This morning Ava, Liam and I watched the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour.
I tuned into the NASA channel on cable. The crew had already made their way into the shuttle. We watched the countdown from 10 minutes to launch. Ava seemed very interested in the whole process. I told her about the control center in Houston, how the different arms would move out of the way so the shuttle could launch. Liam didn't seem as interested, and was pretty busy playing with a vehicle of some sort. :-)
Ava crawled up into my lap. I asked her if she thought the astronauts were scared. She said she thought they were. I told her that they have practiced SO MANY YEARS for this trip. I told her I thought they might be scared, but practiced so much that they knew exactly what to do, prayed that God would keep them safe and then followed the directions of the Command Center. It was definitely a teachable moment... I told her that the crew had to follow directions because their lives depended on it. I snapped a few pictures of them watching the launch.
This was the last launch of Shuttle Endeavour. I read that the Endeavour was built to replace the Space Shuttle Challenger, which was lost in a launch accident in 1986. I remember watching the Challenger with my class at school, as it launched and then exploded. I remember praying with my classmates, with my teacher leading the prayer, for the families of the astronauts lost in the tragedy. Schools have definitely changed since then! I was thankful to see a glitch-free launch today, and remembered those on the Challenger who lost their lives.
Ava has been so fascinated with the planets and space lately, I thought she would really enjoy watching the launch. I told her that the astronauts would see the world like we've seen it in books, because they would be far enough away to view most of it. When she saw the guys working in the Command Center, she asked "Mom, are those the guys who control the shuttle?" She seemed to appreciate watching.
A woman flying from NJ to Florida actually took a picture of the shuttle from the window of her Delta flight. You can see the shuttle after it has broken through a shelf of clouds, as it climbs higher into the sky.
Peace, love and one Starry-Starry Night,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
On the heels of the happy news of Prince William and Catherine Middleton marrying this past weekend, we finally saw closure with the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden.
Osama bin Laden was responsible for organizing the terrorist plot carried out on the United States on September 11, 2001. Ava and Liam, I pray you never need to feel the terror that most Americans probably felt that day.
I woke up, as I would any other day, and headed into work at 3065 Cumberland Blvd, the 6th floor. There was a man who shined shoes on the entry level into the building from the parking garage. In front of his area, there was a t.v. When I walked in, I saw people staring up at the t.v. By that point, one of the beloved Twin Towers in New York City had been hit by a plane hijacked for the sole purpose of killing innocent people. I watched the t.v. with great confusion as we saw the second plane hit the other tower. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I got in the elevator as soon as I could to get up to my cubicle, so I could call your Daddy. When I got to my cube, I turned on the radio immediately. I called your Dad. We were both in shock. He was still working for Georgia Pacific. I felt like I was listening to a “War of the Worlds" broadcast and had somehow missed some important news at the beginning, that this was all some sick joke. It wasn’t. They talked on the radio of grounding all planes, as they didn’t know how many other planes in the air had been hijacked. It was an incredibly scary time.
After that news, as you can imagine, people didn’t work long that day. Over the next few days, I was sleepless; I couldn’t amass enough information to make my brain and heart feel comfortable enough in any way with these attacks. I told Doug I wanted to be awake when they caught whoever was responsible. I was that naive. I remember going for a run that weekend, feeling like I just had to get some tension out, and didn’t know what to do with the frustration I felt because of this. We felt so far removed here in Atlanta, but at the same time part of this huge nation that was not going to let pure evil dictate that we live our lives in fear.
Things have changed so much since then with security, being proactive about our safety. Until that day, it seemed we lived in a world where things like that couldn’t and wouldn’t happen. Sadly, they did. It was so comforting to see the resolve of so many Americans and see how we all were one at that point. Color didn’t matter, where you came from, who you were, what your job was, if you were the poorest man on the block, or someone with a big bank account. Those things didn’t matter that day. We were all Americans and simply people overwhelmingly hurt by this ordeal.
We would frequently hear news about a different strategic focus in hopes of catching Osama Bin Laden. They never seemed to be able to find him. It was hard to believe that one man could outrun a country with as much military prowess, training and know-how as the United States. Almost ten years passed.
Thankfully and finally, through a covert operation performed by the U.S. Navy Seals on Sunday, May 1st, in a secure and upper-class compound near Islamabad, Pakistan, Osama Bin Laden, leader of al Qaeda was shot and killed. He and his family had been living there for approximately five years. The U.S. government is currently questioning his wives, to learn as much as possible. They buried his body at sea.
His death will have lasting implications on the United States. I am sure, as are most Americans (if not all), that someone will step into power to resume Bin Laden’s duties, if they haven't already done so. More than ever, though, his death might symbolize an end to the fear Americans felt when he was living and in-hiding. It is likely that his militant group will eventually splinter without his so called "charismatic" leadership. We can only pray that happens, and quickly.
Proverbs 24 tells us: “Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble.” I can’t imagine being one of those whose family member died in the attacks on 09/11, and I can’t judge them for what they might feel toward someone like Bin Laden. I personally feel a sigh of relief knowing he is not orchestrating future attacks personally. I can only pray that the hatred his regime overtly demonstrated is quickly destroyed, as well, and that the response of Americans is a respectable one, one that will not provoke further hatred of our country, and possibly lead others to know of our peaceful, just, mighty and loving God.
Peace, love and tough history lessons,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
The Royal Wedding Prince William and Catherine Middleton occurred on Friday 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
The wedding was to occur at 6 a.m. ET, which was a bit early for me. When I told Doug the night before I that I was going to set my alarm, he asked me if I was serious. :-) Liam was our alarm clock that morning, waking me up around 5:45 a.m. so he could use the bathroom. Once he used the bathroom, Ava got up. We were all up to watch the royal wedding together on t.v. The news leading up to the wedding focused on the event ad nauseum, but I was still excited to see the event. I remember watching Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s wedding when I was younger, with my Aunt Freda. I remember what an amazing event it seemed, at the time.
Kate’s wedding dress was exactly as I pictured it would be. I knew her arms needed to be covered for the church portion of the ceremony. She seems very fashion forward and poised. It is nice to see a couple who seem to be so in love. I could go on, but I will leave it at that. :-)
When we go into the grocery store and Ava sees any of the “commemorative” magazine editions celebrating the wedding of William and Kate, she always picks it up and wants to buy it. We haven’t bought one yet, but who knows…
Peace, love and fairytale endings,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
