Farms, Fruit, and Fritters

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! So, of course, we had to get out of the city to have some genuine fall fun. We found Larriland Farm, a family-owned farm in Woodbrine, MD, about an hour away from the city. Joe and I hopped in the car with our friend Zach and made the trip this weekend.

Fresh Apple Fritters

My favorite thing about the farm? It had pick-your-own produce. It's year-round: in the summer you can pick strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches. In the fall you have your choice of spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, beets, apples, and pumpkins. We took advantage of their apple orchard, tomato patch and, of course, the pumpkins! They had a small farmers market that sold local honey, maple syrup, and coffee. The whole experience was complete was hayrides, straw mazes, a haunted house, apple fritters, and hot apple cider! We even stumbled upon a few goats, much to Joe's delight.

Goats. 

It was a the perfect way to welcome Autumn! Next weekend, we'll be heading back to Columbus, Ohio for the homecoming game on Saturday, OSU vs Iowa.  On Sunday, Joe and I will be running in the Columbus marathon. I'm running the half, Joe's running the full.  Bless him. If we still have a pulse by the end, we'll let you know how it goes!



Miss you all! 

Love, 
Blake and Joe

Newlyweds!

It is shameful how long it's been since we've written.  For that, we are deeply apologetic. 

What has kept us, you ask? Getting married, for one! We were wed on Saturday, September 7, 2013. It was everything we could have hoped for and more. The weather was extraordinary, not a cloud in sight. Which, was amazing, considering earlier that week it was a torrential downpour! The ceremony was beautiful. We were entirely outdoors, married under an arch that Joe's father and brother made, surrounded by family and friends. We were married by our good friend and mentor, Reverend Paul Roberts Abernathy, who we flew out from D.C. to marry us. We laughed, we cried, we kissed, and we were married. As our friends and family made their way to the barn for drinks, Joe and I took pictures. Once we were finished, we celebrated under the stars with a wonderful tented reception. There was food, drinks, dancing, and s'mores. It was absolutely beautiful. We couldn't possibly post enough pictures to do the day justice, so we've included a link

that will give you a little slideshow of the day: http://www.dsmithweddings.com/blake-joe/

Beach Fun

After all of four hours of sleep, we left for Mexico on our honeymoon! We stayed at a beach resort in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula for the week. The great food, endless drinks, room service, and massages were absolutely wonderful. But Joe and I had to have a little adventure! We went to Tulum, an ancient port city, to see some Mayan Ruins. Afterwards, we rappelled off a 75-foot tower, zip-lined through the Mexican rainforest, and snorkeled in underwater caves, and ate something that may or may not have been chicken. It was amazing! 

Joe Found an Iguana!

We returned to DC elated and exhausted. We weren't ready to have life start all over again! It seems like things have just started to settle down a bit. We've been married a little over a month now, and we're still going strong! With all the excitement of the wedding behind us, and the endless possibilities of life ahead of us, we will do our best to keep everyone updated. 

Thank you to everyone for your love and support. We could not be happier! 

Newlyweds!

Love, 

Blake and Joe 

Keeping Busy!

And another month is about to pass us by... time flies! Especially when you're having as much fun as we are.

Boston Red Sox- Fenway Park!

A few weeks ago I headed out to Boston for a girls trip with Megan and her mom, Melissa.  Our last trip was on to Vegas for our 21st birthday.  This trip was much less eventful, but still fun! We hit some rain when we first arrived, but once the weather cleared up we did some sightseeing on a trolley car-- the highlight for me was seeing Fenway Park! Next trip, we'll have to see a game! Other than that, I spent a lot of time trying new things-- including raw oysters on the half shell (tastes of the sea), little neck clams, and all sorts of fun sushi.  They played a fun game with me: try first, tell later.  I ate salmon eggs without even realizing it! It was a great trip, but our next get together will be in July when we go to see Keith Urban.  We're thinking about making signs and trying to get onstage. We can dream, right?!

Accomplishment Wine: wedding day, honeymoon, and so on.

