Merry Christmas

We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

From Matt and I to everyone, may your day be blessed with love, laughter and happiness!

Love,
Matt and Kelly

Random Update

I thought it might be time for a random blog update:

Kelly:
I left Charlottesville on Monday morning at the crack of dawn: 3:45 AM ET. I was going to stop in Gadsden to help my parents move more stuff to Florida (the are now down here for good - bye bye Gadsden Alabama) - however, they were really sick so my mom told me just to keep on driving. I stopped in Birmingham at my apartment to pick up my mail and grab a bite to eat. Then it was off to Daleville Alabama (14 hour drive total - wowzers) to spend two nights with my sister Barbara, her husband Eric, and their daughter Abby. We had an absolute blast!!! It was fun to hang out with all three of them! Then it was off to my parents condo in Sandestin for the remainder of Christmas break. So I got in and just 6 hours later my parents showed up with the LAST U-haul! We on loaded everything at their new house and then what was needed at the condo. The condo looked like a mess of boxes when we went to bed the other night. Then yesterday my mom and I got to work - we organized, spring cleaned, got this condo looking like a home for not just the holidays (love Christmas vacations) but a home, not just vacation house! We ended up throwing out six 55-gallon garbage bags of crap and we have a huge box of food for a local food shelter. Awesome! Then today we are off to Atlanta - just my mom and I of course...Girls weekend with a Bride, Mother-of-the-Bride, and Maid-of-Honor! We pick Robyn up at midnight tonight in Atlanta and then tomorrow we shop, shop, shop for WEDDING dresses (uh, just one that is - but the perfect one..right ladies?)

Matt:
Matt has been busy at work this week - except of course the day of Christmas parties!!!! :-) His secret Santa got him a melting pot gift card!! WOO-HOO!!! I love SANTA! :-) Then they had a game last night and of course the ladies won (is there really another option? I think not!) So today is another day working and who knows what he has planned for the weekend!!!

Hope you are all having a FANTASTIC week!

Our Tree...

Matt and I opened the last of our christmas presents/ornaments after the circus Thursday night. We wanted to be able to have all of the ornaments up on the tree for a few days before we had to take them down and put them safely away for next year! So I wanted to make sure all of you were able to see the ornaments and the finally tree as well. It's so funny - when we picked out this little tree earlier this week, Matt was trying to tell me how we would only need a little tree like this for probably the next few years. Now, with all of our ornaments on it, this little tree is leaning forward. Matt just looked at me Thursday night and said I was right, next year would have to be a "big" tree!! Woo-hoo!!! But until then, Matt and I have been able to appreciate our first ever Christmas tree!! :-) Isn't it beautiful??

Here's hoping everyone is embracing the Christmas spirit!

Date night @ the Circus

Last night was DATE night @ the Circus!!! Matt got tickets to BOOM-A-RING from Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey. Matt picked me up from the apartment around 3:45 and we were back at the arena by 4. He had a little more work to do, so I made myself busy with some free tetris and reading a book. Before I knew it, it was time to check our the circus! We left his office around 5:45 and were the FIRST people to see everything! We got to take a sneak peak outside to where the tigers and elephants were kept. Then it was off to see the ring! We waited for some more people to come in before going down to walk around the ring and watch some of the performers. Then it was time to get some cotton candy (i love it), to find our seats, and for the show to begin!!!

The show was pretty fantastic! Matt said his most favorite part was the elephants! They were pretty fantastic! There were three of them. One came out in the beginning with the American flag! Then there were all three of them later in the show. My favorite part was this hilarious clown! Oh my gosh, there were so many "adult" jokes that I never really heard from Ringling Bros. before! This clown was hilarious! And my second favorite part...there were these guys on the circular ring thing. Well, they were right in front of us - and I honestly thought that the guy was going to fall off and end in my lap!!! It was a fantastic show! After the show we went to a late dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. Then it was home, and fast asleep after a long day!

Today Matt was able to go into work a little late because he will be there all night tonight - since practice isn't starting until 6 pm. It was nice to hang out with him this morning and he treated me to Bodo's! It's a "locally" famous bagel shop in C'ville...and although I've been before, I've never eaten there. Well, brunch was super tasty! Then it was time for him to head to work and me to well....hmmmm....uhhh....do something! Ha! Ha!

