The Tiede’s are on Staycation. That’s right. We are on vacation and staying home. Well, not exactly staying home. We are sleeping here and eating most meals, but we are planning many mini-outings for the next week and a half. We are affectionately calling each outing a “daycation.”
While we have a long list of things to do, which we don’t typically get to do or don’t take the time to do, I thought I’d add something to the list … blogging. Our summer has not been very conducive to consistent blogging, so (with my family’s permission) I am taking you all along on the 2008 Tiede Staycation. Each night we are going to give you a glimpse into the daycation we enjoyed that day. I am twisting my family members’ arms and asking them to co-blog with me each night. We’ll see how that goes. So, tune in for pictures and stories from our Staycation!
Tonight we kicked off our tour of local attractions by attending a Monarch Butterfly tagging and release at the Quarry Hill Nature Center. Twelve years ago, Kadi and I participated in a similar event and Kadi’s picture was on the front page of the Post Bulletin. She was 8 months old at the time. We learned some fascinating things about Monarchs tonight and even though we’ve studied them before we all learned new things.
The most beautiful thing to me is that when the Monarchs migrate to Mexico, they congregate in a tiny area that is only 80 miles wide at the widest point. They perch on Oyamel fir trees. The scientific name for the Oyamel is Abies religiosa which means sacred sanctuary. The name has nothing to do with the fact that it is a sanctuary for millions upon millions of Monarch butterflies, but because the tip of the branch is shaped like a Christian cross. Think about that. Countless spectacular butterflies, which symbolize the new life of a Believer in Christ, are divinely created to be drawn to the cross. My friends, the implications of that leave me with goose bumps up and down my arms. Oh, that we would be drawn to the cross again and again. That it would be instinctive. That our radar would point to Him and that we would let nothing deter our pilgrimage to the cross. (Check out Journey North for more information)
On a slightly less spiritual note, as we tagged our Monarchs I noted that we were releasing many more males than females. (Yes, I know how to tell the difference now! It’s not what you think. :)) I asked the gentleman helping us and he said it’s because he’s lazy and doesn’t go out to catch the butterflies until the afternoon. For whatever reason, he said, the females come out early in the day and then disappear, and the males are out and about in the afternoon. Hmmmm. There might be some similarities between the species there too, but we won’t go there tonight.
And now (drum roll, please), my guest blogger tonight is Kadi (nearly 13) …
Okay, so please excuse my first ever blog entry tonight, I went to bed at 12:30 last night and had to wake up at 5am! I spent the whole day at the MN state Fair with some friends. I can’t say that I was necessarily excited about releasing butterflies, and I won’t say it thrilled me, but it wasn’t terrible. When it was my turn to tag the Monarch and release it, I was nervous! Coming from a person who has spiderphobia, ( which I found out today is really called arachnaphobia, which you all already knew) holding a butterfly and then having it crawl all over me, like scared me to death! ( I thoroughly dislike anyhing that crawls on me.) I held the thingy, and was disappointed that it was a guy, cuz I wanted a girl, but yeah, it just kinda flew away and yeah … I got to see some friends that came to the butterfly thing, and I got to take some nice pictures of Ben and Caleb with the butterflies.
Ben seemed really energetic. He had a lot of questions and everything. I tried to get some good pictures of him, but he smiles really weird when you tell him to smile. Like really weird.
Caleb was kinda shy and nervous, but I think he had a lot of fun too. I think Dad had the most fun though, he laughs at everything. I think he really enjoys learning things about nature and history. Mom liked it too, but she was just really interested in blogging ideas and everything. Overall, I think it was fun for Ben and Caleb, and I would do it again for them. BTW, I got my ears pierced the other day and thought you would maybe want to know. I’ll have more to say when we go to the Mall of America! KDTD:)!
Thank you for sharing your daycation with us out here in cyberspace. I think I’m most like Dad because I like learning about nature and history. But I’m like Kadi in that I don’t like things crawling on me. But I really like butterflies and love it when I can get one to sit on my finger.
I guess I’m like Mom too because I’m always thinking how to share the adventures I have to help people see more about Jesus. And I think I’m like Ben and Caleb because I would have asked lots of questions and had fun. Thank you all for sharing your adventure.
Welcome to Blogdom, Kadi! You did a great job!
I don’t like things crawling on me either, but if I had to CHOOSE something crawling on me, I think a butterfly would be IT!
I love this post – I have a special love for butterflies myself. We went to Callaway Gardens for a homeschool trip several years ago, and they have a Butterfly House. GORGEOUS!!! Tim and I went back there a couple of years ago at Christmas – they weren’t quite as active, but for some reason they all love to land on me to mate! 🙂 Go figure.
Can’t wait to read more about your staycation. Such a fun idea.
Wooo-hoooo on getting your ears pierced – just take good care of them now, and you’ll never have problems with them in the future.
Hi Tiedes!!
I love this post – from start to finish. Of course the spiritual imagery is so rich, I can hardly stand it. But, Kadi – I loved your writing. I love that I can see your personality come through; but you really do seem to have your mother’s gift with words!!
Well done, ladies – I love you!! “see” you here again tomorrow!
Great job of blogging, Kadi!
Oh, I loved this idea! What a fun way to stay close to home, save some money and still have some family fun! Love it!
Hi Tiedes,
I loved the imagery of the butterfly, of you touching them and sending them off, of them making pilgrimage to the cross. Wow! It’s what I want my songs to be…butterflies that lead people to God.
Kadi, like, good job. I loved your voice and your honesty. You tell it like you see it.
God bless,
Jill
PS Paul Balouche just sat down next to me with his laptop! I’m not going to bug him, I’m just hoping for some osmosis of talent to occur!!!!! He and Sara have been the hightlight of my experience here!
Hi Kadi – great blog! Congrats on getting your ears pierced…you’ve been wanting that for awhile and I for one am glad for you! 🙂
What a great idea Vicki…and I’m with you on the goosebumps. I saw a picture of one of these branches covered in butterflies…it was so beautiful! God is so sweet with the details of His presence…this reminds me to look closer and see Him/hear Him/feel Him in His creation.
I loved the blog post, and THANK YOU for sharing your staycation with us!
Uh… I’m obviously a very literal person. Symbolism? Imagery of butterflies? Sorry, I didn’t get it. But I TOTALLY got the icky feeling of having a bug (even a pretty one) crawl on me. Ugh.
I wish we had staycationed this summer then I would not be making a time share payment now. We are too easy!!