Wednesday: Oregon Zoo, Rose Gardens and The Main Event

There is a section of Portland called Washington Park - it is so beautiful! The zoo, museum, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Arboretum, Nat'l Forestry Center and a lot of other things are all right there. We could have spent all week in that area!

Pardon my crazy hair - Bree likes to take out clips whenever she sees them.
The first thing we did (after Carly had boo boo drama and spent half an hour screaming while we were picking up a picnic lunch) was ride the zoo train down the hill to the Rose and Japanese Gardens. Grammy and Poppy went to explore the gardens while Auntie K and the girls and I went to this park. Carly just wanted to swing, so that's what we did!

Sweet sisters in the Rose Garden. You could really spend all day there, but we had animals to see!

So we caught the steam train - so cool - back up the hill.

This was Carly's favorite place - we probably spent 20 minutes just watching the sea lions swim around.

While Bree slept. She loves Mr. Beeps.

Silly Carly at the Madagascar cockroaches. She's trying to make a gross-out face, but she couldn't stop smiling!

After the zoo and stuff, we went over to my Aunt Barbara's athletic club where the family had rented a room overlooking the pools for our big party. This was Granny's birthday cake - so beautiful! The outside was all white chocolate. Carly got a rose to eat with her cake, which was probably one of the highlights of her week.

Poppy, Auntie K and the girls. Their dresses were so cute, but this is the only photo I have of both of them!

That's my girl. =)

Sweet Kendall (am I spelling that the right way?). She's my Aunt Dottie and Uncle Don's grand-girl, and she's about six months older than Carly. She's such a sweet girl - Carly and Kendall (and Kendall's three brothers) played so well together. I really hope we get to see them sometime soon!

Part of the Main Event every time we have a reunion is a big auction to help cover the costs of the party. This year, it was a silent raffle of several different things - the big girls are Briana and Margeaux and the younger kids took turns picking the names. The first time Carl went up, she drew MY name, because my dad had put in a ticket with my name for a beautiful quilt my Aunt Dottie made! When it was Kendall's turn, after she drew a name, Carly woul go up to her and give her a hug and say 'good job!' It was super cute!

Bree's hair...it gets crazier after icing is rubbed in it. =)

Carly getting her icing kiss ready for Auntie Sarah!

There was a photographer on-site for this entire event, so when those pics are available I'll send a link...in case you want them. She took a ton of really cute photos of my girls and I know the entire internet can't get enough of those. =)