July.

July was full of relationships and people and moments. July was all about (really) great friends and family and saying hello & goodbye in the same breath. July was full of pictures and animals and the heat (that didn't reach below 100 degrees the entire trip to Texas. Oy vey.) With a visit from three wonderfully sweet, humorous, and just all around good human beings in the middle, and our long, yet very short trip to Texas soon after.

taken by marielle

While the girls were here, so many pictures were taken, by everyone- but me. I will post some favorites (as I was the vainly subject in most of them) but you can also find many others in the following links:

www.flickr.com/thiselephants

www.flickr.com/madelinetakespictures

www.flickr.com/maryclaireroman

www.flickr.com/stevenpreusser

 We did girly things, like thrift shopping, nail polish parties, and a lot of snacking. 

(all taken by mary claire.)

taken by marielle

I adore them. I truly do. It has been so long since I've had a group of girlfriends that have gone out of their way to let me know I am loved. It has been far too long since I have been surrounded by a genuine group of people and felt so comfortable. I cannot wait to roadtrip to them later this year & get in a few more good laughs and conversations.

On the 19th (at 2 AM) we sleeplessly began our travels to San Antonio. We were greeted by family and then quickly made ourselves at home. We spent the next two weeks biking, hiking, swimming, making trips to a few local zoos/reptile exhibits, natural caverns, Seaworld and SixFlags. We also saw a few movies and had several dinner dates. In the midst of it all, Steven found a burning passion for animals and has decided when he goes back to school he would like to study Zoology (which makes me thrilled.) I love seeing him find something that interests him enough to study further. I cannot see where it takes him.

Closer to the end of the trip, my parents arrived to live for the first time, as they are now stationed there. It was comforting to see them, and get a proper goodbye. We also got to see Steven's best friend Joseph & his girlfriend Arlynnda. We did classic couple-y things, like double dates and such.

we ate so many snocones to cool us off.

And that would conclude our July. Now that we are home, and well into August, we are focusing on selling/buying a car, finding me a job, and preparing for many more upcoming travels, including across state, across country, and across the world. We are very much loving our time alone after a full month of consistently going, and we are definitely appreciating N. California's cool & almost-autumn-feeling weather.

-N