Hot Air Balloon Festival - Colorado Springs

View from the lake

So Kurt and I love hot air balloons and now we have hot air balloon lovin' kids as well. About 2-3 times a month we get to see them up in the sky when we wake up and we love to see it. There is a hot air balloon festival near our home, but this year it got rained out so we had to find another one. They have one in Colorado Springs during Labor Day, so off we went. One thing that was cool about this festival is they have a balloon glo. Which is they light up all the balloons at night and flicker them, pretty cool looking, but the night we were there WE GOT RAINED OUT!!!
So we had to be ok with just watching their morning flight. We stayed in a really nice hotel, thanks priceline, and it was right down from the park, so we woke up and went to the park to watch. We were a little late, so most balloons were filled so we watched them launch. Kurt was a little bummed, it is hard getting five people ready by 7am!! Here are some photos:

This is called a "dash and splash" They start and then touch the lake and continue on...

Heather and Lauren

Megan, Kurt, and Lauren

Here is a video of one of the last balloons to take off. We were lucky enough to catch it. Maybe one day when we are rich and famous you all can come see us in a balloon festival.:) This cat was Heather's favorite balloon. Last time we saw a lot of animal balloons, but this year there were mostly patterned balloons.

Colorado Springs - Pike's Peak

Pike's Peak is one of the most famous mountains in Colorado. It is over 14,000 ft and the musician that wrote "America the Beautiful" received the inspiration for it while on the top of the mountian. We wanted to take the cog railroad up to the summit, but it was about $100 bucks for the family, so we drove it instead.:) Only $20 bucks. The girls were whiny at the beginning wanting to turn around, but once we got up there they really like it and the way home was all "Hey look at that!" or "Did you see that?"

View from the road going up...



View from the summit...

All the dots is Colorado Springs
This monument is at the summit.

Lauren and Heather
View coming down.. Crystal Reservoir
Lauren at the summit
Kurt and ALL the girls

Lauren's first Day

Sept 1, 2009
Lauren is starting her second year of Preschool. I can't believe that next year she starts kindergarten. They really aren't at home very long.

Lauren's shirt is her favorite: pink and with a pony.

Bad Mother Award

Look At my baby's nose!!! Yesterday we were all playing outside and having a good time. Lexie was on a child's patio chair and doing fine. Then all of a sudden she fell over right on her nose. No hands for protecting. There was a cut on it and the nose was bleeding, so I got all that stopped. She cried and cried. When she got up from her nap I notcied it was swollen and was made at myself for not thinking of ice. Not that Lexie would have let me put it on her nose. Here are the day after pictures. She is smiling which is nice. I thought it was broken, but her attitude was happy after her nap and she didn't complain again. BUT LOOK AT THE HORRIBLE THING!