Are the Stars out tonight

Or, Are the Planets out this Morning?

We are working through Jeanne Fulbright's Exploring Creation with Astronomy right now.  We are all really enjoying out time traveling through the solar system.

The past two weeks we learned that, due to their location close to the sun, Mercury and Venus are both visible in the early morning or early evening as they follow the rising and setting of the sun. 

Since three of the kids were up early this morning, I was up too.  As the sun began to rise, I asked my 8  year old if she wanted to see if we could see the planets.  She was very excited so I told her to go get a jacket and some shoes on, quickly, the sun is coming up.  She eagerly put on her shoes and a jacket.  Her shoes were flip flops and her jacket was a fleece zip up.  Not exactly what I meant, but perfectly fine for a quick look at the sky in our 39 degree morning.  We live in the desert afterall.

I grabbed the toddler, my 4 year old braved the fierce winter coldness in his bare feet and we went out into our back yard.  The sky was beautiful.  The moon was shining, crisp and clear midway through the sky.  The inky blackness of night was slowiy erasing away as the sun's red and golden hues were creeping higher over the horizon.  My 8 year old excitedly pointed up into the sky and said, "Is that Venus?"  Almost midway between the horizon and the zenith in the SE portion of the sky were two magnificently shining celestial bodies.  Besides the moon, they were the only things left shining in the early morning sky.  The suns magnificence had already "turned out" the rest of the lights of the heavens, leaving only these two pin points of light, shining brightly for us to enjoy.

Satisfied with her observation, my 8 year old ran back into the house deciding flip flops weren't the best footwear for winter mornings, even in the desert.

Not being exactly sure of what two planets we were viewing I looked up the Sky at a Glance at Sky and Telescope Magazine's site and discovered we were viewing Venus and Jupiter.  My camera is on the fritz right now so I don't have a picture to share with you all.  Instead, you will just have to go out early tomorrow morning and witness the beauty of God's creation yourselves.

Busy Day

Saturday had us hopping!

First we started the day w/ an early morning of T-Ball

First game

Lining up to bat

Swing!

We made a quick pit stop at home before heading out to 6 yo's Soccer game and this is what we saw which brought great joy to 4yo's day.

A large tree transporter!

After a quick lunch, we're back out at the field (different field of course).

Warming up

After her soccer game we went to some local fitness stores to check out their elliptical machines.  At one of the stores our little Mango found a new way to use the machines.

Working out on the elliptical

This cracked up the owner of the store.  He couldn't stop laughing.  Our little guy was so cute sitting here on one of the pedals drinking his cup of water and using the other pedal as his table.

We started our day leaving the house at 8:30 in the morning and, except for a pit stop at home to grab some food and change out of and into uniforms,  didn't get home until 8:30 in the evening.  It was a loooonngg day but a fun one as well.

Happy New Year

Ahhh, it's good to be back. :)

We switched to a Mac over Christmas.  Apparently Macs and Blogs don't coexist in harmony, what a surprise.   So, I've downloaded a new browser that does work w/ HSB and I'm off and running for a new year.

It's nice to be back.

THE MIRACLE DREAMS By Susie M. Best

That night when in Judean skies the mystic star dispensed its light,
a blind man moved in his sleep- and dreamed that He had sight.
That night when shepherds heard the song of hosts angelic choiring near,
a deaf man stirred in slumber’s spell- and dreamed that he could hear.
That night when in the cattle stall slept child and mother cheek by jowl,
a cripple turned his twisted limbs- and dreamed that he was whole.
That night when o'er the newborn babe the tender Mary rose to lean,
a loathsome leper smiled in sleep- and dreamed that he was clean.
That night when to a mother's breast the little King was held secure,
a harlot slept in happy sleep- and dreamed that she was pure.
That night when in the manger lay the sanctified who came to save,
 a man moved in the sleep of death- and dreamed there was no grave.

Who made this print?

Any animal trackers out there who would like to tell me what animal made these prints?  This was taken along the Payette River in the mountains not too far from Boise, ID in late Oct.

At first my husband thought this was possibly two feet together of a smaller animal  that made this impression.  But when I showed him the prints in the mud of the next picture and how they are the same size as this one and the spread between them, he thought maybe his initial hunch of a smaller animal was incorrect.

You can see two prints in this shot, one at the bottom, middle.  The next print is 3/4 to the top, center.  These prints were right in line w/ the first shot.

Anyone want to take a stab at what animal had passed by not too far ahead of us?

12 Days of Christmas

Someone on the FIAR Message Boards posted this today.  It's so good, I had to share it.  Make sure you turn off the Christmas songs on the right side of the blog.

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Christmas 1997

 

This Christmas was our first Christmas in Ohio and our first Christmas as parents.

Our first born was just two months old for her first Christmas.  I don't think she remembers much about this particular holiday.

The tree for this year was special in the way we brought it home.  The neighborhood we lived in had a Catholic school that backed into it.  This school would sell Christmas trees out of their parking lot as a fund raiser.  I had always romanticized the movies where you see the main characters walking to the Christmas lot and carrying their trees home.  They look so happy and blissful.   I had the bright idea that this Christmas, instead of driving over to the tree lot, let's just walk.

Getting to the tree lot wasn't a problem at all.  We bundled our munchkin up, layered warm clothes on ourselves and headed out to the lot.  Once we picked our tree, purchased it and wrapped it up, we began the process of walking home.

It wasn't anything like what I saw in the movies.  I think the actors must have someone helping them.   It was cold, cold, cold and the tree was heavy and wet.  I was holding our munchkin while Mark carried, dragged the tree home.  I finally bent down and picked up the one end holding onto Munchkin w/ the other arm, just to get home faster!

Once we were home, I did my things with the lights (I'll spare you reiterating my "love" for lights), decorated the tree and swore we would never walk to a tree lot again! LOL