Mike and Linda's Blog

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

2008-09-28T12:40:00.000-04:00

We're in the process of setting up an online site to share all of our pictures (and also so you can share pictures with us)! We hope to have that up in the next few days.

In the meantime, a little info to address some questions that have been asked:

We will have the full-resolution digital images from both the photographer and the photo booth, and will likely post those online (details to come).
So, you don't have to buy those pics online from them -- you should be able to download them from our site (although the quality of the prints you get from their sites might be much nicer than you'd get from a Walgreens).

We hope to organize all of the photos on our site and include a "highlights" folder so you don't have to go through hundreds of photos.

But until we get our site running, you can preview all of those pictures at the photographer's sites:

Photographer:
www.pictage.com/client/registration.do?event=544789
event key: landmv

Photo Booth:
www.shutterfly.com/progal/sign_in.jsp?gid=768a5498ce7de22b4d6e
password: gfd831

Finally, if you have some pictures from the wedding weekend and you haven't shared them with us, we'd love to see them! If you have a handful of pics, you'll be able to email them directly to our online site (check back for details). Or if you have a large number of pics and wouldn't mind snail-mailing them to us, we'd be happy to reimburse you for postage and other costs -- just let us know!

Our big day

2008-09-18T19:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all of you who made our wedding weekend one we will remember for the rest of our lives! The well-wishes of friends and family (both those who were able to be there in person and those who were celebrating with us in spirit) made us feel more loved than we could have imagined. We wanted to give a quick update with a few pictures (we'll be sure to post more later!)

The last few weeks leading up to the wedding were a bit of a blur -- as Mike crossed things off of our list of "things to do before the wedding", Linda seemed to be adding more things to it! We were lucky (and thankful) that Steve and Ami (and Zach & Keleigh) stopped by NJ on the Wednesday before the wedding to lend a few extra hands! Needless to say, it all got done and we packed up our U-haul (yes, that's right! we travelled in style!) and headed up to Pocono Manor on Thursday.

Friday night, we had a wonderful dinner with family who had come in early. We lucked out and found a delicious little Italian restaurant that was able to accommodate all of us. While they weren't used to serving such large parties, the food was delicious, and we certainly enjoyed the good company!

Saturday, Linda spent some time at the spa with her girls, while Mike was able to do a little relaxing of his own.
The rehearsal went off without a hitch and we were excited to "get the party started" with the Welcome BBQ Saturday night. Nearly 130 people came out early to join us for the BBQ which gave us a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends before the madness of the actual wedding. Despite the darkness, the "signature" game was quite a success! In the end, Linda's cousins Alyssa and Hannah managed to complete their list first, followed shortly thereafter by Ben and Gwen. Collectively, we finished off all the veggie-burgers, all the Guinness and the entire keg of Yuengling! The campfire went late into the night, fueled by the musical stylings of Rowley, Jackson, J, Mellen and, of course, Bailey and his flutes! Even the bride took a turn on the guitar (fortunately, she managed to avoid ruining her manicure!)

After several cloudy, rainy days, we woke up Sunday morning to the most perfect weather we could have imagined -- sunny, blue skies, not-too-hot... this was the day we had dreamed of. Looking back, we have zero complaints -- the day was perfect... and we are so happy to have shared this special event with so many of our dear friends and family. We promise to post more pictures soon, but here are a few to tide you over!

Details Details Details

2008-08-19T11:55:00.000-04:00

We're getting really excited about next weekend and are looking forward to seeing you all very soon!!! We wanted to post a quick update based on questions people have asked and the latest details about the weekend...

UPDATED SCHEDULE
SATURDAY - 6:30pm WELCOME BBQ at the Fireside(Rain or Shine)
SUNDAY - 4:15pm CHILDREN'S RECEPTION
SUNDAY - 4:30pm WE DO!!! Wedding at Pocono Manor (reception immediately following)
MONDAY - 9:30am-12:30 FAREWELL BRUNCH Horizons Ballroom

EVENT DETAILS
WELCOME BBQ - All are welcome at the welcome BBQ, hosted by Carl & Lois Vogel. We look forward to a casual afternoon with friends and family. Reconnect with old friends and perhaps meet some new ones! Somebody please bring a guitar. Dinner will be provided -- stay for games, fireside and fun! Dress is casual (shorts, etc are fine) and the event will be rain or shine.

