Palmettos and Pearls

we heart visitors

2012-02-12T20:38:00.019-05:00

One of the best parts about living in the DC area is the fact that it's a fairly popular destination for friends from South Carolina. We love seeing familiar faces from the Palmetto State on a fairly regular basis!

This past week, Mary Madison, her husband Drew, and their little girl Lilly were in town to visit Drew's family, who live in the area. His Dad played for the Washington Capitals, the NHL team here, and we got to do dinner at Matchbox in Chinatown before the Caps game Thursday night. As someone who knows very little about hockey, it was fascinating to see how many Caps fans come out for games at the Verizon Center, all wearing their Caps jerseys. The Caps are the best pro sports team the city has got, and it was fun to see how excited people are about the team. Richard and I hope to make it to a game before we leave DC.

Mary Madison was one of my best friends in law school, so it was great to see her and sweet Lilly. Hard to believe she will be in two in July!

Mary Madison, me and Lilly

Richard has been working a ton on the rotation he's currently on, and Saturday was the first day he had off in a couple weeks. We were thrilled to have a normal Saturday- gym, errands, and a fun lunch at Hill Country BBQ with the reigning Miss Easley! Lauren is dating one of Richard's good friends from Spartanburg, and she was in town for CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. We are so proud of her and her accomplishments and hope to be able to cheer her on in the Miss South Carolina pageant this summer. She would be a wonderful ambassador for the Palmetto State!

The rest of our weekend consisted of dinner at Nando's Peri Peri chicken, where they have the fancy new coke machine that was quite a novelty to me, some early Spring cleaning, a dusting of snow and watching the Grammy's for the Whitney tribute. The anticipation of a full week at work has me already looking forward to the long President's Day weekend!

two months ago today...

2012-02-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

a beautiful Miss Jessica Stokes became Mrs. Jessica Benson in a lovely lowcountry wedding in gorgeous DeBordieu, South Carolina. Some of my favorite law school memories were made "studying" around Jess's dining room table, and I was so happy to see her fall in love with the brother of one of Richard's closest friends from Wofford. I loved being a part of their wedding weekend and wish Jess and Robert many years of happiness!

bridesmaids luncheon with a beautiful beach view

getting pretty at the salon

the glowing bride

loved the monogrammed pashmina Jess gave us

some of my absolute favorites- Hannah, Candy, Rebecca and Jen- can't wait to be a part of Hannah's big day in July!

dancing the night away

off to the Bahamas- congrats, sweet friends!

super bowl, sisters and mexican

2012-02-06T21:30:00.006-05:00

Richard and I were invited to a Super Bowl party at the home of two of his fellow Walter Reed residents, and I was a little nervous prior to the party, given that I only knew a handful of the people who would be there.

But thankfully, everyone was super sweet, the food was delicious, and I found two other Thetas! I was initiated into Kappa Alpha Theta at Clemson and am so grateful for my collegiate experience and also all that Theta has meant to me since I graduated, including a law school scholarship and the chance to volunteer as an alumna. So I was thrilled to find out my new friend Lindsey, was a Theta, as was our host Lauren. We had a ball talking about our respective chapters and the Spring formal we wanted to throw and proved that even ten years removed from college, it's fun to kite a sister!

me, Lindsey and Lauren

Richard and a few General Surgery guys- good to see friends we hadn't seen in a while

And because it's become a tradition to celebrate my birthday at some point with a Mexican dinner, we went out with Max and Ashley and little Anderson on Saturday night to Uncle Julio's. Can't beat guacamole, margaritas, and fajitas!

birthday celebration

2012-02-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

I turned 31 yesterday. 31! That number is still sinking in, but honestly 31 is feels a little less pressure-filled than 30. 30 was such a big milestone, and 31 has been a number I've not been as fixated it. It is what it is, and I'm thankful that God has blessed me with another year!

I woke up in a hotel on my 30th birthday since our furnace was out and our house was freezing, so waking up in my own bed with working heat was a treat in itself. And then I walked in my office to find this:

my corner "office"

Such fun birthday decorations! It was a little birthday fort. I always wanted a canopy bed as a child and never got one, so I really enjoyed my streamer canopy. My sweet co-workers brought treats, and we all enjoyed dessert on a super busy day in the office.

Christopher, me, Mary Anna and Patrick- thanks, friends!

Since Richard is working long hours in Baltimore this month, he made a dinner reservation there at Woodberry Kitchen. We had both been wanting to try it, so it seemed like the perfect place for a birthday dinner. The plan was for me to take the train to Baltimore from DC's Union Station, then take a cab to our hotel for the night if Richard hadn't finished up in the hospital.

The only problem? There were no cabs at the Camden Yards train station. And it was kind of sketchy. After a few scary minutes alone in the waiting area with a mentally-ill homeless lady, I found another friend looking for a cab. She turned out to be a medical student in town for residency interviews, and I truly believe the good Lord put her in my path! We thankfully found a cab that we took together, but not before I tripped over a no parking sign that had falled over in the wind. A gashed knee and huge pantyhose run later, I made it to the hotel a bit worse for wear, with the thought that my evening could only improve from there!

Admiral Fleet Inn in Fells Point

My knight in pink scrubs (Shock Trauma's signature color) finally arrived from the hospital, and our Woodberry Kitchen experience was wonderful. We started off with hand-crafted cocktails, deviled eggs and ham and skillet cornbread, and made our way through the most delicious oysters, a pulled pork flatbread, and finally roasted chicken and sweet potatoes. All absolutely phenomenal.

old-fashioned menu board

loved spending the evening with my hard-working husband

Richard, our oysters, and his Government Mule in a copper mug

chicken, biscuit, kale and sweet potatoes

Richard had bought a birthday cake, but when the Food Network came to Woodbury Kitchen, they featured the CMP- a concoction with chocolate, marshmallows and peanuts, sealed with a sugar lid. It was incredible- Richard said it ranked high up on the list of desserts that have changed his life. And the boy likes desserts!

the famous CMP

The waitress was sweet to bring me a birthday plate with basil ice cream and a shortbread cookie. The basil ice cream was unique, but I think I might have enjoyed it more in the summer time. And it's a little unfair the ice cream had to compete with the CMP.

After dinner, we went back to our little inn to have birthday cake (or look at the birthday cake in my case) and open presents.

strawberry birthday cake

6 am this morning came way too soon, and I headed back to DC after seeing a beautiful sunrise.

Fells Point

After a bit of a shaky start, it was a great Baltimore birthday!

engagement elves

2012-01-22T18:30:00.003-05:00

We got some snow on Friday evening, so Richard and I had grand plans to spend most of Saturday inside and see a movie Saturday night. But at about 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, our day got a little more exciting when our dear friend Jon told us he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend Amy that night. This was in response to an invitation to the movies we had sent via text, so we immediately called Jon and asked how we could be of assistance. He had everything pretty much under control, but he did let us come over to his condo after he and Amy left for the night to set a few things up.

We put champagne in the fridge...

roses and pictures on the table...

And hoped that she'd say yes! Jon had planned for he and Amy to get drinks at their first-date spot, then propose back at his place. After Jon asked and Amy accepted, (woohoo!), they joined her family- who live close by and had intentionally not answered their phones when Amy called with the big news- for dinner. We excitedly met them for dessert and a round of in-person congratulations. We're thrilled for our friends and so excited for their big day! 2012 is shaping up to be a year full of fun weddings.

blurry iphone pic- was in such a hurry to get to Jon's in time that I forgot by camera! but you can see Amy's beautiful bling!

toasted marshmallow milkshakes

2012-01-19T21:22:00.005-05:00

I have always struggled with January. I don't like Christmas being over, and I really hate the cold weather. Richard has a big exam at the end of the month (and has for the past four years of his residency) which puts him in stressed-out, study-mode. And so to not get bogged down by the winter doldrums, I've tried to spend more time at the gym, plan fun activities, make travel plans, and find the positive in each day. Today, it was the absolutely delicious toasted marshmallow milkshake today at Spike Mendelsohn's Good Stuff Eatery. Good Stuff is one of Spike's DC restaurants (the equally good We the Pizza is also his), and I met a few friends there for lunch today. I have really been trying to watch my calories this New Year, but the turkey burger and milkshake I had were totally worth the splurge (I am still thinking about the milkshake 8 hours later!). I hate that I didn't get a picture- the milkshake is topped with a perfect toasted marshmallow. Try this recipe- it may change your life!

Spike Mendelsohn's Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

A few more January highlights that have helped brighten this blah month?

A great tour for our office of the National Archives. We saw the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and several other historical pieces relevant to South Carolina, including a letter Daniel Morgan wrote to Nathaniel Greene with his first-hand account of the Battle of Cowpens. Fascinating, National Treasure kind of stuff. And we capped off our Archives visit with lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl. Delicious!

National Archives building- because of the fragility of the documents, no picture-taking is allowed inside

Mary Anna and Patrick at Ben's Chili Bowl

I also got to see three of my favorite USC Law girls. Ryan, Caroline and I celebrated Caroline's recent engagement, and I caught up with sweet Whitney while she was in town visiting.

Dinner at Palena Cafe

loved seeing sweet Whitney!

Happy MLK Day!

2012-01-16T09:56:00.008-05:00

On my way home from work this past Friday, I stopped by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It opened in August of 2011 and I drive by it every day, but I hadn't actually been inside to give it a closer look. I thought it was only fitting to do so since today was MLK Day!

It's different from the other memorials, but it's a nice tribute to a great man. There are three large stones peaks, two at the opening and one with a carving of Dr. King. Several King quotes are etched into the surrounding inscription wall with two waterfalls beside the two stones that anchor the inscription wall. The memorial was designed to be on an axis between the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, with the statue of Dr. King looking out over the Tidal Basin.

Memorial inscription with the Washington Monument in the background

entrance at the opening of the inscription wall

one of my favorite MLK quotes

the Jefferson Memorial

The Memorial is not without controversy-a quote on one side of the stone with Dr. King has received a great deal of criticism. It says, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness," which was a very loose paraphrase of what Dr. King actually said. The quote was taken out of context, and the Secretary of the Department of the Interior has ordered it to be changed after months of discussion and attention has been paid to the error.

Despite the controversy over the quote, it was wonderful to see a memorial to a man who has meant so much to so many people. It was freezing when I was there, but I watched a young lady who was also visiting moved to tears, standing still and just taking it all in. The monument was designed to convey four essential elements of Dr. King's message- justice, democracy, hope and love- lessons and a legacy that we all still benefit from today.

a different kind of army life

2012-01-13T18:06:00.007-05:00

Kelly of Kelly's Korner is doing a link-up today for military families, and I thought it might be interesting to share our story. My husband Richard is an Army officer and a general surgery resident at Walter Reed, now in Bethesda. His father served in the Army (as did both of my parents), and though Richard wasn't involved in ROTC while completing his undergraduate degree at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, he decided to pursue a military scholarship for medical school. He finished medical school in Charleston, SC, then began his surgical residency at Walter Reed, where he is currently in year 5 of 6. We got married at the beginning of his 4th year, and I left SC, where we both grew up, to join him in Washington, DC.

I know our military experience is a little different than other active duty military families. Because Richard is still in training, he will likely not be deployed until he finishes his residency next summer. We don't live on base, and we lead fairly normal lives (despite him taking in-house call every third night!). He wore a tuxedo on our wedding day, and his hair is probably a little longer than it's supposed to be. I do shop at the on-base commissary, and when I am there, and at Walter Reed, I see military families who have sacrificed SO much more than we have. Many of Richard's patients have lost limbs or have been through other severe trauma. They are ones who are actually on the front lines, who face deployments for years at a time away from their families. It only seems appropriate that Richard and others seek to give them the absolute best medical care possible.

Working at Walter Reed does have its perks- Richard has met several celebrities who come in to cheer up or perform for the wounded warriors. The First Lady and President Obama have both come to visit, and high-ranking government officials often come to the hospital to both visit and for treatment.

Once Richard finishes he residency, it remains to be seen where we will go next. He'll stay in the Army for at least four more years, and there's a good chance that a portion of that time will be overseas. I work on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress, so I'll have to find a new job when we move. That uncertainty is probably one of the most stressful parts of military life! But we are excited to see where God leads us.

We have been so blessed by the friends we've made through Walter Reed- medical residents from all over the country. The Army has provided Richard with wonderful training and unique experiences that he would not have had in a civilian residency. Though I miss my home state, I am thankful for our life in the DC area and am so proud of my husband and others who serve.

