Thursday, July 08, 2010

A Family Tradition

Provo commemorates Independence Day every year with America's Freedom Festival. One of our favorite parts of the celebration is the Balloon Fest. Hot-air balloon pilots come from around the country to compete in jousting and the Hare and Hound race.

The event has been part of the Freedom Festival for 26 years, and we've been going every year since 2005, so it's become a family tradition. We get up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready and head up to Provo to watch the balloons inflate, launch and compete and then go out to breakfast together.



This year was the first year the weather was uncooperative
while we were there. Surface winds were strong enough
that most of the balloons had a hard time staying vertical,
let alone launching.


Out of 25 balloons, three managed to get
off the ground. This one is traditionally
the "hare balloon" for the competitions.


Kara can have a good time no matter how early it is.


Amy was less than thrilled to be there this year,
but she did get interested enough to count the balloons
as they inflated. She saw twelve (again out of the 25
that were supposed to participate - the other pilots
chose to conserve their propane).


Kara celebrated her freedom to dance
to "Play That Funky Music".


Amy celebrated her right not to have fun,
no matter what Mom and Dad say.


A Krispy Kreme breakfast is pure heaven.


A little sugar always cheers up
even the crankiest family members.


Happy National Sugar Cookie Day! Mmmmm!
Love,
The Petersons

3 comments:

Member of the Justice League said...

Isn't it funny how such sweet children can turn surly on you?

GayleV said...

I SO wanted to go to see the balloons this year. I just can't drag my family out of bed that early. I am going to have to find someone else to go with whose "cranky-level" isn't a 10 if I wake them before 7 ;)!!

Brenda said...

Lee - I'm always amazed at how fast it can go the other way too!

Gayle - it's so hard to get up that early, but we never regret it. Donuts make a great incentive, too. I think we may have to buy them ahead of time and take them with us. I think that will help the "cranky-level" a lot too.