We've got critters...

Ok, Just wanted to show you an update on the caterpillars. They have grown a LOT. The same mature woman stopped by to help me with my photos. Isn't it amazing that she always shows up just when I need her? Simply amazing.

Can you believe how in less than a week they have grown so much? It is so fun to go out everyday and see all the caterpillars on this one plant. Seriously, I don't think it can feed them all. Can you believe how brave I, I mean, that woman is holding those caterpillars. She seemed a little timid about picking them up, but for the blog she did it. Here are some more photos of some more of the critters around my house. Thanks for reading. No one so far has posted about what floats their boat though...seriously, what turns your crank? I really want to know. Blessings, Jackie Sue

What Floats My Boat

Wanna know what floats my boat? Well, thanks for asking. God and His creative genius just turns my crank. I planted a pipevine a few months ago. This is it.
So, a pipevine is a vine that Polydamas Swallowtail and Pipevine Swallowtails know instinctively to lay their eggs on. Why, you ask? Well, because that is the vine that their caterpillars will eat to grow into big fat caterpillars and then turn into beautiful butterflies. It is called a larvae plant and that is why I planted it. I wanted to see this process. These butterflies don't lay their eggs anywhere else. Isn't that amazing? Seriously amazing. I thought I would try to capture a bit of the process for you. Here is the Polydamas Swallowtail trying to find a place to lay er eggs:

Here is the female Polydamas butterfly laying her eggs.(I am in the birthing room. Isn't that sweet of her to let me come in? It doesn't look easy either. She works pretty hard laying her little eggs. I felt a bit intrusive, but really she seemed ok with me being there. I think sharing this process makes us bff's)

So, here are her eggs:
In just a few short days these eggs will hatch and look like this:
To really see the little buggars you need to click on the photo and make it larger. These are tiny little teenie caterpillars.(Just for the record, some old woman came over to help me with my photos. That is her hand in the picture.)
Here is another one of the little babies...by the way, what floats your boat?
I'll post more photos of my little caterpillars as they grow. Isn't this fun? love, Jackie Sue

My Sweet Friend

This is a tribute to my sweet friend Jen. She and her wise husband and precious boy are moving to Tennessee in a week. I am so sad to see them go. Jen is my Starbuck's buddy. We have been meeting at Starbucks for a while to talk over life and where God has us at the moment. She knows my "stuff" and I know hers. I admire Jen so much because she has had a lot to overcome in her life and by God's grace she is an overcomer. Like me, God plucked Jen out of an ungodly family and life situation and gave her hope and a future. He blessed her with a husband who knows how to lead and love her well. In a dramatic way God blessed her with her boy, Andon. Theirs is a story only they have the right to tell, but I will just say that God has used Andon in a mighty way in all our lives. I will miss Jen and her precious self very much.

Lord, I just ask for my friends that You would go before them and behind them and hedge them in. Protect them and provide for them like only You can. Abba, this move is hard for Jen and so I would ask that You would surprise her daily with Your presence and comfort. Give her really good, Godly new friends and remind her that though life goes on, she is not forgotten by You or by her friends here. I thank you for her love and pray that she would shine for You in her new community. Guide she and Jared to just the right church and I would ask that to happen quickly, knowing that You are to be trusted with all of this. So I humbly ask that Your will would be done in their lives and thank you for the gift of friendship. In Christ's name, Amen.

Jen, I love you and I have loved our times together. I will miss you and our talks about how to love God and others better. It has been so much fun to walk through life with you. I am blessed to call you friend. Yours, Jackie Sue

You can read about Jen and her move here.

Ponderings...

