A few more pictures and a thanks!

Thank you to wonderful people who have posted nice comments over the past couple of days about my photos. I humbly accept your praise and appreciate your encouragement. Taking photos is so fun for me, and lately I just can't seem to get enough of it. Being affirmed for that is special to me!

Here are a couple of photos I took yesterday afternoon. the first three are a hollyhock plant left from last fall. I was out in the garden beginning to clear the dead stuff from last growing season and I just couldn't resist the beauty in the patterns of the seed pods. How can we look at things like that and not see that God has a love for art and beauty. His beauty is there for us to see even in dead plants! Wow!



Then, as I was driving out to get Jansse from school I saw that the horses are down near the driveway. Not our horses, mind you. They belong to many people (there are close to 30 or 40 horses, just not all pictured here), and are wintered on our neighbor's land by lease. Usually the owners start to pick them up about the end of April and beginning of May and take them back to their summer homes in the high mountains. But, with the late snows this year (including 8 inches this morning) I suspect they will be here well into May. They add beauty to our surroundings, and I love that.
Last night as I climbed into bed, Andy was already there, and he whipped out a micro cassette player. I quickly accused him of bringing his work to our bed and was about to chastise him. Then, he turned it on, and there was this little familiar voice. It was a cassette he and Jansse had made five years ago, when Jansse was only 3. It was a week or so after Jansse got his tonsils out. It was amazing all the different feelings it spurred in me. I was so excited to hear him talking in his little barely three year old voice. I was so sad not to have that time to relive daily. I was so impressed with how much he has grown. I was so frightened by how fast I anticipate he will continue to grow. I was so humored by the cute things he did and said! Wow!

This parenting things is bitter sweet, even when things are going well. I'm excited about where he is now, I love him, and while I don't think he is perfect, I am pleased with his character development and his pursuit of godly things. But, boy do I miss the innocence, and the simplicity of his life back when he was three!

Enough sentimental stuff! On with the day!