All Creatures Great and Small

Our children love creatures.  Once the weather warms up they seem to find no end to new pets, they continually find most of their entertainment and delight in them.

Here are some recent creatures we've enjoyed:

This is a Golden Crowned Kinglet.  It flew into our back window while half of the children were sick.  It was stunned so we brought it inside to nurse it.  Quickly it flew up to the ceiling and landed on the curtain rod.  Amazingly it hopped onto my wooden spoon and let me carry it outside.  They love pine trees, so it quickly found a place.  We had fun drawing it afterward.

Here is a baby Killdeer.  Conner walked the park for at least an hour looking for the nest.  (The mother and father birds were pretending to be injured so we knew it was somewhere.)  When Brian got home he helped them find it.  The mother nearly had a heart attack.

This is a Western Tanager.  A flock of males flew into our Rhododendron as we were eating breakfast on Mother's Day.  It was the best gift ever to watch those tropical-like birds move from tree to tree.  We always anticipate their visit here in the spring.

Here is a "cat house."  The cats were in heaven.

Trout from a fishing trip to Ice House Lake.

Dawson's Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillars he's observing for Science this month.

This amazing contraption I found on our doorstep one night.  It was made by our neighbor boy and left as a "playground" for the little snake we're keeping right now.  Snakes attract boys, and I enjoy pulling into our home finding out I cannot really pull in...there are too many bikes in the way!

Here are all the boys enjoying the snake.

Timmy dressed up during school.  Though we love creatures around here, our favorite are the highest order, the most intricately woven, purposed on the planet: people.  They fill our lives with joy and we find so much delight in being in relationships with others in this journey of life.

My neighbor's new born baby boy.

Another neighbor's surprise 85th birthday party.

It is beyond my ability to describe what a privilege and gift it is to have the opportunity to experience all God's creatures, both great and small.