12-9, Parker's Christmas Festivities

We have a tradition in our family.  The day of Parker's annual Christmas Carriage Parade, we make reservations at one of our favorite local restaurants on Main Street.  In the warmth of the restaurant, we enjoy watching the carriage parade while we have lunch.  This year, it was in the mid-60s and couldn't believe it!  We started our morning with the petting zoo and pony rides, where we ran into friends.  Emalie was in heaven having a buddy to hang around with, and we had a nice lunch together as well.  After lunch, we were off to the library for an ever-long line to see Santa.  As if that weren't enough to pack into one day, we spontaneously headed into Denver for the Christkindl Market.  (Might as well make the most of a beautiful day, right?)  Hope you're all happily preparing for the holidays as we are at the KraussHaus!  The countdown to family arriving is on!  (By the way, if you notice that Nik is missing from this day, he was clocking in community service hours for school by working at the high school's basketball game.  He seems to run his own social agenda these days!)

Oh my goodness......!! 

11-19, Thanksgiving in Yuma

For the first time since July 2012, the Krauss family went on an airplane trip! As we were walking through the airport, I realized just how much had changed in the travel world in 5 years.  It's pretty funny that we've owned three camping trailers since we'd last flown.  This was a special occasion, so we were willing to go the extra mile (or 1,000):  my dad's 70th birthday on Thanksgiving Day.  How special is that?!  We didn't know what to expect with the mythical 'Yuma'.  We'd heard so much about it but had never been there.  The conclusions that I discovered are this:  the mountains there are pretty (bare, but still pretty), it's a giant playground for the retired community, we are eager to one day have a small, ranch house and the allergies that we experienced were horrific (we even took Em to the urgent care because she was having so much trouble breathing).  It's a very unique place, and if we could get our allergies under control, we'd love to visit again.  The highlights were: attending dad's birthday party and meeting so many of their friends, having Thanksgiving dinner (outside!) with old Montana family friends, checking out the swap meet (yep, I am my grandmother's granddaughter!) and simply experiencing another aspect of mom and dad's migration lifestyle (lol....).  It was a very relaxing trip, and I already miss my morning coffee on the patio watching the sunrise over the mountains.  Now we're home again, and we are getting into the Christmas swing of things.  In just a few short weeks,  we'll have my parents and Thad and Kelly here for Christmas.  I have decided (in my love/hate affair with Colorado) that the key to making it work here will be travel- traveling to those places dear to our hearts to visit those we miss so much.  So, look out everyone, you never know when we'll be in your 'neck of the woods'.  Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.  I know how much we have for which to be thankful.

Mr. Cool..... when did those plane seats get so small?
(ok, ok, or he grew.....)

She was SO excited to go on an airplane again.
(She says she actually remembers a little from the trip from China to CO!)

I think I could live on this beautiful patio!

The birthday boys.

Lute's Casino for lunch.  What a unique place that is!

Making the best of refrigerator shopping, lol.....

The peaceful sunrise over the mountains.

Thanksgiving dinner with a  big Montana crew.  Laughs all around! 

Patty and Elmer had saved the SAME bottle of Jaegermeister from our wedding
NINETEEN YEARS AGO!!! 

CHEERS!

Em loving the Thanksgiving leftovers!

Quality time with Grandpa.

5 minutes prior to landing in Denver.  I guess you don't choose when you just can't take another minute!

I'm so happy we got to spend dad's special birthday with him and mom.
He really is my hero.  Love you, dad!!

10-14, Fiesta Friends

And as this Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2017 draws to a close, I decided to end the series of posts with what makes this experience such an amazing one:  Fiesta Friends.  It was through our friends, Pat and Michelle, that we came to be included in the fiesta experience in the first place.  Their generosity, and that of their circle of friends, has enveloped us like a web giving our family a tradition that we look forward to all year long.   (And, yes, really when you're in your 40s, your son is a teenager and your daughter is in elementary school, it's pretty challenging to find an activity that is just as much for one member as it is for another.  We all enjoy the fiesta.)  Thank you to Pat, Michelle, Leo, Danielle, Andy and Tina for including us in this tradition.  We love it, we cherish it and we're so grateful to have you all in our lives.  See you next year!! (YES!  We DO have our reservations made already!)

Pat and Emalie

Hanna

The littlest in our crew!

Michelle

Pat

Leo, Pat and Sven

Andy and Em

"I love Andy!!" 

Sven, me, Danielle and Leo

Sven, me, Pat, Danielle, Leo and Michelle (we're missing Tina, Andy and the girls!)

Pat, Sven, me and Michelle

"The Moo Crew".... are they friends you ask?  Technically no, but theoretically everyone at the fiesta feels like a friend!  Plus, I felt this photo was the perfect closing caption for this year's fiesta.  Everyone's bringing it in after the flights (notice the balloon in the left lane?).  And, I find it completely humorous that anything goes in Albuquerque during the fiesta (as witnessed by the truck in the right lane)!

10-14, Candlestick 'glow'

The weather was pretty quirky this year for the fiesta.  I have to admit though, it was way better than I could have hoped for considering it snowed in Colorado two days before we left for New Mexico!  Of the 4 mornings we were there, the last day there was no launch because of the high winds.  Of the 3 nights we were there, there was one full glow, one glow cut short when a balloon got carried away (literally, not figuratively!) and one 'candlestick' glow (glow with no balloons- because of the winds). By the way, did I mention that the fiesta is like a big playground for adults?! I wish videos posted to this blog better (hmm.... I think I'll have to create a workaround for that.... if I remember anyway....) because the stills don't do it justice.  Talk about making lemonade out of lemons!  We just love the 'fun' atmosphere of the fiesta.  Such a good time-- winds or no winds.

Michelle taking charge of the kids and handing out balloon cards. 

"3...2...1.... Pilots Burn!"

Nik and Em in Johann's basket.  The pilots allowed the kids (many, many kids.... not just ours!) to get in the baskets with them for photo opps.  Thanks, guys!!

10-14, Chase Crew

Chasing the balloons is almost as adventurous as riding in them.  On this morning, while Sven was flying with Leo, Emalie and I were in the chase vehicle with Michelle and Nik was with the crew chasing  Leo and Sven.  Words don't do it justice (it's totally crazy), so you just need to trust the pictures!

A glimpse of Danille from inside the chase vehicle as we ascertain her flight path and probable landing location.

No, Danielle didn't land in this field as this photo would lead you to believe.  Once the balloon is close to landing, there's some quick maneuvering, preparing, running and property owner permission involved leaving no time for cameras!