Monday, August 31, 2009
Awesome Launch Picture
Just had to post this one - again, not from our camera (but from someone who was also watching from the KSC causeway). This guy must really have a good camera!!! Double-click on it and you'll see what I mean!
A Dream Come True
When I was a teenager, I developed a strong interest in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This interest was stimulated by living close to a NASA center as well as babysitting the children of an astronaut. I remember going to the library and researching the background on that particular astronaut, as I was too shy to ask him myself. When I discovered that he had obtained his degree in aerospace engineering, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I think I had high hopes that maybe, one day I, too, could be an astronaut. I did obtain the engineering degree I'd sought out, but I relinquished my desire to be an astronaut. I realized fairly quickly that my shy personality (and let's be honest, lack of courage) would never allow me to follow that path. And I was okay with that. I never felt quite satisfied in the work I did, and I know now that was because God had other plans for my life, plans that I could not have committed myself to had I continued working in the space program, or in any other field for that matter. My new life as wife, mom and teacher is the rewarding job I know I was called to do. But even so, there is still that underlying love for NASA and all that it entails.
It just so happens that the mother of a boy on Alex's baseball team is an astronaut. Not only is she an astronaut, but she is an STS-128 crewmember, who I am so grateful to say, extended a launch invitation to the family of each and every one of her son's teammates. We decided with the shuttle program so near retirement, we should jump on this chance to see a launch. Bill has been to several, but I have never attended one, and this was really a "dream come true" opportunity for me. So the Saturday before last, we loaded up the van and headed to Florida.
The plan was to attend the launch scheduled for late that Monday night/early Tuesday morning, spend another couple days in Florida and then head home on Thursday. But after spending the afternoon, evening and wee hours out at KSC, the launch was scrubbed due to bad weather, only about 10 minutes before it was to lift off. We were disappointed, but that disappointment only grew as it was again delayed the following day due to mechanical problems. As the week progressed my hopes of seeing a launch declined. We decided to wait until Friday morning to leave and when it looked like an attempt was actually going to be made to launch on Friday night, we decided to stay one more day, even though it meant getting home late Sunday. It was our last chance because no matter what, we had to be back for Bill to return to work that Monday. Thankfully, God answered our prayers and Shuttle Discovery did in fact launch on Friday night. The weather not only cooperated, but provided a fairly clear sky for viewing the launch. What an amazing experience it was! I am so happy that the kids got to see it launch; I can already tell it's had an impact on them.
The trip was a great success in that we did get to see the launch afterall. But it was also a success in that our family had a fun-filled week in Florida. Not only did we get to witness the launch of the shuttle from the KSC causeway, but we also spent a great deal of time on the beach, went to Downtown Disney in Orlando, and even had the opporunity to visit with some of Bill's relatives who live near Orlando. I can't say that after all this travel over the last few weeks we aren't happy to be home, but I can say that we made some great memories and had the experience of a lifetime.
Here are some pictures of our incredible Florida vacation; sorry for the huge number of pictures - it was just too hard to narrow down anymore than this:
We stopped at a Mississippi rest stop near NASA Stennis on our way to FL
It just so happens that the mother of a boy on Alex's baseball team is an astronaut. Not only is she an astronaut, but she is an STS-128 crewmember, who I am so grateful to say, extended a launch invitation to the family of each and every one of her son's teammates. We decided with the shuttle program so near retirement, we should jump on this chance to see a launch. Bill has been to several, but I have never attended one, and this was really a "dream come true" opportunity for me. So the Saturday before last, we loaded up the van and headed to Florida.
The plan was to attend the launch scheduled for late that Monday night/early Tuesday morning, spend another couple days in Florida and then head home on Thursday. But after spending the afternoon, evening and wee hours out at KSC, the launch was scrubbed due to bad weather, only about 10 minutes before it was to lift off. We were disappointed, but that disappointment only grew as it was again delayed the following day due to mechanical problems. As the week progressed my hopes of seeing a launch declined. We decided to wait until Friday morning to leave and when it looked like an attempt was actually going to be made to launch on Friday night, we decided to stay one more day, even though it meant getting home late Sunday. It was our last chance because no matter what, we had to be back for Bill to return to work that Monday. Thankfully, God answered our prayers and Shuttle Discovery did in fact launch on Friday night. The weather not only cooperated, but provided a fairly clear sky for viewing the launch. What an amazing experience it was! I am so happy that the kids got to see it launch; I can already tell it's had an impact on them.
The trip was a great success in that we did get to see the launch afterall. But it was also a success in that our family had a fun-filled week in Florida. Not only did we get to witness the launch of the shuttle from the KSC causeway, but we also spent a great deal of time on the beach, went to Downtown Disney in Orlando, and even had the opporunity to visit with some of Bill's relatives who live near Orlando. I can't say that after all this travel over the last few weeks we aren't happy to be home, but I can say that we made some great memories and had the experience of a lifetime.
