family “hike”

last weekend the weather was so perfect and Elijah was so antsy that we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to do a little “hiking” up the canyon & test out our film camera.
really it was just leisurely walking & standing since we just took our time to take in all the sights.
the sights being the rocks, leaves, dirt, sticks, caves, and “fluh-flies” that we saw along the trail.

Elijah loved playing in the dirt and learning to throw the little pebbles off of the ledge.
he kept picking up rocks & carrying them around with him, then ditching it for a bigger, more awesome rock later.
his best catch yet was that big rock that was pictured above. we had to convince him to leave it in its home.

being outside in nature with a little, curious toddler is a pretty eye-opening experience.
he notices all the little things along the way & is in total awe when it can seem rather insignificant to us.
all the things we take for granted like the rocks or the scenery or the butterflies are totally captivating to a two-year-old who has never really seen all that before.

i love learning to see the world through Eli’s eyes.
it really is a magical, beautiful place that i fail to recognize most of the time. just the idea of seeing a small white butterfly can stop him in his tracks as he tries to follow it wherever it goes.
everything is so amazing to him!
he keeps me humble & grateful for this beautiful, amazing world we live in!