One of my favorite things about our girls right now is how much they love animals and to be outside. Ford and I both love being outdoors. I feel like I breathe a deep sigh of relief when I get out of the city and get to be in the country. Ford worked at Alpine Camp for Boys during college and one of the owners of the camp, Alice O'Ferrell, always said that children have such a "sense of wonder". I LOVE this phrase and I love seeing this in my girls. They are fascinated by the smallest things in life. I want to cultivate this in them and encourage them to love the simplest parts of this great, big world we live in. I want them to get dirty and splash in mud puddles. I want them to be able to go on nature walks and to appreciate the beauty of our Lord's creation. Thankfully, it is pretty innate in them to love being outside. It is not something I taught them- it is because of how they are made. A lot of mornings, they bring me their shoes and they are outside before we even eat breakfast. They play the best and for the longest when they are out back- just doing their own thing. It has really been such a joy to see this side of them grow and develop. I am very thankful that it is summer and that we can be outside so often.
Watering the yard from the water in the baby pool.
Playing in the baby pool.
Sal, playing in the water table.
I had to include this picture because the girls are wearing Alpine hats.
"Herding" the sheep at the Halford's farm.
Playing in the playhouse at the Halford's.
Mary Kate riding with Daddy.
When we are not outside, we spend time looking out the windows for the neighbors.
We go to Avon park and play several times a week.
Eating dinner outside and waiting on the neighbors to get home from school and work.
Riding Bella, the miniature pony at the Halford's over Memorial Day.
Another pic on Bella. The girls like horses. They fed them carrots and sugar cubes. They love giving them hugs and pat pats. They brushed Bella with the horse brush. Sal kept brushing her own hair with the horses brush. :)
REALLY big fans of the swing at the Halford's farm.
Feeding the sheep out of their hands.
Riding the horse drawn carriage at the Halford's.
My little dare devil riding the four wheeler and loving it!
I am not sure if I did this video correctly or not. This was so great though. Chuck Halford asked which one of girls liked a thrill. So, he took Mary Kate with him and they ran Bella through the field next to the Halfords house. I did not get a good video but Mary Kate had her hands in the air like she was riding a rollercoaster. She was flapping her arms in the air and laughing. She kept moving her body back and forth trying to get them to go faster. Such JOY!
The girls and I went on a nature walk.
We collected lots of sticks, pollen, leaves, flowers, etc.
