The Best Date Ever!!

Derek took me to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Statesville, NC because he knows how much I love hot air balloons.  Seeing the bright colors of the balloons and hearing the blow of the flames just brings back great childhood memories.  I really felt like I was sitting on my front porch, as a child, watching the balloons come over the trees.  The balloon fest in Burlington, NC was one of my favorite times of the year but since that festival is no longer held I was so happy to hear there was another location to see these wonderful creations.  I can't help but smile when I see a hot air balloon!!

Before the pilots unpacked their baskets and balloons.

There were 50 balloons.  This is actually a competition.  The goal is to get your flag closest to the white X.

The pilot inflates their balloon and then takes flight in the direction of a big white X that is painted on a field not far away.  Once they are as close to the X as possible, the pilot will throw out the flag.  There is a person waiting at for the flags to be dropped and keeps up with whose flag is the closest.  

I love all the bright colors and the life that is brought to each balloon as it inflates.  

Each balloon has it's own character, no balloon is alike, just like each person on this earth.  

This has to be my favorite...all the bright colors...it just makes me happy when I see it.  

I also really like the picture I was able to get of this balloon as it approached the X.

Thanks Honey for all the fun!!

Derek has to have a silly photo!  

 

Derek asked if I wanted to go see the balloons land after their 30-45 min flight...I said, "SURE, let's go chase some balloons!"  You should have seen his face when I said that...he looked at me like I was crazy.  Hot Air Balloon chasing is so exciting.  You basically get in your car and chase the balloon.  Your passenger has to keep their eyes on the balloon and tell the driver what direction to drive.  It's almost like a game of hide and seek.  If you get to the balloons as they land then sometimes the pilots will let you help put the balloon away and get an up close look at the balloon. 

This is the field where the white X was located. 

We actually got to see this balloon come over to the X and drop their flag...I love this picture.  I am practically under the balloon.  

 

So, the balloon chasing paid off! We were able to see this balloon land in a person's driveway. 

This pilot was awesome.  She was able to land in a neighborhood without hitting power lines or landing on a house!! While we were there the pilot and her crew asked if we wanted to help.  This picture is of the inside of the balloon as you would look up if you were standing in the basket.  

This is Derek helping, along with the crew and another family, fold up the balloon and put it back in this black bag.  The balloon it self, with out the basket, weighs 300 lbs.  It's amazing to see up close.

Like I said before, this was the best date ever! Derek was able to see why I like hot air balloons and now our goal is to one day take a hot air balloon ride.

Sorry!

Sorry I have been a blog slacker the last several weeks!! Several events have occurred since the blog fundraiser took place.  So, LET'S GET STARTED!!

Grandmother's 81st Birthday!! The young lady in the middle is my Grandmother, my mother is on the right and my Aunt Cindy is on the left.  

The men sitting around watching football....
this always seems to be what happens after a family dinner.

Grandmother is so special, she gets 2 cakes...they were yummy!

Uncle Larry and Aunt Betty's 50th Anniversary Get Together

We had dinner at Village Tavern

Tim and Taylor

Yummy Cake!

Betty and Larry (Derek's Aunt and Uncle)

Women's Only 5K Walk and Run

Mom and I went to the Women's Only 5K Walk/Run

This is before the walk...yes we walked...we didn't run this time.  

It was a lot of fun to spend time with my mom.  

This is the coolest Carelink truck...it's all pink and everyone got to sign it

As we were walking we could see the runners coming down the hill....

they were almost finished after 10 minutes into the walk/run

Sea of Pink...

i

t's amazing how many women were there to support 

Breast Cancer Awareness

The finish line...we made it!

Mom and I after the walk...do we look tired??

An Amazing Blog Fundraiser!!

This Blog Fundraiser is now Closed!! See doitfortheorphans.blogspot.com for the winners.

Derek and I have put together this Blog Fundraiser as a different way to get donations towards our mission trip.  The last trip opened up our hearts as well as so many others that we shared our experience with.  Several of our friends have decided to go with us on  this next trip, several of our friends started sponsoring kids from the care point we are involved with, and so many people are now interested in helping the kids of Grace Baptist Care Point.  We have been asked to share our stories, pictures and videos of our trip and kids to several groups. God has definitely showed us that our hearts are in orphan care and the vulnerable kids of Ethiopia.   

