Kennedy Space Center

This is the first of 3 posts about the KSC. We decided to take a mini vacation to the coast before we head out to the mountains next month. The kids really enjoy learning about space and looking through our telescopes, so why not drive down to the space center before we move 30 hours from it? Did you know Kennedy Space Center is the only place that launches people into space that is open to the public. I guess they open it up and use the $$ we spend there to help pay for NASA. There are only 2, maybe 3 shuttle missions left. Space travel in the US is up to contractors and civilian after that. It's a sad end to a great Era.

We had lunch with John Fabian, who flew to space twice, once with the first female to fly up there, so he is in all of those famous pictures. He was a funny old man.


The kids were trying to figure out how to make the "lunar rover" work. Ryan thought the gold picture in the left corner, which is actually a camera, was a machine gun, so he was shooting people as they walked by. You gotta love little boys!


The kids really like the old van that they used to transport astronauts in once they were suited up.


I guess things happen in cycles... Kids are into these vans, punch bugs (the cars), tie-dye, and peac signs!

NASA has paved the way for great technology and medicines, which is what they promote to try to keep everyone interested to keep funding. The kids liked this car.

Enjoy the rest of the photos! I will probably not update again until after we get settled in CO, which who knows how long that will take. We will keep the same e-mails, but bc we don't have cell phones, you won't be able to call us. Maybe I'll eventually get a cell phone, they are just so expensive!

Kennedy Space Center

We have Lots of Space Center photos. It was a fun day!

Layla and Ryan look so tiny under the Shuttle.


Layla training for space


Weightless-ness. She could only use her arms- to simulate no gravity- like walking on the moon.


All the astronauts we have lost.

The sign! We knew we were getting close. Look how clear the sky was!

Kennedy Space Center

The kids (Dan included) enjoyed the space center. They got to "drive" some vehicles- land on the moon and hook up to the International Space Station.




Another beautiful, bright day!


Layla and Dan went to Astronaut training while Ryan and Amber relaxed at the pool. Layla was the Mission Specialist for the Shuttle Discovery during her training. She loved it!


Dan and Layla in training. (Ryan was too young)

They got to meet former Astronaut, Robert Springer.

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Over Labor Day Weekend we took a trip down to Florida and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We stayed at a nice hotel in Cape Canaveral, got to the beach one day and the Space Center another.

Layla and Ryan digging in the sand. There were bad rip currents, so they couldn't go out too deep, but they had fun. The water was warm and we had about 1 hour of playing before the afternoon storms rolled in.


This picture is sideways too... So, tilt your head please! There was a fun park next to our hotel that had lazer tag (we really liked that- sorry no pics) and go carts. It was Mom and Son vs Dad and Daughter. Can you guess who won????



Tilt your heads again :). Dan and Layla were good sports even though we lapped them- yep, lapped them!!! They said it was bc they weighed more than us, but we all know that it was from the years of practice I had as a child.


It may not be the prettiest beach, but it was beautiful out. We got to see some huge cruise ships.

Dan's 30!

We planned a suprise bday party for Dan, but like most things, it didn't work out so well- we won't name any of his friends names that didn't hold up their end (pics speak for themselves). HAHA

He had a good time even though it was bittersweet bc one of his BFFs (do you like how I borrowed Layla's word) moved away after the party.


Dan says the couch isn't the same without Posada (who tried to sleep through most of the party).


We had good friends Gabby and Jake, and of course the kids.

Dan got horseshoes and as soon as we hammered them in after the cake, it started storming. Darn these summer birthdays!

Again, this photo was the right way, but now it isn't, so you'll just have to tilt your head :). If you know me well, you know I like to put the right # of candles on the cake. Pretty soon I will have to make Dan sheet cakes so there's enough room!

Layla's Birthday Party

Layla is 8 and in 3rd grade now! Here are some pics of her birthday party. We planned it for the park, bc I do not like the idea of having 10+ kids in my house... But, as luck would have it, it was beautiful all morning and then BOOM!!! It rained cats and dogs, so we had to relocate to our tiny house... It went really well though and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

This picture was the right way when I attached it, but now it's turned and I can't get it back, but you get the point!



Layla and her best friend, plus other friends. They have been BFFs for over a year now, playing ball together and being in the same class, so it's hard moving away from her. At least they will get to write each other and use the pretty paper they have!



I guess kids are into tie-dye and peace now, which Dan thinks is funny considering his job. Layla asked for a tie-dye peace-sign cake, and I did my best.

Swimming

At the ripe age of 7 years and 11 months, Layla can swim 25 meters and tread water for 30 seconds at the end of that swim- the requirement to go in the deep end and off the diving board at our local pool. She's way ahead of her mom :) If you know me well enough- you know what I mean, so it's good I don't let all of my dislikes and fears pass on to the kids. She even runs and bounces at the end to jump in. It took my camera a few tries to actually get her in the air, but here's a splash.


Here she is in action! Since this first day of diving board experience she has perfected her cannon ball and straight jump in!


