Balloons!

Every year we go to the Balloon Races! It's so much fun!
We wake up around 3:45am and get to the parking garage around 4:30 and watch the balloons dawn patrol around 5am and its all upward bound from there!

This year, Ava is more aware of her surroundings. She knew we were up earlier than normal, she was actually excited about being up early. On our way in the car she was silent and looking outside. As we passed by buildings with lights she would say "Oh wow!" or "Cool!" but "Oh wow" was her favorite phrase of the morning.
We are usually in the house by 6:30pm and don't leave the house before 7am so the dark and the lights were really exciting to her.


I asked Ava if she was excited to see her cousins and she tried to say "cousins" and would then say "Juno" and "Luka". It was cute! She was really excited to see her cousins.

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We walked to the park, and got settled in. Either the crowd was bigger this year or we got there later than normal this year, but there were TONS of people! It could be that we went on 9-11 and they were having a special event so maybe the crowd was a little larger than normal because of the special event. It was crazy trying to find a place to sit on the grass but we got the perfect spot! It was awesome!

It was dark, but not really that cold this year. And when the sun came up, it didn't really get colder or warmer. It was weird. Usually its FREEZING (like mittens, jackets, etc) and then we are so hot walking back to the car we need shorts, and t-shirts. But this year it seemed to stay pretty moderate. Jackets before and after the sun rose, not too hot, not too cold. It was nice, and perfect.

The Balloons did Dawn Patrol, and the "twinkle twinkle" and everything that they usually do. Its amazing to see these huge balloons light up the park.
They usually play the dueling banjo song and have the balloons light up in turn with the song. It's pretty amazing.


They had special moments that went along with 9-11. Naming off the times that each plane hit and when the towers fell. The Gov. spoke. It was pretty amazing.

At sunrise the national anthem was sung, and the balloons carried the flag up in the air, and planes from the Air Races came racing across the sky. It was a pretty spectacular morning.


After all that was done, the balloons started blowing up, and taking off and the crowds started moving back as the balloons needed more space to take off. Ava is in love with Balloons. She LOVED seeing all the balloons, everywhere! It was fun to watch her as she was aware of all the balloons around her this year. It was awesome.


It was fun going with Billie, Luka and Juno. Juno and Luka get a long so well. It was fun to see Juno and Luka. :) Ava enjoyed the time with her cousins.