Richard at Officer's Basic in San Antonio, TX- summer 2004- my two-shower-a-day husband had a hard time spending 5 days in a tent without one!

completely posed shot after a simulation, again in San Antonio- Richard on left

sweet Walter Reed friends who came all the way to SC from DC for our wedding- combination of general surgery, internal medicine, and orthopedic surgery residents

new year's resolutions

2012-01-05T20:34:00.007-05:00

Better late than never right? I did hear on the radio that you are more likely to keep resolutions if you don't share them, but what's better than having a whole host of blog readers for accountability (or the few of you sweet friends who check this little site on a regular basis)? So in no particular order, here they are:

1. Resume strength training. I had a wonderful trainer before my wedding who taught me whole to use the gym machines I was always afraid of. I only worked out with him for thirty minutes twice a week, but I noticed a huge difference in my overall tone. So I am hoping to do weights at least twice a week. With a gym membership near our house and at work too, I don't have an excuse not to!

2. Do at least one DC-specific activity a month (and blog about it). Our time in the Nation's Capitol is probably limited to another year and a half, and I want to make the most of it. There are SO many fun, often free activities here that I'll need to do at least one a month to take full advantage of them all.

3. Unplug- especially when in the car. I sometimes check email while driving. And I am terrible about checking Facebook, twitter, etc if I am in the car while Richard is driving. It's just not safe to have one eye on the Blackberry screen and one eye on the road, and my time with my husband is so limited that I should be giving him my undivided attention in spending one-on-one time with him.

4. Bring lunch more often to work. It's so much cheaper. And healthier. And the selection in the Longworth cafeteria is getting old.

5. Expand friendships in the DC area. Richard and I have "couple" friends here, and at least one half of the couple is generally a resident at Walter Reed. Those friends are SO dear to me, but I don't have many girlfriends of my own. For the first year I was here, I was kind of reluctant to make new girlfriends because I was missing all of my great friends in South Carolina. That reasoning is kind of skewed, but I guess I thought those relationships and my new relationship with my husband were enough. Now I realize how much I need good girlfriend relationships here with ladies who have similar interests as me. I hope to deepen the few I do I have and expand my circle a bit.

6. For every item of clothing I buy, get rid of one I don't wear in my closet. I have a ton of unworn items that I need to donate or sell, and it only seems right that for every new piece I add, I get rid of a piece I don't wear.

In addition to those, I have the standard ones- grow deeper in my faith, be a better wife, daughter, and sister, and get our budget and eating habits under control. Those are a little more amorphous but are important nonetheless. Here's hoping for a great year of personal growth in 2012!

a year in review- 2011 in pictures

2012-01-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

2011 brought a lot of firsts- first job on Capitol Hill, first real snowstorm, first full year of marriage and living in Maryland and first wedding anniversary. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the year and highlights from each month. Overall, it was a great year. Goodbye 2011, hello 2012!

January

an 80's New Year's Eve, then New Year's Day in New York, starting a new job, a MLK weekend trip to SC to spend times with friends on the coast, and a terrible snowstorm and visit from fun SC girls to end the month

February

waking up on my birthday in the Marriott Bethesda because our house was without heat, a surprise 30th birthday fiesta, and our first married Valentine's Day

March

cherry blossoms and Mom and Meghanne to DC

April

Molly and Josh's wedding in SC, Easter and birthday and baby celebrations there too, Kelly and Lauren's wedding in Philly, and a quick end of the month trip to the Jersey Shore

May

a great visit from Kim, Brian and Jackson, Richard's 30th birthday and party at our house, Matt and Gus's wedding in Baltimore- and a few frustrations too- no AC, carbon monoxide leaks and a bit of food poisoning

June

a mini-retreat to Asheville, Richard's family reunion, Wicked at the Kennedy Center and a quick trip to North Beach, MD before the end of Richard's research year

July

first anniversary celebration in St. Michael's, Maryland and adjustment to Richard being a true general surgery resident again and a low-key Fourth of July

August

Suzanne visits DC, a full, two week tour of SC, and a glorious month long Congressional recess

September

a great Clemson win over Auburn in Death Valley, and the Tigers go 4-0 to start the season, the arrival of sweet baby Anderson Pusz

October

a trip to Blacksburg to watch Clemson beat the Hokies the first time around, a trip to Charleston for Ken and Heather's wedding, pumpkin carving party at our house

November

a great party with friends for Jess and Robert, seeing another Clemson win over Wake Forest and a fun reunion tailgate, Thanksgiving in SC with family and friends

December

a lovely Christmas cruise with family, the beautiful wedding of Jess and Robert, a quick trip to NYC, a visit from Richard's parents and our first real Christmas tree

Christmas at sea

2011-12-31T09:52:00.016-05:00

This Christmas was a different kind of Christmas for our family. My grandfather, my mom's dad, who will be 92 in just a few days, told us the past spring that he wanted to take our whole family- my immediate family and my Aunt Debourah and cousin Alyx, who live in Columbus, Ohio- on a cruise. Since we couldn't all get time off this past summer, we decided to go over Christmas. We had done this once before with my mom's side of the family, when we went on a Disney cruise in 1998. I don't really love spending Christmas anywhere but South Carolina, but having all of my family together still makes the holiday special, no matter where we are.

We set sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Mexico on Christmas Eve out of Tampa. We spent Christmas Day at sea, then arrived in Costa Maya, Mexico the day after Christmas. We went from Costa Maya to Cozumel, then spent one more day at sea before returning to Tampa. It was SO nice to be in warm weather and not have to worry about layers and coats! We all liked Cozumel better than Costa Maya, and I think we were all ready to be off the boat once we left Cozumel. But there was plenty to keep us entertained during the at sea days, and I already miss my family! As it always does, Christmas seemed to come and go entirely too quickly.

Richard was thrilled to have a few days away from the hospital

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve caroling

nothing says Merry Christmas like a little family Blackjack

Christmas morning visit with Santa

two of the best parents a girl could ask for

opening presents in my aunt's stateroom- definitely not designed for 9 people!

Christmas evening, which was formal night on the ship- Richard and I took advantage of this opportunity to wear some of our more festive attire- his white dinner jacket and my Lilly ball skirt that I bought several years ago

with four of my absolute favorites

Richard and the boys went on a bio-canopy zipline tour in Costa Maya- they are all much braver than I!

Richard in action

one of Will's souvenirs- a Carolina Panthers poncho

the beach and sea kayak was much more my speed

enjoying some beach relaxation with my cousin Alyx and my mom

I think we posed with the big Christmas tree every night- this was the day after Christmas

a rare shot with my grandfather, who doesn't love to smile for pictures- just thankful that he's in good health and still wanting to travel!

How cute are Morris and Pearl? This was during a "Love and Marriage" gameshow, and he was 96 years old. They'd been married for 66 years and were adorable. We have no relation to them, but I'd get excited every time I saw Morris on the ship after the show.

pool party

In Cozumel, Richard and I went over to the near city of Tulum with my mom, Aunt Debourah and Alyx to explore the Mayan ruins. It was hot and crowded but very interesting. Especially timely with the Mayan calendar set to end on December 21, 2012. Our guide, who claimed to have Mayan blood, said that all the hype over the world ending on that day was unfounded. He said that while there would be a significant solar event on that night, it would likely only last for a few minutes and not cause any harm. Apparently this also happened in 1982...who knew?

Mayan ruins at Tulum

sisters and cousins- our Ohio family didn't love the heat

Richard bought a fresh chilled coconut in Tulum- he drank the milk, then the man who sold it to him hacked it open and put chili powder and lime on the inside flesh. Delicious!

the beach in Playa del Carmen was almost as pretty as Anguilla

returning to the boat at sunset from a fun day at Cozumel

love this picture of my family, Richard and me

a round of (windy) putt-putt on our last day at sea

what better way to end a family vacay than a trip to the Club Vortex? all in all, it was a great trip!

white house holiday

2011-12-30T14:37:00.010-05:00

Richard and I just returned yesterday from a cruise with my extended family (and 24 hours later, I still feel like my balance is a bit off kilter!). We had a wonderful time, but it kind of felt like we skipped Christmas since we were on the boat. So I still have a few Christmas posts left to squeeze the most out of the holiday season as possible!

On Christmas Eve Eve, the day before we left for the cruise, Richard and I went to the White House for a holiday open house tour. I was hesitant to go since we had to get ready for our trip, but I'm so glad we did. It was a special DC afternoon.

pictures are usually not permitted, so being able to have my camera was a rare treat

Gold Star Family Tree- visitors could write letters to the troops next to the tree

East Landing Hallway

East Garden Room- Bo was in almost every room in some form or fashion, and we loved trying to find him

the Library- Bo is sitting in front of a fireplace, but it was hard to get the whole shot- this scene was depicted on the official White House Christmas card

quite a view

Green Room tree made out of aluminum

big Green Room tree

the East Room (the largest in the White House)- there was a beautiful nativity behind Richard and me

the official White House tree in the Blue Room, decorated with cards drawn by military children on bases around the country and abroad

Red Room tree

the State Dining Room

the White House constructed out of 300lbs of chocolate

the Entrance Hall

carolers singing everyone out the door- if you look closely, you can see another Bo

outside tree

outside the Willard

Willard tree

Richard and the Old Ebbitt Grill nutcrackers

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-23T15:26:00.002-05:00

I love, love coming home this time of the year and seeing what Christmas cards have arrived! It is so much fun to see pictures of friends and their families, especially those with children who I don't see very often. This year, I even found out several friends were pregnant via Christmas cards. Richard and I both were drawn to the design we picked out for our card, and we easily agreed on a picture from this year's Cherry Blossom festival, probably my favorite time of the year in DC! So if you haven't seen it yet, here's our card from this year.

After receiving all kinds of beautiful cards, our refrigerator was beginning to look a little cluttered (or a lot cluttered). After some quick internet research, I found a way to display some of those overcrowded cards. We have a decent-sized mirror in our dining room, so I just cut a few strips of wide ribbon and taped them to the back of the mirror, then taped some of our cards to the ribbon. It wasn't nearly enough room to fit all of our cards, but the fridge is a bit less overwhelmed now. I used scotch tape, but I'd recommend something a bit stronger, as the cards keep falling off the ribbon. Will have to be more creative next year!

nyc and a visit from the in-laws

2011-12-22T22:26:00.009-05:00

It is has become a tradition for Richard and me to visit New York at Christmastime every year (either before or right after), and when we found out two of our best couple friends would be there last weekend, we jumped at the chance to join them. It was a really quick trip- up Saturday and back Sunday- in the midst of a crazy month, but we had a great time.

Richard and John in front of Macy's in festive Christmas attire- it's hard to see, but Richard's t-shirt says "don't stop believing" and has a picture of Santa

dinner at Sarabeth's- we met Will's friend, Caitlin, and loved our delicious lobster and corn hush puppies.

We saw the Rockettes with Meghanne and Caleb at Radio City...

and posed in front of the Rockefeller Center tree.

We window-shopped at Tiffany's...

and down Fifth Avenue

and enjoyed trying macarons straight from Paris (after standing in a long line to get them).

We finished up with dinner at John's Pizza with Jon and Amy and hopped on the bus back to DC.

We had only been back for a day when Richard's mom and dad came to visit us in Kensington. Since we are going on a cruise with my family for Christmas, they wanted to come before so that we could celebrate early with them. It was a lot of fun having them in town and showing them around, and I hated to see them leave this morning.

lights at Brookside Gardens

train display at the Brookside Conservatory

Richard and his mom with a gorgeous Birds of Paradise plant

Richard's parents had met several of our Walter Reed friends when they've visited in the past and at our wedding, so we hosted a few of them last night for coffee and dessert so that Mr. and Mrs. Webb could meet the new little ones.

Anderson in an adorable Santa outfit we got for him

Ashley, me, Min and sweet Gia

some of our best friends- we are lucky to have each of them close by!

thankful for Richard's mom and dad (and the new grill they brought us for Christmas- time to retire the George Foreman!)

Christmas lungs

2011-12-15T07:52:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: Jayson received his new set of lungs yesterday, Dec. 16th! The surgery went well, and the new lungs seem to be working. Please continue to pray for healing and for positive progression.

The Webbs have been quite busy over the past few weeks, with a trip this past weekend back to South Carolina for me to take part in the wedding of my sweet Jess and her new husband Robert. Will post about that soon, but for now, I hope that you will take a minute to pray for a young man that desperately needs a new set of lungs.

Jayson and my brother Jeff grew up together, and his mom Melissa and my mom are close friends. He has cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. Despite the fact he has had to receive breathing treatments multiple times a day for as long as I've known him, he has led a relatively normal life and is a true joy to be around.

