Team Kappas

XY marks the spot!

2012-01-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

We learned today that we're having a baby boy! Nick successfully contributed a Y chromosome (OK, genetics nerd impulse is now over) and we have 5 months to figure out how in the world to raise a little boy (I remind you all that I come from a family of all girls). The 19 week anatomy ultrasound was really interesting beyond that- we got to see all the major organs, skeletal system and brain lobes. Thankfully no major congenital defects were detected. I'm going to spare you all from more ultrasound pics (and spare my son from prenatal exposure embarassment), but you can take our words for it, he definitely is a he (or as the ultrasound technician pointed out and labeled "HIS BOYNESS"). His head was nuzzled deep towards my spine, so I even get to go back in a month to take some more accurate measurements of his profile length. Yet another chance to see him growing and changing.

In other news this month, we've been busy with work as the Spring semester is in full swing for me and Nick has been traveling quite a bit for new and existing business. We got to celebrate RFR's one-year birthday and had a nice visit from VK. We can't wait for her baby boy PGK to have boy cousin to play with!

I've included a recent photo of my baby bump so you can chart my ever-widening torso:

Bump at 10 weeks vs. 18 weeks. It's amazing what two months can do. From a gummy bear to a softball!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T13:23:00.000-05:00

We traveled to see most of both our families this holiday season- which turns out to be tiring yet enjoyable. We spent a few days, including Christmas Day, with the LaRocque/Spencer clan near Nashville, TN. Danielle and Jason recently moved to a new home that was perfectly decorated for the holiday season. Jackson really enjoyed his Christmas and loved opening all his gifts. He was certainly spoiled by all his grandparents and aunties! His favorite gifts were a wooden train table, wooden kitchen set, a Little Tykes ridable police car, and his art easel.

Ready for church!

Jackson wanted to know what shaving was like. Uncle Nicky introduced him to shaving gel, which was quickly followed by an attempt to make Uncle Nicky eat the foam.

We flew back to DC on the 26th, only to load up the car and drive directly to Blacksburg, VA, where we spent a few days with the Kappas/Keriazes group. As always, the food was delicious and bountiful, and we both now need some time to work off all the excessive holiday cheer. We also had a chance to meet up with some dear friends and it was great playing catch up with MD and SW.

Little nephew Peter K. One of the most smily babies I've known.

We're now into week 15 of the pregnancy and everything is still progressing well. I've had to say goodbye to buttoning my regular jeans now, and have resorted to using the Bella Band (love this creation- it allows me to keep wearing all my regular pants comfortably), or maternity jeans (I haven't quite accepted these yet). I hit the payload with maternity clothing from Danielle. It's nice to be on the same track with the seasons- I get to use all her clothes! I came home from Nashville with a duffle bag full of winter attire.

14 week baby bump. Sporting my super awesome maternity jeans now. Please insert sarcasm in "super awesome."

Our New Year's Eve will be much quieter than our past, due to the inability to imbibe and my lack of desire to be driving around late at night with people that have imbibed are also driving. We'll have a nice dinner with friends in Towsen, MD and look foward to ringing in the New Year. 2011 was a very eventful and exciting year, and I'm sure 2012 will be just as happy and blessed.

The Kappas Family is Growing!

2011-12-18T11:25:00.008-05:00

As if a new city and a new job wasn't enough change for one year, we decided to throw a baby into the mix. We are starting our second trimester and so far everything is thankfully healthy and happy. The baby is due June 20th and we're getting excited about the new addition. We kept it a secret for so long, but were documenting the first trimester none-the-less. This posting will be a little long, in order to share all the past photos related to the last 13 weeks of pregnancy.

We're positive! I still took it two more times. The nerdy scientist in me had to repeat the test.

9 week ultrasound confirm there's definitely a little gummy bear in there. I got to see the heart beat for the first time.

13 week ultrasound. Gummy bear now resembles an alien baby. Everything looks healthy and progressing well. I was impressed that we could see the brain (seen in this shot), bladder, spine, and heart.

13 week ultrasound- five fingers waving hello! Looks like a scary Skeletor hand, but I'm sure with time it won't be so creepy.

Baby bump at 9 weeks. Yes, I know it's not a bump at all. This is a reference point to see what it looks like before my body gets out of control.

Baby bump at 13 weeks. Not much to the untrained eye, but I can certainly tell a difference. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be fitting into the regular pants....

Onwards and Upwards?

2011-04-09T09:06:00.005-04:00

I can go on and on about how lame and busy I've been to post anything (since September!??!!), but I won't make a list of excuses. I'll just apologize and get right to the newest announcement for Team Kappas/LaRocque:

We're moving to Washington, DC!

Go Hoyas!

After a very lengthy and emotionally and mentally exhausting job search for an assistant faculty position, I ended with two job offers: one from the Biology Department at Yeshiva College (NYC), and one from the Department of Human Science in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University (DC). There were a lot of factors that came into the final decision, including geographical locale, job opportunities for Nick, best academic fit for myself, blah blah blah. But at the end of the day, we knew that NYC was a short-term gig for us, and moving more South (and closer to both families) was a great opportunity. The Department is a small, undergraduate-only department and the faculty there are fantastic (very much like a family already). The students are fantastic as well. I'll be teaching undergraduates (Intro to Genomics and Genetics- for Nursing and Language of Health and Disease), and running my own independent research program where undergraduates will be doing the research. It's a perfect fit for what I want to do and very excited about a position where education and curriculum development is very important and emphasized.

This is St. Mary's Hall, where my office will be and the Department is housed. My lab is across the scenic parking garage, in the Dental School Building.

So there are a lot of fun things to figure out in the next few months. I start July 1st, but this includes a 3 week stint in Chapel Hill (yay!), to re-establish my Drosophila research that I did in undergrad under the tutelage of Jeff Sekelsky. Then we'll be settling in Washington, DC. New location, new jobs, and lots of excitement!

August 2010, Trip to Mystic, CT

2010-09-19T14:05:00.004-04:00

As a wonderfully generous and creative wedding gift, family friends sent us a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast and train tickets to Mystic, CT. A great idea to have a trip for Nick and I to take that we'll remember for years and years. After waiting to find a great weekend to go, we finally went in August. The weather was perfect and it was a great weekend out of the city. Mystic is a great little Sea port town, with great food, wonderful people, lovely views of the water.

The Mystic Aquarium was incredibly entertaining. Here is the Beluga whale exhibit. We were quite impressed overall with the aquarium.

On our walk back from the aquarium, we stopped by Mystic Seaport.

View from peering inside the penguin exhibit.

On Friday, we went to dinner at the Flood Tide Restauarant. It was associated with the Inn we stayed in, The Inn at Mystic. They had great food- a wonderful lobster crepe for appetizer, and a delicious stew of locally caught fish and shell fish. And the views were great as well.

You can't go to Mystic, CT and NOT get a slice from Mystic Pizza. It was quite tasty, and the local Mystic brew was really good. Reminded me a bit of Magic Hat #9 and a bit of a raspberry aftertaste.

Waterfall on the grounds at the Inn at Mystic. So pretty!

When the drawbridge goes up.... This weekend there was an annual arts fair in the downtown area (here). It was a great event so we could peruse through local arts and crafts. The weather made it perfect for being outside.

Jackson's baptism, and his first visit to NYC

2010-09-19T13:36:00.006-04:00

It's been way too long since I've posted anything, and its a shame because we had quite an eventful summer, including Jackson's baptism in July (Nashville, TN), and his first visit to NYC. First the baptism:

He was baptized in July in D and J's church in Nashville, TN. I was his godmother, and their dear friend Frank was his godmother. Nick and I flew to Nasvhille and joined all of Jackson's grandparents, his Aunt Linde, and cousins of the Zander sort. We had a great visit and of course a great baptism. Jackson screamed when he was being baptized, and a parishioner came up to us afterward and said " Its OK that he cried. It just means that it took." The cutest thing to say, and it must have taken. A lot.

Jackson snuggles with Mom before the big event.

Newly baptized! I'm not sure who cried more: me, or Danielle. I love how cross-eyed Jackson is in this shot. He hadn't quite mastered complete control over his eye movements (he was just 6 weeks old)....
Grandpa, Meme, Kathryn, Travis, Jackson, Danielle, Jason, me and Nick.
Little Jackson, with Mom and Godmom.
Uncle Nick plays with Jackson in the way to brunch post baptism.

