Shrovetide this year....2016

It's that time of year again-LENT.

Where we slowly count down the days to Easter and through that journey we hopefully prepare our hearts for this wondrous celebration.

For us in our family traditions we generally start on Monday with what we call our own "Mardi Gras" Celebrations. Autumn helped Trahaearn and Arwen to create some paper chains to hang up as decorations this year. Something we haven;t done in a long time.

It certainly kept them busy for a good while, which was especially needed for our rambunctious boy.
After reading through my prepared printouts  and colouring some pages the children decided to make there own masks.

You have to admire the creativity of children. This was a totally impromptu event so the masks wer made with some manilla folders and creative drawing on them.

Rogan was especially happy with his dragon mask

That evening I started our preparations for our them of Lent.

This year it being The Year of Mercy I had seen somewhere this idea of Mercy and I have incorporated this as the main focus for us this Lent. Along with some other prayerful endevours.

I also created the small poster with an invitation for us to give our hearts on the Lenten journey.

It is also our tradition to hide the Alleluia until Easter and to not say in at all in our house hold.

Next day is Shrove Tuesday and this is a big feasting time for us. Also known as Fat Tuesday we certainly took advantage of the offerings of the day.

Again we read form myh prepared notes and coloured in then the children remembered this old book and I read that as well, just for the fun of it.

What is the point of making a great dough if you can't have an opportunity to test taste?

Dinner is always bacon and eggs with pancakes for us

I like to have the crown of thorns ready for Ash Wednesday so Rogan and I stayed up and I made this crown from salt dough while we watched Colonial house together.

Then it is on the table ready for the good deeds, sacrifices and prayers to be started in the morning

Ash Wednesday always involves Mass and the receiving of ashes. Thsi day it was an early Mass for us, which actually prepared our day quite well.

Of course we got out our Lenten Log in preparation for night time candle lighting countdown and we had some more prepared reading and colouring to place in our Liturgical notebooks.

We started on Amon's Adventures as well during our Lunch Time Read aloud time.

We also collect our Palm Crosses from Last year and burn them up in our own little ceremony.

Then we use our Countdowns to count the days up until Easter.

This is one we made last year and loved so we are reusing it again this year.

This one we printed off thanks to the sharing of Pondered in My Heart and we are using little feet to walk the path to  Easter.

May your journey through Lent be a productive and joyful Journey this year.
Blessings to you and your homes,