ENDEAVOUR'S LAUNCH!!!!

by Robin

I'm so excited because it all worked out so beautifully this morning. If you've never been to a shuttle launch before, you need to get here in July for the last one - EVER!!!! It is amazing, patriotic, an engineering marvel and bittersweet, since it is all ending.

Like I was saying before though, I couldn't hardly sleep all night for all the excitement of getting up this morning (6am). We were blessed to be out the door quickly and didn't fight traffic like I feared. People were beginning to line the streets of US 1 and the Bee-line, but it didn't slow us down.



We arrived at the Marina at 7 sharp and was the first boat (not a crowd though) of boaters to be dunked in the water.



We headed under the bridge that takes tourists to the big cruise ships and then waited our turn going through the locks. In short order, we could see all the boats lined up, anchored and waiting for the launch time.



I entertained myself with photography of all the law enforcement. At least I didn't see any machine guns on these boats.






These "naughty" kayakers were escorted over to the crowds. I'm assuming they launched north of the "viewing line" and were greeted by blue lights.



I had momentarily thought about financial gain for taking viewers on our boat for the viewing, but these people actually did it. LOL



We looked at all the love bugs that died on our boat (& still continued to swarm around it).



We took family pics to record this historic day.









And then finally, we were off of the long hold and down to the T-Minus 9 minutes.

We all stood and waited for the count down.



And then Endeavour went up and everybody cheered!!!



And three seconds later, it went into the clouds and everybody collectively sighed, "Ohhh" from their boats.




Then, the rumble and sound hit us. That was FUN! Seconds later, people were pulling anchor and we filed down the channel back to the locks and our perspective 'homes'. All that preparation and positioning for 3 seconds of viewing. I'm not complaining though. I saw more than many folks who couldn't see it at all. It is always an honor to see a launch.

When we got back to the marina, there was a little excitement.



I saw lots of smiles so I was relieved that somebody wasn't injured. It was rumored that something electrical shorted in a person's car, starting a minor fire and the heat from that broke out the windshield. Poor person.

So, I hope you enjoyed our pictures and hearing about our day. My youngest didn't want to wake up early today but I'm sure than when he looks back on his childhood, he'll be very blessed to have these memories.

Take care!
Robin

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Scents & Strategy

by Robin

MOTHER'S DAY PHOTO

by Robin

Jack was sweet enough to take this one of me & the boys while we were waiting for the locks to open. I have been very blessed to be their mother and watch over them, teach them about God, love them and be loved by them.





Prov 6:20-23
The Message

Good friend, follow your father's good advice;
don't wander off from your mother's teachings.
Wrap yourself in them from head to foot;
wear them like a scarf around your neck.
Wherever you walk, they'll guide you;
whenever you rest, they'll guard you;
when you wake up, they'll tell you what's next.
For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path.

PEACE VS WAR

by Robin

Last week, I decided that I needed to make peace with my body. I've rarely liked my weight my entire life, find various ways to work out and lived on diets to control everything I eat. I'm a professional at it.

But, I really needed to make peace with the fact that I'm mid-40's and my metabolism is no longer what it once was. My muscles weaken faster than I can build them. I try to keep my mind on heavenly things and not worldly things like cellulite, muffin tops and thunder thighs.

Unfortunately, a week later, I've declared war on my body again. The battle of the bulge. My firepower will be Romaine, tomatoes, fruit and veggie straws (of course, dipped in Sabra Hummus).

I need an accountability partner.
Blessings,
Robin

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Mother,
You've given me two things.
One is roots
The other is wings.

(Author anonymous, photo by Robin)

GARDEN REPORT - May Flowers!! & Vegetables

by Robin


It's amazing to me how we went from this in April....



to this in May!!!



The beans did remarkable well. Yielded many from each bush and we're going for a 2nd round now.





Cilantro is turning into Coriander seeds.



Parsley is going to seed and attracting all the Love Bugs.



Sunflowers sprouted another 2 feet and put out their blooms.



Below is a picture of green heirloom tomatoes. Notice how the ones on the left are much lighter than the ones on the right? The ones on the left became yellow and the ones on the right were "Black Prince" type, which is more like a crimson on the inside, when ripe.