CHILDREN'S RECEPTION - We've arranged a special party for the kids. There will be two chaperones to supervise activities and a special dinner. There will be games, movies and more! Please let us know if you have not yet RSVPd for the Children's Reception but want to participate!

WEDDING & RECEPTION - The wedding will start at 4:30 and will (hopefully) be outdoors on the patio behind the manor. The reception will follow immediately and will be indoors. We've gotten many questions about "dress"... well, Linda's will be white ;) Mike and his guys will be in tuxes, but we certainly don't expect anybody else to rent a tuxedo. The hope that the event will be semi-formal, but comfortable.

FAREWELL BRUNCH - For those staying at the inn, breakfast is included on Sunday morning. There is also a special brunch planned for Monday morning, hosted by Jim & Tricia Casill. Please bring your photo memory card -- we'll try to collect photos from the weekend and share them in a slide show during brunch. This to is a casual event. Stop by to wish us farewell as we head off to Aruba to celebrate!

Pocono Manor: Timeline, Traveling, and other Tidbits

2008-03-11T09:48:00.000-04:00

The Inn at Pocono Manor (link) is an historic inn located on 3000 acres of gorgeous eastern Pennsylvania mountains. The resort has much to do on-site and there's even more in close proximity, so it should be a fun-filled Labor Day weekend for all!

Some details are provided here, and we'll add more info as we get closer!

Where & When

The Inn at Pocono Manor
Pocono Manor, PA 18349
Phone: 888.262.4092

Labor Day Weekend:
Aug 29 - Sep 1, 2008 (wedding on Sunday, Aug 31)

A Google map (link) shows the location of the Inn, along with some airports (Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley are closest -- Newark is the closest hub).

Accommodations
We have a block of rooms available at Pocono Manor. The rate is $129/night, which includes breakfasts and taxes. For more than two guests in a room (most rooms have two beds), there is a charge of $20 per person per night for the extra guests (children under 5 are free). Please mention the "Casill/Vogel wedding" when making reservations to get this rate. The rate should extend to more nights in case you plan to stay longer-- do let us know if you have any problems securing the rate.

We haven't yet had the opportunity to research the alternatives in Mount Pocono, but we will post recommendations once we gather some information.

Since it is a holiday weekend, we recommend making reservations early, especially if you plan to stay with us at the Inn.

Timeline
Below are the main events and our current best estimates on times (to be finalized over the next few weeks). In addition, there will be many activities (planned and impromptu-- see next section!) that will fill the rest of the weekend.

Note: All events (including ceremony) will be at the Inn at Pocono Manor.

Friday (Aug 29) later evening: no formal plans, but we'd love to spend time with people, likely in the Lamplighter Lounge pub
Saturday (Aug 30) evening (around 6PM): Post-rehearsal barbecue for all of our guests at the Fireside Lodge
Sunday (Aug 31) late afternoon/early evening (around 4PM): wedding, followed by reception
Monday (Sept 1) morning (from around 11AM to 2PM): farewell brunch in the Valley View room

Activities
There is plenty to do at Pocono Manor, whether you'd like to lounge around catching up with friends and family, or if you're looking for a little more action!

On-site activities include: miles of hiking trails for all levels, bocce, horseshoes, shuffleboard, ping pong, playground, basketball, volleyball, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, game room, and a pub with happy hour and live evening entertainment.

The staff at Pocono Manor also organizes a variety of activities free-of-charge, so please let us know if you have special requests and we can pass those along to the appropriate people. Typical examples include: nature walks and hikes, dancing lessons, arts & crafts, bingo, shipboard horse racing, scavenger hunts, and movies in the private theater.

Also on-site (for additional fees) are: two golf (ball) courses and a driving range, fly-fishing, clay shooting, kids' BB gun range, archery, horseback riding, ATV trail rides, indoor/outdoor tennis, racquetball, and a luxurious spa.

Also nearby: Buttermilk Falls State Park, the Delaware Water Gap, water fun at the Camelbeach Water Park, outlet shopping at the Crossings, Mount Airy Casino, and more!

We also hope to organize a round of frisbee golf for Saturday morning for anyone interested (~20 miles away).

Finally! We've got a date & a place!

2008-03-04T01:30:00.000-05:00

After weeks of web research, phone calls, site visits, collecting glossy pamphlets & sample DVDs, crazy looks from busy wedding factories when they hear we'd like to plan for a Fall 2008 wedding and using imagination to envision leaves on the trees and grass on the ground... we've found it!

