Lighter than Air

 Whew! We have been crazy busy lately, just like I said we would be. I don't think I even realized the amount of time to relax that we would not have. We successfully moved into our house on the hottest day of the summer. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but we don't see the 90's too terribly often in the U.P. We spent all of last week packing up our hot, hot apartment and with the help of few strong men, we were able to get everything moved after we closed on Thursday evening. I was so giddy that day, I can't believe we waited this long to get a house!

The previous owners were at the closing and they were telling us about the changes made to the house over the years (the women who owned it had lived here for 40-something years). It was so fun to find out why the bathroom is so big (it was once a small bedroom) and why the entry way is such a funny shape (part of it was once a bathroom). I wish I had remembered to ask what kind of floors are under the dining room carpet (we're using it as a living room, but you can tell there is another floor underneath). We also had a nice little surprise when they told us they left an a/c unit in the garage, I had assumed that we wouldn't be getting a/c for a few weeks if we had it at all this summer. Boy am I glad they left it! It has been in the 80's and 90's the last few days while we've been unpacking.

We still have a few boxes here and there, waiting to be unpacked, but for the most part, we are moved in. Let me tell you, moving with a 2-year-old and a baby is a total joke. I was ready to rip my hair out while we were packing (in our 85 degree apartment). If Adrian wasn't unpacking then Isaac was needing attention. And now, I feel like we're getting close to having everything in its place, but I keep getting interrupted by a 2-year-old that quickly discovered the joy of having a deck. And a yard! And space to ride his cars! Luckily, Jeff is switching schedules so he just happened to have 6 days off starting on the day we closed. By the time he goes back to work tomorrow, I'll be able to enjoy that yard as well.

Anyways, back to Thursday. What a crazy, wonderful day! Here is the best part as told by Jeff:

"Thursday, at 3:30, Heidi and I closed on our first house with our RE/MAX agent, Gina. After going to check out our newly purchased home we went back to our apartment to get cleaning supplies. I knew it was going to be a long night so I wanted some fresh-brewed Holiday gas station coffee; as I was there, I noticed a group of people standing outside and a Suburban with a wicker hot air balloon basket hanging off the back. Since I'm a Howell native (home of the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest) I asked them if they had ever flown at the balloonfest in Howell. They replied by saying, "Yes, we actually live in Howell," and they were actually in the U.P. vacationing and giving balloon rides. I told them that my wife and I grew up in Howell. They then invited us to launch a balloon at the football field across the highway. After going back to the apartment I told Heidi about our invitation. After getting to the balloon launch site and meeting the other people who were helping launch the balloon, I found out that several of them RE/MAX agents and the balloon was a RE/MAX balloon, the same company that helped me find my first home!"

It was quite the experience. Most definitely worth delaying house-cleaning! I was holding Isaac in the front pack so I missed out on the helping part, but I was able to get quite a few pictures. We just can't get over the crazy coincidence. Plus, Jeff said that helping launch a balloon was sort of on his bucket list so that's pretty sweet that he was able to fulfill that.

Funny that I never thought about how hot it would be standing next to one of these giants as it's filling up (they use a fan at first and once it's opened up enough they switch to the burner). Jeff said at certain times it felt like the ropes were going to melt.

 There was a boy with special needs at the launch and I had thought he was family member to one of the crew and that was the reason he was there. He was asking questions about everyone there and seemed kind of nervous but since I had just met him, I wasn't sure if that was his usual manner. As it happens, the balloon ride was for him! He went up with the pilot and his dad who was a RE/MAX agent. Just as they were about to lift off, they had to coax him into the basket. He was afraid the flames would burn him.

After they floated off I was honestly torn between cleaning our house or chasing the balloon. We ended up cleaning the house, but what a day!