Grandma Kathy VIsits- May 2013

Grandma Kathy came to visit James. She gave him baths, took him to the park, fed him many meals, and put him to bed. James loves his "Gaga" which is what he calls her even though he can now say "grandma." Grandma got here Thursday night and bathed and read to James before bed. She might have facilitated a later bedtime for the little sneaky pants. Friday we all spent the day together and ate lots and lots of Indian food.

Post-bathtime snuggle

Reading with grandma after his bath

On Saturday, Grandma was nice enough to watch James so that I could go to Ash's graduation, and Kevin and I could have dinner with Nick and Emily. Finally, Sunday, all four of us went to Jon's 33rd birthday party in Brooklyn. (More on all this fun stuff later.) Thanks, grandma!

At the park with grandma on Friday


At the park with grandma on Saturday

P.S. There's a rumor that we leave on a little mini-roadtrip today. Similar to what we did last May, but much much shorter. I can neither confirm nor deny such rumors at this time.

A Look Back: UVA Law 3L Year 2007-2008

To celebrate the five-year anniversary of my law school graduation today, I've been reviewing my three years at UVA Law. I already did my 1L year, and my 2L year, and this post is about my third year and graduation!

August 2007
I was in New York City for my summer associate position at a law firm. At the beginning of the month we got job offers for work after we graduated and we had a farewell party-- no dinner, just drinks. Recipe for disaster!  Before I left the city, my parents and I went out for dinner and drinks.  After that, we had several weeks to vacation in Charlottesville and Cape Cod. When we returned to Charlottesville for good, Donald and Roger had an apartment-warming party.

Roger making delicious drinks- I still remember them!

Rob, Audra, and Jackie

Steph, Sarah, Donald, Jon

September 2007

Some of Sarah W's friends threw here a big 23rd birthday party. Sarah H. B. and Donald started secretly dating, but we figured it out almost right away, and pretended we didn't know. A bunch of us went to the UVA v. Duke football game, and then Kevin and I had a big cookout at our new place.  All the while, Sarah and Donald tried to act casual. Ha ha. And then, one of my favorite events of the year: Fall Foxfield!

Sarah W's 23rd birthday party

Fall Foxfield 2007

October 2007
Donald and Sarah had now been secretly dating a whole month and the rest of us were still pretending we didn't know. Really! My parents visited me and Kevin at our new apartment. Brian and I went to a Maroon5 concert. A bunch of us went to the 3L Bonfire to celebrate our last year at law school.  We roasted marshmallows, and somehow Brian ended up going for a swim.

My parents on the Downtown Mall 2007


3L Bonfire 2007

November 2007
Brian, Roger, Katy, and I went to the Vermont v. UVA basketball game and sat in the student seats, while Kevin, Brady, Cory, and Chow went to the game but had to sit in the public seats. Going to games "together" like this was a regular occurrence.

Before my 3L Public Interest Law Association (PILA) auction and semiformal dance, we had people to our place beforehand. After two full months, we finally "officially knew" Donald and Sarah dating and they went to the dance together. I got jealous when Kevin talked to Roger's date for too long (she was from Cape Cod).  Little did I know that Kevin had already bought me an engagement ring. Ha!

Before the semi-formal, 2007

Kevin planned a trip to New York, and took me to go see my mother at work first. She was in cahoots with him, and had picked up the ring delivery for him, and slipped him the ring while I was in the bathroom. Then he took me to the New York Public Library, where he proposed on the steps on November 21.

Proposal, November 21, 2007

December 2007
More finals. We were old pros at exams, so we didn't make a fuss anymore. Some of us celebrated the end of semester with wings at Buffalo Wild Wings. Yum.

Me and Roger


Jackie and Brandon

January 2008
We came back from winter break mid-month. Kevin and I had gone to the Caribbean to celebrate our engagement. Unlike some Januaries where I'd wear tank tops and marvel at the crazy weather, we had some pretty snow this year. Brian finished up his term as Student Bar Association President.

Snow at UVA Law

Brian working hard in the SBA Office

February 2008
Kevin bought Chris Long a beer at Mellow Mushroom. The chatted about his draft prospects.

A group of us went to our 3L Barristers Ball which is like law school prom. My parents co-hosted a little engagement party for me and Kevin in Charlottesville.  Sarah B., Sarah W., and I watched the lunar eclipse. A group of us had brunch at Professor Kitch's house, and that evening Sarah and I joined Audra on her bachelorette party.

UVA Law's Barristers Ball 2008

March 2008
My law school friends and I went to  Edisto Beach, South Carolina for Spring Break. We stayed at my friend Katy's beach house, and went into Charleston one night for dinner and walking around. From there we went to Audra and Rob's wedding.

Edisto Beach, Spring Break 2008

Audra and Rob get married!

