Last weekend, I was given the very fun honor of shooting senior portraits with this cool guy. We toyed with the idea of a few different locations, but ultimately fell in love with this one, as it reminded us of a castle.

This senior has put in the work and has so much contagious joy. I'd say he deserves a castle!

​To get this castle look, we visited Joseph Wood Hill Park on RockyButte. Built in the 1930's, this park does have a very classic look that reminds me of architecture found in the Columbia River Gorge. The high elevation also provide beautiful views of surrounding mountains.

There were definitely some laughs had. Enjoy highlights from this fun shoot!

Over the weekend, I got to run the Hood to Coast relay race with my team, Chasing Destiny.
This was the 9th year the team got to participate and my 8th. Being a participant myself, it was hard to photograph every moment, but I got some nice images of the beginning and end.
My images include the excitement of the starting line, the first round of exchange points from van 1, and our team captain(my dad) bestowing medals in Seaside.
Pictures of me were taken by my hubby, who also ran the relay. Pictures of the whole team together were taken by the ever supportive wife of the captain, my mom.

Here are the runners! Included in a picture of Van #1 is our wonderful massage therapist and sister in law of mine, Kaitlyn.

Chasing Destiny, Team #1048 finished the 199 mile relay race in
33 hours, 3 minutes, and 33 seconds.
Enjoy this gallery of highlights!
Note that my dad is standing front and center on the start line. He LOVES that part!

I'd also like to note that after running HTC for his first time in 2016, my love proposed on the beach. We were wed shortly after the following year's relay and this year was our first time running as husband and wife!
​In celebration of our anniversary, I will be offering a discounted price for couples portraits next month.

Special thanks to our volunteers! We couldn't do this without you!
​Fantastic run everyone! I hope to see you all on the beach next year!

In the third installment of Hood To Coast introductions, I'd like you to meet my super cool brother in law, Josh. He became a part of the team in 2013 as a volunteer with his new wife (daughter of Gary) and started running with us the following year.

Josh has always had running in his blood and casualy enjoyed it, but really picked it up in recent years. He's participated in 9 half marathons and finished his first full marathon, the Blooms To Brews this past April. Josh quickly became one of the fastest runners on our team and has tackled difficult legs, such as #5. He plans to run the Boring Marathon in the month following Hood To Coast 2018.

​You may have seen him in previous blog posts with portraits of his sweet little family, like the image shown above. Josh works hard for his family and builds beautiful tables with Jewell Hardwoods. Each of their creations is a unique work of art.

​Josh trains very hard and is sure to rock this relay.
As a fantastic runner, artist, and family man, this is one to look out for!

A Hood To Coast team needs 12 runners, if each is to run 3 of the 36 legs it takes to get from Timberline to Seaside. When your team has been participating for almost a decade, things don't always line up for the same 12 people every year. Because of this, we often get to introduce new participants to the 200 mile relay. This week, I'd like you to meet our 2 latest recruits!

Johannah is a little new to the running scene, but has picked up a fantastic pace, joining Dad (Gary) and I at local running events like the Shamrock and Starlight.

Watch out for these fierce new runners in Hood to Coast 2018!

Tune in next week to meet more of the Chasing Destiny team!

In 2010, a Hood To Coast team was started with friends from my church, Destiny Christian Fellowship. We called ourselves Chasing Destiny. Original teammates have gone and been replaced, but we remain like a big family and love coming together every year to tackle the 200 mile relay.
Today, I'd like to introduce you to our fearless leader.

My dad (Gary) has always been a runner. Even in high school, he was setting track records for Centennial. Serving in the US Air Force for 20 years, he cross trained in his free time to stay in top shape for his overseas missions. He visited many countries, including Iraq, Australia, and Korea. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for 3 and 1/2 years and I got to spend the first 18 months of my life there.

He now skillfuly drives massive semi trucks and happily participates in parades.
​In 2014, he visited a preschool to tell of his adventures. He's kind of a super hero.

Gary loves running and loves his team. He does a fantastic job rallying us together, from the snowy top of Mt. Hood, to the sandy shores of Seaside.
Here he is, training for Hood To Coast 2018.

Tune in next week to meet more of my wonderful teammates!
We'll see you on the mountain.
​Have a good week.