Chris and Melissa Smith

A Day in Julian

2008-10-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

The day after our dinner, the four of us met and drove up to a little town called Julian. They are rather famous for their apple products, including caramel apples, apple cider, apple butter, and best of all - APPLE PIES! Julian is similar to a miniature Gatlinburg for those of you back East.

We found some "Money Soap." It was a bar of soap that contained real money - either 1, 5, 10, 20, or 50. We all got out our money and compared with the little bit we could see. They were all 1s. Go figure!

I had to adjust Smokey's scarf.

As present and former high school teachers, Jess and I had a great appreciation for this sign. "Let me drop everything and work on your problem."

We all three shared one caramel apple, covered in nuts and streusel.

My wonderful husband, loving and holding his wife

Goober pb&j!!! This was totally new for me! I love the top design!

"Can we go home yet?"

Yummy apple pies! My dad would love Julian!

Dinner with Friends

2008-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Chris and I had two of our friends over for dinner and dessert. We had spinach-artichoke dip with bruschetta for an appetizer, chicken 'n dumplins, green beans, and mac and cheese for dinner, and delicious fondue for dessert. The fondue was GREAT!

(All of my pictures are backwards. :-( Mac and I do not completely understand one another yet.)

Chris and I (once again) obeying the Hershey sign

Chocolate fondue, complete with strawberries, pineapples, marshmallows, brownie bites, and pretzels

Jessica. . . having a moment shall we say!

Jess and Shari thought this was hysterical to make it look like Chris was watching his "favorite" movie.

Homemade bruschetta

Homemade spinach and artichoke dip - so good!

Our Lovely Condo (for you, Mom!)

2008-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings from sunny San Diego! Chris and I are doing fantastic in our new life. I couldn't be loving everyday life more than what I do. This update is primarily for my dear mother - the only one who ever checks our blogs anymore. Now that everyone is Facebooking, we have somewhat "given up" on our blogs (especially since no one looks at them). Our Facebook is very active, but I would like my mother to know that her middle-born is still living and breathing!

Here are few pictures of our condo, Mom. I hope you enjoy them. Sorry it's taken so long to get them up. But our place is really starting to shape up. We are remodeling the kitchen top to bottom in the next couple of weeks. I got to pick out the new cabinets, countertops, and sink at Home Depot! Very exciting! I'll post more pix once it's finished (maybe, in about a year, after much begging from my Maj!). Love you, Mom!

The only shots of our kitchen you will see. . . until it is finished. And just FYI, Chris obeys my oven sign daily.

With the help of my many cookbooks and my best friend the Crock Pot, I am able to serve meals that are rather delectable!

I just realized I have several signs requesting a kiss. Gotta love being newlyweds!

Accent lighting in our beautiful bedroom

Chris says our bedroom looks like a hotel picture. It is definitely my favorite decorated room in our abode. (Oh, and please excuse our central A/C sitting in front the blinds. Tacky, I know!)

Our front door with a touch of autumn

I love this lamp! It is the greatest accent piece we own. Chris thinks it's kinda dumb to have a lamp that doesn't give sufficient room lighting. . . I'm still working on this country boy.

The right side of our living room

(Chris was chilling on the left side.)

Dining room ambience

Our lovely dining room - We just got that huge mirror at Bed Bath & Beyond on big time sale!

Honeymoon in Montego Bay

2008-08-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

After a very long and somewhat chaotic week, Chris and I were ready for a week long Sandals vacation in beautiful Montego Bay, Jamaica. We flew out of Cincinnati into Miami, then on to Montego Bay. Everything went very smoothly until we got to Montego Bay and realized our luggage didn't make the same flight we did! Like sister, like sister! Huh, Chica? :-)

Our tickets, passports, and Sandals reservations that took us to our waiting Paradise

Chris and I were not overly humored when our Miami --> Montego Bay flight was delayed. . .for the fourth time!
This was one of the neatest things I saw on the beach - a life-size chess board! It was awesome!
We went back that night after dinner to play a quick game.

The view from the balcony of our room. We were able to enjoy several events taking place on this pavilion with a front row seat view, including weddings.

The beautiful Jamaican sunset

Chris was VERY excited about his little shrimp dish! Apparently it was his favorite thing he ate while at the resort.
The food could not have been better. Every dinner was white glove service with at least 4 courses. We enjoyed the Orlander, Cucina Romana, Pavlion, Bayside, and the OK Corral. Each restaurant was unique in its food, service, and decorations.

I thought this was so cute! They put little flowers in the beach towels!

We both chose an activity of personal interest to do together. Chris chose horsebacking riding which was actually called "Swimming with the Horses." We literally rode horses out into the ocean until it was over the horses' heads! Very cool! I chose river tubing which was loads of fun. We had a great tour guide who was absolutely hysterical! He kept yelling "Shark!" and everyone would panic until they realized that sharks do not exist in that part of the Caribbean. Chris jumping off the side of a cliff into the river via a swinging rope tied to a tree branch

All in all, it was a wonderful week. Jamaica is beautiful, and I would recommend it to anyone. The people there thrive on pleasing tourists, making it an experience never to be forgotten.

