we lived in colorado springs for 5 years. and every one of those 5 years we headed out to the annual colorado balloon classic to see the balloon glow. and not one of those years did we actually get to see a glow, each and every time we saw what they called a flame. which means they lit the fires but didn't have the balloons up. and it wasn't enough to keep the kids interested. but this year in chiang mai we saw this...

and this...

and this...

and we got to do this*... (since it was dusk, the lighting inside the hot air balloon wasn't all that great making it somewhat difficult to see that we are standing inside the balloon as they fill it with air)

and this*...

and i found the van of my dreams...

and if you can't make out just what makes it all that, look at this...

do i really need room for the kids?

earlier in the evening there were hangliders - but they weren't really hangliders they were something else, i just don't remember what it was they called themselves...

and just so you don't think it was all fun and games, we also were witness to this...

i have no idea what he is doing or why he is doing it, but i do know this clown will not be at any of my kiddos birthday parties - well, if any of them were still young enough to want a clown at their birthday party.

and you may have noticed c13 was conspicuously absent from the days activities. he was off at a birthday party - social butterfly that he is.

*the lovely couple who took our picture in the balloon and then let the kids hang out in the basket for a bit were from england. most of these balloons came from bristol, england. they sent the balloons and the baskets by ship in december preparing for a valentine's event - which is when the international festival was originally to be held. the festival was postponed because of a 100 day mourning period due to the death of the king's sister.