Here's hoping everyone is having a great week - full of laughs even if you didn't run into any clowns!

Graduates running rampant!!!

Ok, so today is another BIG day!!!

Not only did my sister defend her thesis and win yesterday (see below post)...but today the BESTEST walks!

I know what you are thinking - doesn't Elizabeth walk everyday??

And yes, it's true she does...but today it is across a stage with her family (Mom, Dad, Shaun) and her boyfriend Don's family watching while she gets her masters diploma!!!!

I am so super proud of the BESTEST!!! Congrats Elizabeth!

Thank goodness I'm surrounding myself with such intelligent people!!!!

Sidenote: Matt took the opportunity last night to remind me that I am now the only one in my family without a higher degree!!!

ConGRADulations Robyn!!!

It's late....It's 10:50 here in Charlottesville, Virginia...but Matt and I are too excited to sleep without letting everyone know.
Robyn, my twin sister, defended her thesis tonight.
She went in front of 13 faculty members of the University of Colorado.
The results are in.....SHE PASSED!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!
Robyn's MASTERS diploma will be mailed out to her next Friday!
Matt and I are so super proud and super excited for Robyn!!!
She is such a intelligent woman who deserves this honor after many hours of research, writing, and hard work!
WAY TO GO ROBYN!

Love,
The Proud Twin and Proud Soon-to-Be Brother-in-Law

Basketball...Football..Christmas Tree...LIFE

Well, I'm pretty sure it's time for an update as to what's going on in the life of Kelly and Matt. After I finished my last final (Sea, Ocean, and Coastal Law) on Friday I started driving to Charlottesville. I made it to Abingdon, Virginia and the Comfort Suites - I got some sleep and then headed the next day to meet Matt at JPJ Arena for the UVA Women's basketball game against ECU. I left at halftime as the Hoos were kicking butt and taking names and went back to Matt's apartment to "unpack" and watch the SEC championship game. Matt was home by the time the game was in the second quarter. So we spent the night watching more football and eating pizza! And of course I took time out as soon as I got there to organize the presents!

Some of you might know, but some of you don't. Matt and I decided not to get each other (technically) Christmas presents. Instead, we divided up the major cities we have been to while dating/engaged and each person was responsible for an ornament from that city. Matt got: NYC, Charlottesville, Knoxville, and Washington D.C. I got: Brimingham, Gadsden, Sandestin, Atlanta, and St. Louis.

Well Sunday Matt didn't have work and the team didn't have practice - so woo-hoo the first day we got to spend together in over 2 months!!! We had a blast! We finished up Christmas shopping for our families, went grocery shopping, had a yummy lunch...and the best part...picked up our first Christmas tree!!! It was Matt's idea - and we found the tree at Whole Foods! Small, but PERFECT! Then it was time to get a tree skirt, lights, and ornament hooks! We then headed home to set up the tree. It looks FANTASTIC!

Then Matt made us dinner and it was time to open up the first presents!!!! I opened up a beautiful ornament that has the Christmas tree from NYC and Matt opened the Gadsden, Alabama ornament. We put them on our tree! It's fantastic isn't it!!!

The week: Monday Matt spent at work and I spent the day running errands. We met at Archs for lunch - oh lordy I love that place! Then that night we went to UVA's grounds to see the lights that have ben strung up on the lawn. Then I got a call that said the MPRE scores were up so we came home for me to find out my score - and woo-hoo I PASSED!!! I'm ethical enough to practice not just in Virginia, but any of the 50 states!!! :-) Woo-hoo! Tuesday was filled with more errands and then last night I made spaghetti for dinner and we watched The Dark Knight. We also opened up two more ornaments per person - I opened 2 Washington Nationals ornaments and he opened the Civil Rights Institute Ornament and an Atlanta Braves ornament. Today was less errands, more reading a book, lunch with Matt...then tonight is Mexican "Thursday" dinner with Matt and more ornaments!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!

Matt has said he would like to specifically blog about the tree/lights incident - so I'll leave that to him...
Here's hoping everyone is having a GREAT week!