Today, I picked 4 Roma tomatoes and 1 yellow 'ball' heirloom. I can see that my sweet bell peppers are developing nicely and in another couple weeks, mild jalapenos should be overrunning the garden. I did get my first regular red tomato this week, too. Those are just beginning for those and the cherry tomatoes. We had a late start (for us) on those.

I am still waiting on onions & garlic to finish growing. They look wonderful and I can wait to harvest as needed. We're also eating herbs as fast as I can find ways to throw them into dishes.

I'll try to have some recipes with those in the upcoming weeks. Summer is finally here for us and so I will have much more free time for the next couple months.

Happy Weekend!!

Happy Easter/Resurrection Day

by Robin

I didn't want the weekend to go by without writing on the blog. My eldest went to a Youth Group lock-in with our church. He had an absolute blast and didn't sleep the entire night. So, all day, he's sleeping. LOL I thought since he's sleeping & Jack is working, I'd do all my cooking for the holiday.

What do you feed hungry fishermen who don't love turkey or ham? We're eating some of the best dishes from around the Caribbean Islands.

Here they are:

Bahamian - Trinidad Coconut Conch Chowder http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Coconut-Conch-Chowder/Detail.aspx

(add a 2nd can of coconut milk to substitute for the half-n-half)

Coconut Shrimp http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Coconut-Shrimp-I/Detail.aspx

Puerto Rican Pernil (Pork Shoulder) http://www.food.com/recipe/pernil-puerto-rican-pork-shoulder-115565

Rum Cake (this wasn't my exact recipe but very close to it) http://www.food.com/recipe/rum-cake-100873
Also, I chose to burn off the alcohol before making the glaze and to omit some recipes that used fruit & nuts in the glaze. We used Venezuelan rum.

Cuban Black beans (liberally use bay leaves, minimal vinegar, black pepper, salt, garlic to flavor)

Cilantro & Lime White rice (not sure if this is Cuban or Puerto Rican)

Lots of fresh bread, extra shrimp to either Scampi or Cook & Cook for Shrimp Cocktail. Yum. Oh and crab cakes..... because they were on-hand.

We will attend church services in the morning, eat like kings, and lay poolside.

God bless you!
Robin

It's HOLY WEEK

by Robin

I thought that you may like to see this video by Third Day about the thief who died alongside Christ at Calvary. Very powerful lyrics.

AND THE WINNER IS........

ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Robin

Today is my birthday!! I am such a blessed woman to be surrounded by so much love from family and friends. Thank you Jesus! Anyhow, Andrew won a couple of heats at the AWANA Grand Prix the other day. It's hard not to be happy because all your friends win and you're happy for them too.

After the races were over, they announced winners for Design and Andrew took 1st. That was so special to him. He beamed the whole drive home. It was his idea to make a Hummer, have it cut out and pick the colors.

Congrats Sweetie!! You're a winner in my book and in God's Book of Life!

MORE BIOLOGY EXPERIMENTS

by Robin

A few weeks ago, we did our last of the dissections. The kids had a great time digging into their specimens.

Crayfish - looks similar to dinner.



Then, they did a perch next - also looks like dinner or bait.



Last, they dissection their frogs. It was very cool because you can figure out the organs a bit easier because they seem to be more similar to the human body than compared to an earthworm or crayfish.



Nearly 2 weeks ago, we got back together for more experiments. We did a lot of slide/ microscope work first. Then, plant ID. But, the funnest part was the pH experiment where we boiled up red cabbage into a certain amount of water.

Cabbage water on left, windex in center (suppose to be clear but the blue did work) and white vinegar on right.



As we poured in Windex in, the pH changed!!

VIDEO REMOVED because it refuses to wait to be played when asked.





Then, we could pour vinegar back into it and revert it back to it's original color.



Very fun for all of us. Before we knew it, a few hours had passed and class was over. On Friday, we meet together one more time for more plant - flower labs. I'm trying to decide if we want to continue into Chemistry or Physics for next year. Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

by Robin

Check out Robin's Reports if you haven't seen the recent fishing trip.

AWANA GRAND PRIX

by Robin

It totally slipped my mind that I forgot to post up pictures & news that our AWANA team took 2nd place at the Games last weekend. Yeah!!

This weekend, our church is hosting a derby car race called the AWANA Grand Prix. Usually, we do 2 cars - one for each son. However, we're down to one this year.

Meet the 4-STAR GENERAL!!!!