The next week was a trip to Ohio for my bridal shower and bachelorette party. Joe came down to camp with his family while I was whisked away for a whirlwind weekend. The shower was wonderful.  I felt showered, literally, with love and well-wishes. It's rare that my my mother's side of the family is able to get together; it was first for many of the Flarida's to meet them, too.  Thanks to my family and friends, it went off without a hitch! Highlights included making an ice run and almost leaving it in the car to melt, a killer Welcome Wagon punch, a Kitchen Aid mixer, cookies from my favorite bakery in North College Hill (my mother's hometown), a fun assortment of what I deem to be "accomplishment wine", and of course everyone coming together. I was, and still am, overwhelmed by the love of everyone who came. I can't thank you enough for being there for me throughout the years. I can't wait to celebrate one of the most important days of my life with everyone in just a couple more months!

The bachelorette party can be summed up by this picture:

Rum Punch. Yes, that's seven different bottles of rum.

It was a blast! We had a deck party, music, rum punch, some fun games, presents, dinner, and a great time. Highlight: the phalic-shaped cake was inedible. We'll leave it at that.

Not our raft, but please note Jul, Joe's mom, being a beast. 

Finally, this past weekend, we took a much needed relaxing break and went camping with some of Joe's family. Of course, that only lasted about a night, because the next day we found ourselves on Class 3- Class 5 rapids. That's right-- whitewater rafting! We had beautiful weather and even better company, played a few games of Mafia (classic campfire game-- if you don't know how to play it, come camping with us and we'll show you how it's done), and just had a wonderful time. I can't wait for next summer's adventures! We might make our way back to the New River Gorge for Gauley rafting this fall-- exclusive Class 4 and Class 5 rapids due to the fact that they drain their lake into the river.  Talk about an adrenaline rush!

The next few weeks are going to be a lot of fun-- we have Joe's brother Brett and his partner, Tyler, coming out to visit us for the 4th of July! After that, we might have a few weekends off to finish off finishing touches for the wedding-- which my calendar says is about 71 days from now, but who's counting?!

Until next time,
Blake and Joe :)

Visits and Visitors

Hello, hello!

You might have noticed that we haven't posted recently and that's because that we've had many visitors with us lately!

Playtime with our nephew, Liam!

First, Joe and Blake made a quick weekend trip to visit Ohio.  We had some wedding appointments we had to make-- including the florist (Blake's favorite) and the food tasting (Joe's favorite)-- and we had some major catching up to do! It had been several weeks since we had seen Joe's nephew, Liam.  Boy, is he growing fast! We spent Friday evening playing with him and reading him to sleep. Afterwards, we visited with a few college friends, Joe's brother, Brett, and his partner, Tyler.  On Saturday we headed down to Lawrenceburg, IN to visit Blake's family.  We hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving! On Sunday we were in Cincinnati to visit Blake's Dad, who we hadn't seen since before we moved to D.C. Like I said, we had some major catching up to do! After an all-too-brief visit, it was back to the District. We can't wait to go back again, soon.

Megan and Blake

A week after that, Blake's best friend Megan came down from Boston to pay her a trip for her birthday!  We had already seen most of the sites from her last visit, so we spent a lot of time catching up like best friends do.  Of course, the one thing Megan wanted to see-- the Holocaust museum-- we weren't able to get in! It's a free museum, but they have limited tickets available to the public.  We didn't think they would run out of tickets two days in a row, but they did.  Better luck next time! Instead, we spent some time experiencing the exquisite tastes of the city! We tried out Cantina Marina, a bar that's literally sits on a dock of the Potomac River; Old Ebbitt Grill and their happy hour specials; and a German Hofbrauhaus on H street.  Here's a picture of us enjoy a couple of .5 liters.  Next week, I'll be headed to Boston for another visit!

Joe, Blake, Taylor, and Dan

A couple weeks later, a few friends from Ohio State came down for a weekend visit. Our friend Rachel lives near D.C. and she brought down a couple of our friends that Joe and I made through BuckeyeThon, Dan and Taylor.  Dan is one of Joe's groomsmen whom he met through his fraternity at Ohio State and Taylor and Blake go all the way back to high school Young Life.  Taylor and Dan stayed with us in our apartment while Rachel spent some quality time with her family.  We all met up on Saturday to have a DELICIOUS fish fry at Rachel's parents' house.  Afterwards, we showed Dan and Taylor some of the city sites.  It was a great weekend full of wonderful friends and good times!

