God's creation is just awesome!

We have a lot of fun with nature around this house. I think my boys are very fortunate that they got a mom who doesn't mind a few creepy crawlies... About 2 weeks ago, we were out in the front yard feeding the fish in our little pond, and Aidan spotted a caterpillar. It was very cool looking, and sure enough, after looking it up online, it was definitely a monarch caterpillar. We were thrilled, and put it in our bug habitat with plenty of the weeds he was found on. I was a little worried because it wasn't milkweed, which I know they feast on, but sure enough, he gobbled up this common weed/vine thing that we have tons of. He ate constantly for 3 days, and then attached himself to the top of the habitat, and hung in a J shape. In the morning there was a perfect chrysalis. About 10 days later we noticed it had turned clear, and we could see the orange and black colors inside. The next morning, sure enough, a beautiful monarch butterfly greeted us! Mid-morning we took him outside, held him gingerly for a few moments, and then left him on a marigold flower. A few hours later he flew away! It was so fun to experience all this with the boys! God is so good to allow us a glimpse into the majestic in ordinary experiences!


Wish I had chronicled it more through photos, but here are some of the release at least...