Camping

This was our first family camping trip. Mark has taken the older boys a number of times, but this was the two younger boys first time. We really had a good time.

I have never heard so many coyotes in my life. We started hearing them before the sun had set and in the middle of the night they were having quite a party. It was great!

The next day we explored the ruins of an old fort. The boys loved climbing all over the old buildings.

Nature Journaling

Red-Eared Turtle

A few weeks ago we were on our way home when we found this turtle in the middle of the road. I was going to just move him to the ditch, but a cry went up of bring him home with us. So, I decided we would at least let him visit for a little while. He was very shy. We kept him until Daddy was home from work so that he could see our little friend. Then we drove back to where we found him and let him go.

Nature Club

Our First Nature Club Meeting- more pictures!

Happy First Day of Autumn!!

Roses

April is such a beautiful time of year. It seems like every week there is something new to see on our nature walk. The whole world is blooming with color and the sweet smell of flowers is in the air. This April we were once again amazed by the roses at our local gardens. We have a tradition that each of us gets to pick our favorite rose and have our picture taken next to it. This is just a fun way to get the boys to really look at the roses and admire them for more than two seconds. Also it is interesting for me to watch them choose which is their favorite. A funny thing happened this year because after they had all chosen their rose and had their picture taken they came across some yellow roses that they all decided was their favorite. It is unusual for them to all agree on something so whole-heartedly!

Here they are with their altogether favorite!

A Growing Love for Trees

Trees are a natural magnet for the boys, because of course they like to climb them! So it makes it easy to point out the different types we have in our area. As they gain a familiarity with a few favorites they begin to take notice of ones that are different.

Here they are admiring the long branches of a live oak.

The boys have always loved a tree with a hole in it. This one had a mushroom growing inside the hole.

This is a pecan tree that is over 200 years old and is still alive despite the fact that you can climb inside its hollow trunk!

Our five year old has been going on nature walks most of his life, but recently he has really taken an interest in trees. I came across a lovely little book about trees in the used bookstore and brought it home little thinking he would latch onto it. Yet he has been requesting it at bedtime and it has caused great interest in the trees around us.

Nothing can replace our actual time spent outdoors, but the right book can certainly enhance it.

Bees In A Mesquite Tree

NO SCAR

By Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned me against a tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who has nor wound nor scar?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

This is our leaf bunting sewing project from Hearts and Trees Fall Kit.

Autumn

I think that I have decide Autumn is my favorite season. The temperature is just right and the colors are brilliant. Not to mention we don't have to worry about snakes and insect bites while we are out hiking.

This Fall we did a couple of leaf projects. The first one entailed finding your favorite leaf in the backyard and then painting it into your nature journal. This was fun because we all picked different sorts of leaves and were able to share them with one another.

We also did a Signs of Autumn Observation. We all had our observation sheets and clipboards and headed outside to sketch four different signs of Fall. After our sketches we were to list some of our observations. We found this idea at The Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Our second leaf project we also got from The Handbook of Nature Study Blog. We gathered different types of leaves from our yard and compared them to one another. We talked about the difference between a true leaf and a leaflet, compound leaves, and simple leaves. We also looked at the parts of a leaf and talked about why leaves change color and fall off the tree. After our discussion we color copied our leaves and put the copies into our nature journals. The copies were really impressive. Most all of these ideas come from The Handbook of Nature Study blog, it is filled with ideas and projects. If you haven't already you should check it out!

We have continued to find beautiful leaves throughout the season and added them to our nature shelf. We hope your family is enjoying Autumn as much as we are!

God of Hope

By Amy Carmichael

Great God of Hope, how green Thy trees,
How calm each several star.

Renew us; make us fresh as these,
Calm as those are.

For what can dim his hope who sees,
Though faintly and afar,

The power that kindles green in trees
And light in star?