Just Another Day at the Farm

Recently, a few moms and I headed out to a local farm for some pumpkin picking.  Since things like apple and pumpkin picking have changed in the last few years into choosing the pretty ones from the pile or basket, we opted instead to play in the many spots at the farm.



Up first was playing in the corn box (sand box with corn kernels), and a little bike riding too.  It's amazing how long children can sit and gather and pour something out of buckets!  She sure did enjoy herself.

Next up: the tire swings, tractor climbing, and a little play area.  As a child, I had a neighbor with a small farm, wild strawberries, and, you guessed it, a tire swing!  So, seeing tire swings, no matter how different they look, often takes me back to my childhood.  I LOVED how Emma would put her head back as the swing gently swayed.  And with the wind blowing wildly, it was pretty fantastic.

Our final stop was the hay maze.  At first, she wanted NOTHING to do with it.  But, once everyone left, my girl was ALL over it!  As you can tell, it was VERY small. which made for keeping track of her challenging, but worth it.  She adored playing hide and seek with me, popping in and out behind the stacks, and running, running, running!  And I loved all the light and shadows I got to shoot in.

We're in the midst of fall, and the weather this day sure made it more of a reality!  I'm forever thankful to be able to be present and document these days for our family.  I know they are short lived.

Family Camping

It seems like forever since our family has been camping.  The reality is though, it has only been a year.  As a full family unit, however, we have never camped overnight.  So, this weekend was a real treat for us.  Lots of fun times to reconnect with nature.

 Things like nature hikes through the woods and finding leaves as big as your head.

Seeing the details in the simple things God has created.

Exploring the path on your own and then deciding to take a ride.

 Making new friends, even if they are friends that are a little unsure of you.

Seeing your Boy Scout work hard, learn, and achieve all in one day.  Oh, and have your son make an entire day of meals for you.

Rounding out your time with an awesome campfire and skits.  Because camping without a campfire just isn't camping.

We can't wait until next time - bring on the S'mores!

Fall Break at the Park

Like many mid westerners, my favorite season is fall.  It typically brings on a much needed break from the summer heat and allows for longer and more frequent outdoor activities.  And then throw in the school's more recent "fall break" addition to their calendars, and you have a time worth taking note of.

Last week, during fall break, I got to spend some extra quality time with my kiddos.  We made sure to do a good little mix of things in our three days together.  On this day, we headed to a local park with Little Miss.  This particular park was a hit with our son when he was younger, but it just hadn't made it to our list yet with our daughter.

It was fun to just sit and watch them play on the playground for a bit without a camera.  Then when they were able to swing together on the same swing, that was a moment worth snagging a shot of.

We headed off for a walk in attempts to discover the horses that used to be close by.  Although there were no longer horses, I loved that as I walked behind, my daughter reached for my son's hand and had him light up.  They definitely love one another.

 Exploring on the path was essential.  We stopped to check out the berries on one tree.

And then to sit in the shade of another and play with the taller grass.

 My son always wants to help and encourage his sister to explore.  He lifted her to get a closer look at the leaves of the tree, and then checked out the dandelions himself while they relaxed.

One favorite last moment was when we returned to the playground for a few last minutes.  My son encouraged my daughter to play in this tunnel.  As a small child, this was by far his favorite spot at this playground and he would sit in it and look out the window laughing and playing with me for a while.  It was neat to have them both in it and to see him sharing his love for something with his sister.

I hope you enjoyed our time at the park.  There are more fall break activities to come, so make sure to join us again!

October 5 on 5: Fear

My daughter and I recently visited our city's Butterfly House.  With her love of all things butterflies and flowers, you would think we would go every week.  The reality though, is that she is scared of them.  You read that right - she is scared of butterflies.  Each visit we have made, I have spent more time holding and consoling her than enjoying time together.  However, I was determined to help her see that there is nothing to be afraid of, so off we headed, hand in hand.

It took some time and patience.  Thirty minutes to be exact.  Thirty minutes of walking and sitting and holding and pointing and finding colors and talking and flower smelling before suddenly, she was brave enough to approach one on the path!  It was so much more than a sweet moment, it was HER moment of overcoming fear!

And it wasn't just once!  It was again and again!  Getting close enough to notice details and colors and be in awe.  And once that fear was overcome, it was time to notice all of the other little things she had missed before, like the letters she could read or all the spaces she could spin in!!

The path to overcoming isn't ever easy, no matter how small or big our fears are.  But sometimes, I think we miss the beauty of the journey because our fears hold us back.

It really is freeing to overcome a fear, isn't it?  To realize that what you were afraid of all along wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it was.  And that, maybe, overcoming it gives you a chance to notice the details you missed and you can be filled with a whole new joy.

Alright - it's blog hopping time.  Are you ready??!  Click the link below and make sure you complete the circle to come back to me!

Jenny at Sycamore Lane Photography

And if you've never seen Jenny's work before with Sycamore Lane Photography, you really do need to do yourself a favor and spend some time on her blog!  Her images are so amazing!