Wedding Countdown

Wedding Countdown Ticker

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A full picture of the dresses, girls, and guys....

Officially Mr and Mrs Laskoskie- I loved my dress and felt like a princess. Mike chose tails and looked incredibly handsome :)

Groomsmen- (left to right) Mike's best friend Semmel, my brother Larry, Mike's brother Frank, and Mike's nephew Frank. Mike picked out the morning jackets- they looked awesome.


My girls ( right to left)- My friend Jenn, my friend Meredith, my sister Helen, and my sister Mary Beth.



My dad and I walking down the aisle. You can see the dress here. It was beautiful- all lace and short. The shoes were torture and came off after the ceremony but looked damn good when they were on :)

This and That... (talks of the honeymoon and wedding photos)

Now pronounced Mr and Mrs Laskoskie :)


Mike's brother Frank.


Mike seeing me for the first time.


Mike and I returned from our honeymoon at the Jersey shore on sunday. Unfortunately, we took absolutely no pictures. I don't know what happened except we were having such a good time that we never thought to take the camera... It was a lazy week of sleeping, reading, eating, and just enjoying each other's company. We were originally scheduled on a cruise but with all the madness of wedding planning, wedding payments, work etc- we rescheduled the cruise for our first year anniversary. Instead, my parents handed over their beach house to us. It was a much better plan. We had so much fun doing lazy walks around the lighthouse, eating at fabulous restaurants ( I gained 6 pounds, Mike gained nothing), reading, and sleeping.


I managed to read 4 books (all fabulous and I recommend them all)- the forgotten garden and the house at riverfront by Kate Morton and Shopaholic and baby and Mini shopaholic. The Shopaholic books are light chic lit. TheKate Morton's are phenomenal and I would tell you all to pick them up. They are english novels/ mysteries set in the early 1900's and flipping between present and past. I inhaled them. I could not read them fast enough. Mike and I had bought the ereader/ nook color from Barnes and Noble the friday before we left. Mike barely used it, I however got our money's worth within the first 3 days...

Sunday, May 22, 2011

OFFICIALLY MR AND MRS



Instead of a "Rapture" party, we had a wedding. At 5pm on May 21, 2011, Mike and I officially became Mr and Mrs. It was a wonderful time but flew by. We are floating....

Saturday, April 30, 2011

We return after a prolonged absence

I am afraid that I have neglected my blog. Life has been in fast forward and, unfortunately, my poor blog has suffered...

Life has been good. We have had nothing but good news here. My sisters left their hated 9-5 jobs and opened a retail store in Redbank NJ. Visit their website at feplush.com and show them some love, they have awesome stuff. My middle brother was married last month and is having a baby in October; and Mike and I will tie the knot in 21 days. Every thing but the last minute things are done. We had our engagement session with the photographer last night at Valley Forge Park and also finalized the details with the country club. Today was my second to last fitting and my bridal shower is next sunday.

I am typing this from our new (to us) refurbished iBook G4. Mike got it for us as a "wedding gift", I have been coveting this for quite some time now and we are trying this out for size before we spend the money on a brand new model... I am LOVING it :)

I hope this finds everyone well. I ask for prayers again, Perry (a fellow blogger) has a daughter Andi who is suffering from horrible headaches and has been hospitalized with confusion and difficulty with speech. She is a young woman with 2 young children and a loving husband. Tests have been negative thus far and she is being discharged home with plans for speech therapy but no answers for the time being. Please pray for a speedy recovery and answers for this family... Also, my friend K is pregnant again. Good thoughts/ prayers are appreciated for a peaceful pregnancy with a healthy birth...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Prayers are needed

Have you ever felt guilty because you are having the time of your life and can't stop smiling while someone else is experiencing hell on earth?

Two of my work friends are having some pretty awful times and I am asking for the praying type to add these families to their prayer lists.

My friend K has been trying to get pregnant for the past several years. Six months ago, after several failed fertility treatments, she concieved. I can honestly say that I have never seen a happier pregnant person, she glowed. At her 5 month ultrasound the brain was not clearly visualized and a more in depth ultrasound was ordered for the next month. Last week, she had that ultrasound to find that the baby's brain had never developed and would not be able to survive. She was induced last week and delivered her baby girl last week, stillborn. K and her husband are devestated but are talking of trying again to concieve once able.ung

T's young wife has cystic fibrosis and has had a rough year. She is around 30 years old, a nurse, and a loving mother to 2 beautiful girls. She has been sick on and off this past year, having had a feeding tube placed because she could not maintain her nutritional status, has become oxygen dependant but still living her life as well as she could. They were recently on vacation at the shore and she became ill. She was hospitalized at the shore but has since been transferred to the University of Pennsylvania's intensive care unit. She is now intubated and unable to breathe on her own. She has been added to the Lung Transplant list. She is fighting for her life. I cannot imagine how terrifying this is for her husband, her family, her daughters...

So, if you are the praying kind, please pray for these families. They are going through certain hell.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Making Progress...

We have been quite busy here. Unpacking continues and for all but one room, the house is guest worthy. A huge accomplishment, let me tell you. Last weekend, Mike worked quite hard, while I had a fabulous afternoon with the girls and my mom, to clean the dining room and make it presentable for my friend Jenn (who was coming to dinner and spend the night).

Last Saturday was spent shopping for wedding dresses. That makes it sound like we spent the day jumping from dress shop to dress shop. We did not, we went to Priscilla of Boston in Ardmore, Pa and had an awesome time. I tried on 7 dresses- some better than others, long and short- but ultimately narrowed it down to 2. After looking at the pics Mary Beth (Cats, books, life is good) took, it was clear which dress it would be. This Saturday, my mother and I had a larky day ordering/buying THE dress and wandering through the lovely shops at Suburban Square. AND as a final topper to the day, my mother bought Mike and me an iPad :). Mike spent last night playing with said iPad and all I kept hearing was "this is so cool" over and over again.

Sunday, we went and met with the photographer. I am amazed by his pictures and his personality is laid back and friendly. He is a little nontraditional and has a wonderful way of capturing candid moments. Check him out, Sean Marshall Lin. (I am having issues getting his website to post but here it is seanmarshalllin.net).

Today we are cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning, babysitting for our friends seven month old son, and yard work. Right now, Mike is on the computer, I am posting, and pioneer woman's spicy pulled pork is filling the house with yummy smells... Happy Sunday :)

Monday, May 31, 2010

We have a date!

Two weeks ago, Mike and I had dinner at the Reading Country Club. We loved the food, loved the setting, and really loved the deserts. I emailed the staff and found that very few saturdays were available for 2011. Not wanting to wait until late 2011 or (heaven forbid) 2012, we agreed to meet with Angela S. and see the ballroom and grounds. It was love at first sight. The ballroom is light and airy with little balconies around the room. The patio looks out on the 16th green and is lovely. They offer a very nice menu with decent liquors and tasty wedding cakes. It was a done deal. We signed a contract and gave them a deposit. Mark you calanders, we are getting married May 21, 2011 at 4pm...

Now for more fun, I get to go dress shopping :)

Friday, May 14, 2010

A truly Romantic proposal....

Mother's Day we headed to the beach to spend the day with my family. The beginning of the weekend had been spent emptying the guest bedroom of the accumulated clothes, boxes, papers, furniture that had managed to completely fill the room. We were clearing out the room to allow for the moving in of my apartment. I will have officially moved in by May 22. After all day of clearing and cleaning, Sunday was a well needed relief.



Sunday morning, Mike kept carrying on about how he hoped the weather would be nice so that we could walk on the beach. This has never stopped us before but he seemed obsessed. I chalked it up to being exhausted from the day before. The weather was beautiful at the beach; 59 degrees, sunny, a brisk breeze off the bay. We walked on the beach and watched the birds and dogs and kids and just enjoyed the weather. When we were ready to walk back, I decided take off my socks and sneakers. As I was taking them off, I realized that Mike was no longer standing behind me. When I turned around, he was on one knee and said "Would you do me the honor?"I started bawling and pretty much continued for the rest of the day.

We have made no set plans, yet. We thought maybe the end of fall 2010 or early spring 2011 but it all depends on availabilities and finances. We are leaning towards early spring....

Monday, May 10, 2010

ENGAGED!!!!!

That's right, my blogger friends. Mike and I are engaged. He proposed on the beach on Mother's Day. I am overwhelmed, excited, overjoyed, euphoric.... Pick an adjective, it probably applies :)
More to follow.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

snow, snow, and more snow...

I don't know that this snow will ever melt...

Friday night through Saturday evening, we got just over a foot of snow. Since last night we have gotten a foot and a half and it is still snowing. Let me be clear, I grew up in the northeast, I spent 9 months in Massachussetts, but I HATE snow! I now live in southeast Pennsylvania where snow removal is not well done. ( I know this is hard to believe.)

I was on call the weekend and had to travel to philadelphia both days to round on patients. I was not a happy camper. Mike questioned my career choice as he drove me into work on saturday morning. (My practice agrees that Mike has earned a spot in heaven for that drive alone.)

