The first day of work today was great! We can tell that we’re both going to learn a TON about the legal system in Georgia and get to meet a lot of important people. Today was especially awesome because I realized that one year ago, Jason and I were walking across the stage at our college graduation. Has it really been that long?! I can’t believe it. This has been a WHIRLWIND of a year.

That picture is me about 1 minute after I defended my honors thesis in English the week before graduation. And in my hand is a bottle of champagne that my thesis advisor gave me after telling me that I passed with flying colors! I was so, so happy as you can tell from my face. It was the product of about a year of hard work, and I knew it would probably be the last major thing I would write in medieval studies. Yes, medieval literature was my concentration! And I LOVED every minute of it! It was Jason’s concentration too, and I was so proud of him when he passed his defense!

A few days later me and my handsome date (then fiance) and I attended the senior ball which is held every year at the beautiful Rosecliffe mansion.

The next week both our families came to Massachusetts to help us move out of the dorms and celebrate graduation with us.

Only to all meet up again a couple months later in Georgia for our wedding!

(I’ll have to show you more wedding pictures when our first year anniversary comes up! 🙂

And then of course we both took the big leap into law school and Jason and I moved into our first place together.

With official law school portraits, of course.

And in January my grandmother passed away. She lived with us my entire life and raised me alongside my parents so it was hard to see her go, but I know that she’s Home now and would want me to remember the positive legacy that she left with us.

(Yes, that chubby little baby over there is yours truly…)

And later that month I started this blog, which has already grown more than I could have imagined and is bringing me so much joy every day!

And of course just a couple weeks ago we finished our first year of law school and came down to live with my family in Georgia and work in Atlanta. Of course the real reason I’m here is because of this adorable little person.

😉

I think I will probably always remember this year. Since the day that we graduated we have experienced so many blessings and of course some struggles along with it. If someone said to me, “Lauren, in the span of one year you will defend a thesis, graduate college, get your drivers license, get married, move into your own place, see your grandmother’s Homegoing, go to law school, start a blog, and get your first real job!” I think I probably would have laughed it off as being hilarious and impossible. I’ve probably grown more that I know since I was handed that diploma not so long ago, but I know that nothing we’ve done would have been possible without the strength and peace that God has given us, and our family and friends who have smiled and supported us through a very hectic year. I was nervous when we walked into work today but then I just told myself “Hey, we’ve gotten this far, haven’t we?”.

Thanks for reading!

-Lauren