Our Spring Break Trip to Kentucky

They day David started Spring break we woke the boys up at 3 am, loaded them in the packed van and drove off to Kentucky. Why Kentucky you ask? The Creation Museum is there, that's why.

We decided to make it a 4 day 3 night adventure that included the Newport Aquarium, the Ohio River Levee and the Creation Museum complete with its planetarium. Boy did we have fun.

Since we travel with 3 kids, we have learned that the hotel room is just as important as the museum when it comes to planning. We stayed at Ashley Quarters in Florence Kentucky. Our room had 3 queen beds, a desk/table area, BIG screen TV with DVD and a FULL kitchen. Yup not just a micro and dorm size fridge. I am talking a full 4 burner stove/oven, micro, dishwasher and full size fridge. Plus, it was adjacent to a 24 hour supermarket. Ok that was sweet.

I will upload some pics and videos soon of our trip but here are the highlights:

1. Creation Museum - We have been doing our nightly devotions on Genesis and so far have covered creation, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. So what a good time to reinforce much of what we have been studying at home these last 3 months. The Noah's Arc area of the museum was a favorite. I think they gained a much better understanding of just how BIG that arc was. The Garden Of Eden was terrific. Nothing tops the Planetarium though. Nathan was a bit scared (it is DARK and the planets come at you fast)Both Caleb and Nathan needed to be on a parent lap in order to recline to see the presentation on the ceiling dome. So if you ever go and have little ones, don't pay extra for their seats, they will be on your lap anyway.

2. Newport Aquarium: Ok so my second son is an ocean buff. So we have seen our share of aquariums. But Nothing has even comes close to this place. It has a huge area designated for Jelly fish. Never seen anything that good before. All 3 boys were totally awed (as was mom) . We could care less about fish we want to see the exotic - jelly fish, sharks, sting rays etc. This place had it all. I pet a pajama shark with my own hands - ewwww. The shark display beats Sea World, hands down. You walk thru a larger area, the lighting is better and there is no walkway conveyor belt forcing you to plow thru at a fast pace. Here we spent lots of time staring up at the divers in the tank, the stingrays, the sharks (teeth and all! - and I don't mean nurse sharks either) and 2 sharkrays. Those were so incredible. We walked over a glass floor over crocodiles, and in the aviary we fed the lorikeets who ate right out of our hands. (Nathan LOVED that part) This place was worth the 8 hour drive both ways alone - and we travel with a 2 year old! That is saying somethin'.

3. Ohio River Levee - we walked over the purple people bridge. It is a purple pedestrian only bridge that connects Ohio with Kentucky. We did a history lesson with David and Caleb about the Underground railroad. As the Ohio river served as a crossing point for slaves to leave slavery and cross into the free north. The Levee was beautiful. We ate at Deweys pizza - for real the best pizza I have ever had. The kids enjoyed watching the pizza dough get thrown in the air and twirled about. Everyone enjoyed eating it - we ordered a second 17 inch pizza and took it back to the hotel. I will be running for miles to work that off but it was worth every bit.

The drive home was even good. The kids were troopers. We drove 6 1/2 hours before having to make our first real pit stop to get out and stretch the legs and run off some energy. (yes we did do a roadside pee at about 4 hours - can't say there is no "P" in Indiana - tee hee) So now it is midnight, the kids are asleep and I am doing laundry. But man it sure was fun.

Mom, whose wisdom does the Dr use?

So we have been going to the urgent care more times than I would like this past week. Both David and Caleb have ear infections. But we couldn't figure this out all at once of course, we needed to go 2 times.

At night our devotions have been centered around Proverbs 2:6. "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." It is the corresponding verse I chose for our study on Noah and Abraham. (Raising a Modern Day Joseph book outline - GREAT BOOK!)

So after we get out of the urgent care and are waiting for our medicine in the pharmacy David asks me:

"Mom do you think the Doctor used God's wisdom when he looked in Caleb's ear?"

I reply: "Well, I prayed God would give the Dr wisdom in diagnosing Caleb, but I don't know if the Doctor asks God for wisdom."

Later in the day when we talked it about it some more with dad, David says :"I know the Dr didn't ask for God's wisdom because he gave us 2 clues. He said "What the experts say" and "What I think" so I don't think the Dr used Gods wisdom." Well what can a guy say in response to that?
That is exactly what the doctor did say.

David has seen on multiple occasions God's wisdom differing from the information we have gotten from the Doctors and he has watched us seek the Lords advice especially related to Nathans health issues. Look at the outcome there - Praise God that we have the ability to seek and receive the wisdom of the Lord and gain knowledge and understanding.

I was awed and humbled that clearly David has seen that verse be relevant today in our lives not just in Noah's and Abraham's. May that verse remain with him and his brothers for all their days.

Our newest pasttime

Our newest favorite thing is thumb wrestling. Yes indeed it has been a long winter.

We came across the funniest thing on Cartoon network. It was TWF. Thumb Wrestling Federation. Since we are indoors so much, we now make up our own matches here at home to entertain ourselves. (we don't have cable - HA!)

So our newest thing is to get markers and paper and make thumb wrestling masks, tape them to our thumbs and wrestle each other to the death. Well not really the death, but it isn't for the faint at heart (or hand).

Sledding with the cousins

Nothing spells fun like sledding with friends/family when it is 40 degrees and the hill is all to yourself! Yippie!

Doing our part to conserve the water

I just could not resist. It sure looked fun, but let me tell you it didn't end well. Everyone got out when Nathan pooped in the tub. Was fun while it lasted!

more Kalahari

Fun at the Kalahari

The room was great, the kids were excited, all around fun time.