Portland Color Run

So the family blog kind of got put on hold this summer while we were in the midst of Wedding Carnival planning.  To get caught up on the family blog has been on my To Do list for the last month.  I haven't made much progress.  The thought of getting caught up has just been too overwhelming as a lot has happened this summer!

So I just decided to start current and then work backwards.

This year I have been able to cross a few things off the bucket list - Run a 1/2 Marathon, Be in a Flash Mob and do a Color Run.  I crossed the Color Run off this weekend.

The race took place out at the Portland Speedway and I did it with my friend Meg and 15,000 other Portlanders.  Let's just say 15,000 is a lot of people.  Technically, it really isn't a race because they don't even time it.  The object is to just have fun and we did.  The race is a 5K and goes along the raceway and through Delta Park.

 We started out with white clothes on.

 But we didn't end up with white clothes on!.  Along the race course there are color stations where people stand with squirt bottles full of different color powders.  One station is blue, one is yellow etc.   The powder is made from cornstarch.

 It was really fun and I'm glad I covered my hair so I don't have pink hair for church tomorrow!

 There is one big color party at the end where people throw their packet of color!

Jim came along as our chauffer and photographer.  Thanks Jim!
It was fun, glad I did it but don't think I need to do it again.

SNAP Creative Conference

I look for any opportunity or excuse to make a trip to Utah - especially since all four of my kid are there.  In April there was a creative blogger conference going on so I decided that was a good excuse!

The conference was held at Thanksgiving Point which was great since Wynn and Emily live just down the street from there.  I could attend the conference during the day and then spend the night at their house.

The conference was great, I learned some and got to meet some fun bloggers I had met through their blogs.  One of my new blog friends is Kristen Duke from Texas. 

She is a great photographer and taught a couple of photography breakouts at the conference.  She used Cali and Tessa as the models for her class which was fun!

After she gave us tips and tricks the class members go to practice on someone.  I practiced on my girls of course.  Here are a few shots that I took.

 Tessa's breakout was how to shoot in the full sun - a little more challenging.

What we were up to in April!

So my life has been somewhat taken over by wedding planning and this little old family blog has been somewhat neglected but I am determined to get it caught up one blog post at a time.  It is our family history after all.

So back to April.....
Our week in Instagram photos for the week of April 9th!

I made a purchase off of Craig's List for the wedding carnival.  On a whim I went onto Craig's List and just typed in vintage ice cream cart and something popped up!  This...

I decided it had possibility so I started texting with the guy selling it.  He had another interested party but if they didn't buy it he said it was ours.  Fortunately for me they didn't buy it so Jim and I headed over there.  We pulled in front of the house and Jim said "I know that guy, I work with him!"  They even sold it to us a little cheaper because they knew us - only $40.00 and now for a little paint to turn it into this....

 

Won't it be perfect for the Wedding Carnival!!

Friday night we headed out for a "cheap" date and decided to try a Mexican restaurant in Hillsboro.  

This was about as authentic as it gets.  The gal taking our order didn't speak very good English so we didn't quite get what we ordered but it was still good and cheap!

On Saturday our ward had a Day of Service at the Ronald McDonald House.  Jim was in charge of the yard crew all day and I was in charge of the kitchen crew in the morning.

Someone else had planned the menu but we made meatball sandwiches for everyone staying at the house for lunch.

It was a fun day and we are anxious to go back and help again!

We also attended a baseball game of our neighbor Declan.  Jim loves it and brings back lots of fun memories of when the boys played.