greatest day of the summer...

So my momma threw me a little pre-grad school/finally graduated party at Robbie and Ken's on Sunday. It was an intimate gathering of my very favorite people (minus some that either live far, far away or had a family emergency to tend to) and the result was maybe the best day of the summer, if not year... Check it out...

The Fam with some recent additions and my true fam, Brother!

An ode to Doug...note the half-open mouth and the almost dead look in the eyes...

How hot is my aunt? Seriously! We should all be so lucky!

Overall, a great, great day...Thank you all for coming! Thank you, weather, for being so perfect! Thank you, Mom, for putting it all together! Much love...

more prayer requests!

Sadly, it's the beginning of the end for Scott's mom, Anita. It's going way too fast. If you have some time, send some light to their family. They are going through a lot. Thank you!

muchlove to all...especially my sister and that wonderful man she married...

Is Harry a Horcrux or not?

10 HOURS UNTIL HARRY POTTER IS RELEASED ONE LAST TIME!!!! I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!!

and to all of you assholes out there that think its appropriate to leak the story to so many of us who truly love the books and truly love these characters and truly love the experience of going on the journey with them, you suck. seriously.

3 good men...

So for the last couple of days by brain has been ceasing with noise: will I find people to fill this building, am I choosing the right apartment in Mankato, am I going to be happy in Mankato (a town smaller than Marshall and we all know how small towns and I get along), how am I going to get money together to do all of this, what's in store for me, is this new life and new happiness I've finally found going to leave me once I leave town, how am I going to leave Lex, how am I going to leave the girls, how am I going to leave Ben, all of it...

Today was an especially intense period of this sort of thought and I didn't know what to do about any of it, so I did the unthinkable:

I called my dad for help and advice. And he gave it to me.

Then I called my boyfriend for support and love. And he gave it to me.

And then when I was still at a loss...albeit, a much smaller loss than before...
Ben had a wonderful surprise for me, a surprise that will definitely lift me from this funk, a surprise incredibly thoughtful and selfless (as he is not a fan), and he said, "Baby, I got us tickets to see Harry Potter tonight. You'll be okay after that."

And he is so right. I will be okay. With Doug, Ben, and Harry having my back, I really have nothing to worry about.

a post by Lex...

ex LEX NIKKI TAKING SWIM CLASS WHAT DID WE DO IN SWIM CLASS?////?? KICKINGUING AND FLOATING ANDBLOWING BUBBLES LOVE LEX





**please note I seriously had nothing to do with the contents, typing, or word decisions made in this post. he'll be 3 in august...

The Fourth with the Fam!

There was food, frivolity, and fireworks! What more could you want?

Oh, and my first foray with bocce ball... Who knew this was fun?

while i'm sharing...

this is more for those of you not in minneapolis, but...
this is ben. we're in love.
now you know. :)

Fisherwoman Extraordinaire!

I haven't been fishing in years and years and years... Until a few weeks ago when Scooter (my favorite brother-in-law), Doug, and I decided to go and instill the fear of God into the poor little fishies of southwest Minnesota.

Who knew fishing was fun?




Couldn't resist...LOOK AT THOSE BOYS!!! How proud am I?!

in case you'd like a visual...

I mention Lex a bunch...mainly because he cracks me up daily and is my favorite. I may not mention how beautiful this little boy is because the whole baby genius topic tends to take over. So here are my favorite Lex pics!

Wanna know what a frog says? Lex'll tell you: CRRRROOOOAAAAK!!!

India, Chapter 4...tidbits...

This was at Ghandi Smriti, where Mahatma Ghandi spent the last 144 days of his life and where he was assassinated. It was a really powerful place.





The rest of it speaks for itself, I think. India sort of proclaims itself to be a rich country where a lot of poor people live and it couldn't be more accurate. There are, of course, more stories not told in this blog. Stories of Ram taking me down seven stories under ground to explore a delapidated palace or people staring wherever I went, to the point of having one man just follow me around with a tray in case I needed something in Neemrana, stories of children with open wounds knocking on our car windows asking for money and food or watching cremation ceremonies in awe, stories of inner-peace and self-reckoning... but I just don't think I can share everything. It wouldn't be right. So instead of getting pretensious and spiritual, I will just say thank you... India changed my heart. And now you know.

Namaste...Om Namah Shivaya...