Napa Valley

Kyle and I spent last weekend in breathtaking Napa, California. It was incredible. The scenery was like nothing I have ever experienced, and we spent four days with some of my favorite people in the world. It doesn't get much better. My extremely generous parents (on Kyle's side) planned this trip for all three of their children and their spouses after visiting Napa last October. Wow! It was truly such an unexpected blessing. The weather was beautiful, if not a little hot! It reached the mid-90's during our stay, while Dallas only saw highs of 70's and 80's. I guess we really did take the heat with us? We enjoyed new sights, beautiful surroundings, and of course, each other. Everything just seemed to move at a slightly slower pace there, and the entire town smelled like roses... literally! Here is just a small sampling of what surrounded us in Napa: We toured 8 different wineries over 4 days and ate some of the best food I've had. Each place we went to had something so unique to share. I have never been much of a wine drinker, but it sure is fascinating to learn all that goes into wine making, and how only slight differences in barrels, temperature, blending, and harvesting will completely change the taste! Of course, a trip to Napa Valley is never complete without one key ingredient: an early morning hot air balloon ride over the valley. The 5 am wake-up call may have been a little rough, but being greeted with coffee and a danish and having a celebratory champagne breakfast waiting upon our return was not too shabby. Not to mention that the ride itself was one of the most peaceful, beautiful experiences I have ever had. It reminded me of climbing Roseberry Topping in England the summer after my senior year of high school, and marveling for hours at this breathtaking view of the countryside. We had an incredible worship service up there (don't worry, on the mountain, not the balloon). It's just the natural response, I guess. There is something about being out in God's beautiful creation. It reminds me that our God loves us enough to create the most magnificent sights for our enjoyment here on earth. It also reminds me that our God who is big enough to create all of this, is small enough to hear my feeble attempts at a thank you. Anyway, I digress. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking :-) Our first look at Juliet, our balloon. (Yes, they each had a name. No, I wasn't the one who made it up). Isn't she a beauty? A neighboring balloon floating above the valley: Pause for a mid-flight photo: A cool camera rig attached to the balloon took this picture of our group (plus two extras): The view: Our welcoming committee as we landed: And finally, from the ground: A few other favorites: I had a blast taking pictures on this trip. It's not a hard task when the scenery is so beautiful! Be sure to click here to see the rest of the pictures!