Discovery

A few weeks ago Grandpa Clark sent the boys a package with these models to put together of Ares I! (You can probably tell it was a big hit!) His company, ATK, is making the first stage rocket booster. Ares I is one of the next launch vehicles to be used in space exploration.












Then, we made it to the launch of Discovery!
On February 24th at 4:53 we sat on the beach a few miles from Cape Canaveral and watched the last liftoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery.
We watched this horizon for more than an hour, while we waited. The shuttle was positioned 8-10 miles from us in the center of the photo.







Here's the "first row seat" Jared got for us. Jordan is in front of my knees on the rocks down the slope --close to the water. And Michael is in the orange chair. :) They watched some jumping fish and horseshoe crabs in the water and absorbed the excitement in the air until liftoff.
A few minutes before the launch I realized I should get a photo. So the man sitting above us snapped this quick one.

When it got close to time, everyone counted down... and we saw "blast-off." Of course my photos don't do it justice. Everyone around us had telephoto SLRs. Jared was getting video and trying to experience it "live" at the same time.

As we watched the power of the shuttle liftoff, I was inspired at what men and science can do. We have a drive to learn and reach beyond our limits. We can attain greatness when we channel our energy toward good goals.













About this point was when the boosters dropped and the rocket left earth's atmosphere. It was headed to the International Space Station which was way up (200 miles or so) above the Pacific Ocean.

We enjoyed learning with the boys a little about the history of Discovery. It's first flight was in 1984 and had 38 missions. To me the Discovery shuttle will always be the image of what a "rocket ship" looks like, although there are lots of other types that have now been developed.

I was proud to be apart of a little bit of history on Discovery's last flight.
















Well, the traffic was horrendous. This picture is before the launch. Double parking was a minimum along the road. Ace Hardware and the steak house and most every other store charged $10 for parking along this Highway 1. It was a holiday.
We, and the tens of thousands of other viewers along the coast, were stuck in a standstill on the roads after the launch. We waited in the parking lot of a shopping center and watched "The King and I." Then the kids slept in the car till we got to the hotel. At midnight, after our 45 mile drive (seven hours after the launch) Jared and I finally crashed too.

This trip was tense from start to finish for me. I checked the launch schedule 20-30 times in the last few months, including on the drive there when I nervously called my mom. I didn't reserve our hotel until the day before we left. This launch had been postponed since November and it might be the last one to happen while we are in Florida.
I like things to be set in stone on the schedule, not up in the air until the last second. I never would have made the trip to see it unless I had two little boys who are interested and love to learn all about "Space."
When we got home the neighbor said, "Oh yea -someone told me to watch the northeast sky and we would be able to see it. ...but she forgot... and I hope at least we got a better view from our spot.

The next day after the launch, we recovered and went to the temple in Orlando! It was wonderful! We love the peace of the temple. I took the kids to a nursery down the street and we walked around enjoying the flowers and citrus trees till Jared was done.


















And we finally made it to this McDonalds in Orlando. It's supposedly the biggest in the world. Of course the kids loved it and Jared enjoyed something other than PBJs.

Little House

I finally found some "chapter" books that the boys will read with me every day. We are well into our second book of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the boys look forward to reading the whole series.
I set a goal to start reading more "substantial" literature with them and I think this is a great first step.
Some books we tried had too much abstract description for their limited attention spans or the subject matter just wasn't interesting enough.
Michael loves Little House because there is "adventure and exploring." Jordan finds more fuel for his vibrant little imagination. I think the books are so fun. I laugh and cry through them. and I could always read more, but at least the boys look forward to their one or two chapters a day. What a fun way to learn history and vocabulary and everything in between. I'm so glad to be entering the world of reading with the boys. We have so many more great books to dive into after this.

I got excited one day to add an art dimension to our reading topics. So here are the crude results of our log cabin projects. The outcome of a fun morning and the great inspiration of The Little House on the Prairie.

Ahhh!! Whew ....

