Dancing with a Butterfly

My poor Jimmy; he is truly out-numbered in our Mlinar Gang.  It is probably the one reason his hair line is receding and there is more gray in his mustache than he’d like.  The past few years, he has added a few extra forces to his team with hopes that any battles at the playground will be better matched.  One major problem with his recruiting tactic is that I also have gained new team members.  Some of the team members are much younger than our girls.  One has even claimed me to be her BFF and effortlessly marked me by writing her announcement to her entire second grade class.  

The Proof

Who WOULDN’T be smitten by this tremendous act of admirable acceptance!?  My new BFF reminds me how cool I was to my girls when they were her age.  She also reminds me of the simplistic enjoyment of life especially when we all gather for one of many of our weekend day trips to various undisclosed locations.

In the fall of 2016, right before the school year began, we all gathered for a shed hunt.  Arriving at the sacred meeting grounds, the Mlinar Gang was surprisingly treated to a homemade breakfast that my BFF’s Momma made.  I was won over the instant I smelled the bacon cooking.  My dream, now, is that my youngest will be able to mesmerize my BFF’s Momma into a copy of the delicious recipe by batting her big, doll-like-baby-blues (hint hint wink wink).   Hmmmm-those homemade goodies would make The Pioneer Woman salivate with jealousy!    

Off we went to our undisclosed location to shed hunt.  The supposed “brief” travel to our destination is surrounded by gorgeous mountains, amazing flora, and fauna. 

As you’ve probably guessed my child-like attention span doubled the time it took to reach our destination!  On the positive side for possessing the child-like-attention span, it allows me to capture these amazing photos.

  

  

A few hours later, we reach our undisclosed shed hunting location.  The weather was extremely beautiful.  Usually I wonder off to search for sheds, to investigate the abundance of geology in the area, and to capture more of God and Mother Nature’s amazing wonders.  Sometimes, I can accomplish all these acts and not have my ADD-child-like-attention span take over.  Sometimes.  Though, this trip, my BFF eagerly took the responsibility of babysitting me.  I believe this relieved Jimmy as he is the one who is usually tasked with this responsibility!  Our girls venture off with my BFF’s parents along with her two younger siblings and Jimmy. 

As my BFF and I begin our shed hunting adventure, we share stories along the way.  The more she educates me; I begin to imagine her in the movie, Matilda, as little Matilda herself.  My BFF (Matilda) is a sponge of facts, specifically, regarding animals.  She enlightens me for what type of whale is the biggest in the ocean, how long an alligator lives, and a variety of other details that I would have to google if I didn’t have her inquisitive mind around.  It was during our shed hunt that I got the pleasure of introducing Matilda to the aspects of geological minerals.  We found a remarkable deposit of mica. 

When we weren’t spotting the geology, I believe I reached the cool status when I whipped out my flora book for identifying the Rocky Mountain Region flora. Enthusiastically, little Matilda identified each plant and flower that we discovered as we searched for shed.  Though, I bet it was the flower press that threw me beyond the cool status and into the BFF status, particularly, when I presented her with her very own.  I only say this because I received the biggest bear hugs which made my heart melt.

As we waited by the trucks for the rest of the clan to join us, I captured my absolute favorite photos of the day…the ones which are a reminder that the simplicity of life as an impressionable youngster does not cost anything except being in the presence of family and friends, the warmth of the sun, Mother Nature’s attentiveness to her treasures, and God’s magnificent outdoors. 

 

  

Little Matilda dancing with a butterfly.