Explorers

Nearly every day, rain or shine, mama and cubs go exploring. Our latest discovery is a half mile path that connects our yard to our "way-back-yonder" neighbors who own some of the woods behind our Hallelujah House. The cubs love shuffling through the leaves and seeing their breath in the cold air. Eva's favorite thing is running ahead singing and running back to hold Dre's hand while he makes it over the logs. Dre's favorite thing is trying to take the logs back home. What is up with boys loving branches and sticks? Not hard to please that little guy. Sorry these pics are lower resolution, they're taken while in motion and with a camera phone. : ) Hard to keep up with these two!

Half the time we spend out there exploring it looks like this... the girls waiting for Dre to get another stick. (or sometimes waiting for him to climb out of another ditch he's fallen into... because he saw another stick he wanted.)

 

This day Dre decided he loved logs, Eva decided she's afraid of "heights."

"Mommy let's us splash in the creek in 30 degree weather!" (ignore that stick in E's face. oops. photographer fail.)

The key to our many successful hikes: thick rubber boots.

Moments after this picture was taken, he noted the bigger stick (that would be the fallen tree) on the ground and spent the next 10min trying to get it onto the path to take home.

What's he saying? Oh, he's probably just yelling "stiiiiick!"

Not afraid of heights today, I guess.

This is really cool... there are several ancient civil war trenches that cut through the forest of our backyard. The kids think they're the coolest because that's where all the leaves gather and they like to wade through them. In the summer this practice shall be outlawed though because of the certainty of the presence of snakes.

Someone is trailing behind... probably because he stopped for a rock. (You thought I was going to say stick, didn't you?)

Sissy stopping to scold the "whoever people who left trash in my clearing."

 

 

I just love that my cubs are happiest when exploring, I know the feeling! It's so fun to see them falling in love with the things I loved as a child and growing curious and desiring to learn about "The Great Outdoors". It was while wandering in the woods as a kid that I learned to notice God's handiwork and started thinking about Him and talking to Him. I'm hoping to plant those seeds of delight in the details (that grow awe for the Creator) in my cubs, and hopefully watch them sprout as they explore.