In May (okay, I just looked this up - it was in April... so not exactly summer, but I'm counting it), my parents and I headed to K-State to celebrate the dedication of the Leadership Studies building. I was part of the program during my time there, and received a minor in Leadership, so it was awesome to see the gorgeous addition to the campus. We used to have classes in an old home that had been (sort-of) renovated to host classes and meetings. The program grew from a few students having an idea, to a flourishing bustle of activity that plays a big role throughout the campus - I think over 1,000 students (or a lot more... I couldn't find the statistic and didn't want to exaggerate). And all of that is wonderful and cool, and I'm happy to see it, but the real reason we made the trip was because a photo taken during Liz and my trip to Kauai was selected as artwork in the space. It was so fun to see that thing blown up and hung in the hall. I was just getting things going with photography and definitely needed a boost in confidence. We had a great time roaming around campus and Aggieville. Every time I return, memories surround me at every turn. Ah, college.
We then left for Kansas City and had to get Mom to some shopping. Poor thing - her nearest shopping strip is in a neighboring town 40 minutes away, and the options... they're slim. You should have seen her eyes when we pulled up at Legends. During lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, she was decorated by balloon man as a butterfly. Cracked me up.
Dad and I headed to beautiful California for a mini-vacation. We both needed a break, and had an awesome trip - especially returning to Ocean Beach and all things we loved about that place from our trip a couple years ago. The original reason for the travel was to attend a photography conference in Newport Beach. Escalate Live was very cool - great speakers, inspirational presentations, and total immersion in all things photography. It was intimidating at first, but definitely worth the experience. While I was in sessions, Dad cruised around the area and found fun things for us to do in the evenings. Riding bikes along the beach, taking a baby-cruise around the harbor, and - my favorite - flying kites at night on the sand and watching the blue waves crash in. Pretty much perfect. 
And then there was Memorial Weekend. It was incredible!. To celebrate Bridget's upcoming wedding, and her last month as a single lady, the bridesmaids planned a trip to Lake of the Ozarks. It was just what the doctor ordered. Our rental home was perfect - it had a huge, beautiful deck, a sunny dock and paddle boat. We spent two days immersed in sunshine, magazines, books, and girl talk. And our paddle boat only almost capsized once. We had to send out a rescue crew with a 5-gallon bucket and a floaty raft to rescue us.
Okay, my hour is up and we're at the end of May. Next up, June and all it's glory.
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