The Long Awaited Update - Our Wedding

2008-08-24T22:07:00.001-07:00

Chris and I are finally ready to post some new pictures after a looooong period of nothingness! We now officially have the internet in our cozy apartment here in Mission Valley, so hopefully I will become an active blogger once again!

I have greatly enjoyed seeing everyone else's pictures of our wedding over the past month. Thank you to all of you who have posted them. Ryan and Andrew did a terrific job! Instead of posting the same pictures, I am going to use a few snapshots from one of Chris's friends who was kind enough to email them to us, in addition to others from our photographers. Some of them are not professionally taken or edited, but they will give a flavor to our Big Day that I don't think anyone else has captured thus far. Enjoy!

Mrs. Polanycia (Chica) and Mrs. Scott (Squishy) kissing the last "Baker sister"

good-bye. . . at least to the shared family name!

One of my personal favorites - me and one of the many individuals who made my dream wedding come true. Thanks for the consoling moment in my room on Wednesday evening, Bek. I love you!

Isn't Pastor Duttry great!?! I guess he caught the Christmas spirit just before the ceremony! When I saw him walk in wearing a Santa hat, I knew it was going to be a fun ceremony.

Me and "my kids" - These are the six kids I have babysat for the past nine years. There was no possible way to choose only one flower girl and one ring bearer, so I found a position for all of them. Brandon (14) pulled Jonathan (1) in a sleigh; Riley (9) and Teresa (8) walked together as flower girl and ring bearer; and Joshua (5) and Emily (3) walked together as flower girl and Bible bearer. They were absolutely precious all dressed up in fancy dresses and little tuxedos! These children will always be priceless to me, and I'm so glad they were such a big part of my wedding.

My incredibly adorable father as he walks his last daughter down the aisle. I'm glad Rebekah and Chica went first because Dad had the whole walking-in-unison-with-a-girl thing down really well by his third go around! It doesn't hurt that with his adorableness (Merriam-Webster definition: worthy of being adored; extremely charming) comes his cute little stature. I love this picture because it captures a thousand unspoken words. I love you, Faj. Thanks for being my Superman!

My Christmas wedding . . .the beauty of a longtime dream captured in one picture

The bride's face as she informs her groom that "this whole event is the most natural thing I have ever done."

"With this ring, I thee wed. . .and pledge to thee all my love and FIDELITY!" (Only a handful of people will truly understand this. Let's just say my pastor is hysterical.)

"I now present to you, for the first time - Mr. and Mrs. Chris Smith."

Our "getaway car" was anonymously decorated with shaving cream, toothpaste, and toilet paper. We did manage, however, to use the provided toilet paper to smear off as much shaving cream and toothpaste as we could to put the top down before making our way to the nearest car wash. Great fun and good memories!

We Really Are Still Alive!

2008-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the recent bride and groom! The last month of my life has been the busiest, craziest, most story-filled time of my life! Chris and I had a beautiful ceremony and reception on July 25. Many, MANY stories led up to the final moment of "I do." I can only say "thank you" to my amazing family and our supportive friends for making my long-desired wedding dream come true. The right words simply do not exist to express my gratitude.
I am still working on the whole internet access thing. There is a potential that we might have some "nice neighbors," but I have to figure a few things out first. As soon as I work that out, I will take the time to post pictures of the wedding (Oh, wait. . .that's right - - -I don't have one picture of my own wedding! Please send your snapshots!), our wonderful honeymoon in Montego Bay, our week long road trip out West, and my new apartment, which I absolutely love even though it is a work in progress.
Much love to my friends and family! Thank you, everyone, for all of your love and prayers! Have a wonderful day, Mama! And thanks for the oven-cleaning tip. It's spotless!

The Beginning of Our Vacation

2008-07-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures I promised. They may be a bit scattered and not cropped properly due to the fact that time with internet access and without screaming children around is rare! If you have any questions, Maj, just call! We are all doing well at Ocean Isle. The weather is warm and windy, though thunderstorms are predicted for the majority of this week. There is never a dull moment around the house! I am sleeping in "the girl's room" with Teresa and Emily. Teresa fell off the bed around 4:30 this morning, which meant I got a cuddle buddy in my twin bed for the last few hours of sleep. Needless to say, it was not a restful night. Anyway, the kids love the beach, and I love spending time with them. Enjoy the pix!

All 8 seats were full on our long trip to North Carolina (not to mention the back, floors and any window space!). But the TV with wireless headphones were great!

I love asking Jonathan if I can eat him. . . He gets this flirty smile on his face because he knows what's about to happen!

Adorable Joshy!

At one point I had eleven kids in my care while their parents caught up on old times. Talk about crazy!

Me and my "lil sister" Teresa

Emily, Teresa, and Joshua enjoying sparklers on the 4th of July (Joshy's sparkler burnt out just before I snapped the picture.)

