Heart Rock

 In celebration of Valentine's Day (which occurs annually on February the 14th, and therefore should NOT come as a surprise every year), the kids and I ventured deep into the woods on a search for
Heart Rock.

Heart Rock is a secret enchanted rock with magical powers and anyone brave enough to seek it is granted a life-time of love and bliss.

(Untrue.  I just entirely made that up.)

But we went anyway and it was amazing.

Brooklyn was always a solid football field ahead of the rest of us.  She is an outdoor girl.  At one steep and truly scary part of the trail, she seriously flitted and pranced down the hill like a ballerina on a bunch of clouds.  

Meanwhile, I stumbled from rock to rock almost slipping to my death and eventually just sitting on my butt and scooting down the hill like a dog wiping its bum.

Graceful, I know.

 The non-distracted walking gave us such a cool opportunity to talk.  I love talking to my kids.  I love the unexpected and often profound things that come spilling out of their mouths.  

We talked about Helen Keller and King Tut (who was 9 years old when he began his rule of Egypt!) and Harriet Tubman (one of Aubrey's all-time heros), and the dear Ann Frank.

We laughed and listened and learned.
And at one point we took turns guarding each other so we could all go pee behind the trees.

And we had a truly LOVE-ly day.

{Happy Valentine's Day}