Come along with Lily Grace as she explores her new world with her new family in Florida. Lily has an Aunt Debbi and an identical twin cousin Tracie living in Charleston, SC, to whom she will be writing letters to tell all about her new friends and family and adventures. Come along and join in the fun!
Wow! It sure has been an exciting couple of days here on Still Waters Pond!
I've been spending most of my time sitting in front of our window that looks out toward the Bluebird House, watching the comings and goings of Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird, as they have been coaxing their baby birds to get out of the nest and fly! There's one now! He was getting pretty brave and almost out of the house...
This has been my perch, on the table inside the window, where I had a front row seat to watch for the baby birdies to come out.
I was getting dizzy watching them so much as the babies would take turns sticking their heads out of the house and Mama and Daddy would come by with interesting looking berries and bugs, teasing them with them so they would want to come out and fly on their own.
Hey! You come back here with that! I'm starving!!
We weren't too sure how many birdies were inside the house, but we knew there were at least two, as you can see another little beak sticking up in the window here below:
Hey! Who are YOU looking at? I'm stuck in there with my siblings, and it is very HOT in here!! Somebody please come and get us out of here!!
Wow, he's getting braver and coming out further and further, but this went on all day yesterday and into the early evening last night:
Then suddenly the first brave birdie flew out of the nest and onto our porch, right in front of me!!!!
He sat there looking around and chirping, as if to say, "Now what do I do? It's getting dark, and I don't know where to go or what to do!"
I was getting kind of scared for him, because it was getting darker and we hadn't seen Mama or Daddy fly by in a little while. Could they have already flown away and not known that the baby had come out of the nest?
Would they come and get him, or would he have to sit there all night by himself, wishing he was safe back inside the birdhouse with his siblings, who were still poking their heads out and calling to him?
Mommie said we should say a little prayer for him to be able to fly to safety with his parents before it got any darker.
And so we did. Mommie said that God watches over the birdies and we shouldn't worry. He will take care of this little one.
He just kept hopping around and looking lost and alone.
He even looked back toward me, and I was telling him to "Fly, fly, be free! Your Mama and Daddy are up there waiting for you! You'll be safe with them!"
He seemed so uncertain of what to do that we were all getting a bit concerned for him.
But then, before we could blink our eyes, he took off and flew up to the nearest tree, and we could hear his Mama and Daddy chattering away at him to help him find them before it got dark. But the other babies were still in the nest, and it was too dark for them to come out last night.
This morning when we woke up we kept watching the bird house to see what would happen to the other babies. One by one they kept peeking outside and looking around, and Mama and Daddy came to encourage them to come on out and join the rest of the family.
And, praise God! We were excited to see not one, not two, but three more birdies fly out of the nest, one by one, and off and up into the trees with the rest of the family!!
Mommie did get a few more pictures of the last one leaving the nest, but she discovered that she had forgotten to put the memory card back inside the camera, and so those pictures are trapped inside the internal memory of her camera and she does not have a cord to attach that will transfer them to the computer...(it's an older camera). She has ordered one from Amazon...that big place that seems to have everything somewhere out there in cyberspace, and it will get here sometime next week, so we will have to wait to see those other pictures then. Bummer!
But it was a very exciting morning, and we got to see all of them leave the nest before Mommie and Daddy had to leave home to go to church this morning! Yay!!!
Daddy said it reminded him of how it will be one day when we leave this earth for heaven. All of our loved ones and Jesus will be waiting for us up there, calling to us and welcoming us home from our earthly journey. We will finally be free of this old earth and all of the darkness and worries and fears, and we will be safe on the other side!
What a glorious day that will be!
Speaking of loved ones, yesterday Mommie and I found this rose blooming in the Secret Memorial Garden. Mommie said this is the rosebush that was planted in memory of my big brother Matthew, who is up in heaven waiting for us someday.
Mommie said this rosebush always seems to bloom on or around special days.
It started to bloom on Friday, July 23rd, which was our Nanny Steiner's birthday. Nanny is in heaven too, and she would have been 98 years old on that day.
So we picked the rose yesterday and brought it inside and put it in a special vase so we could watch it open up even prettier and enjoy it in memory of Nanny.
Mommie said you probably already read all about Nanny Steiner's birthday over on Mommie's other blog: Closed Doors, Open Windows. I wish I could have met her. Mommie said she is sure she would have loved me because I have pretty green eyes just like hers.
Well, I guess that's about it. Oh, I helped Mommie fold the laundry yesterday too.
