Sunday in Jupiter

It is another beautiful morning here in Florida. The weather has been awesome. Last night we were able to sit on the balcony and enjoy the evening--it was almost cool with the breeze after the afternoon thunderstorm cruised through.

We went to one of our favorite haunts to enjoy Island music--Panama Hatties. So the dancing added a bit more to our exercise routine.

This morning we biked 9 miles to start the day along the ocean. It was another beautiful Florida morning.

Oh, yeah--and now we're off to the beach.

People on the Beach

I love the beach. Nearly everyone knows that. Chris is the people watcher though. She always has some really keen insights about the faces and the people that we see on the beach. Some are sad and some are happy. Today we were chatting about people that really touched our hearts.

The group here was taking mother (we guessed) for a walk on the beach.  We talked about how in years gone by, Mom, in the pink, would take the girls to the beach and hold their hands as they went to play in the crashing surf. And now, years later, the roles are reversed. Shortly after I took this picture, the girls sat Mom in a chair in the surf and let her enjoy the waves crashing at her feet.  Life is a path we follow. We begin holding the hands of our parents for security, and then we hold the hands of our children for security and we end in the loving arms of our children.

Next we saw this man walking on the beach. He was very tall and very alone--it seemed.

We were not sure of his story, but his solitary walk spoke volumes of his past. Maybe he was a basketball player or other sports related person. One doesn't really know. But he was on the beach this day and part of our beach experience this morning.

 

But, then there was this one last face on the beach this morning--looking out and enjoying the rays! 

Birds on the Beach

Chris is great with a camera. Last night, when she wasn't recording the mad dash of turtles to the sea, she was stalking birds on the beach. With great success. Of course, little did the birds know that they were being stalked as they were at the same time stalking the sand crabs who populate the beaches as well. This particular bird was especially persistent and we believe was eventually rewarded with a crab dinner. He just out waited the poor crab who knew something was up, but just couldn't contain his cuirosity! Unfortunately, he won't make that mistake again. And you thought Mother Nature kind. Yeah--not if you're near the bottom of the food chain. I guess not everyone who goes to the beach has a good time!

Turtles on the Beach

The coolest thing happened tonight as we were enjoying Happy Hour on the beach--an eruption. What is an eruption you ask? It is when a turtle nest erupts with small turtles who have one objective--make it to the ocean before they get eaten. They rarely happen during daylight hours--so we were especially blessed to witness this mad dash of nature.

If you have seen a war movie about marines storming a beach--think of it in reverse--turtles storming the ocean and as you are standing there your only objective is to cheer them on and wish them Godspeed as they respond to nature's call to go to the ocean.


It really is amazing to watch 40 - 50 newly hatched turtles make their way to the ocean. And to interfere is a violation of nature's way. Although the small turtles are also known as the Cheerio's of the Sea--one can only cheer them on as they race for the ocean and ultimately safety in the Sargasso sea area of the Caribbean.

BTW-- these are little Loggerhead Turtles, born today, June 8, 2008 and are enroute to their futures. Last year, we were lucky enough to witness an eruption at night on the beach just as another loggerhead was finishing laying, and this year--in the light of of the evening.

Backyard Friends

We love to feed the birds in our backyard. We have three feeders for three different kinds of seed: Safflower, sunflower, and thistle seed. We get a variety of birds at the feeders throughout the year and we also enjoy the spring and autumn transients the nuthatches, the junco's and the like. But we really enjoy the regulars--the cardinals, the jays and the tufted titmouse along with an assortment of finches who change color with the seasons.

Spring has brought a great bounty of birds this year and we can barely keep the feeders full. Additionally this year has brought a new friend to watch--Rocky, a gray squirrel (who is really a female). She will take peanuts directly from the hand and is very comfortable with people--a trait which I am sure will be her undoing at some point.

Jax - Weekly Update

I can't believe he's been home a week already and that he is blending into the family. Jax truly is a miracle boy--and I continue to thank God for all of you and your prayers and support as Nicole, Mike, Ethan, Jax and our entire family have been going through this trying time.

But in some great news--yesterday Nicole had a professional photographer come to the her house to take some pictures. You can see them at pictures. They are great and for the not too squeamish, there is even a picture of little Jax's chest and you can see how quickly he is healing. It was only two weeks ago today that they performed surgery on that small miracle boy.

Everyone in the family was over to the house to celebrate Easter and it was good to have our larger family all under one roof--and not a hospital roof. It was a great day with great food and a strong, close family celebrating together the miracles of our Lord. We did an Easter Egg hunt with Ethan (maybe more than one) and he enjoyed having all of the falmily together. Ethan is all about family and he is growing so fast.

I continue to be amazed at all that has happened and been compressed into the short span of the last three weeks. The miracle of birth, a miracle surgery and recovery, support fomr family and friends, and the continuing presence of our Lord through it all. Wow.

Hey Gamma--it's me, Jackson

What a great day yesterday was for little Jax. Mid-day he had his nasal cannula removed and when we left the hospital last night about 10:30 pm he was still doing great. They actually took the tubes off him last evening while Chris and I were on hospital duty and so this is one of the first pictures little Jax as he begins to explore his world and be welcomed into the family unencumbered by breathing tubes and contraptions. He is still being monitored for heart rate and such, but those are much less invasive. He was alert for a long time last evening and he ate like a trooper--twice and he impressed his nurse with the amount he ate.

It is really a miracle how quickly Jax is recovering and every day is bringing more excitement about how well he is progressing. We thank God for his recovery and the prayers and support of everyone. Thanks. Today there is even a possibility that he may get to go home.

Jax--Recovering and Getting Stronger

This is the tough little guy a day after surgery. He has his eyes open and is becoming aware of how much love and how many prayers have been sent his way. God is truly smiling in Jax and the whole family. In this picture he has the nasal cannula still in place and the great news of today is that it was removed and he is doing good without it.

He is eating better and he continues to get stronger. His kidneys continue to function with assistance of diuretics, and it appears he will be going home on diuretics.

We continue to thank God for all of you and your prayers. We continue to see the miracles that God is working in and through little Jax and we thank God for them. BTW, Jax is really cute and I got to hold him yesterday, for the first time since his surgery . He really is one tough little guy!

Please continue to pray for Jax's continued recovery and for strength for Nicole and Mike as they as shuttle between home and the hospital.

Snow Angels

Remember that movie "Angels in the Outfield?" One of the lines was: "They're always with you," or something like that. This snow angel was made on Saturday, Jan 5th in Ithaca, NY. And it reminds us that angels are always with us and watching over us. Chris made it and was teaching Ethan about snow and snow angels. What a pretty and cold day it was. Ethan kept remarking, as he was being pulled on a sled behind a quad: "Fast please." If life were that simple, we'd all be enjoying it a lot more. But we seem to make it so complex. I was cold and worrying about my shoes getting wet while Ethan was teaching me to be in the moment--enjoy what God is providing to you right now. It gives God pleasure to make us happy and too often we are the ones who are sucking the pleasure out of life with our contrived needs and unnecessary complexities. Life is about relationships--ours with others and ours with God. Why are we making that difficult? Because when its is too simple we can't believe its true. Ethan, thanks for bringing the fun of snow back to my life. I still don't like shoveling it, but now I have a memory to smile about when I see snow.