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

Vermont v. UVA Basketball 2007

Sunday, we went to the UVA basketball game yesterday. I sat in the student section with Roger, Brian, and Katy. Kevin sat in the grown up seat with Brady and their two friends visiting from DC, Cory and Chow.

Roger, Brian, Katy, and me (I'm not really this short am I?)

Vermont v. UVA game. Woo!

Cory, Chow, Brady, and Kevin

3L Bonfire 2007

Kind of a crazy night. Kind of standard around here though.

Brian, Audra, Josh, Katy, me, Sarah, Elizabeth


Serious smores technology


Ray and others making smores

My 28th Birthday 2007

I spent my 28th birthday on a cruise, so I thought I'd just post some of the highlights of my trip here.

On the beach at Costa Maya, Mexico, 3/6

Right before getting back on the ship with Paul, Sarah, and Brian

San Felipe Fortress, the major Spanish (non-Mayan) landmark in Guatemala, 3/7

I went with Sarah, here she is on top of the fortress, Rio Dulce behind her

Jaguar Temple, Lamanai, Belize, 3/8

Sarah, Katy, Brian, and me at the High Temple, Lamanai, Belize

Midnight birthday shots to kick off my birthday

Cozumel, 3/9

My birthday dinner with everyone!

Back: Mihai, Sarah, Paul

Front: Me, Brian, and Katy

On the ship's pool deck, 3/10

Last party night!

Lamanai, Belize 2007

Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language- it used to be "British Honduras." They also speak Kriol and Spanish there though. Our English-speaking guide took us on a boat to Lamanai a Mayan archaeological site, which used to be a huge city.


Sarah, Katy, Brian, and I at the High Temple in Lamanai, Belize


The High Temple

  See me?
Jaguar Temple


Mask Temple

Costa Maya, Mexico 2007

Our first stop was Costa Maya, on the eastern side of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Costa Maya is a small tourist region in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, between Cancún and Belize. The area is generally undeveloped but has been growing quickly and rapidly after the construction of a large pier to accommodate cruise ships. The Costa Maya includes two small villages -- Majahual and Xcalak. After we made our way through the mandatory shopping area at the port, we walked to the Mahahual village.


The after-the-adventure photo at the port


Tourists chatting with a local The fishing village of Mahahual has soft sand beaches, grass thatched palapas, and a coral reef a short distance off-shore, as well as several bars, restaurants, and shops. Mahahual is only about 2 miles from the port; cruise ships can easily be seen from the village. And that's where our problems began.

Walking past the village

Me on the beach at Mahahual

Sarah took a picture of us- Looks like Paul and I are reading
Paul notes that we can see our ship from here! We went to a cafe for drinks and snacks   This is fun! Time to go back. This is what we should have done...
... This is what we decided to do instead. We figured that since the ship was only two miles away, and we could see it, we could walk back. One little thing we failed to calculate was the location of the ocean relative to the land. So after walking for an hour down a secluded path, we reached a beach facing the ocean and an unscalable wall. Our choices: try the wall anyway, head into the ocean, or walk back one hour and risk missing our ship back to the US. 

This is what denial looks like.

We chose ocean. Now our second problem: as we reached dry land on the other side we were confronted by Mexican port authority trying to figure out why we're trying to swim around border control. Conversation clearly starts off on the wrong foot as he accuses us of trying to break the law, but he then ironically suggests bribery. Finally, through a combination of my persuasive abilities and Spanish sweet-talking, he finally lets us go without going to jail or paying money or anything. And that's why you should learn Spanish, kids!