Weekend rompings ...

It was a little bit cool outside Saturday ... but the great outdoors was calling LOUDLY to us ~ "Come, come and explore!" So right after lunch, we heeded the call and headed on out for an adventure!

Emma, climbing on a wiggly chain
ladder at the park ... we pretended it was
a helicopter ladder and she was
being rescued from the deep blue sea ...

 The last few weekends, we had driven up to Rockford to do our hiking; but it had been almost a month since we'd been to Townsend Park, and everyone was aching to return!

I love to see these kiddos run and play. We had such a nice time following footpaths in and out of the woods ... 

We crossed many little bridges. The stream was beckoning and we longed for the warmer days when we would get IN the creek and lift up rocks looking for critters! But it was too cold Saturday to do that. Christopher, however, got himself as close to being IN the creek as possible!

Emma's motherly concern came out all over the place ... Christopher has no fear, and Emma has plenty to last for both of them ... and more! Look at her expression with Christopher sitting on the ledge of the bridge ... he got all dramatic in the next picture ...

We hiked lots of trails that were new to the kiddos. I'm used to hiking here. It was wonderful to look back on all the times in the past I had been to this park WISHING with all my heart that the kids were with me ... ah, sometimes dreams DO come true! 

These next few pictures are of the kids by the gnarly tree ... they were pretending it had captured them and they were prisoners ... 

Aren't they hilarious?! 

Christopher! Don't fall in!

Another dramatic shot of Matthew and Emma ... conquering the world! 

Matthew has a way of running ahead ...
but I don't worry about that because I can see him just fine!

I was so thankful to God for allowing us to enjoy His awesome creation ... so unhindered by the world's heartbreaking tragedies ... free to roam and play and imagine ... happy wanderings! 

These are the times I will treasure until the day I die. This is (to me) what living is all about! Just the peace and joy of breathing the fresh air and enjoying God's great mercy in our lives! 

Doesn't Matthew look so small up on this
hill under these TALL trees?

After hiking and exploring for quite awhile, I decided to take the kids up the road a bit and show them Pickerell Lake. It's a nature reserve and a very unusual little place. 

I love this picture of Christopher!

Matthew and Christopher enjoyed this boardwalk very much. It stretches out across a corner of the lake. But Emma ... she wasn't at all happy to be out on a boardwalk in the middle of a swampy lake! 

When Emma is anxious, she shows it ...
Look at her worried face! 

 When I announced that we wouldn't go any further, Emma turned tail and ran back across the boardwalk at full speed. She couldn't wait to get off that thing!

We went back to The Beach House to enjoy ice cream sundaes and play a few more games. MEMORY is one of our favorites. I never ever ever win this game. I have a terrible memory! But it's good mental exercise for me, so I play it with the kids whenever they want! Perhaps it will save me from early Alzheimer's! 

Almost, without fail, Emma wins this game hands down! 

Christopher takes losing very very
SERIOUSLY!

Emma, concentrating hard to see if she can
make just one more match!

It's always sad when the weekend comes to an end. We drove back to Grandpa and Grandma Hands house. I was hoping to see baby Kaity for a few minutes and was able to snap this beautiful picture of Kaity and Emma together. 

I love this beautiful picture of Emma and Diana!

Another weekend has come and gone. So thankful for these sweet times of making memories together.