How We Came to Be... at Camp KSC

So a few people may have been wondering how we came to be at Camp KSC. One word: SCOUTS! The opportunity presented itself for Laurel to apply for a scholarship to attend Camp Kennedy Space Center this summer. It required that she write an essay about what she would like to do at camp. I've decided that since so many people helped her to get where she is, I'd share part of her essay:

"I have always wanted to learn about telescopes, how space shuttles take off, and astronauts and satellites. I love learning about the solar system and going new places. I love watching shuttles and rockets go off from my back yard. But it would be even cooler to see one really close up. If I went to Camp KSC, I can add it to my great adventures and tell my Girl Scout sisters all about it." -Written by Laurel Smith

Today, we picked up a VERY excitable 7 year old again...She got to meet an ASTRONAUT today! She was so excited as she told us about meeting retired NASA astronaut Jon McBride and getting her picture taken with him. Laurel regaled us with tales about all the questions her and her team asked him, with her own question: How much do you love space? and his reply: I love it alot! 

She also came home sporting a shiny patch that she won for answering a trivia question correctly. We thought it was very fitting considering the patch said "Salute to Girl Scouts" - so Laurel was stoked! Each day she gets to take home a commemorative coin as well. So basically, she's taking home a small collection of memorabilia from Camp KSC.

Kevin and I spent the day walking around with Ella while Laurel was at Camp. Our hotel has a very eclectic collection of decorations around the property... tikis and eyeballs and beautiful flowers! So far the week has proven to be exciting and relaxing at the same time... headed to the beach to enjoy the water for a bit before the sun goes down! Will keep you updated as the week progresses!

Camp KSC and Cocoa Beach

Today marks the 1st official day of space camp for Laurel. (Yesterday was Orientation and Registration) As most of you know she was raising money for her trip because she received a scholarship for an essay she wrote. She sold a few paintings & received a few donations via her fb fundraising page...and she finally got there! When we checked in for Space Camp - they directed us to the US Astronaut Hall of Fame (which happens to be across the street from the American Police Hall of Fame). As part of registration, we were able to tour the Hall of Fame for free. I think this was wonderful - because it really got Laurel excited about Space Camp. Here we wandered through memorials and tributes and exhibits about space exploration and science and history! By the time we left, Laurel was bursting at the seams with excitement and she said she just couldn't wait for Monday!

We managed to get a hotel room with a combination of using our frequent flyer miles and some of the cash she raised. The best part is... we managed to get an oceanfront resort for cheaper... yes, cheaper... than a dive. So this week we are staying at the International Palms Resort & Conference Center. It's oh so nice to literally walk out your door and be on the sand in less than 3 minutes! We checked in late and headed straight for the surf - jeans, long pants - everything! The water was surprisingly warm, so much so that Ella didn't even protest when we put our toes in. Towards the end of the evening though, the surf/tide starts to pick up. No sand castles for us! We made it a point last night to set our alarms this morning so we could watch the sun rise as dawn breaks. Unfortunately, there was so much cloud cover on the horizon, we could only see the colors of the sky overhead... not quite the sun... but it was a beautiful sight nonetheless. 

After picking Laurel up from Space Camp today - well, let's just say it was non stop chatter. She made rockets, participated in the Mission Launch Experience. Her camp instructor, Bruno, came over to us and told us that he really loved having Laurel in his group (They were Team Enterprise). He said she was such an active participant with lots of questions and so much enthusiasm about what they were doing. Laurel was literally BEAMING! She brought home the paper rocket she made - apparently, they set off a bunch of rockets throughout the day - and a collectible coin. She also got her Mission Commander pin, since she was Mission Specialist 5 - here I found out that she got to mix chemicals to create combustion prior to launch... um, let's see, we're going to teach our 7 year old to become a rocket chemist... Is this a great idea? lol! In any event, I think it's safe to say that for the first day of camp, Laurel was definitely busy. They wore her out (see image) and she's just way too excited for tomorrow!