We were lucky to have Danielle and Jackson visit us, just 2 months later. Danielle and Jack flew up for the weekend to visit NYC (Jackson's first trip to NYC). He had already flown to Charleston for a trip at the end of July, so he was no longer an amatuer in the skies. But this trip was much more different, as it was too NYC! We had a great visit with them both, mostly hanging in the apartment and wandering the streets (in a good way) and Central Park. On Saturday, Aunt Dee came from NJ to visit and meet Jack for the first time (the other part of the Zander contingency). I only have a few photos, as I learned that I have lost my camera battery charger. But enough to remember the wonderful weekend.

We went on a nice long walk in Central Park. And Jackson got his first big swing experience. He seemed to like it. Mom on the other hand got motion sick. Gone are the days of hours and hours on the swings :).
Danielle and I shared a room growing up. Each October we LOVED decorating our entire room for Halloween. We no longer have a room to decorate with each other, but now I can decorate Jackson! I got him this heinously cute Jack o' Lantern outfit with hat.
Very easy to be happy holding such a sweetheart.
Snuggle bug.
Jackson's make-shift play mat. It included toys Danielle could fit in her carry-on, a Virginia Tech blanket, and a box of huggies wipes (he really liked the crinkly sound). He played here in practically the entire time he wasn't sleeping.

Emily and Brian's Wedding

2010-06-22T09:01:00.008-04:00

On May 29th, our dear friends, Emily and Brian, wed in Baltimore, MD. It was such a fun weekend. We arrived on Friday for the rehearsal in the Lithuanian Park, and then dinner at Brewer's Art. Dinner was delicious, and their beer was amazing. Toasts, etc ensued and it was a great kick off for the wedding weekend.

On Saturday, Nick and I explored Baltimore a bit, walking down to the Inner Harbor and having lunch on the water. We then ventured back to the hotel so I could get dress and kick my bridesmaid responsibilities into high gear. The afternoon/evening rush before the wedding included putting the tables together (the flower arrangements had been prepared the day before), tieing ribbons on the napkins, setting up placecards, hanging flowers in the park, and putting the finishing touches on the reception hall. It was fun to share this with the other bridesmaids, Sara, Jen and Mindy and bridesman, Zach. Nothing like bonding over a pre-wedding frenzy! Although now I've seen the pictures of the groomsmen who were simultaneously chilling on the deck with beers in hand, I've decided I'm going to be a groomswoman for weddings to come ;).

The ceremony was beautiful (I cried twice), and of course the couple was amazing. The post ceremony cocktail party was in the park, with Brandy Slush provided by the Fisher family (deliciously intoxicating). The reception was a very yummy crab cake dinner followed by an amazing cake, baked by bridesmaid Sara herself and an assortment of cookies provided by various guests. E and B's friends from down the street offered their backyard patio/garden for the post party which was also super fun and very chill. The first time we got to really hang out with the Bride and Groom, so I really appreciated that.

It was a wonderful weekend and I was so happy to share it with E and B. Many blessing and well wishes for the rest of your days together to be as happy and full as love as your wedding day!

Emily is a bride! And a gorgeous one at that. Waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Handsome groomsmen.
First kiss as hubby and wife. So perfect!
Brandy slush = refreshingly cool and delicious.
We bridesmaids know how to class it up, don't we?

My first visit with Jackson Edward

2010-06-22T08:14:00.004-04:00

I know its been forever since I posted, and I still need to add some about a fantastic wedding in Baltimore, but I wanted to post about my trip to Nashville, TN last weekend to see my little nephew for the first time. It was a short trip - arriving Friday night and leaving in the wee early hours on Sunday (no delays- I was actually a half hour EARLY on Friday night!). But I knew I couldn't wait until our planned visit in July for his baptism to see this little sweet angel.

He was only 9 days old when I met him, and the sweetest newborn I've ever met. He just snuggles and cuddles and sleeps. I love his little exhales and his sweet baby milk breath. He's so soft and warm and is everything that is perfect in the world.

I was obviously more than thrilled to also spend time with Dani and Jason (her blog can be found here). They embody how wonderful spouses should be to each other and what great parents should be. Dani was still on the mend from her rough labor and delivery (including a C-section), so it was nice to be able to make sure she had what she needed (and give Jason a little bit of a breather). I cooked dinner Saturday night (pork tenderloin, roasted red potatoes, and green beans- super easy but yummy), and made a cheese-enchilada casserole to freeze for them to have this week. It was so wonderful shopping a Publix (HUGE aisles and great prices compared to Manhattan) and it was also so enjoyable to cook in their beautiful kitchen (esp. compared to our closet-like kitchen). We also took advantage of Jason being out of the house when he mowed the lawn and made him his Father's Day gift. A framed set of foot and hand impressions and a photo of Jackson. It was so fun taking the impressions of his little feet and hand (although I'm not so sure how much Jack appreciated it)....

The weekend was wonderful and I'm so glad Nick and I were able to send me to give Jackson our love and blessings. Now I'm just counting down the days until his baptism!

Here are just a couple of my favorite photos of the weekend:

My first snuggle with Jackson on Friday night. He made the cutest faces for me.
On Saturday we had a fun photo session.
Jackson was like our little puppet.
Who needs professionals when Dani has a good eye with the camera and Jason is great at holding backdrops?
One of the photos I snapped during his photo shoot.
I love this baby.
We spent Saturday evening enjoying some fresh air on the back deck.
Jack was in heaven (and we were too, of course).
Sisters (+ one!).
I'm so proud of her and Jason. They're wonderful parents and wonderful spouses to each other.
Teamwork at its best.

April 17th, 2010: Kate and Michael's wedding

2010-04-18T18:41:00.003-04:00

This weekend, I went to Charlottesville, VA (via Richmond) to visit Nicole, Akash, and witness the nuptials of Kate and Michael at King Family Vineyards in Crozet, VA. We had a wonderful weekend and the wedding was fantastic. Incredibly fun, beautiful setting, and good times with Nicole and Melissa. Unfortunately, my camera was acting up and I didn't get any photos of the reception. But you'll have to take my word for it that it was a very fun night!

Beautiful view of the mountains at the ceremony site.

Kate and Michael taking their vows. The ceremony was so sweet, and included flowers being blown off the arch, the minister dropping the wedding band, and Kate's veil really REALLY wanting to be gone with the wind. It was a fabulous time!

The rest of the weekend was great too. Nicole and Akash were generous hosts, and I got to see the house they bought! You can follow the home-buying adventures on Nicole's blog. We ate great food at Feast! (rosemary ham and cheese baquette) and a yummy brunch and Horse and Hound (Buttery Fig and cheese sandwich) I always love my trips to Charlottesville, and this was definitely a great visit!

April 10th, 2010: Danielle's baby shower

2010-04-18T18:28:00.004-04:00

Mom, Kim (Jason's mother) and I hosted a couple's baby shower in honor of little Jackson on April 10th, 2010 at the Spencer home in Antioch, TN. It was lots of fun- families came with their kids and it was incredibly non-shower-like (my favorite types of baby showers!). No games, no awkwardness. Just hanging out, eating great food, playing bocci ball outside, enjoying the weather, and watching Jason and Danielle open up lots of gifts from their generous family and friends. Here are a few photos of the event.

My favorite twin, with my favorite nephew.

Dad, Danielle, and Mom (aka Grandpa, Mama, Jackson, Grandma).

The VERY excited couple. They were so cute and so thrilled about the expectation of Jackson's arrival.
A delicious spread of finger sandwiches, pork tenderloin sandwiches (my favorite part), fruit, cheese, artichoke/tomato/mozzarella skewers. The food was so good!

Kim did a great job designing the cake based on the cat and the fiddle nursery rhyme. Half strawberry, half chocolate. I maximized with a little bit of both :).

Baltimore bachelorette

2010-03-21T20:59:00.004-04:00

This weekend, bridesmaids and friends of dear EJF met in Baltimore, MD to celebrate her and celebrate her upcoming nuptials. We traveled from NYC, Berkeley, North Carolina, Bethesda, and were joined by some local friends for a fabulous day and night.

Me and the bride-to-be.

We started by going out to Black Ankle Vineyards- all of our first MD vineyard experience. The day was gorgeous- plenty of sunshine and 75 degrees. A quiet 45 minute drive North and West. The wine lived up to our expectations of sub par (OK, so MD isn't KNOWN for wine), but it was still a wonderful way to spend a beautiful day.

EJF and Sarah, enjoying the cheese, bread, olives, and sandwich spread EJF so generously prepared for us.

EJF and JYL basking in the sunshine.

