Her turn...

It's funny how different your children are. And it's funny how different your reactions with them can be. When Moose left for camp, I cried like a baby. We dropped Fep off for camp on Sunday evening, and I only teared up a small bit. You'd think it be the opposite....Moose went for only 2 1/2 days to a kid's church retreat. Retreat. Fun, fun, and more fun. Air conditioned bunk houses. Fep is going to camp. Camp. Learning, learning, learning, and a little fun. No air conditioning. None. That is so important to note because our highs for the last 3 days have been in the triple digits. Fep went to an Audubon Ecology Camp. She will learn so much...and before we even left the bird instructor was already impressed and smitten by her. When it's all said and done she will have been gone 5 nights, 4 days. The longest 4 days ever. I'm only 2 days in and it's already been an eternity. So while the tears may not have flowed like they did for Moose, the longing to get my little Fep back is definitely there. I thought about her a gazillion times each day and prayed for her every time I thought of her....Lord let her make a friend...Lord let her be safe...Lord guard her mind and her heart...Lord let this be a great time for her...Lord keep her safe....Lord guard her mind and her heart....over and over with every thought of her. My last image of Fep was her about to cry when it was time for us to leave. I keep thinking of that and it just makes my heart sick. And that really is a good description for my feelings. Though the tears may not have flowed like a faucet...my heart has been sick with the absence of my Fep. I cannot wait to get her back!

Oh Lord, keep her safe....let her have a good time...guard her heart and mind...

Fep's Feathers....

Cause when Fep grows up, she wants to be like Ms. Jen :) All photos taken by Fep. And we are not clever enough to think of captions for every picture like Jen does, but we've put them where we could....

Where there's a will, there's a way...

Hello, Mr. Bluebird!

The Bluebird is The Bob's fav...

A face only a mother could love...

Ummmmm...I got nothin' here. No caption. Again, I'm no Jen.

Fep's Feathers...

All photos by Fep :)

For Aunt Heather and Mrs. Jen. By the way, Jen, we really missed Feathers on Friday this past Friday!

Not a feather...just for you, Jen ;) Photo also by Fep :)

Winner? Me? And on my birthday?

I am a winner. A wi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ner. Winner, winner, winner. I'm not excited or anything. Is my excitement a bit much? Fep thinks I should sound more...humble? Probably right. But I won!

So, WHAT prey tell did I win?

I won over at Jen's, and it was a subscription to Birds & Blooms magazine. That may not sound like a big deal to you. And a lot of people may not have heard of that publication, but to self professed bird nerds, it is a big win. Fep and I are so happy :)

And yes, today is my birthday. I'm the big 4 and the big 0 today!

An Unlikely Friendship

Fep likes birds. I'm not sure if it's normal for a 10 year old, almost 11, to like birds as much as she does. The Bob calls her our Jane Hathaway.

There is a man who The Bob met through work that is a serious bird watcher. He goes out every weekend and has for years and years and years. He is 70 years old, and Mr. Jeff is his name. Fep and The Bob have gotten to go on a couple of bird excursions with Mr. Jeff, and he has been able to show her birds that we'd never find in our back yard. Can we say Painted Bunting?

Over the past month, Fep has taken to the computer. Not to play games on the computer...okay well maybe she does do that, too...she is still a normal 11 year old even though her passion for birds isn't normal for an 11 year old...she gets on the computer to email, Mr. Jeff. Not her best little girlfriends. Not her family. She emails back and forth with a 70 year old man. They talk about all their bird finds and stories, and she asks him questions. Lots of questions. And Mr. Jeff is so kind that he takes the time to correspond back and forth with her. I was thinking the other day what a lovely and unexpected friendship. Not many children today gives a hoot (get it? Hoot...Owl....Bird. hee hee) about our elders and the wisdom they hold. And there are those elders who are just annoyed by youth. But Fep and Mr. Jeff, I think, have found something special....an unlikely friendship.