New Development Below our Farm

Last evening, our youngest son was stressed out about rushing from school to homework/dinner to judo to bed, and I did something I don't usually do...I let him skip out on judo.  Normally, if our children want to participate in a scheduled activity and they are signed up for it, then it is their responsibility to attend every lesson or practice unless they are sick.  He's been doing judo now for a year and a half.  It goes year-round with no breaks.  After a week of rain and cool temperatures here, the sun, blue skies, and near 70 degrees made all my children want to run around and play outside.  So I gave in.

I am so glad I did.  We all hiked/rode bikes down our mountain lane to check out the progress at the sportsman's club located just below us.  There used to be a great pond there used for fishing and ice skating, but it was drained a few years ago and had been dry ever since.  A few months ago, however, they excavated and dug it deeper, but it still sat as a dry hole.  The rain simply gave it little mud puddles that the frogs and salamanders enjoyed.  My boys were heartbroken because they desperately wanted to fish in it again.

We were thrilled to discover that all the rain we had last week filled that pond to the brim.  As the sun was setting, I was fortunate enough to capture these October moments with my tablet.

My little ones were super excited that the owners built a dock, and they were deliberating whether or not they could jump from the bank to the dock without getting wet.  I intervened and told them there would be no jumping allowed.

I'm not sure what the cement slabs will be used for, but our little girl stood on them so her blue sparkly Frozen sneakers wouldn't get muddy.  Don't you love her pink flannel shirt and her brother's camouflaged ball cap with the deer on the front?

Even Tippy was excited!

Now my boys just have to wait until the pond gets stocked with some fish.  Our teenage son already took a catalog to the owners and put in requests for his favorite species.  

It was a perfect October evening for a walk in the woods, and on our trek back up the mountain to our house, I discovered this leaf lying on the ground.  I think I'll press it and frame it to remind me that sometimes I need to let go of what I think we should do, and instead just let our hearts lead the way.