canoeing at Horseshoe Lake

This Monday the weather was a little chilly and threatening rain. We still wanted to get out and have some fun, so we decided to go canoeing at Horseshoe Lake. It is a tiny little lake that is actually shaped like a horseshoe.

 So calm and pretty.

 Hank was raring to go!

 My cute boys in their red life jackets--we didn't buy them that way on purpose, but I think it's funny.

 Dave and Hank all ready to go! Dave, always our fearless leader.

 We got in the canoe and pushed off. Hank immediately got mad because he couldn't reach out and touch the water. He kept leaning over the gunwales and trying to feel the water, but his arms were just too short! He sat down in the bottom of the canoe and bawled. He scorned all the toys we brought, so I found this glove in our first-aid kit and Dave blew it up. Hank was pleased for a second--until Jed stole it. The bawling and shrieking commenced once again.

 The serenity of this picture totally belays all the screaming and carrying on happening behind me in the canoe. We paddled around one half of the lake, then decided to head back to the car to get Hank a bottle and see if he would take a nap in the bottom of the canoe. Once we got him the bottle, he was happy, but only when I was holding him. So that was all the canoeing we got to do.

 Dave and Jed had fun playing with Dave's rock thrower, poking around in the weeds watching the bees, watching the little fish dart around in the shallows, and looking for wild raspberries.

Jed trying out the rock thrower on his own.

 After Hank was done with his bottle, he was totally chipper and ready to play. The sky was looking a little more threatening, so we decided not to chance going back out on the water, however. 

 Hank loves his darling whale blankie. He loves to bite it and snuggle it and refuses to sleep without it. My Auntie Paula made it for Hank and he couldn't be happier!

What a day! Sometimes a canoe trip is perfectly wonderful, and other days you end up coming back to shore after 20 minutes, with a hand balloon that your boys are fighting over. It is always an adventure trying to recreate with kids, but I wouldn't trade it. We always have a good time, even if it isn't the good time we're expecting to have!