Radon

Radon is a radioactive naturally occurring gas that results from the decay of uranium. Uranium is a silvery-white metallic element that is naturally occurring in soil, rock, and water all over our Earth. Uranium is typically found in low concentrations, but because radon is a toxic substance of uranium it can and does cause some serious complications with human health. More specifically, complications with lung cancer.

Upper Arlington has been identified as an area that has higher concentrations of this noxious radioactive gas, especially in older homes. Therefore, we are having a radon test done, as we speak, actually. You see, the radon test requires this big machine that is placed in the basement of a home. It measures the radon concentration in the air over a period of 3 to 4 days. And then we get the results.

Because radon is naturally occurring, odorless, and colorless, there is a strong possibility that it is in the air around us now. There are, however, concentration levels that have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency that are safe for us. And then there are those levels that are not safe. Fortunately, whatever the results, there are ways to eradicate the radon problem from your home. We are hopeful that our results will be within the safe zone, but we are prepared to take all necessary precautions if they are not.

Bring it on, Radon. We are ready to nip you in the bud, if you dare...

Inspector Gadget

We just had our home inspected today by a lovely and knowledgeable inspector. It was amazing. It, literally, was like going on a site seeing tour in your own home. We learned so much! I caught myself more than once wide-eyed with jaw agape at the elaborate, meticulous details that were thought of and built in 1936 (the year our dear home was constructed), and knowing that the roof above the garage is built four times stronger than houses are built today is just an incredible thought. We also found out that the stone that adorns the front, sides, and rear of the house is from Lake Erie, and that a mason sat in the front yard with a pile of rock and had to hand chisel each and every stone whilst construction of the house was being done. Simply astounding.

Brian and I trailed our inspector like helpless puppy dogs around every corner, every nook, and every cranny of the house, even into the attics, and we were just dumbfounded at the thought and lifestyle of the 1930's. It was an illuminating tour of the past, and having the opportunity to carry out the character of a house that was built 74 years ago just makes us smile with pride. We look forward to the many memories that we will make there, and we look forward to being homeowners.

We are so, so excited, once again! We are well on our way to embarking on yet another milestone in life, and it feels unbelievable!

Go, go, Gadget!

An Unforgettable Day!

Brian and I were fortunate enough to be able to hire the most incredible videographer we've ever seen: Indy Productions. Working with Dustin was simply marvelous. And the final outcome of our video is just fantastic! The attention to detail, the professionalism and the ease of which it was to work with Dustin really made our day. It was a joy to have him around, and we couldn't be happier with our video! What's even more incredible is the fact that we were both able to relive our special day from a completely different perspective. We had front row seats to our own wedding, and we had a blast!

Thank you, Dustin, Devon, and all the support we received from Indy Productions. We cannot thank you enough for capturing the special moments of our unforgettable day!

Our wedding video!

Home Sweet Home

I kid you not, folks, it's official! Exactly two months after we got married, we found out that we are the proud homeowners of a brilliant, charming house on W. Lane Avenue! It's wonderful. It's got a lovely back yard, wonderful nooks and crannies, and it's full of so much character. We have some minor work to do, but we couldn't be happier (possibly a slight bit scared...), and as soon as everything passes inspection we will be moving right along! (Pun intended.)

Happy two month anniversary, Honey Cakes! Welcome Home!

(Image courtesy of real living.)

Wild Yough

In an effort to come up with the perfect Groom's Gift for our wedding, I thought what better than to whisk Brian away to a cozy cabin in the woods with our dearest four legged friend for our first official 'family' vacation?! How could you better celebrate your love than by sharing it together?! Genius!

And this weekend, that is exactly what we did! I booked a lovely house about a mile off the roadway, surrounded by hundreds of acres of state parks and the Youghiogheny River, in Oakland, Maryland. The house was enchanting. There were so many windows that really connected you with nature. There was a fire pit, and a hot tub, and a huge field that we could play endless hours of ball in. There were hiking trails and paths that led us deep into the forest, there were deer feeders for our wildlife viewing pleasure (I think Jack's barking scared all wildlife away for about a 15 mile radius from wherever we were), there were so many stars, there was a wonderful kitchen, and absolutely wonderful company!

On Friday when we arrived, I got dinner started while Brian (and Jack) set up the fire pit for our campfire. (We brought all the fixin's for s'mores, which we haven't had in forever, and they were absolutely delicious!) After dinner, we relaxed with a glass of wine by the fire, played a bit of ball, made some s'mores, enjoyed the hot tub, and watched the stars come out. It really was a nice cool, Fall night, and having access to the hot tub and the fire pit was a necessity if you were outdoors given the temperature in the air.

On Saturday, we got an early start and warmed ourselves up with some scrumptious, hearty oatmeal, and took a brisk morning walk through the woods to the river. Jack was in heaven! He absolutely loved being able to roam, smell everything, and be free. (He also barked away two deer who ran for their lives. These were the only deer we really 'saw' together. And we didn't really even see them they ran so fast!) We were in heaven, too. We had a go with some of our photography skills, enjoyed the feeling of having nothing to do and no cell phone reception, and relished the changing of the seasons. It was quite cool that morning, but turned out to be a beautiful day.