He has been at Duke preparing for a lung transplant, and I just heard from my mom last night that he has been "officially listed," which means the transplant could come at any time now. If you have a minute, please lift up Jayson and his family in prayer as they wait. Pray for a sense of peace and calm. Pray for a smooth surgery and that his body accepts the new lungs. And pray for the donor's family- it's a strange thing to pray for new lungs, given that the end of one life means the extending of another. But I know that Jayson and his family trust God, the Author and Giver of life, and I hope that you will join me in praying for them in this important time.

dreaming of oranges...and a truce

2011-12-04T22:30:00.009-05:00

Despite a terrible game against South Carolina, I found renewed hope in my Clemson Tigers in watching them win the ACC Championship against the Hokies! Richard and I missed the game, but Jeff was there to represent our family well. We are hoping to make the trip to Miami to cheer on Clemson in the Orange Bowl!

Brady, Jeff, Brent and Pete- Go Tigers!

After a week that was soured by a new level of vitriol surrounding the Palmetto state rivalry, it was welcome redemption. I have always loved Clemson-Carolina rivalry week and distinctly remember realizing, even in elementary school, what a big game it was. And I've been in the stands for many of those rivalry games over the years- from the 63-17 route in Williams-Brice to last year's frustrating Clemson loss in Death Valley. But I'm not sure I've ever seen the level of ugliness displayed (on both sides) after the Gamecocks won their 3rd game in a row against the Tigers. I realize I am in a small minority, but having received a degree from both institutions, I find it hard to pull against USC when they are not playing Clemson- or at least to be terribly vocal about it. I felt truly sorry for Marcus Lattimore when he got hurt earlier in the season. The best thing for our state would be if both teams came to the post-Thanksgiving day game 11-0. Of course I want Clemson to win, but I realize that sometimes it won't go my way.

Carolina was the team featured this year on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Carolina has had incredible recruiting classes for the past three years. Carolina has a coach that's won multiple national championships. Clemson was supposed to go 7-5 or 8-4 this year, at best. So it's no surprise that Carolina dominated every aspect of last week's game in Columbia. And won with enough conviction to land a great bowl game. So why all the hate for a Clemson team that played incredibly well against Virginia Tech and won the ACC for the first time in 20 years?

Dabo's rant, despite receiving ardent criticism from USC's fans, was true, for the most part. And it did exactly what I think Dabo intended it to do- took some of the burden and attention off of a down Tiger team. No one in DC thinks "Carolina" is the University of South Carolina- they all attribute that nickname to the Tarheels. When I tell people I went to USC for law school, they ask how I ended up on the west coast. However I have had the privilege of meeting Dr. Pastides, South Carolina's President, and I know he is just as passionate about making Carolina great as President Barker is about continuously making Clemson better. Thank goodness USC is not Clemson- they serve two entirely different purposes, and having them function similarly would be wasteful in a state with limited resources. And thank goodness for Dabo Swinney, who speaks openly about his Christian faith, cares about his players on and off the field, and is fully engaged in campus activity and even showed up on Bowman Field during Homecoming week to help pomp floats.

One of my absolute favorite people at USC Law is Sonya Paulk, in the Dean's office, whose son Rodney plays for the stellar USC defense. The Charleston Post and Courier did a great article recently on Rodney, and it was knowing Rodney's mama, along with all of my other dear friends who love cheering for the Gamecocks, that changed my opinion about the rivalry. When I think about them, I find it hard to muster any hatred for a group of 18-22 year olds who are just doing what they love on the football field. While the rivalry is good fun, I wish that this Christmas season especially, we could put aside our differences and show each other some respect and good will. There is so much more to life than football.

new life for an old chair

2011-11-29T21:24:00.002-05:00

After my grandmother in Clemson passed away, I inherited a pink chair from her that had been in her living room for as long as I can remember. I am not sure where she got it or who it came from, but I have liked having it in the different places I've lived over the years. While I lived in Columbia, it was housed in my bedroom and was a great receptacle for clothes that I could never seem to find time to hang up.

chair without the seat cushion- you can see how much the fabric color faded

Richard and I needed extra seating in our Maryland living room, so we've kept it downstairs next to our fireplace. For almost a year I often thought that it needed to be recovered, and we finally got it done in South Carolina! The fabric came off the sale table from a little fabric store in Spartanburg, and a friend of my mother-in-law's did the upholstery (which was $400 cheaper than it would have been in DC!).

What do you think? Does it need a solid color pillow? Throw?

blue birds, flowers and vines, oh my!

At first I was afraid the fabric was a little too busy, but the room has a lot of neutrals that benefit from the additional pop of color. Now if we could only find a fun, reasonably-priced coffee table!

thankful...

2011-11-25T22:31:00.005-05:00

for a wonderfully sweet husband who is committed to working on our marriage on a daily basis. Love him and growing with him.

for time at home with family and real, rich conversation over delicious Thanksgiving dinner
for forgetting about calorie counting for just a couple of days.

for gracious, talented hosts and hostesses and beautiful things

for extended family who are more like friends

with Richard's cousin Molly- we missed Suzanne!

Clark/McAbee/Noe/Webb cousins

Richard, Aunt Debbie and me

for being able to celebrate November birthdays in person

for an immediate family that always makes me laugh

for a special, special mama who has done more for me than I could ever repay

Happy Birthday, Mom!

for a sister-in-law to stroll through Target with, for safe travel, for my job and for a warm home, for my health and that of my family, and for immeasurable blessings from a forgiving God.

And for the more superficial list:

for Diet Mountain Dew, skinny peppermint mochas, a real tree this year (right, Richard?!), a Caribbean Christmas this year, a slightly shorter commute to work thanks to a newly-discovered route, DVR, and for finding both a talented seamstress and an understanding hair stylist in DC.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest- reunion tailgate and happy news

2011-11-19T11:42:00.008-05:00

Today we will be watching the Clemson game against NC State from the comfort of our home, but last week I had the privilege of seeing several sweet girls and their families in Tiger town, thanks to our annual reunion tailgate. I have blogged about these girls before (here and here), and they have been some of the most consistent friends since our time at Clemson. From wedding and baby showers to football tailgating, we seem to manage to get together at least once or twice a year! As always, it was great to see them and their families. I just wish I'd had more time with these precious girls. Didn't get the picture with all the kiddos, but I am hoping a few of the others did.

Lisa, Allison, Dawn, me, Julie, Baylis, Melanie and Meg- we missed Sarah, Stephanie, Erin and Hannah!

delicious low-country boil

Julie, sweet Avery and Lisa- I loved her tiger outfit!

In even bigger news from last weekend...Hannah and Jason got engaged! They have been dating since Hannah and I lived together in Columbia, so I was thrilled to hear her news! It happened last Sunday night, and I got a text with a picture of a most beautiful ring last Monday morning. I cannot wait for all the excitement of another wedding planning season. A big part of Hannah's job is event planning, so I am sure her wedding will be gorgeous. Congrats and best wishes, sweet friend!

little did we know that Jason would propose just 24 hours later!

congrats, Jess and Robert!

2011-11-15T20:49:00.005-05:00

Since Jess and Robert's wedding is less than a month away, we thought it high time to celebrate them in our best Southern style with a couples shower BBQ. Jess and I and the other hostesses went to law school together, and several of us were in the same first year section. Robert is the brother of one of Richard's best friends from Wofford, so everyone is interconnected somehow or another.

Mardi, me, Terra, Jess, Rebecca and Candy

We hosted the party in Candy's neighborhood clubhouse and between the five of us, we put together a menu of BBQ (thanks Robert!), oriental coleslaw, hashbrown casserole, fancy baked beans, and an array of appetizers and Sweet Reba desserts. No one left hungry!

Sweet Reba's desserts (photos courtesy of Terra)

We used burlap table covers and pretty white lanterns to create a festive atmosphere.

The best part for me was seeing so many old friends, and I can't wait to see everyone again at the wedding!

some of my favorite Columbia girls- Rebecca, Bec and Ashley- miss them!

Candy and Hannah in their pretty white

bride and groom ready to open gifts

USC Law Class of '06

new york, new york

2011-11-14T21:51:00.005-05:00

I realize I've neglected the blog the past couple of weeks, but that is due in large part to spending 9 out the last 11 days away from home. I just returned from a wonderful several days in South Carolina, but the weekend before last, I met my dear friends Kim and Jeanine in New York City. Kim tries to come to at least one Clemson home game a year, but it was just not working out this fall. So we decided to meet in NYC instead to see Jeanine and meet her (not-so) new baby boy! Kim lives in Minnesota, so I love getting any time with her that I can. And she had been to New York only one other time, when she and Jeanine and I went in the summer of 2000.

Kim and I met up at our hotel, the Roosevelt Hotel, on 45th and Madison, lamented the fact we were on the smoking floor- you don't get much love when you go through Priceline, and headed over to the Met for happy hour on the roof. Sadly the roof happy hours had ended a few weeks before, which just means we'll have to return to NYC in the summer.

We quickly consoled ourselves with cupcakes...

And met up with Jeanine at a great upper east side wine bar, Felice.

loved being reunited!

Kim was my freshman year roommate in Holmes Hall at Clemson, and Jeanine lived just a few doors down. Hard to believe we've been friends for over 12 years now! Have loved sharing moves, new jobs (both Jeanine and Kim are incredibly smart physicians, Jeanine a pediatrician and Kim a urologist), weddings and first babies and many deep conversations with these girls.

We had a tasty Mexican dinner at Maya, and Will and Lizzi came to see eat with us! My brother Will lives in Hoboken, NJ, and it was truly a treat to see him and catch up. I miss my brothers.

And of course a trip to New York isn't complete without a trip to Serendipity for frozen hot chocolate. Sure it was dessert #2 (3?) of the evening, but calories don't count on vacation!

Kim and the delicious peanut butter frozen hot chocolate, amidst the Christmas decorations already hung

Jeanine hosted us at her apartment for a lovely brunch Saturday morning, and we got to meet baby Alex! He is five months old and absolutely adorable and very sweet. He looks just like his dad did as a baby.

sweet baby- you can't tell that his little polo is monogrammed

J, Alex and his bright, happy nursery

how cute are those little socks?!

After brunch, Kim and I went over to Times Square to the TKTS booth to get broadway tickets for that evening. We all really wanted to see the Book of Mormon, but tickets are sold out months in advance. We had decided on Rock of Ages, a fun take on 80's hair bands, but found out that the only tickets available were partial view. That's the gamble you take with TKTS! We decided instead on Anything Goes, which is classic Broadway with big dance numbers and Cole Porter music and got Orchestra tickets for half-price. I'd recommend Anything Goes, especially when its star Sutton Foster returns in a few weeks.

Times Square

We spent Sunday exploring the City and inadvertently stumbled upon the New York City marathon. What an impressive event! We saw both the female and male winner at the 25th mile mark, and their speed was something to behold. The male winner, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, set a course record and finished in 2:05:05- that's well under a 5 minute mile. Unreal.

Bryant Park

2011 ING NYC Marathon winner

Roosevelt Hotel lobby

I sadly told Kim good-bye on Sunday afternoon and took the train over to Hoboken to see Will. He gave me a quick tour of the city and his apartment but wouldn't let me stand in line at Carlo's Bakery to meet the Cake Boss himself. Maybe next time.

I rode the Vamoose bus back to Bethesda, excited to see my husband, but so thankful for friends that last through the years.

pumpkin carving party

2011-10-30T21:23:00.008-04:00

We hosted several of our Walter Reed friends for a pumpkin carving party last night after a day full of pre-Halloween snow. To prepare for the party Friday night, we made the Pioneer Woman's caramel apples. She sure does make recipes look a whole lot easier than they are! But we had fun trying our hand at them.

caramel apple prep

the expert apple dipper

In addition to the caramel apples, we made Halloween Bark featured on a friend's blog (delicious and super easy, thanks Mollie!), a blue cheese and bacon dip, and a turkey chili and beef chili. Hearty food for a cold evening!

the spread

For some reason, our no-costume required, pumpkin carving party that started at 5:30 drew many more of our friends with children than our single or just married friends. Go figure. :)

cute babies, ranging from 5 weeks to 2 and a half years old

Jason and Richard

the Pusz's and their tiny cowboy

carving in our basement

examining the jack o'lantern's face

hard at work

the finished product

so happy to see all the pumpkins together!

how cute is little Julia? Love her and her mama Mary

We had a great time and hope to make this a yearly tradition, hopefully without the snow in the future! And with a Clemson win- it was a tough loss to GA Tech. Thought this piece by Greg Wallace, who writes for the Anderson Independent Mail, was a good read. Still proud to be a Tiger and really looking forward to being back in Clemson in just two short weeks.

heading out to san francisco...