Normally, it is Andrew's design cut into the car. This year it is a Hummer (Humvee ?). Then, Jack does his best to get the wheels on and put some weight onto it. My job is to paint it to Andrew's specifications.

Well, this year, Jack has been recovering from near-pneumonia and still having to work. I took over duties of adding the weight. I did a bang-up job, even if I do have to pat myself on the back. I made sure we went to a shipping depot and maxed out the weight. HA! Then, it was a combined job with spray painting the base and I did the details for Andrew. Overall, we're pretty happy with it.



I will have to let you know how we do at the races Sunday afternoon.

God bless,
Robin

BLACK WIDOWS

by Robin

I have killed 6 of these in less than 3 weeks.



I may have to hire myself out as a Black Widow exterminator. I know exactly where to look, how their webs look and their egg sacs. Fortunately for us, it's early in the year and we killed all the females before they laid their eggs sac. I did kill one male.

Three of them were found on our boat!! Oh, the joys of living next to a vacant lot with a big oak tree.

"I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN"

by Robin

Do you remember that song?? It's old, old, old, even for my generation. Anyhow, it's true he didn't promise me one, but he gave me one a couple months ago. After careful tending to, they began to produce new life; and, this week seems to be the week for blooms opening up. Five of my six roses are all purdy today.

We bought some of them without tags or blooms on them, so we knew we were taking a chance but God has DELIVERED!!!

There is this beautiful tie-dye type of rose. It will remind me of the blood Jesus shed for my sins and how it turned me white as snow.



This one reminds me of a rose climber I used to have called a Joseph's Coat. I was hoping to buy one of them this year, but didn't see one. So, God gave me a tea hybrid variety that looks very similar. It has a coat of many colors. I took this picture in the morning and it has already gone full peach by evening. Just gorgeous.



Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to stop and smell your roses. Robin

AWANA GAMES

by Robin

Andrew (and the family) is headed over to Oviedo with our church's AWANA team. We would covet any of your prayers for safety, fun and good sportsmanship.

AWANA stands for Approved Workmen are Not Ashamed (of the Gospel of Jesus Christ). These awesome kids had to qualify for their teams not by running a race quickly but by memorizing God's Word in their hearts. I'm so very proud of all of them!

Last year, our church won for their region, so I guess you could say they're defending their championship. LOL.

I found this video on U-Tube that shows you the type of games the kids will be playing. I do not know the maker of this video or the kids in it, but though it neat to share with you.

DISSECTING LIFE

by Robin I love homeschooling my boys. It has been mostly a joy to me for the past 10 years of our lives. I am very thankful to have a husband that supports the decision and sees it as the best way for our family. I don't take this lightly because I have seen many families fractured or fighting over homeschooling woes. God has willed it for our boys to learn at home. He has given me a heart for being at home, which wasn't easy for me at first. I dealt with a lot of guilt of not earning an income. I had a lot of guilt of not using my 4 year degree, although that is debatable some days. I just felt guilty for having a job that seems like fun. But then, Jack reminds me that it isn't always easy. There are days of frustration, which are quickly washed away as soon as he gets home. Sometimes we liken it to child birth. There are good days & bad days, but once the baby is born, all those bad days fade in your memory. For years, Galatians 6:9 was my best friend. It has to be read in the King James version, for me. There is just something very applicable to homeschooling in this version. "And let us not be wearing in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not." I'm seeing the fruition of those words with Simon Peter. He's a great teenager. He makes me look like a better parent than I am. He's cheerful and loves to learn. I threw him into various co-ops this year and he has turned out to be the sole male survivor in Algebra and Biology. We had a pretty good laugh at this a couple days ago. He has learned that working and studying hard has put him in the midst of *ladies*. Granted, he has no urge to date any of these young ladies, at least not yet, but it hasn't gone unnoticed that he's in the presence of them. Possibly God is teaching him how to handle himself around ladies, which is something that I could not teach him with giving him a single brother. I am not certain. However, I noticed that every time I left our Biology dissection group, that there were plenty of giggles. I returned and everybody was serious again. I'd leave and there were giggles. It was so cute & innocent. I am so thankful to be raising such a good young man that young ladies feel safe to be around. I guess I'm also very thankful that we're not at that stage where he's going on dates yet, either. I may be holding tight to Gal 6:9 again. God bless & have a wonderful weekend!