Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Week Four

Fear not, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32
To Mimi's little flock,

BIG hugs and kisses from Papa and Mimi. We love and miss you BIGGIE bunches.

Are you having a happy summer? I would love to know what makes you happy?

Do you like to swim and play with your toys and read books?

Do you like to play outside?

What about ice-cream cones and popsicles - do they make you happy, too?

Something that makes Gavin happy is singing his favorite song - "Old Macdonald had a farm...", right Gavin? And it makes him even happier if we all sing it with him. Again and again and again.

Do you have a favorite song to sing, too, Mason?

When I was on a walk outside this morning, I heard mockingbirds singing their favorite songs. Mockingbirds are very good at learning the songs of all the other birds and then singing them very loudly so that we will know how smart they are- like some little boys I know.

I also saw flycatchers, a cardinal, and a great white heron searching for food around the pond.



Here are their pictures. Can you point to the bird that is red? Grey? White? Can you count the birds you see here?

It wouldn't be summer here on Pollywog Creek without insects. I don't mind most insects as long as they stay are outside. I think they are interesting and fun to watch, don't you?


Here are some insects I saw this week: a white hairy caterpillar, an orange dragonfly and a brown cicada with green and black wings. I also saw a plenty of mosquitoes - but who wants a picture of a mosquito? Not me! 

We also had visitors this week.


Some of our neighbors chickens "flew the coop" and crossed the fence into our pasture. Another neighbor's peacock hen decided she wanted to spend a week on our side of Pollywog Creek. The chickens and the peacock were good visitors and have now flown back home.

We saw baby rabbits in the asparagus fern underneath our bedroom window this week, too. Auntie Em tried to catch one of them, but even a baby rabbit can run faster than we can.

Unless that white heron I saw this morning caught all the bullfrogs for her breakfast, there are still several bullfrogs living at the edge of the pond. I've been trying to sneak up on one so I can take a good picture for you, but they are as quick as a rabbit, and they jump into the pond before I can get close.

One day I bet you will be quick enough to catch a frog - when you are older and bigger and can safely explore around ur Pollywog Creek pond.


 (Click to enlarge the coloring page for printing - there are other frog coloring pages linked below under resources)

Papa and I hear the bullfrogs from the house at night. Do you know what sound a bullfrog makes? You can watch this video if you'd like to listen to one...





Do frogs walk or run?  No. What do frogs do?

You are right! They jump or hop - just like rabbits.

What about you - can you hop, too? Aren't you glad that you don't have to hop every where you go? God didn't make us to hop all the time like rabbits and frogs.

There is a story in the Bible that talks about frogs and a king in Egypt who was very mean to God's people. Ask your mom or dad to tell you that story some time. Frogs were everywhere. Even in people's houses. I wouldn't want a frog in my house, would you? I'm glad that they stay outside with the rabbits and birds and insects where they belong.

I never know what God is going to show me when I go outside for a walk, but I always ask Him to show me something that I can tell you about and He always answers my prayers. God is so good to us.

Don't forget to say your prayers and until I write you again next week...

Don't ever forget that Jesus loves you and so do Papa and Mimi...a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!


Resources for Further Study and Enrichment All Things Bright And Beautiful, illustrated by Pauline Baynes The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, "God to the rescue!" p. 84-91 Pond & River - Eyewitness Books - "Frogs, toads, and newts", p. 38-39  Bullfrog Coloring Page Bullfrog Coloring Page (PDF)

Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Week Three

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." ~ Luke 12:32

My Dear Little Flock, Last week Mason was busy with his daddy and celebrating a birthday while Gavin was having fun in Georgia, so I waited two whole weeks to write to you again. It wasn't easy, either, because Auntie Em and I did something that I could hardly wait to tell you about.

First, I want to show you some of the things we saw around Pollywog Creek last week...
Can you name some of the animals in those pictures?

I saw a mockingbird singing on the branch of an oak tree, a white caterpillar crawling up the rusted fence, a bullfrog getting ready to leap into the pond, a lizard watching from the top of a cypress tree knee, a bunny rabbit hopping in the green grass, and a dragonfly on the barb-wire fence.

