multitude monday & an outdoor play space

(Such a punkin.)

After finding myself fully enticed and awe inspired in reading
 the blog series of how to create irresistible play spaces for children, 
you and I set out on a mission.

The plan: 
to take the first step in creating our own play-land, beginning with a new fort.

We chose our building site, roughed out the verbal sketch of a design,

 grabbed the wheelbarrow and headed off into the woods to find our branches.

Much to my delight (and considering all that we've been going through together, lately) 
we found ourselves spontaneously incorporating our "Walking with Him" practice
of finding God-prints on our path and acknowledging our gifts in gratitude, out loud:


Thank You for this space You've given us.
For all the free wood we need for our fort.
For our wheelbarrow.
For our hands and feet.
For the green.
For the trails.
For the sunlight shining through.
For the heat.
For the breeze.
For the soft forest floor.
For beautiful tufts of moss. 
For a good dog.
For inspiration and innovation.
For being able to be a stay home mama.
For my favorite little boy in the world...

Once out of the woods you helped me puzzle our branches
 together and drive them into the dirt at the ends. 
I used some rope to secure the pieces at the top. 


Then we headed off with the wheelbarrow, again. 
This time we went to the side yard where we have the most moss;
the moss that we love to take our shoes off in and walk barefoot. 

There we thanked God that mosquitoes hate the both of us 
as we sat in the swarmed grass loosening and rolling our moss "carpeting". 

We wheeled the moss back to our site. 
You went to town laying it down on the floor of your fort. 
You kept saying "i can't wait to have all my new carpet in!" :) 

As you worked I made the curtains for the doorway. 

We finished up and enjoyed playing inside, dreaming up fun ways 
to turn the backyard into an even more "irresistible play space". 

And then came the rain again,

both literally and figuratively.

And we moved from our newly built shelter to the Shelter of God's arms,
as I heard it from Him again, and sang it to you for the first time...

"i can't stop the rain from falling down on you again.

i can't stop the rain, but i will hold you until it's gone away."

-third day