Yellowstone National Park Balzotti Reunion 2011

Mark and I in our secret agent disguise at Yellowstone Upper Falls. What a great Balzotti family reunion! The best people and the best scenery! We had 60 people there. All four grandparents and spouses, Mike's group total of 16, Mark's total of 12 (we lost!), Donna's group total 16 and Lori's group total of 16 also. The three pregnant moms - Tyfani, Rachel, and Andrea deserve an extra kiss and hug for being such good sports to come on this adventure. Three new babies coming in November, December and January for our family.

Alyssa is wearing a skirt (and a necklace). I am not. I am also saying "Don't take a picture," which always works.

Bear in the tree - Mark finally saw a bear on the last day. We had to restrain him as he attempted to leap from our moving vehicle when the ranger said no parking but he was able to safely jump out and we circled back for him.

Mahea, Pono, and Dawson about to be eaten by the Dragon!

Finn experiencing the Dragon's Breath Cave and modeling the reunion shirts Alyssa made for all the children.

Marie and Finn: "Don't get too close to the wildlife."

Just trying to help out - 100th anniversary of Mackies

Mark and I helped Mackies in Port Stanley celebrate their 100th birthday by eating their fries with special sauce. The sauce is an amazing sweet/spicy ketchup, spices and a dash of their famous orangade combination - I think. I am considering working there one summer just to steal the recipe for their fry sauce!

Meet Brigham Young's great-great-great-great grandson

Dawson had to dress up as someone from Utah's history for his 4th grade "wax museum" last week. With all the classes going around the gym it's a bit noisy but he did a great job. I liked the part where he said BY was the first governor of SLC instead of Utah. The coat came right out of our dress-ups. Sadly, his recent haircut removed his curly hair which was just like his ancestor.

Carribean Cruise pictures from last week

If you leave your chair for a half hour snorkel you may find your spot taken by some skinny-legged chick strutting down the beach!

My chair for the day. At our second port we went to beautiful Brewer's Beach on Tortola.There were about 2,000 passengers on our cruise ship and only about 10 people were on this incredible beach. We shared a taxi with one other couple and we were the only ones there for a couple hours and then a few people arrived later. No loud music, no spring break crowd, clean warm turquoise water to snorkel in, soft white sand and shady palm trees.Perfect.

Our first port in the southern Carribean was Samana - this is the colorful downtown shopping area which is one street. The ride in on boat tenders took longer than walking around the town.

These are the taxi's at Samana - scooters with attached seating. The port isn't visited by very many ships so it is still small and not very developed.

Let them eat cake (and drink Italian sodas)

The cakes are adorned and labels and ready for the wedding shower guests to enjoy. Fresh tulips, Italian soda bar, tissue ceiling decorations and a moss runner from Taipan.

• Jordan's bridal shower brought to by Alyssa's decorations and new cake decorating skills.
  

Cowpie clocks - the story I had to tell

I heard Chris and Thaylene talking about Cowpie clocks and wrote the story for the Daily Herald - go check it out on their site."Cowpie clocks are selling like hotcakes"
http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_47198301-1ebf-527e-9b21-1a68656eceff.html

What are they up to?

Dress rehearsal for "Sleeping Beauty" which Tyfani directed. Haydon and Roman are lined up ready to enter during rehearsal. The junior version was a little more junior with 2 year-old Roman joining the goons. He danced and sang and swung his sword on stage the last night with the rest of those bad boys!

Dawson "painting" his clay mask with shoe polish. While brothers rehearsed "Sleeping Beauty" Dawson went to sculpture class across the hall.

One of the clay projects Dawson made was a mask.