Jake & His Blanket

Here are the cutest pictures of our friend Stefanie's son Jacob and the blanket Lauren knit for him. How cute!!!

Happy Hannukah

Last night was the first night of Hannukah. We had a lovely evening alone lighting candles and opening presents.

We wish everyone a Happy Hannukah - or whatever holiday you might be celebrating!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!! This picture is from 1978 and Grandpa is holding a sleeping little Lauren. We love you Grandpa!!!

20 Weeks!

Time is really starting to move. So we have had quite a few requests for "belly shots" so here are some for your enjoyment. Now that Lauren is getting bigger we will try to update the belly shots regularly

Here we are at 18 weeks ... and then just over 20 weeks

Ultrasound Pictures

Here is the first pictures of Niblet. We know it is a little hard to see what is going on. Sort of like those 3-D magic eye pictures!


Niblet's head is the big round thing on the left. He is in profile. Right by his nose or maybe eyes are his two little hands. You can then see his chest and then all the way on the right his legs. For a closer look, you can click on the picture on the left and it should open as a larger version.


Here are the rest of the pictures. They are even more confusing but take a look anyway.

It's a....

That is right - we are having a BOY!!! We had our ultrasound this morning and the good news is that niblet looks wonderful! We saw all of niblet's parts and everything looks perfect. We are so excited. Tomorrow we will post pictures of the ultrasound - we just wanted to get the good news out right away.

Marci & Dave's Wedding

Marci & Dave were married over the weekend. What a cute couple! Lauren had a fantastic time at the wedding. Marci was radiating happiness. It was wonderful to be around. Here are my other pictures from the event.














And what a treat it was to spend time with the crew from NYC! Old friends are some of the best friends.

Turkey Day 2005

We had a wonderful and yummy thanksgiving with Jerald's family. The women then spent a very cold friday shopping for dresses for Josh & Sara's upcoming wedding. The store had no heat!!! But we all got wonderful dresses.














Even though it was our year to spend Thanksgiving with Jerald's family, Lauren's family was in town for the holiday as well! We got to spend dinner with them on friday. Grandma and Grandpa even flew up from florida to see Lauren's tummy. What fun!!!














But the biggest event of the season was Lauren's now famous apple pie. YUM!!!

Cartel Goods

Just a little plug for my brother's (Josh) new business venture, Cartel Goods is an online t-shirt store that sells shirts with original artwork on it. Here is the one I have:
So check out the site and support my baby brother.

Stefanie's Baby

Stefanie is one of my (Lauren's) oldest friends. We went to Pierce day camp together from age 5 until 10. Then we went to Camp Starlight, a sleep away camp for 8 weeks, together from age 10 until 16!!! We pretty much grew up together.

Well now, one of my oldest friends is a MOM!!! Stefanie and her husband Rick (who is my brother's boss!) welcomed Jacob Ryan a couple of weeks ago. The whole family is doing wonderful and Jerald and I cannot wait to meet Jacob.

Babymoon

We are back from our fabulous Babymoon in Jamaica. The term Babymoon refers to a couples last vacation before the arrival of their baby. Well, we had a fantastic time at Swept Away. I strongly recommend the resort for any couples without kids (they are not allowed).













We spent our time relaxing....


Drinking....(don't worry there is no alcohol in there!)

Eating, playing tennis, golfing, kayaking, snorkeling, water skiing and of course enjoying our last peaceful moments on vacation until the baby's arrival.

Check out the rest of our pictures.

Introducing Myles...

Myles Lenox Nastich Kettler was born on November 12, 2005, after 60 hours of labor!!! Katherine (pictured with the baby), Summer and Myles are all doing well. Summer a fellow B.U. law school grad and very close friend was actually the first person to predict Lauren & Jerald's wedding. We wish Summer, Katherine, and Myles all the best and can't wait to meet Myles in person!

We are...

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Yes, we are VERY excited!
2. The baby is due on May 7, 2006.
3. Yes, our families are thrilled!
4. It is the first grandchild for both our families.
5. No, we do not know if the baby is a boy or girl yet.
6. Yes, we will be finding out the sex, most probably in 6 weeks.
7. Yes, we will let you know if it is a boy or a girl.
8. No, we do not have any names picked out yet.
9. Lauren was not feeling well for the past month but is doing much better now.
10. Yes, that is the actual home pregnancy test we used!

Thank you for all of your support, excitement and love. It has made the beginning of this journey absolutely wonderful. We promise to keep you all updated with the progress.

Happy Halloween Tom Cruise

Thanks for the laughs Benji ~ great costume!!!

Marci's Shower

I just spent a fantastic weekend in New York celebrating Marci's Bridal Shower. I was so happy I could make it down to New York to share in the festivities. Come on boys - doesn't the shower look fun!!! Marci was a great sport regarding all of the games and present opening. I cannot wait to celebrate and her upcoming wedding!