We then went to our hotel room and decorated it for a little cocktail pre-party, including streamers, gift bags, and Jersey Shore themed buttons.

EJF's name was "The Good Time." Mine was "The Appointment." Others included "The Position", "The Back End", "Vibe Time" among others....

Spirit fingers group shot of all the girls, and the woman on honor in the center.

We then had wonderful sake and sushi rolls at Chui's Sushi, around the corner from the hotel. Amy had made a wonderful huge cut-out of EJF's head, inspired by the Hen parties she witnessed while living in the UK. This cutout was the hit of the evening. We had so many strange looks and questions. It was fabulous.

Big Emily was hungry for sushi.

We then went out to Federal Hill for some drinks and dancing. We started at Mad River and then Mothers. The clientele seemed much younger than us, and had a little sense of shall we say 'trash' but it was fabulous.

Big Emily earns the "Mad River Bride" T-shirt.

More Snow! February 2010

2010-03-02T17:45:00.008-05:00

We got another dumping recently, and since the 21 inches broke the record for the most amount of snow in NYC in February EVER, we thought we'd document a bit of it. We spent an afternoon meandering through Central Park, taking pictures of all the beauty and watching the kids (and adults) sledding incessantly. It was so fun to watch! Here are some pics of our day:

I loved how the snow practically coated the tree in the back in this photo.

Nick on top of Belvedere's castle, look over a frozen turtle pond. In the beautiful summer months, we usually picnic on the grass that is jetting out into the pond seen at the top of the photo.

Kids (and parents) sledding!

At the foot of Turtle Pond. Belvedere's Castle is above me.

Don't think they need to worry about fishing these days...

Snow ball fight, snowmen building all on the Great Lawn.

Miscellaneous Winter updates...

2010-02-05T09:29:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile since we've posted, and I realized that if I wait for a holiday or wedding plans to post, then no one would hear from us for months.... So just a brief update of what has been going on with the Kappas/LaRocque clan:

The biggest news for our extended family is the development of the wee one inside Danielle. I most recently posted after Danielle's 8 week ultrasound. Danielle and Jason recently had the 20 week ultrasound to check on the baby. The good news was that the baby is healthy and developing perfectly. And the exciting news is that they found out it is going to be a boy! They're naming him Jackson Edward (Edward was Grandpa Zyvith's name). Here are some pictures of the 20 week ultra sound:

Danielle and Jason's baby- side view. He has Danielle's little upturned button nose!

This is a 3D ultrasound. These always make the babies a little creepy looking in my opinion, but now that I'm related to this little image, I think it's precious! His nose and lips are so beautiful!

They have photos of us underside, just to prove he's a boy. But I don't want to be the "embarrassing aunt", so I'll leave that for Danielle and Jason to share....

Nick has been busy at work, he now has medical directors that work under him, so its been a fun challenge to try the managerial side of things. He's been traveling a bit, but not too much. A couple of short trips to Orlando, Charlotte, and out to California. The short trips are nice- he's not gone too long, but he can monopolize on the frequent flyer miles :).

The science world has been really busy for me this month. My first manuscript from my current lab was accepted for publication in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology. For those unfamiliar with the world of academic research, these publications are key for success and to move on to "bigger and better" things. The next "goal" is applying for a faculty position, and in order to be competitive, I need as many of these publications that I can get. (And a cute mother, but we all know I already had that one in the bag). I've also been teaching at nights at LaGuardia Community College, part of the City College of New York system. I'm teaching Introduction to Biology (for non-majors). The preparation for it was a bear, but teaching has been an amazing experience. I always thought that I'd like teaching, since I enjoyed TAing in grad school, and I like mentoring in the lab. But I never knew I could love it THIS much! My students are great for the most part and it is truly an exhilarating experience. I instruct for almost 3.5 hours each lecture, two days a week, so I'm incredibly exhausted (add it to my typical 60+ hours in the lab each week). But I am so grateful for the experience, and I hope to do it again this summer. I love it so much that this has confirmed what I "want to be when I grow up." I'll be applying for faculty positions at Liberal Arts Colleges (primarily undergraduate institutes). These institutes still maintain a research component (ie I'll still have a small lab), but typically have strong emphasis on teaching. It's a HUGE relief to finally know what I want to do- and I'm very excited about it. Now I just have to figure out how to make it happen (and how to be patient with the lack of job openings out there).

So that's us in a nutshell. Sorry we couldn't have more exciting things to share, but winters are like that- nothing too thrilling (and we're just counting down the days till Spring!).

Christmas 2009

2010-01-10T20:13:00.004-05:00

Our first Christmas as a new family was wonderful! The holidays included a bit of traveling, but a fantastic opportunity for both of us to visit with both families. We flew to Charleston, SC on the 22nd and spent a few days with Mom, Dad, Nicole, and Akash. We had a great time: lots of food, good drink, visiting with friends, Mario Kart on the Wii, high tea, and hanging out with Grandpa Rocky.

At Charleston Place hotel, after our tradition of having high tea on Christmas Eve.
We let the boys come along this year! :)

We hitched a ride the day after Christmas with Nicole and Akash as they drove back home to Charlottesville. They were kind enough to head to Charlottesville via Blacksburg, so they could drop us off at the Kappas'. We spent five days in Blacksburg with Mom and Dad Kappas, Vicki, George and Kristina. We had a great time, mostly playing with Kristina, relaxing, eating (a lot!), and visiting with friends as well. On New Years Eve, we flew back to NY via Detroit (with only a 2 hour delay), and rung in the New Year with the Dowdys' and Company down on Wall Street. All in all, it was a great holiday season!

Theo Nicky and Kristina.

Kristina, 20 months.

Kristina kept going over to the mirror and giving herself a kiss ('makia').
It was so cute!

Theo Nicky and Kristina loved playing every night.

Christmas snow storm

2009-12-20T15:43:00.004-05:00

We had a beautiful snow fall last night, which we were actually in Upper Saddle River NJ for at a Christmas party, hosted by Nick's boss and friend. The party was wonderful- a beautiful home, delicious food and drinks and fun company! We came back to the city today and I went to Central Park to watch the kids having so much fun and take some photos of the park. I also couldn't resist using the snow that had accumulated on our balcony to make a snowman. Very pretty and since the North can handle snow fall, not inconvenient at all....

Matt, Kerry, Nick and Jan at the Christmas party in Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Our balcony with an impressive snow drift on our charcoal grill.

On the balcony, in 5 inches of snow (although they said that Central Park had a total of 10 inches).
The Pond at Central Park, frozen over.
Central Park
My little snowman, on the balcony. Corks for his eyes, carrot for a nose, buttons for a mouth, and FireBall jawbreakers for buttons. But those started to bleed red on the snowman and it looked creepy. So I had to remove them.

Our Honeymoon

2009-11-27T12:46:00.010-05:00

We left November 18th for our belated honeymoon to St. Croix, USVI. We wanted to go to the Caribbean for some sun, and lots of relaxation. Nick nor I had been there, and we read great things about it. Its the largest of the three USVI, but has the most history, and is the least "built-up." So here's some of the fun things we did:

We flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico and connected with Cape Air Airlines. We're waiting for our jump over to St. Croix, and learned we were flying in a Cessna 402- I've seen SUVs larger than this. Nick and I couldn't stop laughing at how small the plane was. There was only one other passenger besides Nick, me and the pilot, so it felt like a private jet! Here are some photos of the plane and our ride:

Our pilot on the runway.
Waiting for take-off.

View down to the Caribbean Sea.

Approaching the Southwest side of St. Croix.

After arrival to St. Croix. This plane was a trip!

After we arrived, we spent the first afternoon relaxing on the property of The Buccaneer.

Relaxing on Mermaid Beach. Our Doubloon apartment is in the background.

Sunset from our balcony. Gorgeous sunsets every evening!
From the dock on Mermaid Beach, of our lovely room.
Nick couldn't stay out of the water- he's here at Mermaid Beach.

View of Christianstead from our balcony.

The key to survival down there. The mosquitos and no-see-ums were a pain.

A day trip jet skiing was amazing. We toured the North side of the island, and then went snorkeling off an isolated island in fan coral. In this shot, Buck Island is behind us, a National Park that we went snorkeling off of a few days later. The beach there was the most pristine beach we've ever seen. Later that night, we headed to Divi Resort and Casino to have 600% return on our $20 bet at the roulette table. So fun!

Our iguana friend. He came back to our yard a few days later. He was 3 feet, head to tail and very impressive!

