Valentine's Day 2008

We didn't specifically do something for Valentines Day, this year, but 4 days before Valentines we went to my 3L Barristers Ball. Then the following weekend, my parents hosted a little engagement party for me and Kevin in our apartment in Charlottesville. Kevin and I have been engaged for almost 3 months now. Woo!

At our place before Barristers Ball

Dancing! 2/9

Dancing?

 

Our engagement party at our place in 2008, 2/16

Kevin's 28th Birthday 2008

For Kevin's 28th birthday, we went back to Mas again this year, but this year we kept it to just the two of us. First engaged birthday! Love this guy!!

Old man.

Post-mojito happiness

Happy birthday!!

My Parents Visit- October 2007

My parents came to visit us at our new apartment in Charlottesville. We hung out on Saturday and Sunday we went to the downtown mall and walked around and had brunch at Bluegrass Grill.

Downtown Mall, Charlottesville

Bluegrass Grill

Cuties at Bluegrass Grill

South River Falls, Shenandoah 2006

Kevin and I went on kind of a tough hike yesterday right before a whole night of Halloween-themed partying. Not the best idea! But it was a beautiful hike.

Picture in front of the falls

Here are the falls

Me with falls

More small falls

Where we had lunch

Jose Gonzalez Concert 2006

Our first concert! Jose Gonzalez was great and I had fun with Kevin. I've never been to a concert at Starr Hill before and it was a really cool intimate venue. A few minutes before the show started though, I spilled some ice from drink. When Jose Gonzalez came out he slipped on my melted ice. I felt so bad! Sorry for almost injuring the musician!

Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland 2006

Becky, Brandon, Kevin and I went to Ash Lawn-Highland yesterday. I had already told Becky I'd go after we went to Monticello and since Kevin and I are together now, I invited him to come with us. So our seventh date was a really nice double date.

Ash Lawn was the estate of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States from 1793-1825. President Monroe called his home "Highland." It did not acquire the additional name of "Ash Lawn" until after his death. The estate is now owned by Monroe's alma mater, the College of William and Mary.


Ash Lawn-Highland

Brandon and Becky with the Ash Lawn-Highland peacocks

Statue of Monroe
Becky and Brandon behind the house More of the estate Afterwards we did a little tasting at Jefferson Vineyards. What a fun afternoon!
Tasting a red at nearby Jefferson Vineyards Becky and Brandon with a white wine toast

Rockingham County Fair 2006

Sarah M. is starting school this semester, and she and her roommate Alissa recently moved in. Sarah suggested we go to the Rockingham County Fair and I was super excited to go! We had a good time.

Sarah petting a goat

Posing with a cow in my county fair shirt

The auction room

Sarah and Alissa buying fried yummy things

I made Alissa pose with a motorcycle on display

Award winners!


Craft fair

Scottsville, VA 2006

So for our fifth date, we went to the nearby quaint town of Scottsville. He showed me the wall of a building downtown that marked the height that the water had reached during flooding of Scottsville.

Kevin suggested we should rent a television show together (so as to have an excuse for frequent dates). We'd heard good things about Six Feet Under. Um, a show about death and funeral parlors? So we went to Sneak Reviews, rented Season 1, and then watched Six Feet Under together at my place. It was the first time he came to my place and he was shocked that I offered him mango juice.

Sneak Reviews, movie rental place

Third Date Hiking 2006

Our third date was hiking at Shenandoah starting very early in the morning on Wednesday. We went to Brown's Gap, a long and lovely trail with three waterfalls. He brought coffee, oranges, and nuts to snack on at the falls. It was about 4.5 miles out, and the last thirty minutes back were very hot and I was getting bitten by mosquitoes, but I restrained my complaints. I wanted him to think I could hang with his hiking hobby.

What Kevin looks like when he hikes (photo from his stash)

Afterwards, I didn't really want to go home and it was still early so we got lunch at Bellair Market and then sat near a lake for a little while eating our sandwiches.

Anna's Baby Shower 2006

Surprise baby shower for Anna!

