Huntsville Botanical Gardens

Let me start this post off by saying that we are SO EXCITED that Jason's cousin, Nick, and his sweet family have moved to Tennessee!! It was so great to be able to meet up in the middle and visit Diana and the boys!! Us girls had a great time and all the boys, of course, had a blast!!

This past Monday, we met up at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. And, wow! I have never been here before, but wow!! Now, I love our local gardens, of course. But, this place is FAR better (sorry, but true!). The paths are mostly paved and you can get to everything...with a stroller. Hello?! Why can't ours figure out that this is a major necessity for mamas of many? It was awesome. Lots of shade, yet lots of sunny areas. A bunch of stuff for the kids to do - whether they wish to stay dry or get completely soaked! It is a fabulous place.

Here are some photos from our day together. Enjoy!!

Thanks, Diana, for getting this pic! I'm not sure how many you took to make it happen, but it is a winner!

One of many Water Rock Gardens

Lego Race Track - they all loved this one. We had to almost drag some of them away LOL

Alex loving the giant chair, yet wishing it was green... 

 

Andrew perfectly fine with it being a wonderful shade of blue!

Austin thought the Sunflower Maze was pretty cool. You can move the leaves around any which way to make it work for you.

Alex (4) and Cole (5) hanging out in one of a few of the tree houses. These were pretty cool.

Andrew thought the lookout was the best! He asked if we can make a tree house camp ground place just for kids at the new house. Sure!!

One of a few Lego sculptures we found. I think we only came across 2 out of the 12 or so that were there. There was just so much to do and see! We have to go back!

The Rocket Garden within the Children's Garden. This thing was crazy! Alex pushed the button and water shot out all over Cole! They all thought it was hilarious! Silly boys!!

Cole (left) and Alex stopping for a pic while Andrew, Austin, and I backtrack on a hunt for the lost water bottle. No worries! We found it! Whew!

The Gardens Railway

The "tail end" to a fabulous day! Haha!

It was so much fun! Can't wait to get together again! 

A Week with Christopher {Part 2}

Space. 

The final frontier. 

Ok, maybe we didn't go ALL the way to space on Friday, but we had a blast in Huntsville at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. If you live within driving distance, just GO! It is awesome. We have been before, but I just had to take Christopher since he is thinking of engineering and sorts.

Anyway, it was so much fun!! The pictures tell the whole story. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Space. The Final Frontier.

We went to the COOLEST place this past Saturday! The coolest. Ever. Ok, minus Titusville, FL... But still.

We went to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville!! WOOT!!

Andrew has been on a space kick for the past month. He builds rockets with his legos. "Flies" around the living room all the way to the moon (aka his room). I can't tell you how many space shuttle launches we have YouTube'd... He LOVES it all!

 Can you feel the excitement in his face?!

 We didn't tell either of them where we were going - except that it was super cool. Andrew saw a billboard for the Space Center before we turned at the junction and still wasn't completely sure. But he KNEW as soon as he saw a rocket off in the distance. THAT THING IS HUGE! Gotta love the Saturn V!!

 As we turned into the parking lot he saw something else that caught his eye...

WHOA. Space shuttle.

Alex was pretty excited, too! He kept saying "space! space!"

Funny story before I start  sharing pictures: When we got into the line to get our tickets (which thanks to our McWane Center membership - this was FREE!!), Andrew started freaking out. I asked him what was wrong he says, "I don't want to go to the moon!!" I'm sorry, but I busted out laughing at that. I had to explain to him that they don't send people to the moon anymore (boo, lame...) and that we were just going to see what those amazing people did to get there. He calmed down a bit, but was a bit worried again when we headed outside to see the rockets. Too funny.

 Looking at the different rockets  - they are so cute.

 I had to get a picture of this! A wagon with rockets. Classic boy life, right? This is a part of the Wernher von Braun exhibit they have on display right now. 

This is the V-2 Rocket Engine he developed in the 1930s. Awesome.

 In the next section of this building, Jason and Andrew had a blast with the MathAlive! exhibit. Basically, it is an exhibit that shows how math is involved in pretty much everything from sports to music to things used with the International Space Station (like the robotic arms). This is Andrew and Jason trying out a snowboard race.

 Jason and Andrew in the shuttle. Alex trying out all the touch screens.

 Andrew checking out a "super cool rocket" (his words - so cute. he like screamed it, too.)

He loved to watch these rovers. Some of them moved their cameras around and he would laugh and try to hid when one of the cameras "found him." Too funny.

 Saturn I Rocket

 A portion of the GIGANTIC Saturn V rocket - amazing

 Saturn V engines - I am such a nerd. I think that these are just so amazing. Beautiful engineering. Seriously. 

 Discovery - so proud of Andrew for remembering what I taught him about the fuel tank and rocket boosters. He knew what was what and what came off first. I am so sad I will never get to see a shuttle launch...that was on my bucket list, NASA... 

This is where Andrew got nervous again about going to the moon. Alex, Daddy and I all got into the space capsule. But Andrew wanted no part of that. 

 Look at that! Amazing! 

 Alex thought this moon car was pretty cool!

 And Andrew loved the lunar lander!

This guy though...they weren't too excited about. Thought, after I watched that scene in E.T. when they had guys wearing space suits go into the house...yeah, that was a little scary. But, the boys haven't seen that movie yet. Maybe it is because you can't see his face?? Still it is pretty cool.

I had to include this! After the astronauts get back to earth, they are quarantined immediately until everything has been checkout. This is a game they had set up in the quarantine unit. HA! Awesome.

It was such a fun day!! We all had a blast. The boys, of course, got a souvenir. 

 They got their very own space shuttles!

So, do you think we will ever go back to the moon? Think we will send someone to Mars? 

I think so...one day...