This giveaway will run from TODAY through FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28th at MIDNIGHT EST! Winners will be drawn at random and announced on Saturday September 29th! I will e-mail you also, so don't worry if you forget to check back!

Here's how this will work. You can do ONE of these things or as many as you'd like! Just keep track of how many entries you get and let me know what you want to put them towards!

Donate (over on our left side bar) = $5 will get you one entry. Easy!

                                                                  $10 will get you three entries!
                                                                  $20 will get you seven entries!
                                                                  $50 will get you twenty entries!
                                                                  $75 will get you 35 entries!
                                                                  $100 will get you 50 entries!

BLOG About It OR Post on Facebook (comment below or e-mail me so I know!)= ONE ENTRY

You can put your entries toward whichever items you'd like to have a chance at! Distribute them however you'd like to. So if you have five entries, you can put them all toward one item, or put one entry toward five different items. Whatever you want to do is fine with us! 

If you make a donation toward our mission fund, just be sure to write which items you'd like to have your entries go toward in the NOTES section of your payment. If you forget to do this, just e-mail us to let me know!

For example:

Item #1 -  2 entries

Item #5 -  3 entries

If you choose to get involved for FREE, just blog about it or post about it on Facebook (honor system!) - just leave a comment below (or e-mail us) with this information so that we know! 

Item #1

Crystal from The Canvas Heart is an awesome person.  She has helped fundraise for different orphanage needs in Ethiopia NUMEROUS times.   She is just awesome and even LIVED in Ethiopia for a few years! She creates absolutely beautiful Africa-centered Amharic and English art pieces.. just beautiful for your home!  She created this 8x10 canvas piece of art especially for our fundraiser.  Isn't it awesome...I love it!!

Item #2

My mother in law, Carol, has graciously donated some of the jewelry she makes.  She is retired now and loves to do arts and crafts.  She has made these earrings, which make great gifts or you can keep them to add to your current collection of jewelry.  If you love her designs and you want more contact us!!

Item #3

This next donation is from Deanna's favorite Etsy store, JUNK POSSE!! Tracy's designs are her Passion with a Purpose & when you purchase items from Junk Posse you help to support several non-profit groups and Adoptions in several ways.  This bracelet was made just for our Blog Fundraiser.  This is the "One of a Kind" Sterling "Ethiopia" Bracelet.  It is a custom hand stamped bracelet and is 7.5 inches long.  

 Also visit Tracy's blog (click on the Junk Posse Button)

Item #4

These four Ethiopian Scarves are beautiful, light weight and so soft.  Any woman would love them!!   

Item #5

A home made and thoughtfully created baby basket made by Amy's Creative Crafts, "A little bit of everything".   Amy is a friend of mine who has graciously made some items for our fundraiser.  This is a yellow lamb canvas bag filled with a lot of goodies.  It includes baby washcloths, teether, bottle, pacifier, burp cloths, onsie, Taggie, diapers, wipes, Boo Boo Bunny, spoons, baby wash, baby lotion and desitin.  Amy also does embroidery so she has offered to personalize the burp cloths and onsie to the lucky winner of this baby basket.

Item #6

Amy, from Amy's Creative Crafts, has also made some beautiful pictures which is an art called Quilling.  This collection consist of a dragon fly, tulips, and daisies.   Quilling has been around since the Renaissance age.  Quilling or paper filigree is the art of rolling thin strips of paper into different shapes and using the shapes to form designs.

 

SEANC Banquet: Featuring Steve Lawson

SEANC: State Employee 

Association of North Carolina

Last night SEANC held their 29th Annual Awards Banquet where Derek's dad (Steve Lawson) was asked to be the host.  It was a "Black Tie" event with dinner.  Derek, his mom and I went to support Steve and watch his on stage performance. 

Needless to say, he did awesome and you would think that 

stand up comedy was his full time job.  He had 4-5 slots during the banquet when he came out to entertain the audience.  He had the entire ballroom of people laughing.

Derek wasn't ready to take photos when we got there 

as you can see by his facial expression

  

Carol, Derek and I

Dinner was awesome and the Guilford Ballroom at the Koury

 Convention Center was beautiful

Steve when her first came out on stage...in a white and black tux

with pink vest and bow tie

Sorry for the poor quality of pictures...these pics were taken with my 

cell phone from the back of the room

(Steve was on the jumbo screen)