Weathering the Storm

Looks like our playset was the perfect place for our hawk (okay, the neighborhood hawk, but she holds a special place in our hearts, especially since she's helping to rid us of the adorable but pesky chipmunks that have taken up residence in our yard) to weather Hurricane Sandy. She (the hawk) showed up yesterday around 3 and stayed for about 30 minutes, before a particularly strong gust of wind encouraged her to find refuge elsewhere. I do hope she fared okay; like I said, she holds a special place in our hearts.

As for our family itself, we're just fine. The kids didn't mind staying inside all day yesterday (Hunter was upset today, though, when we were outside only long enough to get the mail and remove the trash can from the garage; that boy LOVES being outdoors), and were unfazed by the wind and rain last night. (Apparently Scott and I were, too; once I fell asleep, I didn't wake until Scott's alarm went off this morning.) Thankfully, too, there's no damage, just lots of leaves and several branches. Even better, my hubby didn't/ doesn't have to extend his shift at work. Considering what we had been expecting, I'd say that we fared really well.

Happy Day!

Eight years ago today Scott and I joined our hands and hearts in marriage. Much has happened since that beautiful fall day in 2004, but every moment together has helped us grow and strengthen our marriage.

Tonight we'll celebrate with an annual tradition: dinner at Arby's. Of course, unlike our visit there on our wedding night on the way to the airport hotel, tonight we'll have two kids in tow, and simply return home afterwards to partake in peanut butter cup s'mores bars (Yum! Thought an anniversary was the perfect "excuse" to try this recipe!) before putting the kids to bed.

(And for those concerned that we won't have a chance to celebrate sans kids, we did; when my in-laws were in town for Hunter's dedication, Scott and I went out to dinner before checking out the new shops by Wegman's. We were actually away for THREE HOURS! That's a LOT for us!)

Be free! Be free!

As part of Leah's study on butterflies, I ordered some caterpillars back in September. I was a bit wary when the little critters arrived; they weren't moving, and the brown food in their jar wasn't exactly aesthetically pleasing. Still, I held on hope that the caterpillars would grow and proceed through their life cycle before our very eyes.

Turns out that all six of our "pets" lived; they proved a daily source of entertainment (in short amounts) for all four of us (yes, even the hubs and I were interested). The kiddos would clamor around the island (well, Hunter needed some assistance) to peek at the caterpillars crawling around their home.

Then one day, they started "the change", and we were the fascinated bystanders. The first caterpillar to spin his chrysalis did so during Leah's rest, so I ran upstairs to get her. Granted, it did take it a little time to finish, but I didn't know that at the time. Plus, it was fun experiencing the moment with Leah.

Finally, after a couple days, all six of our caterpillars had spun chrysalids; now we just had to wait... and wait... and wait. Then, last week, just after breakfast, I happened to glance at our butterfly garden, and there, hanging on to the side, was a butterfly. Just like that! Number two arrived later that morning, and then number three appeared that afternoon. Number four arrived the next day. (Sad to say, but number five wasn't fully developed; it never fully emerged from the chrysalis, and ultimately died. Number six must have died in its chrysalis for it never appeared.) The kids enjoyed watching the butterflies flit around their garden or sip nectar from the orange slices and sugar water we gave them. (Leah was good about looking and not touching, but Hunter didn't quite understand. He'd pound on the top of the garden with excitement, sending the butterflies trembling down to the bottom.)

Sunday afternoon, Scott and Leah released our "pets" in the backyard (though Leah had told me earlier that she wanted them to fly around our house. Uh, no.) They were hesitant to leave the comfort of their "home", but soon gained the courage to fly off into the "great unknown".

 Scott set the two unopened chrysalids on the food plate in the hopes that the butterflies might still make it.

If you look closely, you can see one of our butterflies on the log.

Change of Plans

So, initially I was going to update everyone on the backyard project/ addition, but then I saw something this morning that made me change my mind. 

We have been so blessed by where we live: our neighborhood is convenient to EVERYTHING; our neighbors are great; our home is in good condition (even if we have been updating it here and there); and, unlike many homes in this area, we actually have privacy thanks to our wooded lot. 

Though I am not a tree-hugger or environmentalist by any means, I do enjoy and appreciate nature (after all, it is God's creation and one of many ways in which He demonstrates His creativity and His love for us). So is it any surprise that I often find myself scanning the backyard for critters of one sort or another: chipmunks (so cute... but so destructive! Argh!), squirrels (eh, see one, seen 'em all), chickadees (can't get enough of these. Maybe that's because of a report I wrote back in elementary school), doves, woodpeckers, cardinals, rabbits (don't see these often enough), foxes (thankfully our yard is usually just a cut through; too often, these are rather mangy looking), deer (REGULARLY! Scott keeps telling me that one day he's going to hunt them from our deck), snakes (ugh!!), turtles (saw a baby one crossing our driveway last year), toads, and hawks (saw one just last week. He hung around for a few days. Friday he was on our deck. Saturday he went zooming past Scott's ear while Scott was outside working.).

And then Sunday, and again today, I saw something I hadn't seen in our neighborhood before. Something beautiful, majestic, and strong: a bald-eagle. As I was driving to church, he flew over our street. Then today, as we were playing outside, he flew down our street, prey (a squirrel) in talons. So amazing. Guess I know what I'll be keeping an eye out for now.