PNW part 1

Keane and I, along with five of my high school friends and their significant others, flew from Denver to Portland Thursday morning for our friends' wedding weekend. We rented a house just outside Hood River, OR where we all stayed for the four days. The trip was amazingly beautiful and I felt so lucky to get to explore yet another area of the country. (I can officially cross two more states off my list since the wedding was actually in Washington.) 

Our first day was spent exploring downtown Portland with Karis and her new hubby Joe. We rode the train, ate lunch and stopped for some Voodoo Doughnuts which totally lived up to all their hype. It's probably for the best there aren't any in CO or I'd be in trouble. 

Our house was nestled at the base of Mount Hood with incredible views. Three of the girls from our group were in the wedding party so Keane found himself accompanying those who weren't to dinner while the others went to the rehearsal with their guys. He got a little taste of the sister wife lifestyle and I'm pretty sure he liked it.

The wedding was Friday evening. We took a school bus across the river to the Washington side where the venue was located. Shannon and Colin got married at a vineyard surrounded by wildflowers. With sweeping views of Mount Hood in the background, it couldn't have been a more perfect spot. The whole wedding was so elegant yet relaxed. They didn't do speeches, cake cutting, a garter or bouquet toss. It was simply 50 of their favorite people together to celebrate their love. 

I teared up when I saw Shannon walking down the stairs in her stunning white dress. I thought about how my friendship with her and the rest of these girls has grown over these last thirteen years. I remembered our times together in high school, college and into our twenties. All the laughs we shared and memories we made. It's been so fun getting to know their guys better and watching them take the next step into marriage, and it's made me so very grateful for all the relationships in my life.