soccer and other spring fun

Spring is finally here and we've been making the most of it by playing lots of soccer. This year I'm captaining the GW alumni team which has kept me extremely busy but the roster is finally in order and we had our first game Saturday. The alumni league is one of my favorites because the people are great and because we (usually) get to play at Hains Point, an island in the middle of the Potomac surrounded on the weekends by sailboat races. It also happens to be where Sohail and I got engaged.

Sohail getting a shot off (relatively graciously!).
After our game we were linesmen for the following game. It was a great way to spend more time in the sun and scope out our future opposition.

After the soccer games at Hains Point we went to watch the Madrid - Barcelona game. I think we may have been the only non-Spaniards there.

This tree is at the entrance of our building and make me happy every time I walk by.
Anyone know what it's called?

Sunday Sohail and I decided it was about time we got a bookcase / tv stand for our apartment so we spent most of the day running around Ikea and then started putting it together.

The bookcase is a work in progress... It's about a fourth complete now.

Last night I made Shakshuka - an Israeli dish with tomatoes and poached eggs. Yum!

Very happy in the kitchen.

Cherry Blossoms

Today the weather was incredible and poor Sohail had to work so I went to the tidal basin to see the cherry blossoms which are at their peak. There were a ton of people there but it was worth dealing with the crowds to see the trees.

Andy & Caroline's wedding

Yesterday Sohail and I went out to the eastern shore of Maryland for Sohail's college friend Andy's wedding. Sohail caught up and a lot of old friends, many of whom I met for the first time. Luckily for everyone, the weather was beautiful and the wedding was a lot of fun and at times funny (like when the extremely cute ring bearer lost the rings in the grass or when the DJ introduced the groom, Andy, as Paul) but Andy and his wife Caroline have a great sense of humor so luckily they took it all in stride and added some more humor to the event.

On our way to the wedding.

the ceremony

Sohail got to catch up with his college friends

and hang out with me

this morning at the hotel

today's brunch

Lately...

We've been having a lot of fun lately. Last weekend Sarah & Barney were in town. Oddly we don't have any pictures of them but Sarah and I went wedding dress shopping and I found the dress I plan to wear at the wedding.

We also convinced Sarah and Barney to join us in throwing this parachuting bunny from the window of our apartment. I felt a bit like an 8-year-old doing it which is what made it so fun.

Last weekend we also went Eid didani (visiting family for Persian New Year). Here's Sohail playing his grandfather in backgammon.

This is Sohail's grandparents' haft sin (seven Ss). It's a table with seven objects that start with the letter S (in Farsi) each of which represent something you hope for in the new year including prosperity, good health, and happiness.

Tuesday night we had dinner with Sohail's cousins. The couple on the left got engaged over the new year but we were in Charleston and missed the party.

Vacation in Charleston

Sohail and I just got back from a fun filled week in Charleston. We were busy with lots of wedding planning but also managed to get time with family and friends in.

Because of Sohail's hard work we were able to make it down to Charleston in time to go to an oyster roast in celebration of Sarah & Barney's engagement. It was a great way to kick off the weekend and Sohail's first oyster roast. Here he is about to devour one.

With my college friends.

The next morning we went downtown to watch my Dad and brother compete in the Bulldog challenge. This was at the start of the race - looking good.

About 1/2 way through the course they had to swim through the marsh with huge sandbags.

At the finish line. Not looking so hot anymore!

Saturday night was Deena's bachelorette. Here we are at dinner.

Then at a drag show in an oddly placed and surprisingly fun bar that was right between a Seven Eleven and a Little Ceaser's Pizza

Sarah tormenting the bachelorette!

Shirin et al dancing.

Sunday morning we regrouped for a baby shower for Shirin and Kyyam.

Duckies

Watching on as Shirin opened her gifts.

On Monday, after our friends returned to their jobs, we went to this beautiful coffee shop downtown that a couple from NY just opened.

We had several tastings and meetings with wedding vendors over the course of the week. Here's Maman ready to dig in a one of the tastings.

Sohail bought shoes and Max happily ripped up all the paper.

Sohail reading French kids books after aperitif.

On a walking tour of downtown.

Playing Anna and Josh in fusbal.

Our competition was nicer (looking) than us!

Friday was beautiful and Derek took us out on his new boat.

At Castle Pinkney - an abandoned castle in the middle of the Charleston Harbor that Derek and I both always wanted to explore and finally go to.

Sohail and Derek exploring amongst a lots of pelicans.

The three of us.

Fun with Derek

and Sohail!

Afterward we went to Ft. Sumter on which the first shots of the civil war were fired. It's also in the middle of the harbor but thanks to Derek, we didn't have to take the tour boat.

Derek's boat... the small one.

At Ft. Sumter.

On our way back.

Sohail took a turn driving. He's a natural.

On Saturday we took advantage of the nice weather and went on a long walk on Folly Beach.

Max went for a dip.

getting creative

ok, so i'm not the most creative person in the world but the combination wedding + free time has led me to tap into my inner martha. here are two of my latest creations:

wedding decorations made my yours truly

first attempt at making a bouquet. the beauty of this project is that as long as i'm not completely satisfied with the result, i'll have to keep buying flowers to practice until i get it right!