Some updates, part 1

It's been a very busy 6 weeks or so! Let's see: Josiah completed potty training and earned his new bike. Avery had his end-of-the-year program, completed preschool and visited kindergarten (all of which made me cry). Nana and Grandpa came to see Avery's program and that was such a special time. And Granny and Papa came to visit for almost two weeks, which was also a very special time. (More on all of that in the next post...this one won't let me post so many pictures in one post, apparently.)

Some of the highlights are:

 

The boys and I (and Papa, too, when he was here) completed the garden. This year we have tomatoes (9 plants and 6 varieties), cukes, summer squash, watermelon, broccoli, green onions, leaf lettuces, and a bunch of different herbs. We also planted seeds in the front of the house, which are already coming up!! We'll have cosmos, zinnias, sunflower varieties, and snapdragons. Yea!

Here you see the AMAZING earthworm that Avery found when we were preparing the soil. Isn't it cool?

Also, we were so excited last month to discover a cardinal family had made a nest in one of our bushes!  There were four beautiful blue/gray speckled eggs and shortly after we found it, there were two ugly little baby birds! It was so, so cool. 

We checked them almost daily and watched them grow bigger and bigger rather quickly. Sadly, one day we went out to check the nest and it had been knocked down and the babies were gone. We've seen the dad once or twice but we think an animal (raccoon?) got the babies...

Sweet and compassionate little Avery was very sad about that. 

He was also so precious the other day when we were watching the four small green caterpillars on the picnic table and a very big one appeared to be attacking and eating the tiny inchworm. He clapped his hand over his mouth, "Oh no!!!" Eyes widened in horror. Josiah wasn't quite so worried. He was busy commenting that "there are SO many creatures over here!" (Cracks me up. "Creatures" from a 3 year old.)

Happily, the caterpillar tussle ended fine, without any caterpillar casualties.

Here are some pics from Avery's preschool program. Oh man, if you could have just seen how unbelievably darling the whole show was. Avery was a wonderful singer and very engaged (unlike the Christmas program, when he was Reluctant Joseph). 

What touched me the most was that it was "What a Mighty God We Serve" that you could hear Avery loud and clear over the other voices. He was singing so strong and proud. Oh my goodness, it was too much. And then they sang another praise song that included a bit where they sang, something, something "Amen." And they were supposed to put their little hands together and close their eyes, bow their heads. 

Well, Avery was very deliberate in his movement, so sweet as he closed his eyes and bowed his head, singing "Amen."

 

It really was too much for this mama!

Also, at the end, they sang their "goodbye" song, which they sing at the end of every school day. At the end of it, it goes "May God watch over you." 

Avery and his best buddy, Calvin, pointed to each other (you know, one of those points that take your whole body to do, arm all the way out) when they sang that part and I got the feeling that it was something they did every day. What a nice moment, to witness your son interacting with a dear friend. Here they are at the ice cream social after the program.