Saturday with the Connelly's

We're all taking a minute to rest after a fun Saturday.  One of my favorite things about Jess is that he is up for anything.  There is rarely a Saturday when we sit at home and today was no different.

We drank our coffee and ate Fruit Loops - energy food for a good adventure. We took our morning walk and then Jess proposed we go kayaking. I loved the idea and packed us a picnic lunch while Jess loaded the kayaks.

We tried out a new location and put in the kayaks at Mason Neck State Park. Fellow kayakers had tipped us off to the location and promised we would see Bald Eagles. Mason Neck was a great place to kayak because the water is too shallow for motorized watercraft and I hate dodging boaters. The tide was out and Jess had to trudge through angle deep silt to launch the kayaks. Once launched we did some of the hardest paddling I have ever attempted. The wind was blowing at gale force and every forward inch of progress was a hard fought battle. After a thirty minute paddle navigating through wind, sea moss and the unpredictable movements of a restless toddler, I was exhausted. We headed back to shore.

All of the effort was worth it because we saw two Bald Eagles in flight. They are so majestic that it chokes me up a bit to watch them. After kayaking we took JAC to the playground. After playing for an hour we decided to take a family hike. The state park has a beautiful network of trails and they didn't disappoint.

After hiking I was sure it was time to go home but JAC begged to return to the playground and Jess relented. I was glad he did because a few other young families showed up. We brought out our football and the adults passed it around while the kids took turns running, rushing and passing too. It was a blast to watch a herd of small kids playing football together.

Mason Neck State Park offered a beautiful fun-filled Saturday. This might be our last kayaking trip of the season. The weather is getting colder quickly. This adventure was the perfect ending to a great kayaking season.