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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

Well heeeelllllllllooooooo there!  It has been way too long since I've blogged, but I have a good reason...our wedding :)  Dad, Seth, and I left for the Thursday before the big day and made it safely to Utah for a weekend of busyness but good times!  So, to save time (and space), I'm just gonna jump right into a recap of all the festivities:

Shower/Bachelor Party:
On Friday night, our SLC friends organized a really nice shower with good food/drinks, fun games, and lots of memories!  This was actually perfect timing to have a get together with all our friends (a lot of whom came in from out of town) because in the coming months, several people will be moving away for school and such.  We started the night with a delicious BBQ and then moved on to our shower game: designing wedding gowns out of toilet paper - too funny!  Needless to say, our friends got creative and, by the end of the night, the yard was draped with the toilet paper :)  To wrap up the night, we moved it downtown to Bar X (a random bar that is owned by the guy who plays Phil on 'Modern Family') and met up with Andre and some other friends who were awaiting us downtown....good times!

Vera Wang, eat your heart out!

The whole gang together again!

The aftermath :)
Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner:
On Saturday, the wedding party met at the Grand Summit Hotel and, much to Mom's chagrin, took the gondola up to the Red Pine Lodge for a quick rehearsal.  With Brooke and Rev. Anita running the show, all went super smooth and soon it was off to our dinner at the Wasatch Brew Pub - yum!

Dinner was nice - we finally got some one on one time with the family!  It was a cool place to go, especially because it's a well known place in Park City (they brew local beer) and allowed us some time away from the resort to play some on Main St.  Dad, Mom, and Jack gave really nice toasts and Seth and I gave a quick thank-you speech to wrap-up dinner.

Luckily for us, Marita, Joesph, Marissa, and Peter offered to host the after party at their place just down the street.  As you will see from the pics, my siblings don't mess around when it comes to their lodging :)  They actually kind of lucked out thanks to a hotel error, and got the penthouse (a.k.a. the entire top floor of the hotel) with two hot tubs, two fire pits, and more amenities than you can shake a stick at :)  Needless to say, we let the good times roll before we rolled out and off to bed to rest up for the big day ahead!

The view from the top of the penthouse - sweet!

Us boys and our Mom's rehearsing our walk :)

Andrew and Seth at the Rehearsal Dinner.

Jack, Me, and Mindy at Wasatch Brew Pub.

Wedding Day
Wedding Day was perfect - even more than I could have hoped for!  We had an outdoor wedding and, despite my fears, the weather was just right - sunny and not too hot!  After a morning together, Seth and I separated to get ready for the wedding with our families.  Dad, Mom, Andre, Carol, and Lois helped me get ready and lookin' purdy - it really does take a village :)

Once everyone was all ready to go, we headed up the mountain on the gondola and waited for guests to arrive.  With the exception of a few special people, all of our family and loved ones were present to share in our special day.  (We had people come from near and far and appreciate you all so much for making the effort, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts!)  And for those who weren't there to share in the day, my words can't do justice to the wonderful memories: good food, moving toasts, and fun times that were had, so I'm gonna let the pics do the trick!

Seth and I at the base of the gondola.

The Roman-Longhurst Wedding Party!

Me, Rev. Anita, and Seth during the ceremony.

True love <3

Sealing the deal with a kiss :)

Mother-Son Dance to "Mama" by Boyz II Men.

Gettin' down!!!

Our grand exit from the Red Pine Lodge.

Aftermath:
After the wedding, we had all had such a good time that we rented a 32-passenger shuttle to take us to Main St. Park City for a post-party at Downstairs.  And the festivities didn't end there - we hosted a breakfast in our suite the following morning to say our last good byes and soak up the remaining moments of an amazing weekend!  And then, before we knew it, a year's worth of planning had come to a close and we were on our way back to DC to get back to reality!  But you know what, when you love life, reality isn't all that bad to get back too :)

The crew came over after a long night to say goodbye...and for bagels :)

Since being back, things have been busy playing catch up from a few weeks of doing nothing but wedding stuff.  Seth is still loving his new job, and I am starting the last week of my clerkship tomorrow.  With job interviews already lined up for a summer associate position next year, things are looking good :)  We are so lucky and blessed and recognize that every day...but mostly, we are blessed in the friendship department to have as many wonderful loved ones as you :)  Speaking of which, this Saturday, April 6, we get to see even more of our loved ones at the Open House that Mom is throwing!  Can't wait to see you there or wherever out paths may cross...but until then, just know you are loved very much by us :)  xo

