Trip To The Zoo

Anna's Journal

We took our nature study to a different neck of the woods and spent the day at the zoo. We enjoyed seeing some new animals, and colorful birds the kind we can't see in our backyard. It was a nice overcast day but it did not rain, which is really perfect Miami weather for the zoo. And we strolled around the new Amazon exhibit which has the giant river otter. We got there just in time for the feeding, and it immediately became the children's new favorite animal. Lets hope they don't ask for one as a pet!

Snapshots from the Miami Metro Zoo

Your Unfailing Love oh Lord is as vast as the heavens......


Your Faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.......


Your Righteousness is like the mighty mountains.......


Your Justice like the ocean depths..........


You Care for people and animals alike O Lord........


How precious is your unfailing Love O God!


All Humanity finds shelter .........


In the shadow of Your Wings!
Psalm 36:5-7

BBQ & Family Time

We enjoyed much BBQ this weekend and as Emmet Otter so eloquently put it, It lifts my spirits......As a family we enjoy our time together on the weekends. It is a chance for us to reconnect and renew. You will usually find us outside doing something. This weekend we fired up the grill several times just to get a good practice run before the 4th of July....Adrian made his Peruvian corn on the cob again which is fabulous and then he tried out a new recipe called Argentine Leap Frog Chicken. He assured me there was no frog in it and that this chicken would change my life lol!! I am not sure I will ever say that chicken changed my life but it was definitely the best chicken I ever had! With plenty left over I can see some Fajitas in our future.

Our Family time does not always look perfect sometimes there are complainers, maybe even some bickering there could be a time out or two thrown in there as well. But the true reward is when we push through all that. I mean come on we are talking about 5 completely different personalities all trying to go on one narrow path in one narrow direction. And several of us Watts I won't mention names are known to be extremely clumsy ....Lets just say it sometimes looks a little messy. You probably can't see that in our pictures. So we take all that messiness and mix it together and hand it over to God, we humbly draw near to him and pray that he will bless our time together, and you know what, God is faithful and he meets us there, and our cup runneth over and we discover that when it is all said and done the bumps in the road are put behind us and we have some nice memories, and a few laughs to carry us on into the week ahead.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Here are some of our weekend memoirs and snapshots......


Lots of Coffee!!




Some Thrift Store Treasures! Pink Poncho $1.50, Flower Blouse $2.00, Bird Candle Holders 1.00


Corn On the Cob!


Some Reading with some new chapter books from the Thrift Store.






A visit to a new playground.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13

Emmet Otter's BBQ SONG!!

Show and Tell Friday ~

I thought I would join in on Show and Tell Friday~

I would like to introduce my blogging friends to some new friends. These friends are from my childhood adventures. Sometimes they also escorted me for times outs, I know it is hard to imagine that I could have been a naughty child. But unfortunately I have to report these poor friends where even involved in some high speed chases as I was trying to out run my Mom from the wooden spoon hehehe!



My Mom started collecting dolls for me when I was a baby and I also acquired a few from relatives. Raggedy was the one doll that I was allowed to just play freely with. My other dolls had some what limited amounts of play since my Mother was preserving them as a keepsake for me.



I love how each of my dolls are so different. This doll is a grandma doll I often imagined she was the Grandmother from little red riding hood. She is missing her wire glasses and bonnet.



This is another one of my favorites Anna really loves this doll. She is definitely a doll that you can let your imagination soar with sometimes she looks like she is from the Prairie yet other times she seems to look like she walked out of a Jane Austen novel. Her shoes and bonnet are missing. And she is very well loved.

I have a few other dolls that have recently gone missing with this last move including a rag doll that I had made for Anna when she was a toddler. I can't imagine where they have gone maybe off for an adventure of there own? I am hoping they will turn up as we continue to open some of the last of our boxes. I would like to continue with the tradition and have Anna start a collection of Rag Dolls as well. My Aunt Rose did purchase Anna a Raggedy Anne doll when she was born that I believe is from the same place my first one came from, It is very cute to see my much loved and adventure worn Raggedy next to Anna's clean and untraveled Raggedy they do look like a set of odd twins.....Maybe distant cousins! Hopefully all these dolls will have many more adventures and continue to be loved and passed on in our family. I hope you enjoyed my doll collection today. Have a Blessed weekend filled with much Joy, maybe a little adventure or two and a spot of tea! ~Blessings Heather

"LORD you have assigned to me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me. Because HE is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:5-8

Mystery Tea Time.....

Sometimes in the Watts house we are prone to utter silliness. And we decided to force Adrian to participate in our Mystery Tea Time. We dressed up as characters from clue while we played the game. We also watched a mystery movie while trying to guess Whodunit?? And enjoyed Tea and cookies.

It was a dark and stormy night in the Watts Mansion. But there was a mystery to solve!!

"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his head. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come?" said Sherlock Holmes
Here are the suspects.......


MRS. WHITE!!


MR. GREEN


MRS. PEACOCK!!


COL. MUSTARD


MISS SCARLET

"Excellent! I cried. Elementary," said he. "It is one of those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to his neighbour, because the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction.
~Sherlock Holmes speaking written by Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle



....It was MR. GREEN in the Lounge with the Revolver!


