addition to the family!

holy $#!£

i just spoke to my mother and she told me that MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED YESTERDAY!!!

Akiko was leaving on Sunday to Japan to be with her family for New Years, and my brother was scheduled to follow a week later. The purpose of him going was so that her parents could meet him and he could ask for her hand in marriage. They have been together for about 3 years, and have been living together for about 2, and they even have a dog together. She really wanted her parents permission first, but with her visa expiring in less than 2 months she decided to just take the plunge and go for it.

They decided on Christmas Day, Thursday, but since Friday they were both working all day, and Sunday she was leaving for Japan, that only left Saturday. So they went and got some silver bands, went to the court house with one of his friends and one of hers (two witnesses required), and signed their papers! Then she went home to pack and he went to work. My mother called him that night just to say hi and see how he is doing and he told her. And she told me when I called her today to see how she is doing. They have already told her parents and so now his trip to Japan has been converted from going to ask for her hand in marriage to meeting his in-laws!!!

We are very excited for Joseph and Akiko Wakai Koumpounis!!!

And the plan is to all meet up in Greece this summer! the whole tribe will descend on Athens in June and we'll hang for 2 weeks. wow wow wow!!!

so according to my mother ... one down, one to go!

then i called my father in greece and told him the news that my brother is married. he was happy and asked me to ask my brother to call him. so i suggested that my father call him instead. so i gave him the number and he said he would call. i don't know how many years it's been since they have talked. then i broke the news to him that we are all coming to greece this summer. mind you my father sold our family house in the suburbs of athens, severed ties completely with the majority of the family, and lives with his partner more than an hour outside of Athens by the sea. My mother hasn't been to Greece sine 91, and my brother since 96. Needless to say he was shocked. i made it clear we are going as a vacation and if he chooses to he can see any or all of us but no expectations, no burden. he was still very shocked by the time we got off the phone. lets see what happens as it gets closer to the date.

what a morning!!!

happy happy happy monday
kisses and love and hugs and laughter to you all...