Balloon-a-pa-looza...Or Complete Picture Overload

I warn you right now, if you're not that into pictures just turn away slowly and walk away. This one is complete picture overload. I may or may not have knocked Blogger right out while trying to upload all of these.

But they're worth it, they're really worth it.

You know what else was worth it?  Waking up at the the crack of dawn to be down to a field in Provo by dawn. To watch balloons.

It doesn't really sound worth it, but it was amazing.

I grew up having these balloons fly right over my house. I can still name several of them. I've never tried to fight parking, crowds and the depths of sleep to see them launch. First you show up to a field with a ton of people, but no balloons. Then, little by little, balloons start to come to live all around you. Soon, you're surrounded by 24 brightly, colored hot air balloons, larger than life, looming above you.

This is as good as it gets at crack of dawn...

I may tout the wonderness of Texas sunsets, but not much beats Utah sunrises over the mountains!

Kristi and Ky

Kristi, Ky and Robin

This balloon showed us that the material is fire proof as it started to deflate and blew fire into the material at the same time. They had to start all over inflating this one.

Smokey, the bear from below

These balloons were kissing - touching in the air

They were beginning to inflate the 156' Coca Cola balloon. It flies, but not this day.

And it's up and tall.

Smokey from the front

The balloonists play several games during their flight. They have large helium balloons set up at the launch site and they are to try to joust a balloon out of the air with long hooks or poles. They also have two targets set up, one at the launch site and one several miles away. The pilots are to throw or drop bean bags onto the target to see who can get closest to center.

Ky would not crawl off the blanket onto the grass, it was hilarious and a completely effective gate.

Sisters, Marsha (grandma) and Robin (aunt)

The twins actually getting along and Savannah entertaining Ky

Doing the YMCA

When the deflated the 156' tall Coca-Cola balloon they folded it up and had the kids roll over it from end to end to push out extra air.

They rolled...

and rolled...

and rolled...

and rolled...

and rolled...(Cael's looking a little sick in this one)

and rolled...(so glad we went to breakfast after the balloon event...)