A beautiful Monday

Today was just a beautiful day. Especially for a Monday!  After sending dh off to work, I finished my quiet time and took our dog out for a walk down our trail.  She is getting older and can't walk far, but she still loves her walk through the forest.  She is quite deaf and can't even hear the squirrels swearing at her anymore. They seem to know that she is not able to hear them, and go to great lenghts to get her attention! She loves to be off leash, and since she doesn't wander far off, as long as we are in the forest on our property she can have a little wander around without being attached to me.  We arrived home, and I drove our daughter to work while instructing the boys to be ready for breakfast and school when I got back.  The sun started to peek out and the clouds disappeared, and it was just one of those golden, sunny, and bright winter days.  While the boys were finishing off school, I made some oatmeal raisin cookies ( which will be mostly gone when I get back upstairs from typing this, I am sure!)

Since it was such a nice day today, we decided it would be our hike day, and we decided to take a stroll around the Dingle Park and Frog Pond.  God has placed it on my heart to encourage.  Not just those people I have in my regular circle of friends, but those that cross my path that may need to know that someone out there in this cold, dark world really cares.  Today, I thought I would write out a few notes using a Sharpie marker.  I rolled them up and secured them with a seal and some ribbon.  The trail we walk on is well travelled and busy, with many benches and stopping points along the way.  We grabbed lunch and ventured off on our mission.

This boy has got to slow down, he is growing much, much too fast!

Dappled sunlight with a peek at the Frog Pond through the trees.

I love these boys! 

There may be ice, but it is in not even close to being ready to skate on yet.

Having a competition to see who can slide their rock the farthest.

This is unusual...he is usually making a face! 

My poor little guy has had a loose front tooth with his permanent tooth just ready to pop into place for a month now. He looked like Nanny McPhee!  As of this writing, said tooth is now out, after many tears - on his part and mine!!  All is well with the world now, and hopefully the dentist is right and his new tooth just moves on into place.

 We encountered some ducks along the way. They were seemingly very hungry, but we have a bylaw that says we cannot feed them, though some people have left corn and bird seed along the path. I love ducks, despite the fact that no on in my house will let me live it down that I ran over and yes, killed a momma duck last summer.  She was right in the road as I came around a bend, and there was a car coming from the other direction.  I chose to avoid the head on collision.   And momma duck lost, but she her babies had all grown and left.  And yes, I did cry all the way home.

Mr. Duck was anxious to get a move on and get out of here, maybe my reputation had already gotten around...

Three tiny messages, tucked away in three benches, each one prayed for and written sincerely from my pen, but from God's heart.  Take the time to let someone know how beautiful, loved and special they are - even if you don't know them.  Share a smile.  Share a prayer.  Share a Scripture.  Tell someone, "It's okay".  You may never know the impact it has, but just reach out.  Everyone needs to know they matter to someone.