On our way to Buck Island National Park, where we spent the day snorkeling on the underwater trail, and enjoying the pristine beaches.
The gorgeous coast line of Buck Island. By far the prettiest beach and waters we saw during our whole trip.
Pretty rainbow. One of many, due to the small, random showers throughout each day.
Sunset on our last day, from our Doubloon, looking down on Mermaid Beach and the rest of the property.

We're gonna have another niece/nephew!

2009-11-15T13:18:00.004-05:00

Nick and I are thrilled to announce that we have a new neice/nephew in the works to add to our aunt/uncle duties with Kristina! My twin sister, Danielle, and her husband Jason are 8 weeks pregnant! They had the first ultrasound this Friday, and the baby is healthy, heart rate strong. S/he looks like a little gummy bear, don't you think? Her due date is June 26th, and they're coming to visit us in the city on December 4th, so it'll be so nice to see them. I guess when she said "now the race is on to have babies" at our wedding- they already had a head start :)

We love you already, little Gummy bear! May you be blessed with a happy and healthy pregnancy, Danielle!

Matt and Kerry's Destination wedding

2009-11-07T13:37:00.007-05:00

Nick and I spent last weekend in West Palm Beach, Florida, for a destination wedding of Matt and Kerry- two of Nick's co-workers and our good friends from NYC. Nick and I got on an earlier flight on Friday, so we could get down on time for the welcoming reception dinner, hosted by Matt's parents. We stayed at The Chesterfield Inn, a wonderful boutique hotel just minutes from the reception site. We loved the Inn- so quaint and the staff were so sweet and helpful.

Valet being festive.

The welcoming reception was at the Breakers, outdoors and the night was gorgeous. Great food, great drinks, slide shows, and good times. Here are some pics of the welcoming reception:

The guys of Medical Knowledge Group.

More peeps from Medial Knowledge Group. Including the bride!

The "fish bar" at The Breakers is where we went after the welcoming reception. The bar is literally a live aquarium, and this little clown fish loved circling around my drink.

Saturday included the wedding ceremony at St. Anne's Catholic Church, and then a few hours break before the cocktial hour and reception. So Nick and I went to the beach. Gorgeous white sand, clear blue water, and plenty of sun. What a way to spend Halloween! We thought it was a tease of what is to come with our honeymoon!

Matt and Kerry saying their vows. It was a full Catholic Mass, so really nice. The pics are aweful, due to our distance from the altar, and the inability to use flash photography. But they looked so great!

Nick before he went swimming. We kept seeing jelly fish, so I was too scared to take a plunge. Waste-deep was enough for me!

The only sun my body has seen since August. So pale!

The cocktail hour on the Ocean Lawn at The Breakers was perfect. A beautiful full moon rising over the ocean, and pristine landscaping. We then went inside for dinner, drinks, and very FUN dancing. Their live bands played the best cover songs and the bride and groom danced all night with us. It was so fun. Unfortunately, my camera battery died at the cocktail hour, so I don't have any pics of the reception. But take my word for it, the party was FABULOUS!

Wedding photos have been posted!

2009-10-19T15:44:00.003-04:00

We received the copies of all 1620 photos from our photographer! We learned that one of the ways they are budget-friendly is that they do no editing. So we have EVERY SINGLE photo they snapped that day. We sorted through them and narrowed them down to about 400. Feel free to take a look:

http://nickandjanswedding.shutterfly.com/953

There are other albums from guests that attended the wedding, so feel free to peruse through those. Honestly, I think the ones from my friends and family are as good, or better than what the "professional" photographers did. The photographer had the tendency to take a picture of the play, but not of the actors, if that makes any sense. It was like he was scared to get in close with the camera. But I knew what I was getting- so no regrets. We just don't have any beautiful artistic shots of our wedding day....

Here's a sneak peek of what you'll find:

New toys, name changes, and dress cleaning

2009-10-15T10:47:00.004-04:00

Nothing too exciting has happened in the past week, after the traumatic hair cut. But we are realizing that married life actually IS different than before. It's BETTER. I never thought that a wedding day would change things and change the way we felt about each other. But now, everything just seems better, we closer, and it's just awesome.

We received our first purchase as a married couple: an upgrade to a queen-size bed from Sleepy's. We used some of our Bed Bath and Beyond gift cards to get new linens and the new bed is great! Just 6 more inches makes a huge difference for us, and it is so comfortable. Makes getting up to go to work even harder, but getting into bed for the night even easier! We also treated ourselves to a flat screen HDTV. We went with the Samsung 40" from P.C. Richard and Son. We thought it would be a monster in our tiny apartment, but surprisingly, it looks fine (at least to our eyes). The new flat screens are so crisp and sleek that they don't seem to clutter the room at all. Can't wait to watch some football this weekend on it!

I had some monumental changes this week as well: legally became Jeannine LaRocque Kappas. Well, at least to the DMV, Social Security Office, and all my financial institutions. Still need to do my passport and contact HR at work, but I can't do the passport until after the honeymoon (I need a document with my maiden names since that's what's on the plane tickets), and I can't change over in HR until I get the Social Security card in the mail. The DMV on Tuesday was fine- but since this was a return trip after a hellacious 2 hour wait on Friday (only for the computers to crash when I was next in line), the overall experience was sub par. But I was efficient with my time (thank you notes are slowly getting done), and the license is changed. So that's all that matters. The Social Security Office was SKETCH! It was so packed, and there had to have been the least aromatic citizens at the office that day (to put it lightly). You can technically mail in your documents to change your name on your card, but since they wanted my passport, social security card, and original marriage license to be mailed in, I was a little scared of losing these vital documents. So I decided waiting 2 hours at the local SS Office was worth it. In the long run, it was, because the card is being sent to me as we speak, and all my important documents are back safely in the apartment. I did tear up though when he shredded my old card right in front of me! I've never had to replace it, so that's the card I've had since I was a baby (almost 30 years!). Ok, so I was a little sentimental that day, but come on! But it's done, and we're moving right along.

For those of you that are curious, although I legally and personally will go by Jan Kappas, my maiden name will live on in my past, present, and future publications. I'm going to keep my name professionally as Jeannine Ruth LaRocque. So that's what they'll call me at work, and what I'll publish under, since I've already published under that name. Plus, its a good compromise for me, because I'm proud of what I've done professionally as LaRocque, but also proud of what I've done personally to become a Kappas. So it suits me.

Also, for any person that wants to change their name after a marriage, I recommend using From Miss to Mrs.com. It's a great website that is so easy to use, and they make sure you've completed all the necessary forms to change everything over. Just $30 to make sure you have crossed your T's and dotted your I's. There are tons of things to do, so it's nice for them to clearly walk me through the process.

And for those looking for a place to clean your gown and preserve it, I went with Wedding Gown Preservation Co. You can order the kit online (basic for $149 and this includes an additional 3 pieces, like veil, handkerchief, etc). They mail you the box with pre-printed shipping labels for you to pack your dress and send it to them. They will clean it (mine needed it with the red wine on the back, and the dirt on the bottom!), preserve it, and pack it in a box for you to store. Not that I have any idea what I'd possibly do with it. But this seemed like the best solution.

Happy Birthday to Dr. J-Y L, and happy wedding weekend to JD of Chapel Hill!

And here's another wedding photo, just for kicks. At first, I felt bizarre in this pose, until I saw the photo. I love how the dress looks, and the Francis Marion lobby was so pretty a that morning. Kudos for Danielle for getting on the floor (literally) to take this shot!

Bye bye hair!

2009-10-09T13:31:00.006-04:00

Last night, I decided on an impromptu hair cut. I knew I wanted to trim the locks that I had grown over the course of my year-long engagement (by the way, today our one-year anniversary of becoming engaged!). I knew I wanted to cut it all off- short to medium length. I decided to walk in to a salon on the Upper West Side called Amor de Hair.

I hadn't been thrilled with my previous stylist, and this place looked nice and had prices I could afford. So Randy sits me down, and I tell him I want all the length to be cut. He suggested that if I didn't mind to cut it SHORT that I had enough hair, and it was healthy to donate. As I work at a cancer center, there was no way my guilt was going to allow my vanity to win this battle, and I decided to cut it all off to donate. 9 inches in a ponytail- GONE. The hair washer sweeping behind me made the most gastly expression when she saw what I was doing. I wanted to jump out of the chair to strangle her. My stylist did a fantastic job- the layers looked modern and sharp. They frame my face well. But it is a DRASTIC cut. I've never had it this short, especially in the back. So after about 30 minutes of crying (yeah, how pathetic is that!? Thanks Mom, Danielle and Nick for listening to my sobs!), I got over it. I felt better this morning, and realize that I will slowly get used to it, and by then, it'll be two inches longer!