 

At Audra and Rob's wedding

My 29th birthday came and went without a party, as I was busy playing an elaborate game of "Assassin" at law school. We threw a big party for the Latin American Law Organization. I finally won the  fundraising game of Assassin! My law school friends and I went to our last Libel Show together.

At the Libel Show in 2008

April 2008
My law school friends and I went out to celebrate Katy's acceptance into NYU's LLM progam. We went to a service at Roger's temple to hear him read. The 3Ls finished their year-long Seminars in Ethical Values. Some of us were lucky enough to have the 3L toast with Professor Leslie. Brian and I went on a 3L Vineyard Trip, and a UVA lacrosse match the next day with Kevin and Katy.

My Seminar in Ethical Values class

We love Professor Leslie!

3L Vineyard Trip- does it get any better than this?

My law school friends and I went to dinner at Maya Restaurant to celebrate our last day of law school classes. Brooke, Brady, and Cory came to visit and we went to my first Spring Foxfield.

Brooke, Brady, Cory, me, and Kevin at Spring Foxfield in Charlottesville

With newlyweds Rob and Audra (it looks like we all coordinated our outfits)

May 2008
I finished taking my last finals ever. My law school friends, Kevin, and I spent the week before graduation at Sarah's beach house in North Carolina. We even raced go karts!

 

Sarah and Donald at the beach house- I love this picture of them

We graduated law school!

 

We're law school graduates! Woo!


Ceremony on the lawn


After my graduation

Then we immediately started bar review classes to study for the state bar exams, in my case, New York.

A Look Back: UVA Law 2L Year 2006-2007

To celebrate the five-year anniversary of my law school graduation on Sunday, I've been reviewing  my three years there. I already did my 1L year, and this post is my second year.

August 2006
The summer before my 2L year, I lived in Charlottesville and worked for Legal Aid Justice Center.  I started applying for jobs at the end of the summer through our on grounds interview process. I applied to jobs in New York, DC, Boston, and even Miami. As I was waiting to hear back on round 1 (who would get interviews where) I met Kevin. Our seventh date, was quintessentially Virginian, we had a double date with Brandon and Becky to Ash Lawn-Highland and Jefferson Vineyard.

First picture with Kevin at Jefferson Vineyard 2006 

Sarah W., Alissa, and I went to the Rockingham County Fair, where I finally made peace with goats. I had hosted Sarah W. the previous year when she was looking at law schools and I'd put on the hard sell. I was thrilled to see her come back. I had tons of law firm interviews on campus before the semester started.

Sarah W. at the Rockingham County Fair

September in 2006

Brian, Katy, Sarah, and I went to the opening of the JPJ arena to watch the UVA v. Pittsburgh away game on the big screen. Kevin went with Cory and Brady but they weren't students then so they were in a different section. Afterwards, I met Cory and he tried to scare me away by telling me Kevin's more scandalous undergrad stories. (Not cool, Cory, not cool.) Cory also gave Brian a fun little nickname that has stuck all these years.

Katy, Sarah, Brian, I mean CavMan, and me at the UVA v. Pittsburgh game 2006

I had law firm interview callbacks in New York City, so I was able to spend a little time with my parents. 

My gorgeous parents, Ramsey 2006

Kevin and I went to a Jose Gonzalez concert, and Jose slipped on an ice cube I dropped. The Latin American Law Organization threw its first party, Fiesta de Otono, and Kevin and I attempted to salsa. My law school friends and I went to our second Fall Foxfield, with our church hats and all. Brian threw a coffee party-- fun! Kevin and I went on new hikes.

Rob, Jane, Audra, Sarah, me, Katy, and Brian at Fall Foxfield 2006

October 2006
This was a great month.  Kevin and I had only been dating for a short while. Cathy came to visit us, and we went out on an accidental and rainy Charlottesville crawl to South Street Pub, X-Lounge, Millers, C&O, and back to X-Lounge. It was a lot of people too: Becky, Brandon, Sarah, Donald, Josh, Jon, and later Roger. Though I think only Cathy, Jon, Kevin, and I made it to all the locations. For a Thursday night in Charlottesville, it was epic.

Cathy, Kevin, me, Sarah at X-Lounge

I went to DC for a call-back interview. Jon and I went to an Eric Clapton concert. Kevin and I went hiking at Ivy Creek. Kevin, Brady, Nick and Emily, and James W. and I went to an Islands concert. A bunch of us went to a UNC v. UVA football game.

Kevin, me, Audra, Jon, and Roger at the UVA football game

We went out for Brian's 23rd birthday at Flaming Wok, and after-partied at Jane's while she reveled in the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series (her great-grandfather is Branch Rickey).  Finally, we closed out the month with a two crazy Halloween parties in one night.

Brian's 23rd birthday: Audra, Donald, Sarah, me, Katy, Brian, Jane

Halloween 2006!

