Hello 2010!

Obviously, I am super duper behind on blog posts. So, what better way to make it up than a 2009 Year in Review as we begin 2010...

January

My brother got married and I got a new sister-in-law.

Jacob caught the garter. Foreshadowing? However, my little sister, Bekah, also caught the bouquet and I definitely beat her to the punch;)

February -March

I really didn't do anything too exciting. Just worked on finishing my last semester of school...ever!

April

I attended my last law prom.

May

Mary Kate graduated from Mississippi State University.

I took my last finals ever and successfully graduated from SMU law school! I looked like Chef Boyardee.

I joined the blogging world.

June

I celebrated my 26th birthday and began seriously studying for the Texas Bar.

July

Jacob and I got engaged on July 4, 2009!

I took the Texas Bar.

August

I went on a Bar trip to Costa Rica with law school friends.

I went to Acapulco, Mexico to see Jacob's sister, Liz, get married.

Jacob moved to Denver, Colorado. I moved home.

September

Jacob began his new job with the Treasury in Denver. I made my first trip out to Denver. I was so excited to eat brunch at Snooze with my college roommate, Rachel.

Jacob made his first trip home for Jamie's wedding at the Arboretum in Dallas. It was beautiful and fabulous!

October

Jacob came in town and we took our engagement photos in Fort Worth!

I spent a lot of time doing document review and went to Denver, Colorado for Halloween. We celebrated with Dale, Jamie, and Patrick.

November

Jacob met me in San Antonio to see our friends Steve and Christina get married. She was gorgeous.

I found out that I passed the Texas Bar and I got sworn in as an attorney!

I spent Thanksgiving with Jacob at Liz's house in Sugarland.

December

I planned a last minute trip to Denver to see Jacob for his 29th birthday! It snowed the entire time I was there.

I spent Christmas Eve with Jacob's family in Fort Worth. It snowed. It iced. We braved the icy roads to spend Christmas morning with my family in Dallas.

2009 has been a whirlwind year and I am so excited for 2010! A new marriage and a new city to call home.

Engaged

Jacob and I got engaged on July 4th!

He did a great job of planning everything. First, he tricked me into going to where we first met...a baseball field where we played on the same softball team during 1L Sports Spectacular.

Then, he popped the question. Of course, I said yes! (or rather nodded rather vigorously through tears).

Then, he surprised me with a limo and roses! We went to my apartment and drank some celebratory champagne with his sister, Liz, and his brother-in-law, Diego. Then we got all dressed up to go out to dinner, just the two of us. Or, so I thought...

...he surprised me with my family! The limo had snuck home to get them while we got dressed for dinner. Then we all got in the limo and headed to dinner...

...and at Hibiscus, his family surprised us, too!

After our very delicious dinner, we went to Bodega Bar and celebrated some more.

All in all, it was a wonderful night and definitely a 4th of July that I will never forget. We are so excited to start our new journey together! :) Special kudos to all of Jacob's spies and helpers, you were so sneaky!!

Warning...

I thought I would share this because it literally made me laugh out loud. Just a little pearl of wisdom from my "Honest Tea" bottle cap...

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

Jen's Favorite Things

If you know me, then you know I pretty much adore anything that is wholesome and even corny in nature. Of course, this extends to all things Disney, made-for-TV teenybopper romantic comedies, and musicals. I love the movie "Sound of Music." (If you haven't seen it, run, do not walk, to you nearest video store or video pirating site and watch it. You will not be sorry). This was the movie of choice to watch on long car trips in my family.

In the movie, Julie Andrews is a governess who sings a song called "My Favorite Things" to the children during a bad thunderstorm.

Well, last night and this morning, the weather was absolutely horrendous here (e.g. my parent's chimney got struck by lightning and part of it fell in our pool)! In honor of thunderstorms and yucky weather, here is my own (obviously quite lovely) version to be sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things."

Jen's Fav Things

Flowers on headbands and a corny joke

DVRs, Republicans and cane-sugar Coke

Monograms on just about anything

These are a few of my favorite things

Burnt-orange longhorns and Jackie-O pearls

Audrey and Hitchcock and dancing with my girls
Sunshine with rain and the rainbows it brings

These are a few of my favorite things

Clean-shaven boys with cute, dimpled smiles

Color-coordination and organized, tabbed files

Windows rolled down as Taylor Swift sings

These are a few of my favorite things

When the test lurks

When the water murks

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad!

Howdy y'all!

I decided that since I love reading other people's blogs, it was high time I joined the blogging world:) I am optimistically calling this "Jen's Attorney Work Product." While I have graduated from law school (Yay!), I will not be a licensed attorney until I pass the bar and am sworn in as an attorney. I will take the Texas Bar in July, but will not be licensed until at least November (of course, optimistically assuming I pass). This summer I am enjoying the fun process of studying for the Texas Bar by taking a Bar Review class. "The Bar" in this context is not to be confused with "A Bar." A Bar is a fun place where you meet up with friends, enjoy alcoholic beverages, and perhaps even boogie a little. The Bar is a grueling three-day test you must pass in order for the State of Texas to let you practice law. Likewise, Bar Review is a $3000 course you take to help you pass the bar. It is not a summer-long process of reviewing bars. I know...I was sad too when I learned I would not be in a bar all summer.


Further adding to the confusion is the location of our Bar Review Class. For some very odd reason, Bar Review classes have been at the same venue in Dallas for over a decade. It is a Western dance hall venue.



And yes, there is a bar in there as well.


Only in Texas would a class be held in a dance hall. God Bless Texas!