Bringing nature in...

Over the course of the warmer months there is such a wealth of nature to be explored. Surely there is in winter too-and I am determined this year to bundle up and get us outside. My goal is one afternoon a week for a walk at the lake side of Little Mulberry park. Anyway, during the summer we had a small variety of insect visitors... bess bug beetles, a praying mantis, a walking stick and a Katydid all made their home in ours for a time period, bless their little hearts. We hate to enclose them in an aquarium for too long, but relish the opportunity to observe them up close for a while.

Here is where you can find bess bug beetles-rotting wood. They are so easy to keep. Just collect them, some of the rotting wood that you found them in, put them in an aquarium and mist them every day to keep the wood moist and rotting. They are gentle and can be held. You can even teach them to shake and roll over, okay no, just kidding. :)

When the boys and I find something fabulous in nature and bring it in, I usually have them pull out their nature books (just inexpensive art sketch books with the dedicated purpose of nature drawings) and sketch to the best of their ability what we found. We also identify it if we don't know what it is and write that in as well. This was a Northern Walking Stick. Not too hard to remember :)

At times I might find a wildflower myself, identify it and put it in a vase, label it and leave it on the kitchen table for the boys to notice. :) We learned quite a few of the common wildflowers (weeds) around here over the Spring and Summer...blue toadflax, lady's thumb, white snakeroot, slender bush clover, and tickseed sunflowers...

Now that winter is upon us I am eagerly looking forward to lots of bird watching with my little birders (Isaac, Micah and Andrew) and adding to our life list (a list of all the bird species we have seen...we started this recently). I am also already dreaming of Spring, my most favorite season. Fall used to be my favorite but over the last few years Spring has found it's way to the top.

Oh, there is nothing like the fresh lime green leaves of Spring growing on the trees, shouting "New Life!", "New Life!" Nothing can compare to digging in the garden soil with the crisp cool Spring air blowing through your hair while the blue birds sing in the trees. Everything waking up... stretching and looking towards the sun once again. Reminds me of,

"Wake up Oh Sleeper, Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you" Ephesians 5:14

So now, as we enter into the season of rest and reflection, my our hearts seek out the One who truly gives us life. Christmas... a time to rejoice in His birth, Spring and Easter... may we be found risen with Christ.