please let this be the summer she remembers

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in some ways, the most important ways, this summer has been idyllic. i feel like i’ve been living in some northeastern novel on the required reading list for freshman lit. the weather has been perfect and we’ve spent the majority of our days out in the world and i keep thinking please let this be the summer she remembers.

i hope that when she’s older and going through the angsty periods that oftentimes result in the authorship of said northeastern novels that she’ll remember long summer days like these, exploring her world, being the master of the universe, splashing and swinging with best friends, telling older kids “technically, i can do whatever i want.” i hope she’ll remember these perfect days by the lake.

when i look back at this summer that has blown by, i’m really proud of all we’ve experienced. it may not be grand. it may not be faraway escapes or exotic new experiences but we’ve been taking in the world around us abundantly and yes, i am proud to provide that for my daughter.

 

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ships outta port

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it has felt like we’re ships out of port for a long time now. even more so as time goes on. even more as we take more leaps of faith and we’re now both in pursuit of creating the life work of our dreams. it’s intimidating stuff.

but i have to remind myself that we were not built to be beings led by fear. we were not built to cower into complacency. i don’t believe that. i believe we were meant to take risks and test the universe, for only in this way is our faith and trust renewed and strengthened.

i bought this poster in the beginning of 2012. it’s funny and symbolic to me that i just let it sit around, not working to put it up until now. i’m admitting that i will need to see it daily during this next experimental phase of my adulthood. it’s up now and i feel it completes this eclectic space quite nicely. {hubster would want me to tell you that’s just the view of my side of the bed. his side has way manlier items tacked up on the wall. in fact, everything on his side of the wall is fabricated from crystalized testosterone.}

this quote feels extremely appropriate to the wife of a sailor who’s deciding to keep his feet on firm ground for a while.

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this quote actually resonates from an earlier part of my life and it’s funny how life circles back on itself. it makes me comforted to know that people, places and events are all placed in your life at the right time to teach you something important. i’d like the thank the person who first introduced me to this quote, if said person ever reads. you taught me a lot about taking risks and i wouldn’t be who i am today without you.

thanks to everyone who has supported me and my desire to do birth work. thanks to all the friends and family that have loved us and supported us through this last year. what a difference a year makes…

now, everyone, let’s go be ships.

it’s come to this

i just made oatmeal cookie dough without the egg so i could eat it raw and watch game of thrones…by myself.

i just want to take this vulnerable moment to express that i feel pretty lonely here most of the time. i’ve lived in ohio for 3 years and i’m only now starting to feel like i “know” people. making friends as an adult is hard, yo.

i don’t know what alchemy produced my social composition in DC but i can tell you it was golden. this means i don’t know what is out of balance here. i can say the thing about midwesterners is… they have their friends they’ve always had and they don’t make much room for newcomers. i can say that b/c i’m a midwesterner, just not this mid….further west.

having said that, i know the true agent here is me. i’ve made lots of changes and i’m starting to see the social growth here but i still need to really put myself out there. i would like to leave with this open letter:

dear columbus,

i have tried to woo you with my feathers, fringe, sequins and all sorts of shiny. these are my usual tricks to make friends but i guess i just need to come right out and ask…will you be my friend? please?

weddinz

i’d first like to take a moment to thank everyone whose wedding i’ve attended this year for choosing such beautiful settings. i mean, look at this

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and this

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and now i’d like to take a moment to thank pinterest for spreading and spurring every one of those weddings to be so thoughtfully put together, detailed and aesthetically wonderous to behold. i mean, look at this

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and this

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and this!

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we had an amazing time this past weekend taking part in the communion of a very special couple. their one-of-a-kind weekend was perfectly tailored and i’m just very grateful to have been a part of it and to have seen our friends bc well they’re fun and cool and good looking. i mean, look at this

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and this

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sigh.

a bit more reminiscing…

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1. bonfire!  2. there’s some handsome dudes down there getting pics  3 & 4 fashion choices – farm b&b calls for ruched floral and vintage cowgirl boots, fall wedding calls for faux fur stole & animal print clutch  5. boutineer boy  6. mother nature showing of the beautimous veil  7. officialness  8. another columbus day wedding couple  7. more twinkly  8 & 9. gettin’ this party started! and james on disco ball duty.

and by the way, the dance party was epic. EPIC. at least i thought so…

vacation time share, redux

here’s the rest of darla’s vacation. i say “darla’s vacation” because there is a noticeable lack of any photos of me, meg or my lovely girl friends. just darla, cory and elsa. it looks like they all had a great week together, huh? oh well, jussgonnahavtagoback!

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THIS is a mike wright smile

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i love these last two pictures. darla was trying to argue with me about something probably inconsequential and then she was trying to be indignant. it’s pretty hard to take an indignant banana seriously… i can’t wait to put these pics on a graduation announcement some day.

we had lots of adventures, a good deal of which were not captured on film because i was trying to put the camera down, have conversations and be present some of the time.

i would say darla’s first trip to “Lost Angeles” was a success.

images of a surprise visit

months of planning came to fruition on friday night. the surprise couldn’t have gone any better. i’m continually amazed by the generosity and kindness of our friends. i’m also amazed at their extreme wittiness and the size of their stomachs. lots of good times. darla was in heaven. her idea of heaven is being the center of attention at all times. here are just a few of our moments together.

1. the morning after their arrival  2. mike doing what he loves the most in this world: playing music for friends  3. concentration during the snowflake party  4. darla’s snowflake  5. friends!  6. tophats are awwwwesome!  7. darla and fruncle james being “samesies” during the holiday photo shoot  8. wrights are genetically predisposed to like kanners.