(everyday) Exploring God's Creation - Day 4 - Easy Local fun

Everyday exploring means you don't have to go far or work too hard at it in order to do some great exploring! Consider your local parks - an empty lot in the neighborhood or community woods. What kind of State Parks or historical sites do you have nearby? Do you have any National parks within range for a fun day of exploring? June is National Oceans Month - That makes it a great time to study about sea creatures or to visit a local aquarium. Try the National oceans and coast park finder to see if there is a park within range you don't happen to know about.  If you can't get to one - try a virtual exploration  of sea creatures here   (not a Christian site - but has a great data base with scientific names & class of creatures) 

Check local resources. How long has it been since you stopped by the local Visitor Center? I have found much information through tourist resources and information right in our area! OK, so I live in a resort area - but I've done the same exact thing all around the country and used the information to plan wonderful family adventures. Pretend you're a tourist in your own town! 

In the picture above from top left in a clockwise rotation - we are exploring a historical landmark, investigating a gopher tortoise hole in the empty lot next door, walked down to the local neighborhood compost and nature park (where all the native plants are labeled), and shooting/ skipping rocks in a creek.

These are easy types of everyday exploring that the boys gain so much from! 

While we laugh and play enjoying the fresh air - it's simple to slip in a little lesson or bits of information about why it's important to use native plants in your yard - or why the rocks sink in the creek when the little stick boats float for our boat races - having fun while learning about buoyancy! 

Use what you have! Most everyone can find some kind of local park or nature center to put to some good use. Check with your local county web site to get started. There should be a "parks and recreation" section. 

Simply taking the time to notice the intricate beauty of the wildflowers and weeds and giving God the glory for His creation is a wonderful lesson for your children! What's in your yard? 

"All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being" ...John 1:3 

Bugs and Wildflowers - Some ideas to implement nature study into your experience 

1.       Start a collection – become scientists, use scientificmethod, gather and record data

2.       Weeds matter - bring a notebook or sketch pad and draw neighborhood weeds

3.       Insects make the world go round - use a magnifying glass to inspect a few - talk about their unique designs and their special features - talk about what classifies them as insects 

4.       Reinforce the learning with crafts – make a clay bug or paper flower – put together a picture or scrapbook album of your find. 

10 favorite Family Fun Craft ideas and links: 

A color matching nature tray -                                         Painted Rocks -

            

Mud Cupcakes -                                                     Simple Birdbath - 

    

   

Nature Prints -                                                     Rock bugs - 

      

Clay Prints -                                                                 Sand-Cast Fish -                               

        

Water Scope -                                                         Observation Bucket -                                                      

    

Enjoy yourselves! Get out and make some wonderful family memories in nature this summer! 

Linking with these wonderful 20+ bloggers for the 5 days of Mothering and Homemaking 

Also linking with: The Better Mom  - The Taylor House   

Todays Creative Blog    and Not Just a Housewife

Photo Prompts - 1000 Gifts - 52 Photos Project

Color With Emotion 

The emotion is evoked in me from the memory that each photo bears: 

Balloons- Saying goodbye to special people - Letting Go 

Tulips (I love tulips) Adventure with the boys as we journeyed into lands unknown

This day we left our temporary home in Louisville and visited the Creation Museum just 

outside of Cincinnati, Ohio - we hadn't planned to stay the night - but we crossed the state 

line after a full day at the museum and went to see the big city lights. 

An exciting adventure for us - used to our small beach town. 

We found a hotel, bought toothbrushes, t-shirts and necessities from an outlet store -

The next day we parked downtown and walked for miles through the city visiting museums and 

art galleries along the way. We hit the mother load at the Cincinnati Museum Center at 

Union Terminal where we found - the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, 

The Cincinnati Museum of Natural Science and History  - The boys still talk about their first ever 

taxi ride they took that day as we, tired and happy, made our way back to the car parked downtown.

It was a lovely adventure!

