Balloon Fiesta 2010

This last weekend my sisters and my parents came to visit for the Balloon Fiesta. Amy has come once before but it was Amanda's first trip. We had a successful venture on Friday night to a balloon glow, but the next morning was spent battling traffic and watching the balloons from the window of the car. It was still fun to go but I made everyone swear that they'd only come again on a Friday, not a Saturday. The weather was absolutely terrific, which is so uncharacteristic of the fiesta week...we played on the grass after the balloons had gone up, eating krispy kreme donuts and learning how to do handstands.
Beau watching a kite:The US Flag coming to life:Darth Vader firing up for the balloon glow:Later on Saturday we made a Transformer-making assembly line. I had kits ready for all of my nephews and so they each assembled their own transformers and they all actually turned out good. Amy and Amanda and I also made hot air balloon tshirts for the girls (we each have one daughter), kind of like these shirts from Make It and Love It, but hot air balloons instead of flags. I know you'd love a picture, but...tough.
The other really fun thing we did on Saturday, since it was Preston's 9th birthday, was make him the most awesome cake ever - a haunted house from the book, "What's New, Cupcake?" It actually turned out looking like the picture. It was AMAZING. And I've made a lot of cakes that haven't turned out looking nice, so this is really saying something. I need to get the book, well both books.
Not the best picture...too dark with a funny lookin' background:And a closeup of my favorite little raven:Monday morning Amanda, Eric and I took all the kids up to the zoo. It was beautiful weather and the animals were cooperative, so we had a great time. Jacob and Amanda were best friends the whole weekend - he just loved her and she would do anything he asked. It was really fun having Amanda's older kids take care of Jacob and Beau at the zoo...they would lift them up so they could see, push Beau's stroller, and run from animal to animal with each other. I *heart* birds!

Now this post seems to have taken me all week to write...so I have to add a funny conversation Rus and I had with Beau today:
Rus: Beau, say Daddy!
Beau: Rus!

Say Grandma.
Beau: Honey!

Say Bekah.
Beau: Guys!

Say Jacob.
Beau: Guys!

Say car.
Beau: Baby!

Say Mommy.
Beau: Mommy!

Ha! I'm the only one he got right!