dunn family photos

well, it's official! my parents made

the 22-hour flight and are currently

in johannesburg, SA! it's crazy but i

am so happy for them and can't wait

to follow their adventures + visit.

in the meantime, i'm so happy we took

these family pictures on our last trip

as a family in laguna beach. we will

cherish them extra because we may

not all be in one place again for 

the next 3 years, and by then our 

family will have changed a lot! 

thanks so much to cute stacy thiot of 

red poppy photography

for taking these and being so great.

she is based in LA and drove all the

way down to laguna with her husband

to take these. they were so cute with

the kids and helped make it easier

to shoot lots of pictures! it felt so

laid back and nice, and i will

now have these to look at 
when i'm missing everyone! 


the cutest grandparents + kiddos i ever did see...

^^ the original dunn fam

^^ in love with this one! already miss these cuties.

 ^^sibling love

 ^^ i love this one...it looks like a metaphor to me,

all of us sitting on the edge of something looking

out at the horizon // future... so cheesy but kind

of represents the big change to come and being in

it all together! (forgive me for the sap!! :)

thanks again to stacy of red poppy photography...

these are some pictures we will love forever,

and we can't recommend her enough.

it's all about family!

xo

grad school grad!

let's talk about this for a second: since the day i

started kindergarten, i have never not been in school. 

elementary, middle school, high school,

straight through 4 years of college, straight

through 2 years of grad school. this fall will be

the first time i am not in some type of school!!

i don't know if i can explain how good it feels to

have graduated with my master's degree. not just

because it means school is over, but because getting a

graduate degree is something that has always been on

my goal list. i've always wanted to get as much education 

as possible, and i'm so lucky that through TFA i was able

to get my master's at an amazing school while working.

it was a lot but i am so glad i did it! the best part was 

having my entire family there because it fell perfectly at

the end of our trip in california together. best celebration!

^^ my dad took this panoramic while they were

waiting for the commencement to start.... have you ever

seen a nicer graduation setting? i'm pretty sure 

LMU is one of the prettiest campuses on earth!

^^ proud to be joining my mama who also has

her masters degree! and my dad too...smart cookies.

^^ my dad got me a lei and ran it up to me

right before the ceremony...so sweet.

^^ best family in the world!

^^ crossing the stage!

^^ showing off our master's "hoods"

^^ the cutest husband + supporter there is.

when they called my name he YELLED and stood

on a chair and waved his arms to make sure i could see

him from the stage. what person does that? love him so much.

^^ favorites. thank you for being at every 

single important moment of my life!

^^ these peeps have kept me sane during these 2 years!

^^ so has this guy

^^ yayyy!

 

^^ i love these pictures and this guy

^^ sweet little zachie even made it!

who knew graduating would get me so many kisses?

^^ so many reminders of how many amazing people surround me...

my grandma couldn't be there but sent the sweetest card and gift!

cheers to a new chapter!

who knows what comes after this,

but i know it will be good things.

i'm so lucky for all the education i've

been able to receive and hope i've given

some back through teaching with TFA!

i can't wait to see what's next. for now, i'm

soaking up no more essays and some freedom!!

xo

ps.. throwback to my undergrad graduation!

my parents have been there every step of the way,

and love that they both have graduate degrees.

see this article written by my dad 

about his experience going back to grad school.

one last family trip

you'll be hearing this a lot over the next month...
i don't want my parents to move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am soaking up every second with them before they 
MOVE TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR 3 YEARS! 
i can't believe it's getting so close. this last family 
trip all together was just what we needed, but it 
was bittersweet to know that we probably won't all 
be together on a big trip for 3 years once they leave 
in june. this trip is one my family does every single 
year, so it will be sad not to have my parents here! 
but, it made this one even more special and fun. 
here is some of the fun we had being together...
including lots of beach time, playing in the pool,
best meals out, competing in the "dunn olympics,"
family pictures, newport, laguna, balboa, biking,
running, laughing, games, movies, disneyland, & more.
why don't we live by them??? love this fam so much.

^^ typical photo-bomb by my dad
^^ the start of the intense "olympic games" created by my brother

^^ lovely laguna.
^^ 3 of the best people in this world if you ask me.
^^ brave boys getting in the freezing ocean!
by the end we all did, but they were the first ones.

^^ we stayed at the marriott coastal villas in newport,

first time we've stayed there! so lovely.

^^ darling uncle chase

^^ more competitions!


^^ beach soccer for hours

^^ champs in golf! my sis-in-law mindy and i

won the basketball, pretty proud.

^^ intense chess matches

^^ sweetest scene.

^^ nothing like a big family shuttle ride

with all of us singing "the wheels on the bus"

^^ my girl

^^ my favorite little guy!

^^ tough guys

^^ daily stops at ruby's for burgers + shakes

{get the california date shake!}

^^ a favorite spot

^^ beachcomber breakfast!

^^ most intense game of all!

^^ yoga + basketball in the mornings

^^ breakfast at one of our favorites

what a week! i wish it had lasted forever.

i already miss everyone, but luckily we have

more posts on the way so i can keep soaking in all

the fun and sunshine and memories of this trip.

xo

see our day at disneyland, mother's day celebration,

and beginning of the trip in LA.