monday

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Shanda

On my way to let out my flock of hens, I saw a Solitary Sandpiper on the edge of the pond. This is the first time in 10 years I’ve seen one right here on our property, and according to my bird app, this bird is “rare” for our area. It bobs up and down when it walks and peeps now and then. It’s so cute!

I was highly annoyed when my cat ran after it, scaring it away before I was ready to say goodbye.

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21

There was a scar on yonder mountainside,
Gashed out where the cruel storm had trod;
A barren, desolate chasm, reaching wide
Across the soft green sod.

But years crept by beneath the purple pines,
And veiled the scar with grass and moss once more,
And left it fairer now with flowers and vines
Than it had been before.

There was a wound once in a gentle heart,
From which life’s sweetness seemed to ebb and die;
And love’s confiding changed to bitter smart,
While slow, sad years went by.

Yet as they passed, unseen an angel stole
And laid a balm of healing on the pain,
Till love grew purer in the heart made whole,
And peace came back again.

from Streams, by LB Cowman

I let the chickens out, and as we have two rabbits in the coop, I went down to the edge of the pond to gather fresh clover for them. I dropped my handful twice in order to take photos. This spider web was a tiny perfect work of art. The spider was about the size of a grain of rice. I was careful not to pull up the clover which surrounded it’s beautiful web.

My cat the bird chaser now started bothering the fish. It was pretty neat, actually, to see Mr. Fish come close to Mr. Cat….and then get swatted for his efforts to be friendly. The fish followed him all along the edge of the pond.

I was happy to find a Solitary Sandpiper feather covered in dew. I brought it home in my pocket, along with two eggs from the chicken coop.

He froze for a photo and then jumped quietly off the rock, and then under it. I imagined a cozy home for frogs, just right, with lots of dampness.

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gossamer upon flowers and grass; more spider art

The bunnies received their salad with joy and I headed back for the house.

It’s been cool this morning. I did some weeding, and texting with my Mama, family laundry was hung out to dry, I picked smooth tomatoes from the garden, and a pumpkin. Inside the house, there is a gray cat curled up in a ball on a red velvet cushion next to me.

I’m thinking about my son David, tomorrow is his birthday. He requested a cheesecake so when the Schwan’s truck came earlier I bought one from them. Now I just need to make sure we have 14 candles in the house.

Happy Monday!

You are loved.

“God is there to meet you in the center of each trial. And He will whisper to you His secrets, which will bring you out with a radiant face and such an invincible faith that all the demons of hell will never be able to shake it.” E.A.Kilbourne

flicker

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Shanda

I want to blog every.single.day. If I don’t blog, it’s because I have writer’s block, I’m sick, or I’m too busy…..even now I only have fifteen minutes.

I just love sitting here with my laptop, typing and sharing my photos.

I took this picture of a spider and then noticed a butterfly. (or is it the other way around?)

Yesterday I went for a walk and a pair of old friends pulled up next to me in their car. They had brought us vegetables from their garden, including a turnip the size of a bowling ball. Oh it was such a happy, quick visit. They asked about the children and we stood out in the hot September sun, by their car, chatting and smiling. When they left we hugged each other and then the Mr. stopped and said, “I hear a Flicker”, while looking up into the treetops by my house. Nothing. The Mrs. and I heard it too, but we both thought maybe it was the squirrel we saw. “No, it’s a flicker, remember, we had one at our place the other day?” he said to his wife.

We looked for it, just for a moment, but then it was time for goodbye.

We’ve almost eaten all the watermelon, and it’s that juicy and pink.

Today I did something for the first time. I’ve arrived late for Doctor’s appointments, I’ve completely forgotten Doctor’s appointments, I’ve showed up for the wrong day, but today was the first time I was exactly an hour early. I could not believe it. What a mother I am (this was a check up for Grace). We had time to leave and go to Barnes and Noble (double discount days for members!). She had a hot chai and I had a hot cider and we spent some time browsing the nice books and magazines.