Good Morning! Do you ever just wake up anxious? Well, I do. This morning I awoke in a sweat over a bad dream where I had just said something totally rude publicly and was so thankful when I woke up that it was just a bad dream and that I didn't have to try to fix what I had just done. Then I went from that panic to another panic as I lay in bed trying to get a fix on the day before me. I began to think about Davie and school this next year and scheduling and bedtime, which has never been our strength. I began to get completely overwhelmed...then my mind traveled to the impossible job of actually successfully raising my baby girls...completely overwhelmed with their woundedness as adoptees...completely overwhelmed with my age and fatigue...ok, so you get the picture. I came into the kitchen and started my coffee and sat down with my Bible and my journal and began to pour out my heart to my Abba. I gave Him my worries and shared my heart with the One who loves me. Then I opened my Bible to the book of Joshua b/c I plan to attend a Precept study in September on this book and thought I would just begin reading there. Well, my God, my Abba, the lover of my soul met me this morning. The book of Joshua begins with the death of Moses and the call of Joshua to take this stiff necked people into the promise land...oh, and they had to cross a mighty river first. Basically God called Joshua to an impossible task. He calls him and then He promises him "I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."(my heart begins to hear this...)Then God says to Joshua, "be strong and courageous...and then again, "only be strong and VERY courageous." Then He instructs Joshua to hold tightly to Him, via His word and to not turn to the right or the left...meditate on the law night and day...do what it says...fill your very life and breath with who I am and what I say...and then you will have success. And then again He says, "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." You can just imagine the encouragement my soul felt at God's words. He has been calling people since the beginning of history to impossible tasks....and then by His might and power...using them to accomplish them. Amazing. Later He even promised them "rest AND the land." Basically everything they would need. I was so encouraged and touched by God's personal and relevant word to my heart this morning. So, I'm wondering, what impossible task is God calling you to? I can bet there is one ....as my David said this morning "He's kind of been known to do that"...well, as you hold to Him and do not waver, remember that the Lord your God is with you. Be strong and courageous. The Lord will not fail you or forsake you. I pray that those words take root in your heart today like they have mine. I'm off to do the impossible! Much love, Jackie Sue

9 Little Miracles

So, this is our little lineup. A whole bench of little miracles. You will want to click on it and see those little faces up close. All but the adorable little one on the left end(my friend Steph's little girl, AnnaLynl) are all little girls from Eliana's same SWI and all 8 of their families traveled to China together to get these precious ones. We had a wonderful time together. There is something about experiencing adoption together from the very beginning that binds people together. We all are attached to eachother's girls and though we are all from different areas of the U.S. and don't share everyday life together we are truly attached to eachother. One of the most interesting things on the personal side is how much my normally snobbing little Ellie just LOVED these folks. It was like she was beginning to grasp things. We watched our gotcha day video as a group and she kept yelling "Myna" for China. Davie would often say, "all the little China girls can come this way..." It was such a blessing to be able to share this with our girls and all the wonderful folks in our travel group. I would pray for anyone traveling to China to be blessed with a group like ours. Precious precious people. Well, we stayed busy and of course there are tons more photos to share, but honestly I am sick as a dog. I went to a walk in clinic today to have them tell me that I have double ear infections, with a blister on one eardrum, a horrendously sore throat and a major cough with phylm....I know...TMI. They gave me drugs or rather I paid the big bucks for some drugs and I'm hoping to feel better in the a.m. So, say a prayer for me :) and have a great week. Love, JS p.s. I am missing my small group tonight and thinking of ya'll as you go through the book of Ruth. I'd call ya'll to share in the fun but I have also lost my voice...got a shot in the bootie to help with that :) How's that for tmi? Love you ladies to pieces!

The Hills are Alive....Tennessee that is

Just wanted to leave you with some fun photos taken these last couple of weeks. Summer is so much fun. I love the time at home and the time swimming and the time on vacation... which is where we are heading tonight. The grown kids and our big mean dog will be home this weekend and we will be celebrating adoption with our Jiangxi travel group. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am! I will post lots of pictures I bet, since I seem to be able to do that on vacation. Have a blessed 4th of July and don't forget to thank God for our country, our freedom and the many blessings He has given us to be able to minister to others(might want to pray for our troops, too). Much love, js