Here I am sitting in the laundry basket after I got to take a ride in it from the dryer to the living room! Whee! That was so much fun! Have YOU ever ridden in a laundry basket full of clothes before? Maybe when you were really really little?
Mommie told me the story about the Baby Moses in the Bible, who was put in a special basket in the river, to save him from the mean king. But the mean king's daughter found him and kept him for her own baby and the mean king couldn't do anything to hurt him then. Moses grew up to be a very strong leader, and he led the people of Israel out of Egypt across the Red Sea, and a lot of other amazing stuff. Mommie said you can read more about Moses in the book of Exodus in the Bible. He was one of God's special people that God used to do many wonderful things that changed the world!
I wonder what kind of things I could do to help change the world? What about you?
God's Word says to
"Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3
That sounds like a good plan to me!!
Meanwhile, let's stop and smell the roses and enjoy the beautiful things God has given us:
Hi Everyone in Blogland! Sorry I haven't been around much lately! It's been hot and rainy and busy, and so we haven't had much time for adventures. But Mommie gave me a real wonderful treat today!
She said that summertime is finally here, and that means it is also "popsicle time"! Hooray!! I never had a popsicle before!! (oops! Mommie just checked her records and found out that I did have a popsicle before right HERE! We forgot about that!)
"However", Mommie said, "We have to go outside to eat our popsicle so we don't drip them all over the house."
So we went outside and sat in the shade on the swing and ate our popsicle.
The best part of all is that the popsicle stick has a riddle on it!! Mommie says she calls this the
"POPsickle Quiz". She said they used to have "pop quizzes" in school all the time, which meant you could have a test on something anytime without warning and you'd better be ready!
Anyway, with the popsicle quiz, you have to eat the whole popsicle to get the answer to the riddle!
This one says:
"Why are math textbooks always stressed?"
Any guesses??
Well, once we finished the popsicle we found out the answer:
"They deal with so many problems!"
Ha ha ha!!
Did you guess the answer correctly without looking? I didn't. Neither did Mommie.
Mommie said we will try to eat a popsicle whenever we can and give you the quizzes so you can play along with us, okay? Okay!
So then we just sat there in the shade in the Secret Memorial Garden and just swang on the swing. Swang? or is it swung? Or is it swinged? I don't know. Mommie said she thinks swang is fine in this case.
While we were sitting there swinging on the swing, we were surprised by a little visitor:
Not sure which one for sure, but some kind of cute little Warbler.
That was fun to see!! He was very tiny.
Finally it got too warm outside so we went back inside to cool off. Plus it looks like rain again.
Mommie took some pictures of hers and Daddy's salads that they had for lunch today.
Daddy said he wanted some potato chips on top of his salad:
Mommie thought it looked kind of interesting, so she wanted to show it to you. Have you ever done that before? Not sure where Daddy got the idea, but that is what he wanted instead of his usual bologna and cheese sandwich. Yes, he loves them, and yes, he eats one almost every day. Mommie was happy he wanted a salad instead today.
So here is Mommie's salad. She had her crackers and cheese on the side, and Craisins on top of her salad. Both salads had slivers of ham and shredded cheese and sliced apples, spinach and lettuce.
They were very good, according to Mommie and Daddy.
I had my usual.
So that's all for today, folks!
Here's some things to think about from that nice little devotional book
Happy Sunday Morning to all my wonderful new friends!
Psalm 118:24
"This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."
We woke up bright and early, and Mommie had her cup of hot tea in a different mug today! It says:
"The whole world is a series of miracles,
but we're so used to them we call them
ordinary things."
She said that today we will enjoy a lot of those "ordinary things" that are really miracles all around us.
Oh, Aunt Debbi and Cousin Tracie...look at what was out in the "Big Pond" first thing this morning! The geese were right there to greet me...and it was even raining, but they didn't even care! And they didn't fly away when we came out on the porch to say good morning! Oh, by the way, Mommie says to tell you that the real name for the "big pond" is "Still Waters Pond". Mommie calls it that because she says that God brought them here to live "beside the still waters", just like in that special Psalm 23 the Bible talks about...
I really loved seeing the geese out there this morning. I think that was one of those "miracles" that some people think is just an ordinary thing. What do YOU think, Aunt Debbi?
After de-vo-shuns (where we read about Jonah and the big fish and God giving Jonah a second chance to obey His commands and go preach to the people of Ninevah after the big fish spit him out on the shore...boy! I bet Jonah smelled and looked funny after being in the belly of that big old fish for three days! No wonder the people listened to him! Hey! That's another miracle, isn't it?)