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We went to get Cassandra to bring her back home with us, and we made chicken enchiladas for dinner.

(Have you noticed the bug theme?)

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After my vegetable friends left yesterday I wandered around with my camera and it was like a dizzy dream…..the sun was soaking into my bones…I was tired…buzzing sounds filled my ears….the smell of wild plants was the best potpourri ever imagined. The stinging bees and hornets and wasps were busy all over the place, they got along just fine as they each found a spot to gather from the flowers. They especially love the goldenrod.

I like to lean in very closely and just observe. They have such interesting ways, wings, eyes, legs……movements, every where I looked there were more and more flying insects, crawling, working, such tiny things almost unnoticeable unless a person stops to look for them.

The sun continued to bake everything under it, including myself. You know that feeling when you first get into a hot tub and you say “ahhhhhhhh” and close your eyes?

The experience was like a lullaby and I became so tired I lay back in the grass for a minute or so.

Looking up, I saw a bird way up high in the dead tree.

It was a Flicker.

praising

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Shanda

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This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior, all the day long.

For almost a year we have been taking our youngest child to doctor’s appointments for what began as a UTI that kept coming back. Because of the UTI, we were sent to a specialist and learned (after tests) that by the age of five, she had a large amount of kidney stones in her right kidney. She endured an 8 hour robotic surgery in January to have them removed, then another procedure a month later in which she was asleep for 2 hours to remove the stent they had placed and to check to make sure every stone was indeed gone (they were).

A month or so later, during an ultrasound follow up visit, we were told she had hydronephrosis of that same kidney, which may or may not have occurred because of the stone removal surgery. However, two of the doctors had also been questioning why that kidney ended up with so much stone and believed that she had an intermittent blockage and/or kink in the ureter. So we went for more tests. The MAG-3 (in which she was put to sleep) showed that the right kidney was at 14% function, while the left was at 86%. We also learned from another test that she had reflux on that same side. Therefore, another robotic surgery was necessary, to remove the part of the ureter that showed the blockage. She had this surgery, which was about 6 hours long, on July 6.

A month later, we went in for another “magical sleep” so that she could have the stent removed which was in place after the surgery in July. While talking to us afterwards, the doctor was optimistic, but very cautious, with her report– leading my very vivid imagination to imagine the worse (although hoping, in a very small degree, for a good outcome).

We got a call two days ago telling us that the doctor who performed Sarah’s surgeries had left the hospital to pursue a private practice and I was absolutely floored. We had formed an attachment to her and I never dreamed she would “vanish”. I almost cancelled the follow up appointment because I didn’t want to see a doctor that was unfamiliar with our case. There was an opening for next week with another doctor that we’ve seen many times before, but I was so anxious for the results of the appointment that I decided to go ahead with the unfamiliar Doctor.

It turned out for the best (God) because low and behold this Doctor had indeed been there for us–the very first time we had walked in the doors of the medical center with the “UTI” issues. Although I did not remember her, she remembered us. We had come full circle because this time, instead of passing us along to the Surgeon, she was able to give us much better news.

THE KIDNEY LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She wasn’t able to see all the images from radiology, (which was the first time she had this “glitch”), but with shining eyes she showed us the one image she had — and also shared with us the words from the Radiologist who had studied ALL the images, “It looks so much better”.

I spent the rest of yesterday exhausted from so many months of anxiety suddenly gone. Happily, tearfully, radiantly, thankfully, exhausted. After the appointment, Sarah and I went, as is our habit, straight to the gift shop and the cafeteria right there in the hospital. Then we went shopping at the mall where she selected things with sparkles and glitter on them. We held hands. I texted Rich, Mom, and Dave to give them the report, but I didn’t proclaim anything from the rooftops (so to speak) because the Doctor had said she would call me after she had seen the rest of the images, and depending on how she thought things looked we would be back in a month or three months.

She just called.

