Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

This time of year is my absolute favorite.  The weather is getting cooler, the leaves on the trees are starting to change color, Halloween is right around the corner, and the Balloon Fiesta!!! Here in Albuquerque we have have the largest hot air balloon "show" around.  Balloonists from around the world gather at the Balloon Fiesta Park and take flight in our beautiful blue sky.  As the sun rises the sky is filled with colorful dots drifting North.  It's always been hard to wake up super early to go see the balloons take off so we usually hit the Glowdeo.  Weather is always tricky down here and the last 3 times we have attempted to go it is too windy for the balloons to go up.  So this year we woke up at 4:15 in the morning and headed over to the Fiesta to watch the balloons take off on day 1 of the Dawn Patrol.  Audrey was in Heaven watching all the balloons take flight.  Elijah enjoyed himself because he actually got to see them go up, which he hasn't done since he was little.  Some of these pictures really could be in a calendar or in a frame and we get to see it in person every day for a week!!!  Enjoy!

Dawn Patrol taking flight

Mini family photo op

The sun is finally starting to rise

Taking flight for the festivities

Mama and Buggy

Daddy and Audrey pointing while saying "dat?"

This poppy balloon set up shop right next to us.

Beautiful colors

Audrey getting to feel a balloon for the first time.

Waddles the Snobird

Lady Joker.  It's some sort of bug/clown.

Colored skies of Albuquerque

There were also oblong shaped balloons.

Airabelle the Creamland cow

Spider Pig and the butterfly trying to air up

Darth Vader made an appearance as did his Storm Troopers.

Using the fan to blow air into the balloon.

Charlie Brown also came to the Balloon Fiesta.  Isn't this sweater awesome??

Gizzmo the Gargoyle

The cherub and Spider Pig

So massive and beautiful.

Yay..the elephant!!!  Nelly-B.

Audrey being a ham

Audrey and the unibomber

The red one is the mama and she is Lilly Little Bee.  The blue one is the daddy and he is Joey Little Bee.  They had a baby, the purple one, they named Joelly.

Joelly kissing her mommy

Stinky

This is what happens when you wake up really early!!

Okay, what is this?  A mosquito with a cape?  Can't figure it out!!