This week we walked to go see the Capitol Christmas Tree, the “People’s Tree.” It is decorated by the people, specifically the school children of Washington this year, covered in Gatorade bottles and tin pie plates turned ornament. Democracy at its finest.

I can’t stand in front of that tree without thinking about that night two years ago when I mistakenly thought James was going to propose there, when I stubbornly refused to leave that tree without a ring that wasn’t coming, and when I cried most of the cold walk back to my house and dramatically told my roommate that I was just going to have to break up with him because I couldn’t take the waiting any more. Now we can stand at the tree and look up and laugh as we remember.

Memories like that, funny memories, sad memories, happy memories, are all over this little corner of the city that we have called home for a couple years now. They mark the sidewalks and streets, the parks and gardens, the restaurants and coffee shops. As I walk through this city I pass through spaces made special, made familiar, made important, by the memories they hold.

Thanks DC, you’re a pretty great place to live and love.

PS: These pictures are from our engagement by the wonderful Alumbra Photography. On a totally unrelated note, I got bold and whacked off some hair yesterday. I am now rocking some blunt bangs and new layers that have me feeling like a rockstar and have James feeling confused. I am also pumped for the Sing Off starting on Monday because one of my former students (the ones who sang at the wedding!) is competing and I am crazy excited to know a star. Oh, and our besties Stephen and Leslie, whose wedding James and I were in earlier this fall, just shared their wedding photos  and I wasted half of yesterday drooling over them. None of these things is really worthy of its own post so I’m just tacking them on here. Happy weekend.