Here are some pictures of our incredible Florida vacation; sorry for the huge number of pictures - it was just too hard to narrow down anymore than this:
We stopped at a Mississippi rest stop near NASA Stennis on our way to FL
The kids out on our hotel balcony in Cocoa Beach, FL
Nathan, out on the beach
The view from our balcony in Cocoa Beach
At KSC on the day of the originally scheduled launch
Check out the ominous clouds blanketing the launch pad (thus the scrub)
Check out the sleeping beauties (ignoring the not so lovely half-awake person)
Downtown Disney in Orlando
Back at the beach
Successful launch: the first picture, taken by someone else at the launch with a very good camera, shows the shuttle just after liftoff, the second picture (taken with our camera) shows the starlike glow of the shuttle as it zooms farther and farther away, and the third shows the still hot launch pad following the launch. And then there's the picture of a tired Amy after a long night at KSC
Relaxing picnic on the way home
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Who's That Dog?
Our family dog, Shelby, is a Shetland Sheepdog, also referred to as a "Sheltie". Of course, after her haircut a couple of weeks ago, you'd never know it! We wanted her trimmed so she'd be cooler in this hot Texas summer weather - we never expected such a short haircut!!! She's almost unrecognizable! She is definitely cooler, but I think we'll let some of that beautiful soft Sheltie fur grow back.
Playing in the Fountains
The weekend before our trip my mom and I took the kids downtown to a park with big water fountains for them to play in. We met up with family there and all the cousins got to play together in the fountains. They had a blast!
2009 Ohio Trip
A few days ago we returned from our yearly Ohio trip. Actually, it'd be better stated, our yearly "tri-state area" trip. We typically visit family in Ohio, Kentucky and sometimes Indiana.
This year Bill's mom's side of the family had a big reunion at his aunt and uncle's farm in Indiana. We've visited there a couple of times with the kids and we always have a great time. The day of the reunion started out cold. Yes, it was actually cold in July! What a rare treat for Texans! Thankfully, we happened to pack jackets, so we were okay. It had rained all morning and was still sprinkling when we arrived at the farm. But thankfully, God took away the rain and brought in sunshine. A couple of hours into the reunion and we were able to remove our jackets and the kids were eventually able to put on their bathing suits and use the large blowup pool that had been set up in anticipation of warmer weather. We had such a great time there. The kids played in the sandbox and in the pool and they played with hula hoops and went exploring. They even got to ride the four-wheelers with their daddy. And did I mention the huge amazing meal we got to enjoy? Uncle Harold fried chicken, as well as potatoes and biscuits. May not have made for the healthiest of meals, but boy was it delicious! And of course, there was fresh corn, fruit, salads of all sorts, chips, dips, etc., and a whole assortment of desserts. It was quite the grand feast! The kids were sad when it was time to go, but since it was after 10pm and we had an hour drive back to Bill's mom's house, we figured it was about time we were going. No surprise, all the kids were asleep by the time we got there.
The following day Bill's sister and her kids along with his step-brothers and their families came over and we had a wonderful reunion with them, too. Then the next day we had a quiet morning with Bill's mom and stepdad, followed by a Cincinnati chili lunch from Gold Star (one of two meals Bill insists upon when we go on this trip; the other is White Castle). Then it was time to head to Kentucky for our visit with Bill's dad and stepmom. On our way there, we stopped at a Graeter's Ice Cream shop for dessert. Mmmm... that was some delicious ice cream! Nathan and Amy were unable to finish their desserts, but Bill, Alex and I were able to polish ours off with no problem. :)
The kids were already excited about fishing, something they always get to do at Pa-Paw's. Since it was late afternoon by the time we got there, we made them wait until the following morning. They were disappointed, but they survived. When fishing day arrived, the kids were up bright and early and ready to start! After breakfast, we went out back to the lake and the kids fished. The fish seemed to be biting and Nathan and Amy each caught one almost right away. Alex later caught one and then Amy actually caught the biggest fish of all. Or at least, she almost caught the biggest fish of all. Bill helped her reel in a huge catfish - we estimated he was about 10 lbs. - but just as the fish was being pulled up out of the water, he gave a strong swish of his tail, broke the line, and took off with the hook still embedded in his mouth. What a catch that would have been! Bill says we would have cooked that one up and had it for dinner! The kids fished some later that day, but the following day it rained and we spent the time indoors just relaxing and visiting and looking out the window at the ducks. There was a mama duck and her two little ducklings that we especially enjoyed watching.