Anyway, as I was saying, after de-vo-shuns and breakfast, Mommie and Daddy got ready for church. I wanted to go with them but they said that right now they aren't able to have any Sunday School for the children because of something bad called "Covid", and everyone has to wear a mask and stay far away from each other, and they can't even hug...and they thought it might be better for me to stay home and watch the church service online with my friends here. So that is what I did, but Mommie set up the computer for us so we could watch the service and sing along with the choir. Mommie is singing in the choir with the other people. Can you see her, Aunt Debbi and Tracie? My mommie is way over on the far left, and she sings something called "alto". Mommie said that means she sings with a lower voice than the other ladies, who sing something called "soprano". Those are big words, but I love music and I want to learn everything I can. So Mommie taught me this song so I could sing along:
She said if you click on that arrow on the picture below you can hear them singing and sing along too! And then, if you want to stay and listen a while, you can hear the preacher preach a sermon.
Mommie said a sermon is a nice story that the preacher tells from the Bible, and that we should listen very carefully because the Bible is God's Word, and God wants to teach us all about His Son Jesus and how to live here on earth, and how to get "saved" so we can go to heaven someday. I know I want to be saved so I can go to heaven. Mommie said we can talk more about that soon. I am so excited to know all about Jesus!!
These are the words to the song the choir is singing. It's kind of a happy song about going to heaven! I really loved singing along with them!
"Chariot's Comin'"
I’ve got a home waitin’ in the heavenly kingdom
Up where the streets are paved with gold.
And someday I know I’ll be headin’ for the heavenly kingdom
With a chariot to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home.
Looked over Jordan, and what did I see
Comin’ for to carry me, carry me home.
A shiny golden chariot waitin’ there for me.
It’s gonna carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home.
My day is comin’ as sure as can be
Comin’ for to carry me, carry me home
I hear a band of angels callin’ out to me
They’re gonna carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin’ for to carry me home.
Chariot’s comin’ to carry me home! YEAH!!!
After church Mommie and Daddy came home and Mommie wanted to have a cup of tea and eat a grapefruit, so we went out on the porch so we could listen to the birds while she enjoyed her snack.
When Mommie looked at the tag on her tea bag, she laughed and clapped her hands because of what it said:
"Why not brew up a little ray of sunshine?"
She said that I was her "little ray of sunshine", and it made her really happy to see that sweet little message on her teabag just then! I am so glad that I can help make my Mommie smile. That really makes me happy too!
After she finished her cup of tea she took me for a walk around the back yard. The first thing we noticed was this sweet little fairy flower! That's what Mommie called it, and I thought about your little "Fairy Granddaughter", Aunt Debbi! And she has one of my special identical cousins, "Daisy". I wish they could come see these sweet little fairy flowers! I know they would love them just like I do.
Mommie said we could pick some for a bouquet before we go back inside the house, but first she wanted to show me some special places in the the yard.
I was so excited to see this darling little girl sitting in the garden, holding a flower in her hand. Mommie says we might need to clean her up a bit this spring as she is looking a little weary from sitting outside in the weather so long. I said I would love to help make her look prettier and happier.
And look, Aunt Debbie and Tracie! There are little bunnies everywhere!
And there is another cute little boy and girl standing in the garden. They are just about my size, and I hope we will become good friends!
Oh Aunt Debbi and Tracie, wait until you see where we went next!
Look at this little sign! Do you know what it says?
It says, "Wel-come to my se-cret gar-den"
A Secret Garden!!! Oh! I was so excited!!
My Mommie has her very own secret garden!!!
And look at this other sign that is hanging on the gate into the Secret Garden:
That is something really special, don't you think? The "Secret Garden" is a place where we can rest our minds and soften our hearts! I like that idea, don't you?
Oh, Aunt Debbi and Tracie, this next sign kind of made me very sad. I had to ask Mommie to read it to me and to tell me what it meant. Mommie told me that I have another big brother that I haven't gotten to meet yet, because he is already in heaven. She said his name is Matthew, and that he went to heaven almost seven years ago, because he was very very sick and Jesus took him home to live with Him. Oh, I am so sad to learn about this, but Mommie said the good news is that because Matthew believed in Jesus as his personal Savior, he was saved and went to heaven to live forever. And also she said that he isn't sick anymore and never will be sick again! And then she said that if we believe in Jesus as our personal Savior, we can also go to heaven and live forever some day. Mommie told me another special Bible verse called "John 3:16". And this is what it says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Mommie said that Jesus is God's "only begotten Son", and so if we BELIEVE in Him, we can go to heaven someday and live forever, just like my big brother Matthew.