It has been rainy and hot and sticky on Pollywog Creek, and I have not been outside as much as I would like to be when it is not rainy and hot and sticky. But when I do go outside, I am always amazed at the beautiful and interesting things I find creeping and crawling and hopping and growing....just like you. But do you know what makes you different than all those animals? God made you to be one of His children and to love you more than everything else He ever made.

Do you remember when I used to sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" to you as you were falling asleep? I would sing it like this...

Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world
Red and yellow black and white,
they are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world
Mason Thomas Jackson, too,
he is precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

or...

Jesus loves the little children,
all the children of the world
Gavin Nicholas, too,
he is precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

What I couldn't wait to tell you about is the "little children of the world" that Emily and I saw in a concert a couple of weeks ago. These beautiful children from Uganda are part of the African Children's Choir that travels all over the world singing about God.

They were full of energy.... 

...and always on the move. 

It was hard to take a good photograph of them because they were seldom still. 

They wore colorful clothing... 

...and beautiful smiles.
 
We loved every one of the songs they sang, but "You Are The Shepherd" was my favorite. Here is a video of some of the children from the African Children's Choir rehearsing "You Are The Shepherd". Isn't that a pretty song? It might not have been easy to understand all the words, so I copied them for you here...    You Are The Shepherd  by Keith and Kristyn Getty  You are the Shepherd  I belong to You  When I walk on rough ground  You can guide me through  You know my name  You know my voice  Before I was born  I was your choice  Show me how to follow  Lord keep me close to You  You are the Shepherd  I belong to You  Open eyes to see  You are the Way  Open ears to hear  You are the Truth  Open heart to know  You are the Lord of life  For every land  You hold a special plan  Open eyes to see  You are the Way  Open ears to hear  You are the Truth  Open heart to know  You are the Lord of life  For every land  You hold a special plan  2002 Thankyou Music MCPS

Did you hear that? It's true. God knows your name. He knows your voice. And He chose you to be one of His children before you were even born. 

Don't ever forget that Jesus loves you and so do Papa and Mimi. We love you BIGGIE bunches...a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck! XOXOXO Mimi

Resources for Further Study and Enrichment African Children's Choir The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, "The Good Shepherd" p. 130-135 Little Lips Shall Praise Thee by Emily Hunter "You Are Our Good Shepherd", p. 50 and "You Love All Children Everywhere", p. 51
~ Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Introduction

Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Week Two

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  ~ Luke 12:32

My Dear Little Flock,

Imagine me giving you a big hug and kiss, because that is exactly what I would do if I could see you right this very minute.

I have been very excited about writing to you this week. When I was walking outside one morning, I thought I saw a turtle swimming in the pond, but it wasn't a turtle at all. It was a big green and yellow bullfrog.

Every day I went outside several times a day looking for that bullfrog so I could take his picture for you, but every time I got close to the pond, it would jump into the water with a big splash before I could even see it.

If I walked very, very slowly around the pond, I might be able to get close enough to see a bullfrog sitting in the mud at the edge of the pond, but if I made even the tiniest sound or moved too quickly, the bullfrog would jump into the pond and out of sight.

Over the week I think I saw at least four different bullfrogs in our pond. Can you count these four frogs, Mason? What about you, Gavin? Can you count them, too?

Papa and Auntie Em must think that your Mimi is very silly to be walking around the pond several times a day like a big bird looking for food. One week I will have to tell you about the herons - those big birds with long legs that walk very, very slowly in the shallow water looking for fish and frogs to eat.

We will talk more about bullfrogs and herons another week. Today I wanted to tell you about the dragonflies I saw this week. They were everywhere - in the pasture, along the creek bank and around the pond. Lots of dragonflies, and I think they are beautiful. If the sun is shining on them just right, their wings sparkle in the sunlight. There are over 100 different sizes, shapes and colors of dragonflies in Florida. Here are some of the dragonflies I saw this week on Pollywog Creek..

I told you there were lots of dragonflies. Look at those eyes...





Which one of those dragonflies do you like the best?


Do you know what I like best about dragonflies? They like to eat mosquitoes, and I do NOT like mosquitoes.

Have you ever watched a dragonfly fly in the air? Sometimes they look like they are flying perfectly still, then they suddenly take off in a hurry. They can also fly backwards. God was very creative when he made dragonflies, wasn't He?

