A Beekeeper's a Beekeeper No Matter How Small

     A while back, when I was homeschooling my oldest child in kindergarten, we were doing a one week unit study on honeybees. Thank you My Father's World! As was a routine occurrence for us back then (tougher now that I have my little ones), we went to the library and checked out all of the books we could find on the subject. Well...that wasn't enough. Silas took such an interest that we began YouTubing honey bees. Then, we called people who knew people and went on a beekeeping field trip with friends and family in tow.
     This friend of the family was very knowledgeable and GREAT with the kids!

 

      This "week long" study turned into months and now it's been a few years. And now my husband and son just finished up attending a series of beekeeping classes.
     Well, last summer, Silas finally talked his daddy into beekeeping. Now we have thousands and thousands of pets. Honey Bees! They are a true testament to how amazing God is! The fact that they do what they do and they do it well! How creative and detailed God is! There are many verses in the Bible on honey, which lets us know the importance that God puts on them too!
     In the beginning of this journey, we learned all about the biology of the bee. We learned how they run a hive, who does what job, and reasons why they are so important. We read about beekeeping too, but being out in it helps us learn so much more at a much deeper level. I love to learn about most anything, but to see my children (Yes, my other kids are now interested.) have such a passion for learning gives me such joy!
     These are some pictures of  my husband, my five-year-old (Camden), and a friend of the family who got into beekeeping the same time we did. We were doing a routine hive check. At the time, we only had one kid suit, so that's why Silas isn't out there. We had to take turns.

 Here they are just opening up the hive.

 

My husband is inspecting a frame to make sure all is healthy and well. 

 

 Now everyone is inspecting.

 

     Camden is using the smoker to calm the bees. Although, I think he got a little too close! Oh well. He's learning! 

 

Here's a look into a hive. 

 

     If you look close, you can see the bright white shiny larvae inside many of the cells. After each one gets good and fed for a while, a worker bee will seal up the cell. Then the bee will mature before it chews through to get out. You can see the covered cells.

 

    

      You can also see a couple of new adult bees emerging from their cells and getting ready for their first job, which is cleaning the cells.

 

  Bee's everywhere!!!  

 

 

 Camden is using the brush in attempt to clean bees off of his daddy. It's a horse hair brush, so as not to hurt any of the bees. But, with Camden, anything is possible!

 

Now he is brushing the bee's from the top, so that when the next box is set on top, no bees will be injured in the process. 

 

     As you can tell, these next pictures were taken by a way better photographer than me. My sister-in-law captured these of  my amazing husband rehoming a swarm of bees who decided to park in a bush right beside our church doors as church was letting out.

 

Kind of like a bundle of grapes!



     So, you see, our family has embarked on an interesting journey. I am sad I don't have any pictures of Silas, the one who started it all. I will be sure to post some pictures of him beekeeping, the next time he gets out there.

     Have I learned anything from this journey? Absolutely! A million things! But there is something I would like to share with you. I know this may seem a little extreme to let our little ones talk us into something like this, but I do want to use this post to encourage you. If your child has an interest, whether it be photography, or cooking, or piloting a plane, please pay attention. Am I saying go buy your little pilot an airplane? No. But sometimes, go beyond the pretend play. Study with them. Take trips. Meet people. Don't ignore it, and don't squash their interests because they seem too extreme. Many kids are interested in things that go beyond what kids are supposed to like. It's fun to imagine, and some things will have to stop there. I really can't help Camden have a dinosaur zoo right now. But, I know that I can expand his knowledge and he can go places, and he can meet people. And who knows, maybe I'll develop and interest in that too. Our whole family loves our new hobby. Maybe you'll love your child's new interest too. If not, I can promise you this. You will love watching your child love it and watching him dig deeper and discover! An indescribable feeling!!! Plus, it may be an avenue that God uses for our kids to help us live a little! 

 

 

Softening the Blow... with Trout

     Camping is always great fun for our family. We only go once a year (so far anyway) as a family, but Matt and the big boys also go on a camping trip in the spring. They have a blast, and are always looking forward to the next. Recently, though, my husband has been preparing to go on a camping trip with his brother and a friend…without the boys.
      When Camden saw Matt making some “new inventions” to try while fishing, he got so excited! He knew that kind of fishing meant camping. A few days later, when Matt found out about Camden’s assumption and broke the news to the boys that he would be leaving them at home this time, the reactions were pitiful. Silas got a bit teary eyed, but tried not to let it show, and handled the news with integrity. I was proud of him.
      Then there was Camden, who had already built his excitement up thinking he was going camping. Oh, how the tears flowed! It was a silent cry at that. When Camden gets upset, he usually runs off to someone’s bed (this time Bliss’) and lies there for a long while. He just laid silently, tears flowing. When Camden’s heart is broken, the look on his face does a number on us (especially me). Our hearts break too. This is true with all of our children, of course. But Camden has the most pitiful heartbroken look, by far, when he is sad.
      Since Matt was going to be gone for a couple days, he wanted to do some things with the kids before he left. The final thing he decided he would do was take us all trout fishing, which requires a little bit of traveling for us to get to. The first spot we reached had too many people, so we tried another. Not one single bite the whole time we were there, but the kids did work hard making a “frog habitat”. I know the frogs are forever grateful.
     After a while, we decided to pack up and go to another city and try some fishing spots there. When we reached our favorite spot, the water was too low. So, we moved on to our final option. Matt said there was one area that might be deep enough to fish in. We decided to give it a shot and unloaded our gear.
    The shore was made of soggy, muddy sand. Camden decided to pick some up to feel, and then he washed his hands in the water. He loved watching how the sand mixture dispersed into the water. He said it looked like what a sting ray does, whatever that means. He then decided to scoop more up and repeat over and over just to watch it in the water. Then Bliss joined in.