2011-10-25T17:44:00.011-04:00

Richard has been in San Francisco this week for the American College of Surgeons annual conference. Thanks to the research he did at NIH last year (and the incredibly talented team he had the privilege of working with), he was selected to do a podium presentation at the conference regarding his findings. But he's apparently been able to work in some play time too...

looks like he's really missing me, right?!

Apparently he's in pretty good company there- a (politically inclined) friend that's Facebook friends with both Richard and former Sen. Bill Frist from Tennessee captured this fun screen shot.

While I'm sure Richard is enjoying hanging out with Dr. Frist and the large Walter Reed contingent at the Hotel Serrano (y'all, they have leopard-print bathrobes AND were kind to work with Richard and his colleagues on accommodating their modest military hotel allowance- definitely consider them for your next trip to San Fran!), I am more than ready to have my sweet husband back on the east coast. As much as I thought I might enjoy a week of Bravo TV and leaving my curling iron and make-up on our tiny bathroom counter, it's just not the same without him!

MeDad

2011-10-22T13:34:00.003-04:00

My dad grew up in Clemson, and my MeMa and MeDad stayed in their house on Pendleton Road in town until MeDad passed away at the beginning of my junior year at Clemson. He was a self-described "old codger," a former military officer who came to Clemson in that capacity in the early 1950's. The seats my parents use today at Clemson games were once his, and MeMa, my grandmother, used to sit on their front porch and watch the football team buses team drive by their house, cheering them on with signs and orange pom poms. I grew up going to their house before and after the games and still drive by that house whenever I'm in town, even though my family sold it several years ago.

Once my grandfather stopped going to games, he'd watch the game on TV, if it was on, but turn down the volume and listen to the local radio broadcast. The TV announcers just couldn't match Jim Phillips, the voice of the Tigers for 36 years (who I still miss hearing!). This was before the days of screen-in-screen broadcasts, and he had one tv stacked on top of the other so he could also keep on eye on the Braves or golf or whatever other sporting event happened to be on in addition to Clemson football.

So as I watch the Clemson-UNC game on TV, with the volume turned down, and listen to Pete Yanity, Will Merritt and Patrick Sapp on the Clemson Sports Network, I can't help but think about MeDad and the Clemson legacy he left for our family. I so wish that he was still here to see this team and to celebrate his third grandchild's graduation from Clemson this summer. I think he'd be quite proud.

fun-filled four days

2011-10-17T21:18:00.007-04:00

Ever have those weekends where you wish you could be in multiple places at once? This past weekend was one of those for us. Richard was a groomsman in the wedding of a good friend from medical school in Charleston, but his college roommate also got married in Spartanburg on Saturday. And not only were the now 7-0 Clemson Tigers were taking on the Maryland Terps just a few short miles from our house, but our dear friends Rebecca and Robert were in DC for yet another wedding all weekend. We ended up getting to spend Thursday night with them and loved having them as house guests, then headed out to Charleston Friday morning for a fabulous weekend in Charleston (and a couple hours in Columbia!).

Thursday night at Black's with Rebecca and Meghan

handsome gentlemen- Robert, Wes and Richard

love this sweet girl!

Rehearsal Dinner at Rue de Jean

With Heather the Bride and Ken the Groom- she looked beautiful and had gorgeous blue shoes!

Heather and Ken had a great Rehearsal Dinner with sweet toasts that made us laugh and cry, and Saturday turned out to be a perfect, sunny day. We did some shopping on King St and headed over to the beach at Sullivans Island before the wedding.

King St shopping

lunch at Poe's Tavern

The wedding was at a pretty old church downtown, and the reception was at the old Rice Mill. The trees outside were decorated with ribbons and chandeliers, and there were birds throughout the inside rooms- the happy couple are now the Doctors Byrd, so that was quite fitting.

On Sunday morning, we tried Husk for brunch, which was just named America's best new restaurant by Bon Appetite. It has amazing decor and was a wonderful experience, but the food didn't quite live up to the hype. Maybe dinner would be better?

fresh local foods

loved catching up with Molly!

After brunch, we headed up I-26 to Columbia for a ladies' lunch to celebrate bride-to-be Jess, whose wedding is in just a few short weeks! Hannah, Bec and Jen did a fabulous job hostessing, and it was a treat to see some of my closest SC friends.

USC Law Section 1 ladies- and Mardi's sweet baby girl

Hannah, Jen, Jess, me, Bec and Terra (almost 30 weeks pregnant with baby boy Futch!)

After the lunch, we visited with Richard's family for a bit and hit the road back to Charleston to spend the night with Jess and Paul and Ella before our early Monday morning flight. It was a packed weekend, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

tigers beat the hokies!

2011-10-06T20:31:00.010-04:00

Football road trips are one of my favorite things to do in the fall, and I have traveled all over the east coast with various friends and family to watch Clemson play on the road. I remember all-to-well the feeling of hopelessness in Doak Campbell stadium in Tallahassee watching the Tigers getting killed by the Seminoles and at the Georgia Dome, when C.J. Spiller's kick-off return was the only score Clemson had in a 30-7 loss to Alabama. The excitement of that trip was hearing that my friend Kim experienced Braxton-Hicks contractions as she cheered C.J. on and seeing the bar where parts of Sweet Home Alabama was filmed on the way home.

I've sat through the rain at Wake Forest and witnessed a mediocre Clemson performance turned around by a Gaines Adams' blocked field goal. Clemson went on to win that day, and we loved seeing them come back! I thought about that game when I heard of Adams' untimely death. I've been to Duke, where students studied during the game; NC State, which became electric on a Thursday night when then freshman James Davis just showed out and rushed for 143 yards; and Boston College, where the city of Boston was overtaken by fans in orange on Clemson's first trip there, and our nerves were shot after the Tigers lost a heartbreaker in triple overtime.

The only ACC stadiums I had not been to until last Saturday were UVA, Miami and Virginia Tech, so I was excited when Richard agreed to make the trip to Blacksburg to cheer on our Tigers in a huge, both teams ranked in the top-15, match up. Richard was post-call, so he was definitely a trooper to make the 4+ hour drive with me. The gray and rainy day turned out to be one of the coolest in several months. We got the Blacksburg and in the stadium just in time for kick-off and honestly were pretty miserable throughout the first half.

cloudy skies and a full Lane Stadium

don't let those smiles fool you- we were cold and really wet!

Things started to turn around for us when it was clear that the Tiger team had shown up not only to compete but to dominate. Andre Branch kept VA Tech's offense from threatening all night, and Tajh Boyd and our receivers were right on, despite the unfavorable conditions. It was so exciting to be amongst a group of incredibly hyped fans! That's another one of my favorite things about away games- you know the fans there are some of the most dedicated.

delicious turkey leg- the Clemson hat was in the other car, but he really did have on orange underneath

The rain lessened, I bought a thick pair of VA Tech socks, and we made it through to the end of an amazing game. Clemson came away with a 23-3 victory and a new #8 ranking. GO TIGERS!

How bout them Tigers?!

warmer and happier after the game

singing the alma mater with the Tiger faithful

Richard and I ended up spending Saturday night in Staunton, Virginia, since all the hotels in Blacksburg and Roanoke were full. Staunton is on the way back to DC right off Highway 81 and is a charming little town. We've stopped there a couple of times on the way home from Spartanburg and really love it. We stayed in the middle of town at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, which I'd highly recommend for anyone journeying to the Shenandoah Valley.

love the retro sign

We had a tasty Sunday lunch at Mrs. Rowe's. How we miss meat and three restaurants! The desserts at Mrs. Rowe's are fabulous.

still wearing the purple and orange

Woodrow Wilson's birthplace also happens to be in Staunton, and we took a very educational tour of his home and Presidential library. I have a new appreciation for President Wilson. Apparently he was quite the lady's man- he had two wives and a long-time "friend" named Mrs. Peck. He actually spent some of his childhood in Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC, which makes me feel a little closer to him. And he called himself "Tiger" because of his time as President of Princeton University; he was and remains the only President to have obtained his PhD.

back of the Wilson manse- his dad was a Presbyterian minister, so the home was actually owned by the Presbyterian church

President Wilson's limousine- after his stroke he used to watch Washington Senators games from inside the car

happy fall!

I hate the fact we won't make the Homecoming game against Boston College this weekend, but we'll be cheering hard in DC! I've loved Dabo Swinney from the start, and there is truly something special about this young Clemson team. I'm so, so proud of them, and of the 1000+ fans who turned out to welcome them home to Death Valley's West Endzone.

Happy Birthday, Anderson!

2011-09-27T22:05:00.006-04:00

We have been blessed with many new friends since Richard moved to DC four years ago, and Max and Ashley have become two of our closest friends here. I remember very clearly our first dinner with Max and Ashley at Pizza Paradiso in Dupont Circle on one of my early DC visits, when they showed up almost an hour late. We had a wonderful time regardless and laughed most of the night, and I don't think we've both been on time to a dinner ever since.

They shared the exciting news that they were expecting late last winter, and we have watched Ashley's belly grow over the past several months. Sweet Anderson Joseph Pusz was born last Thursday morning, on September 22nd, and we got to meet him last Thursday evening. He is adorable and looks just like his daddy. Welcome to the world, Anderson!

Max and Richard with Anderson

the five of us- doesn't Ashley look great?

We threw Max and Ashley a baby shower back in August, and I realized I never shared those pictures on the blog. Alana and Bryan also helped host, and we had fun putting everything together.

it's hard to see, but the ribbon had colorful animals on it to coordinate with Ashley's nursery theme

monkeys and zebras

playing the "what candy bar is in the diaper?" game

Walter Reed friends

loved these lanterns and poms we found at Party City

hosts and hostesses

And in other news, since this seems to be the year of the baby (and 2nd baby!), how absolutely precious is this video? Jess was my roommate at Clemson, and her daughter, Ella, is one of my most favorite redheads. I love her, her mom Jess and dad Paul and am so excited for this awesome family. Their love of Christ emanates in everything they do!

where the blue ridge yawns its greatness

2011-09-22T23:04:00.008-04:00

Richard and I had the distinct privilege of being in my favorite place on earth last weekend. And it was glorious- a Clemson win over a ranked Auburn team that had a 17 game winning streak, including last year's National Championship game. Death Valley absolutely rocking with cheering fans who stayed the whole game through and a team that didn't get discouraged, even down 14. Seeing family and friends who we love being around. Sitting next to the same people my parents have sat next to at games for 30+ years and hearing how my dad used to bring my mom to games while they were dating. Having fan after fan in Section UE ask how my dad was doing post hip-replacement and assuring them he'd be back this season. Feeling like I'd come home and not wanting to the day to end. Going to bed with an exhausted smile on my face and praying for the day to come soon when we can spend all of our Saturdays in God's Country. And for a win on Saturday over Florida State!

Hard to believe that my brother who was NINE when I started Clemson is now a senior!

most exciting 25 seconds of college football

stadium full- Auburn fans came out in full force

Can barely see the score, but that's Clemson 38- Auburn 24

students rushing the field

happy, happy fans

loved seeing Hannah, who filled me on the Racquettes journey to the tennis combos state championship- wish I could cheer them on in Charleston in a few weeks!

how precious was Miss Darcy's debut of the Clemson cheerleading uniform?! Thanks for having us, Amanda!

Darcy's photography skills- I see a bright future in photography!

i'm only a bill

2011-09-16T17:52:00.008-04:00

Do you remember this video? From School House Rock? My sweet husband, whose knowledge of the legislative process is somewhat limited, likes to sing this song to me whenever I talk about bills we're working on in the office. In the current political world we live in, where few things these days are bi-partisan, it excited me to see a piece of legislation that I spent a great deal of time considering and talking about in meeting after meeting with lobbyist actually become law. President Obama signed the "America Invents Act" into law today, a patent reform bill that has been ten years in the making.

The bill came through the Judiciary Committee, a committee that my boss is on, so we were there for the debate and mark-up. The House version was slightly different than the one the Senate initially passed, so after it passed in the House, it had to go through conference committee and then back over to the Senate. It passed there (for a second time), and President Obama signed it today at Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Schoolhouse Rock version is remarkably accurate and incredibly catchy. Enjoy a few minutes back in the 1980's!

never forget

2011-09-09T23:03:00.006-04:00

These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation.

Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

George Bush, September 11, 2001

As I have watched the 9/11 footage over the past few days, I remembered just how devastating those images were. Remembered the staggering number of people killed or hurt in the attacks. And remembered the feeling of solidarity that the nation had in the days following 9/11.

I was a junior at Clemson ten years ago today. I watched the footage of the first tower being hit in my Lightsey Bridge apartment with my roommate Susan and couldn't understand how a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I had been to the WTC just a few months earlier during my first trip to New York City and knew how densely populated the financial district was. But I thought it was a terrible accident and didn't realize that we were under attack until the second plane hit.

I went to my 9:10 class in Sikes Hall, where footage played on all the mounted TVs in the building. My professor spoke for a few minutes then dismissed class, and classes were canceled for the rest of the day. I remember walking across the library bridge with my dear friend Hannah and finally getting ahold of mom. We both cried as I assured her I was fine. Hannah and I went up to our sorority hall and continued to watch the sad, sad images from New York and later DC and Pennsylvania.

I was fairly involved in campus life at that point and had several extracurricular meetings scheduled for that Tuesday evening, and every one of them was canceled, except for a Rho Lambda meeting. We ate Zaxby's, put together new members ribbons and tried to figure out just what we could do to help from Clemson, SC.

I vaguely remember campus blood drives and a prayer vigil at my church then, DCF, but I remember more clearly the candlelight vigil we held on Bowman Field one year after the attack, in the shadow of Military Plaza. By that point, we were deeply entrenched in war, and it was especially poignant with the statues of cadets close-by.

It's odd to be in DC ten years later, with the threat of more attacks. I have never seen security tighter around the Capitol and in transit stations, and Richard and I are staying away from downtown today.

The only thing that gave me comfort that day and still gives me comfort today is knowing that God is in control. In the midst of the world's worst trouble, He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Today I praying for comfort in that promise, for the victims and their families, for men and women in the armed services today who are away from their homes fighting the war on terror and serving domestically, and praying that we never again face an attack like that again.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T20:24:00.006-04:00

Since yesterday's post was slightly depressing, I wanted to post pictures of our happy morning. We had heard of the elaborate Labor Day celebration in our Kensington neighborhood, but we were out of town last year and missed it. I heard the drums this morning at about 10 am and rushed outside to see a very impressive parade winding right down the street behind ours! I wasn't expecting much- there are only about 2000 people inside the town limits- but it was quite a patriotic show, full of music, fire trucks, cheerleaders and politicians. The parade lasted almost an hour, then the street festival began. Richard and I wandered downtown and took in all the vendor booths and a wonderful art show in our town hall. So fun!

Gaithersburg High School Marching Band

US Rep Chris Van Hollen, our neighbor and the Ranking Member on the Budget Committee- it's been entertaining to watch he and Paul Ryan go back and forth this Congress

local community band

I wish I'd gotten a better picture of this lady- she had her bare feet propped up and was smoking a cigarette

fire trucks

Montgomery County Republicans- so they DO exist!

Montgomery Blair cheerleaders

horses!

It was a day filled with community celebration, a little work around the house, a lunch of maple bbq chicken and tortellini and tomato pasta and some shopping too (I got Marc Jacobs sunglasses, some Spanx tights, a Juicy Couture top for my cousin, and a pair of Hanky Panky's to use a lingerie shower gift for less than $90!), capped off with pizza and movie with Richard. If only we could extend the weekend one day longer!

sunday night thoughts

2011-09-04T22:40:00.003-04:00

It's a strange thing to wash another woman's blood out of your husband's tennis shoes. To take him dinner at the hospital because he's on trauma call and hear about a sweet elderly couple who made a Sunday afternoon trip to Target and wound up in the Emergency Department after an ill-fated left turn. To know the blood came as he and the trauma team worked frantically, unsuccessfully, to save the wife's life after realizing the husband had lost his. And then to see him clearly emotionally affected as he described her last minutes while he ate his turkey sandwich and pasta salad.

It's what makes living with a doctor in training a little different than living with a lawyer or a banker. It's why our marriage often has an extra element of stress that's hard to describe to friends outside of this residency world- a world full of nights alone, little vacation, long work hours, including weekends, and extra laundry. But it also makes us value the time we DO have together and the success stories of patients who are saved. And it frequently reminds us that life on this earth is fleeting.

I have loved listening to Laura Story's song "Blessings" as of late, and I couldn't help but think of these lines from the song as I drove home tonight.

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst

This world can't satisfy?

And so I washed the tennis shoes, prayed for the couple's family and my husband, and thanked God for my safety and that of my family, grateful for another day here.

fun in the palmetto state

2011-08-31T21:08:00.004-04:00

I just recently returned from two great weeks in South Carolina. Most of my trip was work-related, but I found the time to squeeze in some great time with friends too! If only I could just bring all of these fine folks to DC.

Below are some of the highlights from my time at home.

dinner at Za's with Rebecca and Terra- these sweet girls and I went through law school together from our very first Section 1 class, and I miss them dearly! Can't wait to meet Terra's new baby, due right around Christmas.

Part of my second week in South Carolina was spent touring the state's three research universities. I work on higher education issues as part of my portfolio, so it was great to see all that's happening at Clemson, USC and MUSC. We are very lucky to have each of these institutions in my home state!

Katy, Courtney, Laura and me with President Barker- a man who I have had tremendous respect for since I started Clemson in 1999

enjoying a gorgeous purple and orange sunset on Lake Hartwell

we had the privilege of meeting Coach Ray Tanner at USC (and seeing the two baseball national championship trophies- despite my loyalty to Clemson athletics, I can't help but cheer for Coach Tanner!

Ashley, Rebecca and I met at Yummilicious for yogurt- conversation with these girls is good for my soul. And I am so excited to celebrate the arrival of baby #2 for Ashley and Nathan! Ashley's pregnancy is truly proof that God is faithful to answer our prayers.

out and about with Hill friends in Charleston

precious Ella Grace, one of my adorable flower girls, in Charleston- hard to believe she's already 3

Hannah and Bec put together an AMAZING southern dinner- bbq ribs, collards, mac and cheese, homemade cornbread, sour cream pound cake...and margaritas from a little further south

Hurricane Irene unfortunately kept me from going down to the beach to celebrate the engagement of a dear friend, Miss Jessica Stokes, but it worked out ok because it meant more time with my mom and dad in Spartanburg. Dad is recovering well from his hip replacement and has really been the model patient! We loved having dinner at Cribb's Kitchen in Spartanburg with Mr. and Mrs. Webb.

mom and dad at Cribb's- the food was incredible

Going back to Spartanburg also meant I got to have breakfast with April! We have been friends since pre-school and went all through grade school and then to Clemson together, but I didn't see too much of her while we were students at Clemson. At least once every two weeks or so though, we'd go to the Anderson Cracker Barrel to catch up on each other's lives. So it was only fitting we did brunch at Cracker Barrel before I had to go back to DC.

pretty friend with her peach pancakes

I had a great time seeing all these familiar faces, but I sure did miss my husband! As much as I adore being in South Carolina, I was happy to get home to him and to sleep in my own bed. Thankfully football season is right around the corner, and we'll be back in the Upstate soon to cheer on the Tigers.

the end of an era

2011-08-29T17:23:00.003-04:00

While I was home in South Carolina, most people I talked to knew about the closing of Walter Reed and were afraid Richard might be out of a job! Thankfully he has a spot at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), which is currently known as the National Naval Medical Center, or Bethesda Naval. The decision was made to combine the old Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval as part of the Base Realignment and Closure plan, and the new WRNMMC will become the largest military medical center in the country. It's actually a great move for us, as Bethesda Naval is just a few miles from our house. But while the old Walter Reed had its share of issues, it's kind of sad to see such a historic facility close. President Eisenhower died there, and more than 18,000 troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated there. My husband spent countless hours there over the past three years, and his education in that building has been invaluable in both the professional and personal sense.

Richard is actually rotating through several different civilian hospitals in the DC metro area this year, so he is missing the transition from two hospitals to one. We have several friends there though, and they helped complete the big patient move Friday night into Saturday. The transition was moved up a day due to Hurricane Irene, and rows of ambulances carried the wounded warriors to their new home. It should be interesting to see the merger of Army and Navy personalities and traditions. Richard will return next year for his 6th year of residency, his chief year and FINAL year, which we are both looking forward to!

You can read about the transition here and here in the Washington Post.

the old Walter Reed

historic original hospital

why hello south carolina

2011-08-17T21:58:00.005-04:00

It's been two months so it's good to see you! I love being back in the place where:

I can eat this (a rare meat-and-two treat!):

here:

where I run into Richard's Little League baseball coach and our high school principal in the same day
where people hold doors and are kind and polite
where my social calendar stays full with lunches and dinners and visit with friends who I've known for years. Love getting to see pregnant bellies and new babies.
where I can travel half the state in the same time it takes me to cover 20 miles in DC
where Clemson football is discussed on sports talk radio- thank goodness for a break from the Redskins!
where I can celebrate our next-door neighbors' (who I've know my entire life) 50th wedding anniversary
where it's hundreds of dollars less to recover a chair and repair a timing belt
where I can give my brother a hard time, in person, about the goatee he's sporting
where I can go swimming with this adorable little girl:

where my mama still takes care of me, and where I can help her take car of my dad, who's recovering from a hip replacement
And where I can work out of an office with this gorgeous view of downtown Greenville.

SIL love

2011-08-07T11:11:00.007-04:00

One of the best parts about marrying Richard was gaining a sister in the process. I actually lived with Richard's sister, Suzanne, before he and I got married, and I love her like she's my own. We had the best time when she visited DC last weekend!

Richard was on call Friday night, so our evening consisted of Founding Farmers, Georgetown Cupcakes, and Say Yes to the Dress. What more could a girl ask for?!

the set-up- see that off-pink chair? it's getting recovered in SC in just a few weeks. can't wait to see it new and improved!

sweet Suzie with strawberry and chocolate hazelnut cupcakes- mint julep is not pictured but was just as delicious

We needed a little exercise on Saturday to burn off our indulgence from the night before- and our planned Saturday night indulgence- so we did a bike tour of the monuments. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike but quickly picked it right back up. We had a great time! Would definitely highly recommend Bike the Sites!

WWII Memorial- probably one of my favorites

part of the Vietnam Memorial- I had actually not remembered this part of it, but these soldiers were added after Vietnam Vets complained that the original Memorial was too abstract

we looked hot in our safety vests and helmets!

just hanging with Albert Einstein- I had never seen this memorial, but it's a neat one sort of hidden off the Mall- his nose has been rubbed for luck so many times that it's a different color

back side of the Lincoln Memorial

hot and sweaty at the Jefferson Memorial

Washington Monument

After our bike-riding jaunt around the mall, we went to CoCo Sala, which is one of those places we only really go to when guests are in town because it is so unhealthy. But well-worth it!

Suzanne's beverage had a chocolate-covered banana swizzle stick

For our main course, we had blue cheese sliders, parmesan and rosemary french fries and bacon mac and cheese...with a slice of chocolate-covered bacon on top. I had never tried chocolate-covered bacon, but it was actually really tasty. Thank goodness we only go to CoCo Sala for special occasions!

And then it was time for dessert, which is the main event at CoCo Sala. I had a s'mores themed dessert, Suzanne had CoCo Sala's take on Banana's Foster, and Richard had warm sticky toffee pudding. Pure bliss! Suzanne, please come back to visit soon!

Webb trio and fabulous desserts

just another day in DC

2011-08-03T13:35:00.004-04:00

Our interns' last day on the job is Friday, so the office decided to go out to a farewell lunch today. We never can choose between two Capitol Hill favorites, We the Pizza and Good Stuff Eatery, both owned by Spike Mendelsohn, so we split up to order and decided to eat inside We the Pizza. I thought about a Good Stuff burger and walked in briefly but couldn't ignore the call of We the Pizza's fabulous buffalo chicken pizza.