I've decided to donate the hair to Children With Hair Loss. I chose this charity because they take donated hair and provide hair and wigs for children that suffer from any sort of medically-related hair loss. Not just chemotherapy patients, but burn victims, and other rare diseases. In a practical sense, they also accepted what I had to offer: 9 inches of dyed hair (as long as it was healthy). Other charities required 10 inches of dyed or undyed hair, and another accepted 8 inches, but it couldn't have been dyed. So I'm happy that through my tears, hopefully this will help someone's self esteem.

Here are some pictures of my transformation. They're taken from this morning, where I enjoyed mocking my dead ponytail.

Me with all my hair.

And then it just fell off!

And after the initial shock, I've just learned to embrace it.

Although the ponytail of disembodied hair is quite disgusting, I must say. Reminds me of a dead animal:

I also wanted to take the chance to give a shout out to others that have donated their locks: EJF and Kiki "Shine" Trowbridge. Both women had the most gorgeous hair that they also donated to and Pantene Beautiful Lengths and Locks of Love, respectively. I know so many brides that grow their hair out for their wedding day, and then just cut it off shortly after. Please consider helping out these great causes.

Best. Week. Ever

2009-10-06T15:18:00.027-04:00

Seriously. They all say "it's the best day of your life, blah blah blah." But not only was it the best day of our lives, it was the best few days of our lives, and by far! Our wedding celebrations ran circles around the other top 3 best days ever. My face still hurts from grinning ear to ear, my legs still hurt from all the dancing at the reception, and my heart has a little ache in it, missing all the family and friends that traveled so far to be a part of our special day.

So here's the skinny of what went down last week (or at least up until the ceremony):

Jan arrived in Charleston Tuesday, September 29th. First item on the To Do list: meet Mom, Dad, Danielle, and Jason (who arrived at 4 AM that day after driving all night!) at Wild Wings for beer and wings. And it was awesome. So nice to be home, beautiful weather, vacationing from work, and getting excited about the upcoming festivities.

On Wednesday, September 30th, Jan and Mom spent the morning running around doing errands, ranging from picking up my gown (!!!), to dropping of gift bags at all the hotels our guests were staying in. We met Nicole back at the house for dinner (she had left VA at 5 AM and drove straight through!). An afternoon nap on the porch (!), and a visit to see Grandpa (he LOVED having all the LaRocque granddaughters in town). I then went to pick up my groom at the airport that evening (both flights arrived early!). My favorite part of that airport run was that I literally followed Nick's plane as it flew in over the Cooper River (i was driving parallel on 526). I waved, but I don't think he saw me....

On Thursday, Nick and I had to go down to the SC Probate Court to apply for our marriage license. This process was a JOKE. They said online that we'd need our original social security cards, and our driver's licenses (made sense). We get down there, and they ask for nothing but the fee. I mean, we could have made up any name of any person of any age! But we got it done, and Nick spent the rest of the day with his family that had arrived in Charleston. I went to be pampered, getting manicured and pedicures with Mom, Danielle, and Nicole. Pale pink for my nails, and a rose for my toes. Very pretty. They clothed me in a pink feathered boa, tiara, and veil. Good times. Will have to post pics of those soon.

Thursday night we had a lovely BBQ dinner hosted by my parents. Nick's family and Jason's family came over for Sticky Fingers BBQ and Frogmore stew (and of course Sweet Tea Vodka!). It was a lovely evening, and we even got a lesson or two of Greek dancing.

Friday morning, Dr. JYL and Dr. EJF arrived (still no hitches with the airline!). Nick and I picked up the marriage license (yeah, 24-hour waiting period), and dropped it off at the church. Nick was dropped off at the Francis Marion and checked in for the night. He hung out with his family for the day, while I went to my Bridal Tea. It was fabulous! Here are some pics, provided by EJF. I'll post some by JYL when I get a chance:

The three sisters and me at Thoroughbred Club at the Charleston Place Hotel.

After a quick change, off to the rehearsal at the Holy Trinity (photos again by EJF):

Ready to rehearse!

Then we went to High Cotton for the rehearsal dinner. Hor d'oeuvres were amazing (shrimp wrapped in bacon!), dinner was delicious, and it was great to see the family and bridal party that had arrived. Pics courtesy of DLS and EJF:

Nick, Nicole, Michael, Akash, Jason at dinner.

The significant others.
Jen, Jan, Emily.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and my Dad looking like he's done something wrong.
Mom, Aunt Marilyn, and Amanda lounging on the patio.
Nick and Jan toasting to our wonderful parents.
With Danielle and hubby Jason.
Angie, Jeremiah, Raymond (2/5 of the groomsmen).

After dinner, a group of the "young" ones went to Southend Brewery where they met up with people that weren't part of the rehearsal, but here for the weekend. Jan went home to be a "good girl" and get all the necessary beauty rest for wedding day!

Saturday, October 3rd: WEDDING DAY!

We started off getting our hair done: blow outs for the moms and bridesmaids and an up-do for the bride:

Before.

Then after a quick lunch at East Bay Deli, back to the house for make up by Danielle. She was quite talented at this wedding: matron of honor, photographer, make up artist, and veil expert!

Neighborhood sign.
On Sunday, it read "Congratulations to Jan and Nick Wed October 3, 2009". Nice touch, Mom and Dad!

Getting make up done. Danielle is GOOD. And Clinique rocks.

We then went down to the Francis Marion to get dressed and Danielle took some bridal shots:

Evidence that Danielle was a veil expert as well.

This dress was TIGHT. And the snaps were nearly impossible to get....

Love this photo of the Charleston skyline. Good eyes, Danielle!

Put it all together, and we have a bride!

Out on the balcony with my bridesmaids!
Nick accidentally saw me at this point, as his window of his room looked over the ballroom balcony. Oops.
Sisters!

Mom and the bride.
I love how you can see the full gown in this shot (again, good eye, Danielle!).
After shots at the Francis Marion, we met at the church and waited for the ceremony.
Grandpa Rocky came in for a sneak peek!

The remaining part of the wedding- the ceremony and reception, and the days after the reception, will be posted at a later date. But this is what I have so far to catch everyone up with the Best. Week. Ever.

Lab love

2009-09-29T12:25:00.009-04:00

My labmates and boss threw me a wedding shower this morning right before I left for the airport. There was great food: quiches of plenty from Grace’s Marketplace, a delicious carrot cake from Financier Patisserie, and of course some bubbly to toast!

They also gave Nick and me gorgeous crystal: a vase and four champagne flutes. Modern look, and just my style! I'm so happy to finally be "old" enough to own champagne flutes! Hopefully we'll have a lot of blessings in the future and they'll be of great use!

Kathi and Aldo also sent us a beautiful bouquet of white/green flowers all the way from LA. They are gorgeous!

Pretty crystal vase. I need to add some flowers to really show it off.

One of the four crystal champagne flutes they gave us.
Ignore the nerdy science stuff in the background. I had to take these pics at work!

Pretty flower bouquet from Kathi and Aldo- all the way from LA.

Safe travels to all our guests!

2009-09-28T11:17:00.002-04:00

The wedding week has officially arrived! YAY! I've waited since October 9th, 2008 for this to come- and I'm sure it'll fly by in a blink of an eye.

Oh, and on a side note- we ordered return address labels with our new names on it: "Nick and Jan Kappas." Sounds trivial, but was super fun for me, and makes me even more excited. Don't worry though, the feminist in me wouldn't completely submit: I'm keeping LaRocque as my middle name, (Ruth will remain my Christian baptismal name for church purposes), and for my career, I'll remain Jeannine R. LaRocque. There's enough Kappas' publications out there anyway!

We also wanted to wish everyone safe and happy travels. I know we have people driving and flying, so be safe, enjoy your stay, and we'll see you all on Saturday (if not sooner)!

Love,

Jan and Nick

Almost there!

2009-09-22T14:57:00.002-04:00

Tick tock, tick tock. Almost there! We just have a last list of tiny details to take care of- and nothing more than emails and phone calls to do it. We've settled up with almost all the vendors, and now we just wait for show time! I'm sure the LaRocque and Kappas households are a mess with gift bags, gifts, decorations, bridal gifts, etc. But the two of us are saved from the pandemonium. We truly appreciate what all our parents have done to help make this happen. Mom and Dad LaRocque have been so gracious and I know they'll be great hosts to all of our out-of-town guests. And Mom and Dad Kappas have done so much for the reception and the church. Thanks to all of you for taking these things off of our "To Do" list. And MaMa LaRocque, we can never thank you enough for your part-time job as a wedding coordinator. And you thought you were retired. Ha!

