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 

Little Moments

Hello everyone!

It has been far too long since we've posted anything.  I started to reflect on this quite a bit since we've moved out here.  Really, we're responsible for one thing: showing up to work 36-40 hours a week (depending on if you're talking to myself or Joe).  This time last year, we had to balance school, part-time jobs, leadership roles in student organizations, research, and social activities. We felt so much busier, but seemed to accomplish so much more.

Why does it feel that time is flying by now that we're out of college? Maybe it's because we appreciate the little moments that we have together when we're both not working or not missing each other due to rotating day/night schedules.  Maybe it's because we look forward to the times we get to spend with friends and family more than anything else.  Perhaps this time out here in DC has given us some serious insight into what's important. Sure, a dream career/profession is wonderful to have, but it's not the sole purpose of being here. It's experiencing new things, growing in each other and in our relationship, and savoring the moments spent and shared with great friends and supportive family. That's why we wanted to share some of our recent moments with you.

Scene 1: War over Cookies!

"Don't even think about it." - Joe

Back story: Once in college, Joe's mom baked us some of her famous oatmeal cookies. (There's magic in them, I swear.) I tended to eat many of these cookies when I would be over at Joe's place visiting. He took to hiding them from me and, when I found them, rationing them out to me on my visits. When Joe's mom sent us some cookies to us here in DC, we devoured them. We fought over who would get the last two. Sharing just didn't seem like an option. In fact, when I threatened to eat the last two cookies before Joe woke up the next day, it led to this:


The war ended peacefully. I left him one of the cookies so he could have one for lunch, too.  I took the crumbs when I got home. Victory is mine. Or shame. I can't tell.

Scene 2: Criminals at the Ice Rink.

Legal photo.

Illegal photo.

It was a close call. From November/December through March/April, the national mall has an outdoor ice skating rink that is open to the public.  Joe and I decided to make a day trip and do a little skating.  We were having our fun, and Joe took out his phone for a photo-op.  Little did we know that our little photo was against the rules! Safety hazard to take photos when you're skating on the ice, you see.  We were asked to take all photos off the rink.  Fair.  But when neither of us wore a watch and Joe took out his phone to check the time, we were called out again.  Rather than entice the wrath of the man-in-yellow, we took a break on the sidelines.

Scene 3: Ikea is a God-Send.
Joe and I spent the first 6 months of our time in this apartment eating bent over our coffee table while sitting on our couch or on the floor.  It's about two feet high. Yes, we know it's glamorous and everybody would do it if they could, but once our backs started to hurt we decided it might be time to hit the local Ikea.  We found this super-cute ("and very manly", says Joe) table.  It works perfectly with our space-to-furniture ratio.  Our backs (and butts!) are saved from discomfort.  Here are the before, during, and after shots. 

Side note: Joe put this together while I was at work.  When I asked why he didn't wait for me to help, he replied, "Sometimes your help does more harm than good. Especially with construction."  I can't exactly say he's wrong.

Scene 4: Roller Derby.  It's REAL! 
Did you know that Washington, DC has a roller derby league? Women-only, hard-core roller skating while simultaneously shoving/falling/grappling, with the sole purpose of racing around in circles to gain points.  Joe and I decided to go and see it for ourselves.  It's. So. Cool! They have concession stands and alcohol and merchandise and alcohol and music and alcohol and girls with names like "Lucy-fer", "Frightmare", and "Dirty Nancy".  It made for a fun day. I may have signed up for information about how to try out. Just maybe. Seriously, though, don't get your hopes up. 

 We love you and miss you all.  Parting words of wisdom from a naive, still-growing-up young lady: Always remember to enjoy those little moments and share them with those you love. They're the best.

Love,
Blake and Joe :)

Hello, Mr. President

Hello everyone!

Joe and I had a very eventful weekend!

First, we visited Joe's best friend, Adam, in Pittsburgh.  We stayed at their place, about one street away from Carnegie Mellon's campus.  Adam and Alyssa, his girlfriend, showed us a great time! We went to Pittsburgh's Public Market-- a local farmers market built on the old shipping yard docks, drank some of the best coffee EVER, ate way too many donuts, and met their pet guinea pig, Wayne.  It was a great time spent with friends, especially in light of the fact that Adam will soon be moving to the Bay Area of California.  We'll miss you, dear friend!

We made it back from Pittsburgh in time to catch a decent night's sleep and then head out to the inauguration ceremony at the butt-crack of dawn on Monday morning.  We arrived at the line to our gate around 6, after waking up at 5, with an outstanding 4 layers of clothing-- and it still felt like it was 3 degrees outside-- only to be surrounded by way "too" many people.  But let's face it, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity (see what I did there, with the counting down?! Ah, I feel so clever!) It was totally worth it.  

Check out the pictures from the day!

The View from our Standing Seats!

Soldiers lined the streets, ready to salute the President.

Literally, a TINY portion of the President's motorcade.

Hooray for Memories!

It was amazing to be a part of this historic day.  It's moments like these that help us make the most of our time while we're here!

Missing everyone terribly! We hope to see you all soon!

Love,

Blake and Joe

Yuletide Cheer

Happy New Year, everyone!

Peppermint Patties! 

We had a great time with family and friends over the holiday.  We went back to Lima to celebrate Christmas with Joe's family and ended up being stranded for an extra day due to the snow blizzard that came through on Christmas night.  It was packed full of family fun, great food, yummy peppermint schnapps, and lots of memories.

Our adventure began on Sunday morning.  Joe picked me up from the hospital after I worked the night shift.  The car was packed full of presents, and the backseat was a makeshift bed that Joe had put together just for me to sleep off my work day in the car.  There was even a toasted bagel on my pillow for breakfast, and a lunch packed for later.  Let's just say, I was very touched.  It's lovely to be taken care of, even better when that person is your best friend and future husband.

Santa Came! 

I digress.  Joe drove through the day and we ended up in Lima just in time for dinner.  By Christmas morning, the whole Flarida brood was there-- all four kids and their significant others.   Santa had also stopped by, and the result was absolutely epic! We must have been nice this year, because we got a HUGE tent from Santa.  It sleeps up to 8 people, so that means that come springtime, we'll be looking for willing volunteers to come camping!

Later, we went over to Joe's Grandpa's house in the afternoon for Christmas celebrations with his extended family.  Cue yummy drinks and white elephant games! Joe made out with a Christmas-themed cheese plate and I got a Shaq bobble head. Winner, winner!

This Would Qualify as "Other Shenanigans".
Joe attempted to hide under the couch cushions to scare Brett.
It didn't work out exactly like he planned. 

That night there was a huge blizzard.  I was supposed to go back to work the following day (we were to leave early in the morning), but they had called level 2 snow emergencies in Columbus, Pittsburgh, and the entire route 69 and 78 was covered with snow.  Easy to say that our little Toyota Corolla, Louise, would have stood no chance.  We decided to place it safe and stay an extra day. We ended up having fun playing in the snow amongst other shenanigans.

We hope everyone else had a great holiday filled with family, friends, and fun!  We love and miss you all.

Blake and Joe :)