In Her Element

A couple of days ago, when the weather was oh so warm, the kids and I ventured out for a late morning nature walk in the woods behind our house.  We saw a few limbs that had broken down from the ice storm, but most everything else was still the same as the last time I'd been down there, which was back in the fall.

I enjoyed being outside in the nice weather, of course, but the greatest part of that day was getting to see Ashlyn doing what she loves to do.  She led us on the trail that she and Jason have been clearing.  She carefully maneuvered Jacob through the shallow creek water, and she cleared out the perfect place for them to throw rocks into a small pool.  As we hiked along her trail, Ashlyn showed us the large limbs that her Daddy had placed as borders.  She showed us the best place to sit and have lunch.  And she even plopped down on a large moss covered rock and informed us that it provided the most beautiful view on the trail.  It did.

You see, school can sometimes become tedious in the cold days of winter, in part because Ashlyn thrives on being outside.  As she sat on her rock with a view, she picked up a slight handful of moss and asked, "What's this?".  I explained a little about moss, and from then on we took note of all the places we found it growing.  When we came back inside, she wrote about her new discovery in her journal.  I wasn't surprised that our need for fresh air resulted in an unplanned hands-on science lesson.

I love watching my children do the things they do best, and learning along the way.  I can't help but feel that God might think the same about us.  That's something for me to think about, and when I do, I smile.