Balloons...full of hot air

Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a morning person…AT ALL! Only two things can get me out of bed before dawn…Jesus (Easter Sunrise Service) and the International Balloon Fiesta held in Albuquerque, NM every October.

We arrived early to watch the “Dawn Patrol” but because the winds were blowing north and the few landing areas in that direction are difficult to find in the dark, they remained tethered, did a mini “glow” show and then finally lifted off right before dawn.

We ate breakfast burritos as the sun rose over the mountain and the field exploded with inflating balloons. It was amazing when they all filled the sky!

This was a fun year to go to the Balloon Fiesta. Jamie was old enough to appreciate the colors and shapes of the different balloons. We also met up with some Alamosa friends which gave Jamie some little people to hang out with. (We each knew that the other was going to the Balloon Fiesta but figured there would be too many people to try to meet at a specific time & place. So, we walked in the south gate and they walked in at the park and ride gate and we walked right into each other! We truly could NOT have planned it any better!)

Fall Colors on the train

My mom has been here visiting for the past week. Today we took advantage of the "Valley Special" (half-price tickets) and rode the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad to La Veta and back. This was my third trip on the train but the first for my mom. The aspens were a few days past prime, but the colors were still amazing. I took this same trip last year and took over 200 photos, yeah...I took another 200 today. Absolutely gorgeous!!!

One happy mama

Jamie has never before shown an interest in basketball, although he loves baseball, soccer & football. I have always been a huge basketball fan. Jamie's birth father played semi-pro basketball so I have secretly hoped that Jamie would pick up on the vibes and develop a passion for hoops. I was SO excited today when he said he wanted to shoot baskets. I even called Parks & Rec to get him signed up for the youth basketball league. Yep, I'm one happy mama!

Now I remember...

I remember one of the reasons I'm reluctant to update our blog...dial-up internet! UGH! It takes forever to upload photos! Thanks to Coleen, though, I've now installed the Microsoft Power Toy to easily resize photos. It cuts out the time I used to spend editing and resizing in Photoshop before trying to upload.

A Super Hero kind of day!

We went to Albuquerque over the weekend and I made sure to hit a couple of thrift shops in search of various Halloween costumes. Jamie and his friend, Parker, love to play dress up (any time of the year...not just Halloween) so I try to stock up when I can find lots of costumes for a good price. I scored a Batman, Robin, Dash and a Hot Wheels Race Car Driver costume! Woo Hoo! Since Parker comes home from school on Tuesdays with Jamie, I had the costumes (new and old) out for them to play with.

Parker (Dash)


Jamie (race car driver)

We made a Sam's run while in Albuquerque and picked up a case of T.P....who knew that the empty box would provide so much entertainment?

Jamie (Mr. Fantastic) & Parker (Robin)


Jamie (Batman) & Parker (still as Robin)

Blogging

I've been thinking about starting a blog/newsletter in conjunction with my meager Stampin' Up! business. The reality is that I don't update our family blog often enough, so to try and use one as a business resource at this point would be absurd. So, I am committing to not only routinely updating our family blog, but also to going back and filling in the HUGE gaps where I have failed in the past. I'm discovering that blogging, not unlike scrapbooking, is easier if one starts with current material. Instead of stressing about what I *haven't* blogged, start with now and go forward and fill in pieces of the past when I can.