that one time i went to minnesota

I haven't been blogging much lately, because there simply isn't much to blog about. My summer has been very ho-hum...relaxing, enjoyable, but not horribly blog-able. And so I've been sitting around feeling a little sorry for myself because my life is suddenly not interesting enough to share with the internet. (Being completely honest here, it probably never is, but that's not the point.)

But no worries. I realized that I failed to write a single word about the most exciting thing I've done this summer. So I'm going to right that egregious wrong right now!

Last month, I went to Minnesota to visit some of my dearest friends for Maddie's mission farewell. It just happened to fall on Mother's Day, so my mum made the trip up to the Land of 10,000 Lakes as well, and as a special bonus, I got to spend Mother's Day with her!

Here's what happened:

2nd time flying alone, 1st time flying alone with a connection. Eek! I struggle with airports.

Waiting at the Denver Airport

Took a trip to the sculpture gardens

With my mama for Mother's Day, Abby's prom, raincoat shopping, scammin' Culvs with the ladies

And another of Abby pre-prom just because she looked so darn beautiful :)

NOT PICTURED: food eating, Grey's Anatomy watching, Sporcling, movie/YouTube video/TV show/inside joke quoting, song singing, goodbye crying (I'm a crier, okay. I just am, and I can't make it stop), airport waiting (my last flight was delayed two-and-a-half hours), memory making, baby holding, laughing, laughing, laughing, besties being, life living.

Leaving Minnesota was no bueno. It was the last time for eighteen months that I got to spend time with my BFF and her family, and that's hard on the heart. But memories have a way of dulling the ache and reminding me that this isn't the end. Not even a little bit. It's just another chapter in the epic story of Maddie Squared. 

And even though this has nothing to do with Minnesota, it has everything to do with that adorable sister missionary buddy of mine:

Maddie got to stop by and see me at work mere minutes before entering the MTC, and her cute aunt Laura snapped one last picture of us. And by last I mean "last for the next eighteen months," obviously. And now, one day short of one week later, she's happy and healthy and missionary-ing her little heart out. We have both written (her first email home) and visual (one of my friends who works at the MTC spotted her last Friday) confirmation. 

Also, it's too bad I woke up late that day and look like a hobo. Sorry about that, folks.