365 Days of Ducks

The beach. Oh I love water and love the beach! Spending an entire day doing absolutely nothing other than sitting, and relaxing on the beautiful sand was literally and physically the perfect day. There were even whales! I am so excited that I live only 15 minutes away! Thank you God for providing that for me. 

Welcome home! Finally. I know it isn't Auburn... But Calabasas is the next best thing! Moving again, that was stressful and exhausting. (And also the reason I am behind). Moving twice in two months will do that to a person! But I am so very thankful! We upgraded and so now I have two roommates who have been friends of mine for years. I am so excited, blessed and grateful! God is very good indeed. Thank you for this new season and let the adventures begin!

Awwww.... Jacuzzis! I love them. They are such a great invention. Thank you God for hot tubs and friends to enjoy them with!

I also remember my Dad being very helpful. It is challenging to medicate a duck all by yourself, so I was quiet thankful for my Dad's help in holding Mac so I could use both my hands to medicate him. As clear as day, I can still see them sitting outside on the step... 

Water, water, water! I LOVE the water!!! My and my roomies have certainly been getting our pool fix basically every night. Thank you God for water!

Probably more than anything else, what I admire most about my Mom is her commitment. When she said her vows to my Daddy, she meant them - even though that meant few years of health and many of sickness. This biblical lifestyle that she has modeled to me is more valuable than any inheritance or anything else that she could give to me. I am blessed beyond belief and love my Mommy dearly!

God gave us ducks. He knew that I adored them, and also that Janice certainly needed them too. Those dozens of ducklings that hatched seven years ago as a big surprise birthday gift to Janice and a Mother's Day gift to me, were a huge blessing! God gave me ducks to bring and enjoy simple, special moments to bond with my sister(s) and I am forever grateful! Happy Birthday dear Janice! Thank you for not giving up on me, forgiving me, and loving me. Sitting with you and the ducks is something I will always treasure. 

Bobble! I love to watch ducks bobbling up and down in the water and waves. It just makes me giddy. And jealous too, because I love bobbing in the water too. Yes, I am a dork, and I really love ducks to the extreme.  

Star gazing is something I haven't been able to do in a long time. Since leaving my Northern California hometown, a starry sky in So Cal hasn't been a common occurrence. But with the new move, the ability to gaze deep into the heavens and admire God's handiwork, has been a refreshing change! That was just one more thing I used to take for granted, but that I appreciate much more as time has gone by. 

All my ducks in a row! It was the cutest thing and one of the most heartwarming things to look back over my shoulder and see my ducks in a row and following me. 

Molly, oh Molly. She was quite social and always happy while wandering around, minding her own business. Molly was the mommy of Sunny, my very first (Grey) Call duckling to hatch! 

It wasn't until a few days later that I realized I made a mistake! I was appalled that I was guilty of that. In my defense, I did have over 60 ducks to tell apart... Still, that was dreadfully embarrassing. I am quite thankful that unlike me, God always knows His own, no matter how many He has, He knows and can tell us all apart. He won't ever make that mistake, He loves us precisely for who we are, with our differences, personalities and cares, which is a comforting thought indeed!

Dino Duck was one of my Grey Call Ducks and one of the very few ducks that I bought already named (and named after the Flintstone's character, so not a name I would have chosen). He was larger than most Calls though, so I can see some small resemblance. I bought Dino, Wilma, and Molly from the Happy Valley Duck Show for quite a deal. This trio were the 4th, 5th, and 6th Call Ducks of my and from that point on my flock would exponentially increase!

Today my roommate and I finally got a chance to swing off of the big oak tree as we romped around the hillside. I am very grateful for the continual opportunities to simply take in and enjoy the beauty of God's creation! 

Graduation! It is so weird to see a huge number of my friends graduating, and looking back as it has been an entire year since that was me...  Time is a strange concept, so long ago, yet at the same time it feels like yesterday. I am so thankful that I had such an incredible college experience, and especially grateful for so many of these people that have become a part of my family and the million ways they have impacted my life and encouraged me. God has been very good to me!  

Lilacs are one of my favorite fragrant flowers and so I named one of my Blue Fawn Call Ducks after them. Lilac had beautiful and soft pastel coloring, and a sweet disposition. Lilac was more of an introvert, where unlike most of the other Calls, she would first appear quiet until you got to know her.

Bring on the May flowers! What a beautiful time of year. I have many memories picking armfuls of bouquets of flowers growing up: daffodils, roses, irises, lilacs, and more! They are a lovely gift from God and I love seeing and smelling the fresh blossoms.