Very Interesting...

I was commenting on Joshua's suddenly spunky, cheerful behavior to my mom. In spite of not feeling well the last couple weeks he has been bouncing around singing at the top of his lungs, yelling enthusiastically, making lots of exuberant sound effects and dancing all over the place. When suddenly I remembered making a comment on this blog last March about Joshua's suddenly bouncy behavior.

And the comment was made about him possibly being day-length sensitive then as well. Funny the things you forget because they're not quite visible every day. Now, if I remember to look for one we may get one of those sun-lamp thingys (like my technical term?:) and see if it helps both Mama and Joshua next winter...

Spring Photos

New buddies for our duckling...

And new digs for everybody

Such a handsome boy! :) Not that I'm biased or anything...

More Duckling Cuteness

Happiest sitting next to "mama" Although, we seem to think every human is mama and will run toward whoever is talking or moving, much to the boy's amusement. We also run so fast we go sliding or flip over on our back :)
Having a little nap

Another nap...

Proud duckie mama

The Thing I Forgot About Ducklings...

No, I didn't forget how unbearably cute they are!
I didn't forget that, being waterfowl, they imprint on the first living thing they interact with. Which means that when humans take them out of the incubator and talk to them before putting them in their cozy box with a heat lamp and a stuffed animal for company, well, I'm sure you get the idea.

I definitely didn't forget that baby birds Yell. all. the. time.

When you are outside trying to survive it is absolutely essential that Mama is in your sight at all times. And that you stick very close to her...

Ducklings will follow humans around when they imprint on them. Obviously. Speaking of unbearably cute. Try a string of ducklings scrambling after you wherever you go!

Here's the thing I forgot about ducklings...

Specifically ducklings in a box...

They fling themselves repeatedly and determinedly against the side of the box as soon as you walk away!

At least they get a lot of exercise.

And sometimes provide a little comic relief...

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Pics of Our Duckling

and of a pleased little boy, complete with 'camera smile'...

He was talking to his Papa on the phone and Nate asked him what he was doing. He said, "I'm watching our duckling hatch. I brought it back to life."

That's right baby. That's the authority we walk in as representatives of Jesus on the earth. :)

Carriers of Life---Literally

Monday afternoon Meadow got off her nest and did not get back on it. Tuesday at noon Nate and I went down to the pond, Nate got in a canoe and paddled out to the nest to retrieve the eggs. There were 15 (Muscovy's are known for regularly hatching 14-20 eggs at a time:) very cold eggs. I candled them and found about half of them had pipped internally (broken through the inner membrane into the air cell in preparation for hatching) and all were definitely dead. No movement whatsoever.

We prayed over them and spoke life into them. I put the internally pipped ones in the incubator which was already running with a few little chicken eggs in it and the rest I put near the wood stove. We continued to speak life to them and pray over them throughout the day. At one point Joshua was to be found with his nose pressed against the incubator saying loudly, "Come back to life duckies! Come back." Still no signs of life. The eggs were thoroughly warm and had been so for several hours and no movement or noise from them.

In the middle of the night I woke up to find Nate peering in the bedroom door, as soon as my eyes cracked open he beckoned cheerfully. I came out and he was talking to the eggs. I thought he was just being encouraging but after a moment he turned to me and said "Have you heard them?" I stared at him for a moment and he grinned bigger. After a few minutes though I was sure he had imagined it because we didn't hear anything more.

Then it came, a thin little peeping from one of the eggs. We got a flashlight and checked them all. One of the eggs contained a living, squirming, peeping duckling getting ready to hatch!! No signs of life all day, then suddenly Life! :) Our little miracle duckling in working on hatching today, we can't wait to meet him...

And, just incidentally, the duckling that came back to life was the one right in front of Joshua's mouth when he was speaking to them the day before.

Sunny Saturday Scenery

Yes, I know it's Tuesday...
I know I said I would talk about Redding...

I'm still absorbing it...

I can say it was an Incredible time with family and friends seeking God together...

And that we brought home a whole lot of stuff to share...

As for home affairs...

Brannon finally started feeling better on Friday (talk about "mom guilt" being away while he was sick...)

Sadly Meadow is no longer sitting on her nest, mere days before I expected ducklings :'(

It felt very good to wander in the sunshine Saturday with my camera while the boys napped...

The house is slowly getting cleaned...

Joshua and Brannon were amazing yesterday helping me. Joshua, who always before has found the process of sorting toys and keeping only what fits in his drawer, impossibly overwhelming, even with help---did the whole job by himself yesterday!!!---with a marvelous cheerful attitude and a great deal of perseverance. He sure is growing up.