Outside Time! {PHFR}

Have I mentioned how much I absolutely adore spring?  And the fact that we have a big, beautiful yard and an awesome swing set.  And the fact that the people who owned the house before us allowed wildflowers to grow freely in the grass, and planted tons of random flowers in beds all around the yard so that there's ALWAYS something in bloom.

It's like heaven for Cecilia (although there's no moonbounce, so not quite heaven I suppose...)

These must be the teeny tiniest wildflowers ever - what I see as weeds, she sees as precious and beautiful, and she will carry them around for HOURS until she's ready to put them in a vase or a bowl.

She and John Paul spend hours out there picking flowers, "planting" various "seeds," finding the most creative way possible to play on the swing set ("chain to chain" is their current favorite game, in which they attempt to cross from the 4th swing to the 1st without touching the ground, only using the chains for balance)...

They picked flowers from an azalea bush and very carefully planted them all around the dogwood tree, making sure to water them when they were done.

Our bud vases overflow.  

Every day that they come inside with dirt under their fingernails and mud on their clothes, I consider it a day well-spent.  And I adore watching them play out there - their relationship is fascinating to watch develop, and it's amazing how little they bicker when they're outside together, exploring all that the yard has to offer.  

I'm going to ruin this photo by telling you that I said, "John Paul, if you want to be in a picture, why don't you put your arm around Cecilia?"
"*Sigh* I suppose I could."

Is there anything better, do you think, than watching a 3-year-old collecting sticks to carry to the stick pile (her own idea), only to hear her proclaim, "WOOK!  I'm St. Bernadette!!!"

Or watching a 4-year-old collect azalea blossoms in his shirt and spill them out to you saying, "It's a miracle!  Roses in December!!!" (Juan Diego, anyone?)

Or watching them excitedly collecting the most precious flower they can find every Sunday morning to bring to the statue of Mary before Mass?

Or watching the 3-year-old shimmy up the mantle to give Mary the beautiful flower she found outside?

We are so blessed - so very blessed!  I do hope that all of you have the opportunity to let your kids roam free outdoors as much as possible.  I know it's not easy (or even remotely possible) in every situation, but I wouldn't trade the simple experience of siblings in a big backyard for much of anything :)

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter - because we've got pretty, happy, funny, and real in here!