I was fortunately able to stay home today. In the crock pot, I have turkey tenderloins with potatoes, carrots, and onions. The house smells wonderful. Mike, however, did have to go to work this morning. The highways are closed and roads are treacherous. I am waiting for him to come home on pins and needles...

Jasper on the other hand, LOVES the snow. He romps around in the snow drifts, tackles hidden foes, and rolls around in the snow. He refuses to come in and needs to be dragged inside when the time comes. Pictures to be posted later...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner


This is one of Mike's favorite meals of all time- a pot pie. It is incredibly easy and very tasty. This time, I used left over turkey but have used beef, pork, and chicken in the past as well. Everything is store bought or left over and requires very little effort on your part. It makes the house smell fabulous and your family will love it.
You will need:
-a pie dish
-pillsbury pre made pie crust- can be found in the dairy aisle and comes with both the top and bottom crust
-1 can cream of potato soup
-1 can cream of celery soup
-1 can mixed vegetables
-2 cups cut up meat of choice
-1/2 cup milk
-palmful herbs de provence
-tsp of pepper
preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, mix together everything but the crusts.
Line a pie dish with one of the pie crusts.
Dump in the filling.
Cover with second crust and crimp the top and bottom together.
Place slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape during cooking.
If you want, brush top with a little beaten egg to have a shiny crust (not necessary to taste good).
Cook at 375 for 40 minutes.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes before diving in.
Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Pork and Sauerkraut in a crock pot

Here is the recipe for the pork and sauerkraut:
This was incredibly good and suprisingly easy!

1 3-4lb pork roast, salted and peppered
1 cup hard cider (I like woodchuck)
1 cup chicken stock
6 cloves of garlic smashed
1 red onion sliced

Mix everything together in the crock pot and let it go for 8 hours on the low setting. Every so often, during the last 4 hours, baste the pork with the juices.

Enjoy.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Happy New Year

This is hopefully a year of wonderful things- we did all the right things to ensure that, i.e: had pork and sauerkraut for dinner on New Years Day. This is an old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and Mike was insistent. Having never made it before, I did pretty well. I threw the pork roast in the crock pot with hard cider, chicken stock, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and let it all go for about 8 hours. It was divine...

January 3 did not start well. I was working the weekend and when I got out of the shower at 6am, Jasper was crying to go out. Mike was still asleep, so while still in a towel, I walked into the garage with Jasper and promptly stepped on the edge of the rug, twisted the bad ankle, and fell on the garage floor. Poor Mike was woken up by my screams and found me essentially naked on the garage floor, in tears. He picked me up and put me on the couch, brought me water, advil and ice, and then insisted that I get it xrayed. Xrays revealed no fracture but there are bone chips in the joint and the tendons are calcified from multiple injuries to them. I need to make an appointment to follow up with the orthopedist. In the meantime, I am supposed to be on crutches and Jasper is practicing his nursing techniques. (Actually, he is practicing not leaping on the ankle).

Christmas was the usual fun with all of us home to my parents house in North Jersey, only this year it included Mike. I was worried that he would feel out of place as we are close and loud and Christmas can only be described as intimate in our family (my sister Helen coined that description and it really does nail it). I should not have been worried, my family has embraced Mike from the first time he joined us and Christmas was no different. We all had fun and dinner was its usual barrel of laughs.

Mike and I spent the following weekend with my parents in a low key, relaxed way of reading, naps, and tracking my sisters journey to pick up their two puppies. Saturday night, Mike found time alone with my Dad to ask for his blessing in asking me to marry him. Mike says it was a nice talk but shared no other information other than that blessings were given. This of course prompted congratulations from my brother but he has yet to ask me... I will let you know when it happens.

Here's hoping that this is a happy, healthy, wonderful New Year for all my blogger friends!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Introducing Jasper






Allow me to introduce Jasper. Jasper is a one year old golder retriever. Mike and I rescued Jasper from his friend Tracy's home.






Tracy and her husband Simon are getting divorced. It is ugly. A year ago, Tracy got Jasper for the kids. Simon did not want another dog but agreed if he could buy another flat screen tv. Apparantly, this relationship has been ugly for many years but has become much, much worse. Huge amounts of fighting in the home and this poor little man has suffered... Initially, the plan was that Simon would keep Jasper for one year, until Tracy was able to buy a house. The townhome she is renting will not allow dogs. A week before Tracy moved out, Simon told her that the minute she moved, Jasper went to the pound. Needless to say, once we heard that - we knew we were adopting a dog.






