Bar Watch...

49 more days!!!

of Bar hell!!! :-)

The Bar Watch

The countdown for the Bar has begun! We started at 70 days...and we're already at

57 Days!! WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO! (little steps)

I'm happy to report that it is going quick. I know Austin is happy for that, but at the same time I know he wishes he had 5 more weeks on top of the 57 days. He's the type that will study every second he can up until the test, the over-achiever that he is!

I'm not so happy to report that we've had our first speed bump in the quest for the Bar. Both of us had a difficult week. We were both beasts to deal with. He's starting to realize how sick of studying he is and wishes he could have time to do fun things. I'm trying to keep him positive and not rub in his face some of the things I'm getting to go do. He'll have his whole life for fun and he'll just have to take a few more months off to wrap this law stuff up! He can do it!

Boy I'm glad I was a cheerleader! I mean, I totally willed the Clemson football teams to win (wasn't everyone in the stands to watch me??), I know I'm capable of the same for Austin. HAHA!

Graduation came and went

I've been counting down to this day for three years now. But once it came, I was not ready for it.

I have to be honest, I was terrified to be the wife of a law school student. I heard horror story after horror story about divorces, absent husbands, and lonely days and nights. I didn't know if I could do it. If I could make it "on my own". Basically, I didn't think I could entertain myself. Looking back on it, it was nowhere close to horrible. We didn't get a divorce. Austin was around more than I ever expected, and my days were busy at school, just like his and our nights were normally spent together. And anytime I was on my own, I certainly did keep myself busy and totally entertained- without lots of retail therapy!

Graduation was nice. We had lots of parties and drop-ins to go to before. We've befriended a ton of amazing people. God put some wonderful people in our lives these past 3 years. Not only fellow law students, but spouses of law students (for me:-) ), and incredibly sweet and intelligent law professors and faculty, that are not only teachers, but friends now. Austin's family also came into town. His parents, grandparents, sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law all rolled into town Friday evening. We had an AMAZING dinner at Charleston Grill after graduation with the fam and Professor Spitz and his awesome wife, Wendy. If you ever get to eat there be prepared! It. Is. Fabulous!

Austin will probably kill me when he finds out I wrote this, but at graduation he was given an award (The Forensics Club- some special society that adds 4 people each year for the best overall- grades, involvement, leadership, blah, blah, blah. All that Austin is, haha!) AND graduated Magna Cum Laude. It was all music to my ears!! He is so amazing!

Here are some pics...

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction your choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

-Oh, the Place you'll Go by Dr. Seuss

I love to give books as gifts for special occasions. I gave this book to Austin for his graduation. Dr. Seuss has such a great message in this book that can apply to so many different times in your life. It's basically all about the ups and downs of life and the consequences of our choices. At this junction in our life, Austin is deciding where to go after this law school adventure. Which city/town to move us to, to move at all, which firm, what type of law to practice...and the list of questions could go on. On top of this he is having to studying for THE BAR. I already hate this test, but that's another post.

Austin told me when we got engaged that throughout our life he can't promise me much, but he will promise to have lots of fun. Law school was a lot of fun...lots of work, but lots of fun. On to the next chapter of our lives...

Fun

We loved going to the Greenville Drive games when we were up in Greenville. It is especially important to us because we got engaged in Boston and later that evening went with all our friends to a Boston Red Sox game. If you don't know, the Drive is the farm league for the Bo Sox- so it holds a special place in our hearts.

Charleston has their own baseball team... The Charleston- I can't even remember their mascot...how horrible! But we had a great time at our first game of the season! Charleston School of Law reserved tickets for law students and their families. We had a great time mingling with fellow students and faculty. Like I said before, I LOVE these people! Especially some of the professors that have taken a liking to my hubby (which seems to be all of them- I'm married to one likable guy!) There are some really special teachers there that put a lot of time and effort into the students.

We had some great boiled peanuts from this apparently famous guy! He sang for us... and probably hated us.

And we shared some good times with close friends!

Easter...a little late!

Easter seems so long ago. Yes, it is mid-April. Yes, I should have posted this so much earlier, but things have been crazy. Will it ever slow down???

We had a nice Easter weekend. My dad ventured down from Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with us. I was so thankful to have him here. I talk to him everyday and have done so since college. I remember getting horrible phone bills and he probably wanted to yell at me, but couldn't because the majority of the calls were to or from him. Where was the Friends and Family plan back then?!?!?

Dad and Aust played golf on Friday and we went to Gilligan's that night. I worked at Gilligan's my senior year in HS and adored their hush puppies- nothing has changed! We were pretty surprised at how good the food was. I mean it is a chain. Then again, we DO live on the coast! Saturday Dad and I headed to the beach. If you recall (it does kind of hurt my brain because it was SO long ago), it was kind of breezy and not very warm. But Dad is from Pennsy, and he's a yankee. I bet he would have gone into the water if I would have let him. He left Sunday before we went to church to go and visit with my sister.



Do I look pregnant?? Eww, remind me never to wear that dress again!

When we got back home from church, I was told the Easter Bunny stopped by. My dad always hid our baskets growing up (and in college...and before I got married, but that's not important!) So Aust hid a basket for me- how sweet. Too bad we weren't supposed to get each other anything- poor, struggling law student! After I pulled everything out, this is what I found in my basket. My favorite gift!

It Came and It Went!

Law school that is...I prayed that it would, but now I'm wishing it would stay- *almost*. The people that we've met through Charleston School of Law have been amazing. Whether it was students, faculty, or family members, I loved meeting and really getting to know all of them!

Yesterday was Austin's last day of school. I feel like a proud parent would of their kindergartner. I almost asked him to pose for a picture, but remembered this lovely face when I made him take a pic mailing his bar application off...




He was clearly not feeling it like me.




But these are some mega special memories that I'll always have- the three years we were in Charleston, how we left both of our families to start off on our own, our precious little house that was such a work-in-progress, the scratching and saving to get bay- I wouldn't change any of it!

I'll definitely miss this place...if we have to move. :-) Still waiting to here on the job front. I just pray we won't be waiting when we find out his bar results in October!!!!!

PS- shout out to all those that passed the February Bar!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!