VA Air and Space Museum

Hello Down There!

Last Saturday we ended up going to the Air and Space Museum in Hampton!
It had a bunch of really cool exhibits and something for everyone to enjoy!

My favorite, the old planes. This bomber was used during WW2!
Above is where the pilot and copilot sit.

...and down here is where the gunner is stationed, right over the wheel and ammunition!

Dad and Jenny outside the full size model bomber where you sit and watch a quick film about WW2 bombing raids.

Jenny and Joshua using one of the flight simulators!

You can't really see it in this picture, but it really looks like you are flying on the screen!

Brian and I competed to see who had quicker reflexes. He beat me by .0025 seconds.
The good news is both of us could possibly be fighter pilots because of our lighting fast reflexes!

Here Leah is practicing landing planes on an aircraft carrier!

Joshua on the moon.

Brian and I played the biggest game of operation I have ever seen!
I won!

Dad read almost every sign in the place.

This is the Apollo 12 Command Module "Yankee Clipper".
It spent 10 days in space in 1969 (some would say that was the safest place to be in the 60's!)
This was the living space for the three man crew during their expedition.
Talk about close quarters!

Here's a helicopter similar to what flies over our house everyday!

Some of us climbed up to the observation deck to get an aerial view of all the planes!

The brave crew who made it up 4 flights of stairs!

Then we went to Mars and drove land rovers!

While at the museum Josh discover he wants to be a pilot...

and Dad discovered he really likes being an accountant
(they stay on the ground and don't have to worry about faulty landing gear!)

These flight attendant outfits were designed by Emilo Pucci in the 1960's. Groovy!

There was also an amazing exhibit on aircraft carriers, including models of the
USS Yorktown and the USS Ronald Reagan.
The Yorktown was put out of commission during WW2 and the Ronald Reagan was put into commission recently (2003?). The difference 60 years technology makes is astounding!
But the food still looked the same.

Back to Colonial Williamsburg

We are still exploring Colonial Williamsburg whenever it is warm enough to get out!There are carriage rides!

We also found a vegetable garden that already had plants in! It is going to be a gorgeous
(and productive I'm sure) garden come spring and summer

A shot from the parking lot.

The Market Place Tavern

Josh and Leah outside a store.

Mom and Jenny in a garden.

Wednesday!

We got a Bowflex!

Since it was cheaper to buy a Bowflex than it was to sign all of us up at a gym here Dad decided to invest in an exercise machine. So, I got on Craigslist and ... TADA a gently used
Bowflex Ultimate 2!

The instruction manual was a little thicker than we anticipated!

Jenny on the treadmill
(and we keep the crutches handy, who wants to hobble all the up to the attic when in pain?)

Here I am helping! Brian kept me around to hold the instruction manual and hold the heavy pieces in place as he attached them permanently. I offered to help with screwing the bolts into place, but Brian and Emily just chuckled and asked me to hold the manual up higher.

Well on a different note, Brian got a job! He is now a lifeguard at Great Wolf Lodge! This resort has a huge indoor/outdoor water park with about a dozen slides plus a bunch of other water activities. Luckily he is allowed to bring friends with him occasionally!