A Sad Day For Swallows

Our family does not have any pets, but we do have a family of swallows living under our front stoop. Every March, for at least the past eight years, swallows come to nest at our home. This year we have been fortunate enough to have two hatchings of baby birds. The first family of birds came in March, patched up an old nest from last year and welcomed their babies sometime in May.

In May, the second set of birds came. We watched as they built a new nest next to the old one. I had noticed for the last week or so the mother bird sitting on her eggs. Sometime this past weekend the eggs hatched. We came home on Sunday night and found tiny, paper thin egg shells under the nest and five baby birds. Joshua and Mercy watched the adult birds feed the babies, and the baby birds wriggle around with their mouths open waiting for their mother to return. Then, last night Jason and I found one tiny bird on the ground under the nest! It was barely alive. I wanted to put it back, but Jason said that we should let nature take its course.

I felt sad for the baby bird and its mother. Of course, I don't know if the mother bird felt anything for her lost child. But having watched these birds toil over building a nest, sit day in and day out on the eggs, and then feed the babies' seemingly endless appettites, I couldn't help but feel saddened.

"Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God." --Psalm 84:3

A Present for Dad!!

The children made Jason a pencil holder as an Un-Father's Day gift. I say un-father's day because Jason does not like or care to observe Father's Day (I don't know, ask him). Still Joshua and Mercy had a great time painting the popsicle sticks for the pencil holder.

Joshua was trying to give Mercy a lesson on mixing colors.

It was Mercy's first time painting. She didn't like her hands dirty so I had to wash them every five minutes. But in the end, she had paint everywhere: up both arms, all over her play dress, in her hair, & even on the bottoms of her feet!

Joshua on the other hand is an old pro at painting, not to mention a bit of a neat freak like his dad; so he was virtually spotless!