Tulip festival newbies

I know, I know. We've lived here as students for 2 years and as employed citizens for 3 1/2 years. And we almost didn't make it to the tulip festival this year. Our weekends are substantially busy and when Jared and I calendar a month or two in advance, I can't help but see my life flash before my eyes when you look at it in terms of weekends!

On this day, I had 9 miles to run in preparation for the much dreaded half marathon I'm doing in two days. I had only gone 8 miles twice before attempting the 9. Then we had plans to go do yard work for a single sister in our ward who is caring for her aging mother and never has time for herself, let alone her yard, and it was her birthday the next day. So that was my gift to her...our family yard service.

After that, Jared was off on a two hour bike ride with friends, planning to get back with just enough time to shower so we could head down to Woodburn. My friend Stephanie mentioned taking family pictures there...pictures we could put in our family frame on the wall that haven't changed since last March. That was the plan. Pictures stress me out as it is, though, and I worried that Karcyn wouldn't cooperate. When you need her to face the camera is when she avoids it the most. It's uncanny.

Right before Jared got home, it was hailing and a huge downpour came through the area. Weather was not on our side for this trip south. But in Oregon, you just have to go and can't let the weather stop you. So we loaded up the rain boots and jackets.

We got poured on in a couple spots on the way down, but once we got there, aside from being very windy and a little chilly, the weather was great. There were a few large standing puddles in the fields but we just walked around them. Unless you're Cooper and then he gets as close to the edge as possible hoping he doesn't fall in. Which we later spoke to him about and compared that to the people in Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. The people who can't hold on to the iron rod because they're too close to the edge and flirt with the danger of falling into the river below.

Stephanie graciously took pictures of our family first. The fields were HUGE and so pretty.


People have since told me there was a lot of variety to the flowers this year than in years past. It was still pretty windy but the sun was out and it felt good. Unfortunately for the Hough family, Karcyn wasn't the problem this year, it was Calvin. Good grief. If it's not one of them, it's another. I think we're just going to skip family pictures from now on and just go with individual shots. These are pictures we took with our own camera.

JAKE & KARCYN


COOPER


KARCYN


CALVIN




JENN & JARED


JENN & KIDS


We took pictures of Stephanie's family and all the kids among the flowers. I think it ended up being too sunny for the right lighting for fancy schmancy pictures, but what Stephanie doesn't realize is that we're NOT picky! I can't wait to see how her shots turned out.

We walked to the other side of the field towards the exit but had another haul back to the parking lot. My butt and leg muscles were starting to speak to me and they weren't saying nice things. Jared's bike ride was making him a little sore too. So...Jake flagged down a cart that goes between the field and parking lot and asked the operator if he had room for 6 (Steph and her family were still in the field). He did and Jake and Cooper even got to help drive it!

We met the Morgans at Burgerville for dinner on our way home and then parted our ways. And now we can say we've been to the tulip festival!