a few summer highlights

hello, friend!
here are a few pictures taken this summer that i forgot to share until my phone got so full i had to empty em.  they're all containing beautiful moments to me... ones i want to hold onto for a long time!

^ bethany and nicole in the sun.  guh.  what is better, honestly?!

^^ on july 10th, my dear dear buddy turned 23!  i love that human so much!  so beautiful to me is the thought that we've been dear friends for five years now! 

^ sid the not-so-little kid turned 17 on july 15th and our family celebrated at a lakeside restaurant.  everyone wins on a birthday, am i right?!  especially us, with that life in the fam! ^^^

^ my roommate alyssa and i went to the minneapolis farmers market on a saturday and grabbed coffee from my favorite coffee shop after.  took this cuz dunn bros is dope and because i love alyssa! ^

one night my aunt, cousins & i went to our favorite summer spot for apps and a little ice cream after.  that was one of my favorite nights of summer!

^ ohh dah fammm! ^

^ my sister (sometimes) never gets annoyed when i snap so many pics of her! ha.  but this was another favorite summer morning... sid & i got crepes to go and walked around the city a bit.  i sure do love minneapolis!

and also, to the right, i don't even care that the pic is fuzzy, my precious great aunt shirley was in town for a week and all felt right with the world.  I LOVE THAT WOMAN. ​^^

^^^ oh, yeah.  ANNA FREAKING REDOVICH IS ENGAGED!!!!!!!!  ENGAGED ENGAGED ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!  when she called me, that was the first time i cried about someone getting engaged.  ha.  i just love her so much!  that was like hearing my sister is engaged or something.  that woman is one of the most important people in my life and knows me better than most people, and to hear that she is getting MARRIED!?!  gahhhh.  makes me want to cry all over again haha.

^^ paiger has been gone all summer and we're all telling her NEVER AGAIN.  kind of kidding (except not).  she had an amazing summer or whatever, but it was hard being away from her.

^^ pool day at aunt wendy's!

^^ these pics were taken last saturday at my mama's 50th birthday celebration!  we thought it would just be our grandparents and us, but when we got to the restaurant, mom's whole side was there!  all four of her siblings & their  spouses, all dressed up with gifts in their hands!  so neat!  i'm so glad they did that for her! ^^

^ monkeyin around with sid.  that girl is one of my best friends!  and she's my favorite person to be so goofy with. ^

^ mama turned 50 on monday, so my sisters and i drove up to duluth where she was staying with dad and surprised her at dinner.  she is the most special, extraordinary woman and i can't believe she's my mom.  if i could be half the person she is when i'm fifty! ^

i guess that's it for now!
​so thankful.  truly.