Blake and Morgan- Quality sister time!

The day after Dan and Taylor left, Blake's sister Morgan came out to visit. She was here from Monday until Friday morning.  On Tuesday, we took a long bike ride down the National Mall to see the monuments, tidal basin, and the White House.  On Wednesday, we paid a visit to both the Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. On Thursday, we took a walking tour through the Library of Congress and got a professional tour through the Capitol building. All in all, a pretty successful trip! On Friday, it was a bittersweet goodbye. We're so different, but sisters through and through. We can't wait for her to come back for another visit!

It's been a whirlwind the past few weeks, but it's only going to get busier.  Blake's got a visit to Boston, then her bridal shower/bachelorette party in Cincinnati.  After that, we're going on a white water rafting camping trip with Joe's family, then Joe will be off for his bachelor party weekend shortly after that.  Not to mention wedding festivities later this summer. Stay tuned, it's going to be a wild ride!

Love and miss you all,
Blake and Joe

Blooming Blossoms

Hello everyone!

Cherry Blossoms on the Tidal Basin

You might have heard of the National Cherry Blossom Festival that's hosted in Washington, DC each Spring.  You may not know that, after July 4th, this festival is the cause for the most tourists to enter our little city.  The festival lasts two weeks, but the cherry blossoms only peak for about two days.

We were able to enjoy this beautiful time of year with sunshine and temperatures from mid-60s to high-70s. We were even lucky enough to host Joe's parents, Bob and Jul, when they came out to visit us for the weekend.

Sunset on the Potomac

Bob and Jul arrived Friday afternoon.  We went and explored Old Town, Virginia-- a small town right outside of DC with lots of charm! Jul and I went to get my first bridal gown fitting done.  Lots of blubbering and giggling ensued. While we were having a real life dress-up session, Joe and Bob went out for drinks.  We met up later to go to a wonderful, authentic italian dinner and walk the shore of the Potomac river. I'm a sucker for sunsets on the river.

Crawdads and Crabs!

That's not even the best part.  We found the coolest fresh seafood market in town! It's off the beaten track and we sort of stumbled upon it.  The markets were literally on the water. There were tons of fish available for sale, both alive and not-so-alive.  The crawdads and crabs were scurrying in their pens, while other fish were getting gutted at the next table.  No, I didn't have the courage to try any of it. Maybe someday.

Picnic Time!

On Saturday, we went to see the Cherry Blossom trees! The tidal basin was surrounded by crowds of tourists who had come to see the blossoms, too. We took lots of pictures, saw the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the MLK Monument, the Washington Monument, and even had time to have a picnic! Afterwards, we went to our local Eastern Market to check out the springtime haul from local farmers.

Bob and Jul got biker swag!

After church on Sunday, we went for a short bike ride around our neighborhood. We went in search for ice cream with little luck. Maybe it's just me, but if you're in Ohio and can't find an ice cream place within 10 minutes start to get a little cranky. Think about it, though! We have Jeni's in Columbus, The Cone in Cincinnati, The Creamery in Lima, UDF on every corner, not to mention Coldstone, Rita's, and a whole lot more.  Out here, we have frozen yogurt, custard, and gelato. Not that I'm saying they're bad-- I'm actually a huge fan of all of those-- but there's something about hand-dipped ice cream that just screams "Spring is here!" We ended up getting ice cream bars from our local corner store. Personally, I like ice cream better out the back of a creepy white truck in your neighborhood

Family Portrait!

.It was wonderful to see family here in DC!  It was a such a wonderful, fun, and relaxing weekend.  We can't wait for the next trip! As everyone already knows, give us a shout if you're ever in town.  We'd love to see you! Otherwise, we'll be making frequent trips to Ohio over the next few months in preparation for the wedding in September (eek!!!) so be sure to see us, then!

Love and miss you all,
Blake and Joe

NYC! The Big Apple! The City that Never Sleeps!

