More balloons! - ABF2018 Part 2

     Albuquerque is still getting some small effects of hurricane Rosa so the weather has not been as balloon friendly as last year. We've had winds and rain every night and of the first 5 sessions, only 2  the balloons were able to do their thing. But hopefully that's over now and we can get on with the show.

Rising over the trees!

Occasionally the novelty wears off and they get bored.

These 3 year olds are good friends-most of the time. Here they are singing Old McDonald had a Farm and she kept yelling at him for singing "E-I-E-I-YO". 

Makayla and her friend Violet spend nearly every waking moment together, just quietly playing games or riding bike.

Our gravel lot is packed with over 40 rigs at this point. It was handy to have plenty of assistance and extra eyes as some spots were tight.

Yesterday morning we walked the 1 mile to the field. This is one of my favorite balloons.

Cynthia Seal.

Inflating a balloon

This circus themed one is neat because the owners wife and kids are painted on the carousel!

So pretty!

For some reason they loved this pumpkin!

So many fun angles to capture them at!

One from Page, AZ.

Some balloons took off from other places in town and had to attempt to get back to the field and drop a beanbag on a target. So cool to watch!

Last night 2 of the pilots our group is helping crew brought their baskets in and talked to us and answered questions. 

Most of the kids drew hot air balloons for decorations. They earn raffle tickets to enter into the drawings on the last day of the rally.

Some of the children got a turn running the flame.

This morning we had a lot float right over us.

Our current backyard.

Trying to take it all in!

They were about 15 feet in front of the balloon- they are huge!

We saw this one coming in and hoped he would land in the field near us.....

And he did! 

The pilot was so excited because he's always wanted to give kids tethered rides but never landed at a good spot to do it until today!

Ethan, Emily, and Michael are in this basket. They tied the ropes to trucks and went about 20 feet up. Ethan's face was priceless- he was so excited!

Makyala's turn!

It was scary to see Ethan way up there hanging on to the edge! I tried to tell him to look out the little window but instead he used it as a step stool.

So it begins......... ABF2018 - Part 1

     This year I'm going to TRY and do a blog post every few days since I end up with loads and loads of pictures. 

     We arrived to the fiesta campground in Albuquerque Monday afternoon and joined 12 other families who had already settled in earlier that day. By next Tuesday there should be a total of 48 rigs in our group. This year we have our own "private" gravel lot next to a cemetery overrun with beer bottles, tumbleweeds, and more then one sunken grave. We have no hook-ups at all so there is solar, generators, and lot of water saving going on. But our area is all fenced in with the exception of 1 entrance with no gate (it got stolen 😒) so it provides a nice place for the kids to play.  

    There has been a few balloons flying every morning but it really sets off Saturday morning. Until then, we are hanging out here having a great time.

      

Bring out the calico critters and little girls will come!

Thankfully, Ethan is relating fairly well to most other little people.

It has rained a few times which provides puddles and great entertainment.

Lots of projects getting done. The sound of tools is like the dinner bell to these guys! 

A very dark picture of Makayla and her friend Violet. They truly are 2 peas in a pod and pretty much hang out together all the time. Not talking much because it's not them but they sure do enjoy playing games and biking together!

Glitter glue!

All the big trucks are such a nice sight.

Addie is a few weeks younger then Ethan and they pretty much play together all the time since they pulled in beside us yesterday. They are both the youngest and try to be bossy so it's highly entertaining to watch!

It's unreal how fast these kids rip around on their bikes!

So many gorgeous sunsets here!

Continuing our trip South......

     After several 6 hour driving days, it was nice to settle in Montrose, Colorado at my sister's house for a few days and spend time with their family as well as my brother and family. There was tanks to flush and loads of laundry but there was still plenty of time to hang out!

     One evening we threw together some picnic food and headed for the mountains. We went down through Ouray and up Red Mountain Pass then turned off on a very bumpy road. The leaves were very close to peak and the colors were stunning!

The Million Dollar Highway

Love how rugged and wild it is!

Roasting hot dogs wrapped in bacon.

And huge marshmallows.

There was a massive pile of dirt that the children climbed over and over.

My nephew Alex zips around on his dirt bike so fast it's hilarious and terrifying!

Naturally, the girls fought over who could play with Austin the most.

Alex and Michael picked some apples for an appetizer.

Austin kept looking at the girls like he couldn't believe his luck-2 girls doting on him 😂

One afternoon we went to the park.

Any monkey bar type things are a hit for this guy!

Racing down the slide.

A raft swing!

Brian's had so many rabbits they turned a bunch loose. Makayla was sure we needed one.

Our truck got detailed inside and out and shone like never before!

Emily and Nakita always play dress-up.

The tea party included lots of giggles-and spilled tea!

Favorite cousin!

Austin has the cutest mischievous grin I've ever seen!

Brian teaches them to be ornery  😉

Candyland!

Sunday afternoon we the road again.

We were blessed with beautiful weather and gorgeous scenery again.

We spent the night at friends in Cortez and had a great time.

The children were thrilled to play with the puppies and on the trampoline .

One of our tires had a slow leak so Eldon tried to plug it and put the spare on.......

Monday morning Jennifer served us a delicious breakfast before we headed out. Even better was the conversation and fellowship we shared.

The children played hard all morning until we left.

Grover and Ethan were so cute together! 

     We were an hour from Albuquerque when we heard a very pop and saw rubber flying. Thankfully, Eldon was able to immediately pull over. It was the spare that blew so we put on the tire he had patched and were on the road again in less then 15 minutes. We had exactly 30 minutes left when another rig passed us and waved around and let us know we had a flat tire. So we pulled over and Eldon called a friend who was already at the fiesta campground with several other families. Within 40 minutes Johnny had found a spare and brought it to us. It only took the guys a couple minutes to put it on and we were on the road again! 

     So today Eldon shopped around and we now have 6 new tires on our rig. Like any rally, as soon as 1 guy is doing a project, others show up and offer tools, advice, or companionship ❤. We are so thankful to God for his timing in all this. There are many very desolate places out west to get stranded in but this was as good as it gets! Also, blow-outs often cause much worse damage then simply bending a little metal. When we had the flat, it was hot but had not burst into flames yet, anther horror story we've heard. And of course, we're thankful for people who are willing to loan tires and tools to a complete stranger as well as drop everything and run to our rescue!