Friday, December 30, 2011

highlights of 2011.

i love reading the yearly highlights on other blogs & thought it would be especially fun to catch up on the entire year since i didn't start blogging until the fall.

{via google}

january: we had a mellow start to the new year that was highlighted by starting the last semester of my law school career.

february: we celebrated our 6 month anniversary on the first (cheesy, i know). we hosted a celebration party at our townhouse which included my turning 26 (yikes!), a very belated housewarming & of course, our 6 month anniversary. aaron took me away to whidbey island for a romantic weekend to celebrate my birthday and valentine's day, and we went to serafina (my fav) for dinner!




march: my last official spring break (probably ever) which was spent studying (papers & oral argument) & working on my Bar application. i submitted my Bar application. we were surprised by the early arrival of baby cambridge: franklin pierre cambridge.

{via cari cambridge}

april: we attended the Barrister's Ball (a.k.a. law school prom) which was held at the EMP. we drove to ritzville, WA to meet my dad & brought home the newest member of our little family, sadie. we had a date night at The Pink Door during Seattle Restaurant Week.

{taken at photobooth}

{the very first picture of sadie & aaron at the columbia river - taken with holga 135}

may: my last official final exams period: one final, two papers & a project. i painted our office a soothing blue in preparation for my bar exam studies. we attended Baccalaureate Mass at Seattle University & my Law School Graduation at Key Arena. we flew to indiana to see aaron's family & to attend aaron's ten year reunion at Culver Military Academy. we continued east-ward to Paris where we spent a week of celebration: graduation & aaron turning 28! we spent our first day in Paris with our good friend jerry who acted as our translator & tour guide.







june: i started my bar prep studies on the first; this marked the beginning of eight grueling weeks of 80 hours a week cramming. aaron interviewed & was offered a program manager position (still at microsoft). 

july: we saw Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II at the IMAX. i sat for the WA Bar Exam on July 26, 27 & 28; i wouldn't have made it thru those three days without my friend miriam, three-evenings-in-a-row massages, jimmy john's delivery service or the sheraton hotel in bellevue. we got celebratory pedis at my favorite spa Julep

august: on the first we celebrated our one year anniversary at Rover's. we dropped off sadie with nanny lisa and headed east for a lower family vacation. we spent the bookend weekends in charlotte, NC with aaron's brother david & his family, but spend most of the vacation in charleston, SC on the beach at the Isle of Palms. lots of sun, sand & air conditioning. sadie & i drove to boise for a quick trip home to visit my family & to get a haircut (yes, i go to idaho to get my haircut). we waited in anticipation for baby lower who was born shortly after we left NC: landon neal lower.




{via jodi lower}

september: we saw maroon 5 & train in concert at the white river amphitheater. we drove down to salem for a weekend to see old family friends & so aaron could skydive; we saw our friends but had to cancel the skydiving due to weather conditions & miscommunications. we attended a surprise dinner party for sami, one of my very old friends from idaho, who now lives in seattle with her husband, brandon. on the 26th we celebrated sadie's 7th birthday.



october: i passed the bar exam! we celebrated our four year dating anniversary with dinner at the melting pot. we attended Ghouls Near Greenlake, ben & sarah's annual halloween bash as aladdin & jasmine. we ate our way thru seattle & bellevue during Seattle Restaurant Week. aaron ran in the warrior dash. i started a little blog called emerald city diaries to keep family & friends updated on the lower family.





november: i was sworn in as an official King County Bar Association member. i was rear-ended. we celebrated the baptism of baby herschel, the son of one of my law school friends. we celebrated thanksgiving with my grandmother & friends in seattle. we bought doug the douglas fir, the second annual lower family christmas tree. aaron took me to the nutcracker for an early christmas date.






december: we celebrated the engagement of our good friends andy & hailey. we attended a champagne brunch fundraiser. we got an SLR camera. we drove to boise in a rental car. i got a haircut. we flew to vegas. we attended the nuptials of scott & kelly at the chapel in the clouds. we cheered on the boise state broncos to victory in the las vegas bowl. we attended a christmas reunion of the CBC (my dearest high school girlfriends). we celebrated christmas! we drove back to seattle. 






whew, what a year! every year i think "this has been the best year ever!" and i think this is totally true about my 2011.

how was your 2011 - was it a year to remember or are you itching to start 2012 already?
M


this calls for a celebration.

{jason, dad, mom & keri on december 30, 1976}

happy 35th anniversary to my wonderful parents larry & soeurette! i couldn't ask for better role models for marriage. here's to another 35 years!

{cari singing "crazy love" at our wedding}

happy birthday to my sister-in-law cari! you are an amazing wife, mother & sister! check out her brand-new blog: HERE

any end of the year celebrations in your family?
M

Monday, December 26, 2011

my weekend in pictures: christmas edition.

 {the christmas tree at my parent's house}

 {bentley the beagle on his favorite spot on the stairs}

 {and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care}

 {white elephant gift exchange on christmas eve with family & friends}

{my sister-in-law decorates the mounts with christmas bulbs} 

 {skeeter lounging on the couch}

{some holiday baking} 

 {say "cheese!"}

 {the christmas dinner table}

 {my christmas place setting}

 {aaron got a blister from cutting butternut squash}

 {yum, that's a good looking turkey}

 {it is amazing how attentive the dogs are when there's turkey around}

 {sadie loved her christmas pheasant. thanks auntie kelly & uncle jason!}

 {skeeter in her new christmas scarf}

 {our little family curled up on the couch watching some football}

 {aaron & me with the christmas tree}

{the whole family (minus a few)}

how was your christmas weekend?
M