Category: Grandkids

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Exploring Mars

Last night I took Lauren (my grand-daughter) to the National Geographic Exploring Mars presentation at the Holand Center.  Kobie Boykins was the speaker; Kobie is originally from Omaha and manages the engineering team that designed and built all of the moving parts of the Mars roving science lab Curiosity.  Pretty awesome evening!  Lauren and I both enjoyed it.  Many thanks to Lisa Van Stratten for providing the tickets.  After the presentation Lauren got to meet Kobie and had her picture taken holding one of the wheels used for testing a couple of the earlier Mars rovers.

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Why, yes… this IS my first rodeo!

Lisa and I took Lauren, Holly and Burke to the River City Roundup rodeo last night.  It was the first time any of us had been to a real rodeo…  a good time was had by all!  The two little ones got cowboy hats.  We saw the animals in their pens for 4H judging; the little ones were pretty jazzed to get to see and touch the sheep, goats, and cows.  They also got to see some pigs (mainly tiny little piglets) and barnyard fowl — ducks, a goose, chickens and a rooster.    I didn’t get many pictures because riding herd on the kids kept us hopping.  They enjoyed the rodeo events, as did Lisa and I.  It’s pretty fast paced, not much time to get bored waiting for the next event!  I think the two little ones will be naturals for mutton busting in a few years.  That was hilarious, and it looked like the kids were having a blast!  On the way out, Lauren pulled a loose tooth — another first for her, she’s never pulled one of her own before.