Domo Arigato Mr. Robot-O

Jeremy is on the Robotics team at school. They had their first competition on December 5th. They had to design, build, and program a robot that competed with other robots. It is part of a nationwide program that takes place each year. It is called the FIRST Tech Challenge.

His team's robot did not win the actual competition, but was nominated for the best design and did win the "Think Award" (I'm still not 100% sure what that was for).




Design Award

Nominees: Team 295, Gateway Institute of Technology, St. Louis, Missouri

Team 2866, Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights, Missouri

Team 3592, Rockwood High School, Eureka, MO

Think Award

Nominees: Team 3549, Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, IA

Team 3591, Rockwood High School, Eureka, MO

Team 3592, Rockwood High School, Eureka, MO

Winner: Team 3592, Rockwood High School, Eureka, MO

Here's a PSA for this competition...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl2PpP2YnbQ&feature=related



Here's the robot "pit" where two teams of two robots compete against each other. For this challenge, they have to release balls, scoop them up and shoot them into various bins and nets.


Here's Jeremy's team's robot (#3592)


We all went to support Jeremy and watch the competition. It was fun!

Oh Christmas Tree,
Oh Christmas Tree...

We prefer real Christmas trees and prefer to go and cut down our Christmas trees from Christmas tree farms, so that's what we did again this year.

We went here:
http://www.pumpkinsandpines.com

It was a little hard to get in the Christmas spirit because it was so warm and dry (temps were in the mid 60's), but we got into the spirit when we smelled all the pines trees and saw the "Christmas village" at the farm house.


They give you a bow saw to cut the trees down.


Even our dog got to help this year.


Jeremy cut thru most of the way, but all three boys helped.


TIMBER! Spencer was the lucky one to saw thru the end and have it fall.


They drive you out to the trees and back in a tractor pulled hay wagon.


Instead of a bridge, they have this water crossing. After you cut your tree down, they bring it back to farm house using this ATV and trailer.


Here's our van with our tree on top heading home. I think driving on this water crossing made Alisa a little nervous?
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

A Very Happy Thanksgiving!

Jason & Brianna came for Thanksgiving Dinner. We really have a lot to be thankful for in 2009. We're very thankful that Brianna and Jason got married! We're thankful that Bradley's back from his mission and is back at college. We're thankful for our good health. We're thankful for our family and friends. We're thankful for the gospel. We're thankful for our job. We're thankful for all our blessings!