It is kind of becoming the standard around here to get up on Saturday morning have a big breakfast and then find a new trail to tackle! We are finally all healthy which means we can really get out and enjoy some outside time.
There are so many reasons that we love our time on the trails. It is fun to watch our girl's personalities really come out. Sam loves to be the leader, to spot things that are coming up and help Avery down steep parts. Avery likes to take her time. She gets excited when I get excited about something and wants to learn about the things I point out. Chris gets a kick (or is totally embarrassed depending on the day!) out of my extreme excitement over little things. What, every mom doesn't burst with joy when you happen upon an owl pellet?
And now that our girls are big enough and can be ahead of us on the trail, Chris and I really get some great time to chat and be together.
But the thing I love the most about the fact that we hit the trails so often is what we are teaching our girls. A lot of people would not think of central Illinois as a naturally beautiful place. It probably isn't most people's favorite place to go for a hike or go camping. But my girls are learning to find natural beauty EVERYWHERE! They can spot hawks and song birds in our subdivision backyard. A simple stream with a little bit of ice is as exciting as a rushing river. The little things to them are beautiful, fascinating and wild! I love that I get excited about tracks, bird songs, scat and other simple things while we hike, and I hope that my girls can hang on to that excitement as adults as well.
And when hiking with little kids it never hurts to have a brightly colored surprise waiting for them at the end! Can you spot the playground? Because my kids did!!
Through her teeth Sam was saying "get closer, get closer"! So here she is up CLOSE!
Happy family time!
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