West Texas "Meerkats"

This week has been unique in the annals of motherhood, here on the "Conderosa." Hannah and Jeremiah, our daughter and son-in-law, came for a visit last weekend because some sweet ladies had planned a baby shower for her. They went home on Sunday and they took ALL FOUR OF OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN WITH THEM! Jeremiah was going to be on a business trip for several days and Hannah wanted her little brothers and sisters to come for a visit. That is one SERIOUS benefit of homeschooling: the ability to schedule school around the important things in the life of your family. And since we have school year round, we can take a week off here and there and still put in a lot more days than the school system does. 

All that to say, I have actually spent several hours this week in my house ALL BY MYSELF! I am practicing thinking in complete sentences. There's not much chance for that much complexity of sentence structure when everyone is here.

Many of my friends, knowing what a rare event this is, have asked me what I have been doing with all this time on my hands. I told my sister I had ordered another case of bon bons. Not really. But it has been nice to be able to choose what to do. I do not ever get bored. There are too many fascinating things to explore and pursue. 

Last weekend while driving Hannah around, I spotted a prairie dog village and I told her then that I would love to try to take some pictures. Yesterday, I got the chance. The wind, which has been really bad, was not blowing above a light breeze. Thank You, Lord. And so it was possible to be outside without having your skin sand-blasted and your camera and lens ruined.  

I know people driving by had to wonder what this gray-haired woman was doing, sitting flat on her backside in the dirt, stickers and ants, in the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of a field. Doesn't bother me a bit! Because, LOOK WHAT I GOT!

This little guy just played "look-out" the whole time.

They're so cute and cuddly. Did you know they can be domesticated?

So, I'm sitting there trying to be really still and quiet, waiting for some of them to grow brave enough to offer me good photo ops, and then I saw THIS!!!

It's a TINY BABY ONE!!!

He was just checking out the neighborhood.

He looks like a meerkat, don't you think?

I could not believe he stood up for me! So adorable!

Going . . .

Going . . .

Gone!

This guy never ventured farther out than this and chirped the whole time.

If I had super-duper equipment, I would have tried to capture the most amusing thing I saw yesterday. Off in the distance, there were prairie dogs standing on their hind legs and then, with both front paws raised, leaping into the air! It looked like they were dancing. I think they were screaming, in a really squeaky voice, "HALLELUJAH!" It could happen.

Twins!! But they never came any closer.

I think they are so adorable! And I had a glorious time, even with stickers in my behind. Thank You, Lord for such a precious opportunity to marvel at Your Handiwork.