Halloween

After Ben and Erin got home they got Sean dressed in his sheep costume.  Then we drove to downtown Davis with everyone else and did trick or treating with the local stores.

This is actually just a painting.  No stairs here.

jelly fish

cotton candy

Farmer with her sheep

Sean met up with one of his daycare friends

When Sean had enough excitement we sat at a Bistro and had happy hour snacks of wine and sweet potato fries.  We then picked up our take out Indian food and went home for dinner.  After dinner Sean got into his next costume - the Stinky Skunk.  He went trick or treating in the neighborhood with his parents while Jeanne and I stayed home to hand out candy to the kids coming to the door.  Jay and another friend Marcki could join the trick or treaters.  

Then it was bed time for Sean. The rest of us crashed soon after.  

Oct 31 Sacramento

I left this morning about 7:20 to go to Sacramento.  Jeanne and Jay were going there to visit Ben, Erin and Sean.  I was invited to join them.  Jeanne met me at the airport.  After getting home we took a walk to a close park.  Sean is 2 years old now.  Then we went to Dos Coyotes for lunch.  I had a delicious burrito bowl.  While Sean was napping I made a treat for tonight.  Ben and Erin came home early from work.  

Dos Coyotes Mexican Restaurant.  

Home again, safe and sound

We left for the airport about 1:45pm after a nice lunch of leftovers.  The flight home was uneventful.  Giselle picked us up at the MAX station.  We were home by 7pm.  What a day. We had a fabulous vacation.

Up, up and away

We were up at 5am for our third attempt to have a hot air balloon ride. We were at the field in time to see the dawn patrol take off.

As the sun came up more balloons went up.

Then we drove to another location because we were part of a competition (not us but the pilot).  So we had to drive to a field at least 1 mile away and the competition was to drop a bag on an X back at the festival field. 

Waiting to take off we saw the mass ascension from a distance.

They put Menaul's banner on the balloon.

Once we got the word that we could take off we started off.  It was fun helping.

Then we took off.  Wow what a view.

Coming in to throw our beanie on the X

Then we went to another field to land.  We helped put everything all away.  

We are working here. We are squishing the air out of the balloon.  Then they drove us back to the festival area and then our guide drove us back to the hotel. 

We had already checked out of the hotel so we got to our car and drove over to Rebecca's for our last lunch before heading off to the airport to go home.  We have had a very nice time. 

Sunday, continued

We had dessert at Route 66 diner.  That was a fun place.

George and I had an caramel apple sundae. Not very WW friendly but delicious.

Then we went to meet Avery - Jennifer's granddaughter.  She is smiling a lot.

Rebecca's refrigerator with all the various left-overs we left for her.

car mechanics??

George and Nathan are trying to fix Rebecca's rear car window.

Sunday, Oct 6

View of the mass ascension from the hotel.

We had a nice breakfast at the hotel with Jim and Pam before they headed out.  We did not see Debbie and Joe because they were up early for a hot air balloon ride.

After breakfast we headed to Rebecca's church.  It was nice to see her church. They seem very friendly.

After church we headed up to a restaurant in Corralles for lunch.  The Indigo Crow was very good.  I had eggs benny.  

Jennifer had the most interesting dish but unfortunately it was not so tasty.  It was a salad.  Kathy had the eggs benny but on a crab cake.  Delicious.  I dread getting on the scale at home.

Recognize Dave and Kathy?? They brought Dave's daughter, Rachel.  

I am sorry that I have not been able to answer people's emails just really have had very little down time.  We have mostly been eating and talking it seems to me.  I have enjoyed hearing from you all.  Hard to believe that we are heading home tomorrow.  

Saturday evening

After lunch and a short break we headed to Menaul School for a very nice event.  We were taken by school bus to the festival where we had wine, a Mexican dinner and cupcakes.  

As the sun began to set the Sandia mountains took on a gorgeous glow.

Once is got dark the balloon got set up for the AfterGlow.  They did not take off but used their flames to light up their balloons.  

That was fun to watch.  Sometimes they would all go on together and sometimes they would go on at different times. It was like they were twinkling.  I really enjoyed that.  We left before the fireworks because we wanted to catch the 1st bus home.  We saw some of them while we were on the bus.  The rest of the family went to Steve and Jennifer's for dinner.  We were sorry to miss that but it was fun to see the AfterGlow.  

Balloon Fiesta Day

We were at the field by 5 am but unfortunately it was another day of not going up in the balloon but we could be up close to watch the balloons that were taking off.  This was one of the early dawn patrol balloons.  The mass ascension happened around 7:30 am.  We had breakfast burritos while we waited.

It was COLD.  I should have brought my long underwear.

It was fun watching all the balloons.  What a variety.  

We headed back to the hotel for a little down time.  Soon we will be heading off to lunch.  If I can stay awake.