31 December 2016

2016.

as each year sighs to a close, i take great joy in pausing to light a candle, pour a cuppa, and reflect on all that was written. here are a few of our favorite moments from this year...



we rang in the year wintering with french press and edith piaf records. i remember we walked across central park to see degas' dancers at the met as the first snow fell. 

together we went places -- to paris in the winter, to croatia in the fall, to new jersey for easter, to chicago and baltimore for weddings, to visit family in dallas for the fourth of july. we explored nashville in spring and welcomed summer on amelia island. we adventured in the carolinas -- greenville, asheville, lake keowee, charleston. i tagged along on christopher's work in philadelphia and dc, and we made a roadtrip of it, stopping in gettysburg to see his college campus along the way. on the hottest day of summer, we escaped to shelter island and basked in the breeze.

together we celebrated -- i turned twenty eight in paris, he turned twenty nine in the woods. we went to south carolina for my dad's birthday and my ten year high school reunion, and to new jersey for his parents' birthdays. i watched my first friend graduate from medical school. we delighted in the births and birthdays of friends' babes, and we went to raleigh when christopher became rosie's godfather. i rang in my seventh year in new york city and he started a new job in september.

we delighted in ritual and tradition -- he played soccer in brooklyn bridge park every week and joined old friends for dinner every month. i enjoyed monthly book club brunches and my annual getaway with amber and megan. this year it was to providence and newport, and i returned home with my cup filled so very full.

life was made rich with simple joys -- beach bonfires, snail mail, sunflower fields, flower district mornings in spring, apple picking in the fall, afternoon picnics in central park, welcoming each day with coffee and music. we went to coney island for hot dogs and a walk along the lonesome winter boardwalk. we swayed to beirut in prospect park. we saw the barber of seville at the opera bastille, la bohème at the met, the taming of the shrew in central park, and romeo & juliet and the nutcracker at the new york city ballet. my sweet papa came for a visit in october and i soaked up a dinner date at vinegar hill house with my two best guys. in december, we went on twelve christmas dates.

one friday in june, my christopher made the ordinary extraordinary when he proposed in the treehouse over morning coffee. we went for a happy stroll through central park, toasted champagne in the west village, and celebrated with our families all weekend long. that it was father's day weekend was the cherry on top. what a blessing, having our fathers together. we dove into planning straight away: i found an ivory lace dress, we designed rings and a black velvet tux, and our friend meg snapped sweet photos of us in beloved spots around the city. family and friends showered us with love and support and merriment -- bridal showers in south carolina, north carolina, and new york city; a bachelor weekend in the poconos. come november, we were married in charleston on a friday afternoon under a sweeping magnolia tree. pure magic, that day was. we honeymooned along the glittering dalmatian coast and arrived home just in time to give thanks, trim our first married christmas tree, and mail our first holiday cards.

what a big year, what a sweet year. on a global scale, this year saw great sadness and disappointment, but in our home, 2016 will forever be a year we hold close and dear. this year, my darling christopher gave me a ring and he gave me his name. this year, our family began. for this and so much more, our hearts feel privileged and grateful and full.

welcome, welcome, 2017. may you be meaningful, may you be bright.

6 comments:

  1. So beautiful! Happy New Year! Do you mind me asking which AirBnB you stayed in in Paris? We're on the hunt for a good spot to celebrate our anniversary this spring :)

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    1. happy new year to you! ugh i am sad to report that the owner sold our flat right after our visit. but! we agree that next time we'd stay on the left bank, perhaps in the st germain area in the 6th. that's the area we found ourselves wandering most -- we loved the galleries and cafes and cobblestone streets. also romantic (though not nearly as centrally located) would be montmartre. we didn't feel we spent enough time up there!

      i am happy to answer any questions you may have! happy anniversary and happy planning :)

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    2. Thank you! We've also been looking at a hotel in Montmartre, so that's an option. I've heard such wonderful things about St. Germain, though... it's a tough call.

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  2. Such a wonderful year for you and Chris! I am grateful to have been part of some of your celebrations and big moments. I'm so excited to see what 2017 brings for you and your new Brown family!

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