And Then, In Portland

We are lucky that Chris' parents live in Portland, so we get to visit often(ish). What a fabulous city! This visit was no exception...we had a blast.

We rode the aerial tram...which about gave me a nervous breakdown. Does fear of heights get worse with age? Because I'm turning into a mess. But we prevailed, enjoyed the views and the kids thought it was the coolest. After that we enjoyed a grilled cheese at the super fun Grilled Cheese Grill. The kids loved eating in a school bus...I loved eating a peanut butter & banana sandwich with BACON aka the Fat Elvis. Come to Mama.

See, I look happy, don't I?

We also got to visit the Portland Temple (they have a great visitor's center, too, if you're ever up that way)...

...followed by a trip to Trader Joe's woot woot! So excited we're getting our very own at some point. Also, the Beverly Cleary Children's Library at the downtown library was a must-see for the book-nerd in me.

We LOVED Silver Falls...holy gorgeous!

Mason & Maya both caught the waterfall in Maya's purple fedora. Tricky, right?

And we just enjoyed some fun family town, downtown Portland and beyond. Oh, and look behind Simon: Goodwill! But I didn't go in. I was juggling too many crazy kiddos in an unfamiliar city.

We spent one lovely afternoon and evening with some legendary Cottam family-friends (friends of the family...and also, friends who are almost like family!). Chris has known these guys since he was a skateboard riding grade-school hooligan in San Diego. Andrew is his oldest friend that he's still in contact with, I believe. They are some of the best peeps for sure!

We had a super yummy picnic at a gorgeous park on the Willamette River, complete with splash pad, playground, delicious food and fabulous conversation. And somebody (Mason?) got hold of the camera and provided us with some EXTREME close-ups. I love these shots!

Unbeknownst to anyone, there was a carnival set to open the next day in this park so the carnies were out in full force, waiting to set up their rides. It was an interesting crowd, one could say, and just added an element of memorability to the whole event. I love it when something out of the ordinary happens.

One of our last orders of business in Portland was to experience the awesome Portland institution of Oaks Park, an old-school amusement park. It was fabulous! All of the kids had a blast.

And there were BBQs and picnics and pizza and s'mores and fun with Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt Audrey, Uncle Adam, Anna and brand-new-baby Avery. Being with family is the best! Can't wait to visit again.