It's 2:30 a.m. - do you know where your kid is?

Nate has always been interested in outer space, so when he graduated from college his mom bought him a huge telescope. Though it's extremely impressive, it sadly doesn't get much everyday use. So, naturally, he's thrilled anytime there is just cause to haul it out and set it up. And what better time than during a lunar eclipse that coincides with the winter solstice (the first one to occur since 1638, people!)?

Of course, instinct and pride kick in and Nate wanted to share this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (literally) with Ryan. Problem was, the total lunar eclipse was set to occur around 2:30 a.m. - slightly past Rye's bedtime. Solution? Wake his butt up anyway and let him have a story that he'll eventually forget, but we'll always remember to share with him!

So, after we groggily woke up to our alarms at 2:15 a.m., and made sure the telescope was in the right position, we woke Ryan up to join the party. At first, he was barely alert and probably thought this was some weird dream. But then, something clicked. We didn't say anything to him, but as I got his coat, hat, gloves and shoes on (it was damn cold and miserably windy that night), he looked outside and started furiously kicking his feet, saying, "We're going to see the moon!"

He loved it. He peaked in the viewfinder of the telescope and even closed one eye to get a clear view and there, in all its glory, was our moon - tinted red by the sun.

Unfortunately, as I indicated a second ago, it was damn cold. So while this was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we only have a few pictures to prove it actually happened. But, hey, we were a part of history, baby!