Simona and Steve Take the Plunge

Our Wedding Album

mccombi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:31:49 +0000

Well, most of it anyway. We still need to post the pics our photographer extraordinaire and dear friend Florin took in the back yard after the ceremony, but we have some really nice shots of everyone in this album. We also have them in high resolution, so if you want some 5 MB files in your inbox, just let us know. You can download them from the album, although I think you’ll need to have Picasa installed on your computer; which we highly recommend:)

We hope this will help you remember what a good time you had at our wedding (heh-heh). Enjoy!

Thank you!

mccombi — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:13:33 +0000

At our “one-week wedding anniversary,” we would like to thank all of you who were able to be part of our special day or thought about us fondly. We were really touched by the generosity of our friends and family, who contributed to the event in so many different ways. We appreciate that many of you traveled great distances to be there. It reminded us of how lucky we are to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

Our wedding hosts, our officiant/caterer, the band, the people who particpated with our vows, those who gave the funny toasts at the reception, those who took pictures, and the time (albeit too brief) we had to visit with you — really made it an enjoyable time for us (and we hope that you had fun too).

We would really appreciate it if people could post/share their photos from the wedding. Pics and video snippets that we have will come (hopefully) soon, but until then, here are a few samples.

Meet Donna and Bob

mccombi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:52 +0000

Here is the other couple of friends without whom this wedding wouldn’t have happened and without whom I would have been lost when I came over to the States. Donna is our chef extraordinaire and menu planner. To make the circle complete, they are good friends with Joyce and Wayne, our hosts.

On the right is Donna and Bob’s wedding picture from when they were 20. As Bob said, at the time, we couldn’t fathom why their parents were so worked up about them getting married. I’d say they didn’t have much reason, since, as you can see in the other pic, they’re still together and going strong. They have three children and five grandchildren (four boys and a girl) and when we get together I can’t wait to hear what hilarious things they’ve been doing or saying.

You can see why they are my surrogate parents.

Steve’s Mom and Me

mccombi — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:21:10 +0000

And Charlie. These pics are from my trip to Minnesota this summer. Steve’s mom, Mary, and I clicked right away (maybe that’s why Steve decided to marry me ). Since then, Mary has sent me a lot of very sweet, thoughtful cards which made me feel very welcome. We are looking forward to having her with us this week.

Meet Laura

mccombi — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:08:45 +0000

Laura is going to be my other bridesmaid. When we met a few years ago, we discovered we had gone to the same high school in Bucharest. Even though our paths had not crossed, we bonded instantly over it, as we both loved that high school and have fond memories of it. I’m so glad someone connected to it will be at the wedding.

Meet Jim and Ruth

mccombi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:31:52 +0000

Jim, my mentor, is the person responsible for bringing me to the States. I worked with him in Romania 10 years ago and, knowing I was planning to come, he asked if I needed help with anything. My plans were just falling through when, completely out of the blue, he offered an incredibly generous hand to help me hop over the pond and reinvent myself.

The best part was that he had worked in Eastern Europe for several years and was very familiar with the culture there. For a long time, him, Wayne, and Bob, all of whom know Romania, were the only people with whom I felt I had any connection; everything else was completely alien. And I always got a kick out of his poking fun at Romanian stuff he found weird, such as the belief that if you sit in a draught you get a cold. Steve needs to talk to him to have a better idea of what he’s getting himself into.

With Ruth and their daughter, Meredith.

Steve’s Family

mccombi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:20:01 +0000

Eric (brother-in-law), Laurie (sister), Steve’s mom, and Taylor (his niece). Oh, and me behind Taylor.

This pic includes Cole, Steve’s nephew.

Simona Growing Up

mccombi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:04:36 +0000

I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane, from when I was two until I was 28 and came to the States.

Me at two, again. We lived in a real house (as opposed to a crampy apartment), with a yard and a garden, until I was three. Now that I think of it, maybe I really was meant to bike (ha ha).

Here I was in the second or third grade (8-9 years old). This was the communist uniform we had to wear as pioneers, which is what school kids were from the second to the eight grade. I know, fodder for Steve to tease me about .

When I was 13.

Yes, I remember the fashion-challenged 80′s. I was on some camp and was going to play some Bon Jovi song on a guitar (I was a huge fan back then). I even found a guy willing to be my drummer! And, what do you know, I got some award for it. Don’t expect me to play it at the wedding though. LOL.

At my birthday party when I turned 20. I still have that crazy top.

Believe it or not, this was from a couple of years later.

More or less around the same time (22, 23 years old?).

In the office I shared with two very good friends in my last job in Romania.

On a trip for my last job. This pic was taken on Aug. 2, 1999, when we had a total solar eclipse in Romania, which I watched sitting on the ruins of The Deva Citadel, dating back to the second half of the 13th century.

Joyce and Wayne, our hosts

mccombi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:14:52 +0000

Joyce and Wayne are one of the two pairs of surrogate parents for me. I worked with Wayne in Romania 10 years ago and he helped me with my grad school applications. He continued to help when I got here, with wise advice that he humbly called unsolicited but which was always extremely appreciated. He helped me find the bike I’m still riding. I’m looking forward to biking with him once spring comes and I’ll be living close to Bethesda. And, as if all this help had not been enough, Joyce offered that we have our wedding ceremony in their living room. They are one of the two reasons we can have a wedding.

The other reason is the other pair of surrogate parents, Bob and Donna (pic to come soon). Bob worked together with Wayne in Romania when I met him. Once I got here, he offered endless help with resume tweaking and advice; a steady shoulder in the trying times of adjusting to another culture. Right after Joyce offered her living room, Donna jumped right in and offered to help us with the catering. You can see now how crucial these people are to this whole affair and how lucky we are to have them as friends. They — together with one more person I met while in my last job in Romania and whom I’ll introduce soon — are responsible for bringing me here AND helping with the wedding. I’ll be forever in their debt.

Meet Margie and Chuck

mccombi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:39:53 +0000

Margie and Chuck have known me for a few months now. Long enough to see that Steve and I aren’t rushing into this, like it might otherwise be logical to think (ha ha). We often enjoy low-key (but delicious) dinners at Chuck’s, who is a great cook, while Margie entertains us with witty jokes. We hope to return the favor soon.