Seattle Trip

Event Date: Sunday, October 21
We went to Seattle! And by we I mean mom, aunt Ira, me, Yana, Lora, and Nakkita. The weather was on our side, it didn't rain but it was bitterly cold. Lora referred to Seattle as "Elevator Land" and it couldn't have been more ironic that when Lora twisted her foot after running near the International Fountain that the elevator to the parking garage was full so we had to take the stairs. Elevator Land failed her.

Happy Birthday to My Mama

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear mama,

Happy birthday to you!

It's my favorite mom's birthday! Coincidentally it's my only mom's birthday! On Saturday we had a family dinner in honor of mom's birthday, the video is attatched below. We were wild, it was a fun night everyone enjoyed themselves except Oleg who claimed that he couldn't enjoy dinner without a movie and so he proceeded to buy one. I made reservations at the Marrakesh on Monday because a while back she mentioned that she wanted to try it. My mama loved it!! We got lamb dishes; her's was the Tangine of Lamb with Eggplant and mine the Marrakesh Vegitarian Delight. Just kidding! I got the Brochette Marrakesh. We loved the Salads Marrakesh, in fact we liked all the food. We were full and happy. After the restaurant we swung by aunt Ira's house to pick up mama's presents- the new 1HP Kitchen Aid mixer and new pots and pans from dad. Goodbye mama, hello Betty Crocker.

Happy birthday from all of us and Champion!

Roloff Farms

Attention little people, attention big people, attention all people!

We went to the Roloff farms this year. The Roloff Farms is the farm of the Roloff family, the stars of Little People, Big World. I'll confess that I don't watch the show, but that didn't take away from the excitement of actually meeting the main mama -Mrs. Amy Roloff. She welcomed us so warmly and told us to enjoy the farm. And enjoy we did! We visited the petting zoo, saw a baby lion, climbed a hay stack, picked pumpkins, goofed off, and took plenty of pictures for you guys!

Heads up: this farm is geared towards young kiddos, not teenagers. It kept us occupied for about 45 minutes to an hour. It's perfect for little kids, the pumpkins aren't heavy, the area is enclosed and monitored by staff.

All in all an awesome trip, we were so fortunate to get to meet Amy. That was the highlight.

THE PORTLAND COLOR RUN

Event Date: September 28, 2012 @ 9am.

My friend Kaylynn and I signed up for the Color Run back in June. I like running little 5k races (3.1 miles), they're such a great way to get the daily mileage requirement completed in a fun environment. It seems easier to run around other runners because knowing that someone is behind you makes you eager to keep going. You don't want to stop. All 5ks are incredibly fun and more often than not you get a free banana at the end! This run is no different. The Color Cun is marketed to be "the happiest 5k on the planet." As you run through the course each kilometer marker is a color station. Whilst running through each color marker you get swallowed by dyed corn starch. White shirts are mandatory and by the end of the race you come out looking like the rainbow! A very dry, chalky, dusty rainbow. But a rainbow none the less.

There's no timer during the race. It's just for kicks, and in this particular race there were more walkers than there were runners. Anyone can do it!

Enjoy the pictures.

Wednesday 6 Miler

Went on a 6-mile run today at the Salmon Creek Trail. Figured I'd take it nice and easy and run for the sake of clearing my head more than logging training miles. Ended up doing a negative split (that's where you run the second half faster than the first). The entire run took about an hour including a five minute stretch at the half way point. I plan on extending my milage and getting to the point where 6 miles on a daily basis is the norm. And when my body gets accustomed to that we'll boost it again.

Hope everyone's day went well; I'll keep you guys posted on my runs!

Best,
Tonia

My Floridian Vacation

My friend Tamara invited me to go with her to Florida. Her cousins live there and every once in a while Tamara decides to visit. I was happy to come along, I had such a great time! To be honest with you though, I wasn't expecting to enjoy Florida due to its muggy climate (heck, I'd be more eager to visit Seattle)! My fondness of the vacation was a complete surprise. We flew over on the 14th and I returned by myself on the 19th. We swam in the ocean and that was really something else. The water was so warm and the sea was content. We visited the Busch Gardens and went on the Sheikra four times.

Don't Worry! I'm still alive!

Hey everybody,
Sorry that I haven't posted anything in nearly a month. I've just been a little busy. (Well, I wasn't really busy, I was just prioritizing an array of obligations.) I was almost considering closing the blog, but I think I'll keep it running. Sorry again, and don't worry, I'll be keeping you guys posted about all the stuff going on.

Just to prove that I'm still alive (and weird) I took this via photobooth this morning for you guys.

Best,
Tonia

August Daily Photos

August 1: Water fountain in the downtown area.

August 2: Red currants preparing for a cleanin'

August 4: Blown glass at Vancouver's Farmer's Market.

August 5: Flowers at the beach. 

August 6: My birthday gift (the best in the world).

August 6 II: Thanking dad for the gift.

August 7: A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not why ships were built

August 8: Grandpa and a few of his granddaughters.

August 9: Broken glass in the Pearl.

August 10: "Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."

August 11: Bridge climber, na-na-na!

August 14: Giraffe at the zoo.

August 14: Owl at the zoo.

August 15: Wood in the Pearl 

August 16: Everyone loves dates, except single people.

August 17: Tamara.

August 18: Multnomah Falls

August 19: Yana, organic. 

August 20: Lights. 

August 23: Lights II.

August 26: Bridge.

August 27: Waterfront, Vancouver. 

August 29: Ice Cream with Zach.

Salt & Straw

Holy SCHNIKIES! I don't even know if I spelled that right, probably not. But I don't even care because I'm so excited about this place! I'll be honest, I found a hair in my ice cream, but it was so good I ate it regardless. I know. But, that doesn't say much about me, once I ate a piece of pizza that fell on the floor in my car. That's a different story though, I was in a hurry and I was hungry. Haven't you been broke in college before? Anyways, back to Salt and Straw, or as I like to call it, Heaven.

Vista House, Columbia Gorge

Vista House, a scenic spot atop Crown Point originally built in 1917 as a rest stop for travelers, oozes with the history of Oregon's earliest pioneers. Located at an elevation of 733' above our freezing river, it greets approximately one million visitors per year. Heavily influenced by modern German architecture Vista House is graced by floors and stairs of quality Tokeen Alaskan marble, giving the building a very graceful and clean look. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places back in 1974; and it made it into National Geographic "Save America's Treasures" book in 2001. The house is open daily from 9am - 6pm and group tours are provided by volunteers with prior notice.