The clear blue pools of water found  in the springs near the Suwannee River
- this is Ichetucknee Springs

We love to travel to beautiful places during their "off season" times - we had the beach in 

St. Augustine almost all to ourselves and had a lovely time exploring and camping in the area!

Here sits a fine, good man! He is our private "guide" and full of interesting tid-bits on nature.

Mark is actually a pro-fishing guide - you can find him here

Many calm evenings spent by the glistening water watching "the ball drop" as our children

play happily near by. We even get to hold hands and take a walk sometimes! 

On our journey's we like to "Stop to Smell the Wildflowers" you never know what 

surprise you might find just around the next corner - if you're willing to see the little things

HE whispers to me "Look smaller" and I notice - HE says "Smaller still" and I then I see!

So many wonderful discoveries to be made in His Creation 

This pretty bee calls the Oscar Scherer State Park home 

This bright "Bird of Paradise" serves as a reminder of a very special day! 

We visited Ponce de Leon's legendary "fountain of youth" at Warm Mineral Springs 

It was the day boy #2 gave his heart and life to follow Christ - we floated around the warm pool 

as we talked of deep and amazing things. He demonstrated his understanding of God's 

unconditional love - It's a favorite adventure for that reason.

Just another day at home. You never know where you may find adventure.

We love to stop everything and observe!

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46: 10 

I adore this babe from Babcock Ranch - we are fortunate enough to have been able to camp there

with friends - It's a fun way to learn about early pioneers in Florida as Florida is 

actually the original cattle state and thus brought the nickname "Florida Cracker" 

(from the whips cracking in the wind) 

The world's most beautiful bouquet!! 

One of the best things about being surrounded by boys - they LOVE their Mommy!  

even camping - they bring me "flowers" 

(yes, it's a violation of the "leave only footprints and take only pictures" rule- 

but a few weeds here and there are hard to turn down from sweet dirty faced boys) 

And I count to #1000 Gifts and Beyond- 

-My Joy Pockets-

#132 - dirty faces 

#133 - bumble bees and other bugs which fascinate and hold captive 

#134 - a fine good man 

#135 - colors of nature 

#136 - everyday adventures 

#137 - gentle spirits in little wild boys 

#138 - quiet moments to be still 

#139 - beauty in the tiniest of details 

#140 - the whisper 

Linking Up With: 

Need a Special Valentine Gift for Kiddos?

I wanted something unique for my cutie pie little nephews who are 3 year old twins.

So, this cute little "cigar box" is what I came up with! 

The outside is painted with chalk paint by  Martha Stewart crafts  bought at Michaels Craft Store

I included extra large crayon style chalk from the dollar store!

On the inside I painted a layer of magnetic paint on each side and then painted over it in acrylic

with bright coordinating colors and used a black sharpie pen to paint on a checker board and tic tac toe game

For the game pieces - I used Skulpey clay and shaped them into rounded disks for checkers

On one side of the disk I made an X indention on the other I made an O (dot) for the tic tac toe game!

ABC wooden pieces with magnets glued to the back completed this special project!

For decoration I added a painted wooden airplane on the front and a handle to make carrying easy.

The boys love carrying their "briefcases" around 

Older children will love the games and making words out of their alphabet magnets! 

If you don't want to make your own but want to give one of these for a special Valentine 

just leave your email address and I'll be happy to make you a customized version 

with the colors you specify for girls or boys. $30 plus shipping to desired location

(no extra charge for handmade valentine card)

Favorite Photo's 2011

Rounding up a few of my favorite pictures from 2011 and reminiscing over the moments represented.
 That is the key for me - the photos are about slices of our life - looking through the lens and stopping
 time . . . . just for a moment! 

These may not be the BEST shots, but they are my shots of our special moments: 

This year, we were fortunate enough to go and bear witness of the last space shuttle. It was a
bitter-sweet experience for us, as both my husband and myself grew up in Orlando and have such
 fond memories of the space program. We were grateful to share those memories with our children.

