Happy Family Times #5

Kelly at Happy Whimsical Hearts and I are doing a new link party called Happy Family Times.  It is a place for us all to share some of the fun things we are doing with our quality family time. We are hoping it will help all of us to have more family time. So I will share one of my fun times and then you can link up yours and go to Happy Whimsical Hearts to read about Kelly's family time. (Your link will be at both places just by linking up at either one.)

This week we were visiting my parents at Cape Cod for a few days. Steve and I have a family membership with the Mass Audubon since Hazel and I take classes at Drumlin Farms as well as another local center. So while at the Cape we decided to go the the Wellfleet Bay Mass Audubon for a family walk. All five of us (my parents included) packed into my car and drove out to Wellfleet. Our original plan was to do this walk on Thursday and then go to Provincetown for dinner, but Hazel did not sleep well on Wednesday night and decided to take a nap on Thursday. Fluffy decided to curl up on Hazel and Daddy as well for a nap and a scratch. We brought both of our cats with us as well.

We headed to Provincetown for dinner and a walk on Thursday after nap time and then Friday morning we went to Mass Audubon. So much for our plans. Oh, well! We had fun both days. Here are some of our pictures from Friday morning.

Our Little Leader On the Move

Hazel was very excited to get moving once we got there. She took lead. She brought her purse (a purse my mother got for free when ordering from a catalog and threw into Hazel's toy basket at her house) and in her purse is a map book (a board book called In My Grandmother's Arms).

The View of Marsh and Bay

Our first stop was the pond with a little dock to stand on. In the center was a rock with several little turtles sunning themselves.

Hazel and Daddy were constantly checking their maps. You can definitely see how she wanted to be like Daddy here. It actually became somewhat of a joke with my mother and me. Hazel was constantly checking her map book and Steve often did as well. I should add the trails are very well marked and make loops for the most part so we didn't really need a map.

We kept seeing these beautiful butterflies. One landed right near my foot so I was able to capture it in some great pictures. It started with its wings closed and then opened them for me. Isn't it beautiful?

We stopped on a wooden bridge to check out the pond and the turtle and tadpoles swimming in it. The tadpoles didn't really come out in pictures. Somebody walked dragging her feet, so we had to stop to get the sand out of her shoes.

Then we found a fun tree for a picture so we took a family shot.

Along the way I took some pictures of the colors and things in nature we saw, heard, felt, smelled, etc. like Hazel and I have been doing on our walks and we did journal about it, but if I show them to you now, it will be too long. I'll stick to the more important things.

We were told the tide was going to be high about an hour after we arrived, but the docent must have been mistaken. Part of the path gets flooded during high tide and the water was no where near the path. Hazel wanted to go towards the water, so we did for a bit. We found some muddy puddles to walk around. It gave us something to add for smells. Plus we got to add a fox to our list of things we saw. When we were close to the water we saw hole everywhere and were treated to seeing some of the occupants--fiddler crabs.

Deer Print

Can you see the fox? It is a black spot between the s's about 1.5 cm down.

My father was constantly spotting things to show Hazel. The deer print, the fox, a root and a good place to take a nap. She had a great time. We also collected rocks along the way. It is always fun to collect some treasures.

Collecting Rocks

Pop and his root

Daddy and Hazel leading the way

Cacti--Something we are not use to seeing wild in New England!

A good place for a nap

Pop showing Hazel the nap spot

Survey Marker

We had a wonderful time walking around. The trail was not great with the stroller, but we were glad to have it when Hazel got tired towards the end. It was nice to have my parents with us to fill us in on some of the information we didn't know--the fiddler crabs, the survey marker, etc. Plus it is always fun to watch them with Hazel.

Now it is your turn to share how your family has spent some quality time lately.

~ please link up (family time oriented giveaways are ok, but please no Etsy shops)
~just crafts will be deleted since this is to share family times

~ we'd love for you to follow us Crafty Moms Share and Happy Whimsical Hearts
~ check out our Happy Family Times Pinterest board where we will be pinning some of our favorite ideas

Ok, now for our PARTY!! Please share your FUN Family Times!!