Creation Museum

About a month ago, Greg, Tirzah, and I went with the young group to the Creation Museum in Kentucky.  We left Friday night and stayed about an hour away from the hotel.  I think everyone got a giggle out of the sign when we pulled up!

So official!

Greg took a picture of me and Tirzah in the mirrored roof of the elevator.

Saturday morning, we got up and drove to the museum.

But first, we had to get a group picture by the sign! :)

Megan and Katy, waiting to go inside

Elsie, Lucy, and Carly...the other SLR cameras...I'm sure there were no shortage of pictures on this trip!

Cute little Tirzy Wirzy...you'll see several more like this.  I can't believe I have enough kids to say this, but only having one child with us felt like such a vacation!  She was an angel and Greg and I were able to really enjoy the museum.  (Thanks Dad and Mom B. and Sheila for watching Max and Nora!)

We did think about the older kids quite a bit, though...the museum, while very educational, is also very visual, and they would have loved the displays!

Greg really liked this Martin Luther quote.

Tirzah chillin' out

Here's where the kids would have really loved it:  the creation story!  SO many animals!

A monkey picture for our little monkeys.

Kangaroos!

And, of course, the dinosaurs!

This is one wall of the ark display...the entire room is 1% of the total area of the ark in the Bible.

And look, there's Noah!

More of our sweet baby...

so smiley.

I had never heard of these twins before.  Pretty amazing!

After going through the museum (which I realize I didn't talk about very much, but I don't even know what to say about it, except that you really should go see it for yourself), most of us bought tickets to the Snakes Alive! show.

So many snakes!

This is a bearded dragon, which according to the herpetologist Rick Teepen (the snake guy), is a MUCH better pet than an iguana.  Take note, Sheila! :)

This was definitely the prettiest snake, which I unfortunately don't remember the name of.  The snakes were impressive, but the man talking about them was equally so.  He really did relate everything back to God as a creative designer and loving creator.  I guess I was expecting more of a boring presentation about the snakes, but he was very interesting, funny, and personable.

This was hilarious.  These kids volunteered to hold the snakes, but the boy in the middle got this nervous grin and jumped every time his moved.  Pretty soon, he had his arms totally outstretched from his body, dangling the snake over the floor.

On the other hand, you had the girl in yellow wearing hers like a necklace, and a little later the girl in gray had hers on like a belt.

When Rick took the snakes back from the kids, he oh-so-casually draped them one by one around his neck.  This guy really loved his snakes.

Near the end of the presentation he brought out baby milk snakes...I don't remember how old.  By this time, having seen so many snakes, I realized that I caught myself almost thinking that these little things were cute.  If you'd told me that I'd ever think a snake was cute, I would NOT have believed you.  They were pretty tiny.

At the very end, Rick and his helper got out the biggest snake: a python!  I don't remember its name, but I think it was a girl, and weighed over 100 lbs.  I wonder how many times this snake has been photographed in its life? :)  Here are Rebecca, Megan, Carly, Katy, and Lucy holding her.

Brad, Adam, Trent, Michael, and Greg...Brad was having some issues with her head, apparently.

My fearless hubby! :)  Remember when he held this snake in Florida a couple of years ago?  I didn't hold it then, and I didn't hold it this year, either.  After this show, though, I kind of wanted to hold this snake!  I had a sleeping Tirzah in my arms, though, so I passed.  Like I said, Rick had a way of making the snakes seem not so creepy and gross.

Rebecca holding it all by herself!

And Brad...

Michael...

Christy...

and Adam.  Others did, too, but I don't have good pictures of them.

Another picture for Max...

Turtles!

As we were getting ready to go back to the hotel, I gave Tirzah to Greg and went to find the bathroom.  When I came back, this is what I found:

a squirmy Tirzah getting a caricature drawn of herself!

I love watching artists draw.  This guy was no exception.

The happy model.

As we left the museum, Katy had to give the dinosaur a goodbye hug!

We went back to the hotel, ate pizza, had a little Bible lesson, and talked about the day at the museum.  It was a really neat day and enjoyed being with everybody.  We had to leave that night, though, because the next day Greg and I had two couples from our out of town potluck coming for church and the evening!

I didn't take very many pictures, but here are two good ones.


River, the boy in stripes, was trying to ride the scooter but Max was hanging on the back...

so Jeremy, River's dad, gave them both a ride!

We loved the Creation Museum and traveling with the young group, and we loved having Jeremy and Shara and Bob and Ashley (and boys) for the day.  It was a great weekend!