November 2006
We had our 2L PILA semi-formal dance.  We went to many UVA football and basketball games.

PILA Semiformal Dance 2006 

Katy, Brian, Ericka, and Audra at the UVA v.Miami Football Game

For Thanksgiving, Kevin's mom Kathy, her roommate Dayami, and Kevin's brother Andrew came up from Florida. Kevin's cousin Katie came down from Maryland. It was the first time I met his mom, and the first words out of her mouth were, "So do you want kids?"  Haha. True story.  She made all the food because she's awesome and the next day we all went hiking in the George Washington National Forest.  After they headed back home, Kevin and I went to UVA's Lighting of the Lawn ceremony.  It was a really pretty ceremony that for some reason involved hundreds of al capella bands. It was nice to experience part of the UVA undergrad experience.

Lighting of the Lawn 2006

December 2006

Kevin and I threw a big Christmas party for our friends at the end of the semester. We celebrated our first Christmas together a little early in Charlottesville, then separated to go to our respective families for Christmas. It was the only holiday we ever spent apart after we met.

 

Kevin and Ericka under the mistletoe

Jane, Roger, and Audra at our Christmas party

Jackie, Jinsoo, and Brian

Donald, Sarah, me, and Josh

January 2007
Kevin and I celebrated New Years with our college friends at Ireland's Four Courts Restaurant in Arlington, Virginia.  It was warm enough to go hiking in Shenandoah so we did at least twice that month. My friend Katy and I went to a resort in Costa Rica for winter break, and Kevin went with his friends to Ireland.  When we got back, Kevin and I took daytrips to Scottsville and Richmond.  We went to a Camera Obscura concert.  It was before the market crash and recession, and things were crazy back then, so my law firm raised all our starting salaries a full year and half before we started work. (Yeah....)  Brian, Jackie, and I went to a Feb Club's Eve party.

Me and Kevin at Jabberwocky in Charlottesville after the Camera Obscura concert

February 2007

I encouraged Brian to run for president of the law school (he wanted to anyway) and became his campaign manager. He was victorious!

Student Bar Association Presidential Debate 2007

 

Katy and I working on Brian's campaign

UVA beat Duke at basketball and stormed the court.  I was there, dyed-orange hair and all, but failed to storm the court.  That same night I went to a prehistorically-themed Feb Club party dressed as one of two Betty Rubles.  I lost my camera on some random lawn, and the lawn's owner reviewed my photos and decided some drunk law student had lost their camera-- luckily the lawn owner knew a law professor and I got my camera back. Only in Charlottesville!

Two Betty Rubles, Feb Club 2007

The following night, I went to another Feb Club Party that had a "Welcome to the Jungle" theme.  I made myself a "jungle" costume.  I went as the actual foliage, though there were many people dressed as Guns N' Roses band members.  It worked both ways.  There were more Feb Club parties: "Snow Pants or No Pants," Kegs and Eggs on Sunday morning, "Old School" on Katy's 29th birthday, "The Breakfast Club," begrudgingly hosted by Jane, and the "Fiesta Muy Grande" hosted by me and the rest of the Latin American Law Organization, and "Sports Stars" to close out the month.

Welcome to the Jungle: Brian, Josh, me, Roger

Feb Club- Old School!

We had our 2L Barristers Ball at the Omni Hotel. We celebrated Donald's 24th birthday at Thai 99 with his siblings and friends, and Roger's 27th birthday at Basil Restaurant with a different group. Kevin and I went to a Deerhoof concert with Nick, Emily, and Brady.

Barristers Ball 2007


Fiesta Muy Grande

March 2007
Some friends from law school and I went on an amazing Caribbean cruise for Spring Break.  As a result, I celebrated my 28th birthday in Cozumel. We also went to Guatemala and Belize.

High Temple at Lamanai, Belize 2007

In our 2L year of law school, a bunch of us went to the libel show.  My pre-party included shooters because that's how I rolled back then. I helped with the multi-law-school Softball Tournament.

Libel Show 2007

April 2007
My friends and I did Relay for Life and fund-raised money to fight cancer in honor of my dad and Kevin's mom and grandmother who were all cancer survivors.  As far as I knew, my dad had been cancer-free for 8 years at this point.

Jenny, Sarah M, Ramona, Roger, Brian, me and Audra before walking all night

May 2007
After my spring finals, Kevin and I moved to Brooklyn together for my summer associate job at a law firm in Manhattan. In the pre-crash days they wined and dined us. We had to go back to Charlottesville a few days later for Brady's graduation.

Kevin, me, Brady, Dan, and Kelly at Brady's graduation

Back in New York, Kevin and I had an apartment-warming party, went to see Moon for the Misbegotten at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

 

I take over NYC, May 2007