That makes me think of the song "All Things Bright and Beautiful" that I learned in church when I was a little girl. Some of the words to that song are:

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

God made bullfrogs and dragonflies, and He made you, too. God is great and God is good.

Did you color your butterfly page last week? I'd love to see it if you did.

I have made a dragonfly coloring page for you this week. Give your mom a hug and tell her that she can print a larger coloring page for you by clicking on the picture below.

Can you think of some ways that butterflies and dragonflies are the same?


Can you also think of some ways that butterflies and dragonflies are different?


It's time for me to go look for bullfrogs again, so I better say goodbye for now. What ever you do, don't ever, ever forget...



I love you A bushel and a peck A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!

BIG Hugs and Kisses,

Mimi

Resources for Further Study and Enrichment All Things Bright And Beautiful, illustrated by Pauline Baynes The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, "The Story and The Song" p. 12-17, "The beginning: a perfect home" p. 18-27 Pond & River - Eyewitness Books - "Dragonflies and damselflies", p. 48-49 Odonata - damselflies and dragonflies A Beginner's Guide to DRAGONFLIESDragonflies - Designed to Dart

~ Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Introduction

Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Week One

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." ~ Luke 12:32

My Dear Little Flock, I want you to know that Papa and Mimi love and miss you very much. 

I bet you are a wonderful big brother, Mason, and that you help your mom take good care of baby brother.  

Is it hot in Texas now? It sure is hot in Florida, and it rains a lot, too. Gavin came over yesterday after his swim lesson and he and Auntie Em - or Minna, as Gavin calls her - cooled off playing with squirt guns in the backyard.

Did you see the mama duck with her ducklings and the cottontail rabbit I showed to everyone on Monday? Saturday morning Papa found the mama duck and four ducklings swimming in the pond. I walked round and round the pond trying to take a good picture of them for you, but the mama duck was very protective of her little ones. She was careful to put herself between me and her babies. Later that day, we saw her leading the babies through the tall wet grass - waddling back to where they came from - probably Miss Iris' down the road.

The mama duck wouldn't let me close to her babies. I wouldn't hurt them, but she didn't know that. Just like your mama - who always protects you from people and things she thinks might hurt you, too. That's what good mamas do. Papa was glad that this mama duck and her babies left our Pollywog Creek pond. They are muscovy ducks and muscovy ducks can be very messy.

While I was wandering through the pasture and enjoying the pretty flowers and butterflies, Papa was on the roof fixing cracks in the porch before the afternoon thunderstorms rolled in. Papa is a very good papa, working hard to take care of his family and our home. Look at all the wildflowers I found growing in the pasture...

They may not be as pretty as the wildflowers I saw in the field behind your house, Mason, but I still think they are pretty. God made a beautiful world for us to enjoy and take care of, didn't He? Sometimes I need to look very close to see the pretty or interesting things that He made because they are so small and hidden in the grass, like these insects...

While I was in the pasture, a loggerhead shrike perched on a pine tree limb high above the pasture where he could look for the insects and lizards he likes to eat. Isn't that interesting? God made nectar in the flowers for the insects to eat and He made insects for the birds to eat.

I made a butterfly coloring page for you this week. This butterfly is called a common buckeye butterfly and there were many of them fluttering about in the pasture.

Gavin worked on his coloring page yesterday...

 
 (click on the smaller pictures for a larger printable page)

Give your mom and baby brother a kiss for me, Mason, and don't ever forget that Jesus loves you BIGGIE bunches and so do I.

I love you A bushel and a peck A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!

Hugs and Kisses,

Mimi

Resources for Further Study and Enrichment: All Things Bright And Beautiful, illustrated by Pauline Baynes; The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones, "The Story and The Song" p. 12-17; "The beginning: a perfect home" p. 18-27; Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McLoskey Loggerhead Shrike Common Buckeye Butterfly Muscovy Duck

~ Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Introduction

Letter from Mimi's Backyard::Introduction

Yesterday morning I mustered just enough determination and stamina to leave the air-conditioned comfort of my living room for a long walk through the high grass and soggy ground in the pasture. I'm not complaining, just (re)stating a fact: I do not like being outdoors in the summer on Pollywog Creek, and God will have to totally recreate my metabolism and give me new knees for that to change. (Update 2014: I have new knees but the same intolerance for heat and humidity I was born with.)

