Places We'll Miss: Parks

National, state, county, and city parks are among some of the places we'll miss from the United States.  Picnics with friends, family hikes or just playing Frisbee in some of these beautiful places have made some very special memories for us this past Home Assignment.  Our family got to experience blueberry picking for the first time.  I thought blueberry picking with small children was a terrible idea.  But since Sarah loves blueberries and picking them is something we've always wanted to do we met up with some friends at a Mennonite farm.  We sat on buckets and filled them with over 20 pounds of fruit!  Of course several pounds also got consumed while we were picking.  The berries were perfectly firm and didn't stain a single child's shirt.  

On multiple occasions we got to take advantage of a city park behind our church.  When having picnics with our friends we would go over to the park to play basketball, kickball, ultimate frisbee, or just play fun games.  One friend even made preparations for the kids to build their own rockets and then launch them!

Letchworth and Stony Brook were a couple of the State parks we got to enjoy during our time in the US.  Miles of beautiful hiking trails and spectacular waterfalls created lasting memories for our children.  For most of them this was the first time they remembered visiting these parks.

One of my favorite places in the world to hike and camp is in the Hi-Tor Wildlife Management Area containing Conklins Gully and a remote camping area developed by conservationist and retired fire warden, George Fraley. The Finger Lakes trail system stretching from New York City to Niagara Falls also passes through the management area.  On more than one occasion our boys splashed their way up Conklins Gully and we camped at Fraley's Conservation Area.

One particularly special memory for me was when I took Eli out in the middle of winter for his 10-year old 'Man-venture'!  After skiing together for the day we hiked by moonlight though three feet of snow at Fraley's Conservation Area.  We tromped for a mile up the steep hill until we came to a small A-frame cabin in a pine forest.  Eli exerted himself physically, emotionally an mentally to the point of tears.  When we finally arrived we found a carpeted room with a loft bed awaiting us.  There was even a gas heater!  Before turning in for the night we had some good Father-Son conversation over hot-chocolate.

Not only do these parks allow us to enjoy some of the best of New York's natural beauty but they also provide places for us to make great memories with friends and family.  Since we've returned to Paraguay we've already camped and swam at Ybyku'i National Park with our good friends and teammates here.  We're so thankful for the privilege to be able to experience God's glorious Creation found in these various parks.