Great Texas Balloon Race

Yesterday was the second day of the Great Texas Balloon Race, in Longview,Texas.  Our whole family has wanted to go every year for the last five years or so, but for one reason or another we haven't been able to go.  Yesterday, we finally gathered the family into one car,  and drove over to see the balloon glow.  When we got to the airport, where the race was held, there were only 5 hot-air balloons set up.  I'm pretty sure we were all pretty dissapointed to see that's all that was there.  Haha after we all had armbands saying we'd paid the entry fee, my dad aka Papa, headed straight to the boat display, where the Great Wolf Lodge was trying to sell memberships, and was giving away a boat.  The rest of us went to check out the balloons. 

There was a huge Cheshire Cat hot-air balloon.



The World's Largest Hot-air balloon was there

We were out looking at the five balloons when we heard the announcer say over the PA - pilots, all glow in 10 minutes, and out of nowhere balloon pilots from everywhere ... starting inflating,blowing huge amounts of butane into their balloons

We were in between all of these balloons

 then the announcer said they'd go full glow now, all the balloons lit up! It was so AWESOME!

The clown was kinda creepy..

Once we'd seen all of the balloons - Payton just had to go ride all of the carnival rides! I did some things with him too!!!

First on the TO-DO list was the Carousel



The operator of this ride made the ride go sooo fast!



 These was the next ride... Payton had sooo much fun spinning himself around in these as fast as he could go.

He went from here to to a train ride, then Payton and I got on a little maze house,called

 where you go up and down stairs, through punching bags, over a sliding floor, then out through a barrel... which a little girl of about 3, before we went in, almost seriously hurt herself... she panicked, and grabbed on to the sides.. the barrel was turning, and in about 3 seconds, she was hanging from it, about 6-7 ft in the air...super scary!

The last thing we did together was called the Sizzler...we had a blast!

We got home from this adventure around 1am last night.. but it was worth it, Payton had a ball!!

Wishin...Waitin...hopin'

Soooo, I've been at the college since 8am waiting to talk to my advisor- & finally register for Fall. It's a long process, but I'm happy just to be in school. A person can only play so many games of Words with Friends and look at their Facebook so many times before you're bored beyond measure. I'm already planning lunch time & it's only 10:20am, sad I know but I haven't had even a snack yet this morning. I'm debating now whether I should register for classes on the main campus or in my hometown of Jacksonville... I'll see about that. I've Been sooo busy with work & school it's almost nice to sit in relative quiet & not think of much. I think I've watched about 50 people, come in, sit, play with their phones, then get called away again - oh the interesting sights you see. ;) guess I'll quit blogging from my iPhone, it's a pain! Sianora.... Hopefully I'll be done one day!!

Happy Wednesday!

Ah.... Sooo many prayers......

I have been home from vacation since 8:30p Sunday night. We had a great time in the Rockies - met lots of people... now it is back to the grind stone at work and in my Summer Session II at school.  I cannot however stop noticing all of things pulling at my heart this week. 

#1 - I have started following a lady on facebook and here on Blogger whose daughter is affected by Trisomy 8, it breaks my heart everyday to read of her constant struggles and watching her deal with the reality that the Lord will call her daughter back to Heaven someday.  I cannot imagine as a parent facing such an enormous feat.  I do not know how she stays so strong and as she says fakes a smile.  I greatly admire Whitney for her love of the Lord, which shines all the time, her love for her daughter and family... and am asking you all to pray for not only baby Aralyn Faith, but her mommy, daddy and older brother - who is only 3. Please don't just pray for their immediate time together... but also keep them on your prayer list for the future, as sweet Aralyn has been placed in hospice care. 

#2  Also here in the past week there have been lots of cases of child abuse/neglect - a little 2 year old boy was killed by his caregivers, and EMS found him in a car near an overpass - I pray that the people who killed this sweet baby be brought to justice, and that people realized children are worth more than that.  A child's life IS VALUABLE... There is always someone who would love to have a child to cuddle, hold and protect - murder is not the answer.