Everything looks great and we don’t have to go back for three months.

Everything really does look great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

((Will Sarah get another kidney stone? Probably. She is definitely a “stone maker” but with the kidney draining properly she is more likely to pass them before they get to be a big huge problem like last year. She’s drinking a lot more and they also told us to give her an orange a day.))

Sarah was nothing but a bouncing bubbling little girl after her appointment. She’s only six but she knows happy news when she hears it.

I’ve been taking photos of these early fall days;

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shades of light pink and deep pink

The whiteness in the berry cluster in the middle is a spider’s nest….what a nice place to live.

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mushroom

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brown moccasins & wool socks

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the stream is low and shines like a mirror

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

another creature home; is your door surrounded by lovely green moss? I wish mine was!

orange rainbows on a dead log

food for the birds

chickadee on a sunflower

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

this is my story
this is my song
praising my Savior
all the day long

“He who gives you the day
will also give you the things necessary for the day.”
Gregory of Nyssa

family reunion 2016

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Shanda

On the way to Colleen’s house on Saturday silly Seth said, “Mom, mom, look!” When I turned around I saw that he had put his sneakers on his bear. The next time I turned around, Bear had Seth’s shirt on!

This morning when I got up, I found Caleb on the couch with a cat, crying. “I wish we could move our house and all of our animals to New York!” he confessed. “You had fun this weekend, didn’t you?” I asked. He knew I understood and began to feel better again.

We were running early to the reunion so we parked and walked on Main Street in one of the old familiar towns to a small but wonderful bookstore, which was adjacent to a coffee shop. Once the young ones understood that there would be no “buying” only “looking”, we all had a lovely time browsing.

On the way to the bookstore David gasped when he saw these backpacks. He literally gasped.

Grace was pretty.

This bookshelf was full of wonderful classic books, and many of them had fresh up-to-date covers. It was like seeing an old friend in a beautiful new dress. I carefully pulled them from the shelves to admire them, placing each and every one back with a smile. I was thrilled to see a copy of Kirstin Lavransdatter on the second to the bottom shelf in the middle (big thick black book with orange things on it). It’s a book everyone should read (I’ve read it two times and plan to read it again soon). A++++ literature.

“If you would kindly please to let me keep upright, sir, perhaps I shouldn’t be sick, and perhaps I could attend more!” Great Expectations. Wonderful writing by Charles Dickens.

Grace in the bookstore chair.

I want to read the My Struggle books (memoirs written by a Norwegian).

((CHRISTIE!!! All of the Master and Commander books! I smiled and thought of you.)) so so good.

New covers for the Anne books. They had a nice feel to them and I wished I could read them all………..

Meanwhile the boys were playing Pokemon Go. So annoying. 😉

We arrived at Colleen and Roger’s house. Colleen is my Mom’s youngest sister. She did such an amazing job hosting our first official family reunion. We had a family meeting, ate lunch, played games, swam, had a bonfire, went for a walk, all the while visiting and bonding again as a big happy family. I saw my aunts and uncle, my parents, siblings, cousins, and their children. The younger set had fun discovering and playing with their cousins.

There were a lot of old photos to look through.

One of the “minute to win it” games was stacking three golfballs. Mom won. Later I played the same game against my cousin Erika.

This game was to see who could blow a bubble through a hula hoop.

Nate and Dave got a two hand touch football game going with the kids.

We walked around Colleen’s vegetable garden. She had potatoes growing in old tires.

And a fake snake in the corn to keep out the critters.

Just outside the garden entrance was a mailbox to hold garden tools and gloves.

The pool was a very popular place to be.

As was the chocolate fountain.

One more game to see who could eat a “fruit by the foot” with no hands!

(my parents and their puppy)

Uncle Roger made a sky high bonfire and we had a table of everything to make a s’more of your dreams.

We walked along the trails by the crick. The boys skipped rocks and the children waded.

Dad’s little puppy loved splashing around in the water.