Ryan's quite a little swimmer too- just not confident enough yet. He can swim to that rope all the way across, but does not like to! He loves to jump in (he cannot touch the bottom) and either swim to mom or dad a little bit out or turn around and swim back to the side.


Here he is swimming!

Another favorite of his is to see how far down he can go down and how long he can hold his breath for. Today at the pool (about a week after this photo) he taught himself how to do back flips under the water by pushing off the ladder (of course I didn't have my camera and don't normally because a parent has to be in the water because he is so young).

We try our best to make it to the pool every afternoon in the horrible heat! I go back to work at the end of the week :(, so we'll see how often we get to go. Layla goes back to school Aug. 6th and Ryan's birthday is 29 days too late for GA Kindergarten. We are trying to enjoy the heat and swimming outside before we move to CO. From what I hear and read it gets hot there too, but usually cools off in the evenings-the 50s or 60s- unlike here where 75 is cooling off at night.

As things are right now, we still won't be moving until Oct. or Nov. So, that's going to be a huge temperature change for us- not to mention the altitude- going from sea level to a mile high! We wish it would happen sooner, but are anxiously waiting for the official word.

Layla's First Gymnastics Camp

Layla started gymnastics last week and of course she LOVES it! Here she is on the trampoline.


She has a great teacher- who says she learns quick and pays attention... I think this helps her to get more help from the teachers- it shows she's motivated and eager to learn.


I don't remember what it's called, but they teach them to balance their knees on their elbows before going into a handstand- talk about muscles!


She does have great balance- can do jumps on the beam.

Here's her favorite- she's the one upside down flipping over.

I hope she continues to enjoy gymnastics, even as it gets tougher. I give all gymnasts lots of credit- they are so flexible and strong!

Plants and Baseball

We dug a ditch, put gravel in to help the water drain, and then mixed good soil with our dirt and planted Cilantro, Zucchini, Green Bell Peppers, Jalepenos, and Tomatoes... And... They all actually grew- It was/is amazing! Layla said it wouldn't happen- that I have a Black thumb (which I do- I've even killed a cactus and bamboo). I will take pics of them now, but it's raining. We've eaten lots of zucchinis and jalepenos(Dan), a couple fried green tom.s and the bell pep.s are almost ready. We had great cilantro, went on vacation for a week (neighbor watered) and when we got back our rental people had actually mowed the lawn (it's usually about waist high before they do) and they weed-wacked my beautiful cilantro to death, so it's gone...


What do I do with a day off of work? I keep Ryan home from daycare and we dig a ditch! He was happy to help me and I enjoyed the day "off".



Our little ball star! There aren't enough girls Layla's age, so she had to play coach pitch baseball again, but she outran all the boys and was great with hitting and playing 2nd base! Next year she should move up to the pitching machine with softballs.


Ryan is a great baseball player, he is tired of T-ball, so I am hoping he can move up to coach-pitch next year. He is the one reaching for the ball. They don't let them do a lot in t-ball - no throwing, get the ball once then move so another boy gets a turn, run 1 base at a time, etc... Still fun though!

More May and Fishin'

Layla and Ryan enjoyed picking out the lobster to be sent to it's boiling death and eaten by their dad.


Yep, they liked playing with it.



I finally introduced the kids to PB and bananas- only Ryan likes it though


The kids and Dan got to take a boat out and go fishing (I woke up that morning really sick- ended up having Strep throat- Dan figured I just didn't want to go out on the boat- he knows I get sick very easy and do not like boats- haha)

I'm glad the kids gotta go with Dan, he even made them hook their own worms... Unfortunately no fish were caught. Maybe we will catch fish one day.

End of May and Early June

All 6 of my kids- the dogs are Hams for attention!

Layla and me on my birthday

Layla and Ryan at the Aviation Museum at Warner Robbins, GA

Can you see the small specks (Layla and Ryan)?

Of course Dan had to take a picture of this to commemorate his old AF job :>

Lieutenant Dan, I mean Spiecher

Enjoy! I know it's been a while since I have updated the blog, but my computer doesn't like to upload pictures, so I get impatient and quit. Get ready for it though, this is just a little of what's been going on the last couple of months.

Dan graduated at the beginning of May, commissioned with the Air Force, and we are now playing the waiting game. The economic woes have appearently hit the AF hard, and 90% of the Spring graduates are having to wait to "Enter Active Duty", for those non-military that means - not working or getting paid. Dan is unfortunately in that group and we are hearing that he won't be "EAD'd" until Oct. 1st at the earliest (that's the new fiscal year), but it could be Nov... So, we know we are going to Aurora, CO, but will just have to wait to move until they give us (him) orders. I was looking forward to moving over the summer and getting the kids started in school (Ryan starts K out there, but not here b/c of cutoff dates), but I have to get back into the military mindset of never planning more than a couple days ahead- haha.

Anyway, enjoy the pics: Awards banquet, commission ceremony, after dinner with some good friends who we were stationed with in Japan and NC, and of course Ryan as a lady's man- giving Dan's cousin a kiss. It was nice to have her and Dan's parents come down for the commissioning ceremony.