Eva Quote: All-Knowing Alan

Some might have seen this one before, but I recently rediscoverd this adorable photo shoot with the two of them, and thought I'd reshare the quote with it here...

e:"Just up past the planets and stars, that where God is, right?"
M:"Uh, I don't really know."
e (mischievously) :"You don't know anything, but I know EVERYTHING!"
M:"Really? And just how did you come to know all these things I don't know?"
e:"Alan taught me."

Somehow I doubt that.

 

 

 

 

 

Eva Quotes: Where Jesus Works, Tuggies, Ahda and Skirtsies

e: "I bet Jesus didn't have time to see the dinosaurs [when He was on earth], He was too busy taking care of people."
M: "You're probably right."

 

e:"Kids are called 'tuggies,' and adults are called 'big turtles taking care of little turtles.' Lady Lage (Tiffany Delage) told me that."

d:"Ahda?"(dre's name for his sister)
e:"I'm right here, I'll sing to you while you get your trim. No worries, I'm not leaving."
...and then she sung a song about hair cuts and Dre and Christmas. It was all very soothing until Sissy picked up the sheers.

e:"We are dancers! Dre's the one who bows, and I skirtsie." (skirtsie glory on bottom right)

 e:"Does Jesus live in my heart?"
M:"Well, I know He works there every day, but I don't know if He's living in there just yet."
e:"I hope He moves in someday... can I have tuna?"

Eva Quote: Wormy is Toooo Cuuute!

M: “Okay, it’s time to stop playing with your gummy worm and eat him.”
e (horrified): “ But I can’t…”
M: “Mommy would like you to finish your dessert, please eat your worm.”
e: (bursts into tears)
M: “That’s quite enough of that…”
e (sobbing): “But I can’t eat him! He’s too cute! He’s just too cuuuuute!”
M: (attempting to her stifle rising laughter) “He’s very cute, yes, but he is also food, and we can’t keep him as a pet or a friend, he’s sticky food that was made to be eaten.”
e: (buries face in hands sobbing)
M (laughing): “Eva…”
e (through sobs): “He’s just tooooo cuuuute and I want to keep him.”
M: “Eva, please regain your self control and listen… how about we take a picture of him for you to save forever.”
e (sniffling): “Okay. But I will still miss him.”

 

She had me print her this photo so she could 'make sure this picture was never lost.' Great.

Fearless Spring Hikers on the Battlefields

 

 

Exploring the battlefields on a bright, cold morning.

 

 "Today I am Snow White the Hiker." (see the colors)

 

"Stick!"

 

"Let's bring Grandpa here."

One little, two little adventurers.

It really is great outdoors.

Easterwear!

Well, I tried for the perfect shot...

 

 

...but then I remembered who I was working with.

 

 It's a good thing they're cute.

Happy Easter!!

Winter is over, right?

March came in like a lamb with mild days and sprouts of lettuce popping up in our garden... and then it started to "roar." Seems like snow has fallen every week this month! We got one real big snowfall that dumped 8 inches in 6 hours. That was plenty enough to make our "snowfa.

With nearly weekly snow, the novelty seems to have worn off. The kids are over it now. I'm the only one who went out in the snow this week, gotta take my pictures! Here's to this week being the real last week of winter.

 

Evangeline and Her Nature Collection

Eva has become quite the little "nature nerd" in the last month or so, asking about all the types of birds and trees, and whether there are bears about in our wooded backyard. (To which I answer no, but there are foxes and skunks, so be aware.) E's very favorite thing is to add to her "collection," a select handful of treasures found while on our adventures. I suggested she start collecting after many trail walks where the little girl agonized over having to empty pockets full of acorns and leave "all the pretty things God made" on the ground. A lump of green moss, one chipped pink rock, three dry acorns hats, a pokey gum ball, lichen of four different colors (they're a family), and few other little bits and pieces that might only catch the curious and easily delighted eyes of a child, make up the prized hoard.

She keeps her "collection" in a hand-painted treasure box depicting woodland animals and plants, a Christmas gift from Sarah B, and a perfect place for the little heap of special bits and pieces. "These all guys are friends." she tells me, about three different seeds she's arranged. Makes sense.

Evangeline tells me often about how 'one day she will open up her collection to the people that come, and she will stand beside it and show it all to the watchers.' She always thinks "today" is a good day for her opening, but when nobody but Mummzie comes, she decides that another day will be better, she has more collecting to do anyway.

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.

Our Dreamy Getaway to Shenandoah

 

 

 What a dreamy time we two had up in the mountains of Shenandoah a few weeks back! It was our first getaway in more than a year, and we were pretty stoked!

We stayed in beautiful Culpeper Co. and enjoyed the country scenery everywhere we drove.

Even when we got lost (doesn't this look rather desperate and desolate?!), it was still lovely.

Frozen springs along Skyline Drive.

Each day, we drove into the mountains of Shenandoah National Park, and hiked the trails of Stony Man Mountain and White Oak Canyon. Here is a nice clean picture of our brand new hiker boots, ready to be broken-in on the muddy winter trails. These are the things I get excited about... and photograph. : )

My mountain man. (note the snow on the trail, it was chilly!)

Making it look harder than it was...

We had to stop and read all the trail markers. Nature nerds. (note the tree growing out of the rock - WILD)

Oh look! It's me being cute along the trail. Awww.

At the peak at last!

On top of our conquered Stony Man Mountain.

 

(How we got the next shot)

iPhone-in-a-tree-trick success!

 

Stony Man is the highest point in the park, so the view was pretty stunning.

 

This day was my favorite.

The next day we headed to White Oak and saw these huge rock formations along the trail. Coolness.

We hiked alongside the falls and ate lunch on a rock in the middle of the stream.

Many of the trees were dead...weird.

My trusty D70 along with my iphone helped capture all the pretty around us.

Another magical day.

Broke 'em in good.

 I think I may have left my heart there in the Valley. Better go back and fetch it sometime.