When we got back to the house, we packed our lunches and headed to Swallow Falls for a quick hike, and a scenic lunch by the river. Despite the water being quite cold, Jack was still interested in going for a swim. We weren't too keen on the idea, so we jerry-rigged his leash to a small boulder with just enough slack so that he could run, but not swim. We had such a nice, relaxing day!

That evening, instead of grilling out, as planned, we headed into town to have dinner at Black Bear. (Mainly because we received a text message that our wedding video was up, and we just couldn't wait to watch it!) And, once again, topped the night off with a couple s'mores, a camp fire, and good company!

It was a beautiful weekend, and we feel this is definitely a spot we will have to travel to again!

And to my Groom that prompted this wondrous weekend getaway: I love you! Happy nearly two months anniversary!

A Fall Must-Do

The crisp Fall air is certainly much cooler now than it has been in the last few months. The leaves are beginning to crunch beneath our feet, making us well aware that they are no longer hanging on the branches above us. The colors of the season are making their appearances. Sweaters are being brought out from storage, Halloween costumes adorn the racks in all the stores, mums are a common sight on neighbors' porches, and pumpkins and gourds are used to decorate many a table setting. The harvest moon has made its appearance, and we are all becoming aware of the changing seasons. Autumn has arrived, and with that, so have many of our favorite fall activities. One in particular being apple picking!

Yesterday, Brian and I took Jack to Lynd's Fruit Farm and met Brian's parents, Mary and Tom, for a stroll through the apple orchards. Brian and I hadn't been back to Lynd's since we were there last October with our photographers for our engagement photo shoot, but we were excited to go back. (Side note #1: the craziest thing happened while we were at Lynd's this go round. Kim and Eric (our AMAZING photographers) had never been to Lynd's before our engagement session. Neither had I, to be quite honest. Well, neither of us had been back to Lynd's since then. However, yesterday, we ran into Kim who was at the orchard with her daughter and daughter's friend to pick some apples! It was crazy, but so awesome to see her. We were both thinking of each other because it was the first and last time we had both been to Lynd's, but not in a million years would we have thought we'd see her there on the same exact day that we went back. I mean, this is like a one day a year occurrence and to pick the same day as the other person that reminds you of a certain place is very unusual. We were both shocked to see each other, but like I said, it was really nice to run into her!) (Side note #2: if you need photographers for anything, book with Picture the Love. They are absolutely fantastic!)

Mary, Tom, Brian, and I each picked some delicious apples, enjoyed each other's company, and savored the last few days of 'not having to wear a jacket' temperatures. (I could've easily worn a jacket...) There was a chill in the air, enough to be thankful for the long sleeves that we were wearing, and reminded us all of the rapidly approaching cold temperatures that I'm sure are right around the corner. Jack experienced a sensory overload for the first fifteen or so minutes, but soon calmed down (a little) and became slightly more manageable. Once he realized that he could pick up the apples (aka 'balls' in Jack's world) that had fallen from the tree, he was game. He would drop the apple when he saw you pick another, sit, and wait for you to throw it. (FYI - for safety reasons, we didn't start chucking apples all around the orchard for Jack to chase after, but we may have encouraged one or two slight rolls.) Once Jack realized he could eat the apples, there was no more grabbing his attention. Fortunately, apple picking (at least in our world) didn't take too long so once we all filled our bags we headed out to the tent to peruse the displays of homemade jellies, jams, apple butters, and cider. (Jack had to wait in the car for that part.)

It really was a lovely day. It was delightful to embrace the Fall season, it was fantastic to run into Kim, and it was wonderful to spend some Q.T. with Mary and Tom. Recently, we've both had hectic schedules and it's been hard to find the time to hang with the people who make you smile.

Enjoy the love below!

Bayside Nuptials

This past weekend, Brian and I traveled to Maryland to attend my cousin, Jamie's, wedding on the beach to her (now) husband. It was a lovely day. The weather was a wonderful September-ish day - sunny, crisp, breezy, low humidity; and the beach just looked so peaceful. The guys were dressed in white and the girls were dressed in blue, and our dear, sweet, wonderful bride was just beaming! She looked fantastic!

We had such a nice time enjoying the union of these two people. Oleksii (aka, Lesha) is from Ukraine. After Jamie and he said their 'i do's', they celebrated with a Ukrainian tradition. It was a bread offering from the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom. Basically, the bride and groom are presented one loaf of bread from both mothers. The bride and groom both take a bite, simultaneously, and the one who takes the larger bite is essentially the 'boss' of the family. We all had a laugh when Jamie took the bigger bite!

It was really nice to celebrate with Jamie and Lesha, with our family, their family, and all of their loving friends. It was a beautiful day, a lovely ceremony, and a fun reception. (Click on the photo for the entire album below.) We even got to hang at an after party at Jamie's Mom's house! You can't beat the festivities on a day when we're celebrating such happiness!