We all noticed Secret Service members on the sidewalk but figured that it was either Michelle Obama or the kids inside because they hadn't cleared out Good Stuff. But as we sat down at We the Pizza, my co-worker Anna came in with news that she had just shook Obama's hand! Apparently he was bringing in his financial team for a celebratory burger on helping reach a debt deal. Anna snapped the picture below. All the activity certainly made for an exciting lunch!

our 44th President

view of the Presidential motorcade from the 2nd floor of We the Pizza

the street was full of people waiting for a glimpse of Obama coming out

A few weeks ago, on the same day as the Congressional baseball game, Meghanne and Caleb came through town, and we got to visit very briefly at Good Stuff. Meghanne and I both agree that the toasted marshmallow milkshake is one of the best things you'll ever put in your mouth. Hope the President got to enjoy one!

loved seeing Meghanne, if only for a few minutes!

anniversary getaway

2011-07-31T16:05:00.014-04:00

We have loved having Richard's Suzanne in town visiting this weekend, but since they are taking in Harry Potter today (which I had little interest in seeing), I had a few minutes to write about Richard and I's fabulous weekend away last weekend. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary on the Chesapeake Bay, both in Cambridge, MD and St. Michael's, MD. We've both had a stressful month at work, so it was great to get away from it all and spend some quality time with each other.

Our trip started with chocolate crossants- my favorite from breakfast every morning on our honeymoon. Richard picked them up, and we loved indulging on our drive.

We went over the Bay Bridge for the first time, which is HUGE. Much bigger than the Charleston bridge, and a little frightening for this girl who doesn't love heights.

Bay Bridge

As we got closer to the our destination, we saw a sign of manna from Heaven....a Sonic!

We don't have any Sonic's in the DC metro area, so we were thrilled to pick up a diet cherry coke for me and a sundae for Richard. It's the little things. Richard said our excitement over a fast food restaurant surely made us rednecks, but we both thoroughly enjoyed our unexpected treats!

Richard found a B and B for us in Cambridge, MD, and it was lovely. The Innkeeper was a former foreign service member, and he and his wife had interesting stories about their time in Latin America. There were speedboat races going on in Cambridge while we were there, which were interesting to watch.

Cambridge House Bed and Breakfast

The "Garden Room"

boats right down the street from the Cambridge House

On Saturday afternoon, we explored Cambridge and the Hyatt Chesapeake resort a few miles from us. We loved the Cambridge House, but the Hyatt would be another fun destination in the future with friends. It's right on the water and has lots of fun amenities.

one of our many self-portraits

cute fountain at the Hyatt- there are crabs everywhere!

Before dinner, we had fancy appetizers and champagne in our room. The innkeeper couldn't locate champagne flutes, so we improvised with margarita glasses.

We had reservations to for dinner at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, but before dinner, we got to see dear friends from Columbia, Beth and Mary Hall Montgomery! I met Beth through tennis several years ago, as she was an original member of our Racquettes team. She ended up marrying one of Richard's good friends, Michael Montgomery, who she met when I brought him onto our mixed doubles team. We love Beth and Michael, and Beth happened to be visiting her grandmother, who lives just a few miles from St. Michael's. We got to set-up a visit thanks to Beth's sister Kathryn, who realized we were in the are through Facebook. So fun!

Mary Hall, Beth, me and Richard

After visiting with Beth and her sweet family, we headed over to the Inn at Perry Cabin. The wedding reception in the movie Wedding Crashers was filmed there, and it is absolutely gorgeous. We'd love to go back and stay there too!

Inn at Perry Cabin

this one's a little dark, but the setting was incredible

crab cakes, duck fat fries and rockfish for dinner- delicious!

We had breakfast at the Cambridge House the next morning and went back to St. Michael's for some sight-seeing and shopping.

our anniversary day! breakfast reminded me of breakfast with my bridesmaids at the Inn on Main on my wedding day

our new friend Max, a souvenir from Cuba for the Innkeeper and converted Communist dog

our porch at the Cambridge House

you can see the water in the background

Maritime Museum in St. Michael's- it was HOT!

We sadly said goodbye to the Chesapeake Bay after lunch at the Crab Claw and were excited to get home and try our wedding cake. It tasted like one might expect a year-old wedding cake to taste, but it was so much fun to cut it and re-live our wedding day by watching a DVD of the ceremony. It was a perfect weekend, and a perfect way to celebrate an incredible first year of mariage together.

wedding cake, champagne and presents- cake was still beautiful!

love this man- Happy Anniversary!

if i could write a letter to me...

2011-07-22T22:16:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow we will reach the one-year anniversary of our wedding rehearsal evening- the night before our wedding, and the point where I finally felt like everything I'd planned and coordinated over the last 8 months was beginning to come together and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I loved walking into the church that Friday night and seeing all of our friends and family and hearing the musicians practicing their gorgeous arrangements. I loved watching the vision of the placement of our beautiful, expansive wedding party take place. I loved playing with my darling flower girls and ring bearer. And I loved reuniting with so many of my favorite people at the rehearsal dinner, dancing to Uncle Ted and his bluegrass band, hearing all the lovely toasts, and seeing the slideshow that consumed so much of my brothers' time (you can re-visit our rehearsal dinner details here).

Having almost arrived to the one-year anniversary of that evening, there are so many things I would tell my almost-married self for reference throughout the year.

change your plans and see Richard before the wedding- more time at the reception is worth bucking tradition! And you'll get to speak to more of your guests and not feel so rushed.
take back some merlot and buy more prosecco- bubbles are best!
have someone designated to take everything from Piedmont Club and the Inn on Main- or you'll still be missing your wedding shoes a still later!
soak up every.single.minute of your time in Anguilla- and embrace new friends! They'll just enhance your experience.
as hard as it is, don't worry about not working right away. God has got it all under control, and His plan is so much better than yours. There will be plenty of time to work soon enough!
don't bother with paying for a Maryland car inspection- you can stay a SC resident since Richard is in the military. And take advantage of shopping at the commissary- it's so much cheaper.
be patient with your husband. He is learning and adjusting, just like you, and he is trying his best. Walk away from heated situations and don't try to fix everything with conversation immediately.
you will miss SC more than you ever thought- don't be afraid to go home early and often to get your fill. Go visit new babies and your brothers, attend weddings, and love on your family. You won't always have the time to do so.
everything in your house will break this year. Everything. But dealing with it is an adventure that will only strengthen your marriage (or just drive you both nuts).
modesty will fly out the window, which makes for some really funny moments.
take absolute advantage of Richard not being on call or working weekends. it will all end way too soon, and it is hard to share him with the hospital.
there's a stand-alone Dairy Queen less than 5 miles from your house, and the closest Chick-Fil-A is in the Montgomery County Mall. Sadly there's no Sonic in a 50 mile radius, and there will be many days when you will crave a diet cherry coke!
some of your best nights with Richard will consist of cooking at home and watching a movie on the couch together- and don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen...he's just glad to not be home eating cereal!
don't take yourselves too seriously and have fun! Love living with your best friend and love the laughter and sheer joy your new life brings.

take me out to the ball game

2011-07-21T22:54:00.012-04:00

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of going to the Nats stadium with some of the best colleagues a girl could ask for to cheer on my boss and the other House Republicans against the Dems in the 50th annual Congressional Baseball game. The Republicans unfortunately got beat pretty bad (8-2 was the final score- see the full recap here), but any night you can eat Ben's Chili Bowl is a good night. Especially sitting in a ball park with gorgeous weather! It was a welcome distraction from all the debt limit discussion, and I look forward to making this an annual tradition.

Richard was a good sport to come out post-call

Speaker Boehner giving the Rs a pep talk- he's in the middle of the huddle

announcing the line-up

delicious dinner

the boss in action- each Member could choose the jersey of a hometown team to wear, and Richard was excited he chose Wofford!

And I was excited to see Rep. Jeff Duncan in the Clemson jersey!

the husband showing his support

love these office-mates! Anna, Mary Anna, me, Robert and Christopher

and after 47 days...

2011-07-13T21:57:00.002-04:00

We finally have central air conditioning back in our house! Hallelujah! I forgot what a blessing it is to sit in a cool house and not worry about trying to perfectly position a mobile AC unit in the correct path of air flow. So, so thankful to not be hot at home anymore!

Fourth of July and our return to reality

2011-07-09T22:32:00.006-04:00

July so far has been a whirlwind of work, work and more work, with a little bit of play when we can take a break. Richard has spent more hours at the hospital in the last week than he did at NIH in the last month, and Congress is back in full force after the 4th of July break with no recess in sight until August.

Despite working hard, we've been cooking more at home and enjoying some delicious summer produce. Last weekend we had a fabulous tomato pie and fresh corn on the cob. Yum!

Richard thankfully had the entire 4th of July off, so we celebrated with friends by the pool and another delicious dinner. Our friend Anthony is a Texas native and smoked an incredible beef brisket. Anthony and Ryan are surgery residents with Richard, and I've loved getting to know their wives Alex and Jill (well soon-to-be in Alex's case!).

Anthony and Alex, Jill and Ryan, and Richard and me

Richard has been on call today, but as much as I miss him, I had a great time dancing the morning away in Body Jam, then spending way too much of the day at the outlets in Leesburg, Virginia. I only came away with a very inexpensive top from J Crew, but it was fun to look! There's a Chick-Fil-A on the way out to Leesburg, and I ate lunch there then picked up dinner for Richard on the way home. We had a fancy call room dinner of Five Guys last week, and today, he ate his Chick-Fil-A in the lobby of the INNOVA Heart Center.

After he finished, as he was walking me back towards the exit, he had to stop in and tell a sweet grandmother's family, all gathered in a waiting room, that she wasn't doing too well. While he spoke to them, it was clear, even from a distance, that he was emotionally affected by the toil this lady's illness was taking on her family. She had taked an unexpected turn for the worse, and just as I got home, Richard was part of the team going back to the OR to try and save her life. I am so proud of him for the work he does, but also for the amount of heart he puts into caring for others- that makes him being away so much a little more bearable.

another white coat pic- Chick-Fil-A break

Happy Birthday, Will!

2011-07-09T21:31:00.005-04:00

My sweet brother Will turned 24 this past Thursday, which makes this big sister feel ancient! Will is the middle child in our family, and he is a classic middle child- easy going, a natural mediator, sensitive and a friend to everyone. He made the only acceptable college decision and went to Clemson. He now lives in Hoboken, NJ and works for L'Oreal as a packaging engineer on their luxury haircare lines- pureology, matrix biolage, etc- and he's sweet to send his mama and sister all kinds of fun makeup! Before Will moved to NJ, between graduation and finding his job, he lived in Spartanburg and ran COUNTLESS wedding errands before Richard and I's big day. Any brother that's willing to go to Stafford's multiple times to pick up and return china is a good brother indeed. I don't know that we would have gotten everything dome without him!

I am SO proud of both of my baby brothers and miss seeing them on a regular basis. We are so close, and I wouldn't trade them for all the sisters in the world. There are still Friday nights where I feel out of place to cheering Will or Jeff on a Dorman football or basketball game.

So happy (late) birthday, brother bear! I'm coming to see you soon!

family portrait with Will as a baby, pre-Jeff (probably for the church directory), 1987

love, love these boys!

Will and Richard in NYC, late December 2010

goodbye research year

2011-06-30T23:08:00.009-04:00

Tonight marks the end of a fabulous year. In the middle of an incredibly tough general surgery residency, WRAMC gives its residents a wonderful gift- a research year. Yes, it extends the overall time in residency, but it's a nice respite and the chance for residents and their loved ones to have a taste of a less stressful life. Normal work hours, no call, no weekends- a.k.a. pure bliss. Richard and I got married at the beginning of research year by design so that we could enjoy the wedding week and a great honeymoon, and I have loved spending a ton of time with him. He has done research at the National Institutes of Health this past year and was usually home by 5, often with dinner on the table by the time I walked through the door!

We return to reality tomorrow, as he starts his fifth year of residency with a vascular surgery rotation at a Fairfax hospital. He'll do several rotations away from Walter Reed this year, then finish his training next year as a chief resident at Walter Reed (well the new "Walter Reed," which is the current Bethesda Naval). I am so proud of him and certainly ready for him to be done! But I am sad to see this year end- I will miss always having my husband around! But I am determined to do the things I've neglected this past year, including in no particular order:

lose the 10 or so post-wedding lbs I've gained- Richard has never met a baked good he didn't like, and it would be rude to let him eat dessert alone! We've certainly enjoyed some good eating this year.
keep in better touch with friends back home- I've not done as good a job as I would have liked about communicating regularly, and I plan to remedy that
serve our community- hopefully my Junior League placement will facilitate that. Tutoring inner-city kids sounded like a good way to start.
finally get a wedding album ordered
get a library card
send birthday gifts, wedding gifts, baby gifts, etc on time for a change

And really pour into Richard and our marriage in the time I do have with him. I keep telling myself it will be better than all of those years we spent long-distance! Or deployment!

