Highland Park Early in the Morning

 Sunday before church I took the three younger kids to Lakeside Park in Highland Park.  This is the most affluent city in the Dallas area.  And, going right along with that affluence come beautifully landscaped parks and yards.  It is a lovely area.

 We just strolled around and enjoyed nature.  And, later we realized that it was Earth Day.  Now I know a lot of Christians don't embrace Earth Day for various reasons, but I choose to teach my kids that we should take care of God's creation and show respect for His creatures.

All this gorgeousness just for us!

 I love bridges.  The kids love walking over them so we had a grand time.

 Yes, that's my crazy boy! 

 I simply love the following picture  The light is amazing.

 This was a very modern house that we walked by.  Check out the sculpture of the moped. 

 Check out the walk way made from metal scraps.

 Check out the size of that tree!!! It's one tree!

 They so wanted to jump right into the middle of the lily pads but no can do!

 Simply lovely.  Thank you God for giving us such beauty to enjoy. 

A Spring Saturday in the Neighborhood

We love our neighborhood.  There are three pools for the kids to enjoy and a few "fishin' holes".  To a Californian, they would be called lakes, but to us they are now ponds.  LOL  However, the kids catch large mouth bass and catfish all the time. 

This past Saturday they were down at the fishin' hole for hours and ended up spending lots of that time catching craw fish in the small stream off of the pond.  It was fun for them to try to pick them up without getting pinched.  I am amazed at how much all four of the kiddos love to fish.  I guess they have acclimated to Texas quite nicely.

Zack's face in the pic below is a sign of how cold he was.  He still gets cold so easily.

Below is a partial view of the kids' favorite spot to fish.  It is right around the corner from our house so very convenient.

A little glimpse of the neighborhood...  There are over 1,000  homes in our neighborhood so this is a tiny glimpse!

Sophia fishing for craw fish in a very shallow narrow slow flowing stream.

Josh caught one. They typically let go of the hook very quickly and fall back into the water unless you are quick enough to pull your line over land.  At that point, they fall on the ground and the kids use their flip flops to block the pinchers so they can gently pick up the craw fish around the back of their bodies. 

Sophia refuses to touch one so Zack was brave for her.  This is as close as her hand ever gotten even though she caught this one.

Roxy goes country!

Here's a close up of one of the ugly craw fish.  EWWWWWW!!!!! Look at those pinchers.  Zack has been pinched by one, and he said OUCHIE!

Happy brothers!

All four kids enjoying a nice spring day near the water.

Sophia fishing for catfish.  That girl can sit forever just waiting for a bite. 

Same fishin' hole different view.

A peaceful way to spend the day.  I love seeing the kids enjoy nature.  I think it is one of the many ways that God speaks to His kids. 

I  can't believe how grown up Sophia is getting.  She has already started puberty - BOO!  Love that girl. 

These are the days that make childhood memorable.  We are very blessed that God has brought us to a place where the kids are surrounded by opportunities for adventure.

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