NASA Workshop during the Doodle4Google in 2014

One of the judges during the annual Doodle4Google contest in 2014 was an astronaut.  Rylie was  so excited that she got her  Doodle4Google book signed by him and she also got a picture with him during the  meet and greet.  He was a very nice and friendly man.    I remember my son was really quiet when he was telling us  things about being an astronaut.  It was my first time meeting an astronaut so it was very memorable.

EJ was very excited upon seeing the NASA workshop  sign when the activities have started.

 The NASA workshop was the last activity that they did  before the awarding ceremony have begun.

 They were provided different kinds of materials to build something,

 EJ who is very interesting  building stuff was into this.

 The wooden wheels is what attracted him the most coz you know, anything with wheels is awesome for him.

 He was trying to work with the big kids but  they kind of just ignored him so he just did his own thing.

 Although initially we were told that only the  winner and one parent can come to the  prepared activities, I am thankful that Google have accommodate even the extra family because  me and my son got to go too and he was able to participate.

 Rylie and her partner  worked so well together in every activities.

 She also love doing crafts so this was right in her alley.

 As independent as she is, t's funny to watch  that when Daddy tried to help, she said "I got it Dad", kids!

 The two of the were very happy  when they tested their creation and it run.

Doodle4Google was  a great experience for  the whole family.  We will cherish the memories we've had in California.  If yourkids are into arts, watch out for the Doodle4Google contest, they do it every year.  A $30,000 scholarship would go along way plus the school get a $50,00 education grant as well if your child win.  My kids  did not get any inspiration  for the theme last year so they did not submit any entry.

Early Birds Gets to Explore

We are all early risers whenever we have to do something the next day.  My husband  just hates being late for anything  so we always do things  as early as possible.  During the second day if Doodle4Google last year, we woke up and got ready really early.  We ate our breakfast ahead  and we kind of  stayed in the lobby for a little bit..

 Then we decided to go out and  walk around the nearby  places to shake off the cold and enjoy the beauty pf  nearby places in Palo Alto.

 I love it when we have  an extra time to spare because because I get to take pictures despite my husband's lack of enthusiasm to be in the photo lol.  They have a big swimming pool and a restaurant  beside it.  It was a great place to stay.

 This is the entrance to Sheraton Hotel.  It was a really nice hotel,   great for travelers who have kids like us.

 I think we had like two hours so we  made sure to use that time walking around and get our exercise for the day before we went to Google's headquarters in Mountain View.

 The boys are not into photo taking most of the time so I just   take pictures of my willing buddy, Ms. Burrito.

 She never  say no when I ask her to pose for me.  It makes our travel a lot interesting as we have  photos to look back to.  The reception room is where all the participants had  registered and  participated to some activities  prepared by Google  representatives.  They call the place the Crash Pad.  Kids can   get some prizes and  enjoy   the snack bar available.

 She  volunteered to take a photo of me  at the lobby area.

I hope that we could go back to California again for a vacation.  We did not get to see a lot because of the   scheduled activities but we had fun.  Hopefully, we could  visit again someday.

Sheraton Hotel in Palo Alto California

When we attended the Doodle4Google  event with our daughter, Google  booked our  hotel accommodation in Sheraton Hotel in Palo Alto California.

 The hotel was  located  near Stanford University but unfortunately, we were not able to visit the famous university.

 The photo above was our daughter during the registration before we  went to our hotel room.

 After we registered at the Google lounge, we  checked in to the hotel.  It was a very exhausting  flight  but we were all excited for the  main event the next day.

 The hotel has a swimming pool which the kids really love.

 Interesting art piece in the hotel lobby which I can't pass not to take picture of lol.

 See the black squirrel  showing us the way?  Unfortunately, the way he showed us led us to the wrong one lol.

 The room  has two beds, good enough for the four of us.

 Here's EJ excited to see the ice bucket  hahaha.

 I has a nice bathroom.

After we ate some snacks, we came back to our room  for a much needed rest.  More  posts coming up when I get the chance.

Doodle4Google State of West Virginia Winner 2014

Rylie, our daughter,  is this year's state of West Virginia winner for the said contest. She is competing against 49 other state winners through public voting. Below is her official entry. 

Below are some photos  during the  special assembly that  Google and the school have put together to  reveal her official entry.  Three representatives from  Google flew all the way from California and New York to give this recognition to our daughter.

A short interview from the Google representative.

She's explaining her  concept

The Mayor of Weirton also came and gave her a special award, thank you Mayor KOndik!

With the Google reps from New York and California

Her entry was about creating a cure for cancer. Below is her essay.

The world would be a much better place  if we could stop cancer from taking so many lives each year.  Technology has made it easier to detect  and treat but  we still have a long way to go.  One life lost is one too many.

An interview from WTOV News 9.

Thank you all so much for casting your votes!