To take advantage of our last few days of research year, we took a few local field trips. Annapolis is so close, and one of our favorite day trips.

beautiful fountain at the Governor's Mansion

Governor's Mansion

Annapolis waterfront- and clear evidence of what happens when you wash your hands after a spray tan

We also went to see Wicked at the Kennedy Center and ate dinner on the rooftop there. Richard and I had the privilege of seeing Wicked on Broadway in August of 2004 with Idina Menzel as Elphaba. We had just broken up, and I was surprised that he still wanted to go to New York with me for a wedding, despite not being together. We had an incredible time, but I was heartbroken because I cared so much about him but knew that we weren't getting back together anytime soon. There's a song in the show called "I'm Not That Girl," which is originally sung by Elphaba in recognition of Fiyero being with Galinda, and it was especially moving the first time I saw it because of Richard and I's situation (so cheesy I know). So hearing it again, seven years later, sitting beside Richard as my husband, brought everything full circle. It was a definitely a special night!

Kennedy Center rooftop

we have a similar picture from New York

Today we went over to North Beach, MD. It's a little beach community on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, and it was a fun little find. We had a great lunch at Mangos, complete with yummy Orange and Grapefruit Crush beverages, and spent some time on the "beach." The small strip of rocky sand made me realize how much I took SC beaches for granted, but it was nice to be on water just a short hour from our house.

Punta Cana? The Bahamas? Nope, North Beach, MD

the "beach"

Tonight, Richard packed his overnight bag (he's on call tomorrow), filled his coat pockets with necessary cards and stethoscope, and hit the bed early. Good luck tomorrow, Dr. Webb! Your wife loves you and is a little sad to have to share you with the hospital again.

while I was hard at work...

2011-06-22T22:28:00.004-04:00

Richard took in a few US Open practice rounds at Congressional just a few miles from our house. Wish I could have joined him!

Richard and Jon

Richard and Will

beautiful course

visit home

2011-06-20T21:26:00.006-04:00

The weekend before last, Richard and I had several events that brought us home to South Carolina- sweet Leigha and Jonathan's wedding and a family reunion for Richard's mom's side of the family. We decided to add a mini-vacation on to the trip with an overnight stay at the Grand Bohemian in Asheville. It was beautiful, but I was thankful it was paid for using Marriott points! Richard and I were both disappointed there wasn't a pool (we are not huge mountain people- something we may should have thought about when we chose Asheville), but the decor is really cool.

the Grand Bohemian

our bathroom with a huge garden tub- didn't think to get a picture before the room got messy!

lobby of the Grand Bohemian

There are a lot of free spirits in Asheville (think dreads and tattoos galore), but there is also a ton of fabulous food. Between the Tupelo Honey cafe for dinner and the Early Girl Eatery for lunch, we didn't go wrong in our meals. They were excellent!

Early Girl- where I had delicious strawberry and sunflower seed pancakes

Our good friend Rebecca suggested that we visit the NC Arboretum, and the flowers there were really pretty. It's a fun setting with great trails, and had we been more appropriately dressed, we could have done some serious hiking.

quilt garden

hey hubby!

After our short trip to Asheville, we headed back to Spartanburg and enjoyed some local nightlife- the Wild Wing and the Main St. Pub. Quite the happening scene. ;) The best part was definitely the company!

loved getting to see Jeff...

and Meghanne and Caleb and Laurie and Daniel

On Saturday, we had great dinner at Richard's aunt and uncle's house with family we rarely see and then drove up 85 to Leigha and Jonathan's wedding. Leigha is truly one of the sweetest, happiest people I know, so we were thrilled to be a part of her big day. I, of course, left my camera, so this one is "borrowed" from Facebook. Thank you, Meghan Terry!

USC Law group with the glowing bride

We had Richard's family reunion on Sunday, and it was so good to see Richard's great-aunt and great-uncle, as well as our honorary grandmother, Mrs. Ruby. Family is so important, and I'm thankful for having a whole new family as a result of marrying Richard.

Mrs. Ruby slicing her a-mazing cake

the Clark/Webbs/Ousley's- Aunt Phalba, Uncle Bill, and Cousin Karen came from Brentwood, TN- we wish we got to see them more often!

Richard's family was kind to include my immediate family too

looking at old photos and telling stories- love hearing about who's related to who

Happy Birthday, Richard!

2011-06-09T23:38:00.012-04:00

Almost a year ago (hard to believe!), I married the person who I had loved since middle school, in one way or another. Richard Webb and I officially met in 6th grade at Dawkins Middle School, where we had several classes together. He was always very studious, wore sweatshirts-sometimes decorated- over collared shirts, and seemed a bit older than most of the other boys in our grade. Our friendship developed in middle school through working on school projects and learning the barn dance in Mrs. Thrailkill's class, blossomed in high school through Halloween trips to haunted houses and double dates with our respective high school boyfriend and girlfriend, and continued through college, where he was my favored sorority function date and post-college, wedding date. We never officially dated, but I went to Richard to teach me how to shag (dance) and for thoughtful conversation and fun companionship.

When we FINALLY started dating in the fall of 2003, I thought that we would be together forever. We drove I-26 frequently to visit each other in Charleston, where he was in med school, and Columbia, where I was in law school. When we broke up in Spring 2004, I was devastated. Richard wanted to focus on med school and didn't want to be in a super committed relationship. That obviously did not go over well with me!

I distinctly remember walking the block around my home through law school with our shared house-dog Micah and just praying for Richard and our relationship. For two years, while I dated other people, I hoped and hoped that Richard and I would get back together. I was so excited when we finally did on a fun football weekend (Wofford kept it close against USC, and Clemson had a big win at FSU over the Seminoles!). Our relationship had its share of ups and downs as we weathered long-distance, intern year of surgery residency, and entering the working world with a full-time job. But we persevered, and our engagement and wedding and first year of marriage has been some of the happiest (and hardest!) times of my life. I cannot imagine being married to anyone else.

Richard is is most disciplined person I know, but as he has gotten older, he's become more laid-back and maintains a great balance of work and play. He is fiercely loyal, a hard, hard worker, and has a funny sense of humor. He's a natural performer and has exceptional musical talent. He has a wide variety of friends, and he's incredibly strong in his beliefs. And he's extremely stubborn, but that usually works to his advantage (even if it frustrates his wife on occasion). I love him more than anyone on this earth, and I am thankful for his 30 years and wish him many, many more! Despite a crazy week and a tough birthday weekend, we had a great time celebrating! Happy 30th, sweetheart!

the birthday boy on his actual party day, with one of his favorite desserts- red velvet cake from DC's Founding Farmers

at Matt and Gus's wedding in Baltimore- Richard represents the South well with his wardrobe choices!

Since we had Matt and Gus's wedding on Richard's birthday weekend, we celebrated with friends in our backyard last Sunday afternoon. It was a ton of work to get everything ready (and Richard did a lion's share of it), but we had a great time and hope our guests did too!

ladder golf and corn hole (thanks to Max and Christopher!)- can't see them too well, but I used blue hydrangeas and white peonies and yellow spider mums in the flower arrangements

Min tied these adorable birthday tags on our mason jars

loved having my office mates with us to celebrate! Christopher, Anna and I all sit within 5 feet of each other and make of 3/4's of the Team Gowdy Legislative team

WRAMC General Surgery- you're in good hands with these guys

with Min, Vin and Gia Capaldi, who are our new neighbors and were so helpful in helping with the party!

ortho friends and their better halves- please note Kelly's Trophy Husband t-shirt

Pam and Misha, our McLean small group friends and soon-to-be mama and daddy!

good buddies- Max, Richard and Jason (and our new patio lights!)

Richard and Beth and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

2011-06-01T17:45:00.004-04:00

Do you remember Alexander and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day? ("I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.") I've kind of felt like Alexander of late.

It all started on Richard's birthday, which was Friday, the 27th, when we discovered that the air conditioning in our house was not working. Since the furnace went out on my birthday, this seemed entirely appropriate. It seems that the unit is completely busted and needs to be replaced. Our landlord was convinced that the mobile units he brought on Sunday would be sufficient to cool our house, but that was wishful thinking. And now it's Wednesday, with no promise of repaired AC in sight on what has been one of the warmest weeks yet.

We had a fun evening celebrating Richard's birthday and headed to Baltimore for our friends' wedding. We finally made it after several delays (a forgotten suit, keys and phone delayed the process) and enjoyed Matt and Gus' gorgeous wedding and reception on the water. Richard started to feel bad at the reception and was the sickest I have seen him in our short marriage on Saturday night and all day Sunday, leading us to cancel fun cookout plans.

Richard began to feel better on Monday, but we noticed a strong smell of gas on the main floor of our house. Just as we were walking out the door to take advantage of a rare week day off, our carbon monoxide alarm started going off. Apparently, our chimney has been clogged, leading carbon monoxide from the water heater that would generally exit out the chimney to be blocked. Today we learned that the lining of the chimney is rotted, which means the need for a major repair...and no hot water in our house.

To top it all off, Richard lost his wedding ring in our front yard last night. I'm sure our neighbors thought we were crazy as we looked through our bushes with flashlights and spot lights! We spent a worry-filled evening researching metal detectors and praying that the ring would be found.

So the past several days have been incredibly frustrating, but thankfully, at least the wedding ring was found this morning! And the DC heat wave is supposed to be ending soon, so hopefully the house will cool off some. Though our circumstances have not been ideal, they certainly do not compare at all to the devastation the tornado victims in Missouri and Alabama have seen. We just have to remember to keep counting our many blessings!

fun times with a two year-old (and his parents!)

2011-05-18T21:29:00.009-04:00

The American Urological Association hosted its annual convention in DC this past week, and it provided a great reason for Kim and Brian and Jackson to come visit! Kim was my freshman year college roommate and is so dang smart. She is almost finished with her urology residency at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and she was her to present some of her research, in addition to seeing me and Richard. We had the best time with Kim and Brian, her husband, and with their adorable two year-old, Jackson, who was our ring bearer. He has gone from barely talking to putting together sentences and giving an emphatic NO to almost every question you ask him. SO independent!

Brian had never been to DC, and they saw all kinds of monuments while I was working. But we did all sorts of other fun things while we were together.

We enjoyed the BGR Joint- Jackson is asking for a "sipasoda' below.

We visited the Georgetown Cupcake. Before dinner. Because it made since to us! And then Jackson's cupcake kept him entertained while we waited on our food at Jaleo.

yummy icing

On Sunday, we went to the Cabin John park, which has an incredible ride-on train. Sadly it was closed because the tracks, but we still had a great time playing.

always on the move

hard to believe it's been ELEVEN years this August since we moved in together!

I love the picture below of the Burgess family. Jackson rarely wants to pose for a picture- he's just way too busy!- but I love how this captures his joy. It's amazing how that joy can turn to despair in 0.2 seconds, and then joy again with the suggestion of the Mickey Christmas DVD or Nit Nots on Imagination Movers. Man, we will have DVD players in ALL cars when we have kids!

Richard loves the Pirates Tavern, and while I'd never been, I thought it would be the perfect place for lunch considering Jackson's obsession with pirates. He's quick to play the villain though, and gleefully announces "I Captain Hook!" Dad usually has to be Peter Pan. The Pirate's Tavern staff was great and brought out all kinds of swords, including foam ones for a sword fight!

get him, Jackson!

Jackson fell asleep after the Pirate's Tavern, but another (bigger) boy in our group was determined to go to Glen Echo to ride the carousel. Glad we could do that while Jackson slept. It was just a little odd that they were playing Christmas music...

The Burgess family came to see me at the Capitol on Monday, which was really fun. The Hill magazines always catch different Members coming through the Cannon tunnel, so I thought I'd catch a similar picture of my friends.

Our fabulous intern took us on a tour, which I had actually never been on, so it was equally as informative for me. We saw the old Supreme Court chambers where Marbury v. Madison was argued, sat on the House floor and went in the old Senate chambers.

old Supreme Court chambers- I got goosebumps being in there!

looking a little wind-blown in the rain

Kim and Brian went out for the anniversary on Monday night (they celebrated 8 years on the 17th!), and Richard and I baby-sat Jackson. Bless his heart, he was NOT happy to be stuck with us! But we made it through and learned a little in the process- maybe we're not as ready for kids as I thought!

We were able to celebrate with Kim and Jackson at the Blue Duck Tavern on their actual anniversary, and the food was incredible.

discussing throwing in "monies"

so stubborn- "no camera!" "no pictures!"

stubborn or not, I love this child

We also strolled the Georgetown waterfront and finally got a picture of everyone.

We ended our food tour of DC with a stop at Ben's Chili Bowl and even had a celebrity sighting!

half smoke and chili cheese fries

hey Donovan McNabb!