My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the MYSTERY of GOD, namely CHIRST, in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3

We hope your having a blessed week filled with joy and maybe a little silliness!
A Cheerful Heart is good Medicine Proverbs 17:22a

Great Egret......and an extra explorer...and some garbage

We woke up very early today and had the joy of Adrian joining us for our bike ride before he went to work. With Adrian along we were able to explore in some new areas a little more off the beaten path. We found a cow pasture and some very large cement businesses that have a very pretty lake at there disposal right behind our property that you get to by going down a dirt road and under the turnpike. The unfortunate part of sometimes finding areas less visited by the public is the Urban Dumping that takes place. We saw everything from a pair of gloves to refrigerators, tires of course, and the odd mattress's set. I really have a hard time understanding how this can happen. It really was a reminder to our family as to why we should strive to live in a more minimalist way.



Be wary of any enterprise that requires new clothes.” - Henry David Thoreau

Lazy people take food in their hand
but don't even lift it to their mouth. Proverbs 19:24

I think that I will chew on that proverb for awhile. After seeing all that garbage flooded into such a natural area it really made me think about how often we gather what we do not need. And I do believe that when we fill our lives with clutter overwhelming feelings will follow, including laziness.

I think we will definitely need to have a clean up day for some areas in our neighborhood and head out with some garbage bags.

Here are some Snap shots from our morning we did see some beautiful birds. Poor Anna was exhausted from her playdate yesterday and was not feeling much like bike riding. We had to keep reminding her to pedal lol!... Absence does make the heart grow fonder..... I fully enjoyed her hugs today and all the sweet murmurings of how much she missed me yesterday that was a pleasant blessing.






Anna off her bike taking a break....

A peak into Anna's Nature Journal


We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord
for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33:20-22

Rain...Pressing Fairies....& Naughty Four O'Clocks

We had a day filled with Thunderstorms and it really looked like someone had used their water colors on the sky......Sometimes I think God sends rainy days to keep me in line and to make sure I am doing my laundry rather than off and wandering through the tall grass. And laundry I did and lots of it as well as some organizing and other busy work here in our home. Anna was invited to spend the day with her friend from church, so I did not have my little munchkin, and I certainly missed her following me around waiting for me to show her what I am doing. But I am sure she is enjoying spending some time with her friend.

On another note the last time I was out taking a walk I spotted some pretty purple flowers as well as some nice leaves. I was in a bit of a hurry so I grabbed them all and placed them in my nature study book. I thought they would look wonderful pressed. So I took our special wood edition of the Clue game off the shelf since it is a very heavy game I let that do the work of pressing what I had gathered.
When I opened my book today I was rather surprised to see that on accident I had grabbed a fairy and pressed her as well. I felt terrible, but it was an accident and she looks so nice with the purple flowers I think I will just leave her there.


Now I do not have a flower garden here where I live. But my Mother emailed me some pictures, beautiful pictures from her garden up north in Canada and I thought I would share them with you along with a poem. Thanks Mom for sending all those pretty pictures it reminds me of home.

Naughty Four O'Clocks
By Laura Ingalls Wilder
April 1915

There was some naughty flowers once,
Who were careless in their play;
They got their petals torn and soiled
As they swung in the dust all day.

Then went to bed at four o'clock
With faces covered tight
To keep the fairy Drop O' Dew
From washing them at night.

Poor Drop O'dew! What could she do?
She said to the Fairy Queen,
"I cannot get those Four O' Clocks
To keep their faces clean."

The mighty Storm King heard the tale;
"My winds and rain,"roared he,
"Shall wash those naughty flowers well,
As flowers all should be."

So raindrops came and caught them all
Before they went to bed,
And washed those little Four O'Clocks
At three O'clock instead.

~~~~~Heat Wave~~~~~~

Miami is breaking records today with the heat. I believe they said on the news with the heat index the temperature was 120F Ouch! That's Hot! We still set out early this morning we went bike riding and then fishing at the canal. We also borrowed a few new critters for our Pets In A Jar to study and draw. We have some new butterflies and two new lizards visiting with us now.



We are continuing on with our Nature Study and drawing in our journals. And we also started the Weaver Genesis One. It is a study of Chemistry and the book of Genesis. I really enjoyed sitting down with the children and digging into some new science. We also learned some new things about creation vs. evolution. And we did a few experiments with polymers. We made some polymer worms and a bouncing ball.

Here are some snap shots from our stomping in the urban wildlands today



Psalm103
Let all that I am praise the Lord with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Let all that I am praise the Lord may I never forget the good things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins, he heals all my diseases

He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies

He fills my life with good things, My youth renewed like the eagles!

Praise the Lord , everything he has created everything in his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord!

Happy Fathers Day!!

A Happy Father's Day to my Father and to my Husband, two very wonderful men that I have been so blessed with. My daddy lives 2000 miles away so we did not get to spend the day with him, but we did take Adrian out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants here in Miami. It is called Lime. Very Fresh food and they even have many things that are Gluten Free. It is great to have Adrian home and we are enjoying our time with him. I am so thankful that he goes out in the world and works so hard so that our family can be safe and comfortable and fully enjoy the blessings God gives to us in the home. It is an amazing sacrifice that he makes for us. And we cherish and Love him dearly.

Here are some snap shots from our day.

I also had some time this weekend to work on a new dress for Anna which she got to enjoy today. Her bloomers looked so cute when every now and then you would see them peeking out. I noticed though I will have to make sure I leave a little more grow room in the next dress I sew for her she is just growing like a weed. I can hardly keep up!