chasing a hot air “berboon”

2010 was the hardest year the McKeeman family has faced so far. Starting 2011, I felt a little desperate for redemption. I felt this ridiculous pressure to start the year easily and perfectly and that anything less would be a foretelling of continuing failure. I needed to leave the hard times behind, I needed to know our family could fly high again.

But we were just off kilter New Year’s Eve. Lack of communication meant that instead of doing one of several good plans we did nothing. The kids were mistakenly put to bed early and when we tried to wake them for confetti and the ball drop they were NOT having it. Ever persistent, I decided to have pancakes, sparkling juice and confetti for breakfast. Everyone just looked at me like I was crazy while I covered the house in handcut confetti. It was such a flop that it was funny and we decided it would be a ridiculous new family tradition. A good way not to take ourselves too seriously. Start the year off with a messy belated, halfhearted celebration, and you can only go up from there!

We headed out optimistic about a fun day but everything we wanted to do was closed. Driving home subdued, I pondered about meanings and how I should take a hint and just give up, trust God and meander through the year. I knew that wasn’t my style but I did tell Him I was sorry, it wasn’t up to me. He gave me 2010 and 2011 and I would follow Him. And then we saw the balloons – “berboons” is what David calls them  – one of my favorite words ever!

Half kidding I told Jesse we should find them. My man who always wants to fix everything and give his family the world, abruptly pulled off the highway and headed off in their direction. We lost and found them again, got out to see them miles away and thought that was it… till the balloon pick up van drove by us and we were off after it. We lost sight of the van but tore through some of the most beautiful Cali country I have seen yet. The light poured down golden all around. We were a family, we were together, we were leaving behind the mundane, we were on a mission, we were risking disappointment even a bit of heartbreak in search of something more… a moment.

This “berboon”  is just one of the many gifts God has given us over this past year. Gifts that have helped us through the storm and lifted the dark cloud.

Shot on New Year’s Day 2011 with the 85mm 1.2L my husband had just surprised me with for Christmas. If I would have had my 24-70 with me it would have been easier to get more of the balloon in the shot. However it was interesting to be constrained by the lens and it allowed me to shoot wide open in the last bits of daylight.