It was absolutely wonderful to get to spend some quality time with my old friend and her family. I just wish we were closer and our visits more frequent! Kim is like a sister to me- Jackson even calls me "Aunt Jessie" which is Brian's sister's name. Considering she's several years my junior, I'll take that as a compliment. After having his car seat in the back of my car the past several days, I got a little sad when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw it was gone this evening.

Burgess family, please come back soon!

two weddings- a study in contrasts

2011-05-13T17:50:00.000-04:00

Richard and I had the privilege of attending two beautiful weddings in April- the first one was the wedding of Kelly and Lauren in Philadelphia. Kelly is one of the orthopedic surgery residents at Walter Reed, and he and the other ortho residents have been great friends to Richard. Lauren is from the Philly area, and their Rehearsal Dinner was at Chicky and Pete's. Quite different than what we're used to, but they have Crabfries, which Richard absolutely loved. And I obviously think a fun casual, rehearsal dinner is a great option- we square danced at ours!

Richard, Kevin, Kelly the groom, Jon and Matt (who's up next!)

The Rehearsal "late night" was at Drinker's Tavern- but not just Drinker's Tavern, downstairs Drinker's Tavern. Between the dancing and Matt landing on his face attempting the Worm, it was a wild night!

Saturday turned out beautiful, and we enjoyed the Reading Market before heading to the ceremony, at a Catholic church right near Pat's and Gino's. After the ceremony, we picked up a cheesesteak then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the reception, which was right down the street from our hotel. I understand having your ceremony early and a cocktail hour and reception later is very common, especially up north, but it sure does make for a long day. The bride and groom get a ton of time for pictures though, which I would have loved!

Kelly and Lauren's venue was perfect, and their band was amazing. And the bride was beautiful! We had a great time and loved getting to spend the day with good friends.

view from the Cocktail Hour

Congratulations Kelly and Lauren!

Richard's cousin Molly got married the Saturday before Easter, and it was special in its own right. We always love getting to spend time with family in South Carolina, and I was in town for the entire week before working from Spartanburg and Greenville. I had the privilege of helping with the details- from putting together the programs to telling the guys when to walk out, and it made me miss my own wedding planning!

The Rehearsal Dinner was at the Piedmont Club, and it was very tame compared to Kelly and Lauren's. Just a sweet (calm) time with family and friends. The after-party was at the Spartanburg Marriott, which is not quite downtown Philly, but still fun.

Suzanne, Molly (the bride) and me

the Clark and Webb cousins and spouses

Proof that the world is small- Josh, the groom, used to coach at South Dakota State, and his friend Shannon is still a coach there. Shannon was one of the groomsmen, and he is friends with the Assistant Volleyball coach at SDSU....who lived with my dear friend Bec in Columbia before she moved to South Dakota! Richard and Shannon bonded, and we loved making a new friend.

Shannon, me, Molly and Josh

Molly and Josh wanted to do something different for the wedding, and so they decided to get married in Molly's parents' neighbor's back yard. It was GORGEOUS. As was she...and everything went off without a hitch. Richard played with many of the musicians who played in our wedding, Richard's mom directed the wedding and got everyone to their appropriate place, and Molly laughed and was full of joy all through her vows.

talented musicians

Clark family

The ceremony was in the front of the house, and the reception was in the back. Molly's Aunt Vicky did the flowers, which were amazing. And Darla, the baker who did our cake, did Molly's. It was a huge treat to enjoy her skills again!

part of the reception site

Clark, McAbee, Noe, and Webb cousins

Congratulations Molly and Josh!

When Molly and Josh left, Molly's big brother Al drove them out in a Gator. One of the funniest moments of the night was when Molly hopped in the front with Al and Josh was left in the back by himself. I didn't get a great shot of it, but Emily Corey, who did an incredible job with the pictures, did. You can see it and a few other sneak peeks here.

I love having the opportunity to celebrate with friends and family at their weddings and am thankful Richard and I have been able to enjoy so many together, regardless of where they are or how different they may be! But this one is still my favorite. :)

jersey shore

2011-05-01T22:12:00.003-04:00

I have a ton of pictures and stories to post from the wonderful week before Easter that I spent in South Carolina, but tonight I wanted to share thoughts on our trip yesterday to New Jersey. We went to Jackson, New Jersey for a baby shower for my dear friend Jeanine, who was a close friend from Clemson- and an even closer friend since we left there! She is a practicing pediatrician in New York City now, where she lives with her husband Alex. I attended their beautiful wedding in Bermuda almost three years ago now. She's expecting a little boy in June, and it was fun to get to celebrate his upcoming arrival with her and her friends and family!

friends from high school, Clemson, med school and NYC

me and the glowing mama-to-be

lots of great gifts!

Jeanine and her adorable niece and nephew

Richard was extremely kind and drove me the 3.5 hours to New Jersey so that we could spend some time together and see Atlantic City after the shower, since neither of us had ever been. I had heard that Atlantic City wasn't the classiest place in the world, so my expectations were low. But it was definitely worth seeing!

We had dinner at the Continental Diner in Caesar's on the Pier, and it was really good. It's a Stephen Starr restaurant, and the menu was fun- we had buffalo chicken meatballs, kobe beef sliders and a yummy feta and red pepper dip.

the scenery was more interesting than it appears here

The Pier had these sitting areas by the windows, which were cute. A way to put your feet in the sand and enjoy the view without being outside...

We walked on the Boardwalk and the beach, but it was really chilly. It's sad that we were wearing coats and long pants in late April!

self-portrait

As a lifelong Southern Baptist, I have serious reservations about gambling. I have never in my life bought a lottery ticket (though my brothers once won $500 on one!), and I have only once played blackjack while on vacation in Punta Cana. But Atlantic City is obviously known for its casinos, so we strolled around a few of them while there. I ended up losing a total of $3.00 on the slots...no beginner's luck here!

pulling my first handle at the Tropicana

We went in the Tropicana, the Trump Plaza, Caesar's and finally the Borgota, which is much nicer than the others, but we weren't too impressed with any of them. It's actually kind of depressing. There were lines of people waiting at the ATMs, bays of slots machines full of players, and lots of tight, short dresses. We counted no less than 10 bachelorette parties, and seeing them made me thankful for my "quiet" bachelorette gathering on Edisto. It just all felt kind of dirty, and we were ready to get back to DC. I'm glad we can check Atlantic City off of our places-to-see list though!

late night gelata

the royal wedding

2011-04-29T20:50:00.009-04:00

Richard and I are sitting on the couch at 8:45 pm this Friday evening in PJs, eating pizza, and watching the royal wedding coverage- and I, at least, am thrilled!

My mom texted me at 6 am to ask if I was watching the festivities, and I loved chatting with her via text about the festivities. I wanted to stay and watch the coverage all day (with mimosas and scones), but alas, work called.

A few observations after watching this evening:

Beatrice, what in the world were you wearing?! I loved the majority of the hats, but this was just terrible. Terrible.

Kate's dress, however, was spot on. I loved it. Totally Grace Kelly- inspired, and much fuller than I anticipated.

However the words of Dr. Richard Chartes, the Bishop on London, were what stuck with me all day today. I heard them this morning before I left, and I was so thankful for the spiritual components incorporated into the wedding. I thought his whole message was excellent, but I really liked this part:

"As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.

As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can practise and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.

And this clip below was just too funny...I am sure they all breathed a sigh of relief once it was all said and done!

Congrats, William and Catherine!

wonderful news

2011-04-14T18:10:00.000-04:00

Do you ever hear news that makes you so happy you are uplifted by it the whole day? One of my favorite law professors and professional mentors was just name Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law. Dean Wilcox is one of those people who I have found to offer wise advice is any situation I presented him with- whether it be a student emergency while I was working in Student Affairs or while talking to him about my long-distance engagement. He has always gone out of his way to support students while insisting on the highest degree of integrity and professionalism. The Law School has been fortunate to have him as a member of the teaching faculty and more recently as Academic Dean, and I have no doubt he will be an incredible Dean. Hearing that his first-year Property class honored him by playing "2001" and popping champagne when he came into class this afternoon was just icing on the cake. Congrats, Dean Wilcox!

Friday

2011-04-08T22:13:00.015-04:00

Because it's Friday. And because in just a few hours we are facing a government shutdown, barring some major legislative action. And because this video helped get me through a really stressful day on the Hill. I give you Stephen Colbert's version of the hit song, "Friday."

Mom and Meghanne come visit DC!

2011-04-03T22:02:00.009-04:00

Richard and I just got back from a fun wedding weekend in Philly, which I will blog about soon, but the weekend before last we enjoyed having my mom and dear friend Meghanne visit us from Spartanburg. Meghanne is like a sister to me, and she and mom are very close too! So they took advantage of Meghanne being on Spring Break (she was just named Cannons Elementary's Teacher of the Year- woohoo, Meghanne!) and headed up to DC for a long weekend. We started off the weekend with a riverboat cruise to see the cherry blossoms. It was chilly, but still a beautiful day and a great way to see the pretty blooms!

on the boat

by the Jefferson Memorial

After we left the Tidal Basin area, we ventured over to Eastern Market to shop and try out a few of the food vendors. We had incredible mini-doughnuts, warm pretzels, and homemade pickles. Yum!

pickles on a stick

We left Eastern Market to eat a little more at the Founding Farmers, one of our favorite DC's restaurants. Richard thinks their red velvet cake is some of the best he's ever had. And it's no wonder I gained a few lbs during their visit!

Richard and Max with the heavenly red velvet cake

decorative produce

We spent Sunday seeing sweet toddler Julia be dedicated at church and shopping at the outlets, then went to Annapolis on Monday (after introducing mom and Meghanne to Georgetown Cupcakes!) for some Maryland crab.

Richard showing Mom how to crack a crab

I sadly had to go back to work on Tuesday, but my fabulous visitors came to see me on the Hill, and we lunched at Good Stuff Eatery, which is owned by Spike from Top Chef. Meghanne is a huge Spike fan, so she enjoyed seeing his restaurant!

Good Stuff burger, fries and toasted marshmallow milkshake

Meghanne and Mom took in the American History museum and the Sculpture Garden and took a tour of the Capitol building before having to leave. We had such a great visit, and I hope they'll come back real soon!

outside the SC-04 Congressional office

Happy Wedding Shower, Molly!

2011-03-16T23:03:00.006-04:00

I am so behind on the blogging! Just as soon as I talked about putting down roots here, we took a weekend trip to South Carolina the first weekend in March for Richard and Suzanne's cousin Molly's lingerie shower. Molly and Suzanne and Richard and Al were close growing up, so it's been fun to celebrate in Molly and Josh's engagement. The shower was at Al and Jennifer's beautiful home, and it was great to catch up with Spartanburg family and friends. Can't wait for the April wedding!

posing with two pretty girls, Suzanne and Molly

all the girl "cousins," minus Elizabeth- such a fun group of McAbee, Clark and Webb women!

with Richard and Jeff out in Spartanburg, possible now that Jeff is 21

On Sunday, we got our fill of Southern cooking at Wade's, our favorite Sunday lunch spot. I do miss Wade's! And everyone we see there on Sundays.

sweet tea and yeast rolls

Richard's mom and dad enjoying the birthday song that was sung to all three of us- our birthdays are within 3 weeks of one another

just happy to be home, at least for a little while

putting down roots

2011-03-01T22:14:00.005-05:00

Being busy at work and working long days has made me really appreciate weekends, especially when we don't have too much to do! We were going back and forth to South Carolina almost every three weeks this past fall, so staying around DC is a bit of a change. We have not been back to South Carolina since Christmas, so we've really had a chance to enjoy our house and friends here and the art of relaxation. We've strolled to our local Farmers Market, remarked on the number of Christmas decorations still up in our neighborhood (lights, wreaths, mini-trees etc.- seriously folks, it's been two months!), hosted a small Oscars gathering, played some mini-golf and skee-ball at the H Street Country Club, enjoyed dinner and a movie with friends we wish we saw more of, gave our house a thorough spring cleaning and cooked a few dinners.

I was always on the go when I lived in Columbia and rarely spent two weekends in a row there, so it's been great to spend some consecutive time in the same location and to establish a little routine, and it's even served to make me a little less homesick. I feel more connected to the community we are in and am looking forward to welcoming spring to our little neck of the woods!

our Farmers Market, a little less crowded in colder months

intently playing skee-ball

posing with Jon and Amy on the mini-golf course

cute, funny movie- would recommend it for non-thinking entertainment!