Sarah & Barney's wedding

Last weekend Sarah & Barney got married right outside of Asheville, NC. Because I know both of them from different times in my life, I got to see double the number of friends I normally see at weddings. The wedding itself was beautiful and the wedding was a lot of fun.

The bridesmaids during the rehearsal

After the rehearsal with the bride to be

the rehearsal dinner was beautiful

Gabriel, Shirin, Deena and Kai during dinner

Sohail and me

On Saturday I went for a run and then Deena did my nails. What a great friend!

Sarah getting ready as her mom looks on

The carriage Sarah took to the ceremony

This was the site. It was really beautiful!

The reception was under the tent.

it rained during the ceremony but it was still beautiful

congratulations sarah & barney!!!

After the wedding

my friends from undergrad

running to sohail

it was a beautiful reception

Sully & Emily's wedding

This weekend we went to Sohail's high school friend Sully's wedding to his girlfriend of 10 years Emily. Nate also went to high school with Sully and Sohail so we got to spend the evening with our very good friends Nate & Siobhan as well.

N & S

Where the ceremony was held.

Emily arriving with her Dad.

The bride and groom!

Nate & Sohail with Sully's cousin

looks like these childhood friends grew up to have very similar tastes in clothes.

Sully & Emily doing some traditional Afghan wedding stuff.

The food was all Afghan and amazing!

The centerpieces. Now that I'm about to get married, I notice these things.

With Nate & Siobhan during dinner.

A little dancing...

And saying goodbye to the newlyweds.

Bachelorette

My sweet DC friends threw me an amazing bachelorette party today - no tiaras I'm afraid (read sarcasm) and a day with great friends, a massage, champagne, strawberries and even a cake. And then dinner with Julie! Thanks so much everyone!!!

With Maria Clara and Alicia

Julie, Rebecca and Luna

Cutting the cake!

Yum!

After the massages, Julie and I carried on the party over dinner at Cork. Everything was delicious but this plate was particularly amazing.

bon appetit

Tonight Sohail's dinner was smiling at him. Mine was a cyclops....

Rehoboth Weekend

Last weekend Sohail and I took, what has become and annual, beach trip. It was great! We've both been working a lot so we did a lot of nothing.

The drive out takes us through lots of farmland and by old houses like this one.

Our first night there we took a long walk on the beach. You have to use your imagine here but envision an almost full moon reflecting off the ocean.

We spent a lot of time watching, what seemed to be every middle and high school boy on the beach using their skin boards.

And we napped...

and napped...

and stared at the sky...

and hung out on the beach.

handsome Sohail.

Soccer Semi and Final

Today was the last day of our CAN (alumni) soccer league and it was hot hot hot - 95 in the morning for the semi-final and over 100 in the afternoon for the final. In the end, we won the semi-final 3-0 against Cal and we lost the final 1-0 to Florida State but I think at that point no one could run, much less walk, on either team and we were just relieved to hear that last whistle. Sohail and I haven't ever felt this sore! That being said, I'm always a bit sad to see the CAN season come to an end because it's my favorite team and league and it's only in the spring season every year. The nice thing is that I did my masters with most of the people on the team and I've seen all of them regularly for the past 5 years - it's like an extended family.

Colin - still running!

Kwame

A bunch of us.

Maybe one of our goals.

World Cup Party and other weekend fun.

This weekend my Mom was back in DC on her way home from her trip, Sohail planned a party for the World Cup final, and we did lots of wedding-related stuff so it was a fun soccer & family-filled weekend.

Maman working on invitations!

Part of my family

This is the feast Sohail made for the World Cup final. Sadly he made it all by himself because I was working but it was really delicious - salad with sweet potatoes, yellow raisins and homemade dressing as well as vegetarian paella. Sohail's Mom brought kotlet - a Persian dish. Needless to say it was the most delicious World Cup final I've experienced.

Watching the game.

We'd also played soccer the day before - almost as well as Spain and the Netherlands.

Sadly my Mom's return means Max's departure which means I came home today with no warm greeting and reason to go to the dog park :-(

4th of July and a new job...

As many of you know, I started a new job a little over a week ago and lucky for me I started just in time to get invited to the firm's fourth of July party. The firm has an amazing roof deck that overlooks the White House, Treasury Department, and the Washington monument and a great view of the fireworks. Come visit me on the 4th next year and you'll be invited! Otherwise the job's going wonderfully.

Fireworks with the White House in the background

The Treasury Department and Washington monument

Floods of people leaving the National Mall after the end of the excitement