Easter 2013

The bad news: Easter 2013 fell on a Sunday during Tax Season.  

The good news: Easter 2014 falls on April 20.

The annual Sunriver Easter extravaganza just never gets old. Neither does hunting for eggs at ages 28, 29, and 30 as the three of us in attendance did. It will be nice to share this very special family tradition with Taylor next year. I'm already looking forward to it.

Bullet points:

• Nonstop food, including an update to the traditional eggs-in-a-nest coconut cupcakes.
• Pure relaxation.
• Long, long river loop run.
• Nonstop food.
• Sunshine.
• Pastor Jack, Beve, and the thought-provoking Good Friday service. 
• The Lady's stories of partying with Bill Walton back in the day.
• The Lady's subsequent confession of the falsity of the aforementioned claim.
• Working from home "on location."
• Hot tubbing.
• Maverick-ing.
• Barney's first family trip to SR.
• The longest Easter vigil service in the history of Central Oregon Easter vigil services on record.
• Family time at its finest.

Taylor's parents were over in the area as well as Team Schader, but sadly it didn't work out to see either.

We've been going to Sunriver for Easter since forever. We spend a lot of time reflecting on the passion of our Lord and celebrating His resurrection. 

He is risen! Hallelujah! 

Not a lot of photos this year.

Barney's first ROCK PIC.

The year of the wedding: Salem (my big bro Joe's!) edition

The weather gods were saving the hottest day of the year for August 20, the day my big brother Joseph married Sara on her mother and stepfather's property on the Willamette River in Salem, Oregon. Obviously, this wedding has been the most-anticipated of the numerous ceremonies and parties of the summer.

I don't even know where to start with this blog post, or just what to say.

I laughed, cried, played BINGO, sweat (sweated?) a lot (and as such, became a firm believer and supporter of Spanx), shimmied and shook a tambourine on stage with the wedding band (secret dream come true!), danced with my dad, ruined two pair of shoes (for good reason), ate a lot, toasted a ton, sampled about seventeen different kinds of cookies, tore through three pieces of wedding cake (probably embarrassing my boyfriend), reunited with many family friends, felt truly proud of my brother, and really missed one of my two big sisters as she and her hubby were unable attend the celebration because they are days away from adding yet another member to our ever-growing family.

Of course I left my camera charging in my bedroom the night of the rehearsal dinner. Hopefully one of the bridesmaids will send me pics so I can try to recreate the evening via photos. It was epic. My mom outdid herself. I didn't think it was possible, but she did. She catered a complete dinner from Portland to Salem. She gave it a "picnic" theme, but she also incorporated some of Joe and Sara's favorite things, like popcorn, peanuts, M&Ms, games (we played BINGO and had a raffle), and I can't believe it's taken me this long to mention the cookie bar. My mom baked all summer long...literally. There were about fifteen different kinds of cookies, arranged on different trays, alongside little Chinese take-out boxes donning a photo of the bride and groom so people could take home the treats as a favor.

The actual wedding did not disappoint, either. It was interesting having a brother get married after going through the process with two sisters. With their weddings, I knew exactly how everything was going to shake out, but there were a lot of surprises at Joe's wedding. Sara looked beautiful, Joe looked very handsome (in his slim-fit pants), and the bridesmaid and groomsmen ensembles turned out perfect. I think Sara pulled off her "rustic elegance" theme quite well.

Let's let some photos do the talking, shall we? I'll contribute more words later...

Cookie bar preps...early Friday morning in Portland.

Take-home favor boxes for the cookie bar.

My mom recovered six additional varieties of cookies in the freezer the week after the wedding... 

So many salads, so little time.

Lizey crowning the princess bride and Joe figuring out his giant bow tie. 

The groom as he arrived to the wedding site. Dave came all the way from Shanghai!

The beautiful bride on the balcony.

Some of the bridesmaids kicking back before the wedding.

A not-so-flattering pic of me and the happy groom.

Missing our sister, Stefanie...there in spirit, every moment of the way thanks to Elizabeth's iPhone.

Just missing the MOH.

Joe's 'men...friends from childhood, elementary, high school, and post-grad.

Campbell wore little Toms just like Uncle Joe, Big Poppi, and all of the groomsmen. C and Leo wore gingham shirts, coincidentally matching "Uncle" Taylor, too.

Cutest little chunker.

How beautiful does my mom look?!

Campbell loved following Taylor around.

My dad and Pastor Jack (who also married Stefanie and Jordan) embracing after my dad's tear-filled father of the groom speech. He really brought down the house.

Joe and his golfing four-some: Dennis, Glenn, and our dad.

Fun facts: Joe went to our parents' house for a refresher on dancing while Sara YouTubed videos of couples dancing their first dance. 

These two took 30+ years of dance lessons. They really shine at weddings.

The ol' "lead and follow" dance move.

Mom and "Mr. Smooth" aka Dave.

Obligatory couple-shot.

And another.

Sneak peek

Not sure when I'll have a chance to blog about my big bro Joe's wedding...but it was epic!

The year of the wedding: Bachelorette edition

Things got a little nutty this weekend as we celebrated the remaining moments of single status for Sara (my brother Joe's fiancee) and my dear friend Katie Woodman.

I'll be a bridesmaid in both weddings, just one week apart, so it's fitting both celebrated their bachelorettes over the weekend. 

Sara and her crew of friends headed to Lincoln City for an entire weekend of debauchery, and although I stayed just Friday night, it was long enough to know her high school and college buddies had been waiting for and planning this trip for quite some time. 

I headed back home Saturday to co-host Katie's shower with Mariel and Kelley. We had so much fun baking and decorating in preparation for this party. A great group of about 12 ladies gathered for food, cocktails, and--of course--all kinds of treats before heading to downtown Portland in a party bus Mariel rented for the night! What a great way to get around. 

It was wonderful to see the focus of the evening on Katie, who is one of the most humble and selfless people in my life. She's constantly planning, crafting, organizing, and remembering the special moments of others, so it was really great to have a whole night dedicated to celebrating her. 

Katie's done a brilliant job of putting a homemade loving touch on just about every part of her wedding details, including her invitations and her gown...so I really can't wait to see the whole thing come together on August 13.

Unfortunately, I didn't snap any pictures of Sara's party, but her sister made some beautiful decorations, and the beach house on Devil's Lake was a gorgeous setting for the weekend.

Cheers to two lovely brides!   

The bride embarrassingly unwrapping lingerie as Mariel, Kelley, Sarah, and Kate look on.

So sad this pic is a bit blurry. Only Matea is missing from our fab five.

I'm so thankful to be in Portland so I can partake in these special moments. Oh, and if you're wondering...Kell is standing on a step ladder.

Here we are on the party bus, Ring Pops and party hats in full force. I love my friends! Cheers to Katie!