Field Trip!

We recently learned of a program at our library (and many participating libraries all across our area) that got us free admission to a beautiful "outdoor museum" called the Morton Arboretum. We went yesterday with our best friends and had a great time, despite a few issues along the way. For one, this place is absolutely gigantic and we only covered a very small area in a day. It was very hard to keep track of the kids and at one point, Caden disappeared. I panicked, but as it turned out he was right above me...I just couldn't see him where he was. They have these huge play areas, but not all of them are enclosed, so that made keeping track of all four kids a little challenging at times.

There were also several areas where the kids could take off their shoes and wade in the water, which they greatly enjoyed. It ended up feeling hotter than it was, and we all welcomed a chance to cool off!

Look at this beautiful hibiscus!
Here are Cody and Caden enjoying their time in the acorns...a great photo op!
Another beautiful plant, though we couldn't find the name of it. These little purple pods almost looked jewel-like, they were so pretty.
These were like little rainbows...yellow at the bottom, orange in the middle, and red on top. So unique and just lovely up close. Only God could be that creative with a flower!
Here's Caden posing in a leaf. So cute. He had such a fun day.
These are my kids' best friends in the world, and their mommy is my best friend.
And we're back to the opening photo, because there is a story to be told here. When we were ready to move on after cooling off in the creek, I grabbed my camera in one hand and made my way over to our shoes. I bent down to pick up the shoes with the other hand, and accidentally dropped my camera in the water. I was thankful that we were able to rescue the SD card from the camera so that I was able to retrieve these photos, but I think the camera (which was only six months old) has taken its last photo...the one you see below. Thankfully, I had just uploaded all the photos onto my new computer, so we haven't lost any. Let that be a reminder to you all: Back up, upload and save your photos frequently!
And finally....Cody is flat on his back right now with strep throat. He got to feeling badly yesterday afternoon when we were at the end of our journey. He spiked a fever and started complaining about his throat. Thankfully, we were able to see the pediatrician this morning (Saturday) before the long weekend. I'm so thankful we live in a country where we have access to good doctors and medicine. We're blessed. Hope you all have a wonderful, long weekend!