12 hours of fun!

Warning...a long post with lots of pictures to come!!

Couldn't resist starting out with this picture...how wonderful to come home on Friday afternoon to my sweet puppy watching for me out the front window! I love my Betsy!



~~~

Yesterday after work, my sweet friend Tena who I used to work with, came over with her son Eli. She is an amazingly creative and talented lady, and is known for making beautiful quilts. She had started to make Jonathan a quilt last year when I was pregnant, but when he died, she decided to do something so incredibly special with his quilt. She made it into 3 preemie quilts that she is donating to the NICU at the Ft. Worth hospital where Jonathan was born! How thoughtful is she??!! She is also making the fourth piece from his blanket into a special quilt for Justin and I. What a wonderful friend--thank you SO very much, Tena!!! I can't even put into words how special it is that you are doing this for us!

Here is one of the preemie-sized quilts--I love the red, white, and blue. When I used to teach full time, my room was always decorated patriotic, and this color combo on the quilt fits me to a T!

I don't know how I didn't get a picture of Tena, but here are a couple of her precious little boy! He was playing hide-and-seek with us behind (and under) the table!

Peek-a-boo!

~~~

Continuing on with my fun 12 hours, Justin and I went and had dinner with my parents. We also watched "The Passion of the Christ". Well, I guess I should be honest--Justin and I kind of snoozed through most of it. Justin had a good excuse--he's been really sick and is taking medicine that makes him sleepy. But me--no excuse, except that I'm usually tired on Friday nights, plus...I had something REALLY fun planned for Saturday morning, that I had to be at at 6:30!! So needless to say, I am going to re-watch it this afternoon. It is such a good reminder of how much God love us, and what Jesus did for us at the cross.

~~~

So what did I have so early this morning you ask??? Well, my friend Amy, that I work with, received a Hot Air Balloon ride as a birthday present from her husband, and I got invited to go along!!!!! We just got done a little while ago, and it was AMAZING!!!! I took a bunch of pictures, but am still waiting to get some of the pictures that our chasers took of us up in the air. I'll post more once I get them. Here are the highlights of our trip...

There were two balloons, one that could only carry 2 people, and our balloon that could carry up to 10! We had 8, plus the pilot. Who knew there could be that many in one balloon?!

Here I am 'helping' get the balloon aired up! Can you see me in the yellow?

Working really hard!

Amy and I just before the heaters were turned and the balloon started floating.

Right after this picture, we climbed in, and we were off!!

Here we are in flight--right after we passed over my neighborhood! I called Justin, and he and Betsy came out and saw us flying over! How fun!

Here I am 'helping' again! Bet you didn't know I was a hot air balloon pilot, did you?!

It was so cool--the pilot took us up high, and down low. He even talked about doing something called a "splash and dash".... but we never actually splashed! We did get within about 10-15 feet from a couple little lakes, though, and pretty close to some wheat fields! Yikes!

Can you see the guy on the edge with a bike? We waved at him, and he looked a little confused as to why there was a huge balloon seeming to want to land in the pond!!

Absolutely GORGEOUS!!

And the landing..... much better than they had prepared us for...except for the fact that this was our final position!! We almost made it standing up, but at the last moment, the pilot said the wind was going to make us need to lay down, so we just hung out like this until we could crawl out! =)

Last picture with the basket!!

And Amy's daughter, Imma, just couldn't resist trying out the basket too! What a cutie!

What an absolutely wonderful morning--thank you so much, Amy and Brian, for including me today! It was GREAT!

~~~

Today's verse... I love this promise!

Romans 8:38-39

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord."

I love that no matter what, I cannot be separated from God's love!! Thank you Jesus loving me so much that you would die on the cross for me!!