A Beautiful Day on the Potomac Shoreline

After all the stress and heartbreak the family has been through with the passing of Uncle Andy, we spent a very much needed relaxing day on the Potomac River beach. We got all our fishing gear together and headed to the Leapley's roller coaster that goes down to the bottom of the cliff in their back yard.

Rob rode down with all the kids first.

And then they watched as Chris and Nippy and me rode down.

Not 30 second after throwing in his line, Jase got a bite.

And reeled in the first fish of the day.

Chris caught a croker and let Jase listen to it.

Then he caught a catfish and let Jase feel how slimy it was.

While rest of us continued to fish, Jase played with the worms.

Jase, completely tired of fishing, headed down the shore line away from the fishers and started throwing rocks in the water.

Then Chris and Jase started searching for sharks teeth. (Between all of us I think we found like 7-8 teeth.)

And even though Jase found none of the sharks teeth, he did find a really cool piece of drift wood shaped like a giraffe's head.

After showing no interest in the water the entire day, he eventually decided to get it.

He said ya'll keep on fishing with those rods and hooks, I'm gonna knock one out with my little hammer and catch it.

Instead of finding a fish in the water, though, he found a Jacob.

And the smart boy decided against the hammer and attacked him by pulling on his goggles and filling them up with water.

Now finally in the water, there was no stopping him. He kept going in till the water came up to his chin and would then bend down, sticking his head in the water and picking up rocks from the sea floor.

Joy and Jacob had climbed up the cliff side, and Jase was not about to left behind.

He said, "Watch me, I'll climb up there, too."

And up he went.

Look at how incredible dirty he got attempting his climb up the cliff side.

He got up over the first set of rocks, but still had a long way to go.

Joy came down and hung out with him on those lower rocks for a little while.

But Jase was not satisfied down there. He still wanted to get up to that higher point where Joy and Jacob were. So he continued his upward attempts.

It wasn't an easy task. And it wasn't done with out tear from occasionally tumbling back down head first.

But he finally....

Made it! (With just a little bit of help with Daddy.)

By the time we started packing to head back up the cliff, Jase was thoroughly filthy and tired!

I can't recall any other time where Jase played so hard, got so dirty, and was such a boy!