A New Springtime

Lovely Leaves

I just arrived home from my son's soccer nighttime soccer game. The wind was rustling the leaves about and the trees were swaying in the wind as if they had a message to send. Maybe they would say, " Oh, It's so wonderful to be able to wave about and  sway in the wind. I think they were participating in a delightful dance.

God gives so much of Himself  in nature and creation. Trees and leaves can bring about a sense of security.  Even though they are common objects they have so much to offer. They give a sense of stability and strength. They are dependable because they are seen  day after day and  they are accountable to the change of seasons year after year.

   

Although they don't change much, studying them is never a dull task.

 

 Gathering leaves, acorns, and pine cones is always exciting! Studying the texture's, the colors, the veins is always so interesting and seems new each time . There are so many different kinds but the satisfaction of knowing the ones nearest and closest brings comfort.

   

They are like old friends who are always there. Watching, waiting, sheltering, giving...

  

Aren't they lovely?

Leaves!

 

 

 

Our Fall Nature Study: The Goldenrod Jungle

                                         

 This year we are using, Investigating God's World, for science. It is put out by Abeka, I used it a long while ago when my older ones were elementary school age. They enjoyed the book and so did I, so I decided to use it again with the younger kiddos.

 What I enjoy about this book is that it starts of exploring the season we are in, late summer into early fall. The first chapter is about the "Goldenrod Jungle". It explores goldenrod and all of the insects(honey bees, bumble bees, viceroy butterflies, praying mantis, hover flies, bee killers etc.) that would currently be using that plant for various reasons. It also has us exploring other wildflowers that are in bloom at this time.

                                      

 We have been collecting the flowers in our living flower museum which we made using instructions in the book. It is a basic shoe box covered with laminate. Holes are cut and small glasses are inserted. We decorated it with letter stickers that read: Flower Museum.

                                  

The kiddos nature journal entries:

                                             

                                             Above: Raphael's entry/ age 11

                                           

                                            Hannah's entry/ age 7

                                           

                                            Max's entry/ age 9

                                           

                                            Abigail's entry/ age 6

We have found a lot of flower specimen. We would have never even noticed many of the different kinds if the book hadn't prompted us to seek them out.

I love to study nature, it always reminds me of the vastness of God. 

 

Summer Nature

 I have been bringing my oldest son to his summer job he got at the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. It has been a great way to start off the day. There are always plenty of birds, plants and other wildlife to observe. Today, we were blessed to see an abundance of God's wonderful creation.  I just love these little guys. I never tire of their soft blue and peachy colors.

 

These furry little ones were  out hopping and nibbling on their morning snack.

 

The woodpecker was winding up getting ready to start his day working on a tree.

 

The biggest and grandest sight of all was this sight:

 

Not only the birds were showing their fancies but the flowers were in their splendor, too. These orange ones looked like dangling jewels. Wouldn't these be a gorgeous pair of earrings, a bit smaller of course.

 

I also had a sense of peace while gazing upon these purple delights. They add such a sense of softness to the landscape.

 

What an awesome way to start the day! Summer nature, It's a God (good) thing.

On the Road and Back on the Trail

 Today, thanks be to God, we were back on the road in our own vehicle. For a while now we have been sharing a van with my mom. She has been more than generous to us. I think we had her van more than she did. Last Friday, we were finally able to purchase our very own vehicle. It is an older one with a lot of miles but it runs quite well.

We took the van for one of our first drives today to our favorite nature sanctuary, Acadia. The weather was perfect and the wildlife was enjoying the day just as much as we were. The first encounter was with the Red -Winged Blackbirds.

                                     

                                   

A bit further down the road we spotted Mr. Bluebird.

                                  

As we dove on down the road we were privileged to see a beaver. Our excitement got the best of us and we made too much noise. Of course, he swam off and went under water not allowing us to capture him on film. A good lesson learned about stillness.

                                

This little fellow was interesting, it looks like a ladybug but  it was much bigger and the red color was more brilliant? Any guesses?

                              

 The kiddos were so excited to see so many frogs. This beautifully made wooden trail allowed them to get a great glimpse of the camouflaged critters.

                              

 Last but not least, we became aware of this wonderful critter.He was soakin' up some sun and enjoying the day. We were all filled to the brim with amazement at the variety of wildlife we got to see today. The hot sun beaming and our bellies were growling so we decided it was time to go home. We got in our "new ride" and drove back home.

                            

This Valley of Tears

                                   

  Yesterday, I walked around the yard and there was so much blooming and growing going on. It's so exciting each day to see the growth taking place. Each plant is such a reflection  of the vastness of God. Each unique plant intrigues me, drawing me in to the mystery of Heaven. If these wonderful fauna are so beautiful, I can only imagine what our Father above has in store for us when we go home.

  As the world around us is in so much turmoil, I only have to look as far as the tip of my nose to see a contradictory sight. Each blossom, each flower, is a gift that shows how much we are loved. Why else would these wonderful creations be on this Earth.

                                   

   The Bleeding Heart, reminds me of our Blessed Mother, the white symbolizes her purity and her Immaculate Heart. I am also drawn into her sorrows and how she longs for souls to come to her son.

                                    

 The daffodils look like trumpets waiting to announce the arrival of our King.

                                      

  If I am feeling a little stressed, nature always soothes my soul and lifts my mind out of this place of exile. I am so thankful to have many beautiful sights to feast my eyes upon. My dh and I have been working on these different gardens for about four years now. Year after year we are always changing or transplanting flowers from one area to another.

