Off we headed to see a telescope with a 200 inch diameter lens!
We enjoyed the beauty of Hume Lake on the way there:
and mountain vistas and windy roads
then a short hike to the dome that houses the telescope: 
We looked for snakes, squirrels, and lizards on the way. The red ants were busy and could carry things 4 times their size! 
The kids couldn't keep their eyes off all those ants {smile}:
Once inside the dome, we enjoyed the former world's largest telescope:
Once inside the dome, we enjoyed the former world's largest telescope: We were inside when the heavy dome rotated. It was so cool to see that since it's hard to imagine all that tonage moving over our heads.
A 200 inch mirror on the bottom reflects the light back up to the "eyepiece" where the image is received:
A pic on the way in and out:
Outside was another telescope with which we could see the "solar flares" on the sun. "O give thanks to the Lord...that made great lights..sun...by day...moon and stars...by night.." Psalm 136:3,7,8-9 
and visualize the red spectra of Mercury's atmosphere.
I'm so thankful for the opportunities that we have to be alongside our children learning with them as they grow in knowledge. I am humbled by the miracle of life and honored to be a part of the Lord's plan to care for these kids and teach them in the way they should go. Since they were born, time has gone so fast and will continue to. I know there are moments that I've taken parenthood for granted. I'm relishing it at this moment though :-)
A pic on the way in and out:
Outside was another telescope with which we could see the "solar flares" on the sun. "O give thanks to the Lord...that made great lights..sun...by day...moon and stars...by night.." Psalm 136:3,7,8-9 
and visualize the red spectra of Mercury's atmosphere.
I'm so thankful for the opportunities that we have to be alongside our children learning with them as they grow in knowledge. I am humbled by the miracle of life and honored to be a part of the Lord's plan to care for these kids and teach them in the way they should go. Since they were born, time has gone so fast and will continue to. I know there are moments that I've taken parenthood for granted. I'm relishing it at this moment though :-)"You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God" ~Chris Tomlin
One of the ways we teach our children who God says they are, we wrote out God's words onto extra large sheets of paper and stuck these to the ceiling above their beds. 
What peace to meditate on these truths as our last thoughts of the day - truths that define your personal significance to God and your God-given identity. Got this idea from Neil Anderson's "Who I Am in Christ" list; found it in a hand-me-down book Celebrations of Faith by Randy & LisaWilson. I'm blessed by hand-me-downs!
and learned that they will separate. Oil floats on top since it's lighter than water. Water is heavier than oil and sinks to the bottom.
and carved their way to where the wild and rushing river can be found 
and like the rains I have been carried here to where the river flows. 
My heart is racing and my knees are weak as I walk to the edge I know there is no turning back once my feet have left the ledge and in the rush I hear a voice that's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith so here I go. 
The river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive. So sink or swim, I'm diving in.
It can bring the dead to life and it can fill an empty soul and give a heart the only thing worth living and worth dying for. 
But we will never know the awesome power of the grace of God until we let ourselves get swept away into this holy flood. 
When you are ready to take the leap of faith and dive in, sink or swim, and "In over your head you want to go", we'll dive in with you! love,gina
Lighthouse keepers & families protect ships and sailors from the rocky shores.
