of Christmas Everyday December 2014 Friend Magazine


Opening Song: Favourite Christmas Carol


Opening Prayer: Child


Lesson:

Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
{three wise men bought gifts for baby Jesus, the celebrate his birth}

Just as we love giving and getting presents at Christmas we should also remember to give a gift to Jesus.

Read Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

How do we give a gift to Jesus and God?

When we serve others we are serving God and Jesus. It can be our gift to Jesus.


Everyone in our family already gives gifts of service to God.


Read out some 'gifts' and have children guess who is giving that gift

This person does their Home Teaching

This person pays tithing

This person looks after little children who wouldn't survive if alone

This person helps others if they fall down

This person loves to give hugs

This person is friendly to others

This person gives money to the poor

{Insert service qualities that match your family members}


By Serving Others and Jesus it can be like having a bit of Christmas Everyday.


Activity:

Use these Gift Printable and write a gift you will give to Jesus this Christmas.

Write out all the gifts you have already done and put them in a stocking. Add to the stocking as the days go on and then read out all the gifts you have given to Jesus on Christmas Eve {or the first gift Christmas Morning}


Closing Song: Christmas Carol

Closing Prayer: Child

Treat: Gift box of chocolates - to SHARE!

Holiday {Surfers Paradise}

We just got back from a wonderful start to our Christmas holidays.

I so enjoyed last years Pre Christmas getaway that I searched Discover Queensland again and again to find another half price hotel. I was very happy with our 3 bedroom at Towers of Chevron Renaissance  Surfers Paradise. Parts of the suite were a bit tired looking (dirty windows and marred walls, broken shower door) but views amazing, pools fantastic, beds comfy and it was very quiet and had all the amenities, walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants and fun stuff.

 

I wish it was a few more days as the kids had us go going in water non stop I could have done with a bit more rest. It was bliss for me to live in a climate controlled cool environment and no cooking!

 

BLISS!!

 

^^ First night on the beach and the kids were being photographed. I let the man do his thing for quite a while before I sidled up and asked if he got any good shots. He apologised for not asking for permission first but kids change demeanour if asked first {I've heard this from several photographers so that's why I left him be} turns out he was from Turkey on a working holiday for a travel magazine/website. We exchange info and he sent me through a few pictures at 1am that night. This was actually his last day in a month long trip to Australia. So if you see us in a Turkish review......

 

 ^^ view 17 Floors up

 ^^ view other side

 ^^ pool

 

 ^^ Aussie Santa

 

^^ view down ~ Graffiti wall~ Paradise 

 ^^ Sunrise ~ darn Soul Building blocked the sunrise I woke up at 4:30 to see

 

 ^^Aussie Snowman

 ^^ Beach Armchairs

 

 ^^ Miniature Snowman

 

 ^^ Meditating

 

 ^^ Pool 5 Stories up

 

 ^^ Daily Spa Time

 

 ^^ Everyone bought Sunglasses ~ Summer necessity

 

 ^^ Loved the light fixtures

 

 ^^ Three times daily indoor pool swim

 

 ^^ Aussie Santa - pulled by surfing Kangaroos. He had shorts and thongs on. Might be our only Santa Photo this year. He was Free and really nice. Miss G wanted to visit him several times.

 ^^ Water was soo clear. I haven't been to Surfers since I was a teenager. The beach is very nice and water clear. Only sad bit - no shells or anything! I love beach combing and missed it.

 ^^ We had perfect weather.

 ^^ Koala Santa

 ^^ More shots from Sinan our Turkish editor

 

This was only our 2nd/3rd hotel stay ever and sometimes I'm sad that it took us so long, but it's $$$ for large families whom they force to book 2 suites or the large ones. However the kids are pretty perfect in their behaviour now and don't require as much attention and can all swim unaided and are  quiet so maybe its a good thing to have waited.

Now to attempt to cut down the amount of hours they spend in water.
7am beach > showers>hotel indoor pool> spa> outdoor pool>spa>beach>showers>indoor pool>spa
and repeat daily was wearing me out! I'm amazed at how well they swim in waves for hours.


Merry Christmas to our family. A great present to start the season. Perfect end to a happy year.