"Slipped the Surly Bonds of Earth to Touch the Face of God"

If you're like me, you remember where you were 25 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. I was in Mr. Wood's 9th grade science class. We were watching the launch on the TV. It was especially exciting because school teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board. What a shock & horrible surprise it was when the shuttle exploded! We were all stunned!

I remember President Ronald Regan coming on TV & addressing the Nation. I posted the video of his speech above. His words were so poignant & comforting. The ending line of his speech is something I've never forgotten. Talking about the astronauts he said they, "Slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God". How beautiful! Later on in life I found out this is a quote from the poem, "High Flight", by John Magee.

Here's the whole poem:

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

I wanted to add this picture of the Challenger crew:

The Challenger Shuttle Crew
Back row, from left: mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis and Mission specialist Judy Resnik.
Front row, from left: Pilot Mike Smith, Commander Dick Scobee, and Mission specialist Ron McNair.

Eight Is Great!

Happy 8th Birthday to Adam!!! We love Adam! He is so fun to be around! He is full of energy & enthusiasm for life. His latest love is game shows. He loves them! Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Minute to Win It, Lingo, you name it he loves it. He will even record them so he can watch them after school. Game Show Network is his favorite channel, of course. For his birthday he asked for the 'Minute to Win It' Wii game. He will pick a game show over cartoons anytime.

Now that he's 8 he can get baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It won't be until the end of February when our Stake does the baptisms again. He can't wait!

Adam had his birthday party Friday night at Chuck E Cheese! Thanks to everyone who came. It was a blast:

*No your eyes are not messed up the pics are blurry

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of....

Adam got his 1st Pinewood Derby kit tonight! (Thanks Bro Rogers for bringing it over!) He is so excited to get to be in the Pinewood Derby & so are we!!!!

Sweet Sixteen for Sara!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SIXTEEN!!!!!!!! Today Sara is 16!!!!!!! CELEBRATE!!!! WHOOOO!!!! We love you Sara!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to one of the BEST girls we know!!!


Here are some songs that every girl must listen to on her 16th Birthday:

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Roosevelt delivered this famous speech on Dec 8th.

The quote "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy" comes from President Franklin Roosevelt's 12/8/1941 speech describing the bombing of Pearl Harbor the day before.

Interesting tidbit: "the most famous line of the speech originally read "a date which will live in world history"; Roosevelt crossed out "world history" and replaced it with "infamy", as seen in the annotated copy of the original typewritten speech from the National Archives"
The quote means that date will have a bad reputation.

SOURCE

Love This Picture!

I just loooove this picture! Ryan is coaching Adam's football team, the Toro's II, & here's their team picture. Ryan is the coach on the left & Adam is (#1). So dang cute! Ryan & Adam both had a blast this season!

Halloween 2010 Whew!

I wanted to get our Halloween report up before it was too late!

We went to a really fun pumpkin carving at our friend's house the Thurs before Halloween. It's an annual event they put on in our neighborhood & we enjoy it so much. Thanks Davis's!








Then our ward had a trunk or treat on Saturday the 30th. Ryan & I took Faith & Adam to that. Ashley went to a friends party & Sara was at a Band competition so sadly, no trunk or treating for her.

Ash & her friend dressed as boys. Ash's outfit was Justin Bieber inspired:


Adam was Lego Man:




Faith went as a diva. That's her pillowcase loaded with candy:


Since I'm turning 40 next year (yes...it's true) I decided to go with a mid-life crisis costume. I don't know what you'd call this exactly but I felt young. That's Ryan's actual high school football jersey I'm wearing btw. I think I need to dress like this more often LOL. Ryan wore his coaches tee shirt but I didn't get any pics with him. :


We hope you guys all had a fun Halloween too!!!

A Katy Perry song I want my kids to listen to!

If you haven't heard 'Firework' by Katy Perry you should. It has a great message. I love the lyrics:



KATY PERRY - FIREWORK

Firework Lyrics

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep, six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing?

Do you know that there's still a chance for you cause there's a spark in you. You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine, just own the night like the Fourth of July.

Cause baby you're a firework come on show 'em what your worth. Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" as you shoot across the sky-y-y.

Baby you're a firework. Come on let your colors burst. Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave them all in awe, awe, awe.

You don't have to feel like a wasted space, you're original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds, after a hurricane comes a rainbow.

Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road.

Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow and when it's time, you'll know. You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night, like the Fourth of July.

Cause baby you're a firework, come on show 'em what your worth. Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" as you shoot across the sky-y-y.

Baby you're a firework, come on let your colors burst.
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave them all in awe, awe, awe.

Boom, boom, boom even brighter than the moon, moon, moon. It's always been inside of you, you, you and now it's time to let it through.

Cause baby you're a firework, come on show 'em what your worth. Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" as you shoot across the sky-y-y.

Baby you're a firework, come on let your colors burst.
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" You're gonna leave them all in awe, awe, awe.

Boom, boom, boom even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.
Boom, boom, boom even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.

Source