This photo represents more than that to me though, it represents the brotherly love shared as my
 oldest takes a moment (captured in time) to show his little brother how to use the binoculars to spot
 the launch pad.

Next, well the quality isn't great- not the best camera ever. We handed it to some strangers and I took their
picture and they took ours. Thank you! Who-ever you are! This is the only family photo for 2011!!!
 We were on an impromptu little get-a-way to the east coast in Palm Beach.
 It was a wonderful time together. I love the memory.

And then - we came across this beautiful creature on our way to church. He was perched in a tree right
down the street from our house. He's actually landed in our yard with a fish in his mouth after grabbing it
out of the waterway behind the house - but I couldn't get the camera fast enough to capture that one! I
love the majesty and posture for the American Bald Eagle! 

God-bumps:

This picture is one of my very favorites ever because it represents something more precious than
anything else - the day my Walker gave his heart and life to Jesus. We were spending the day at
 Warm Mineral Springs together (where Ponce de Leon thought he'd found the fountain of youth) for
 a homeschool field trip in the great outdoors. We prayed together while sitting in the water and snapped
 a picture of the butterfly as we discussed that he too was a "new creature"! My son also took a
handful of moss and let it go over the small waterfall and explained that it represented his sins being
 "washed away"! Precious moments.

Ok, now these are not my photos, but my sons photos, but they are so special because
he got to go on an adventure of a lifetime this year - My parents took him
(on my dream trip-just sayin) to Alaska! There are too many special ones to choose but
these are a few of my favorite- 

My 10 year old adventurer! 

Some of my favorite people in the world- My first born with my parents!

Love the silhouette shot here and the fact that our homeschool friends came to visit!
It was an awesome visit & we got to share our love of kayaking, beach, and shells along with
other friends who love Jesus :)

Another shot of Parker in Alaska, love this one-
It captures his sincerity along with the beauty of the moment

My Spencer on his 6th  birthday - He LOVES to fish like no other! He threw his new cast net
for 12 hours straight - I kid you NOT!
And yes, his shirt is on backwards - yet another aspect of his cute personality 
captured in living color.
God is healing this baby of mine!

There is something special for me in this one too -
I ran here at exactly his age and asked God to give me my own family to share my special beach with
I love the action captured here as well - and the fact that it is SO him to
chase the birds, Walker cannot help himself!

This one captures my boys (all four) on a river adventure 

We adore our outdoor adventures - exploring God's creation! 

I think this one is cool- 

and this is little brother "pretending" to be cool as well
(he's a funny kid)
That's right- "skatin" with No board!

I absolutely must include a sunset picture - as it's an important part of our life here as well
It's taken from one of my all time favorite places - where we go to escape the rest of the world
and just be together as a family!

God-bumps:
It restores my soul to sit in front of this view and pray as I watch my family play
around the island God gave me (ok, it's not mine- um, but it is)
because I asked Him for it when I was seven!

Every time I drove over this bridge with my family as a little girl (headed to our vacation spot)
 the special salt smell would fill the air and a unique feeling would come over me
 I knew I was home
  now I'm here with my own husband and children
God is good! 
What a gift He has given me

So, my number one pick for 2011 represents so much that is special to me:
- quiet time with my Creator
- special time with my family
- our adventures
- exploring God's creation and soaking up it's beauty
-watching dolphins play
- seeing beautiful birds soar high
- listening to my children laugh
- watching as my good husband gently instructs his boys in the ways of nature
- gratitude for the gifts He has given me
- setting aside time to reflect on all of the above

Thank you Lord with all of my heart!

God Bless You in 2012
Do you have special photos from 2011 to share?

Linking with Sam's Noggin   and with Finding Heaven Today
also Looking Back Year in Review
and with  Women Living Well Wednesday 

also linking with A Holy Experience these are my 

#92 - #102 counting all the way to #1000 Gifts