We took a "field trip" to Boston's Public Garden last week.

Views of the city all around.

We got there right at lunch time and we were all starving,
so we started our day with a picnic under this perfect tree.

The branches grew down and then out, rather than up and out
and they reached all the way to the ground.

It was a cozy spot for a picnic and the branches in front were trimmed
to show the view of the swan boats going by.

Avril loved the ham salad.

Ham salad on biscuits.

Followed by blueberry buckle made with the fresh berries we picked just a few days before. It was the perfect picnic.

After lunch, Dwayne read Make Way for Ducklings out loud.

Then Norah fed the ducks our leftovers while we sat
and enjoyed the shade and the gentle breezes.

We visited Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings on their way to the pond.

Then we headed back to the swan boats for a ride.

Duck island and a different view of the willow tree Norah stood under to feed the ducks.

A duck cleans her feathers on the shore of the island.

I heard the people we passed using the titles "Mr." and "Mrs." before the word "Mallard." So, we weren't the only ones in love with the story.

A real mother duck and her babies followed along side our boat.
Too bad we didn't have any peanuts to throw their way.

It was the perfect afternoon for naps.

I thought this guy would have made a humorous park statue.

The statue of George Washington.

The bench from Good Will Hunting.

The Ether Monument, shown in the background of the illustrations in Make Way for Ducklings.

We walked over to the Frog Pond on The Boston Common and let the girls cool off in the warm water before we headed home.

It was a beautiful day. I'm thankful for the memories we made and captured in these photos.

As I was trying to describe the visit to someone else and what it meant to us after having read the books we did together, I told them that I felt like I had finally discovered the soul or essence of the home school experience that Dwayne and I want to produce for our children.

With God's blessing on our efforts, I hope the lessons we teach the girls, the stories we read to them, will all come to life like they did on this day.