Squeeze Tighter, Hug Longer

I just realized this post never worked! Oh well, here is it, anyway!

Greetings! It's been a long time since I've updated my blog! Fear not, I've made a mental commitment to update at least once a week.

Well, I'll start with one word to describe my summer schedule: busy. I'm working 20 hours per week at Thomson Reuters, 15 hours at my new job, Walling, Berg & Debele, and still doing occasional events for ESPN. Oh, and I'm taking Negotiation, which, thankfully, is a very manageable class for the summer. Surprisingly, networking takes up the majority of my time. I'm meeting with 1-2 lawyers every week for lunch, coffee, you name it. I'm talking to new people everyday and I'm loving it!

Books I've finished recently: Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. That being said, it is definitely X-rated. I am looking forward to the movie, though!

I spent the weekend after Memorial Day at my cabin with my parents, Meghan, David, Willa Kate, Jackson, Max, and cousin Rollie. It was a perfect weekend. David and I became addicted to Restaurant: Impossible and Strange Homes (remember the Hobbit House, Dave?). In between shows, I cuddled with Willa. If I wasn't cuddling with her, I was trying to steal her from whoever was. David and I spent an hour playing hide-and-seek on the couch (with Willa, obviously :) ). Meghan and I enjoyed wild rice burgers for dinner on Saturday night, and let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS (every time I say "delicious" now, I think of Meghan saying "Mmmmm, delicious!" to Willa when we feed her Cheerios). Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, and it was needed. Next time, I'm hoping David will teach me  how to build a bench. Here's a few photos:



This past weekend was one I'll remember for a long time. Caitlin Lembcke and Ryan Sonnenburg tied the knot on Saturday after 7 years of dating. They hosted a beautiful wedding and I had so much fun. Even better, Ryan and Darren were home for the weekend. This was MUCH needed. For a few days, it was as if they were still living here and spending weekends with all our friends. We miss them! Ryan and I got our Taco Hell fix (I'm paying for that this week), and we also, and more importantly, got our Len fix! We ended the weekend with Teresa's Mexican, Ryan's favorite Mexican restaurant. Only 3 months until our friends, Steph Beckendorf and Sam Kepner, tie the knot, and, hopefully, Ryan and Darren will be back again! :)

Ryan and Darren were not the only people I was thrilled to see to see this week--Tyler Judkins was home! It's so nice being able to hang with Katie and Ty together! We'll miss him when he returns to UCLA, but we're hoping he gets a job!

Before Ryan and Caitlin got married, Ryan had his bachelor party in Vegas. Kapps and all his yahoo buddies we're MIA for the weekend, so all the "girlfriends" decided to get together and go out for the night. Katie, Heidi, Marissa, Caitlin, Steph, Katy, and myself all gathered at my house for drinks and appetizers before heading to Uptown. We had a wonderful time. Everyone knew each other and got along before that, but this time was different. We were all specifically going out together without the guys...and it was awesome. We already want to plan something again! Of course, Ryan can Skype us from Hawaii :) Anyway, I learned a lot about these girls after that one night we spent together. I now appreciate them as some beautiful, strong-willed women I call my friends, not just my boyfriend's friend's girlfriend.

My new friend, Heidi, is the reason for my blog post title. Two years ago yesterday, she was hit by a drunk driver as she was walking in the crosswalk. At this point, I knew of her, but I didn't know her. She had multiple surgeries, months in a wheelchair, and countless severe injuries. She wears the memory, particularly a large scar on her leg and one near her neck area. Two years later, she has made a full recovery, and bears two sexy scars, reminding me how brave she is and how thankful I am for her. Yesterday, she reminded me to squeeze the ones you love a little tighter, and hug a little longer. Also, take the damn keys away from someone you know has had too much to drink.

Things I'm looking forward to:

1) Adam Micheletti & Co. to make the trek up north in a few weeks!

2) Washington D.C. next week

3) 4th of July

4) Summer school to be over!

5) Spending time with Jackie Kling, who's finally home :)

Summertime

Greetings,

Summer has been a whirlwind! Cabins, 3 jobs, trips, weddings, class, catching up with old friends, etc. It's been wonderful, so far. I'm looking forward to my summer class finishing up mid-July, though.

My working situation is a bit complicated: I work part-time at Thomson Reuters as a legal associate; I occasionally do events for am1500 ESPN; Also, I recently accepted a position as a law clerk at Walling, Berg & Debele, which I'm thrilled about. I just started collaborating with another attorney on an appellate brief--experience that will prove to be very valuable in the future.

Ryan and Darren came home for Caitlin and Ryan Sonnenburg's wedding a couple weeks ago, and let me tell you, I haven't a weekend that fun in a long time. It was needed! Here's a couple shots from that weekend:

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Prior to the wedding, I was able to jet up to my cabin for a quick R&R weekend. I spent time with Meghan, David & Willa Kate, which was the greatest. They're the cutest little fam ever. Here's a few shots from that weekend:

My last big event: I gave blood for the first time, ever, in honor of my cousin, Collin Keck, who advocated for frequent donations to the Red Cross. It was not the most pleasant experience, to say the least, but, I finished! I plan on giving again, as soon as I'm eligible. You rock, Collin.

Here's what I'm excited about:
- Washington D.C. in 2 days
- 4th of July
- (maybe?!) visiting my law buddy, Alicia, in NYC, mid-July


Thanks for reading :)



"Oh, the comfort . . . of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are . . . certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."
- Dinah Craik