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.