Mental Health Week

Mental Health Week is an annual national awareness event held every year to coincide with World Mental Health Day, which is held on 10 October each year. Mental Health Week aims to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the wider community. Local and regional Mental Health Week events organised by local groups and communities contribute to reducing the stigma associated with mental ill health and offer a platform to engage the community in dialogue regarding help-seeking behaviours and mental health promotion.

Now that is the official take on Mental Health Week and all of it is so vital so that for us or those that we love can live life to the fullest. Check out our story and how mental illness has effected our life.

Missionary Farewell

Well we are now down to 10 days and counting. I am starting to feel a little teary when I think about Dan boarding the plane Monday week for 2 years. We had his Missionary Farewell on Friday night and we had a blast. Nacho's was on the menu and I have to say that was a perfect choice for 150 people. I cooked 15kg of mince, made 175 cupcakes, made a cake like a missionary badge and wrote it in Albanian. Now that was the hardest thing I have to say. We had 20 bags of marshmallows for the bonfire and 2 jumping castles.




Thats him sitting down around the bonfire,looking at me strangely.

Everyone kept asking what they could bring so we put on the invitation to bring a packet of his favourite chocolate biscuits. he ended up with quite a stash to keep him in chocolate until he leaves and then some to pack in his suitcase and for us to send in those all important care packages. He also received Euro, US dollars and AU dollars from families in the Ward. Dan has bookmarked on my computer all the places that take care packages of donuts etc to the MTC. We watched the best documentary inside the MTC called The Army of Faith. It was filmed this year, so it's all current and now Dan can't get on the plane fast enough. All that American breakfast cereal had his mouth watering. Show this to your kids.

We have almost everything in the handbook and he is off today for his last injections. He gave the most amazing 'last talk' at church and will be set apart next Sunday as a Missionary. No now I'm getting teary again. I really will miss him. Lucy (5) has plans that he has to take her to the movies before he leaves. With only one week not sure about that.

We have always planned and prepared for this day and even when its here I somehow just don't feel ready for it. But look out Albania here he comes!

Science Morning

Growing crystals never gets old does it. The wonder of their beauty when they form, the rainbows that you can see in a single crystal. The fun of watching them grow over several days has been great. I love it.

Maddie received a Crystal growing Kit for her birthday a few weeks ago and we have been able to spend time on it this week. This kit is well paced. You do one experiment then with the results and left over solution from that one you start another. I love that otherwise I could see us there all day doing one experiment after another.







As we only have 1 kit and more willing hands, so I pulled out an old science book that I use. Bubbles Rainbows & Worms by Sam Ed Brown. Oldie but a goody I would say.

Growing Crystals

WHAT YOU NEED; Charcoal Briskets, salt, ammonia, bluing, food colouring. (bluing is that old fashion cloths whitening product and an essential ingredient)


WHAT TO DO: Use an old pie pan or shallow glass dish. break up charcoal & put in pan. Add to the charcoal two tablespoons each of water, salt,bluing & ammonia. As the liquid evaporates, the chrysalis will begging to grow. You may add colour to this garden of crystals by adding a few drops of food colouring to the dish. you can control the size of the crystals by the amount of liquid solution you add.

Explanation Crystals are formed as the solution of salt, bluing, ammonia, water, and charcoal evaporates (passes from liquid to gas). Different solutions form different shaped crystals. the structures of the crystals are determined by their chemical content. Children may observe the shape of the crystals with a magnifying glass.