how "balloon chasers" came to be

it all started back in 2012. early february to be exact. it was just a regular saturday in the backyard when we realized our dogs were beyond hungry and it was off to the store for a quick dog food run. on the way something caught our eye.. what was it?? a hot balloon! two, in fact!! i guess you can say my need for adventure got the best of me and in a split second decision we were at its heels! it was wild. "like seeing a deer in the forest!" is how i described it {as opposed to being in a zoo}... we  chased, conquered and little did we know this was the beginning of a much greater adventure!

since then, we've chased dozens and dozens of balloons. we know just how to read them.. to tell if its "chase worthy" or within chasing bounds and have pinpointing landing spots down to a science. shoot, our accuracy rivals that of the official "chase vehicles!" {without inside information even}
anyways,

 before discovery channel gets a hold of our idea,

i wanna be the first to go behind the scenes of a real-life Balloon Chase..

so it all begins with 
"THE SIGHTING."

 this usually happens from our backyard... then we watch it a while and determine
1. if it's close.
2. if its preparing to land.
 if it's both those things, then comes...

 THE CHASE!

 since balloon chasing is generally unplanned, this usually begins with me throwing the kids in the car, most often with gross un-brushed, "rat nest" style hair, mid-makeup or with lip stick haphazardly applied to everywhere but on my actual lips, spit-up covered clothes... not to mention the kids' loaded diapers and dirt ridden faces... in all actuality, a real-life balloon chaser can be a scary sight!

and... just like on stormchasers, the chase can be somewhat dangerous and unpredictable.... but it's worth it if you succeed, because then comes the best part...

 THE CATCH!!!

really the only purpose for the chase is the catch.

so you can be there when they land and go up to them afterwards!

and we've definitely had some adventures! 

...looking out our car window to see one soaring just above us, being asked to toast with newly declared "aeronauts," hanging out on the basket... even getting to be part of the crew that puts away the balloon! 

  

so before hollywood gets a hold of it and dramatizes it,

 there's an idea of what happens on a real-life balloon chase!

i know it's pretty weird and we must look like total dorks, but that's ok..
we love it!!

and if anyone asks we just say "we just do it for the kids!" ;)