So did my little Seth.

Somehow 7 hours flew by and it was time for Rich and I to head to our hotel for the night.

We saw a lovely sunset and had full and happy hearts from a wonderful day.

The good news is that the family now plans on having a reunion every year.

*****

Uncle Brian’s Green Salad

1 16 oz container of cottage cheese
1 small pkg. instant pistachio pudding
1 8 oz container cool whip
1/2 pkg mini-marshmallows
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Let set overnight–mix again just before placing in serving bowl. May add coconut of other fruits to create your own version of this dessert-type salad.

you come too

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Shanda

Grace and I went on a four mile walk yesterday. I took my camera but determined not to take any photos.

So you see, the ones I took I really wanted to take.

The first photo was of a stack of boulders and rocks in someone’s front yard. I took the picture because it reminded me of something my brother Dave would do, and also because Grace said she saw a squirrel on top of it. Then we laughed because she wasn’t wearing her glasses (and they were only rocks).

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**butterfly**

After we passed the free books and took four of them away with us, Grace read me a great story by Ring Lardner titled “Haircut”, written in 1926. It’s best read aloud to someone you love, try it.

We passed several charming houses that we approved of.

We stopped at an old, old cemetery.

There was a stone in place for a woman who died at the age of 43, leaving behind 10 sons and 3 daughters.

Another one said, “Tho dead he yet speaketh” …206 years later he spoke to Grace and me with the message on his tombstone.

Lastly, a moist frog.

*****

I’m going out to clean the pasture spring:
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I shan’t be gone long.—-You come too.

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother.
It’s so young, It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha’n’t be gone long—-You come too.

The Pasture, Robert Frost, 1912

just a little walk with caleb.

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Shanda

You may not realize this, but I have a son named Caleb. He is son #4.

I cannot imagine the family without our Caleb. He respects everyone; man, woman, child, and animal. He notices things; beautiful things. He not only holds my hand but it’s all his idea. He is 11 years old and likes to hug and lean against his mama, still, like a much younger child would. He knocks me off balance when he does because he’s such a very strong, solid boy. When he walks we can hear him stomp. When he jumps he lands with a thud. When he laughs the sun comes out. When he sleeps he buries his face in pillows. He tells the truth. He chews his nails off to the quick.

He and Ethan had cleanings this morning at the dentist in town. They both hate the dentist so I had to go along to give the poor babies love and moral support. Caleb had his teeth cleaned first and when he came back I asked him if he would go outside with me to stretch our legs while we waited for E. Even though he was all set to read about football he readily said yes.

I’m thankful for my son Caleb.

He’s a great kid. I can tease him, say no to him, lecture him, or love on him and he never complains. This summer he has listened to JR Tolkien audio books every night and he is currently reading several books, including The Hobbit. He goes to football practice every afternoon and during the day he plays with his siblings. He loves to play video games. He likes his things to be neat and organized and gets very upset when his siblings disturb his legos. He sneezes a lot so I give him Zyrtec in the morning and that helps. I think his favorite color is green. Sometimes when he is silly he makes a “buck-hack” sound like a chicken, which is super annoying. Seth does it now, too. Caleb is always asking to have friends over. He absolutely loves the family dog; Parker gets a lot of attention from his boy Caleb.

“YOU’VE MADE THIS DAY SPECIAL
JUST BY BEING YOU.
THERE’S NO ONE IN THE WORLD
QUITE LIKE YOU, AND
I LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.”

We discovered a nice stream by the dentist office. It was shady under the trees and the water was warm. We studied the sumac plant (first pic), admired a tall mushroom, sank our feet in soft moss, and showed each other our best jumping skills.

It was much better than sitting in a waiting room.

weekending

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Shanda

“This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus’ words in John 15:12

We had a house FULL from Friday night to Saturday morning. We had our own seven, plus seven extra teenagers. They were staying the night in order to be at the church bright and early.