#3 It is amazing to me what the world is coming to.  A lady in a county south of here was recently sentenced to 2 years in prison for murdering her infant son... 2 years.. since when did the life of a child or any human become ok to take away ??  I am appalled by these acts, and am anxious to look for ways to see that something is done about this growing epidemic.   : (  While reading these articles this week - I couldn't keep the tears out of my eyes.  Children never expect someone to be mean to them - they don't know how to defend themselves - I just can't stand the thought.  I pray that if anyone is thinking of doing harm to their child(ren) you think twice and remember that somebody somewhere is in a situation like Whitney's watching their child suffer through something terrible and you can bet they would never dream of such.  Hopefully the possible abusive parent can appreciate their happy healthy kids a little more,  if put in a situation like that, and thank the Lord that they are granted another day with their child, when some parents are not.  I am not God and cannot decide what happens to who.. I CAN however pray for each person that requests prayer and those also who don't.  God knows who needs help and is ahead of me working on each individual case with love and concern.  I pray for each child in the custody of the Department of Family and Protective Services, their families and the foster parents and family members who have taken them in while parents try to work out their issues and become the parents their children deserve. 

With sad and heavy heart I am signing off for the night, I am going to bed... have work,school and a sweet little 5 year old waiting on me tomorrow.. good night all!!

Our holiday weekend so far has been crazy busy.  Yesterday Payton and I woke up around 8:30  and watched tv a while... then as always it was time for me to do my homework!  I read history and took quizzes and wrote essays until about 11:30 yesterday afternoon.... then it was time for a quick shower and to head off on our next adventure of the day.  We surprised  Payton and took him to the Wings over Tyler Airshow... he thought it was really fun, however it was really hot, and the plane he wanted to see was not flying... then it started raining... :)  only for a minute, in which time Payton found necessary to pick up his lawn chair and put it over his head... SILLY BOY!!  Once the rain ended the show was over, so we moved on to look at the planes and meet the pilots.  Payton just had to look at the C-130 with a really long line, so we stood and we stood... and we stood until out of nowhere an F-16 roared right over the top of us.  It was Sooo incredibly awesome!!  Those things are super loud, I couldn't wait for it to come back by again, so I could have my camera ready.  Once he had flown away for the last time... we made it to the C-130, and talked to the pilot, who was very full of information.  Payton had noticed a SWAT  vehicle from Tyler PD, so of course when we got out of the plane, we had to go see it.  The Lt. of the police dept, was going to get in it and leave, and saw Payton, so he said do you want to get in and press the siren... of course Payton jumped on that oppurtunity.  The SWAT team are his heroes!  Payton pressed the red button, right as the Chief of Police walked by the truck... hope his little ears are ok. Kidding, as he walked by he told the nice gentleman helping Payton to arrest him. : )  After that excitement we  left on our next adventure - finding lunch!  We stopped at Sonic - all three adults got their new hotdogs - Paytie just had to have cheesesticks... his all time favorite snack.  Once we dropped off my dad and mom, we headed to Ira's house for a great visit.  Brad taught Payton how to race cars on the X-box, something Payton had never done.  We played videogames ,chit-chatted ,  played with the dog,  then again, it was time for homework... I'm very happy to say that I made a 100 on the history essay I wrote and a 92 on my test.  Now today on the 4th of July,  I'm again going to read more history, work on my last speech for Public Speaking tomorrow... and enjoy my day off!! Woohooo 4 days until VACATION in Colorado!!!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!

Long week...month...summer

Here lately I have been so incredibly busy, as I think I said in my last post, i'm enrolled in two online classes, one a Public Speaking class, in which I read the book, look at notes online, take tests and also present speeches in person on Tuesday nights... i'm also enrolled in American History, which I have  no notes, study guides for and I just read the assigned reading and take tests over.  I am very thankful the semester ends Wednesday, oh how stressful constantly studying can be.. I feel like I all I ever do anymore is study... :(  I'm happy though because today I made an A on my history quiz, finished my assigned essay, played on the Slip N Slide with Payton and got to watch his last T-ball game of the season without worrying about what I had to do next tonight.  After the game my family, Ira and his son all went for pizza at Pizza Hut - super yumminess.  I saw a friend who had been in need of a blessing and I'm sure God answered his prayers and those of others, because I know he received it.  In the end God has a plan for everything even if you don't see it at first... even though i'm stressing now, over school.. I know the Lord has it under control and I should turn it all over to him to handle.  Good Night All!  Happy Saturday!!!

Happy 4th of July Weekend!!!