She was very surprised!

Anna and Mike opening up baby presents

Cathy and I went together.

Baby shower cake!

We played one baby shower game where we used toilet paper to estimate the size of Anna's belly. Kind of funny. Anna was good sport and gave us the real measurement to pick the winner.

Anna's sister trying to guess how much to measure.

And the winner is!

Anna with her baby shower hat and mom, dad, and sister

Cathy's mom, also named Catherine, and Cathy 

Northern Virginia Trip- August 2006

So the reason I went to DC this weekend was to go to Anna and Mike's baby shower.... but since it was a surprise baby shower and I invited everyone out who I know in DC/NoVa... and I invited them too- they came! I got to spend two days with them while I was here. Haha, they probably would have skipped it though if they knew I'd see them tomorrow. We started out our night with dinner tapas at La Tasca in Clarendon.

Mike, Anna, and me at La Tasca (also baby-to-be)

I got to meet Johnny's lovely and friendly new girlfriend, April

With my buddy Janice

Then we went to Mama Quans Tiki Hut for some outdoor drinks. I'd never been there before and I really like it.

Brooke at Mama Quan's

Darren giving Janice sexy-side-eye at Mama Quan's

Laura, Brooke, and I can never give up the party so we went on to Cheesecake Factory for a little dessert and some more drinks.

Laura and Brooke- cheers!

So happy I got to see everyone!

Second Date at Continental 2006

Kevin took me to dinner at Continental restaurant because he likes the food there. The original plan was to go to dinner and then go back to his place to watch a movie. He encouraged me to have a big margarita... or two. We had a lot of great conversation over dinner and he's very funny and attentive.

Toward the end of the date he mentioned that he was opposed to corn subsidies and I felt like this is a guy that really gets me! Though thinking about it today I wonder if he read all the comments on my Friendster page and saw Aubree's comment about how much I hate corn subsidies. Haha. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt though because he's an intellectual liberal that lived in Iowa during grad school so he probably really did consider this issue.

After dinner he suggested we take a walk around the UVA grounds. Since he was an undergrad here five years ago he showed me around his old haunts and pointed out a mural he helped paint in one of the dorms.

Part of mural that I could photograph through window

It was close to 11 pm by then and he suggested we go back and watch the movie, but since it was so late and I was full of margaritas, I politely declined. He brought me home and kissed me goodnight!

Good First Date Yesterday! 2006

My coffee date yesterday night was great. Kevin is cute, super smart, and funny. It was a good time. He's 26 and he teaches at Bridgewater College.

I dressed up to go to the Downtown Mall. I was wearing a black fitted shirt and white jean skirt and white sandals with little heels. Sarah and Donald dropped me off Downtown. Kevin was sitting outside reading the New York Times. Apparently, he does this every Sunday. The first thing I noticed about him was his bushy hair and that he was cute. In that order.

Kevin got me a cappuccino while he sipped a green tea. He tried to impress me with his two-book contract and personal Dave Barry connection (I love Dave Barry). I probably shouldn't have told him that I don't believe in happiness. That wasn't a good move on my part.

Mudhouse in 2006- even from the angle at which I approached.

Maybe he thought some ice cream would make me reconsider happiness? After Mudhouse, he suggested we walk over to Chaps for dessert. I was charmed. He drove me home to Ivy Gardens and asked if I'd be interested in another date. I said, "definitely."

Becky and Brandon's House-Warming 2006

Becky and Brandon had a house-warming party yesterday afternoon at their new place on Arlington Blvd. I talked with her about it beforehand and she invited a bunch of my friends that are here for the summer. She mostly knows them. Brandon is going to be a 1L this year, and he also invited a few of the new classmates he's met so far. Becky also surprised Cathy with a birthday cake! Her birthday is coming up. How nice!

Celebrating Cathy's birthday!

Jon, Becky, Cathy's cousin, Cathy

Sarah, Cathy's cousin's boyfriend, and Brandon

Donald and Josh... in love.

Cute little 1Ls

Blowing on dice during game portion of the evening