CONGRATULATIONS, JAMIE & LESHA!

A True Scotsman

Brian spent a year and a half working and living in Scotland. While he was there, he roomed with one of his coworkers, Matthew. Brian and I met shortly after he moved back to the United States, but from day one, he has always spoken very fondly of his dear friend. He believes that his experience in Scotland would not have been what it was without Matthew, and I believe it too. They learn from each other, they laugh with each other, they pull pranks on each other, they are also two peas in a pod, and it makes me so happy that Brian has such a wonderful friend. (Brian has a bunch of wonderful friends, to be quite honest.)

Matthew has come to the states multiple times to check out Ohio State football games. (Thanks to Brian!) This weekend was the second time he has come into town and stayed with us, and literally the third time that I have met Matthew. I cannot speak highly enough of him now either. He is a wonderful person, and seeing Brian and him together just makes me smile! We are all never short of laughs when he is in town. We are never short of fun, we are never short of smiling, and we are never short of a good time! (Sometimes too good on Ohio State football days!) We had an especially fun weekend with Matt in town (as is evident by the photo album below!), our dear Scottish peach!

You look quite purdy, Darlin'!

In honor of our long Labor day weekend, my Mom and I met halfway to each other in good ol' West Virginia. We met on Saturday and spent the day traipsing around Morgantown. It was a ghost town, surprisingly. We knew that there was a college football game going on, but there was, literally, not a soul in town. It was weird, but we managed to laugh it off and have a good time anyway! We stopped by the history museum (that no one knew about), walked this old railway that is now a walking trail three times (we were a bit turned around), we did a bit of shopping, we stopped by the oldest house in Monongalia County, we went to Oliverio's for dinner, we chatted, and we caught a movie at the historic theater. (Unfortunately, the theater is closing. Fortunately, no one cared at that point and we were able to bring a bottle of wine in to enjoy our movie! Who needs popcorn when you've got wine?!) We made the most of it while we were there, but I can't say that we'll continue to make Morgantown our meeting place!

On Sunday, we were headed to the Stonewall Jackson resort. It was about an hour south of Morgantown. On our way out, we stopped by Coopers Rock and did a quick hike. It was absolutely wonderful! (I highly recommend it for anyone traveling by.) When we arrived at the resort, we immediately noticed that we had just done a complete 180 from where we had stayed the night before! It was a really cool, log cabin kind of resort, and the resort had captured 'cozy' to a T! There was a huge stone fireplace, a wall of windows overlooking a beautiful lake, a pool, a hot tub, a coffee shop: cozy. We rode bikes, hung out by the lake, took walks, enjoyed the view, did a little hot tubbing, we even took a hay ride! (We were the only ones over the age of four who actually took the ride. Not including parents.) We had so much fun!

My Mom is one of the most incredible people I know. I am so fortunate to have her in my life. She is truly an amazing, strong, beautiful woman. Our weekend together was just so wonderful. It was rejuvenating to be together and not have any other responsibilities. It was delightful to enjoy each others company and laugh at the little things. It was relaxing to be in such a beautiful part of the mountains. It was just a great weekend, and I can't wait to do it again soon. I love you, Mom!

Internationally Known

Brian and I are so fortunate to have so many loving family members and friends. What's even more incredible is the amount of love and support that we had on our wedding day from all over the world. We had a lot of guests come into town from all over the United States, and even parts of Europe! It still amazes us both to think of all the people that traveled to Columbus, OH to attend our wedding, and we are so thankful to everyone that was able to make the trip.

All in all, here are our final stats:

Head Count:
140 total people

45 Different Cities:
Aberdeen, SCOTLAND
Avon Lake, OH
Bethesda, MD
Blacklick, OH
Brooklyn, NY
Cartersville, GA
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Columbia, MD
Columbus, OH
Fairfax, VA
Gahanna, OH
Glenn Dale, MD
Granville, OH
Greenbelt, MD
Henderson, NV
Herndon, VA
Homosassa, FL
Honolulu, HI
Indianapolis, IN
Jersey City, NJ
Johnstown, OH
Kenton, OH
Leesburg, VA
Lewis Center, OH
Los Angeles, CA
Lynchburg, VA
New Albany, OH
New Hope, PA
New York, NY
Pasadena, MD
Plain City, OH
Port Charlotte, FL
Reston, VA
Rocky River, OH
Rustburg, VA
Silver Spring, MD
South Miami, FL
St. Pete Beach, FL
Stuttgart, GERMANY
Sunbury, OH
Upper Arlington, OH
Washington, DC
Westerville, OH
Worthington, OH

13 Different States:
California
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Maryland
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia

3 Different Countries:
Germany
Scotland
U.S.A.

Writing this post still amazes me at the breadth of love. Once again, we are so incredibly thankful to all of our guests that traveled to support us, love us, and celebrate us on our very special day. It meant the world to us!