 Before we knew it, Camden and Bliss were each using one of Camden’s shoes as a pail.
They would scoop up water and pour it out.

 

They got wet! The water was cold by the way, but the kids didn’t let it bother them. At least somebody was actually doing what they came to do.

Matt did catch something not too long after we got there. Someone else's lure.

 Zeb just had a great time exploring! He played with rocks and sticks and rocks and dirt and rocks and water (and a shoe)!

 

  Sister bear put a little mud on Zeb’s back.

  Zeb put a little mud in his mouth.

  Once when he was on all fours trying to pick up another find out of the water, he slipped and took a face dive into the water. I picked him up promptly, but he was not happy. The water was cold, so that’s why he is stripped down to his diaper. He recovered quickly, but when Bliss slipped and fell, and got a bit more wet than she had planned, I took her and Zeb to our van and changed them into something dry. Of course, when we made it back down to where the boys were, they had caught a fish while I was gone. Matt took a picture for me, and then they let it go. It was too small to keep.

 

 

      I heard Matt say to the boys something like, “Now, when did we catch a fish?” Their answers were “When we were quiet.”, and “When we were out of the water.” Ha! Ha!

 

      When Camden slipped and fell, he was ready to go change too. So, he and the littles came with me to the van. Everyone got dry and seated, and then we waited for the devoted fishermen to catch “one last fish.” After a while, up they came. Silas, got all dry, Matt packed up, and we headed home.

     So, though the actual fishing was not successful, the fishing trip was very successful. The kids had a great time, and almost everyone fell asleep on the way home after a hard day of play.  We got some quality time with Matt before his trip, and, while it didn’t make up for the boys not getting to go camping, I think it lessened the blow a little. A little.

Right By My Dad

     This past summer my husband worked A LOT! Yes, that's a good thing since he brings in our sole income for a family of six.  I truly appreciate what he contributes to our family, and he knows it. For the most part, the kiddos do not feel the pain of his sometimes late hours (There are a few exceptions during different times throughout the year.). The reason that this is the case is due to the fact that, when he IS home, he always makes sure that he is spending true quality time with our little guys.  As a matter of fact, he probably spends more quality time with them than a lot of dads that don't work near as often. I am very grateful for this, because it is so important to whom our kids will become as adults.
     I love  Matt's work ethic. He works hard, but at the same time is not consumed by it. When it's time to play, he plays. I think many adults often forget how important this is, myself included.
     He also loves building projects and in his "spare time", last summer, he decided to begin working on a sand box. I would probably call it more of a sand house. "Go big or go home" is definitely his motto when it comes to projects. Silas was playing inside when he asked where his daddy was. I told Silas that Daddy was outside working. A few minutes later, Silas had his outside clothes on and was heading out the door. I looked at him and, in his most serious voice, he said, "If you need me, I'll be outside working right by my dad."
     Now I know that may not be such an uncommon occurrence, but there was something about the way he said it. I could see that he was proud of his dad. It was like nothing else mattered nor would it compare to the time he was about to spend working with his dad. Here are a couple of pictures. Yes they are even working in the rain!

 

Matt said he never complained, even though his little bucket of sand was heavy. He just kept dumping and reloading.

 

 

 

 

He was so proud, and so was his Daddy! I hope twenty years from now that I can look out of the window and witness the same thing. Except maybe it will be Matt helping Silas build a sand house for his son, who is happily working hard beside them!

Introducing...

The first thing I should do is introduce you to my family.

This is me. Yes I'm big and pregnant here, but I like this picture. I feel I have a certain glow. LOL! I love my life. I stay home and homeschool my little ones. Everyday is a new adventure that I can't wait to explore. I cherish each day, and have made it my goal to not take any time with them for granted.

This is my husband, Matt. He is great for me. He is almost always doing something fun with us or planning something fun to do with us. He likes to help with anything. He is a servant. That is his love language. If I need something for a home project or a homeschool project, he almost always makes it for us. He LOVES a challenge! When he does something, he does it BIG! Ooh, how I love this man!

This is Silas. He is six. He is an old soul. He loves talking to anyone he meets. He has a story for everything. He likes food that you wouldn't think a six year old would like. He loves old movies. Silas loves the Lord with his everything. He can often be caught stopping everything to pray, even if it's in the middle of Walmart. He is my cuddler, my list maker, my dreamer. The only problem is he is a bit of a hoarder. YIKES! I'll get more into that when it's his turn for my "Silas" blog.

This is Camden. He is three. Camden is his daddy in EVERY way. He looks like Matt, acts like Matt, and even walks like him. He is rough and tumble. His smile will make you melt. He can often be found copying everything his brother does, because he is obsessed with him. Strangly enough, at the same time, he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. He marches to the beat of his own drum. Camden is extremely technology savvy and great with numbers (for a three year old that is). He likes to "wash" dishes, help cook, and eat lots and lots of ketchup (oh, and apples).

And this...this is little Miss Bliss Elaine. She is one. This picture, taken by my wonderful sister-in-law, captures this little one's personality perfectly.  I really didn't know what to expect with a girl. It is COMPLETELY different. I know that I have completely intensified it, but she seems to love it, and so do I. She is my "Lovely". Matt and the boys are completely wrapped. I love to watch their exchanges with her. Bliss is dainty when she needs to be, and a firecracker when lifes "trials" need her to be so. She loves her purses, music, baby dolls, and glowworms. Black beans are her favorite food. Fairy Colors is her favorite book. Bliss loves her bed. And I love my girl!!!