V picked out a cute flower girl dress for Baby K that you can see here. Her sash will be brown, and she's going to look precious! Nick got to see her try it on for him a few weeks ago when he visiting the Hanover crew on Labor Day. She wears it, pats her chest, and says "pretty!". It'll be interesting to see if the 19-month-old will even walk down the aisle. Our bets are that she doesn't. But we love that she'll be part of our special day none-the-less. We got her a little Charleston Sweetgrass basket for her flowers, and as a keepsake after the wedding. So when she's older and doesn't even remember her Thia Jan and Thio Nick getting married, she'll have a memento to remind her she was there!

Thanks to D and J for the awesome wedding gift. In their common theme of giving wedding gifts that the groom will actually like to play with, they got us a grill with all the gadgets needed to grill out. We had delicious steaks Sunday night thanks to them. The first time we've grilled out in NYC. The balcony of our apartment is perfect for grilling. Wish we had had it for the whole summer. Next year for sure!

22 days away and I just don't care!

2009-09-10T12:01:00.002-04:00

Ok, so before you freak out that this is a completely negative post, I mean my title in a very good way. Emily sent me a great link to a blog today that you may enjoy. The point of the post: Adopt a F*$k it mantra for your wedding and just LET THINGS GO. I've been planning this wedding for 11 months now, and as we get closer and closer, I've just let go of being in control of every last detail. And it feels great! We've had a lot of things happened that were out of my control: a dozen extra invites that families want at the last minute, pleas to allow children to attend, disappointments associated with regretful replies. And while my initial reaction was to get flustered, I have just said "F___ it." And roll with the punches.

We also had a great meeting with Fr. Frank from the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church that Nick and I are members of here in NYC. He is really one of the most liberal, open-minded, gifted and intelligent priests I have ever known. I really adore him and his genuine love and concern for the church, for Christianity, and for the church members. He has worked really hard to make me feel comfortable and welcome in the church, understanding that this is a challenge for me. But the best lesson that he taught us yesterday is that the marriage sacrament is not the end of months of planning and months of premarital counseling. It truly is a beginning of a life together, with God, that we will grow and learn as we go along with life together. Its seems so obvious, but is really a beautiful concept. I no longer am reluctant for the wedding to be over because I 'have nothing to look forward to', but incredibly excited about beginning a life together. The thought of that makes me smile.

Trip to Charleston for a wedding planning marathon

2009-08-30T18:05:00.006-04:00

I just returned from Charleston for a fantastic weekend with Mom and Dad LaRocque- visiting and taking care of tons of details for the wedding. Mom was a super help- I'm proud of her stamina and willingness to just push through the day to take care of lots of stuff! Om Friday, we left the house at 9:30 AM for my final dress fitting (fits like a glove!) and to pick out jewelry, then to North Charleston to visit Michael's craft store to get baskets for the party favors, and ribbon to decorate the cake. Then to downtown Charleston to meet with our florist at the Francis Marion. We had some time, so we took a break at Starbucks (duh), and even went shopping (and found!) my dress for the rehearsal dinner at Luna on King Street.

After meeting with the florist (she had some great ideas to add to the ballroom), we had our tasting of the entree we want to serve, and a lot of appetizers to choose. The food was phenomenal: phillo wrapped brie with pineapple salsa, crab-stuffed mushrooms with mornay sauce, veggie spring rolls with plum sauce, and (of course) spanikopita. All were delicious, so it will be hard to pick which ones to serve. The entree was fabulous too, petite filet mignon, with crabcake, roasted asparagus, and whipped potatoes. They were so good! I can't wait for our guests to have some! We finished up the day with a trip to Clinique to have my make-up done so I could pick the colors I wanted to wear the day of the wedding. And stopped off at Henrietta Smalls' Sweetgrass Basket stand at Towne Center to get the flower girl basket. It was a wonderful day- very fun, very tiring, but great to share with Mom!

Here are some pics of Saturday:

A Virginia Tech AND University South Carolina car!

Taking a break at Starbucks with Mom.

Saturday was much less hectic, but still got a bit done. First stop- pedicures! Then to pick up the rest of the goodies for the welcome gift bags for our guests. Dad was sweet to help me pack the bags. We got through half of them before I realized I didn't have enough peanut butter crackers! But we still got a lot packed and it was fun to do that with Dad. Then the three of us tried to find a non-cheesy song for the Father/Daughter dance. We have it narrowed down to about 3, but it is very difficult to find a song that isn't seeping with cheesiness. Any suggestions are most appreciated.

Dad with the goodie bags.

We then took grandpa out for his birthday dinner. A delicious steak dinner at Neil Jordan's in Mt. Pleasant. Great to see Grandpa!

Me and grandpa at the restaurant.

While I was in Charleston, Nick was enjoying an incredibly fun bachelor's weekend. Sadly, between 12 guys, not ONE picture was taken. Or maybe that's a good thing? :). Sounds like we both had great weekends and we're so excited about the fun the wedding week will bring!

Bachelorette weekend

2009-08-23T20:25:00.007-04:00

Three of my bridesmaids- Nicole, Emily, and Vicki as well as Jen came to visit NYC this weekend. We had a great time playing tourists a little bit: headed to Rockefeller center for a bit on Friday. Shopping on Saturday, then delicious pastrami sandwiches at the famous Katz's Deli in the Lower East Side. And of course we took time to celebrate our upcoming weddings: We went with Emily to try on some wedding gowns (she picked a perfect one!), and then spend Saturday night celebrating my upcoming nuptials. Cocktails and appetizers at my apartment (joined by some NYC friends), then dinner at Sazon (joined by Kappas cousins). It was a wonderful night, and a perfect "bachelorette party". My favorite party favor was by far the personalized tattoos we all wore. Sorry that Dani couldn't make it from Tennessee- would have been even better if she was here (is that possible?). But we will all see each other soon enough in Charleston. Just 41 more days!

Waiting in the hot hot heat for the subway.

All the wonderful food prepared by Emily and beautifully arranged by Jen and Nicole.

Jan + Nick 4 EVAH!

Ready to go out!

RSVP fun, ceremony program printing, and a trip to Colorado

2009-08-09T17:48:00.008-04:00

We have found that receiving the response cards in the mail is the most fun part of planning a wedding! We are so excited about all the friends and family we'll be able to see and enjoy all the sweet notes included in them! Vicki sent us the cutest filing box for the response cards, which is great to keep everything organized.

We also sent of the programs for the wedding ceremony to the printers and will be shipping all 250 of them to Charleston. The company, PrintingForLess was VERY customerservice oriented and offered us a great discount (again, all I had to do was ask!). I was able to order online, but they then called me to follow up and make sure we had ordered exactly what we wanted. I would highly recommend them. Hope the programs look as good in person as the PDF proof did. Can't wait to see them at the end of the month when Jan goes home to take care of some wedding biznizz.

Jan just got back from Snowmass Village, Colorado (near Aspen). I was there for a conference on Genome Integrity. The conference itself was great and very interesting. I enjoyed catching up with Jeff- head of the Sekelsky lab and my graduate lab. And of course the backdrop for the conference was breathtaking!

On a hike near Snowmass Village.

The view from the patio of the restaurant that catered our meals. A great scene to wake up to!

Twice we were graced with beautiful rainbows that ended at the bottom of the hill.

Invitations are out, and liquor list is made.

2009-07-20T17:10:00.003-04:00

The invitations were mailed out on Saturday- who knew that you had to pay $0.05 per envelope to have them hand sorted (I didn't want them to ruin the pretty calligraphy by stamping all over the envelope!). Definitely worth it.

Diana helped us put together a liquor list as well, by working with Gene at Clarey's Liquor Store in Queensborough Shoppoing Center, Mount Pleasant. The Francis Marion allows us to supply our own liquor, and we pay them to provide the mixers and bar tenders. A GREAT way to save money! Clarey's has worked with the Francis Marion before, and had great suggestions, and great prices! They offered the same price they charge to stock restaurant bars, and were willing to refund us on any unopened bottles we don't use!

