The Successful Failure

Today is the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13.  This mission became known as "The Successful Failure".  If you don't know why it called that - or even if you do - I would HIGHLY recommend watching the movie, Apollo 13, with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton (you can buy it from Wal-Mart for a measly $7.50).  It is AWE INSPIRING!  I am completely amazed at how NASA brought those 3 astronauts home safely.  I've watched it more times that I can count and I cry EVERY time.

Anyone who knows our family knows how much we LOVE the Apollo Space Program.  It all started with Dylan watching Apollo 13 over and over and over and over....you get the idea.  He began reading about it in books and on the internet.  It didn't take long for the rest of us to jump on his wagon and fall in love with the majesty and mystery of space!  It REALLY is a big deal around here. 

It has inspired:

 Dylan and Landon's halloween costumes last year.  I took them to the Clarke Planetarium to take this picture.

The decor of the boys' new room in the basement (More to come REALLY soon, I promise) 

And now, Chris' newest project.......an in-house planetarium that he is building himself!  Instead of a home theater, our home will boast a PLANE-freakin'-TARIUM!!!!!  I don't know how elaborate it will be, but knowing Chris, it's going to be good!  The finished project will be 8 feet high, with a 12 foot diameter.  It's not going in a room.  It IS a room!  You can see a scaled down model that he made from poster board in this picture.  Is this COOL or what???  (Who ever said that geometry would never come in handy?  Oh, wait, that was me!!!)

Easter 2010

Easter was pretty quiet and uneventful around our house.  We enjoyed conference and a quiet, relaxing day at home.  The kids got much needed swim suits and matching flip flops in their baskets.  I tried so hard to get them to dress up in their new garb and take a picture outside, but none of them would do it because it snowed.  That's right, no warm, spring sunshine for us this Easter.  Just a bunch, as Grandpa Saunders used to say, of white poop falling from the sky.  I always thought that was funny coming from a man who spent so much of his life living in Alaska!  But, now, in my ripe, old age, I totally understand why he called it what he did.

Chris didn't get a swim suit.  NOPE.  He got STING concert tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!  Which means that's what I got too!  I was originally going to wait until Father's Day to give them to him, but the concert is before then.  So Easter it was!!!  He was pretty stoked to say the least!!  I LOVE pulling off surprises like that!

 HAPPY EASTER!

Now I just to wait for my tulips to bloom!!!