Jen (no, I am not taller than her--I had to stand on the ledge with the children in order to be seen in the picture, while the rest of the grown-ups stood below. go ahead and giggle, it was funny) and I started our morning early with a jog--best way to start, if you ask me. It was a short and easy jog--just enough length to get a chat in! After that, we each went home, woke up our families and packed a picnic lunch. Off to Devil's Lake, near Baraboo, for a hike, swim and lunch. The weather was perfect! Blue skies, a bit of a breeze, and plenty of shade in the woods as we did the steep incline into the bluffs. To be honest, all four of us were a bit worried about how the girls would do. I mean, what are the chances that 6 girls between the ages of 5 and 7 would complete this pretty challenging hour plus hike?! Couple that with the fact that we allowed our twins to put crocs on (as we laced up our specially formulated hiking/tennis shoes). It made sense for the beach anyway!
Well, the girls all did great! The views were spectacular, and we saw tons of wildlife--Bella won the contest (started by her, of course) to see who could find the most animals. My favorite, an adorable tiny toad. So cute! Once we finished the hike, the 6 girls stripped down to their suits as they tore down the path to the lake. It is so amazing to see your kids happily enjoying nature, with inquisitive and open minds to the amazing beauty that God has gifted us with. Absolutely perfect day. Maybe next time, we can end the day with a successful camping trip....
