Life has been rather busy lately, and I've fallen quite behind on posting. So forgive me for suddenly loading up a whole bunch of posts, but I had some time today to catch up.

Yesterday was beautiful, cold in the morning but warming up to ridiculously pleasant by midday. We spent the morning on a hike at Van Raalte farm. It seems to be Elinore's favorite place to hike. It is sort of a meadowland, so there are lots of things to see: berry bushes, lots of different wildflowers, millions of grasshoppers, birds and bugs, a pond with cattails,... I've been teaching her the names of the flowers, and she actually remembers what they're called. That's one of her little personality traits. She loves to know what things are called...and people, too. Names.

Ever since we got our digital camera (about 2 years ago), Kevin has become more of the photographer than I have been. Everywhere we go, he is hunched over a flower or a bug, getting a close-up. I guess he just had this hidden talent. I wish I could claim these flower shots as mine, but they are Kevin's. And there are even more that I didn't post! Aren't they beautiful?

I love encouraging the naturalist in Elinore. I love taking her for hikes and walks because I want her to believe that she doesn't have to be on a playground to enjoy being outside. I love that she points out Queen Anne's Lace to me by name. I love that she just sits herself down in the grass and she doesn't care that it is wet with dew or filled with bugs. I love that last time she spotted wild blackberries and wanted to eat them right off the bush. And we did.