Our First LB Experience

It is HOT here. Upper 90s for the past two weeks with heat index in the 100s. Not necessarily the best timing for this activity, but we have been enjoying our mornings and evenings outside going on treasure hunts.

I first wrote about LB back in April 2009. And some how I blinked my eyes and a year had passed by and we still hadn't tried it. I was determined this would be our year. Our summer. And we have had success!

In a nutshell, because you can get the longer more detailed version here, you create a "trail" name for your family, pick a rubber stamp and pad, find a journal, get online and find your destination/clues, get in the car, and go, hunt, and stamp. It is mostly an outdoor activity, but I found 20+ indoors in our area, including the libraries, making it a rainy day activity as well. And, if it wasn't great already, it is something we can do while on vacation as well.

Our family has been packing a lunch each time. It is promoting family time and education. We are able to teach about following directions and also a little history the couple of times we have been out. While in a Veteran's Park we talked about how soldiers have to fight for our freedom and prayed for the soldiers and their families.

For us, Letterboxing has been about being more intentional with our time together as a family. Not about doing "stuff" around the house, but being outdoors in God's creation (and heat). It is simple, yet sometimes challenging. Sometimes we find the box, sometimes we don't. But as with life, sometimes God says yes, sometimes he says no. We have found some great life lessons and we have been at it for less than a month.

This was originally posted at Today's Housewife on June 16, 2010 with some added pictures.