With activities throughout the weekend, it will culminate with a Sunday evening wedding - whether you come for the whole weekend or just for the wedding, it promises to be a good time! We are both really looking forward to spending time with you all Labor Day Weekend 2008 in Northeast PA!

The Inn at Pocono Manor
Pocono Manor, PA
Labor Day Weekend 2008
Wedding on Sunday, August 31

For all the details, click here.

She said yes!

2007-12-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's really no surprise that she said yes, right? But that didn't mean that Mike wasn't going to invest the necessary time to make sure every detail was perfect.

From the hours invested in documenting their history together in a beautiful scrapbook... to the conversation with her dad - to tell him how much he loved her and how he wants to make her happy - and to ask for his blessing (not permission, for after all, she's over 30 so permission seems silly)... to the accelerated timing to allow them to tell their families in person over the holidays...

Mike asked Linda to marry him on December 22, 2007, on an empty, beautiful winter beach on Long Island (Robert Moses State Park). Linda, of course, said YES. After 9 years of friendship and 2 years of friendship & love, it was the obvious next step.

I've liked you since the winter of 1996....

2007-12-02T01:51:00.000-05:00

Mike and Linda met in 1996 at Rensselaer, where Linda was half-way through her Bachelor's degree and Mike had just moved to pursue his PhD (after receiving his BS from Caltech). They both played ultimate frisbee on the college team, Trudge, which is how they first met.

Mike will tell you that he has been smitten with Linda since the winter of 1996. Linda probably wouldn't admit to the same, but her scrapbooks and college memorabilia suggest otherwise. It's probably a good thing that Mike was so shy though - both had many life lessons still to learn before they'd be ready to commit to another completely.

They drifted in and out of each other's lives, connecting each year at "frisbee thanksgiving". There was always a spark between them - in fact, the winter of 2002, they almost wound up together, but the timing still just wasn't quite right. In fact, Linda played the "f" card (let's just be friends), which quickly squelched their flirtatious email exchanges.

Linda got sick in 2005. At "frisbee thanksgiving" that year, Mike helped to organize a fundraiser in Linda's honor, raising close to $1000 for Komen. Needless to say, Linda was incredibly touched. That night, the two stayed up talking into the wee hours of the morning - discussing their fears, disappointments, relationships and dreams. The conversation flowed so easily and honestly, neither one wanted it to end (though Linda, just finishing four months of chemo, was exhausted!) They left Troy that weekend with a newly revived connection (Mike was so distracted by his thoughts, he got on Rt 90 going the wrong direction -- adding 30 minutes to his 3 hour drive back to Ithaca!)

Once again, the two traded emails and eventually decided that Mike would visit Linda in NJ. Just before the visit, Linda once again got cold feet and tried to cancel. She knew she really liked this friendship with Vogel, but she also suspected that he was interested in more than just a friendship -- and she was unsure whether she wanted that too. She decided to have Mike visit and they spent a friendly weekend playing disc golf, watching movies and talking about life. She drew a fairly obvious line that this was to be a platonic relationship and Mike didn't push the issue. On Sunday morning, Mike prepared to leave, but when he went to start his car, it wouldn't start! Being a Sunday, there was nobody available to fix it, so it looked like Mike would have to stay another night (convenient!). That night, deciding fate doesn't give you infinite chances, Mike shared with Linda the feelings he had been keeping bottled up inside. Linda couldn't deny the connection they had, but also was unsure of whether she was in the right place to allow someone to love her (she had been hurt, plus, she was still trying to force herself to cry over her stupid illness... who knew what other kinds of emotional baggage she was storing up?). But Mike was patient. They left things undefined and Mike headed back to Ithaca.

Their email exchanges grew and they continued their conversations on the phone for hours on end. The holidays approached and Mike surprised himself by telling his mother about this wonderful woman he had met. A few days before New Year's, Mike was back in Ithaca and Linda was in NJ. They were trading text messages at 8pm. Cornell was deserted and Mike wasn't really making much progress with his research (how could he when he was on the phone with Linda 24-7?). They decided that they were both being ridiculous. Mike got in his car and made the four hour drive to NJ. When he walked through the door at midnight, any lingering doubt in Linda's mind disappeared... and they never looked back.