Yes slow on the wedding front...

Things may be slow on the wedding front, but Jeff and I managed to both score personal records at the National Half Marathon this past weekend! Jeff ran it in 1 hour 41 minutes 45 seconds and I ran it in 2 hours 19 minutes 31 seconds!!! One day maybe I will be able to keep up with Jeff, not likely though. I did, however, have a rather unfortunate collision with a pothole on Constitution Ave around mile 4. I went down knee first and I am a little banged up. The sports medicine doctor was VERY impressed I ran another 9 miles on the knee, and due to the fluid in the knee told me I now have to take a week of forced rest. And I think its going to leave a mark, good thing my gown is long!!

Below is a picture of my awesome training buddy and wedding guest Sue and I (before my tumble on Constitution Ave).

The History of The Nittany Lion Inn

Not much is happening with the wedding planning at the moment. We've got almost everything planned out. The next big thing is the tasting on April 4th in State College. I taste the Creamery ice cream already... But it's been a little while since we've posted so I thought I'd fill everyone in on the history of the hotel where we are holding the reception.

Here you go:

The opening of The Nittany Lion Inn, in 1931, brought first-class dining and lodging facilities to Penn State and the community of State College. The Georgian colonial-style Inn, nestled comfortably in an oak grove opposite the White Golf Course, enjoyed immediate popularity with campus visitors and nearby residents. It has been host to political icons, entertainers, and other well known figures ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt to presidents Lyndon Johnson and George Bush; from Robert Frost to actors Jack Nicholson and Danny DiVito.

In addition to its worldwide acclaim, its quiet charm and attentive service staff have also made it the “sentimental favorite” of returning alumni for more than half a century. Perhaps President Emeritus Eric Walker described the Inn best when he called it “Penn State’s living room”.

Owned and operated by the University, the Nittany Lion Inn has grown with the Penn State Family. The University enrolled 4,800 students in 1931; today, more than 41, 000 students attend the University Park Campus. Another 40,000 persons come to the campus to participate In Continuing and Distance Education activities. To accommodate this growth the Inn has expanded several times, most recently in 1991, always careful to preserve the homelike warmth and pleasing architecture that have been its hallmarks. The Inn today has 223 guest rooms, a spacious dining room and an informal lounge. It also boasts a health club, gift shop, miniature golf course, numerous private meeting rooms, and one of the largest ballrooms in Central Pennsylvania.

We're Famous!

Well ok, not really. But we did get our picture and a short write up in the Meadville Tribune this past weekend. They have a section for wedding and engagement announcements and my parents sent ours in. Unfortunately the Tribune doesn't have that section online, but I scanned the picture and story in. Here it is:

We were in Meadville last weekend for Cameron's (my nephew) birthday. So we got to see the announcement in the paper. The long drive (5 hours each way) gave us plenty of time to pick out songs that absolutely must be played at the wedding. No, I'm not telling which ones that will ruin the surprise!

Attention Coffee Drinkers!!!

Well I know that myself along with the Gobeilles are very excited about the news that there are now 2 Dunkin Donuts in State College!!! I mean don't get me wrong, I love my skinny vanilla lattes at Starbucks, but I also love a vanilla dunkin donuts coffee and a chocolate donut. Who doesn't??? :)

Here is the article:

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2009/03/18/dunkin_donuts_opens_express_sh.aspx


I will check it out for myself when we go for the food tasting on April 4!

T-Minus 5 months!

The wedding is only five months from today. Almost all of the wedding planning is now done (Gina did most of it so I won't take any of the credit). In about 3 weeks we'll be back in State College to attend a food tasting at the Nittany Lion Inn. The hard part here will be picking which flavors of Creamery ice cream to have for dessert... And of course we'll be having dinner at Hi-Way Pizza!

We'll be updating the blog regularly over the next few months. If you're planning on coming you might want to make your hotel reservations soon. We've heard that quite a few rooms have already been booked.

The Wedding Party Part II

Well Jeff and I decided to give everyone a little background on our wedding party. It was a hard choice, there are so many people that are special to us, but here is how I came to the choice of my three bridesmaids, the flower girls, and our choice of our two readers.

Matron of Honor – Danielle Petroff-Gobeille

There are only so many people that (1) you can show up at the doorstep at midnight with cat in one hand, and cat’s liter box in the other and she takes you in no questions asked, (2) will drive to every bridal store in the Northern Virginia area and know the gown I am going to like before I even tried it on, and (3) will tell it like it is, even if you don’t want to hear it. That’s Danielle! We have been friends since 1996, even though she was the know-it-all in accounting who always did better than me even though she always showed up late. Danielle is someone I can call when I am bored at work, need to do have an “emergency shopping trip to Leesburg,” or need a dinner buddy (and she usually cooks). She won’t let me cook, ever since that unfortunate stove top stuffing incident, apparently DC is not in fact a high altitude area and it doesn’t work when you follow the high altitude recipe. I am so happy Danielle will be a part of the big day! Here is a picture of us at her wedding in 2004.