I really had no clue how much booze to get, and different websites suggested tons of different stuff. But for those that are interested in hosting your own reception, here is what Gene suggested we do (assume drinking for five hours, with dinner, and 200 guests):
Beer: 12 cases
Wine: 12 1.5L bottles of both red and white
Liquor: vodka (14 bottles)
gin (4 bottles)
bourbon (10 bottles)
run (4 bottles)
scotch (4 bottles)
Signature drink (and my favorite part!): 1 case of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. I'm really excited about this part. We'll have these prepared for our guests as they arrive to the cocktail hour so they won't have to wait in a long line to get a drink. I know they'll need it after the hour long wedding ceremony!

Tuxedos, and (surprise!), we're ahead of the game with this one.

2009-07-12T16:09:00.005-04:00

We went to Men's Wearhouse today to pick out tuxedos for the wedding party and our fathers. According to TheKnot.com, we were way behind our list of "To Do's" for this task, so we decided to go ahead and get it done. I have realized that TheKnot.com is a bad influence, as all the other couples there were getting married in August. Even the saleswoman helping us laughed because we were so early. Can you sense a running theme of the wedding planning? Anyone who knows me isn't surprised by this, and Nick enjoys the validation when the vendors tell us we're ahead of the game. I think he laughs at me in the inside each (and every) time this happens. But its fine. Its done, and now one less thing to do.

I thought it would be pretty boring, and didn't want to go, but went with Nick for support (ie, to get him to go! :) ). But it was fun, and the woman helping us was really nice. The perk about going to a chain, such as Men's Wearhouse, is that all the groomsmen can go to their local store to get measured, then the day before the wedding, Nick will be able to pick up all the tuxedos in the store in Mount Pleasant. Pretty convenient, eh? The groomsmen will wear green vests and tie (in hopes to coordinate with the floral colors), Nick will wear white/ivory vest and tie, and our fathers will look striking in black vest and tie! All of them will be quite handsome, I'm sure.

The tuxedo.

The green vests and tie. Nick's will be ivory/white, and our fathers will be black.

Mike and Kaiti's Big Fat Greek Wedding and family visit

2009-07-05T09:58:00.006-04:00

This Thursday, we had a great time at Mike and Kaiti's Big Fat Greek Wedding, in Franklin Square, NY (Long Island). The ceremony was beautiful and I got a taste of whats in store for us in October. I've taken notes on a few things: 1) I really need to start practicing standing still for 45 minutes in heels, 2) I need to also practice walking around in a circle three times in heels and a big poofy dress., 3) I need to learn how to lead a Greek dance. Its a bridal tradition. Yikes. But the reception was amazing too. So much food! And the DJ was fantastic- a really really fun time. I've posted some pictures below.

At the alter.

Kaiti and Mike get the crowns placed upon their heads, and now walk together around the alter three times.

At the reception, Kaiti does a solo traditional Greek dance. I won't be doing this, but I will lead the Greek dance with Nick and all our guests. I'm obviously nervous about this, but Mom reassures me that 1) no one will be able to see my feet since my dress is so long, and 2) with a glass of wine in me, I won't care :)

On Saturday, the Kappas' and Keriazes spent the afternoon and evening with us in NYC. They came by the apartment, and then we took Kristina to play in Central Park. Vicki, George, Nick and I then went out to dinner (Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Kappas for babysitting!).

Kristina eating lunch in our apartment.

Play time in Central Park. We finally fit in with all the other buggies on the UWS!

Kristina loved going up and down the slide. She was so cute!

Photographer

2009-06-25T13:59:00.003-04:00

Booking the photographer actually isn't a new feat, I did this back in November when the first photographer I wanted was already booked. I still can't believe how crazy brides can be. I mean seriously, I thought I was crazy for booking things a year in advance- and to find out that I was grabbing the last open dates for so many things. Insane. My first choice Chris of Chris and Cami photography was since he did such a fabulous job at my friend Katie's wedding. He was so nice and worked so well with the bridal party. And his price was right! Photography was one of the things that came from my contributions, so I really shopped around for it. If anyone is looking for a budget-friendly photographer, I would highly recommend Chris!
I ended up booking photographers from A Charleston Wedding. I found them online, and my wedding coordinator at the Francis Marion vouched for them. I'm incredibly nervous, as I have fallen into the trap of assuming that if I'm not paying an arm and a leg, that the pictures will be awful. I'm also nervous because Nick and I have an uncanny inability to take photogenic pictures together. Luckily we'll get two photographers for the price of one, so maybe a few prints will come out OK :). This is definitely one of the many nerve-racking decisions to make. I've obviously never picked a photographer for my wedding, so I just have to go with what I think will work. So we'll see! Hoping for the best. I'll let the readers decide when I post some pics after the wedding.

This week, I also picked out the crux of the bridal gifts. Not telling! Still need to come up with a few more trinkets of lovely thoughts, but I think the girls will like it. I'm hoping to go with this weekend to pick out tuxes and get his measurements. But tasks that require both of our participation seem to be going towards the bottom of the list. It'll get done, I'm sure. I've just had to accept that it won't always be on my schedule :).

I hit a rut in my potential career in higher education

2009-06-19T14:54:00.003-04:00

What a bummer- I found out two days ago that the course I was going to teach at LAGCC was CANCELED! Due to low enrollment (can I blame the economy?!?!), they canceled my section altogether. Weeks and weeks and hours upon hours preparing, designing the course, created the lectures, writing the exams and assignments. ALL. OUT. THE. WINDOW. I am very frustrated. Not so much of the lost 100+ hours of prep time, but mostly because I lost a fantastic opportunity to test the waters of academic instruction, improve my C.V. and really try to figure out what to do with my degree.

Sigh....

The silver lining is that I now have a lot of free time on the weekends this summer. And I can concentrate on more wedding planning. And helping Emily with hers! Another plus- LAGCC already signed me up to teach the same course during their short Winter session in January. Fingers crossed that enough students sign up! They claim that enrollment during the Winter session is generally higher than Summer. Here's hoping that I'll get a chance to use all the work I've already invested.

On tap for this weekend for the wedding: picking out bridesmaid gifts (YAY- fun!), and perhaps helping Nick pick out tuxes (boo- boring! :) ).

Bridesmaid dresses are picked out and ordered!

2009-06-18T14:43:00.003-04:00

We decided on espresso brown and green to be our colors for the wedding- earth tones, yet classic. So the dresses are espresso brown (their flowers will be green and white). I really liked the parties/wedding line from J.Crew, so I went with these for a few reasons: all my bridesmaids wear J. Crew styles well, the dresses often have a great sale price, and I thought they could pick out whatever style they liked, as long as it was in brown. I'm sure they're all going to look beautiful!

Nicole and Emily decided on the chiffon Sophia short dress(for more views):

Danielle and Vicki picked the silk Sophia short dress (for more views):

Can't wait to see them in it! I'm hoping for comfy ability to move and dance!

Honeymoon in St. Croix!

2009-06-11T08:21:00.003-04:00

This week, we booked our flights to go to St. Croix for our honeymoon. We're waiting a few weeks to go, to accommodate our vacation days from work. So we fly out on Wednesday, November 18th, and come back Thursday, November 26th. Yep, Nick will be celebrating his birthday in St. Croix, and we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on a plane. But we're super excited and can't wait! We have yet to make any hotel/resort accommodations, so any suggestions would be most appreciated. This is the least commercialized islands in the Caribbean, so chain hotels and resorts and all-inclusive aren't even really options (think apartment rentals and bungalows).

We got wedding bands- its officially on!

2009-06-07T02:18:00.007-04:00

Ok, so we went to the diamond district in NYC to try to "feel out" what we wanted with wedding bands. But we found a shop that had great custom-made bands- and Nick found a band that was perfect for him! It looks great on him, and I found a great band to match my engagement ring. We played all the games that jewelers like to play (thanks, Garfield's for appropriately training me!), and we got a fair price. Not a great deal, but a fair deal. And the owners are Greek, so that was a bonus. We got our bands from Timeless Diamonds.
We chose our engravings, and ordered the bands to custom make- and shipped to Nick's parents' in Virginia (hint to all the couples to be- always ask them if they're willing to ship the rings to another location so they can charge out-of-state and no taxes! We saved a few hundred bucks). But the bands are great. Mine is very pretty; Nick's is very unique and great for him (a hard thing to master for a guy that has never worn a ring before!). So we're happy to have purchased two beautiful rings that will symbolize a lot of love, trust, and dedication. And will be in our family for forever. Yeah!!! A very exciting moment!

A shout out to Emily and Brian for booking their reception hall in Baltimore MD, for May 2010. the next best wedding. Can't wait!!!

Invitations are here!