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Dr. Jen Make a Housecall

Well, it's the end of another weekend, and I'm exhausted - totally not ready for a full week of work...but the show must go on :)

This weekend one of my best girlfriends, Jen, came to town.  Jen and I went to middle/high school together and have been close since then.  She is in Optometry School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and had a break this weekend...and luckily for me it coincided with both a break for Seth and I, so Jen hopped on a plane and headed to DC to see us :)

From the moment she got in on Thursday, it was a blast!  We spent most of the weekend eating...and eating some more!  But no more of that for a while, cause it's only 2 weeks til the wedding and I gotta make sure I fit into my tux :)

An extra bonus this weekend:  my cousin Chrys and her daughter Riley were in town, so Seth finally got to meet them!  Chrys' husband, Tom, is one of the coaches for the Colorado Rockies (who were in town playing the Nationals), and they were here for the game.  After a nice lunch with Chrys and Riley, we spent the evening at the baseball diamond and the Rockies pulled of a win :)

Seth, Jen, and I in the "Bullpen" outside the Nationals stadium.

After getting some much needed rest, it was up and at 'em on Saturday for another busy day of fun and friends.   Saturday evening we had a dinner party - salad, chicken enchilada casserole, chocolate chip cheesecake, and whit sangria - YUM!  Spent the first part of the night visiting and playing games before heading to Georgetown for a night of dancing.  It was actually really fun and, by the end of the night, my shirt was completely soaked in sweat...so I guess I got my workout in :)

Jen getting ready for the party.

Jen, Me, and Tensie at McFadden's.

Today, after some much needed sleep (although not quite enough), we got up and headed off to brunch before taking Jen to the airport.  But this brunch wasn't just any brunch - it was DC's infamous Drag Queen Brunch!  We had been talking about going for a while now, and today we finally made it.  They have a yummy all-you-can-eat buffet, and the Drag Queen performances are an added bonus (for those who have never seen a Drag Queen perform, they are usually hilarious!)

Seth and a Queen.

Work those hips Queenie!

After going into a food coma and dropping Jen off at the airport, Seth and I headed home to wrap-up another weekend.  Seth starts his new job in the morning, and we officially begin the final countdown for to the Big Day!  Speaking of days, it's almost midnight and tomorrow is another day, so I'm off to bed.  Until the next time - much love!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Summer Time, In the City

Time flies when you're having fun!  I can't believe it's already July and the summer continues to fly by!!!  But never fear, we are taking advantage of being here :)  DC is such a fun city and, while we do miss SLC tons, DC has lots of good points too!

Dog Parks - DC is doggy central...seriously!  There are so many single people/gay couples who adopt dogs as their 'kids,' that there are so many dog parks (and nice ones too!) to visit. Recently, Seth and I went to DuPont Dog Park and took Honey for a play date with some friends :)  As you will see below, Honey loves the city too. She is our little bundle of joy and we love her!!!

Honey loved some FroYo...but it made her gassy :-/

Honey in DuPont Dog Park :)

Old Friends - Another great thing about DC is the fact that I have quite a few long-time friends around.  On the 4th, Seth and I enjoyed a day full of friends!  We started out at the Nationals Game with Emily, Patrick, and Matt.  They are all Cubs fans, but luckily the Nats pulled it off in the end (and of course it happened after we left!).  After the game, we grabbed a dessert and headed to Brooke's boyfriend Matt's house for a BBQ.  It's been nice having Brooke and Amy back around (we missed them!)...plus they provided some good eats, so that didn't hurt either :)  

Nationals Game on the 4th of July

So vain...Seth and I at the BBQ :)

History - Finally, yet another great thing about DC is all the history associated with the city!  To end our 4th of July celebrations, Seth and I headed down to the National Mall to watch the fireworks - we even got to hear the end of the concert on the Capitol steps.  Last year we got there too late to actually see the fireworks, so it was nice to get to see them in person this year!  

The Capitol all lit up to celebrate the 4th of July!

