Saturday, January 26, 2008

A Lovely Year

So, we are all set up here for a romantic Valentine's Day night, but it's still January and so I would like to take a bit and remember this incredible 2007 our family just had. It was a big ol' year for us: I left Pier 1 and Lindsay stopped teaching at the College of New Rochelle (an hour and a half from home). I (with my two great friends Adam and Katie) wrote a play that I am very proud of and that was seen on both coasts. Lindsay passed her French test (which means she can translate French now... so, that's handy) and she passed her "First Exams" which consisted of a panel of professors quizzing her on any part of Theatre they wanted (any part) for two hours--this following her 4-hour written exam. So we're pretty glad that's over.



We also went abroad. For Christmas last year Lindsay gave me tickets to Paris and 6 months later we were with my brother Spencer and his wife Joanie (Pead) in the deep reaches of the forests of France (incidentally, there are monkeys in those deep reaches). The picture above was taken at Haute-Koenigsberg , a restored medieval castle in the Alsace region of France. It was life changing, and will be a fondest memory always. It is one thing to be in a beautiful place, but to share it with people you love makes it all the better.

We also made it home twice this year: First for the Livingston trip to Flaming Gorge/ Adamson trip to Lagoon (both sublime), and Second for the actual Holidays (working retail, you tend to shift your holidays to a few weeks later, when you're allowed to leave your store). It was fun to head out on adventures with our families, but the people are the real draw, and they were at their prime.

Here at home we have lost some great friends to moving (Liz and Jared (then Hank) headed off to Zion), and we have gained some great friends to moving (Nathan, Suzie, and Syd, Lord Love a Duck where would we be with out you?!). We live in a great ward that is full of great people who we love. We teach the 5-7 year olds and it's great; also, in October we celebrated our 1-year anniversary of working in the Manhattan Temple, a calling we adore and are reminded every week we work how blessed we are.

It has been an amazing year, and what's more, we have an amazing year ahead. We've already been to LA (Disneyland and Adam's House) this year, and Lindsay has been accepted to present at three different conferences this year (one in LA, one in Buffalo, NY and one in, that's right, Honolulu!) And I have just been offered a job at Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center, where I am an Assistant Manager of their Home Department (and could not be more excited!)

And so we blog and hope to keep it up (Liz said we need to be consistent for two months before we'd be forgiven). So keep with us, gentle reader, and we will (hopefully) give you reason to.

15 comments:

Unknown said...

CONGRATS!!! I am officially jealous of your job. I heart Athropologie/ Urban Outfitters! I could hear go on a retail tirade about how and why I love them and think their retail model is so smart and relevant, but that would bore everyone. So, congrats.

Anonymous said...

Ooh la la, Anthropologique! C'est bon Patrique, très bon. {Just a little Français for Lindsay to take a crack at...}

Hailey said...

That is all so great. Thank you for the update! I am impressed with all of your achievements over the year--I wish I could have seen that play!

Anonymous said...

p.s. Did we mention that we find your French jungle picture exquisite?

Anonymous said...

you forgot to mention our sweet rumble on garden street, you can't tell me that wasn't memorable!

also i didn't see a mention of scout, he's probably feeling left out.

Lisa said...

Congrats on a stellar year!!! We are so glad we got to see you and that you are blogging more regularly! You guys are amazing!

S&F Seminario said...

Here here...the picture is so wood-spritish. I love it. Congrats on the job. Please blog pictures of your apartment decor there in Hoboken sometime because I always like to see your stylish digs.

Mr. Westenskow said...

France, LA, New York...BFD. From our house I can get to Salt Lake City or Provo in 30 minutes flat. It's real exotic.
OK, so I wish I were you. I really dream about New York every night. Riding the subways, buying food from street vendors, working at a place with a French suffix. I think from now on I'll say I work for the Alpine School Distriquet.

Liz Stanley said...

it has been a great year!! i carefully noted that you referred to jared and i as 'great' friends, and used that same adjective to describe your new and improved 'great' friends, the balsers. due fully noted.
PS that is SWEET about your new job, patrick and we are super proud of your hit play!

Dottie Stay said...

Congrats on all of the exciting things that have taken place and are going to take place! I am so impressed with all you do! You little well traveled, smart, happy man! Love the picture in France! Lindsay is beautiful! You are as handsome as ever your self. How is Joanie!? I forget that your borther married her. What a blast that it I am sure! That is awesome that you work in the temple. How neat. You keep up the good work and let us know how the new job goes!

topher clark said...

that all sounds super boring.

Ames and Jer-da-me said...

Congrats on the job!

Scott and Megan said...

patrick freakin livingston aka oliver! It's megan nielsen (now lee) mindy's sister...your bff from back in the day! How the hell are ya? Min said you guys found each other and I wanted to say hello and that we just adore you! my blog is www.scottandmeganlee.blogspot.com if you are incredibly bored...xoxo

Liz Stanley said...

um, hate to break it to you but once a week posting doth not a blogger you make

P and L said...

Liz: you are way too strict, okay? We're getting to it this weekend, what with the beginning of a new semester, a conference paper to be written, and Patrick's new job. WHERE IS YOUR CHARITY????

Chris Clark: You're totally lying, and we know it.

Lisa Clark: You're beautiful! Well done on Margot; that's one cute kid.

Jared: You are so right! I'm planning my Scout-centric post right now.

To the rest of you:
Thanks for reading and being so kind! We miss you all and had so much fun seeing a lot of you when we came to utah.

New posts coming soon (like, tomorrow, okay, Liz?)