Get out of town

While everyone else around here was starting a new year at school, the kids and I headed down to see my sister in Kansas! It was a low key trip spent mostly just hanging out and swimming at the neighborhood pool each day--which was totally fine with us!

There is a nice little winding path in the neighborhood with goodies like bridges, lakes, and an awesome climbing tree like this one!

One evening we got to visit my Bro-in-law's lab.  (Field trip anyone?)   It was very interesting and educational! 

It was interesting to see how different tools and engineering techniques are used to study detailed functions of the human body.....and then how they can take that information and use it to determine new concepts and inventions to better help, well, the human body.

Why would you need a $100,000 microscope with laser?  Well, we learned one reason why.

We also got to learn about how an Ultrasonic device works.   We saw how to use it to find certain blood vessels...like arteries, to be able to see things like how the blood is flowing.

We also got to see how it is used on a "phantom" infant (which is a fake infant created with the same acoustic properties as a real baby in the womb). Pretty cool!

Lastly, we learned about a 3D imager, how it works and how they can use it in their research.  Middle Bro. was a good sport when we volunteered him to be the test subject for all this!

My son in 3D!   

Wow! We spent a week with my sis and I am realizing that I didn't even get any pictures of her and I! Ergh! Guess we'll have to go for another visit soon!    Thanks for having us guys!   Love you!