The end of July ... already??!!

If there is one place in Grand Rapids that we can usually count on for a perfect few hours, it is Townsend Park. We return to it year after year and are always happy that we did! Saturday, we went prepared! I made some DIY fish-hooks (string + paperclips + hot glue tied on to our nets) and cut up some hotdogs for bait and we were ready to go ...

 There is something about children and water ... but especially here at Bear Creek ... so many happy memories together with the grandchildren, and looking back into the past, with my own boys.

I have plenty of water toys, most of them purchased at the Dollar Tee. The kiddos had a blast with their water squirters ... 

 Emma went off by herself to do some hunting ...

 It was an amazingly gorgeous day/evening ...

I love to watch the children completely abandon themselves to wholesome play. It does my heart and soul good to watch them and love on them here in this special place.

 Just beautiful.

 And isn't this a nice effect (thank you Photo-scape) ?? It almost looks like a painting.

 Look what gift God gave me!!! A monarch out in the wild that actually sat still for a few minutes right smack dab in front of my camera!

 We had not spotted any crayfish in the first hour we were there, and I almost thought the kiddos forgot all about them. But then Matthew wandered off with his baited net in hand and spotted and rather large one in our best hunting place (every single year!).

 Little Kaity just exudes JOY here. I love her so much. 

 So the hunt was on for this huge (!!) crayfish, and Matthew was extremely patient and kept dangling his net and hotdog, coaxed on by Christopher ...

 It was a lengthy and rather tedious process, but FINALLY ...

 Introducing BRUTUS ....

 One of our best crayfish catches EVER. Naturally, we let him go after we had examined him and enjoyed him for a little while. We put him right back in the place where we found him and even gave him a bonus hotdog for putting up with us!

We met a lot of children while we were there, who also delighted in meeting our little friend here and joined in with our water toys for quite a little while. It is always so much fun to meet total strangers out there in God's creation and be able to share conversation and friendship. Thankful to you, Lord!