Five things.

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Today I received an email from one of our registries informing me that there are only "8 weeks left until your big day!" I can't get over how fast the time has gone. It makes me crazy excited that our wedding will be here so soon, yet slightly anxious for all that's left to be done. I'm not stressed though, promise. 

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Cheremosh's concert at the Cowles Center was fantastic. It was so strange to not be backstage among the chaos that inevitably drives everyone slightly crazy before show time. I was, of course, nervous as I waited for the curtain to come up for Pryvit, and found myself counting/tapping/thinking through the steps and combinations that I knew in my head more than once during the program.  This was actually the first dance concert I've ever watched in full from the audience in my life. Everyone did an incredible job, and I'm so proud of all the dancers. 

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It's my mama's birthday this Thursday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate with her than to actually do just that in person - we'll be home in time for dinner, Ma!! 

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Yesterday afternoon, Andrew and I went to the beach that's just a few blocks from our apartment. It was crowded, but felt absolutely perfect to be out in the sun. It made me want to take a vacation to someplace tropical and hot with fresh sea food and bright sunshine. For the time being, though, Atwater and Lake Michigan will just have to do. It's so nice to have it so close by! 

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A big congratulations to Alex at Life. Law. Luck: happy wedding planning!! 

Saturday Post No. 8

This has been quite the busy week, but we're ready for everything this summer is throwing at us. It's going to be a good one. 

Yesterday turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day and night, so we took advantage of it and went for a nice long walk to a part of the lake that's a bit north of us. That's one of the best things about living on a "Great Lake" - it's huge, and there are so many paths and trails to explore. It was perfect. 

We'll be home in a few days for Cheremosh's concert at the Cowles Center. This is going to be an incredible show, and even though I'm not with them week in and week out, I'm still so proud of how hard everyone's been working, from the instructors and dancers to the parents and volunteers behind the scenes. I can't wait to see this! And of course, we'll be spending as much time with family as we can, and throwing in some additional wedding planning in between concerts, parties, and grill outs. I'm predicting a whirlwind of a weekend. 

Much love to everyone at home and our friends who are elsewhere. It's actually quite amazing how many of our friends from Minnesota are now in all sorts of different places (as are we!), but I'm so excited for everyone to reunite together in August. Just a bit more than 2 months to go! 

To the lake.

Shorewood is adorable. It's full name is actually "the Village of Shorewood," and it really does feel like a little village. Dotted with coffee shops, restaurants, and grocery stores, everything we need is basically within walking distance.

A view of our apartment building - more shots of inside will be posted once the apartment is finished! 

What makes our new neighborhood even more charming, though, is its proximity to the lake. Our old apartment in Minneapolis was really close to the Mississippi River, and we'd often walk down St. Anthony Main and cross the Stone Arch Bridge. I do miss the downtown skyline, the views from the bridge over the river, and the familiarity of East Hennepin. Here, though, the walk to Lake Michigan takes us down tree-lined streets where we pass by gorgeous old houses. People are always out for strolls, walking with their dogs (it seems like everyone has a dog) or with their sleepy babies lounging in their strollers. It's really lovely, and a welcome change from all the student housing that surrounded us in Minneapolis.

Atwater Beach is just a short walk from our apartment. Following our street down seven or eight blocks, you come to a big grassy knoll with a playground that overlooks Lake Michigan. How fun would this have been as a kid, to have such a cool place to play with these incredible views? 

It's so peaceful; we've spent an afternoon at the beach already. As lovely as these views are in the summertime, I can only imagine that it's going to be absolutely beautiful in the fall. I can't wait to see all the leaves change! But for now, we'll enjoy this last day of August (how can that be?!) just as it is.

~N.