Belnap Family Reunion 2009

We got back Saturday from family reunion #3 for the year. This time it was the Parley Belnap family reunion (or Dan's immediate family). It was up by the Palisades Reservoir in Idaho this year. To get there, we took I-80 from Utah to Evanston, WY, then a po-dunk road that took us back to Utah, then back to Wyoming, then into Idaho, back to Wyoming, and finally back to Idaho (where the cabin we stayed in was one mile from the Wyoming border). We got there on Wednesday and unloaded our stuff and took posession of the "Moose Room". We had a beautiful view of the reservoir from our bedroom window! We had dinner together then had river rafting orientation for the river trip. 34 (I think) people were all together!

The next day we got up and had pancakes, then rushed out the door to get to the river ontime for the launch. The rafters went down an 8.5 mile stretch of the Snake River in Wyoming. Jonathan, Dan, and Nolan got to do 2 runs. Julie's sister and her husband were the guides. They loved it! Miles and I went and watched the launch then went to a viewing area and saw them go through "Big Kahuna" and "Lunch Counter" rapids. The boys did run #2 while Miles and I went back to the cabin. After dinner, everyone did their own thing... movies, chatting, playing, Scrabble, etc.

On Friday we all went to Teton National Park. I was telling Dan that I really wanted to see a moose, and that if it was a bull with a big rack I would be really excited. Lucky me! Just before the big visitor's center at the main entrance, lots of cars were pulled over. There was my Mr. Moose! I jumped out of the car before it had completely stopped, ran across the street, and took Mr. Moose's picture!

We met up with the rest of the Belnap clan at Jenny Lake. The plan was to eat lunch, then do a 6 miles hike around Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and back. Just then, we got hit by a big rainstrom. We ate lunch in our cars as we waited out the storm. After the storm passed, we didn't have time for the whole hike so we compromised and took a boat ride across the lake and hiked .5 miles to the falls then .5 miles back to the dock and took the boat back across the lake. It was beautiful (thank goodness I just proofread this... I had a nice typo... it said "I was beautiful". Ha ha ha!). After dinner, the grandkids did a play of "The Sneetches". It was cute. Then it was off to bed!

Saturday moring was filled with breakfast, family pictures, and cleaning. We left at various times and planned to meet up for dinner at Sizzler in Layton. What Bona didn't know was that this was no regular dinner, it was a belated surprise party for her 75th birthday. It was belated so that all her kids could be there. She was surprised! Several of her siblings and Parley's brother were there. We ate; the sons gave tributes to Bona and they sang her a song. Bona, in the past, has changed the words to a song and made the song about Parley. This time, the brothers changed the words of that song to be all about Bona. It was really funny.

We had such a fun time getting to see everyone. We aren't together very often because some of Dan's brothers live far away... Arizona, Texas, and Japan. It's great to have the chance to reconnect and to watch the cousings play together. See you all in 2 years!