This is camp week for our teens and Rich is also there as a team leader.

I’m spending the week here at home with Caleb, Seth, and Sarah. My oldest son, Jacob, is also home because he is now too old for camp. He’s driving up on Friday to see everyone, though, and keeping himself busy with work, music, friends, and helping his mama at home.

This morning I am taking the kids to the one dollar movie and then to get the boys’ their football cleats because tonight Football practice starts for Caleb and Seth….and I am so glad because they need activity at this point. No more lazy-daisy summer evenings for them!

On Saturday morning I drove the campers to the church to get on the bus and then Seth and I went to the bakeshop nearby. The gardens on the property were stunning! I wish my front beds looked like this! Dreams for next year…….

full and luscious flowers beds.

Seth chose a cupcake and we took home a blueberry pie.

For whatever reason, I am determined to keep moving and stay extra busy & active this week while Rich and the kids are away…perhaps to keep those “I’m missing you” feelings at bay? And to get so tired I have no trouble sleeping in the big bed all alone? So on Saturday I took the kids on two walks. It was pretty warm outside so we kept them on the shorter side, but we still saw some pretty sights, the kids climbed big rocks, and the boys found sticks to sword fight with.

Aren’t pond lilies pretty?

That photo which Caleb took that made me realize just how tall and how big my youngest is getting!

When I was a little girl, a happy time for me was going for adventure walks “up to the big rocks” in Grandma and Grandpa’s woods. We would all go, Grandma, the aunts, mom, and the cousins. We had the best time exploring the rocks and daring ourselves to jump over the crack between two tall rocks.

The rocks we discovered on Saturday reminded me of those days. My own children loved the experience just as much as we did years ago.

Soft, dappled sunlight over moss and leaves.

Caleb helped keep Seth from getting lost because our boy Seth runs ahead and OFF the trail just from the joy of being free…….

Sarah Joy took this photo of me….it’s the best, out of focus!

She always has to be holding my hand. It makes her feel stronger and safer.

This is Seth making a “tough guy” face when I asked to take his picture. He is nothing but muscle and bone….he’s the one who gets cold first when they go swimming…has boundless energy and his Dad calls him “Scrapper”. Our very own state wrestling champ!

Yesterday I spent the day with my brother and his wife. We went out shopping, had drinks from Sonic, bought chocolates, ate donuts, and generally ate more sugar than usual. Back at home, we played a game, drank coffee, ate pie (!), sandwiches, and watched a movie with the kids.

Before they left we took a couple of photos outside in the sun.

The kids were flopped on the couch, tired out, while I walked down to our stream to see the Cardinal flowers.

They are a yearly event for me (perhaps I’ll start throwing a party) because they are such a GORGEOUS wild flower, as red as can be.

They liked the wetness of the earth by the stream and at this time of year the stream is low and it is easy to get down the bank and stand on the rocks to take photos.

The wild day lilies are almost done.

Queen Anne’s lace and goldenrod is everywhere. I like to stop and study them because they are almost always entertaining bugs, which if you stop to see them, can be very interesting indeed.

**Queen Anne’s lace remind me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

Each season, each month of the growing months has its own flower-time. Starting with the tiny spring flowers up until the sturdy flowers of fall. I love to welcome them each year and watch them come and go and come again…… year after year.

God’s creation is always exciting, but also solidly dependable, too.

Swallowtail off in the distance, tiptoeing all over this tall, wild “Joe-Pye weed“.

My house, my gardens, my rock wall, my ferns = I love it here. We’ve been at this place for ten years now and my heart is home. I thank God constantly for our life here.

I don’t care if Anne (of Green Gables) thought zinnias were stiff and horrible….I LOVE THEM!

