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!

Brendan the songster ...

"Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh ... oh, Tigger the Pooh, Tigger the Pooh ..." and Brendan sings the song for each of the characters ... "Piglet the Pooh, Piglet the Pooh" and he gets me cracking up every time. We were on our way to the Alger Library where we read a dozen or so good books with a small just-under-two girl who sat down next to us and took in each book we read, asking appropriate questions throughout! I was amazed at her patience and her long attention span! Brendan exhibits these too, but I find he is a rather unusual child, at least in my personal experience.

Most of these pictures are of Brendan playing his ukulele for me after we returned home to his house. 

 I absolutely LOVE to listen and watch and this child spills out his music ... he's completely spontaneous about it ...

 Baby Aidan can't be left out, though--here he is with Dylan. Isn't he the chunkiest, most adorable baby?!!

 Dear, dear boy ... we might some day use these snapshots on your first album cover ... you are something, Little Fellow!

A Frog Hollow afternoon ...

FROG HOLLOW is a super nice playground/park off of M-6, kind of behind Metro Hospital. It is one of Brendan's favorite places to play--his folks like it too because it is enclosed with a very nice fence, there are picnic tables there, nice bathrooms, a drinking fountain, great playground equipment--what's not to like?!! These pictures pretty much speak for themselves ...

I have pictures of Brendan, 3 years ago, standing at this exact spot DOING the exact thing he is doing--explaining all about dinosaurs to me--like he is some kind of college professor! 

 Kaity thought this park was pretty great ...

 The equipment here is SO much fun for little ones ... a lot of variety and very interesting ...

Oh my word--I just love these pictures of these little cuties ...

We'll have to re-visit this park. This was actually Monday afternoon, which is supposed to be Kaity's special time with me. We invited Brendan because these two play so well together. I'm glad we did this today!