Just Hatched

God is showing His splendor again. Found these little guys in our Alberta Spruce:
Here's the whole mound of them:

Yes, I Do Have A Boy

Josiah is always gone in a flash the minute you give him permission to play, so he does not often make it onto my blog. But today, I ventured into the woods to find him and capture a picture of whatever he was doing. It did not surprise me to find him swinging from a tree.

From The War Zone

Today, I fancied myself a media photographer as I bravely entered my water war torn front yard where a neighborhood girls vs. the boys battle raged.

Finally, when all seemed lost, peace was offered by way of a few popsicles, still followed by a heated discussion as to why each team thought they had obviously won. Then off they went to play on the trampoline . . .

I Can Pump!

Oh, No! Not Again!

I have a naughty little toddler who doesn't seem to "get it" despite all my efforts to train her in the art of leaving a hamster alone in his cage. Gunther has "escaped" three times in the past 18 hours. I even locked Hadassah's door but Shifrah has figured out how to un-lock it.

Yesterday, I was thankful for Sophie (who has been staying here for the past week) who promised that if I would get her some gloves, she would catch the hamster. Hey. It's a deal!

Modern Art - Mona Lisa

For art class, Hadassah was required to make a Mona Lisa out of magazine clippings. If you know Hadassah well, it will not surprise you that she managed to slip some dogs in the background. Here's her final masterpiece as displayed at the recent school fundraising dinner:

Find Gunther

Our family does not have a very good track record for pets. This morning, I found Shifrah in Hadassah's room, walking around with the "attic" portion of Gunther's cage with Gunther hanging from the tube that he uses to get into the attic. Like any good mother would do, I put the attic and the hamster back where they belong.

So, imagine my surprise when Hadassah came home to an empty cage! Oops. I didn't notice to put the water bottle back (which also so happens to plug an escape hole).

After an anxious search (one of us worried about a poor animal lost and the other worried about having a rodent on the loose), I am happy to report that we found him curled up in a corner in her closet. Whew!

Meet Gunther

Hadassah has a new pet hamster named Gunther - a well deserved reward. Gunther is such a sweet and social rodent, I almost like him.

Crazy Praises

Highlighter on her cheek. Hair standing up on end. Sunglasses. That's Shifrah. As is. But she's praising God:

And, of course, you must have the words:

Zion founded on the mountains,

God, thy Maker, loves thee well;

He has chosen thee, most precious,

He delights in thee to dwell;

God's own city, God's own city,

Who can all thy glory tell?

Birds

All in the "bird" family:
Is anyone else laughing? This is an Andean Condor from South America (though I took his picture at the local zoo).

Common Grackle:

Peacock. I think this one was a young boy because he did not have the usual beautiful bright feathers but his feathers were brown and much shorter - though he did display them for us.

And a robin. Always a welcome sight in early spring.

More Wow of Spring

The forsythia's been out so long, we barely stop to look anymore but they are really neat up close. And yesterday, I noticed the vinca has made its appearance:
And the plum tree has been around a few days:
The pear trees are making our street rather pretty nowadays:
All to God's glory! It's amazing how our Creator put so much detail in even the smallest of plants and creatures that so many of us never see. Sure. Take time to smell the roses but don't forget to open it up and have a look.

Pool Time!

What do you do when you have kids in two different schools that take Spring Break on two different weeks? This week, Hadassah is off but Josiah has school. So, Josiah went to Grandma's and we girls tagged along with Paul on a business trip. We mostly just shopped and played in the hotel pool but it was good to get away.

Shifrah loved the water and loved spending some time with her Daddy:

Hadassah walking on water:

Anticipation

"I know that my Redeemer lives!" May we who love the Lord Jesus Christ be looking forward to His second coming as Peter and John, so long ago, looked toward His empty tomb.
(The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulchre on the Morning of the Resurrection, by Eugene Burnand)

It's A Good Friday

Alas! and did my Savior bleed,

And did my Sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

for such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I have done

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity, grace unknown,

and love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,

and shut his glories in,

when Christ, the mighty Maker, died

for man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face

while His dear cross apprears;

dissolve, my heart, in thankfulness!

And melt, my eyes to tears!

I Can Do It!

A week or two ago, Shifrah could not even understand the idea of putting two puzzle pieces together. This week, she is making 16 piece puzzles all on her own. Last week, Shifrah pretty much destroyed the long train puzzle that Selah was making; this week, she's making it herself! The human brain never ceases to amaze me . . . "fearfully and wonderfully made!"

Oh. And I should mention. I sped up the video 4x. :)