2011 was full of incredible experiences and blessings. It was the year that we truly began building our nest!
In May, we became Virginia Tech alumni! We also moved out of our apartment that month.
In June, we celebrated both of our graduations with family and friends! Our parents planned a beautiful party. We had a margarita machine, a taco bar, and best of all, our picture on the delicious cake!
In July, Derek decided between 3 job offers. He accepted a great offer at a company in Maryland as a Structural/Architectural Engineer, and we moved to Towson! With just four days until his start date, we were incredibly lucky to find a beautiful, pet-friendly apartment just 2 miles from Derek's office. We moved in just in time to watch the 4th of July fireworks from our windows! And by "moved in", I mean we brought a suitcase and slept on a sleeping bag because we had not had time to move anything more! It was actually a lot of fun and one of my favorite memories of the year.
We spent the rest of the summer getting settled and exploring our new city. We discovered a reservoir nearby, where we go running and take Kaiah to swim! She has now been accepted to the dog park where she can swim AND play!
In September, I joined Derek on his business trip to Boston! We went shopping and drank Sam Adams in Back Bay, and we stopped at the famous Mike's Pastry for cannoli and toured the Old North Church in the North End (Little Italy).
In addition to the city of Boston, we spent time in Newport, Rhode Island! Newport was my favorite part of the trip. We walked along the cliffs in the evening, taking in the view and gawking at mansions.
In October, Derek and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary! We did a lot of reflecting that day. 7 years ago we were just trying to make it home by curfew and not get in trouble for flirting in Mrs. Modugno's physics class. Look how far we have come! I have watched him grow into a wonderful, loving, hardworking man, and I am so thankful that I have him by my side every single day.
We also watched Derek's mom walk across the stage at Constitution Hall in DC to collect her degree that month! Congrats, Jan!
November and December were a whirlwind. We officially put ourselves on the waiting list for a bigger apartment in our building! It will be twice the size of the one we are in now with a guest room and a dining room! The weekend after Thanksgiving, we drove to a Christmas tree farm on the eastern shore to cut down our first real tree. Kaiah got to come with us and she enjoyed sniffing out each tree, one by one.
The next weekend, we spent the day in Baltimore and watched the holiday parade of boats and a light show!
The highlight of December was that I accepted a job offer! I will be working as a Data Architect/Ontology Engineer for a semantic technology consulting company in Hunt Valley, about a 10 minute commute! It is absolutely my dream job.
We ended the year spending a relaxing few days with our families for Christmas.
I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store! Happy New Year!!
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