yes...i do realize it has been almost a month

i can't thank my parents enough for the past 18 years of my life. i am officially graduated from high school and am enjoying this summer like none other. there is something about summer time that makes me dreamy and nostalgic, this one especially, since i will be off to college in just a few months. my parents have given me unconditional love and support these past four years of high school and i survived and had some of the best times of my life with many more to come.
i had a grad party with two of my friends from school at the pool and it was so much fun having all of our friends together to celebrate.

i surprised my dad with tickets to the earth, wind, and fire concert when we returned home from California. we spent a week there to clean out my grandma's house and have her funeral service. it was a rough week, but i'm glad we were all together during that time. i loved finding old pictures of my dad and photo albums of my great grandparent's wedding.

this was after graduation. we did it! these are two of my friends from elementary school. i love how we reconnected during high school and hope we all work hard to keep in touch in the years to come.

i started dating this boy. although he does have to return to Croatia at the end of july (he is an exchange student), i am having a great time with him this summer.

this is me after i received my diploma. i was pretty excited in the heat of the moment.

these twins still have a year left of high school, but they have both been there for me ever since we met my sophomore year. we are family and i know we will always stay in contact. some days they are like my children and others like a mom and dad. i love that we are so comfortable being together or talking about anything. i was very excited on graduation day!

senior breakfast: alex and emmett are my indian food eating buddies and miata night driving pals. we always had a good time in the library doing puzzles during study hall.

lauren and i picnicking on the courthouse lawn in our downtown area. we got chipotle burrito bowls and drank our water bottles with straws because naturally, straws are more fun. lauren was a friend i met just last semester, but we clicked immediately. i feel spontaneous with her and we laughed together when people walked by staring at us.

last, i made this quilt as a contest submission. i'm a gleek...pretty much explains itself.

i don't know when i'll be back again or when i'll actually create something fun to share. i just can't believe this milestone of my life has approached and a new stage is starting.

happy summer!