So here's how the summer vacation was spent:
Flagstaff-May 27th-June 5th
I already did a blog post on this part of the trip, but a recap:
1.) Flying in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon with my brother
2.) Attending my niece's 3rd birthday
3.) Getting to spend time with my family
These were the happy parts of this trip that I can remember!
Iowa- June 7th-June 18th
For this leg of the journey I got to see the person who is the closest thing to a sister I'll ever have and watch her 3, 5, and 8 year old while her husband worked and she went to camp with her 12 year old. I am so grateful that I always have a place to stay and it's so much fun that the kiddos are getting old enough to play board games with us. A new generation of Yahtzee, Phase 10, and (Disney) Apples to Apples players reminds me that being connected away from the screens of tablets, televisions, and cellphones is so very important.
Flagstaff- June 26th-July 3rd
It's been quite a few years since I spent a birthday with my family, so I decided it was high time to do so. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, took family photos that my mother has been wanting for a very long time, and I got to spend some time at some of my favorite local places.
Some of the family photos:
*disclaimer* it was very hard to wrangle all of us as a group
Boston-July 4th-July 9th
This trip was not planned until around the 20th of June and was the unexpected result of my oldest friend getting engaged and being asked to be the Co-Maid of Honor. I decided to look on-line for plane tickets and found out that traveling on the 4th of July was still relatively cheap and had the added bonus of a pretty empty plane and fireworks over the bay as you land.
Some of my favorite parts of this trip: Watching Julia try on wedding dresses and having the unexpected reaction of crying at one of the dresses she tried on. She was just so beautiful and since it's the dress she eventually bought I get to say I was there acting like a blubbering fool. In addition to that, we rode bicycles, drank margaritas, and celebrated the awesome new job she also got when I was there. I am so grateful that I got to experience a bit of her excitement to all of the wonderful things happening for her!
I also spent some time in Harvard Square and the Natural History Museum while she worked. I ACTUALLY TOOK SOME PICTURES!
(I loved it!)
Perfect summer afternoon:
Three additional pictures from the museum:
Also, a few bees from the living exhibit had escaped their hive, so the panic surrounding that was pretty funny.
Northern California July 11th-July 18th
The perfect low key and mellow end to my vacation. We pretended it was my birthday again with cupcakes, Thai, and kayaking. It was an excellent day. Also, my most favorite bakery and a performance of National Theater Live at the local theater. I really love the fact that Sarah and I can just be together and find an adventure!
Oh, and a beach full of seals!
One of the other bonuses was my friend Amanda who lives in Mesa because I could spend nights in between trips with her and make trips to teacher stores. She was also so very kind when I lost my wallet traveling to the DMV, bank, etc. with me. I don't think I could have had such enjoyable times outside of AZ without her to ground me in AZ.
If I am keeping track: 7 airplanes, 4 birthday celebrations, 3 other states, 1 lost wallet and so many loved ones made for quite the summer vacation. If I had any complaints it would be that I wish that everyone was just a tad bit closer. Ready to see where this next year takes me!
