Summers Last Weekend

You know all those times where you have big, huge expectations and then the event or weekend turns out to be kind of anti-climatic, still fun but kind of not as big as you thought, 

like New Years sometimes.  

My last weekend of summer was the exact opposite of that.  I had imagined it to be a fun weekend with family and friends but it was so much better.

I said good-bye to my Boston-bound cousins (the 2 on either end).  

They've had enough of California for a while and are packing up and heading east, with a few job prospects and an apartment they've never seen before.  

I could not be more proud of them or more excited for their adventure.  

Plus it means I get to visit :)

The next day I headed to Vegas with some girlfriends.  It wasn't your typical Vegas trip.  We stayed with my friend's mom and never even made it to the strip.  

My friend, Laurel, is moving to New Zealand at the end of the month {!!!} and we've had so many awesome Vegas trips in the past decade+ together we decided that would be the perfect send off.  

We started each day by putting on our bikinis and 50 spf {desert sun!} and heading out to the pool.  We pretty much stayed there until the sun went down.  It was perfect.

The weekend included an amazing home-cooked dinner by Allison, dance parties, a synchronized swimming performance, shannon-balls, and our own personal bodyguard at the club (Laurel's brother), plus me diving for the first time.  It wasn't graceful but I did it!

 Monday I came home to my boys and we had a huge BBQ at my parents.  Huge in the amount of food not the amount of people.  I don't know why my mother always cooks like the entire extended family is coming over when it's just 4 of us.  But it's always delicious!  

Hope your last days of summer are just as perfect for you!

LMF