I also got to visit with friends that I haven't seen in way too long! Rebecca, thanks for picking me up, dropping me off, and driving me all over the world!!! Check out pictures from the shower and a few other from the weekend.

U of R - 5th Reunion

After a wonderful weekend with old friends in Rochester I am still in shock that it has been five years since we graduated the University of Rochester. What is even crazier is that it has been NINE years since we entered the U of R as freshmen. Nine years!!! I really cannot understand where the time has gone.

But what a fantastic weekend! It was wonderful seeing old friends and reliving old times. It was a little overwhelming to arrive on campus and be hit with four years of memories at once. Walking in and out of different buildings - with the same smells - brought back so many memories and feelings. Dancing in Strong Auditorium, working late night on debate in Wilson Commons, eating everywhere on campus, listening to the Yellowjackets and of course hanging out on the sorority floor.

It was so wonderful to catch up with old friends. Thanks for my new wonderful memories!!!

Martha's Vineyard

We had never been to Martha's Vineyard before so Jerald had a great idea to take a day trip. What a fantastic trip! We spent the day walking around, relaxing in the park, shopping, and of course eating. A great end to the summer! You can check out the pictures and remember when it was still summer.

Yael's Wedding

So way back in 6th grade (I think it was 6th grade) I met this little girl Yael. I say little because in 6th grade I had already reached my adult height of 5'6" and Yael had already reached her adult height of 4'9 and 3/4". Pretty quickly Yael became one of my best friends. Yael is an incredibly special person filled with so much life, love and happiness that it is contagious. After college Yael moved to Hawaii permanently so unfortunately we get to see each other very rarely and although we do not do great with calling on the phone I still consider her in my inner circle of people whom I love.

Well Yael married the love of her life Olin a few weeks ago. Jerald and I were unable to make the trip to Hawaii but I just received the most amazing wedding pictures from Yael. It looks like it was a fantastic day and Jerald and I wish the newlyweds all of the love, health, and happiness in the world!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

2 years ago today Jerald and I were married. Can it really be two years already? It seems like yesterday. Maybe because we just finally got our wedding album! Seriously, these past two years have been absolutely wonderful being married to the most wonderful man. We have faced some challenges but we have always faced them together ~ and we have come out stronger on the other side.

Jerald I love you!!!

Oh, maybe you are wondering what we are doing in that picture! That was taken on our honeymoon.

More Wedding Fun

Just a cute picture of the Korn's from Vicky & Ari's Wedding. Less than 1 week until our 2 year Wedding Anniversary!!!

Meredith's Ring!

The long awaited ring has finally arrived! It was definitely worth the wait! Ms. Pelton is ecstatic as she travels across the country with her fiance. We miss you Mere!!!

A Poetic Proposal

Mazel tov to Sara and Josh!!! Yesterday, Josh popped the question and of course Sara said YES!!! As the Korn men are such romantics, Josh led Sara on a scavenger hunt with poetic clues leading her around. Finally, she came upon her new fiance on the roof of his apartment building with a picnic and a ring.

Jerald and I are beyond happy for the couple! We are so excited to welcome Sara to the family. We have gotten to know Sara over the past year and she is a truly special person. Josh and Sara are so lucky to have each other! Jerald and I are eagerly looking forward to the big celebration!

Vicky & Ari's Wedding

Well, August 6, 2005 marked the day when Vicky and Ari finally made it official. By my count they began dating in 1997 and they have been an amazing couple from the beginning. I was so honored to be a part of their wedding. Vicky and Ari are incredible friends and simply wonderful people. Vicky has been one of my best friends since freshman year of college. I loved our times together in Rochester and it has been such a pleasure to be with her as she planned her wedding and life with Ari.

Here are some pictures from the wedding. You can also view the pictures from the slideshow. They are not in the correct order - but you get the idea! If anyone wants a gift CD of the slideshow as it appeared at the wedding just let me know.

Am I really that old?

Tonight I went to see a concert with our friend Dave. Dave is currently working for the Jewish Advocate in Boston so he got free tickets to review the opening act. Matisyahu is a chassidic reggae performer. I had heard of him before. And while neither Dave nor I could understand anything of what he was saying, Matisyahu was excellent. I really enjoyed him - if not all of his jumping around. Dave said at some points Matisyahu had the stage presence of a boy signing on stage with the band at his bar mitzvah! But it was all fun.

Then Trey of Phish fame performed. What a blast from the past!!! I had tons of flashbacks from 1994. Unfortunately or actually fortunately I am not 16 anymore. But a lot of the concert goers tonight did not understand that fact. So while Trey was excellent as always (it is always fun to watch someone with so much passion for what they do) after a while of the heat, the smoke, and the drunk ass people bumping into us - Dave and I were proud to declare "We are old!" As I said, I am not the same person I was at 16. I have had a lot of life experiences since then. So, all in all I enjoyed my evening (thanks Dave!) and the trip down memory lane was fun ~ but I didn't want to stay there.