2009-06-03T08:16:00.007-04:00

We ordered our invitations online from 1st Class Wedding Invitations. They have a great selection of modern and classic looks. Nick and I wanted a combination of both- classic, elegant, but with our wedding colors (brown and green). The price was right, so we went with these. For just over $2 per invite, it included the lined inner envelope, outer mailing envelope (with printed return address), invitation, and response card (with printed return envelope).

We then hired Genia Tyson from Art for You in Florence, SC to address our envelopes. She was recommended to me by my girlfriend, Megan. Her price was half that of three other calligraphers I had contacted in NY and SC, and her blog showed some great samples. She did a wonderful job on all the calligraphy- a nice touch to our envelopes. She even was able to address one in Greek that was going to Greece. And it looked perfect! Here is a picture of the invites and the calligraphy:

Weekend of guests and trips to Hanover, PA.

2009-05-25T20:20:00.008-04:00

Nick and I had a lovely long three-day weekend. Dr. Fisher came up from B'more to visit us Thursday evening. We enjoyed coulis' and dinner on the balcony. Friday we had to work, but both of us skipped out a little early for a nice evening of cocktails and dinner with Dr. Fisher. Dinner was tasty sushi at Akai Lounge in the UWS. We then walked down to Tavern on the Green in Central Park for post-dinner cocktails. Emily and I had breakfast Saturday morning and a nice stroll through Central Park. I loved all the laughs we had! Such a great visit.

On Saturday afternoon, Emily headed home, and Nick and I took the train to Hanover, PA. Nick was missing his dear neice, Kristina, and George and Vicki promised a raging Block Party for Memorial Day :). We had a great time and really enjoyed being with Kristina. She is so cute and so interactive. Uncle Nicky played with her so much that she was literally in tears everytime he tried to leave or put her down. Can't wait to see them all in July!

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity

2009-05-22T10:55:00.006-04:00

This is where we will have our ceremony. Nick is Greek Orthodox from VA, and I'm Roman Catholic from Charleston. So we decided to compromise and getting married in Charleston in the Greek Orthodo x Church of the Holy Trinity. So even though neither of us are members of the church in Charleston (yet), we think its going to be a beautiful place for the ceremony. Nick and I went there for Christmas service two years ago, and it was lovely. Father John Johns is the presiding priest and really kind to host our family family and friends in his church. He was actually a student of Father Frank, one of the presiding priests at The Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in NYC, which we are members of. Are you noticing a trend of Holy Trinities? The Greek Orthodox marriage ceremony is beautiful- although long, it is rich in symbolism uniting the couple to each other through God. Luckily we'll have an explanation of the ceremony for our non-orthodox family and friends. And I've warned my bridesmaids to wear comfortable shoes- they'll be standing for over an hour!

Inside the church.

Outside of the church at 30 Race Street, Charleston, SC.

I love our florist....

2009-05-15T10:24:00.006-04:00

By the suggestion of Laura All, I contacted Sara York Grimshaw of Dahlia Designs. She is really fantastic. She worked well with my budget and her work is really great. What I love the most about her is so calm and reassuring she is about the whole process. I know the flowers will be beautiful, and I have confidence that she'll take care of all of it without stress and worries. She also considers herself a "green florist," by using flowers that are in season, and striving to recycle materials that can be reduced and reused. The pictures I have posted above is a sample of the bridal bouquet, and one of the three different types of centerpieces we are going to have. I like the idea of having variety with the centerpieces, so that the room looks a little unique. I strived for classic, clean, simple, and elegant in all the floral arrangements. Flowers are amazingly expensive, but I know the are going to be gorgeous!

Rehearsal dinner is set!

2009-05-15T10:12:00.005-04:00

The Kappas' were very kind to drive down to Charleston this week to check out a few places to book our rehearsal dinner. I was impressed by how efficient they were. In just two days, they looked at almost half a dozen places, decided and booked on one. They also managed to meet with our wedding coordinator at the Francis Marion, meet with the priest at Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, and have dinner with Jan's parents at the Mustard Seed.

They decided on High Cotton on East Bay Street. The food there is delicious (according to Danielle and Diana), and its a little more intimate. The private dining hall has access to a courtyard which will be great if the weather is nice. A great location for the small rehearsal dinner (just bridal party and family). I'm looking forward to it!

This week, Diana also booked the bridesmaids, her, and Mrs. Kappas to get our hair done at Tresses Salon in Mount Pleasant. I'll be doing an up-do, and the rest of the party will be doing blow-outs and styling. Looking forward to the champagne party that awaits us that morning!

The best part of the reception- the CAKE!

2009-05-01T22:36:00.002-04:00

So we're going with The Cake Stand in Charleston. They charge more than the "average" slice of cake, but they are DELICIOUS! This is a picture of our prospective cake. But imagine it with green ribbons (our colors are green and chocolate brown). The layers will be alternating almond/buttercream and chocolate/raspberry. Good stuff!

Wedding dress update

2009-05-01T22:28:00.005-04:00

Here's the dress! I bought it at Jean's of Mount Pleasant since Danielle had such a great experience there. I had the first fitting in March. The second fitting will happen hopefully in September if I can get home in time. I'm not too worried about Nick seeing this post.... Even if he does remember our blogspot address, I'm figuring he'll forget about it by the time the wedding rolls around :)

Jan decides to dabble in some teaching

2009-05-01T16:24:00.005-04:00

So I have decided to explore all career options as I continuously drift about trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Don't get me wrong, I still love science and research. But I'm trying to figure out what capacity that I explore science and research would fit me best. As I always loved any teaching or mentoring duties I've had thus far, I figured I'd have to dive in head first into teaching to see if it really is up my ally, and something I would want to pursue in my next chapter in my career. If I stay in academia, there is a wide range of teaching requirements depending on the position. I'd like to know now whether to avoid or embrace positions with teaching. So I was lucky to immediately get offered a position to be an Adjunct Assistant Professor at one of the CUNY schools here in New York: LaGuardia Community College. I'll be teaching Principles of Biology to non-majors at night during a summer session. This means a VERY intense 6-week course. It doesn't start until June 22nd, but I've already begun putting together my lectures. I can't believe that each 3-hour lecture is taking me 15+ hours to put together. There goes my personal life. Trying to balance 50+ hours a week in the lab, plus working every night and weekend to prepare for the course (oh, and planning a wedding!) has been quite a challenge. But I am happy and optimistic that this opportunity will be fantastic and is a necessary endeavor for my career. I'll keep everyone posted after the first day of classes and let you all know how miserably I failed :)

I also wanted to give a shout out to M^2 for all the advice and help as I'm developing this course. Couldn't have gotten through grad school without your impeccable optimism, and I'm still taking advantage of it now!

Happy Greaster!

2009-04-17T17:12:00.003-04:00

Although Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholics are very similar in their faith (the Catholic church will actually acknowledge all the sacraments in the Orthodox church), Greek Easter (or Greaster as me and Dr. Izzie love to call it) often falls on a later date than "regular Easter." This year, its a week late. So while I was feasting on keilbasa, ham and other delicious Polish treats at my aunt and uncle's in NJ last Sunday, Nick was enjoying his Palm Sunday. So now I get to do it all over again this weekend. Nick's parents are coming into town to visit, and we'll go to church with them and the rest of Nick's family tomorrow night. Really late. The service starts at midnight. And lasts hours. Literally, hours. It is a very beautiful service, although lacking the joyous clapping that Dr. Izzie and I used to experience at St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill. And then followed by a feast of lamb! I hope it to be a fabulous weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing the Kappas'!

October 9, 2008. Jan says "YES!"

2009-04-16T21:27:00.001-04:00

On the balcony of my apartment, on the 17th floor, Nick proposed to me! Very simple, very sweet, and awesome. We went out to The Place in the West Village after to celebrate.

February 1st, 2009. The Big Move

2009-04-16T21:14:00.002-04:00

We had quite a dramatic day, trying to move Nick out of his one-bedroom apartment on 32nd and 2nd and me out of my studio up on 67th and York. It seemed simple: booked and confirmed the movers to pick up Nick's things, come pick up mine, then move us both into the new apartment on the Upper West Side.

They show up 4 hours late. Then "go to lunch". And they never came back!!! Luckily they didn't have any of our furniture, nor had they taken any of the payment, but they just left us in a lurch, boxes ready to go, and no one to move us!

I scrambled and remembered a posting on a telephone pole for another "last minute" moving company, called Prestige Movers. They were able to come within 3 hours, and moved both apartments into one. By midnight, they were all done and we were very relieved!