Three days ago I wouldn't have believed that Tessa would be sleeping in a toddler bed so sweetly and willingly at bedtime tonight. I'm amazed how quickly kids can make changes and transitions.
So, Sunday night Tessa consistently climbed out of her crib...time after time. Monday nap time was a disaster also. I took the bookshelf and toys out of the boys room, changed the doorknob lock around, and settled her in for a nap there instead. After 40 minutes of crying with periodic reassurances from me, she fell asleep. Bedtime that night was a little rough too, but it worked. And today was surprisingly easy. Tonight with no tears at all!
I hadn't anticipated the challenge of crib to toddler bed just yet. The boys slept well in their cribs till much older, but at least we can tackle this lesson now and have it behind us.
Tessa is such a fun and energetic little girl, we have to take the whole package --however troublesome at times. Thank goodness for her trusting and happy spirit that help her ease right into the chaos of life. I have learned a lesson that I shouldn't let my fear of a possible negative reaction hold me back from breaking bad habits or just doing something new or better. If kids are so adaptable, I can try to be too.

"Experiencing Florida"

Renee doesn't mess around when she goes on a trip. "Experiencing Florida" is serious business. In four and a half days, with sleepless nights up with the little one, and baby #2 on the way --Renee and Ben can fit in a whole lot of fun. Here's some of their agenda: swimming at the pool, a wet backyard campout, deep sea fishing, art festival, date night in Old Naples, Everglades "safari," and manatee viewing at the park by the power plant. (The only thing she didn't do all the time was take photos. --so some of these are for her..) This young family has endless energy!


Enjoying the aquarium at Rookery Bay






We tried some grilled fish, and enjoyed Jared's seafood specials --including the fish he and Ben caught!

REALLY yummy oven smores for the "campout"
Renee helped make a key-lime pie for Sunday dinner also. :)



This is my favorite spot to photograph at the zoo.
We havn't seen Donna there yet -- but we love her giraffes!



Ben asked Jared what he wanted to do most of all before he left Florida...and Jared answered. Thank goodness for Renee and Ben's drive or Jared may not have had his "fishing experience."



These pelicans were begging or bits of bait on the men's fishing excursion.


Ben and Jared got to keep the in-season fish that they caught--two red snapper. They also caught some grouper and another type I don't remember.



Michael's spaceship creation at the art fair was pretty cute.

Wildlife viewing in the Everglades




Renee made it to the airport this morning and she is headed home with her little family. They got every minute and mile possible out their rental car. Whew! They came and conquered! Thanks for enjoying our State and sharing your enthusiasm with us.

Sharks at the Pier?

Going to the pier is all about seeing the view of the horizon and watching the fishermen. And fishing here is a strange sport.

The man that caught these rays cut a chunk to put on his hook for bait. His poles was twice as long and thick as our dinky ones. "If you want to catch a big fish you use big bait." I don't think the boys will forget some of their experiences here..

When did February hit us?

Last Tuesday night Renee called and said, "We got the dreaded phone call. Our flight was canceled!" And so the whirlwind started. The next morning the airline finally rerouted and rescheduled the flight and Renee and Ben rushed to the airport. This time they called with the news, "We're comin' to Florida!"

The first thing we did the morning after they arrived was head to the beach.

Baby Beth was the champion of the trip! It is so fun to watch kids enjoy the world around us. Beth LOVED the sand!


Pretty cute family!


Ben is a super uncle and made the sand games so fun for the boys. Jared hasn't been with us to play at the beach for months and that made the trip special too.
Tessa caught on and sprinkled sand on those that got buried (although usually on their heads-since she couldn't see any other body parts).


When Ben took his turn we noticed the sand was cracking on top of his belly as he laughed. He had some good definition from his "six pack" showing through. Then he made his belly roll and everything moved. Isn't laughter contagious?!


In this picture with the boys, Ben isn't actually laying down in the sand! They dug a big enough hole for him to fit in mostly upright!

Here's Tessa in the hole..


Then we let it fill with water and built some trenches and "swimming pools." Water play without crashing waves was a hit!




February in Florida really does feel like another world. Renee managed to escape the cold and storms of the west and mid-west! And we got to enjoy some of our neighborhood with her. Thanks for the visit!