Just the bees

This...

...I have seen!


This...

...I have not!

A shiny black bee!!


God makes such cool stuff and keeps on surprising me with new things!!

Eggs have hatched.

What you are about to see is not pretty!!
But, it is amazing!

A few of the tiny baby birds have hatched out.
They are nothing but wrinkly pink skin and weirdly large not yet opened eyeballs.

Oh, and mouths.
They heard their momma fussing at me and woke to open their mouths widely.
(Don't click on that picture for a closer look, really...don't do it.)

Speaking of...here she is.

She took off as soon as I approached the nest.
I crept quietly and gently, breathing slowly and deeply trying to appear meek and calm.
It didn't work though.
I tried to work quickly and got out of her space, apologizing and thanking her for sharing the wonder of new life.
I don't think she heard a word I said, as she never stopped talking herself!!!

Spring time presents so many lovely babies to appreciate!

Lessons from the soccer field

I took some pictures today.
They were better 2x2 than on the big screen.
I would rather just share something else with you, okay!?!


Today, I was going through my pictures of the last soccer game of the season.
I had promised the parents to send along some of the shots and simply hadn't had time to get to editing them.
I made the time today, between loads of laundry of course.

I wanted to take the time to tell you, from my perspective about something that happened during that game.
I might be assuming too much, but I don't think so!!!

One of the boys on our team got hurt late in the second half.
Everyone saw him topple through the player guarding the goal and quickly double over, managing to keep his footing but desperately holding his knee in pain.
The agony he was in was obvious on his face.

My son was the closest to him and therefore the first to arrive to check on him.
My boy, very sensitive to others, leaned over with his teammate and grabbed onto his arm offering resistance against the gravity and pain threatening to take him down.
Soon the boy was surrounded by many of his other teammates, all of them with grave faces and confused expressions.
They weren't quite sure what to do but hung close hoping that would somehow be of help.

The coach, forgotten clipboard still gripped in his hand, was rapidly striding in to get a closer look and assess the situation.
Typically if one of our boys gets hurt it is something they can usually shake off to return to the game without much ado.

Not this time.
The coach quickened his step and arrived to take the arm my son was holding.
He wrapped his arm under the boys, and around the child's small back in hopes of helping to take the brunt of the weight off of his injured knee; my husband, the assistant coach took the other arm.

They guided him a few steps along and then suddenly something changed.

Maybe it was because I was watching so carefully, but I noticed a sudden shift in the coach.

He seemed to make a mild shake of his head, as if warding off any doubt and then he quickly swooped down and picked up that boy in one fluid movement.

I think his Daddy instinct took over and he just couldn't help himself.
It seemed like he was choosing to make the best decision for this kid, to help him get off the field and hopefully to some relief by sitting.


That's what I saw anyway.
That is what my mommy sense told me was happening.

The next shot I captured was this.
See that boy there, in the red overshirt.

Look at him really carefully.
Notice how he doesn't look worried at all.
I mean the rest of the boys on the team wore expressions of concern and confusion...why not this child???

I have a feeling it is because that injured boy is in the arms of his Daddy.

I have a feeling he knows full well what it is to be in need and have the arms of his Father comfort him.




Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

I love being a child of the King.
I also have confidence in his ability to carry whatever pain is in your life, and see you through to what is best for you.

Oh, and that little boy??
He was just fine in the end.

Strange treat

I couldn't remember where in this new house I put the Easter baskets.
This meant the Easter Bunny had to use a hand me down basket for my middle son, and a stainless steel bowl for my oldest son.

He is 14, I don't think it did anything to his psyche!!



New this year was a bottle of chocolate soda!!!
Yum, it tasted like a liquid tootsie roll.


If however, your child is holding the bottle looking curiously at the label and all you see is their hand wrapped around a dark brown glass bottle.....which happens to be the exact size and shape of a classic beer bottle....
Ahhhhh ha ha ha!!!
That Easter Bunny!

Happy Easter all.
See ya tomorrow!

Houston, I have a problem

I was in downtown Houston late last night and half the day today.

I couldn't help but take the opportunity to shoot from the top of a building into the night sky.


Nothing fantastic by any means!


This reflection stopped me and cried out for the taking.


I took lots more pictures which I won't share with you and learned something about myself again today!
If it really matters, suck up the pride and shoot on automatic!
Leave the Manual mode for when it doesn't matter or I have plenty of time to get it right!!
So many of the moments that could have really made great memory pictures for this weekend are just junk because of my stubbornness!!!
Very valuable lesson!!! Arg!!

That said, I took this one of the cuff, in haste with no thought of settings or design. It just captured my attention and I clicked.

It is a light fixture a full 2 floors straight up from where I was standing.


We read this in our daily Bible reading tonight, I hope you will take the time to read it too.
It is so beautiful, especially verses 15 and 16!
Pslams 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.

12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.

16 “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
These shirts took me 4 hours to accomplish!!! I had planned for 2.
(Photo quickly taken with cell phone.)

These are for my middle son's soccer tournament tomorrow.
They have be close to unbeatable this season, so we felt pretty confident on our title of "The Flu".

I am running far behind and still have so much to do in the next hour.

later!!!

Orange!