Utah Valley Renaissance Faire

This is the third year of my Dad's Renaissance Faire. I always feel bad that I just show up and haven't done anything to help plan for it. I guess since I live in Idaho I get a get out of helping card. I have tried to make up for it by taking pictures and helping at the feasts each night. (It was a shame last year that my CF card crashed resulting in no pictures) Lisa and I have learned a lot about how to do some catering,  but I am afraid by next year we will have forgotten it all again!

Lisa makes some killer wassail and always get's a lot of compliments. Lisa and I are in charge of the appetizers, setting up, and welcoming people so I figured I should maybe do a little dressing up in whatever Ren garb Lisa could scrounge up for me!

There was a bunch of great performers at the feast including a fire breather, harp player, magician and a mini play.

After the second night of helping at the feast Lisa and I snuck away to see a Grassroots Shakespeare play that was going on a few yards away. She had to keep telling me what was going on. I was a bit lost! It was a nice sister date and we made ourselves two big plates of food so we were happy gals!

 

Like most kids, my kids get way off their sleep schedules when we travel and will never go to bed by themselves, so Bree and I had some late nights together. At least she was happy about it. 

  
I took the girls to church and Emmy was flipping out. She saw fog up by the mountains and thought it was a volcano erupting. She has recently become deathly afraid of volcanoes! I think I had showed her a youtube video. Big mistake!

 More Ren Faire. My cute Mom and Dad.

There is a charter school that comes and puts together a castle that has games and all sorts of activities inside. I included a few of my favorite pictures of the Ren Faire below.

 

My sister won $1,000 shopping spree from the Riverwoods (which holds a special place in my heart since I worked at two places at the Riverwoods while I was in HS and college, which both are no longer there). Katie took us out and bought us a bunch of yummy pizza at Malawi's. There was some good cousin and sister bonding going on!

 

Renaissance Festival/ We Heart Utah

My Dad started a Utah County Renaissance Festival and this was the kickoff year, so we were really excited to go down to Utah and support my Dad and see the fruits of his labor!

 There were so many great activities for the kids and my girls were memorized by all of the people dressed up in such elaborate costumes.

 

 

 I've always been amazed with my Dad's work ethic and how after working so hard at his job that he finds time to go after so many of his hobbies and passions.

 We were introduced to glitter tattoos at the festival and have been obsessed with them ever since. I found a really cute kit on Halloween clearance and Brian just found an "As Seen On TV" kit with even more designs that the girls are getting for Christmas (I am just as excited to use them!)

My gorgeous sister, Auntie Lees in her Arwen costume. She was such a lifesaver helping me with my three girls!

 I rented a fish eye lens and City Creek was just around the corner so I took my three girls and we did some window shopping/took pictures/did a lot of playing!

 

I pretty much fell in the love with the fish eye lens and how much I could capture with it. It just takes ordinary everyday moments and gives it a little edge. 

 

The way little Emmy is skipping reminds me of The Grinch or something. Maybe since Christmas is only a few days away!