As you can see, Jasper was a little thin when we got him. He had not been eating and had spent the previous week in his crate in a cold garage (Simon is a cruel man). He is adjusting well and eating like a horse.






He is a big puppy with unbound energy. Fortunately, Mike's yard is big and the perfect venue for a dog to run and play. He has several issues. He jumps on everyone, he is unused to eliminating on a leash, he is in his chewing phase, and he is not aware of the meaning of the word NO. Jasper was brought home to their home when they had no time to train him. So when did things they didn't like, they threw him out on the patio. The patio was also his bathroom and they kept him from eliminating on a leash because they didn't like to carry a plastic bag. He has come leaps and bounds in the 3 weeks we have had him and has probably put on 7 pounds. He is still a little thin but looking better every day.



Thursday, October 8, 2009

At a loss for words

Yesterday was my birthday. It was also the last day of my sister's (Mary Beth) good friends life.

Jules was a unique gentleman with a sharp wit and sense of humor. He lit up rooms when he walked in and brightened many a unhappy person's day.

He will be dearly missed.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Mike's Birthday

Thursday was Mike's birthday. He celebrated by an appointment with the surgeon for a follow up. I celebrated by making dinner and a pecan pie. I was unsure of what to get him for his birthday because he gave me no ideas. Left to my own devices, I gave him: tickets to see the Lion K1ng in NYC in september, two xb0x games, and dinner at Emeril Lagasse's Chop House restaurant on sunday.

He LOVED it all and spent 12 hours playing the one video game on saturday night. Thursday was a long day and we did not get home until almost 8:30pm. I made the pecan pie and let it cook while we watched S0 Y0u Think Y0u Can Dance. Sunday, we went to Emeril Lagasse's Chop House and, let me tell you, IT WAS AWESOME!!!! I wish I had brought my camera with me to take a picture of all the fabulous food. It was a little expensive but well worth it. Emeril, we will be back :)

Monday, July 27, 2009

Weekend Fun



This was a jam packed weekend. My friend Terry got married and we went to A11egria from Circue du s0liel.




The wedding was beautiful. Terry had beautiful weather, good company, and a beautiful reception.
Mike and I had a wonderful time

even though my bra strap is showing in this picture. We wisely chose to stay overnight at the hotel, so that we could have a good time and not worry about the long drive home.

Sunday, we went to Circue du S0liel and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, we are exhausted today because we ran and ran all weekend. We have just finished clearing off my porch so that the landlord can start construction. Mike is dozing on my couch,the cat is asleep on my feet. Life is good.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Belated Wordless Wednesday (A day late...)


Eeyore has the right idea. It is hot and humid and miserable in PA, today.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I hated High School....

My sisters agree with me on this. High School was hell. I am not one of those people who expound euphorically about how high school was the best years of their life. Now there were some good times but overall, you can wipe those four years off the face of the map.

There are still some people that if I saw on the street, I would have to resist the urge to sucker punch them. Missy is one of the individuals. We went to a very small, all girl, catholic high school. I graduated with 39 girls. 39 catty girls... In junior year, Adam came from one of the all boy high schools to be in the play. He was funny, good looking, and we got along well. I asked him to the prom. He said yes. I will never forget it, my family was in the kitchen bolstering me to call him and ask. I went out in the hall and called him and he said yes. I didn't say anything to anyone else in my class that I was going to ask him. I was an awkward, insecure female and was scared of ridicule and rejection. Apparently Missy and Adam had been talking but she had not asked him to the prom. When he told her I had asked him, you would have thought the end of the world had happened. She was angry. She and several of her friends tried to talk him out of going with me. I think by this point they were dating. To do Adam justice, he did go to the prom with me and danced with me and all but ignored her. However, the weeks leading up to the prom were pretty awful for me. She was brutal at school; called me every name in the book, had people in the class taking sides.

When I signed up for face book, Missy was one of the people who requested to be my friend. I initially was just going to ignore it but then I thought better of it. I could look into her life by pictures and see whether all my bad wishes had come true. Did she have awful acne, was she fat, maimed in some way? Seriously, I thought it was high school and we were a bunch of immature girls. Let bygones be bygones. Right? No. Today, someone got me with the post this paragraph as your status and everyone posts a memory about you. This could be fun, I thought. I have friends that go all the way back to grade school on face book. Don't you know that Missy posted her memory that I asked Adam to the prom and how upset she was then but it was laughable now.

Now, people, I could lie and say I am laughing about this now. Truth be told, I am not. I still have very strong feelings about this. CLEARLY. I have discovered this: 1. no one is meaner than a teenage girl and 2.the scars of high school run deep and are likely not to fade away completely.