Many First Holy Communions

When I was six and a half years old I had my First Holy Communion in a tiny log chapel in the bush. We were at Fitzroy Falls Conference centre for the homeschooling camp. There were two of us girls having our First Holy Communion that camp, my friend Lucy and I.

Mum's First Holy Communion

I can't remember when I got my dress but I know it wasn't new. I had worn it before but for that very special occasion it was dressed up. Felicity sewed pretty pink roses on the waist and neckline of my lacy dress. My veil was very old. Imogen and possibly Felicity had worn it for their First Holy Communions.

Duncan's and Felicity's First Holy Communion

I was really small then. I was so short that my feet didn't touch the ground from where I sat on the log pew. Lucy was quite a lot taller and could rest her feet on the ground. She looked like a cloud in a puffy dress that nearly reached the floor. Her veil kept slipping and she had to push it back onto her head to stop it from falling on the floor.

Callum's First Holy Communion

Dad baked us a Communion cake. It was huge, big enough to feed over a hundred people. The icing was cream with fondant icing pictures of a chalise, the Eucharist and a cross. Actually the cake was three cakes stuck together with icing.

Imogen's First Holy Communion

So many children surrounded Lucy and I when the cake was brought out that there was a solid wall of bodies. They were attracted to the cake like metal to a magnet. It was a good thing the cake was so big as everyone wanted a piece.

My First Holy Communion

It all happened so long ago but I can remember some parts perfectly. I suppose I remember it so clearly because it was such a special day for me. I wonder if Lucy remembers it like I do.

Sophie's First Holy Communion

Mum suggested that I find a photo of all of us on our First Holy Communion day. It took a bit of looking through boxes of old photos and flipping through albums to find some of the older photos but I even have a photo of Mum on her First Holy Communion Day. She had her First Holy Communion when she was an adult unlike all the rest of us. We were all about seven years old.

Gemma-Rose's First Holy Communion

Imogen and Callum received First Holy Communion at camp like I did. But then we stopped going to camp so Sophie and Gemma-Rose didn't. They received First Holy Communion at our parish. We did have cake still though.

The Ice Cream Treat

We don't have ice creams very often so when we do have them it is a real treat. Today Mum decided to take Sophie, Gemma-Rose and I up to the village to get an ice cream each. The real reason was a trip to the post office but the ice creams were the interesting part. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Mum asked soon after we finished learning for the day. "Where to?" I replied. "To the village to get an ice cream," Mum announced. Of course we wanted to go for a walk. Any walk that ended in ice cream must be good. It was socks and shoes on immediately and we were off. At the village we stood by the ice creams. They all looked so nice that it was difficult to choose. "We hardly ever have Kit Kat ice creams," Sophie said, hinting at Mum. "I really like them." "All right," Mum took the hint. "You can have one. What do you want Gemma-Rose?" After much looking and thinking, Gemma-Rose decided. "I want the same as Sophie," she said. That left me and Mum. I chose Milo, because I almost always choose Milo ice cream. Mum so rarely has ice cream that Sophie exclaimed, "Mum's having ice cream too!' "Shall we eat them on the way home or stop and eat them here?" Mum asked. "Let's eat them here," I decided as no one else answered. Near the village is a patch of grass with a stone bench. The bench looked pretty normal from the other side of the rode but up close it was tiny. The bench was just about the right height for Gemma-Rose but for anyone taller it was that tiniest bit too short. Sitting on the tiny bench was like sitting on the short chairs people put in the children's section in the library. Mum's knees were rather high and the table top was rather low but that only added to the fun of eating ice cream on a weekday in the afternoon. On the whole it was a very good walk.