“Look at that wave of poppies breaking against the garden well, Miss Cornelia. Susan and I are very proud of our poppies this year, though we hadn’t a single thing to do with them. Walter spilt a packet of seed there by accident in the spring and this is the result. Every year we have some delightful surprise like that.”
“I’m partial to poppies,” said Miss Cornelia, “though they don’t last long.”
“They have only a day to live,’ admitted Anne, “but how imperially, how gorgeous they live it! Isn’t that better than being a stiff horrible zinnia that lasts practically for ever? We have no zinnias at Ingleside. They’re the only flowers we are not friends with. Susan won’t even speak to them.” ~Anne of Ingleside, chapter 15

I love them because they last practically forever. So there, dear Anne. (I’ll always love you)

Back in the house, I admire my own dear sturdy boy, snuggling with a very loved and spoiled Gentleman Gray kitty.

So thankful for these children o’ mine. Can you imagine if we stopped at four?

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**Queen Anne’s lace reminds me of Great Grandma’s crocheted doilies.

YOU ARE LOVED, dear friends.
A very happy August 1st to you!

life is a continual feast

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Shanda

This morning I was in my pajama pants and tank top, my hair was pulled up in a very messy pony tail. I was making the children color pictures at the island while they waited for their breakfast. I was feeling rather full of myself as I expertly cut up their french toast and dribbled Trader Joe’s cherry pie filling over the top. “I have to admit,” I said happily, “I’m pretty awesome.” And guess what? Little ears were listening……..

“I’m pretty awesome, too.” said Sarah, promptly and agreeably.

amen.

These nature photos are from last week. We were searching for more monarch caterpillars. The first photo was of milkweed bugs and then this one is of a flowering bush which I have not identified. It has small, bell shaped baby pink blossoms.

very very very interesting brown moth. look at it’s eyes.

It was Sarah Joy’s first long walk after her surgery. She got tired, and dear Amy gave her a piggy back ride all the way back home.

We found wild black berries. They tasted sour and Seth loved them.

These baby birds are living in a nest on the gable of the chicken coop.

When I stare at this picture I can’t help but squeal from the cuteness. There is something about that pouting bird face and the other bird that doesn’t even know I’m there but I can see it’s little bottom and heels.

Last week was very very very very long. Rich was on a business trip from Monday to Thursday night, and then from Friday morning to Saturday night he was gone with Ethan to college registration. Come Saturday I just wanted to go someplace where I could sit and look at magazines without having the kids need me. So off we went to the playground, stopping for a big iced coffee on the way. (it was hot and muggy.)

As is typical, as soon as I got out of the house with my camera I still couldn’t focus on the magazines because the kids were all of a sudden adorable instead of exhausting.

Sometimes you just need a change of scenery and a little fun to brighten up a long week.

This is a big deal for Sarah, she has conquered her fears at the playground. There were years when she wouldn’t ever take risks like this.

Seth, on the other hand, has been climbing before he could walk. (some of the pictures won’t show unless you click on them)…

Happy Monday, friends!

youareloved

PS, here is my current favorite photo:

A friend of mine took it at an antique store because she thought of me!

the dishes *swoon*

For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15

of muffins and monarchs

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Shanda

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” ~J.Calvin

Sarah Joy had a check up yesterday with her surgeon. I hate to admit this but I did bribe her to be nice to the poor doctor. Ever since her first surgery, Sarah has had a very negative reaction to all the nurses and doctors. Dr. K, her main surgeon, has been so polite, kind, sweet, and loving to Sarah every step of the way and has felt Sarah’s dislike keenly, although she completely understood and did her best to reduce contact with her, keeping her conversations directed toward me and Rich instead. I bought Dr. K a necklace and had it wrapped up very prettily, with a bow. I gently explained to Sarah that she was going to bestow this lovely gift to her doctor with a smile and a hug, “OR ELSE YOU ARE GETTING NOTHING FROM THE GIFT SHOP after your appointment!!” “WHY do I have to give her a hug?” she cried. “Because it will be good for YOUR HEART to be kind!” I said, wisely, with a prayer that this would work.

