THIS is...

i've been wanting to post these treasured photos for over a week. just one day before they were taken, i thought to myself, "i really want to start instilling traditions into this family... big or small, i want to make a point of it so that the things i make a point of will eventually just become second nature... as usual as anything else in our lives, because they are done with consistency... but unusual {or, rather, unique} in the sense that they are ours... just this family's special practices.

to my delight, mr. b walked up to me the next morning {holding our bundle of energy} and said, "how 'bout we go to the nature preserve after church and walk around... and then walk over to the ice cream shop afterward?"

anything but arm-twisted, i jumped up and readily agreed, telling him how happy i was to hear him take that initiative for an idea of how to spend our day, as i had just been thinking about ways we could start some traditions.

this, to me, sounded like a good one to keep going... maybe once a week on the weekend? or perhaps once a month? whatever schedules would allow for as long as they would allow it... i'll take what i can get.

so, we went. it was our first weekend nature walk and ice cream outing in what i hope is many more to come.


isaac was utterly fascinated by the rocks and the fine-gravel path. there was scarcely a moment where he did not have a rock in his hand, which made for an interesting time... we could not afford to take our eyes off his every move, as he is still in that "let's see what this tastes like" stage. but it was fun to watch him get into the dirt and be a true boy.

i'll try to let the photos tell the simple story of our day. but i'll just say this... it was every bit as quiet and serene as these photos might indicate. it was hot, but we had the shade of a beautiful maple at the top of the hill overlooking a pond. the breeze was flowing at just the right speed to give us comfort. and very few passers-by came along to steal our attention away from each other. i'd be foolish not to make this a tradition. simplicity. no big fanfare. no hoopla. just quietness. just us. just fun.

and if i get my wish, this is what sundays will be made of.

if you can believe it, i took so many more photos than these. they are all here.

but one more thing here before you go... i had to add these few moving pictures just so you don't think it was all quiet and no fun!...