These are a few of our favorite things

So.....my little brother recently gave me some great advice (thanks Matt!).  As he was telling me something similar to what my mom was telling me (about enjoying the time I have with my kids right now instead of worrying about selling the home, moving, etc - wow I have really needed to hear this a lot lately!) he said "just try to suck all the life you can out of where you are at right now"

I just love the way he says things.  He doesn't try to make it PC or polished, just tells it like it is.  And it usually is what I need to hear.  So the kids and I have started to "suck all the life out of where we are at" by visiting our favorite spots quite a bit this summer.  Craig and I have always loved being outdoors, especially in "the woods" (as Isaac would say).  And our children already share that passion.  So here are some pictures of us "sucking the life" out of Ledges State Park.  This is definitely a family favorite here in Iowa.  The first time we went I couldn't get over that we were still in the state of Iowa.  You drive through MILES of corn fields and suddenly you are surrounded by woods, streams, and cliffs (yes actual cliffs). 

Here Andie and Isaac are rock climbing, shoeless.  I LOVE this picture because at least once during our excursions Isaac "gets grumpy" (usually because he is in need of a snack) and no I don't LOVE that Isaac "gets grumpy" but I love that I have captured this on film because this is part of who Isaac is at three years old.  This rock is quite a ways up and it is the rock in which I first gave Andie her nickname "Mountain Goat" because she scales the rocks WAY faster than I am comfortable with but is very sure-footed.

Andie and Isaac here are performing a favorite pastime:  Try to catch a minnow in your hand.  Alas, we are great rock climbers but not great minnow catchers.

Another favorite pastime out in the woods...."Let's build a Dam".  This activity always brings joy to this science teachers heart.  Definitely bringing the classroom outdoors!

Some pictures of Caleb enjoying his brother and sisters dam.  He already is more comfortable in nature than he is any where else.  I can't wait to see what he will be doing next summer!

And to end our outing is a little "build your own castle in the sand" time.  I love watching the kids use their imaginations and tell stories while they are building their castles.

We have been so blessed by so many cool places in Iowa.  I love the "free play" of nature where the kids can run a little more wild and I can say "no" a little less often.  The most instruction I gave them today was asking them not to pick up the big leaches or directing them on how to climb down when they climbed themselves a little too far up.  That is what I love about playing out in nature.  It lets them be them and it lets me sit back and enjoy them.  Thank you Ledges State Park!