Lighthouse Explorations: April 2012

April 30, 2012

M.O.M.S. (Mounds of Michigan Stuff) Contest

Just in time for Mother's Day we teamed up with 23 other awesome Michigan companies to give away a total of 24 prizes to 24 winners. Whoever is the lucky winner from Lighthouse Explorations will win a framed 8x10 lighthouse photo. We have 15 unsalted Michigan lighthouse photos to choose from (see below). Winners will be chosen by random.org, sorry open to U.S. residents only.

click here to enter

Here is a list of all the participants and their fabulous Michigan prizes:

1. Applesauce Inn B & B in Bellaire – One Night Stay. Value $150

2. Jam by Hand – 5 jars of hand made Michigan Jam

3. Michigan in Metal – Wind Chime. Value $45

4. Dino’s Lounge of Ferndale – A pair of tickets to a Detroit Tigers Game on Tiger Terrace (game in July)?

5. McLennan Gardens – Maple Syrup Gift box or $30 gift certificate

6. “Backroads & Byways of Michigan” Book by Local Author Matt Forster

7. “Michigan Best Tent Camping” Book by Local Author Matt Forster

8. Burnett Brew Blog – Set of two Signature Etched Logo Pint Beer Glasses

9. U.P. Pasties – Pasty Dinner Gift Basket

10. Stormy Kromer – Pedal Pusher Cap

11. Lighthouse Explorations – Beautiful 8x10 framed (choice) Michigan Lighthouse photo

12. Michigan Mortgage Solutions – Pair of Detroit Tigers Tickets to game on June 2^nd

13. Coyer Candle Company – 2 Mason Jar Candles and 4 fun shapes air fresheners

14. Michigan Amish Store – Gift Basket

15. Good Hart General Store – 4 World Famous Pot Pies

16. The Mitten State – Choice of 1 TMS Sweatshirt and 1 TMS T-shirt

17. Denise Ilitch Designs - Candle

18. Michigan Mittens – 1 pair of PINK MM with heart sewn on location of choice.

19. Rudy’s Gourmet Market – T-shirt and Hat

20. Kathleen’s Cookies – Michigan Cookie Tower

21. Foodie Road Trips $50 gift certificate

22. Lady Bathory’s Gifts – Gift Basket

23. Mesick Pharmacy – Morel Mushroom Apron & matching tote

24. Yooper Shirts - Shirt, Keychain, Magnet and Lighter

And now what you've been waiting patiently to scroll down to.......

For added fun, click on the name under the lighthouse to see the post about that exploration. Enjoy!

Mariners' Memorial Light

Holland Harbor Lighthouse

North Breakwater Lighthouse

McGulpin Point

Old Mission Point Lighthouse

Robert H. Manning Memorial Light

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

Charlevoix South Peirhead Light

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

Point Iroquois Lighthouse

Point Iroquios Lighthouse

Grand Haven Lighthouse

Peche Island Lighthouse

and the winner is.....Ann from Roscommon, MI

space shuttle Enterprise

Like millions of Americans, this family is pretty bummed out about the end of the space program. Last year after watching the space shuttle Discovery landing on TV, we even planned a whole vacation around seeing the space shuttle Endeavour launch. Sadly, there were complications and it didn't launch while we were there, but we still had a great time. When it did finally launch, 17 days later, we made a big space breakfast to celebrate while we watched.

When the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off (the final space shuttle to launch before the program was discontinued) we were glued to the TV. We saw on NASA TV that the astronauts had eggs, fresh fruit and whole wheat toast for breakfast. So, that's what we had! Now the boys always refer to that as an "astronaut breakfast".

Now that the space program has ended NASA is moving the space shuttles to various places around the country for public viewing. Friday, the space shuttle Enterprise was moved from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to JFK. The Enterprise was never actually used on a space mission. It is a full scale test vehicle. FUN FACT -- The Enterprise was originally named Constitution. However, a bunch of Trekkies started a letter writing campaign to the White House. Soon after, President Ford directed NASA to change the name to Enterprise. He never mentioned Star Trek or the letters, but he must have been a pretty big fan of the show to make an executive order like that! It will soon be moved to Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. On the way there it put on quite a show which included flyovers over several landmarks. Of course, our favorite was the fly by on the mother of all lighthouses, The Statue of Liberty!!!

watching in amazement

buzzing the Statue of Liberty

photo from the Nasa's Kennedy Space Center facebook page

We didn't have time for the astronaut breakfast before school, so the boys requested that we have it for dinner. Sure, why not? After school we played outside for a while and got pretty wet, so when we came in I told them to get their jams on before dinner (no point in getting yet another outfit out). So, of course, they picked their Buzz Lightyear jams to wear for their astronaut breakfast.

space plates that Manya got for the boys for Easter

Jackson

Lincoln

Spencer

April 18, 2012

color by numbers

I was cleaning off my desk and I found this color my numbers Lincoln made last year. Clearly, he was still mastering name writing. He wrote it backwards. So cute, it reminds me how fast time flies. They are already learning how to read.

April 16, 2012

school work

Lincoln and Spencer are now in kindergarten. Just before Christmas they brought home a bunch of papers that they had been working on in class. I found these amongst them. They had to color and count the number of triangles. (You can see some of Lincoln's other lighthouse school work here.)