Our trip felt really short this year. Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. We left fairly early, hoping to get as much driving time in as possible on that first day. We had planned a picnic for lunch, as a break from all the fast food restaurants. We stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and found a nice spot to grillout our hotdogs and have our picnic lunch. It was gloomy, but the weather seemed to be okay for the time being... At least, it was until we had our coals nice and hot and our hot dogs on the grill AND our plates, drinks and other food spread out on our picnic table. Then, in a matter of seconds, it started downpouring. I mean buckets of rain coming down. We got the kids into the van and started loading all our stuff back in as fast as we could. Bill got out the umbrella and finished cooking the hot dogs while I drove the van over to a covered pavilion nearby. There we ate our lunch with several other families. I was totally drenched; I don't think I had completely dried out even by the time we stopped for the night - over 8 hours later! We hit several really bad storms as the day went on and were glad when it was time to stop for the night. The following day we stuck to fast food restaurants and had a fairly uneventful drive home. We even made it home in time for dinner!
Below is a slideshow of selected pictures from our vacation.
This year Bill's mom's side of the family had a big reunion at his aunt and uncle's farm in Indiana. We've visited there a couple of times with the kids and we always have a great time. The day of the reunion started out cold. Yes, it was actually cold in July! What a rare treat for Texans! Thankfully, we happened to pack jackets, so we were okay. It had rained all morning and was still sprinkling when we arrived at the farm. But thankfully, God took away the rain and brought in sunshine. A couple of hours into the reunion and we were able to remove our jackets and the kids were eventually able to put on their bathing suits and use the large blowup pool that had been set up in anticipation of warmer weather. We had such a great time there. The kids played in the sandbox and in the pool and they played with hula hoops and went exploring. They even got to ride the four-wheelers with their daddy. And did I mention the huge amazing meal we got to enjoy? Uncle Harold fried chicken, as well as potatoes and biscuits. May not have made for the healthiest of meals, but boy was it delicious! And of course, there was fresh corn, fruit, salads of all sorts, chips, dips, etc., and a whole assortment of desserts. It was quite the grand feast! The kids were sad when it was time to go, but since it was after 10pm and we had an hour drive back to Bill's mom's house, we figured it was about time we were going. No surprise, all the kids were asleep by the time we got there.
The following day Bill's sister and her kids along with his step-brothers and their families came over and we had a wonderful reunion with them, too. Then the next day we had a quiet morning with Bill's mom and stepdad, followed by a Cincinnati chili lunch from Gold Star (one of two meals Bill insists upon when we go on this trip; the other is White Castle). Then it was time to head to Kentucky for our visit with Bill's dad and stepmom. On our way there, we stopped at a Graeter's Ice Cream shop for dessert. Mmmm... that was some delicious ice cream! Nathan and Amy were unable to finish their desserts, but Bill, Alex and I were able to polish ours off with no problem. :)
The kids were already excited about fishing, something they always get to do at Pa-Paw's. Since it was late afternoon by the time we got there, we made them wait until the following morning. They were disappointed, but they survived. When fishing day arrived, the kids were up bright and early and ready to start! After breakfast, we went out back to the lake and the kids fished. The fish seemed to be biting and Nathan and Amy each caught one almost right away. Alex later caught one and then Amy actually caught the biggest fish of all. Or at least, she almost caught the biggest fish of all. Bill helped her reel in a huge catfish - we estimated he was about 10 lbs. - but just as the fish was being pulled up out of the water, he gave a strong swish of his tail, broke the line, and took off with the hook still embedded in his mouth. What a catch that would have been! Bill says we would have cooked that one up and had it for dinner! The kids fished some later that day, but the following day it rained and we spent the time indoors just relaxing and visiting and looking out the window at the ducks. There was a mama duck and her two little ducklings that we especially enjoyed watching.
Our trip felt really short this year. Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. We left fairly early, hoping to get as much driving time in as possible on that first day. We had planned a picnic for lunch, as a break from all the fast food restaurants. We stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and found a nice spot to grillout our hotdogs and have our picnic lunch. It was gloomy, but the weather seemed to be okay for the time being... At least, it was until we had our coals nice and hot and our hot dogs on the grill AND our plates, drinks and other food spread out on our picnic table. Then, in a matter of seconds, it started downpouring. I mean buckets of rain coming down. We got the kids into the van and started loading all our stuff back in as fast as we could. Bill got out the umbrella and finished cooking the hot dogs while I drove the van over to a covered pavilion nearby. There we ate our lunch with several other families. I was totally drenched; I don't think I had completely dried out even by the time we stopped for the night - over 8 hours later! We hit several really bad storms as the day went on and were glad when it was time to stop for the night. The following day we stuck to fast food restaurants and had a fairly uneventful drive home. We even made it home in time for dinner!
Below is a slideshow of selected pictures from our vacation.
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