{We Don't Fit!}

Despite my degree (& graduate work), I CHOSE to leave my position as an Executive Assistant at a Top-100 law school to become a homemaker. Despite his (music) degree, my husband owns a modest renovation business that provides enough, but not excessively, and only through hard manual labor. I work part-time from home for a non-profit that I love just so that we have health insurance, and he plays music part-time because it makes him happy. We JOYFULLY do without so that we can enjoy the things & experiences that we DO have, and everything else works itself out.
WE DON'T FIT INTO YOUR PERCENTAGES!! :)

{Just One Year Ago...}

Just one year ago, on September 25th, 2010, Jean and I were married.

Here's a look at our first year...

We traveled near (Miller/Feldmaier wedding in Michigan; October 2010)...

...and far (Caribbean honeymoon cruise; November 2010)

Caribbean honeymoon cruise; November 2010

We celebrated our heritage (Scottish Walk - Alexandria, VA; December 2010)...

...and the start of a new year (New Year's Eve; December 31, 2010)

We drank green beer (ShamrockFest - Washington, DC; St. Patrick's Day 2011)...

...and drank in culture (Duke Special at The Met - New York City, NY; March 2011)

We enjoyed international music (Duke Special at Mandy's birthday party; March 31, 2011)...

...and some a little closer to home (Jean playing with the Justin Trawick Group)

Some days we were forced to rest (Jean meets table saw ; May 2011)...

...and others we welcomed a break (Summer 2011)

We were hired for jobs (Mandy is officially hired by the NSA; May 2011)...

...that didn't seem like work (NSA Conference - Ft. Worth, TX; July 2011)

We mourned the end of an era (midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2; July 2011)...

...survived unheard-of earthquakes (5.8 earthquake hits the East Coast; August 23, 2011)...

...and multi-day power outages (Hurricane Irene; August 2011)

We spent time with friends (Duke Special Boardies in NYC; March 2011)...

...and family (Jean and the nieces; Summer 2011)...

...both old (CHS friends Megan & Jeremy; September 2011)...

...and new (welcome baby niece Kirby; September 2011)

We gazed upon beautiful sights both far away (UK trip; August/September 2011)...

...and closer to home

Yet through it all...

The Finstads kept it classy...
(Bushmills Distillery - Bushmills Northern Ireland; September 2011)


Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. -Rose Franken