Final Days of Summer

And then, the next morning, I loaded up Sara and a lot of other things into my car, swung through Virginia to pick up Kristen and her new babe, and by night time was back in my favorite spot. 

Highlights: 

Sun-rising with the One who knows me.

Lazy mornings.

Beach time with my people.

Rainy day reading and resting and games and (best idea of all) donuts.

Ferry ride to the furthest island.

Sunsets. (Holy cow the sunsets.)

Walks in the water.

The Menu. (Kristen and I plan freaking good food.)

And to close it all out: Peach Frozen Yogurt
as we make our way to home.

Summer Wedding Celebrations

Our sweetest friend.

To celebrate her, we had an extravaganza, in three stages.

Stage 1: Happy Hour at the Cottage, 

with drinks of honor and a moment to tell her how special she is, to us.

Stage 2: Dinner! And more people, and more moments.

 Stage 3: Dessert and Lingerie! For the latter of which my phone died, so I have no pictures for you (and perhaps this part is best kept secret, as it is...)

 And then it was my honor to witness the rehearsal from the keys,

 to spend time with the families over pizza and decorating the venue too.

(Sneak peak: these vases bear my mark...)

And then, the wedding day! (Wherein my friends took pictures, because I was up there at the front.)

 The day was beautiful, just like these two.

 And then, the special wedding treats!

Flown in from Morocco,

and the five of us--who have stayed in touch through multiple apps alone for five years--together once again.

Summer, I DO LOVE THEE

Summer. 

Porch-reading, good drink drinking, sunsets and sunrises and everything in between it. Baby toes and baby coos and "Lo-lo, touch sky!" and "Lo-lo, read me"; "Lo-lo, you sing it!" and "Lo-lo, fall down--one time?" and so so many "more-agains?" that you think your heart might burst. Quiet offices and produce giftings and lots and lots of peaches.  Flexible schedules, spontaneous runnings up the hill for dinners with the dear ones. Taking care of things, getting ready. Walks and big talks and going ever deeper with the One-who-Loves-me. Birds and bugs and bear-sightings (infuriatingly still not in YOUR yard), but mysterious pond-filter eatings and a sad little culprit to make life far more interesting. 

Remembering it has been full and so good and yet still going, even though it's nearing time for next and everything in me is bemoaning, "but it's almost over!".