Space Shuttle's Final Pre-dawn Launch

This is the picture I have on my cell phone for my wallpaper.  Check.it.out!  It is the last pre-dawn launch of NASA's Space Shuttle.  Today, the space shuttle was piggy back flown to Washington, D.C., to it's final resting place at the Smithsonian Institute.

In April 2010, the Hott Family made it to Florida to see a shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center.  It only took three attempts to finally witness such an amazing sight.  While staying directly across the river from the launch pad, our balcony at Ron Jon's Resort provided an excellent front row seat.

Really, it was kinda strange to hear the loud boom and then feel the sound.  But it was the coolest thing ever to watch it launch only about a few miles away.  It rose in the sky and headed towards the International Space Station. As the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean, the picture you see here of the jet stream was captured.

Kinda looks like a big dragon, doesn't it?

School starts in how many days?????

It is no accident that "Excuse me... Can I tell you something?" makes its' debut today, the first day of August 2010! I really wish this was true; like yours truly the original Hott Mama could be so organized. Hah... Impossible!

In reality, "Excuse me... Can I tell you something?" is an idea that has been developing on my "list" for quite some time. Do you know what I mean by a "list"? I am referring to the endless sheets of paper I use to compile my "list" for everything from the grocery store, party invites, Christmas shopping, to the "list" that our heart composes of those important life activities one desire to achieve at certain milestones in life.

For example, I'll explain the profile picture selected for this blog. It is the vapor trail from the space shuttle launched April 5th, 2010, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Pretty cool picture, don't you think? Ten years and two more kids later, a blizzard of the century, and we finally made it to a shuttle launch. Not a simple task coming from W. Va. Check the "list"!

You see, my garbage is soooo full of the lists I made and regularly forgot to bring along to Food Lion that I will sometimes make lists of things to do and include things I have already accomplished... just to give myself the satisfaction of checking something off!

So you see, "Excuse me... Can I tell you something?" premieres today. TaDa!!! This first day of August. Exactly 3 weeks until all four, yes four of my children ranging in ages 5 to 20 will be beginning school! August 23rd marks the day my youngest, Levi, begins Kindergarten and my oldest, Caity, begins her final year of grad school (at age 20), including Violet, 10, entering 5th grade, and Isaac, 6, starting 2nd. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS.... EVERYONE WILL BE IN SCHOOL!!!

No, I'm not too excited about that! Well, actually... yes, I am! Because on my "list" of life accomplishments is compiling a "list" of the crazy things life has thrown at me over the years as a mom, wife, substitute teacher, public employee, theatre manager, executive secretary, party planner, vacation Bible school teacher, dramatist intern, recently PD and Brugada and more. So now, about to turn 45, I realize that it really isn't about all the work you've done or stuff you have. Rather, it's about those around you, celebrating and cherishing each day together.

So Hott Family, get ready! Mom's about to share with the world our crazy family "list" and daily adventures. Remember me always saying, "Mom's going to write a book someday!" Or, "Behave yourself, or I'll put this in my book!" To, "EXCUSE ME... CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?"! From a blog to someday a book, I hope to record the Memoirs of the Original Hott Mama!


And for those reading this new thing called a blog, remember how you manage your "list" for those around you; realizing that life may sometimes whisper, or yell: "Excuse me! Can I tell you something?"