                                     

  This little corner garden is one of my favorite spots. The bush in the middle is a Pink Fairy Rose Bush. It has the most delicatee, petite flowers on it. It will blossom in late spring all through the rest of the summer.

   In the prayer, Hail Holy Queen, we cry out to our Blessed Mother from this "Valley of Tears". I am sure God knew her prayers for us from the beginning of time and granted us, through her intercession, a special favor of showing us a bit of Heaven on Earth. I only have to take a look around to be hopeful. Even in times of wordly disorder I know that God is in control.

May Day Gardening

  Today we are having a garden-themed May Day. The weather here is rainy, damp and cold so we opted to do a bit of indoor planting.

                                     

 I usually go out to my favorite thrift store, Savers, on Thursday nights. I always find such inspirational books and activities for the kiddos to do. I hit the jackpot last night and found a bunch of garden related things. I picked up a couple  of great books, one on Spiders by Gail Gibbons, Nine Fruits Alive, about the fruits of the Spirit, Meet the Woodland Folk, The Riddle Book and The Secret Garden. 

                                     

 I was also blessed to find this great flower pressing kit that had never even been opened for $3.99. It did my heart good because my grandmother had made me one and we used to press flowers together. Oh, the fond memories of grandma!

                                     

 These are some beautiful Hawthorne Tree blossoms we are pressing. The tree itself has huge thorns on it which are one to two inches long. Hopefully, in a few days we will have some flowers we can use to make bookmarks as Mother's Day gifts for grammy.

                                     

Everyone got in on the action and tightened the nuts on the press.

                                     

 Max concentrated on planting these cornflower seeds which came in this adorably decorated package. On the front was the Cornflower Fairy and on the back there was the poem about him which we read before planting. Later this afternoon, we will read from The Secret Garden and tonight we will read some of Meet the Woodland Folk.

                                        

Happy Planting and a blessed May Day to all!

You Open Your Hand and You Satisfy the Desire Of Every Living Thing

                                      

There is so much to do and see in the spring. I am thoroughly enjoying this season. The kiddos and I have been spending the late afternoons outside. The weather has been more like summer than spring, for the last three days we have had eighty to ninety degree days. Considering that our New England summers are not that long, the extra days of heat can be pretty exciting and appreciated. We have been enjoying more nature walks and and have discovered some new life unfolding in our mist.

                                    

God just keeps blessing us as we see so many new natural wonders. These fiddle heads are coming up now right in our own backyard woods. I just love seeing the soft green spiral waiting to become a feathery fern. There is so much anticipation in this little shoot.

                                  

These wonderful seedlings looked like glorious fireworks showing their dazzle in broad daylight. The amazing fiery red cascades grabbed my attention, although they are so small their impact on the senses is enormous.

                                   

 This shelf fungus looked as if it was just waiting for me to set my cup of coffee upon it. The texture and the colors are so inviting. It looks so hard and rough but looks are deceiving. It is actually soft and squishy. I just get so excited exploring these new and awesome creations. It is so much better than going to the mall.

                                 

The pussy willow is still putting on a show, it has the most wonderful white threadlike transporters that will give flight to its seeds. The process of life will begin again as the seeds are buried and rise again to bring forth  a new tree.

  All of nature mimics the death and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus. How wonderful He is to give us such beauty and goodness. He opens His hand and He satisfies the desire of every living thing.

 

 

The Face of God

 I am so blessed with the beauty that surrounds my family. I live in an area abundandt with heavenly foilage and amazing wildlife. Nature is such an awesome mirror of the glory of God. I used to ask God to let me see his face  and He would always show it to me in His creation. I would look out the car window and  there would be a blossoming tree that looked as if it were glowing and I could see Him. I would see the smile on my child's face and I could see Him. He is so close to us, we only have to ask and He will reveal Himself.

 

 A beautiful Forsythia bush clothed in sunshine flowers makes me feel warm and loved by my Heavenly Father.

 

A dainty bluebird sitting on a weathered fence post shows how intimate God is as He touches the depths of my soul with his simplicity.

 

A regal  hawk perched high above gazes upon his surroundings and reminds me of God's majesty and I can sense  His providence and protection He wants to shower upon us from above.

  Heaven and Earth are full of God's glory and oh how He wants us to experience Him through everthing He gives us. May you look upon His face today for He is always there waiting! May His peace be yours today.

Wordless Wednesday

                                         

They Niether Sow Nor Reap

                                      

 This year the budget has been quite tight so I put off buying bird food. It was on my mind and heart because we enjoy watching them so much. I said a little prayer and told the Lord of my want. A couple of weeks later a friend of mine came over and we were talking about watching the birds. She said she had a 50 lb. bag of black sunflower seeds and if I wanted some I could pick it up. I was so thrilled! The next day, I came home from a running an errand and there on the counter was a big ziploc filled with the seeds. I asked my husband if my friend had dropped it off. He informed me that it was from a friend of his at work. Isn't it wonderful how God provides even the smallest desires of our hearts. Not only did he provide for us once but twice. We usually say a morning prayer which states that very idea:

                                       

 Look at the birds of the sky they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more important than they are? What an awesome gift of love. It has been such a joy to watch these beauties as they come and go on this winter's day. I hope you are able to experience His love, too!