The Amazing Raise

The beginning of a new school year usually means an evening spent on school grounds at some sort of festival or carnival supporting your local elementary school.  A few years ago Valley Elementary decided to go a different route to fundraise for their school.  Every September Valley Elementary joins forces with The Amazing Raise event and helps to raise money and awareness for local non-profit organizations.

The Amazing Raise held up at Nordic Valley (Or is it Wolf Mountain?) is a great way to donate to the things we love in our valley, like our lands, parks, pathways, local artists and their festivals (Ogden Valley Balloon and Artist Festival), and of course our local schools. 

It was a fun afternoon and evening spent together, where I made more than a few discoveries (or re-discoveries)......

-Jonas loves to run. 
-Solomon hates to run.
-Abe loves to run but hates to fall.
-Adding colored powder to anything makes it more fun (the ONLY Fun about the Fun Run according to Sol).
-Telling Sol that his 4 year old little brother is beating him, makes him go no faster.
-Seeing your oldest only at the starting line on what was supposed to be a 'Family Fun Run', has no effect on his enjoyment.
-Abe can navigate a 1.4 mile race course fairly successfully by himself (I was attempting to motivate Sol to just finish the race).
-Jo can run a 5K immediately after a mile and a half and finish both with a smile, especially when the race route is more like a curvy hiking trail. 
-Abe loves live music, but is easily distracted by puddles.
-Shaved ice makes everything better.
-Being under 4 feet is actually an advantage at ladder golf, and can win you two much needed green hoodies.
-You can jump much longer than the supposed 5 minutes on a bounce house if you are adorably oblivious. 
-A small pizza and cheese bread, cooked in a traveling pizza oven, is no longer enough food for our growing  family.
-If you're under 10 and you have only one dollar and a cotton candy cost two, you might be able to make a  deal for the smallest one if you promise to share it with your brothers. 
-Free concerts held on mountainsides are enjoyable for the whole family, no matter what the music choice.
-Sol NEVER takes a bad picture, even when he sneaks the camera and takes over a dozen 'selfies'.
-We really do love where we live and play.
-And lastly, in regards to the cute couple in front of us during the evening concert.  As much as I wanted to stop your dog from eating the remaining four gourmet cupcakes you left unattended while you went about your business under your blanket, the idea of getting any closer to where those passionate noises were coming from was something waaaaayyyyy out of my comfort zone.