Today we read chapter 3 of A Child's Geography.  I got an email today saying that Ann is planning to have the book finished and available by Sept. 1st.  We can't wait!!

We finished our "tour" of Earth's atmosphere.  Last week we learned about the troposphere, stratosphere (with ozone), and mesosphere.  Today we "hiked" on up to the thermosphere.  It's amazing!!  I am learning right along with the children!!  For instance, did you know that the thermosphere is both hot and cold??  Yep!!  It's 3000 degrees BUT you would still feel VERY cold (and get a nasty radiation burn too)  While that was amazing in itself, more amazing was the ionosphere, which is a layer within the thermosphere.  Did you know that God gave our planet a kind of shield??  The ionosphere keeps flaming balls of gas (shooting off the sun) from hitting Earth.  They hit the ionosphere and explode into beautiful colors......called aurora!  I have actually seen these (we call them Northern Lights) and though I've been told why they happen, I never understood it until today!  That is amazing!!  Alycia, when asked to explain it to Daddy, said it best...."God wraps His great big arms around our Earth and protects us."  I love it!!  You know, I often am amazed at the things I don't know!  What I mean is.....I never had any idea that flaming balls of gas were being shot at us quite often.....and yet I am safe from it anyway!  God is protecting me!  Sometimes I get frustrated when I'm driving somewhere and a train makes me later than I already am.....but you know what, there are things I don't know.....GOD is in control!!  Beyond what any one of us can ever imagine, God is taking care of us.  That is just awesome to me!  Oh, and that's all wrapped up in an exosphere.  God is simply amazing beyond our wildest dreams!