Nature Explorers

Family day rolled around last weekend and E woke up with a perfectly snotty nose. We decided to forgo church. Instead, we ate breakfast, listened to a sermon via podcast {Driscoll's current marriage series is awesome!}, and headed out for a walk. 

There's a park that's walking distance from our house that I love to go to. It doesn't have a play structure...just rolling hills, paved paths, tall over-grown trees, animals, and a little brook running through it. There's one pocket that seems to be the perfect, enchanted area to explore. It also had some benches and a picnic table nearby. I've wanted to take E there for quite some time, but I've only been reminded when we walk by on our way to another destination or without proper equipment {i.e. rain boots}. This day I remembered both. 

We ventured out to the spot and started exploring. We saw half a dozen turkey vultures hanging out in one of the big trees. E jumped into the brook right away.

All was great until E walked straight into chest high water after W's warning...

 Ah, natural consequences...sometimes you're the only thing that does the trick!

We stripped off his wet clothes {something we probably should have done from the start} and went back in. From then on, he was an attentive listener and instruction follower as we continued through the brook and little forest of reeds. He made sure to stick to "baby water" and steer clear of the "Papa water".

He played with the mud, sticks, rocks, and they all ended up in the water, of course. Oh, how I wish this was our backyard!

We collected some acorns, seeds, rocks, and other small pieces of nature to bring home with us. E bundled up in a blanket and scarf on our way home, asking if we could come back. I hope we can explore more of this special spot in the weeks to come, maybe to some warmer weather!