Birds of Summer

The birds of summer have flown the coop.  I miss them more than they'll ever know.

But I do have my old picture files to go back to and I've decided to post a few of my favorite birdbath pictures from July.

Oh how I love the bluebirds whether they're staring at me.

Or drinking water.

Male and female are equally beautiful.

Even when she's doing all the talking.

I love the vibrant colors of the goldfinch.

 

And I'm not sure what kind of birds these are - some kind of sparrow maybe - but I love how the pictures turned out and the kind of unusual poses.

And now I wonder where all the birds have gone.  Is it possible they're gone by this time every year.  Or did they look for better bug hunting when we were having our drought.  I'm a little worried about them.

And I can't believe I'm already looking forward to Spring.

Neverending Jobs

One day last week I was at Beth's when Anna and Noah were instructed to pick up toys.  They worked so hard to make sure that everything was organized and tidy.

Almost done!  And it looked so nice!

 For a little less than three minutes! 

I think Anna and Noah are learning at an early age how completely futile some household jobs are. 

An Extraordinary Birth

I've been lucky enough to be in attendance for the births of many of my grandchildren and all three of my great grandchildren.   And I've witnessed some amazing births.  My daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughter have blown me away, not only with their generosity in letting me be there, but also with their courage, stamina, and sweet natures during the most stressful times of their lives.

But one birth stands out as the most surreal birthing experiences I've ever witnessed.  I was reminded of it as I went through some of my old files and I thought it was post worthy.

Here is the expectant couple about one hour and four minutes before Mary's birth.

About an hour before the birth, Sarah seems to be questioning what the big deal is about and Mike is distracted by the TV.

Less than 45 minutes before the birth Sarah seems to be experiencing some pain?  Or is she trying to figure out if she's having a contraction?  Whatever it is, it's got Mike's 'still relaxed' attention.

And it's no wonder because fifteen minutes later, she dilated 10 cm.

And ten minutes after that, it was showtime.

From showtime to babe-in-arms time was sixteen minutes.

And that's what I call a perfect birthing experience.

You Capture - Play

Beth's you capture subject this week is Play.  I struggled.  While I was at Beth's this week, I shot a couple of quick pictures of Eli and Clara.

Sometimes play can be a lot of work for a two-year-old.
 
And Clara loves to play ball already.
 

Here you can see that all the toys in the world aren't as intriguing as Grandma sitting on the floor with a camera.


Finding Play at home was very challenging so I turned to the koi for help.  Here are the youngsters from the spawning just a couple of months ago. 

And here are the parents playing with their food in the pond next door.  You can see what a commotion they make.
 

For more Play, visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

Stepping Bluebird

Did this young bluebird really just step over to the next board instead of flitting, hopping or flying?

I love bluebirds.

Tessa Mary - Through The Years

My second little namesake was born exactly 6 years ago right now.  And the amazing, relaxed nature of her birth was exactly like the amazing, relaxed nature of sweet little Tessa.

Here's Tessa, pictorially through the years.  These pictures were taken approximately every six months.

 

 

I mentioned that Tessa's birth was relaxed and amazing and I know that's true because I was blessed enough to be there for the whole thing.  Dan and Teresa were happy and upbeat and Teresa was a great sport 'til the very end.

See?  Here they are at the very end.

And when she arrived, it was easy to see that there was never a baby more lovingly anticipated than Tessa.

And it's no wonder because they must have know what an amazing girl she would turn out to be.

From the very beginning, her big brothers, Grant and Evan, wanted to play important roles in her life.

 And that's definitely something that has continued - through the years.

 

And they've enjoyed pretty much every minute because Tessa is such a very likable little girl.  She's agreeable, loving, and a lot of fun.

And she loves to dance and is extremely graceful.

But she has other interests too.  Like sports and Disney princesses.  (She could pass for one herself, couldn't she.)




She loves her best friend cousin, Mary, but gets along wonderfully with all her little relatives.



And, she loves to dress up and share all her dress-up clothes.
 

But most of all, Tessa is one of the sweetest, most easy-going little girls you could ever meet.  She may not see her grandparents for a long, long time but when she does, she greets us with flowers and patiently waits outside for our arrival.   She's helpful, creative, and loving; and we're wishing her the best birthday any 6-year-old could ever have.

Happy Birthday, Tessa.  We love you and miss you every day!