It could happen. Until then, I'll simply persevere. The commitment I made to my little flock is infinitely more important than my comfort, and it's difficult to write a letter from my "backyard" if I don't actually go out there. (If you haven't a clue what I am talking about, you'll probably want to read "my little flock...") Before yesterday, I hadn't spent much time in the pasture in weeks. The hard freezes and long winter drought left little behind to attract me, but the rainy season arrived with frequent and heavy downpours that quickly nourished the barren ground. As I looked out over the pasture dotted with wildflowers and flittering butterflies, I felt as though God had met me at the door - beckoning me along with His delightful beauty, shady spots under the tall pines and a slight breeze that helped me overcome the oppressive humidity for over an hour in the bright mid-morning sun. The first "letter from Mimi's backyard" is inspired not only by that walk through the pasture, but other encounters with nature this week. It will be posted tomorrow.

I recently removed the baby gate to the kitchen and study to give Gavin more freedom when he is here - but that means, of course, that the cat and I will now have less. So far, the only boundaries he has tested have been the refrigerator and the computer in the study, but since he was here a week ago, I've worked to make a corner of the study (opposite the computer) more attractive to a 2 1/2 year old boy. We'll see if it works.

The stories, photos, coloring pages and resource links in each of the "letters" I hope to post here on Pollywog Creek will not necessarily be the same ones that I include in future books, "Consider the birds" and "Consider the flowers", but will flow from our current family life experiences, as well as the nature scenes my simple point-and-click camera captures during the week.

The coloring pages are at best crude. Without a quality program like photoshop, I am limited to the free photo software that came with my ancient computer. Tomorrow I am posting two possible coloring pages and would appreciate any constructive criticism you are able to make that will improve the quality and ease of use for your little flock, as well as mine. Many thanks to all of you who left kind comments with other wonderful suggestions for how I can stay connected with my grands in Texas.

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." ~ Luke 12:32

Little flock...

  Austin and Mason in Texas

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." ~ Luke 12:32

On the two-day drive home from Texas last month, I had a lot of time to think. I listened to music on my iPod and read and napped, but my thoughts constantly turned toward those two little boys I kissed goodbye and wondered how I could nurture a grandmotherly relationship with them from so far away.

Their lives are surrounded by many good and wonderful things - especially parents and grandparents who love and care for them deeply - but that does not diminish my desires to love on them or release me from the God-given responsibilities that come with being their "mimi."

  Gavin in my Pollywog Creek Backyard
I thought about the time I am blessed to have with Gavin - the books we read, the games we play, and the things we talk about while sitting on my backyard swing, and I grieved knowing that those same experiences with Mason and Austin are not possible with so many miles between us.

So I prayed. And I dug into scripture, and though I was inspired and encouraged by many familiar passages that point directly to generational relationships, it was Luke chapter 12, verses 22-34, that grabbed me. Aside from the leading of the Holy Spirit, I'm not sure what trail I was on that led me to that particular passage or why I was compelled to consider it in light of my study topic, but it was the tender words of Jesus in verse 32 that caught my attention...

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." 

Jesus was (and is) clearly speaking to His followers, but the words "little flock" made me think of my own "little flock" of grandlittles. As I re-read the preceding verses, I began to understand what God might be showing me and I how I could use it to build relationships with my "little flock".

"Consider the ravens: they neither sew nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!" (verse 24)

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!" (verses 27-28)

Months ago I began creating a coloring book for the boys from some of the flowers and animal photographs I have taken here on Pollywog Creek. A little gift for their Christmas stockings, I thought. But as I meditated on the verses from Luke 12 and thought about this post from my archives, I realized that I could do so much more than a coloring book.

"Consider the Birds", "Consider the Flowers", "Storytime from Mimi's Backyard Swing".....

My desire is to begin posting a "Letter from Mimi's Backyard" with a printable coloring page. The posts will likely (hopefully) be early drafts for a project in the works, and though they are initially intended for my "little flock", I hope other mama's and mimi's will feel free to use them (and kid test them), as well.