Monarch Butterlies

Recently, the kids and I collected 3 Monarch caterpillars from our yard. We put them in jars with holes in the lid and gave them new milkweed leaves to eat each day. They are all in the chrysalis stage now. We've collected them a lot in the past, probably 10 of them last summer. We have always missed seeing them actually make the chrysalis though. They are so quick! You'll see the caterpillar hanging upside down one minute and then seconds later you'll look at it again and it will be in a chrysalis! Yesterday we finally caught one in the act and I got a quick picture before it was fully covered. It looked like it was pulling a sleeping bag up over itself and as it pulls it up, it sheds a layer of it's skin. I am still not exactly sure where the "sleeping bag" comes from. It seems to magically appear. :) It's so awesome to me that the resulting Monarch butterfly will look nothing at all like this striped caterpillar. The caterpillar is bright yellow, black, and white. The butterfly will be black and dark orange. The shape of it's body will be different. It's head will be different. It will be able to fly!!! The chrysalis itself is so beautiful with it's little drops of gold. It looks like a jewel. I just think it's one of the coolest things! God is so AWESOME! His nature amazes me! Here are the pictures I have taken so far. I hope to take a couple more as it is about to hatch and when it's all ready to fly away.