NASA - Kennedy Space Center

To say that my son is interested in space would be a pretty big understatement.  His current ambition (and one for the last few years) is that he wants to be an astronaut.  Not like the pipe dreams of a kindergartner, although still very real some days, but the aspirations of a kid that loves both math and science and thinks that putting those loves together in the reality of space seems like an amazing concept.

Enter a trip to the Kennedy Space Center & NASA in Cape Canaveral, FL.  And since the images were so out of this world (see what I did there) and difficult to keep short, I'll try to make up for it by keeping my words short.

I loved that wall; it is such a picture of our journey into space.  And below?  That's the entrance.  Tell me how cool these 2 things are?  And we're not even IN yet!

 The standing rockets are a "Rocket Garden".  Above is the "crawler" that walks the shuttle & launch pad from their building site to their launching site.  It moves at a brisk 2 miles per hour without a shuttle/launch pad; 1 mile per hour with.  Below, the original site where our mission to the moon took place.

 Above, you can see some of the Apollo mission patches that are located through out one of the  buildings on site.  They run along side the original Saturn V rocket, which launched our mission of Apollo 11 to the moon.  It is unfathomable in size (363 feet).

 Something amazing is the real life reenactments you can sit thought of space missions in US history.  It's UNBELIEVABLY cool as you get to listen to the mission live and watch different parts of it silently move on and off the stage as if happening right then and there.

Along with getting to see some awesome artifacts, we got to meet a for REAL astronaut, Sam Gemar.  Aaron got to get his autograph on one of his mission patches and his mom (who likes to take pictures) got the crazy honor of taking their picture together.  It was amazing.  (Side note: check out that shirt.  My son says it wasn't planned - that's pretty cool.)

 So, another cool reenactment was the launch and return trip of Atlantis.   The MOST amazing part was that you got to watch the launch through a FULL surround (on the walls and ceiling) theater.  This did NOT photograph well, as the colors, screens, and projectors separated, but it was still worth sharing.  Imagine though, that shuttle flying towards you and then a screen lifting and the ACTUAL shuttle being on the other side of the screen at the exact same angle.  It still gives me goosebumps.

 As you can see, Atlantis is enormous.  Larger than life.  Above is the nose, below, the back and interior.  I mean, it's just fantastic.

 That's a satellite tunnel that kids can play in.  Way awesome.  And that same Rocket Garden below, lit up for the holidays and at night.

And because that wall wasn't awesome enough as we entered, the colors and lights at night were definitely an awesome cap off to an amazing day.  I sure hope you enjoyed it!

Until next time,

Gingerbread Houses

Of all our Christmas traditions, our yearly gingerbread house building is very close to my heart.  My mother bought a house kit (I assume on a whim) maybe 5 years ago and it was a HIT with my family.  Since then, each year, she makes sure we have a house to decorate together.  The last two years, we have been upgraded to a Gingerbread VILLAGE (we're big time now), and my kids have the best time.  It's a lot of concentration - and SUGAR - but it's a great time.

 The little details never escape us, do they?  Those plates are the same ones my mom had when I was a kid.  There's something comforting about watching my children use them.  Along with the table we sit at.  Even though this isn't the house I made my memories at, that table has sure had some memories made at it over the years.

This was the first time Emma was able to decorate without instruction.  It was pretty awesome to watch her deliberately choose and then delicately set each candy that she touched.  (Maybe even more awesome when she wiped them all off and started over!)

Not to be outdone, my son is quite the decorator.  This year, he got to school my dad on building the chalet (which is deceptive - it looks the easiest, but getting the balance with the sides / roof is a pain).  They made a great team.

In the mean time, little miss decided that the candies looked like they would be more fun to taste than to decorate with.  Good thing we're all family.  After that, things started down hill.  Taste testing is a necessary element of house building, and my crew is seasoned at THAT.  All I can say is that icing may or may not have been threatened as a weapon.

And even if things were beginning to fall apart, the final touches are just as important as the building.  Creating streams of hanging icing, placing gumdrops and sprinkles one at a time, and even, yes, the breaking of the house to eat before the icing has had the chance to set.  They are all great memories.

In the end, through icing covered and licked fingers, broken cookies and crumb-covered smiles, the love of my family is sweetest part of the deal, and I am blessed to be a part of it.

Until next time,

Christmas Near and Far

As many families do now a days, we have Christmas here, near, and far.  While it sometimes feels chaotic in the midst of the madness, at the end of the day, I feel like my children have been loved on from practically every angle, and who doesn't love to see their looks of excitement over and over again?  Since "here" was obviously our home, our next stop was "near" with my husband's family.  (By the way, don't you just love that look of my husband's?  Between that and my son's constant tongue pictures, it's a wonder I have anything to show you!)