Harry Potter & Knitting?

Yes, they are two of my favorite things! But how do you relate?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Book 6

"Oh, there you are, Albus," he said. "You've been a very long time. Upset stomach?"

"No, I was merely reading the Muggle magazines," said Dumbledore. "I do love knitting patterns..."


How great is that!!! And of course the rest of the book is great as well. Jerald and I are big fans of the whole Harry Potter series.

My #1 Hooch!

So the first of my girls to leave is Meredith. She actually is not leaving until Saturday but tonight was our goodbye dinner. What fun we had. Lobsters and ice cream - come on what is better than that!

Meredith came into my life in the Fall of 1997. She had just transferred to the U of R and decided to join the debate team. I wish I could say that Meredith and I immediately became best friends - but that was not the case. It took a good friend of mine, Ria, to tell me what a cool girl Meredith was. After that I realized what an amazing person she was. Over the years Meredith has become my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, and one of my best friends. I cannot even begin to share all of the wonderful memories I have of spending time with Meredith.

Near the end of law school (Meredith was in Buffalo) I began a campaign to get Meredith to move to Boston. I began sending her weekly postcards of the Boston skyline and after we took the bar Meredith moved to Boston. While she was only here for two short years - it was beyond wonderful having here. And honestly I don't know what I am going to do without her. I just hope and pray that we can remain as close as we are now, because my life is so much better with her in it. I will miss being able to see her when ever I want but I know she is embarking on a great adventure.

I am so proud of my Meredith. When I first met her Meredith was so private that it took her a year to finally tell me her middle name! Now she is so open to the world and new experiences she is moving to Sante Fe with her new fiance! I wish her and Chris all the happiness in the world and I cannot wait to dance at their wedding!

The Girls are Beginning to Leave

Somehow the Summer of 2005 has meant the departure of so many of my closest friends. It was a hard struggle for me to actually accept that they were all leaving ~ but in the end I know they are going off to face and experience many new wonderful experiences and challenges.

I will miss them more than any of them will know!

And I will tell them all......We part only to meet again...

The Boys

Jerald with Brian, Danny and Ben. I have known these boys for 13 some odd years. Just great friends!!!

Rebecca & Danny Visit

Old friends are really the best! Rebecca and I met on the bus to day camp in the Summer of 1983. I was five years old and Rebecca was four years old. Since then Rebecca has been the sister I never had. The joke was that we shared a brain! Well, twenty two years later we have grown up and shared in each others joys and sorrows. I am so lucky to have her in my life!

Ethan & Jess' Engagement Party!

Ok, so I only took a few pictures at the party and therefore I had none with the happy couple. But Ethan looks happy! What a great celebration! Even with the rain everyone had a blast hanging out with old friends and celebrating the newly engaged Ethan and Jess. We can't wait for the wedding!

4th of July

Another year of amazing fireworks over the Charles River in Boston.

Joshy's Toes

My baby brother Josh fell asleep on Grandma and Grandpa's couch after a very hard week at work. I thought this image was just too funny not to capture.

Celebration in Florida

The whole family (minus my cousin Wilson who was stuck taking finals at Dartmouth) flew down to florida to celebrate Grandma's 80th Birthday. What a fantastic weekend (minus the weather!!!). It was fantastic spending the weekend with everyone - and I hope to do it again very soon!!! I only took a couple of pictures. I hope Mom figures out how to get hers online soon.

Swimming!

Swimming, swimming
in the swimming pool.
When days are hot,
when days are cold
in the swimming pool.
Breast stroke,
side stroke,
fancy diving too.
When days are hot,
when days are cold
in the swimming pool!

It is finally sunny and beautiful in Boston! I was hoping if I can get out of work early enough I would go home and finally go swimming. And now I can't get the swimming pool song out of my head. Those summer camp songs really stay with you for life. Uh-oh, another one just popped into my head...

Are you ready for the summer?
Are you ready for the hot nights?
Are you ready for the moonlit skies, the fireflies, and a whole lot of foolin' around?

No more teachers, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks, no more math or history, summertime has set me free!

But then I must realize, I work for a living and summertime does not set me free! But it is still fun and I am looking forward to it!

Grandma's 80th Birthday!

Today is the day, my Grandma turns 80!!! The whole family will be celebrating this weekend in Florida.

When I called to wish Grandma a happy birthday today she said "What does it mean to be 80?" I didn't have an answer for her then. But after thinking about it for a while....

To be Gloria Handler, 80 is to be beautiful, intelligent, loving, caring, energetic, adventurous, inquisitive, supportive, knowledgeable, and an inspiration!

Grandma I love you!!!