Hello, everyone!

Last weekend, Joe and I made our way up to New York City to visit our good friends, Zach and Jess.  Zach is one of Joe's groomsmen, whom he met in college. They were roommates their senior year.  Jess is Zach's girlfriend.  Both live and work in Manhattan and we had been eager to visit!

Jess, Zach, me, and Joe!

 We took Bolt Bus out of Union Station in DC.  It was a four-hour trip ride on a coach bus straight to the heart of Manhattan.  We were dropped off, and met by Zach and Jess, right near Madison Square Garden.  It was Joe's first time in the big apple.  I have always had reservations about New York City.  I always thought, "Too big, too loud, too dirty, too overwhelming... just too 'too.'"  Know what I mean?



Then again, I hadn't seen their side of the city before!  We spent the weekend as true New Yorkers.  We crashed on the couch of Jess's five-story walk up apartment, explored the lower East Side, Soho, and Chinatown; we shopped at local markets, tried out a few bars, ate at an amazingly authentic Jamaican restaurant, and enjoyed great company.  Here are some of our highlights:

Joe at the North Tower 9/11 memorial site

1. We saw the 9/11 memorial.  We can hardly describe it.  Breathtaking, in a way.  Inspiring and humbling at the same time.  We've seen all the memorials of September 11th: Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and 9/11 in Manhattan.  All were incredible.

2. We stopped and ate at "Famous Joe's Pizza" -- the one in the Spider Man movie! It really was good pizza.  No superheroes were included in our purchase.  Bummer.

3. Jess bought us fresh-baked New York bagels for breakfast every morning.  We also had the best fresh-squeezed orange juice. Who knew you could buy the freshest produce in the middle of a city teeming with skyscrapers and hardly any green space!

Rooting for the Buckeyes!!!

 4. While we were watching the Ohio State game at a local bar, The Hair of the Dog, a band of bag-piping misters came in to celebrate St. Patty's day.  Talk about spontaneity.  We also met up with one of my old college roommates, Elsa, who now lives in Brooklyn.  The longer we stayed, the more Ohioans we met! Soon, there was a whole group of rallying around for the Buckeyes to win!




 5. Last, but certainly not least, the VIEW!  From Zach's rooftop, you could see the entire city of Manhattan.  On one side, the Chrysler and Empire State building; on the other, the new World Trade Center.  It was absolutely incredible!


We had such a fun time!  It was a great getaway for the weekend and we can't wait until our next visit.  Thank you, Zach and Jess, for being such wonderful hosts!


Love,
Blake and Joe 

BuckeyeThon 2013

 

 

The Ohio Union-- Filled with Buckeyes!

EPIC.  That's the word to describe everything about BuckeyeThon 2013.

Here's the history: It's the place where Joe and I met our freshman year of college. It's the place where Buckeyes come together to dance for a wonderful cause. It's the place where kids with cancer can come be rock stars. It's a place where miracles truly happen.

I spent most of my college career putting sweat, time, and tears into this organization. I was a dancer, then a morale captain, then a director of recruitment, and finally the vice president of the organization my senior year. Joe spent every year coming out, and bringing many others with him, to support me and all that our organization accomplished. 

VP and President Reunited!

So, on February 9, Joe and I drove back to Columbus to dance for 12 hours and raise money FOR THE KIDS at Nationwide Children's Hospital. We were part of the alumni team where we saw so many of our friends. We spent our time having fun and dancing the night away! 

   

Joe and the SigEp Team!

I feel like there's really no good way to describe BuckeyeThon.  It's an experience.  So the best way I think I can do this is pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Enjoy!

Miracle Kids Band: Two 12 year old kids rockin out!

The Fanny Pack. It's a BuckeyeThon tradition for Blake.

 Last year we raised over $454,000.  Guess what we raised this year:

 












Awesome. Just awesome. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have donated to this cause and supported us through all that we're involved in.  Just look and you'll see what miracles you've created for these kids. I'll leave you all with this:

Blake with Avalon (center) and her sister, Aurora (right).

Miss and love you all!
Blake and Joe