Jerome, Arizona 2008

Jerome is an awesome wild west biker hangout and a former mining town. Jerome is also known as an art destination, with more than 30 galleries and working studios.

The street you drive into when you enter Jerome


Kevin

View of the San Francisco Mountains

Beautiful old building facade

Peek-a-boo.

View behind Jerome

Sedona, Arizona 2008

Sedona is known for its red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks. The Red Rocks make Sedona look a civilization on Mars or another more alien planet. Tourists mostly do a lot of hiking and "spiritual pursuits." Strangely, Sedona is named after Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of the city's first postmaster?!

Church of the Holy Cross

Kevin and me on top of the Church of the Holy Cross mountain

Full view from the top

Andrew and Kevin on top of the Church of the Holy Cross mountain

View inside the church

More formations

More formations

Grand Canyon 2008

For Easter, we went to visit Kevin and Andrew's father and his wife in Arizona. We roadtripped from Peoria to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a famous gorge carved by the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon National Park was one of the first national parks in the United States. We all agreed with Kevin's assessment, "Not overrated at all!"

Kevin and me at Mather Point

View from Mather Point

Brothers Andrew and Kevin

Sons and father Ken

Warning: Falling Into the Grand Canyon is Bad

The "Kids"

The whole crew on a look out


Taking it in

More views


Wow!

South Kaibab


Orphan Mine


Mohave Point

Sunset at Lipan Point

Audra and Rob's Wedding 2008

It was lovely white wedding with snow! Audra and Rob got married while Audra is still attending law school with me at UVA, but they plan to live in North Carolina together after she graduates so they can start their married life there. We will always remember Audra's wedding ceremony, not only because one of the groomsmen locked his knees and took a tumble, but also because their ceremony was very personalized for them. The minister talked in terms of both religion and life practicalities, Audra's stepfather sang during the ceremony, and Audra and Rob read their own vows to each other. After Rob lifted Audra's veil and kissed her, their first married act was to pray together. And you don't need me to tell you because you can see for yourself in the pictures, but Audra was a beautiful and stunning bride.

Coming down the aisle together after getting married

A bunch of our friends from law school traveled to the wedding together. It was at the end of our law school Spring Break so we spent the whole week in North Carolina relaxing and looking forward to the event.

Roger, Brian, Kevin, me, Audra, Sarah, Donald, Katy, and Josh

We had a lot of fun at their wedding reception. After the first dance, Rob danced with his mother, and Audra danced with her stepfather who sang to her as well. She has the same sort of close relationship with her stepfather that I had with mine, which is to say that they are our real fathers.

Rob and Audra's first dance

 

Father-daughter dance

After dinner we had two flavors of cake, a white cake with strawberry coulis, and a groom's cake made of chocolate. I enjoyed the groom's cake so much that I dubbed it my birthday cake.

Wedding cake and groom cake decorated just for Rob

I like that the strawberry is dressed up

We spent the rest of the evening hitting the dance floor with Audra and Rob's friends and family. I spent a little time dancing with Audra's California friends who are as awesome as they are beautiful, and some time photographing and chatting with Audra and Rob's Charlottesville friends, who I already knew a little because of pre-wedding events. Brian made friends with every last person at the wedding and led a few line dances. I am not talking about the electric slide because it was already 2008-- I'm talking more along the lines of Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide. There was even a conga line that basically the entire wedding got in. Even Donald!

Slide to the left, slide to the right!

Conga line with everyone!

Dancing!

Roger spinning Katy

Sarah and Donald being super cute

Edisto and Charleston, South Carolina 2008

Edisto Beach, South Carolina is a family beach town. For Spring Break, my law school friends and I piled into cars and stayed at Katy's family beach house. There was a lot of eating, drinking, Wii playing, and photo shoots on the beach. Perfection.


Hanging out on the beach with buddies Katy, Brian, Sarah, Julie, and I drove down to South Carolina on Sunday and the first thing we did was eat cheesy grits. Monday we spent most of the day wasting time on the beach. Tuesday night we visited Katy's parents.
The beach makes Sarah happy 3/3   Brian in the hammock 3/4

Our beautiful host Katy

Sarah and I at Katy's mom's Yum!

Making a fantasy dinner of putter balls 3/5

Our dedicated frozen drinks bartender Brian

One of Brian's awesome concoctions

On Thursday, Josh and Donald arrived. And then Friday, Katy, Brian, Sarah, Donald, Julie, and I drove into Charleston, walked around, and had dinner at a Bistro.

Josh strikes a pose in his velour suit

Sarah filling Julie's law book with sand

Julie's revenge

All here!

Dinner in Charleston - Julie, Brian, and Sarah

Donald, Katy, and me

Spring Break happiness