Thursday Thoughts

Wow, I've really let my postings go!  I've been so busy I barely get a chance to sit for 5 minutes on the computer and I've got to run again.  Let's see if I can recap some of what's been going on.

 - Last Friday we took a trip to the zoo.  I'd forgotten how nice, and how BIG, the zoo is!  We only did about half the zoo even though we were there for several hours.  We packed a lunch, and since they have picnic tables we were able to enjoy the breeze while we ate.  There was so much to see, and although it was a hot day there was a breeze which made it comfortable.  My thought had been to stop by and visit my aunt and uncle who live a short drive away, but the sky started turning grey and we could hear thunder in the distance.  We'd gotten thunderstorms the night before, and I didn't want to get stuck in that weather, so we high tailed it home, knowing Molly was by herself and doesn't like storms.  Unfortunately we got caught in a thunder/hailstorm that was really nasty!  Praise God we got home safely.  Hopefully we'll get to see our relatives the next time we go down - we got summer savings passes so we can go to the zoo as many times as we want all summer long!

 - After we got home my daughter noticed something in the tree in the front of our house.  It was 2 baby birds hanging out of their nest!  Apparently the wind and rain had knocked them out but they got tangled in the nest and were too small to get loose.  On the ground we saw 2 more baby birds, one clearly hurt, but there was nothing we could do for them.  The storm was intense, with lightning brightening the sky every second, and there was no way I was going to let my daughter go out there in that kind of weather.  She was beside herself looking at the little birdies but I had to be firm.

The next morning the birdies were still hanging from the nest.  The rain had stopped so we tried going out with the ladder to bring them down.  It wasn't possible; not only were they up high, but mama and papa bird were hovering over us, and they weren't too happy about us going near their babies.  We did get an idea.  We could use a long extension saw that I use to cut down dried palm fronds to bring the baby birds down.  It worked!  The whole nest came crashing down, but the birds were safe, and we put them into a plastic container along with their siblings that were still on the ground.  One of the birds that had fallen was very weak.  It looked like it had a broken wing.  We put all four in the container and kept an eye on it.  We were thrilled to see mama bird check on her babies, then start feeding them!  We felt like we'd saved the little birdies!  Sadly, the joy would not last.

The weak bird was the first to go.  We knew it would probably die, but it was still sad.  Then the sky started turning dark again, and we worried about the birds being in the plastic container in the rain.  I didn't make holes in the bottom of it, and they would drown if it rained heavily again.  So, my daughter moved the birds back to the nest and put the nest at the base of the tree.  We had some errands to run, and we left them there hoping they were safe.  To our dismay, when we got home one of the birdies was missing!  We knew they were too small to have flown away, and we have no idea where it could have gone.  It's possible the mama bird moved it, but there's also the possibility one of the neighborhood cats got to it :(.  We also noticed the strongest of the birdies was outside of the nest, behind the tree, and the fourth bird looked like it was dying as well.  That was especially disappointing, because it was one of the ones that had been hanging from the nest, and it looked like it would be okay, but now we could see it had been too much for the little birdie, and it died as well.  The only one that was left was behind the tree, and we didn't dare move it.  Next morning, it too had disappeared, and we can only hope it was taken to a safe haven by mama bird.  My daughter took it especially hard; she's an animal lover and it pains her that two of the birdies died.  Of course it's not her fault and there was nothing she could do, but it still made her very sad.

 - In happier news, we've had Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week, and it's been so much fun!  This year my son E was a volunteer, since he's now officially a 7th grader and too old to attend.  He has been helping the 9-10 year old kids.  I did registration again this year, and it's been busy!  We've averaged 290 kids each day, including a fairly large group from the orphanage where my daughter volunteers.  Yesterday 20 kids accepted Christ as their personal Savior, and we rejoiced at their decisions to follow Jesus!  It's really satisfying and humbling to be used by God to make a difference in these children's lives.

 - When I wasn't at VBS, I was home preparing the house for my son's impending move.  My two older kids had been living in an apartment in Central Florida for the past year.  My daughter graduated college and decided to come back home; she missed her family and friends.  My son was undecided for awhile, but then he said he wanted to come back to South Florida as well, just not back home.  His intention was to get a place with his best friend.  Well, things don't always turn out the way we hope.  First off, one of his loans became due, and he's had to start paying it off.  It's an added expense he wasn't planning on having yet.  Then his hours at the store got cut dramatically to almost half what he'd been working, so his paycheck took a severe hit.  He's had to use his savings to pay his bills, and that has caused him to not have enough money for a downpayment anywhere.  He has to come home till he can save up enough money.  I told him this will always be his home, and I meant it.  My only problem is, moving a 2 bedroom apartment into my already furnished 3 bedroom home.  I can't afford a storage facility at this time, so we'll have to make do.  Today I made a trip to Goodwill to get rid of items we don't use or need.  I've been getting the garage in order, since some of the furniture will have to go in there.  I'm also moving things around inside the house to make room for some of their furniture.  This isn't easy for me; I absolutely hate clutter and disorganization, and I shudder at the thought of the house looking like on of those hoarders homes they show on TV.  Still, it's my son, and for my kids I will make the sacrifice.

Okay, that's what's been happening.  See, I told you I've been busy ;).  A mother's work is never done!  Have a blessed rest of your week.