That made me feel a little better to know that if I believe in Jesus I will get to go to heaven someday and see Jesus and also get to meet my big brother. But it still makes me kind of sad that he can't be here now so I can see him. Mommie said that he also has a wife and a son who live in another state far away from here, and that maybe someday I will get to meet them. I hope so, because I just know I will love them already!
Here's a picture of my Mommie and Daddy, their grandson Noah, and his Daddy Matthew and mother Nicole. This picture was taken a little while before Matthew went to heaven:
Mommie showed me this funny little Froggy sitting in a flower pot. She said that Matthew sometimes called himself Froggy, and so this cute little froggy is there to remind them of him.
That made me smile after feeling so sad.
Then look what I found! This is a very BIG BENCH in the Secret Garden, and it says:
"Mom's Secret Garden".
Mommie told me that my big brother Scott put this beautiful bench together for her one year for Christmas, and then my other big brother Benton painted the words on it to make it extra special.
I thought that was really really nice.
And so we sat down on Mommie's bench and listened to the birdies in the treetops singing.
And we sat really quietly, hoping they would come down and eat from the bird feeder, but Mommie said they probably were a little afraid of us sitting there so close, and so we decided to get up and go do some more exploring in the yard.
Mommie showed me this cute Bluebird house on the tree. She said that one time some Bluebirds were in the yard and she hoped they would come there and live, but they never did. However, she said a different bird called a "Tufted Titmouse" did come and make a next in there and had some baby birds there last spring. Oh! I do hope they will come back and have more babies in that cute birdhouse this spring! Wouldn't that be a lot of fun to see?
Next we walked around to a place beside "Still Waters Pond", and just enjoyed seeing the trees and water and places where Mommie said some wildflowers will be growing and blooming in the spring.
Springtime must be really special here. I can't wait to see it!
We went back and picked my little bouquet of fairy flowers, and then Mommie introduced me to "Bobbie the Squirrel", who lives in the birdbath. She apologized for the uncleanliness of the birdbath and said that we are going to have to come out and do some work in our garden and yard soon.
But anyway, "Bobbie the Squirrel" used to sit in my Daddy's Mommy's birdbath at her house. Her name was "Nanny", and she's gone to heaven now too, but we are taking good care of "Bobby the Squirrel" for her.
We finally went back up on the porch and Mommie told me about this beautiful wind chime that is hanging there. She said that it was made especially in memory of my big brother Matthew after he went to heaven. She said that he loved to fish and also he one time went on a "moose hunt" with his son Noah, and they really liked mooses up where he used to live way up north. There is also a dove of peace on this and a sunshine at the bottom. Mommie says that every time she hears the chimes in the wind she thinks of Matthew. I think that is very special, don't you, Aunt Debbie and Tracie? Now I will be listening for those chimes to ring in the wind and I will think of my big brother up in heaven.
It seems like there must be a lot of special people up in heaven.
I am named for one of them..."Lillian", and Baby Elva is named for one of them, and Mommie tells me there are many more wonderful people waiting for us there someday. She said it will be a wonderful day when we all get to heaven, but in the meantime we have to live our very best life right here and be very kind and good to other people.
Oh look! Another little bunny rabbit! There are so many fun things to see here. Even with the sad stories, there is a lot to be happy about too.
So back inside the house Mommie found this cute little tiny teapot to put our little bouquet of fairy flowers in:
And guess what, Aunt Debbi and Tracie? She told me that the little flowers that are painted on the side of this little teapot are called "Lily of the Valley"!! Oh! Can you believe it? These pretty little white flowers have my name? That made this even MORE special. Oh, and one more thing...Mommie told me that someone very special gave that little teapot to her for her birthday. She said that I have another special Auntie! Her name is "Aunt Doris", and she is my Mommie's big sister!! She said that she knows Aunt Doris is going to be very excited to meet me some day!! Oh! I can't wait to meet her! I hope it will be really really soon!!
Well, Aunt Debbi and Tracie, Mommie says it is soon going to be time for supper and that we should try to finish this letter. But it is so hard to stop, because it's just been such a wonderful day! And Mommie was right...what her tea cup said this morning was true:
"The whole world is a series of miracles,
but we're so used to them we call them
ordinary things."
(Hans Christian Anderson)
I think all these things we've seen today are really lots of miracles! And it is also a miracle that you thought to send me here, Aunt Debbi, because you wanted to do something nice for my Mommie...and you also did something so nice for me too! And you know what? I think sharing this story with everyone is something really nice and special too. I do hope we will make lots of new friends here and that they will write something nice back to us to let us know if they are enjoying this story as much as we are!!