No, the Washington Monument isn't on fire, those are
fireworks.  Oh, and don't mind his head :)

All in all, the 4th of July (and the summer thus far) has been great and we are grateful to live in the Nation's Capital to remind us how lucky we are to live in the U.S.A.  We hope this post finds you well and enjoying your summer just as much!  God bless each of you, and God Bless The U.S.A.!!!

Marissa and Peter's Wedding

What a whirlwind of a past two weeks this has been!  First, and foremost, Seth got a new job!  Hooray!  His old employer really wasn't a good fit for him (or anyone else apparently since they have such a high turnover!), so Seth had been looking for a new job for the last few months.  He went in for an interview with a new company, MarketSmart, on a Friday morning, and got offered the job that same evening...they must recognize that MegaSeth talent within :)  Seth gave his notice and has been enjoying some much deserved time off before starting his job next week.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect either, because he didn't even have to use vacation for our trip to L.A.  Speaking of which, we had such a good time!  For those who don't know, my sister Marissa got married to her new husband Peter.  We first met Peter (who is such a great guy!) in January when Seth and I went to visit them during New Year's.   And before we knew it, their wedding weekend arrived!  On Thursday, Dad, Seth, and I headed to BWI and were off to L.A.  We arrived pretty late, but not too late to avoid a stop by In-N-Out Burger - yum!  When we got to our hotel, Marissa had nice welcome bags awaiting us (which made me realize how many small details we still have left to take care of - yikes!) and it was time to rest up for the weekend ahead!

Friday was the rehearsal dinner.  But before that, Dad, Seth, and I headed to Santa Monica Pier for a stroll and then ran to Beverly Hills for lunch.  For those who aren't familiar with the Real Housewives, Seth and I are huge fans - and our favorite season was Beverly Hills.  For lunch, I made reservations at my favorite housewive's (Lisa Vanderpump) restaurant called Villa Blanca, which is right by Rodeo Drive and all the craziness that is Beverly Hills.  Although Lisa wasn't there, the food was good and I was happy to hear that she was off filming a new season <3

Villa Blanca <3

Pepe Roman and Mista Seth on Via Rodeo Drive

After a busy morning, we headed off to the rehearsal dinner and it was so much fun!  The entire wedding weekend actually took place in Marissa and Peter's backyard.  They have been constructing a guest-house/party room in their backyard and doing a lot of landscaping changes to get ready for this, and it looked wonderful!  The soon-to-be newlyweds hosted a delicious buffet and a top-shelf, open bar :)  The highlight for me was the toast that Dad gave ( click the link to watch http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100113388969569&comments) - who knew Pepe had that in him!? :)  Anyway, it really was fun to have all of the family together and to get to visit with other friends and family.

A hand-drawn family tree was part of the decor!

The Wedding Party at the Rehearsal Dinner

After a fun night rehearsing and partying, the Big Day had finally arrived!  We had some time before the ceremony, so Dad, Seth, and I headed to Manhattan Beach to try some fish tacos and enjoy the beach (before heading back to lame, East Coast beaches!)  Soon enough though, we were changing into our wedding clothes and off to the ceremony.  Marissa (as did all of the bridal party for that matter) looked beautiful and the ceremony was short, sweet, and screamed 'Marissa!'   They had so many nice little touches - from mints in the bathrooms, to a live band, to delicious food - which helped the evening to turn out wonderful...2 thumbs-up!  During her toast, Marissa even gave a shout-out about our upcoming wedding - so thoughtful!  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and danced the night away til we couldn't dance anymore!   

As Husband and Wife - Marissa and Peter...Congratulations!!!

Joe and Marissa gettin' down to the music!

The Lovebird Cake - yum!

After all was said and done, all still wasn't said and done :)  Marissa and Peter hosted a farewell brunch for all of their family and out-of-town guests - YUMMM!!!  Brunch may well be my favorite meal, so to have an omelet station, delicious pastries, and fresh juice/coffee is heaven!  After stuffing our faces to the max, it was time to say our goodbyes and head to LAX for our flight home.  

Brunch Time :)

Dad forgot his salad fork...so he improvised with his fingers :)

Well, that about sums up Marissa's Wonderful Wedding Weekend.  We had such a good time and are so happy for Marissa and Peter, and to them we say "Bendiciones!"  And now, only 18 days til we see them (and hopefully you!) again for our big, fat, Utah wedding!!!