Success! What a joy! She was more relaxed and talkative to the Doctor than she has ever been. She made Dr. K so happy with the necklace, but most especially with the smiles and conversation and hug.

Sarah was told that she was healing very well and could now do anything she wanted to do, as long as it was okay with her parents. We were given lollipops and then went skipping down the hall to the gift shop, where Sarah happily chose a 1.99 bracelet as a reward for her good attitude. The brothers were with us, too. Caleb chose Jolly Ranchers (making me remember an old xanga friend), and Seth chose a stuffed animal.

*****

When we got home, the only thing Sarah wanted to do with her renewed freedom was go wild-berry picking with her Mama. We walked up to the raspberry patch and picked big beautiful jewels of berries. When we came back home to put on bug spray, she saw that Seth had turned on a movie and decided to take a rest from berry picking because she wanted to watch the movie, too. (It was “Home”). I went in my room to relax and when her movie was over she came in, looked into my eyes, and said, “Are you ready for a berry-walk? Or do you still need to rest?” I looked at her and thought, “I’m not the one who just had surgery. If you don’t need any more rest, I don’t either.”

Off we went to pick BLUEBERRIES this time! The bushes in the woods are small, and low to the ground–nothing like my parent’s property covered in nice tall, fat and mature bushes. But we found “just enough” berries and the sun was at the golden hour…..making everything glow like magic. We found blueberries of all shades.

*****

This morning I woke up to my daughter right in front of my face, telling me it was time to wake up and make muffins. My mind was willing but my body felt leaden. I tossed and turned for a few minutes and then got out of the covers, not so much to make muffins, but because I was curious about how my monarch caterpillars were…….

I found Sarah waiting for me on the little couch and I kissed her face. Together we went into the kitchen to make the muffins she naturally knew we just had to use the berries in.

She sat on a stool to scoop out batter with an ice cream scoop.

She kept tasting the dough and saying “yummmmmmmm”.

I filled the regular sized muffin tin and soon they were baking in the oven and we called up the boys to have their breakfast.

*****

I ate a warm buttered muffin with a cup of coffee, perched on a stool in front of the aquarium which held a dangling caterpillar, two chrysalises, and a caterpillar.

I knew this caterpillar was very close to shedding it’s skin so I determined to wait and get it on video.

These two attached to a stick that I put in the aquarium. They were the compliant caterpillars, the other one was a rebel and escaped the whole set-up to attach to a iPhone charging cord.

When I saw what it had done, I draped the cord over the top of the tank. (I had blocked half the top with a cutting board.)

I sat for a while watching the dangling caterpillar gently convulse. I knew it was almost time and called the children over. We were able to get the whole process on video.

As I sat, I couldn’t help but think about how astonishing God’s creation is. Why did he make these detailed, intricate creatures, and millions more beside? He is The Creator–Creators MUST CREATE. Just think of the things humans make and how we get “in the zone” as we sing, or draw,or sew, or garden. That urge to create came from Father-God, we are like Him, in a very small way, because He made us in His image. It is good and we enjoy it all.

So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27

He brought the most mind-boggling things into existence—plants, humans, animals, all of these things reproduce and continue the cycle of life. Self-sustaining creation. A-MAZE-ING. Overwhelming. No one is like Him, but we have a touch of the divine within us, allowing us to enjoy life, and all parts of living.

No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Jeremiah 10:6

“If you have been afraid that your love of beautiful flowers and the flickering flame of the candle is somehow less spiritual than living in starkness and ugliness, remember that He who created you to be creative gave you the things with which to make beauty and the sensitivity to appreciate and respond to His creation.” Edith Schaeffer

monarch caterpillar update

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Shanda

It has started to dangle!!

My friend Amy and I went up to the dam to try to find more caterpillars (there is lots of milkweed growing there) but we didn’t see anything but red milkweed bugs.

Then, this evening I sent the boys outside to play and David found two more!

He was the special person who found the first caterpillar yesterday.

I told him he had the eyes to see them.