PORTLAND VISIT AND MS WALK

Mom and I flew to Portland on THURSDAY afternoon. We had the distinct pleasure of having an ALL WOMAN SOUTHWEST FLIGHT CREW and I mean ALL----both pilots were women and then we had 3 women flight attendants. The flight was smooth, fast, and flawless. The women pilots did a great job.

Brittney picked us up at the airport and we had two hours before we headed back to the airport to pick Johnny up returning from his business trip to Quebec. We ate a quick light dinner at Red Robin and then drove to the Oregon City Stake building for a regional church ball game. From about 3 minutes into the game I knew there was something off......a truly power control freak ref was over the game. For some reason, he had it out for #10 on Johnny's team from the beginning. No matter what #10 did, he found fault with it and also called at least one technical on him. I guess Johnny's team had experience with this ref before and one of their team members wanted to leave before the game even started when he saw who was refereeing the game. I really tried to be objective in watching this guy, and only knowing one person from either team made it easy. Johnny's team ended up losing, but they were good sports about the whole game and the unbalanced ref. We had a good laugh about it in the car and grandma even gave Johnny a technical for misplacing his GPS system.

Johnny was hitting all his foul shots

Johnny had to guard the big fellow next to him most of the night

Love, love, love Johnny's coach and fellow ward member, Howard

Poor Brittney got roped into taking score and keeping track of the fouls and time outs. It was a very hard job, but she did a great job.

After the game was over, we drove home and had to watch Survivor before we all went to sleep.

FRIDAY, Johnny had to work a half day and we girls went to the Portland Temple in the morning. I am always amazed at the outer and inner beauty of this sacred place. The temple grounds were so beautiful with spring flowers and greenery everywhere.

Mom and me just outside the front door

I love this beautiful picture of Brittney in front of the lovely azaleas.

A bride was being photographed in front of the reflecting pool and so we went to the other side of the temple by the fountain

I always feel the spires look as if they were hand carved

We drove back to Johnny and Britt's condo and changed our clothes to pick Johnny up from work and head out to the TULIP FESTIVAL. We enjoyed our visit with all the great women that work in Johnny's office, when we picked Johnny up. Mom really enjoyed seeing the places that Johnny and Britt work and live in daily.

We went to a nearby restaurant called Rose's Cafe and Bakery and ate lunch. It was so nice to sit and relax together for a brief time. We splurged on brownies and cookies for the drive to Woodburn where the festival is held.

This is one of the first sights at the festival. There are over 40 acres of different colored tulips in full bloom. The weather was perfect as we walked and absorbed the beauty around us.

The festival is held each year at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. This is the 25th year of the festival. Thus the Dutch influence is everywhere you look. I thought John and Britt looked like pretty cute Dutch kids...of course...Johnny is one quarter Dutch so it isn't hard for him to look Dutch.

They had little wooden shoes that people could sit in and be

driven around the fields.

Pretty incredible multicolored patch of tulips

This view only shows a portion of the huge expanse of tulips

I had to take this picture of mom in front of the orange tulip called TEMPLE VIEW. A very appropriate tulip for such a great temple worker

The foursome

We watched about a 10 year old unattended girl walk around and intently choose tulips to pick and add to the huge bouquet she carried. There are signs everywhere that say, "DO NOT PICK THE TULIPS" So of course, Johnny, had to reenact the deed.

Pretending to pick the tulips

Picking in FRONT of the many signs posted in the fields.

We had to end our visit to the tulips with a DUTCH KISS

We drove back north to downtown Portland for our dinner reservations at Piazza Italia. This restaurant is in the Pearl District and is very small and hard to get into without a week ahead reservation. The restaurant is owned and run by a true Italian family and have Italian soccer jerseys hanging all over from the ceiling with big TV's showing Italian soccer games. The food is amazing and we enjoyed our visit with the owner. He is charming.

We were all smiles from eating such delicious food

We had gelato for dessert. We were trying to keep the entire night Italian. We sat outside and I had red plum seed gelato. It was amazing.

SATURDAY morning we were up early to drive to downtown Portland for the MS Walk. Bob, Brittney's dad, had docked his boat at a downtown slip he uses and we all met there. Bob and Shannon had fruit, cheese, breads, and pastries for us to eat before we made the mile walk to Pioneer Square where the walk would kick off. They were so generous to feed us and let us use their boat.

Bob and Shannon

Johnny designed our West Coast Container shirts

Mom stayed at the boat while we walked. She had plenty to "gawk" at and was in her element

Our prewalk picture of the West Coast Container walkers. I love and appreciate these good people....(from left to right and top to bottom)Michelle, Ron, Dennis, Tricia, Me, Bryce, Bob (over on the right---on the 2nd row from the bottom) Kathie, Johnny, Britt, and Shannon.

This was just a portion of the huge crowd that gathered to walk

Our group

I love the motto, "Join the Movement"

This drum band led us out to the river and then they stayed and played for all the walkers

We crossed two bridges during the walk. You can see the small people

on the outside of the bridge.

Every Saturday morning 'Dragon Racers' practice their rowing on the river

Kathie chose the number 7 and her sweet husband, Bryce, decided they would be 007 when they walked.

Look closely and you can see mom on the boat between the American flags

Our great host, kicking back for a bit after the walk

We walked up from the boat and went to McCormick and Schmicks restaurant and ordered huge hamburgers and watched some of the beginning NBA games on the big screen. We visited for quite a while and mom and I got to know the West Coast Container walkers a little better.

Later, Saturday afternoon, we went to Britt's mom, Steph's house and visited with Steph and Cal. Cal was supposed to be getting ready to fly to Germany for work but of course his flight was cancelled due to the volcanic ash from the Iceland volcano. We picked up delicious pizza on the way home and mom and I introduced Johnny and Brittney to Pinochle. Britt was funny and said that the card game hurt her brain. Britt had such an amazing hand the next day, she was able to lay all 12 of the cards in her hand down for her meld. WOW! I have never seen that before.

SUNDAY we were up early again to get ready for church. We went to John and Britt's ward for Sacrament meeting and then we drove to Beaverton to Britt's brother's ward. Britt's brother, Jeremy, was sustained in his Sacrament meeting as the new bishop of the West Hill's Ward. It was a very spiritual meeting and I was grateful that I could be present.

I stole this picture of Bishop Jeremy from Carrie's blog

We had this picture taken in front of the azaleas at Jeremy's stake center

After the meeting, we drove back to John and Britt's and had sandwiches, played a little more Pinochle, and got ready to leave for the airport. We had a whirlwind time in Portland and it was a memorable and treasured visit.

I had to take a picture of this Dogwood tree. I always think of our time living in South Carolina when I see Dogwoods and Azaleas.

John and Britt have their condo on the market and they are hoping to buy this home. We were able to go through it and it is wonderful. They are still working on the siding color on the outside and the cabinets were just installed inside. The house is located just down the road from John's office and luckily is still in the same ward John and Britt are living in now. Keeping our fingers crossed that their condo will sell and sell SOON!