Rituals

Growing up, there are certain rituals or traditions that always stick with you.  One of these, for me, was going to see hot air balloons rise above the valley in the wee hours of the morning every summer with my dad.  When I was younger, it was called the Boise River Festival (it wasn't just the balloons, it was also a fair, parade on the river, and one of the best fireworks shows in the country).  Well, gone are the days of ALL the fun stuff, but they did bring back the hot air balloons and renamed it, Spirit of Boise Balloon Festival.

This morning, my dad continued the tradition with Braison and Lilian.  Waking up at the crack of dawn, always with the promise that we could go back to bed later, heading out to the park with the lawn chairs to watch the magic.

You get to watch the whole process from the park; unloading the balloons, laying them out just right, attaching the basket, blowing them up, and finally taking off.

I am so glad the kids are able to enjoy this, I bet Grandpa is pretty glad he gets to enjoy it with them too.