Hot Air Balloon Ride!

Last year for Seth's Dad's birthday, we attempted to give him the experience of a hot air balloon ride with the grandkids. It never worked out, as it would be rainy or too windy and get cancelled. We tried again this year and were able to do it! The weather was amazing on this Monday afternoon! They barely even needed a jacket on November 10th! 

 The kids are obviously VERY excited about their ride. We met in a large parking lot and watched as the balloon got prepared. 

 First, a large fan blew air into the ballooon. Check out Seth's dad in his aviator glasses and Top Gun hat. 

 Kids inside the balloon

 Gassing it up!

 Ready for take-off! (Love how James is enthralled with this process)

 Up, up, and away! (I'm not gonna lie....I was a nervous nelly watching the kids wave from the edge, even though I know they were in excellent hands)

 Seth and I chased the balloon and tried to figure out how to follow it via roads. It was an adventure!

The balloon flew right over my kids' school and James's teacher saw the balloon!

They landed in the back of a neighborhood in this bush!

When they landed, a school bus had just dropped off some middle schoolers. These boys came running over and helped get the air out of the balloon. 

This was an AWESOME experience for all. We've been to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque twice, so it was extra special for them to fly over our town. Happy birthday, Bobby!

Balloons Over Georgia was great- highly recommend them if you ever want to take a hot air balloon ride!! Daryl, the owner, was super with working with our schedules, answering all of our hot air balloon questions, and making this a memorable experience. 

Halloween Season 2014

Playing a little catch up on our fun fall and Halloween activities...

1. Kinsey Pumpkin Farm

We've been every year since we had Adelyn. This year, we met Heather, Trevor, and sweet baby Madison (for her first trip!). 

 Upon arrival, we bumped into Cara (Adelyn's classmate) and her mom. The girls were thrilled to see each other!

 This was the best picture of I could get of these two

 Family shot

 James was too cute pulling the wagon in his John Deere boots

 WHY can't they both smile??

 Madison snoozed during the tractor ride 

2. The Cumming Fair

We went twice and the kids LOVED it!

 Adelyn on the sky buckets

 Hands up on the roller coaster

James loved the motorcycles

3. A trip home

Seth went to Long Island, NY for a Maclaren event so I went to my parents' house for the weekend. We went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. They recently opened up a children's area and we had fun exploring and seeing The Three Little Pigs puppet show. 

We also went to a fall festival. 

James technically wasn't tall enough to ride the swings, but they let him anyway. He was SO very excited to ride!

My mom came back to GA with us since Grandparents day was at the kids' school at the end of the week. It was awesome having my mom in town all week! She did neat things with the kids, like peel, core, and bake apples!

We hiked Sawnee Mountain one morning when the kids were at school. It was beautiful at the top!

4. Halloween Parties!

We celebrated Bryce's 3rd birthday at his party. The kids created cupcake masterpieces, and James was quite skilled in putting on as many candies as possible AND eating the cupcake neatly. Impressive. 

Adelyn's friend Cara had a Halloween party. The girls decorated pumpkins and cupcakes in costume

Cara, Adelyn, and James with Cara's human skeleton

 CFUMC Halloween Parade! You may not recognize James as Darth Vader! 

 Adelyn as a mermaid

 Adelyn's class played Bingo, ball toss, and pin the face on the pumpkin

 James's class played pin the spider on the spider web and ring toss on a ghost lollipop

 Adelyn with her awesome Kindergarten teachers

5. HALLOWEEN!

 So, we were slackers and carved our pumpkin at 4:00 pm on Halloween. In our defense, we carved one at church with the kiddos in our Sunbeamers class, and Adelyn and Seth carved one in her class for a special Daddy morning. 

 James did not want to stick his hand in the pumpkin. 

 We went to the McDonough's for our 3rd annual dinner and trick or treating

 Cullen, Adelyn, Declan, Bryce, and James. We love trick or treating with them

 Their neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. One family had pumpkins on display all through the front yard. Another family had a miniature haunted house for the kids to run through. So fun!

 The kids sorted through their loot and ate plenty of chocolate

 Afterwards (even though it was almost 10:00), we stopped by Seth's parents' house. Grandma dressed up like a witch, but James was able to fight her off with his light saber.