Our Favorite Playground

It's God-made, not man-made.

It doesn't have a single swing, slide, seesaw, or other typical playground paraphernalia.

It doesn't cost a cent to go, except for the little bit of gas money for us to drive there.

It isn't owned by us, but you don't have to own something to enjoy it.  And enjoy it, we do--as often as we get a chance each summer.

It's Riven Rock, one of my favorite places on earth!!   And this past Wednesday, we went for the first time this year.  :)

 David was the one who bravely ventured first into the cold, cold mountain stream...

 ...then returned before too long...

 ...to join his brothers on the shore as they searched for the perfect rocks to skip.

 Jeff had bought some fresh strawberries and cherries earlier that day and brought them along...

 ...which was a perfect snack for appetites made hearty by the great outdoors.  :)

 Tobin was the next to venture into the water, followed by Josiah who was in no great hurry to get all wet, knowing from past experiences that once you're wet, you're cold.  ;-)

Shav, wise boy that he is, stayed on dry ground the longest.  ;-)

Tobin looks a little cold here.  ;-)

I just want to kiss her!  :)

I wasn't the only one taking pictures of the kids.  Jeff used his cell phone to snap a few photos, too.  :)

Moriah got to hold Shav's hand...

...and, a little later, Josiah's hand.

The joy on Shav's face puts a smile on mine!  :)

Shav pulled this up, then said, "I thought it was a snake in the water, but it's only a stick!"  Thank goodness for that!!!  :)

Moriah also got to hold her daddy's hand.  It's really rough being the only girl around here.  ;-)

The boys wanted to see what the ideal rock-skipping stone looks like, so Jeff showed them...

...and then proceeded to demonstrate his amazing skill in skipping rocks.

Check out that form!  He might teach you lessons, if you beg him long enough.  ;-)

You probably already guessed this, but I'm endlessly grateful for the privilege of being Jeff's wife!  :)

Moriah wanted to imitate the rock-skippers--OF COURSE, being the little copycat that she is (and that's a good thing. mostly.) ;-) --so she gave it her best shot.  :)

She didn't quite get the same results...

...but she looked cute doing it.  :)

 Because she was with her daddy, Moriah was willing to venture into the water pretty far.

This series of pictures with Jeff and Shav makes me smile because it's obvious Jeff is trying to get Shav into the water, but Shav doesn't want to have anything to do with that craziness!  ;-)  He does love his daddy though.  :)

This was a long pole that Jeff found in the stream and brought out on the shore.  A fitting walking stick--for a giant!  ;-)

 From our first location at Riven Rock, we then moved down to this area where a slab is paved all the way across, which makes it a great location for running through the water.

Of course, some of my adventurers preferred to forge their own path across the slippery rocks.  :)

 Jeff wanted to show Moriah some little fish...

 ...so he poked around in the water...

 ...until they came into view.

 Shav decided...

 ...he wanted to take a look at whatever it was Jeff and Moriah were finding so interesting.  :)

 Safe in Daddy's arms...

 ...is a wonderful place for this little girl.  :)

 Time for a race across the slab!

 It started grandly...

 ...but ended in tears when David and Tobin collided, and Tobin bit the dust, obtaining a substantial scrape in the process.  I didn't take pictures of that!

This is the kind of grin we usually find ourselves sporting when we are at Riven Rock.  :)

 We were nearing our departure, and Josiah STILL hadn't dunked completely in the water, so we were challenging him to do so.  When he sat down in the water, intending to lean back and let it flow all over him, he gave the funniest shriek...

 ...then jumped up as quick as he possibly could.

 The whole thing struck my funny bone so badly that I laughed and laughed until I cried.  I wish I had had a video of that moment because I would have loved to watch again Josiah's reaction to that frigid water!  ;-)

Jeff proved his strength and bravery by going completely underwater...

 ...and then, at long last...

 ...Josiah did, too.  The picture below cracks me up because his legs look like they're about a mile long.  :)

 He didn't stay under long at all...

 but instead, danced himself up as quickly as he could manage to regain his footing.  I'm pretty sure I was still laughing at this point.  ;-)

And with that, our lovely afternoon at our favorite playground came to an end.  We headed home, full of fresh air, laughter, beauty, and new memories of family togetherness, already looking forward to the next time we get to go there.

We hope to see you soon, dear Riven Rock!!  :)