This weekend, we will not be in Albuquerque.

Which I'm a little sad about. Because, this weekend is the annual International Balloon Fiesta (I always want to call a Festival, but it's not. It's a Fiesta.)







Nathan and I have said for years that we want to go, and not just because he grew up in a tiny town about thirty minutes outside Albuquerque.
It just seems so magical. Strolling around hand-in-hand, taking gorgeous pictures of gorgeous hot air balloons. Add a pumpkin spice latte and I go weak in the knees.






"No one can be uncheered by a balloon."
-- Winnie the Pooh

So sorry that I've been out the last few days, lovely friends.

But I have a really, really good excuse.
I helped Nathan second shoot this weekend in Iowa, and everything came off without a hitch*. I'd describe this feeling as a happiness hangover.

Going back to work tomorrow isn't even that bad, because it's the last day of school before summer break.

What are you up to this summer?

I intend to:
1. work on my writing

(This isn't me. My hair is shorter, I use my Macbook Pro instead of writing by hand, and in summer, I normally sit inside in the air conditioning at coffeeshops when I write. But cute dress, huh?)

2. work out every day**


3. turn off our cable***


4. take a photography class


5. go see old movies at the Paramount



*other than one small episode that included taking some detail shots inside a tent where the air was rather humid, causing the Nikon 17-55 lens to fog up, when time the groom's brother-in-law suggested (ever so brilliantly) that we put said fogged-up lens into a hot car to bake out the moisture. It totally worked, and he totally saved the day.

** or as often as I can (excluding sick days or days I'm too busy writing, a.k.a. writing more than four hours a day)

*** not to worry, because we already have our TV hooked up to our internet, which means we can keep up with most shows we care about and in the meantime, watch lots of great things on iTunes and Netflix Watch Instantly. Goodbye, Cable! No hard feelings.

Vacation,

all I ever wanted.

This Thursday, we fly to Salt Lake to see Nathan's family and go camp and hike in the Slot Canyons in Utah. Normally, hiking and camping might not sound that appealing. But, Nathan's parents have this great, tricked-out camper, and we make food in the mini-kitchen that is equivalent to the Food Network in goodness. My kind of "roughing it."

Oh, how we love Marfa.