I am preempting my post about my son cooking Jamie Oliver's BBQ burgers for a more important update.  We are huge fans of Mr. Oliver and admire all he is doing to help people eat healthier.  If you don't know about him & his mission, please look him up:  www.jamieoliver.com will give you all the info you need.  That will be my next post~this one is about our Memorial Weekend.

 We went to the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville, Florida yesterday (Sunday) & today (Monday).  This place is truly humbling.  Not just because of the size of all the planes; it is humbling because of why they have been & are needed.  Our freedom.  Your freedom.  These machines are storytellers and this museum has restored most of the planes.  Some are on loan.  This museum is funded only from visitors donations.  Can you believe that?

Your tour guides are retired military personnel that have personal accounts to share.  I was truly honored to have been there, and I was really excited for my kids to experience this too.  What better way for kids to truly understand the meaning of the day than this place and...it was cool too!  The guides were entertaining to say the least.  They have a museum inside that showcases military artifacts, uniforms, maps, manuals and so much more, that are not replicas - they are the real things.  Personal stories with each item brings it all home, chillingly so in some cases.  God bless them all!  You can't help but read all the information posted on every medal, rations book, letter to home, boot, helmet, map...You become completely drawn into the time period, the smells, sounds, emotions.

They provided activities for the special day too.  They had fly-overs, music, photo ops, etc.  As if it needed anything more!



~Anjelica posing in a Blue Angel's TA-4J Skyhawk~











~Sebastian having his turn~
























We got to tour their restoration hanger and was even taken into one.  This plane, the "Tico Bell" flew during the Normandy invasion and other campaigns during WW II.  Imagine trying to eat & take a call in this thing?  Not gonna happen!




The wing view from inside the C-47.  (Very, very cool!)














~More of a plane restoration~









This is one I just had to blow up so you could read it...this was the bathroom sign on the same plane.  I am putting one up here at home!!!

I was so moved by it all.  All I could think of was how when I was younger I was going to go into the Air Force and become a pilot, then onto an Astronaut.  I was going to go into space and that was that!  I think I have gotten a better deal!  God knew better than we did.

Now back to the flying ~ my son & I have made a promise to take flying lessons as soon as possible!  Pray for money, that's the biggest hold-up right now.  Damian (greatest-hubby) has joined forces with us and wants to also!

To say we had a memorable day is not enough.  The moments of silence was for most of the days...lost in deep thought of what each thing represented, how one person affected so many and all so we could have our freedoms, people they don't even know.  Takes your breath away...

I absolutely love this poster.  I had to end with this one...we need to have respect for all we have and are given.  To truly honor our service men, women & their families, we need to have respect & honor for our country~no more Americans bashing America.  I am proud to live in America and more than proud to say I am an American, not just today, everyday.  And when you say that, it doesn't mean that people from other places are below us.  There is a reason people from all over the world want to live here, we as Americans forget sometimes and need to be reminded.  You ask someone who has just become an American citizen and they don't forget.  We are so blessed.  We need to continue to pray for God's blessing on us.  =) 







And with that being said...I have the freedom to choose to take flying lessons...I have a mission now...anyone know someone down here in Florida that offers lessons for a good price?  Free?  Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge...



















P.S. Is this the equivalent of the lens cap being left on?

Okay, our first week of summer is over today.  We've had beautiful weather & a fun, relaxing time...so why am I ready to do something else?  I have got to come up with something new for next week or I will go crazy!  

Have to go somewhere & do something new.  We've laid out by the pool & soaked up some rays, watched movies...things we crave all school year.  So...why is a week bugging me out already???


We have one car~which means I have to take the hubster to work which is about 40 mins one way~which means 40 mins back~which means I get to do it all over again when it's time to pick him up.  You can see why I opt out of it most of the time.  But, this feeling is going to get the best of me.  I need to get out...I'm thinking the beach sounds good...there's also the ice skating rink we Floridians think would be cool to check out...possibly renewing our annual zoo pass... At least that's for during the week.

The weekend is up for longer trips.  I like the idea of Blizzard Beach at Disney...and then Typhoon Lagoon...and then...

Okay, ignore the dates on the pics...dear hubster never wants to set the date every time we change the batteries...  (>.<)

Took my son to Star Wars: in Concert for his graduation present AND we're going to Disney's Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends, also for my son, this one for his 18th birthday.  This has been an awesome time. It is so wonderful watching him grow into the man that he is...and to think how he is going to get even better!  HIS life is opening up to him and I feel so blessed to a part of it!
 







 If you have a chance to go, GO!  There is a LIVE symphony orchestra and choir playing music from all 6 movies, with selected scenes on this humongous screen, surrounded with LED screens - sides & top  - lasers, lights, sound effects...total immersion into the Star Wars universe.  A definite must for all SW fans!  

We tried to go this past wknd for SW wknds, but it was so unbelievably packed!  It's no fun going to the parks when it's so crowded, everything takes FOREVER and it's hot & sticky - not the happiest place on earth right then...so we decided to wait for another wknd. Maybe most of the tourists will be gone...right, RIGHT?  ;)




     You ready for this???  We ate at an Iron Chef restaurant!!!  How cool is that???  Kouzzina by Cat Cora = YUM!  Such lush Greek food...definitely a new fave.  The whole place was so much fun we didn't want to leave. 










Our very sweet & rocking server Christina made the whole night extra special ~ if you go there ask for her!!!


 My son Sebastian...














 ...daughter Anjelica/Jeli

















 ...hubster Damian & Sebastian...








Summer is kicking in and we are enjoying every minute of it!
~ Sun & Fun ~