Balloons and flowers and smiles...Oh My!

I happen to love hot air balloons. Several years ago, Thomas and I went up in one. It was a birthday present I got for him. This coming weekend is the annual balloon festival in Statesville. It draws a very large crowd and there are lots and lots of balloons in the air at once. It is beautiful and lots of fun. This balloon has been drifting around our area several afternoons in the past week. One afternoon I felt like I was on the chase crew. I jumped in the car and followed it down dirt roads and other back roads until I thought it would land. It was right at the tree tops, but had to go back up because it got too close to I-77. I gave up. I had great pictures that day, until I realized that my memory card wasn't in the camera and the cord has yet to be located since we were in Marion. I was stuck. Age and blondeness, I guess HOWEVER I still have a few weeks before the big 40. Anyway, yesterday the balloon was floating again. I watched it as I ran, trying to finish up before I got the camera. It never came down close. My neighbors laughed at me as I tried to get a shot. They said the balloon was teasing me.

That's as close as it got.

On Thursday morning, Brooke and I head to Outer Banks on a field trip. We're both excited.

Brookie can hardly wait. It is amazing how much is packed into three days there. So many schools don't get the opportunity to do field trips like this. More on the trip when we get back.

The only thing I don't like about these trips is that I have to leave one behind. I'll miss my Cammie. This was taken before church on Sunday. Katie is another buddy.

If ya'll are getting tired of flowers, too bad. My mums are so pretty. I have never been able to grow mums in the ground - not in Hillsborough, not in Huntersville, and not in Mooresville ---until this year. They have done beautifully. I planted many of the the ones I received from people when Daddy passed away. Kind of ironic. I was telling my neighbor that and he said, "That's not ironic at all - just one more thing God puts out there to remind you of your Dad." Wow. Okay then.

I made this wreath a few years ago. I still love it. It never seems to get old to me.

Cammie drew both of the pictures one evening. She's very artsy. This was just spur of the moment. You should see some other stuff. Brooke wrote a play. Awesome talent.

And, the only concerning thing for this post is this........ I found it in Marion a few weekends ago. Jeff Foxworthy would love this.

You might be a redneck if..... you park your truck in front of your camouflage painted trailer. (Or if you stop to take a picture of it!)