What I love about documentary photography is the way the quiet moments of the day are caught that only the people in the photos can recall.  There are inside jokes, interactions with loved ones, soft looks, all things that are long forgotten after the moment passes, but forever held on to with images.

After one night stop over and 16 hours of driving, our final stop was our "far" Christmas at my parents' house.  Being an only child means that my children are the only grandchildren.  This makes for a little slower and quieter present time.  My son has gotten to play Santa and pass out presents for some time now, so it was fun to see Emma get to help with that task this year.

Well, our presents may all be open, but there's still a few more things to round out the year.  Our last Holiday tradition: gingerbread houses!!  I can't wait to share them with you!!!

Until next time,

The Faces of Christmas Morning

The word anticipation is something that is definitely pictured on the faces of children on Christmas morning.  It is such a perfect description for a feeling that has built (for many) for almost the entire year.  It is a mixture of excitement about the unknown, hope for what we have been holding onto for months, and joy for something long wished for or even unexpected.  The faces show it all.

Faces of curiosity.  Faces of things not yet recognized or fully understood.

Faces of excitement and joy.  Faces of surprise and soft happiness.

 Faces of intense concentration and thought.  Faces of love and of care.

Because like our faces on Christmas morning, our love for one another often shows these same attributes of curiosity, newness, excitement and joy.  Of surprise, soft happiness, intense thought and serious care.  Our anticipation of love is so similar as well: overflowing like a Christmas tree on Christmas morning, waiting to be opened.  But truly, it is Christ's love that is the celebration of this day.  A celebration of a Father's love for us, sent as a long awaited and anticipated gift and a promise to our broken world.  "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us."  1 John 3:16  So, long after the presents are all unwrapped and the tree sits bare underneath, God's love for us, sent as a child so long ago, is the one gift that truly gives forever.  And it fills us with excitement, joy, surprise, happiness, intense thought, and serious care, because He is full of all of those things for us.

Until next time ...

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve - ahhh the excitement and anticipation is almost too much to bear.  Even as a parent, I am running through my check list to make sure everything is in order - I am sure I am not alone!  As a kid, I used to get one present to open on Christmas Eve, so my kiddos get a spin on that.  After realizing my son's pj's on Christmas morning were in desperate need of replacing a few years ago, I now make sure my kiddos have nice, warm pjs for Christmas morning.  It's a small little thing to kick off our traditions.

 Once, we have our pj's, it's off to get them on and brush our teeth.  I love this time in our lives; my kids get along and stand next to each other happily to brush their teeth at one sink.  I know this won't last forever.  Next is setting out milk and cookies for Santa (we even have a special jingle bell plate).  It was a lot of fun to watch my two pick cookies for the plate and fill that glass to the top.  Then Little Miss counted the cookies for Santa.  *Sigh*  So cute.




Our final step of the night is saying goodbye to our Elf on the Shelf.  Since Santa is visiting in person that night, we know it is safe to hold him and touch him because Santa himself will take our elf with him when he goes!  This is our only opportunity to tell him we'll miss him and give him a little hug.

Then of course, my kids take off for dreams of sugar plums and presents!

Until next time ...

My Newest Wrapper

Wrapping a present for the first time is a bit of a big deal when you are a kid.  Maybe you still remember the first time you got be included in the wrapping of Christmas presents.  I know I do.  My mom was too sick to really wrap anything and there were only a few days left until Christmas.  So, she boxed everything up with names on the outside, and I wrapped a stack of unknowns to the best of my ability.  I was so excited to be included in that secret!

Now, my son didn't quite get a stack, and while this was not the first time my son has wrapped a present, it was the first time I got to sit and watch him do it independently, so that's still a pretty big deal.  I'm not sure if he had the same excitement as I did when I was finally allowed to help with present wrapping, but it was still neat to watch him do it all on his own.  And a little sad too; he's growing up a bit too fast.

 As a documentary photographer, all the little details are important to me: the focus in his face, the way he folds the paper or uses mass amounts of tape, even the Christmas tree and our kitchen table in the background.  To me, it all helps tell the story.

And that smile at the end - the one I had to wait through 15 seconds of a stuck out tongue to get to.  But it's a smile and a story worth waiting for.  A story that is happening faster than this Momma might be ready for, but ready or not, the story is being told, so you'd better believe I'll be there watching and catching it.