Bridesmaids – Carrie Mellin and Monica Milner

Well its really hard to talk about Carrie without talking about Monica and vice versa. Even though we have been friends for about 4 years, I feel like I have known them all my life and they have been there with me through the good and the bad! Our mutual love of Disney is what first brought us together. Carrie and I also share a crush on Alex P Keaton, and a love of Bon Jovi music. Monica is my fellow Eagles fan transplant in DC, and we still don't understand why Carrie is a Redskins fan. From eating cheesesticks at Fridays, to drinking Pimms and Sprite at Disney, or champagne in the parking lot of the Fairfax County Courthouse, we always have a blast! Monica has even entrusted us with being co-godmothers of her new son Jack...so we look forward to making him as big of a Disney fan as we all are! Jeff and I met for the first time at Carrie’s Festivus party, had my first “unofficial date” with Jeff at Monica’s superbowl party, and emailed them the day after our first date because I didn’t think it was really a date. Thank you to Jacob and Carrie for having that “Outback” intervention with Jeff. I am so excited that they will be part of our big day, and that I got to ask them to be in the wedding at the same time (thanks to Carrie's webcam)! Below is a pic after the last Stooge Fest, from left to right me, Carrie, and Monica.

Flower girl – Amanda Gobeille

Amanda is Danielle and Art's daughter. I still remember how little Amanda was, when I visited Danielle in the hospital the day after she was born. As far as kids go, she is pretty darn cool! Jeff and I even took on the task of babysitting her for an evening, and much to our relief she was still alive when her parents came to get her. I can’t wait to show her these pictures when she is planning her wedding. I will remind her that it was her “Aunt Gina” who bought got her first item from Tiffany’s. Too bad she does not yet appreciate that blue box, but she will someday despite her dad's protests. And she will be a Peyton Manning fan, I will make sure of it (sorry Art…).

Honorary bridesmaid – Art Gobeille

Amanda has come a long way with her walking skills, but we might not leave anything to chance and her dad might have to walk her down the aisle. Her mom will be a little busy. Even though Art has awful taste in football teams (the Patriots??), he is still a really good friend who I always call at the first signs of home repair issues, and before Jeff, money advice. Though I don’t always like his advice (no lattes, no Coach purses, etc, etc…) I can’t even count on both hands the amount of time he has helped me move, and if he helps once again when I move my stuff to Jeff’s house, I am hoping it will be the last time for a LONG TIME! Below is a picture of Art and I at my 30th birthday party.

Readers

Deanna Bechtel – Deanna is Jeff’s sister and we are so happy she is doing a reading! I am hoping her scrapbooking skills rub off on me at some point, because she makes some really cool stuff! And if the Nittany Lion Inn allowed dogs, we promise Bailey would have made it on the guest list too. I am hoping we can all go see Pat McGee sometime this summer! Below is a picture of Deanna, Marc, Cameron and Jeff.

Michele Vondeak – Michele and I knew each other in college, but didn’t become really good friends until after college. We have a mutual love of the Eagles and all things Philadelphia. The Inn at Little Vondeak is still my favorite hotel in Philadelphia, and Scoop de Ville is still my favorite ice cream place. Michele is always someone I can call up and have a random quick conversation with, and its only about the Eagles half of the time. We are so happy Michele is doing a reading! Below is Michele and I at one of our favorite hangouts, Lincoln Financial Field.

And finally – unfortunately the Nittany Lion Inn and Eisenhower Chapel do not allow pets, but if they did, Winnie would be there. Winnie is my sometimes grumpy, sometimes happy 11 year old cat who now likes Jeff better than me, I am not bitter or anything, I only fed him and cared for him for 11 years, and he is now like “Gina who?” And even though Jeff won’t admit it, this little cat has wormed his way into Jeff’s affections. Winnie will be there in spirit!

The Wedding Party. Part 1

I'll cover the groomsman and the ushers in my part of the wedding party post.

Best Man: Joe Bauer. Joe and I have know each other since we were in 1st grade together at Seton School. We were friends through out high school and then we both attended Penn State. Joe and I were roommates while we were at PSU. Despite that we remained friends. He went on to get his doctorate from the University of Illinois where he met his wife Lisa. Joe and Lisa live outside of Boston and have 3 kids (at least last time I checked. They might have 4 or more now). Joe still makes it back once a year to attend a Penn State football game with me.

Joe and I after high school graduation:


Groomsman: Steve Porter. I met Steve while at Penn State. Joe, Steve, and I shared an apartment for a year. Or at least that was the plan. Steve and I both went on Coops after the Fall semester so the three of us only ended up sharing the apartment for one semester. Steve and I have watched PSU play at almost all of the stadiums in the Big Ten (3 more to go). Steve and his wife Lisa live in Michigan with their 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 cats (I think I got the number of cats and dogs right, but I might have missed a couple because there are so many).

Steve, Joe, and I at Steve's Wedding:

Groomsman: Jacob Mellin. I met Jacob about 5 years ago when we both played kickball in a division in Reston. Jacob and his wife Carrie live a few miles from us in Burke, VA along with two cats and way too many Disney souvenirs. I don't hold the fact that he is a Clemson fan against him.

Jacob and I sporting the coolest shirt ever the night before his wedding:


Junior Groomsman: Cameron Phelps. Cameron is my nephew. He's also a big Penn State fan (he better be, I've been brainwashing him since he was born). Cameron, Gina, Marc, and I all went to Disney world last summer. Cameron really enjoyed the pin trading while he was there. Marc, Gina, and I financed the pin trading.

Cameron and I at Disney:


Usher: Marc Phelps. Marc is my brother. He currently lives just outside of Key West in Florida. Marc, Gina, and I will all be SCUBA diving in the Keys in June. Marc lives with his dog Dallas even though Dallas really wants to move to Virginia and live with Gina, Winnie, and I.

Marc, Cameron, and I at Disney:


Usher: Anthony Flacco. Anthony is Gina's brother. Even though he lives just outside of Philadelphia for some reason he is a Redskins fan. I think a little part of him dies inside everytime Dan Snyder brings in another flavor or the week free agent.

Gina and Anthony: