Happy 4th of July!

Today is the 4th of July, and it's a great holiday to celebrate! I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all who have served our country, from guarding our borders from the Brittish, to extending overseas to fight abroad! As many of you know, I love all things patriotic, and have my entryway dedicated to it.

Have a safe and happy 4th!

Beka's Flowers are Bloomin'!

I have not been known for my green thumb. I am in fact fairly capable of killing of small plants around the house quite easily. However, of late I have pretty good success with a couple of house plants, and my flowers I planted in front are finally blooming. I was beginning to wonder if I'd killed them off, but here they are!

Jacob just can't believe I actually grew flowers that bloomed!

I took a picture of my daylillies, that are back by the house. Even though they hadn't bloomed yet, they were about to. (I took these pictures Sunday night.)

But then I got up this morning, and my daylillies had bloomed! Woo-hoo for me!

If you look off to the back of the flowers, you can also see one of my willows that is growing up. I have three of them along the side of our yard, and they just keep growing, too!

Last, but not least, we have the tree in the back yard, that came back from the dead. We REALLY thought it was dead, but lo and behold, it has leaves on it!

I must admit, I'm rather tickled with my blooming vegetation, as I've never been successful before!

Sunburns hurt!

We all know the dangers of going out unprotected into the sun. I was a dilligent mother, and made sure my kids were sprayed down with sunscreen, ready to enjoy our day at the water park. I, however, forgot to spray myself, and we were there for 2.5 hours. Therefore, here is my just due.....

This was sore for at least four days, and now I'm peeling quite beautifully. Doh!

Crazy Hair Day

As many of you here in good ole Moe know, theythad spirit week during the last weeks of school. One of the days was Crazy Hair Day, and of course my kids wanted to participate, even the one who didn't go to school. And as a mother, I had to document it (even if I forgot my camera when I took my older two to school, and had to use my phone). Then I came home and did Dean's hair. Enjoy!

If you can't tell, Patrick has stripes, and Jacob has leopard spots.

Not to be left out, Dean wanted stripes, too.

Sheriff Dean the Grouch

Okay, I know it's been a while since I watched Maiclinn and Meliah, but I just got around to posting these pictures. Dean and Meliah were hamming it up, like they always do, and it was too cute not to post!

First, we have Sheriff Dean the Grouch, cornering his pray and cuffing her.....is Meliah crying????

Then, Sheriff Dean the Grouch brings her out to the Prison Warden.....

Meliah says, "But Warden, I'm too cute to be arrested!"

Unfortunately, the Prison Warden has no sympathy, so it's off to the jail for little Meliah.....

Meliah wonders if she can fit her pudgy little feet through the slats.....

But, alas, she is stuck in prison for the duration of her stay.....

The next day, however, Meliah escapes, and turns the tables on her arresting officer, his brother, and their dog!

Dean pleads for his release, while Patrick hides his face in shame.....

NASA - Here in Moses Lake?

NASA has been testing some robots and equipment for use on the moon, and they chose Moses Lake - of all places - to do the testing. And of course we had to take the boys out to see it!

Here are some of the robots that NASA, along with a couple prestigious universities, were testing out.

The lady standing by this little one, with the walkie talkie, is helping to direct the robot as it moves around the dunes.

These are two mobile habitat pods that they are attempting to dock together, from Houston. It's pretty cool to see these things rolling around. They look like giant bugs!

These are closer shots of the mobile habitats. Just a big, empty tube when they are connected. The outside rigging, with all the wheels and boxes and contraptions is pretty cool lookin'!

This is a picture of a crane lifting system that they are testing for use on the moon, to help with the payload that is too heavy, or too tall, for the astronauts to handle. Farther back, you can see two astronauts on what they call a Chariot. I'll get to more pictures of that, just below.

Here are closer pictures of the Chariot. There are two turrets on it, for it to be manned by two people. However, it can be remotely driven by Houston, and they tried that out, too. The docking stations where the guys stand are called turrets, because like on a tank with a shooting turret, they can rotate 360 degrees. There are six wheels on it, that are on independent suspension from each other, so they can go over any terrain.

Here are the boys, waiting to get in to see the space suits again. Can ya tell they're bored? :)

This is a picture of the "soft" space suit. Anywho, it's called a "soft" suit because it has a soft shell, that only gets hard when it's inflated with air. It makes it more mobile and flexible for the astronauts to move around in it.

These are pictures of the "hard" space suits. The entire shell is hard, from about the bicep area, down to the mid-thigh area. It's a rear-entry suit, so the astronauts have to step into it through the back, feet first. There wasn't much room in the little trailer we were in, to get a decent picture, but it's pretty cool to see this suit in person. Now I won't have to go to Cape Canaveral, since I've seen one here in podunk Moses Lake....or something.

NASA is trying to weigh the pros and cons of each suit, and try to combine the best attributes of each one of them, for their mission to the moon. The "soft" suit weighs about 160 pounds (I think, or somewhere there abouts), and the "hard" suit weighs in around 220. I vote for the lighter one!

I guess NASA is doing this testing to see if they can get a lunar outpost built by 2020. There are about 10 places that NASA considers high priority for exploration on the moon, for scientific and commercial exploration. Apparently, platinum is abundant on the moon, so they are considering it for mining. Who knew? There is also Helium 3 up there, but I'm not sure what the big deal about that is.

It's just fun to be here while something so neat, and potentially important, is happening. And the boys REALLY enjoyed it!

200 Things

My "neighbor", Jane, sent out her newsletter this morning, her 200th one. In it she had a list of 200 things a person could do or have or see during their lifetime. I thought it would be fun to post the list, and add my info. If you're interested in doing this, too, just copy, paste, and change it to match your life. You simply bold out what you have done/have/see. You can put more explanation for any of them, as well. Enjoy!

200 Things
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
(I'm still wondering how long I will have to keep it up....)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
(Fond memories of camping with the family, and climbing mountains.)
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
(My mom was a true believer in ice cold baths after a bad sunburn.)
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
(not that's it's doing all that well)
58. Taken a martial arts class
(taken class, taught class, got a brown belt.....)
59. Been in a movie
(We made this Teen Court movie in high school, because the one we had to watch was soooo old. Now, I'm sure, if kids have to watch it, they would say that we looked so old and un-cool!)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
(Do form letters and signing petitions count?)
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
(Changing from my maiden name to my married name counts, right?)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
(my step-dad had this horrible shag carpet that we had to rake every once in a while)
107. Brought out the best in people
(my husband)
108. Brought out the worst in people
(also, my husband)
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
(Anyone for a game of HORSE? I promise, you'll win!)
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
(hasn't everyone, at some point, humiliated themsevles in the school band?)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
(anyone catch me in Joseph in March?)
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
(if walking counts while doing a 10K run.....)
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
(still working on this, but doing better)
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
(when Doane and I went to Italy, we sat for a couple of hours while the "painter" did our portrait)
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
(currently lost 16 pounds - yay for me!)
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
(I have even had three of my poems published!)
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
(that is if form letters count or letters from their secretary)
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
(gotta love the movie theatre!)
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
(I missed you, Ape^3!)
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter