Mud, Music, Family, and Candy

This pretty much sums up my weekend. 

I started my weekend by meeting up with friends to do another mud run! I had so much fun the last time that I was excited I could join this group this time around. It was the Reality Mud Run (I never saw any of the reality stars but whatever) and was to benefit Stand Up to Cancer.

That morning, it was raining, hailing, thunder and lightening. Luckily it cleared up right before our start time. 

Team $how Me The Muddy!

Mid race by the lake.

Slip n Slide...probably the best part of the run.

This mud run was much muddier than the last I thought. Not sure if the rain played a part in that. The mud was thick and there was lots of it. We ran out of pictures on the waterproof cameras so I'll have to wait until the professional event pictures come in to see us crossing the finish line covered in mud. 

After the race it was time to clean up, get something to eat, then head home. It's pretty draining. I was ready for a nap.

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Instead of a nap Saturday afternoon, I had to hurry home and get ready to meet my sister, my brother and his girlfriend to see my cousin's band play at the LA County Fair. 

We got to the fair shortly before the concert was to start so we didn't enjoy any of the fair festivities. (Which is a good thing because I didn't need any fried food) But we did meet everyone at the lounge just outside of the concert area.

Typical Dien

Some pictures of the band (horrible from my point and shoot but they'll have to do)

After the concert, we got to hang out "backstage". (backstage was actually somewhere else since the stage was on the horsetrack and had to be wheeled out).

Cousin Juli with our cousin Eddie, the drummer. She said all she wanted was a hug.

Us with Ryan Tedder. I felt like such a groupie. But he has worked with Beyonce and a ton of other people.

Cousins!

We're saying "Thursday" instead of "cheese". Don't ask.

With another bandmate. Don't know his name but he wasn't too bad to look at. Shortly after this picture someone came out of the trailer announcing that this guy and the lead singer were trying to wear each other's shirt but it wasn't working b/c one is an extra-medium and the other is an extra-large. My sister and I just looked at each other and said "Where were we when this was going on?"

 As everyone was packing up to leave, we were waiting for the shuttle van to come back and take us to where we were picked up. But it never came back. Cousin Eddie said they'd drive us to our car. The only problem was that it was approaching closing time and everything was on lockdown and my car was on the opposite side of the fairgrounds. After driving around the fair a few times and trying every entrance, we finally decided to jump out of the car at a red light and just walk from one of the exits. We didn't want Eddie to have to "make a call" to get us to our car. Next time we will have to stop being groupies at a decent time to get back before everything closes!

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The next day was filled with more cousins and partying. Not quite the same kind though. We had Tristan's 1st birthday party!

Candy Shoppe...so many yummy treats!

Carlee sneaking a licorice.

Playing at the train table.

Bouncer time!

Princess crown...

Don't know what this face is. Can't ever get her to have a normal smile. Its either a full on pose or a funny face.

I didn't get any pictures of Carlee and Austin, Tristan's older brother. But with a bouncer, balloon animal guy, smoothie station, a pinata, and all those treats it's no wonder the kids were a little preoccupied for pictures.

And after the party (and after my whole weekend really), I went home and sat my ass on the couch.