Eric and Todd were in charge of the fireworks for the block party. The overall comment from the neighbors was, "Wow! You Ohio people don't mess around!" It was a lot of fun!

Too cute - Joshy was having a moment while waiting for his food in the hot sun.

Lots of pictures of Joshy! That's ok - he's such a ham in front of the camera! This is his attempt to beat the waves. Michele with her two little ones, Emily and Jonathan

Ranck Family Vacation

2008-07-05T06:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia! We are officially on our long-awaited summer vacation. We spent the last two days in Richmond with some old friends and had a wonderful time last night at an enormous block party. Todd and Eric were like two teenage boys with all of their fireworks! They did a great job lighting up the cul-de-sac for the whole neighborhood. Today we are on our way to Ocean Isle where we have rented a beach house for the week. Fun times with eight kids! I will post pictures later when I have easier internet access, but I wanted my Maj to know that things are going well here on the east coast! Love you, Maj!

Moorehead/Schnur Rehearsal Day

2008-07-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Three weeks after Cristina's wedding and four weeks before my own, a dear friend from high school (Kerianne Moorehead) tied the knot. The bridal party had so much fun at the rehearsal dinner and bowling later Friday night. Saturday went very smoothly considering all of the bridesmaids were getting ready at the same time in the same place. Through all the planning and any frustration that may have come with the planning, the Moorehead and Schnur families produced an amazing wedding. As I told Kerianne earlier in the week, at the end of the day on June 28, the only thing that mattered was that she was Mrs. Benjamin Schnur.

Kerianne treated the bridal party ladies to a luncheon at Applebees.

Unfortunately, Kerianne and I both damaged a finger on our ring hand the week of the wedding. Fortunately mine should have time to heal before my wedding.

The MCA gym has never looked this nice before! My hat is off to Mrs. Schnur for turning an ordinary high school gymnasium into an elegant location for a rehearsal dinner.

Our freshly manicured fingernails glowing in the dark at the bowling alley.

The bride and groom comparing their muscles. . . We all agreed that Kerianne had him beat!

The future "Schnur" ladies - Sarah (sister), Holly (fiance), Kerianne (wife), Christina (sister)

After our evening of bowling, the groomsmen tackled Ben to wrap him like a mummy. As Kerianne tried to defend her husband-to-be, the bridesmaids joined the fun and grabbed Kerianne to finish the "night before the wedding prank." They are stronger than we thought! (And sorry for that scratch you ended up with on your face, Ben!)

Cicada Invasion Video

2008-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Cicada Invasion '08

2008-06-26T20:25:00.001-07:00

Yuck! I hate these wretched little insects! Cicadas are a species of insects that come to Cincinnati once every seventeen years. As luck would have it, the wedding summer of 2008 was the blessed year they came for a visit. They are ugly, red-eyed creatures that make a loud, high-pitched sqeal sound. There are literally hundreds of thousands of them in a concentrated area. The mass of cicadas started to die off about a week ago, leaving behind a horrible stench that lingered in the air. The only scent I can liken them to is a wet dog. Dad and I decided that if we were to get rid of the source of the smell, the air would again become breathable.

I raked the decaying cicadas around the base of several trees, and

Dad shoveled them into their waiting hearse.

By the end of our adventure, we had two full wheel barrels of our little buddies! Gross!!!

Homearama 2008 ~ Long Cove

2008-06-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Mom, Dad, Kerianne and I went to a traditional family event - Homearama. Homearama is an annual display of the nicest homes (mansions) in the Cincinnati area. Several different builders work for months on end to design their dream home to present and display at Homearama. These homes are then intricately decorated and staged by the finest interior designers. Held at the same location it has been for the past two years, Homearama consisted of ten homes to be viewed by the public. The average selling price of the homes was around 2 million dollars. Each year the houses seem to be more creatively designed and more equisitely decorated.

Kerianne, me and Mom enjoying a golf cart shuttle to the street of homes

Kerianne and I decided to pretend that we owned one of the homes by taking a moment to relax on the water-edge patio.

Mother-daughter bonding time

The square footage of this closet was literally bigger than my bedroom! It was huge!

One of the basements had a "game room" that was literally like an arcade,

complete with an awesome Monopoly game table.

Another house had a Jack and Jill bedroom that was actually more like a Romeo and Juliet suite! The make believe home owner apparently had a daughter who was about to tie the knot. Kerianne and I took special note of this room.

Kerianne and her Prince Charming (aka: Benji Schnur)

We ran into an old friend from Star Wars in the basement theatre of one creative home.
(Look, Beka - It's Yoda!!!)

This is for you, David. . . a darling little baby nursery for your future son, Aiden Bradley.

Mama's dream bedroom (Take note, David and Bek.)

Does this bridge look familiar, Chica and Andrew?

A great memory with a dear friend. . . a priceless way to spend our last weekend together in Cincinnati before we go our separate ways with our future husbands.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrea Bocelli (aka: Andrew and Cristina)

2008-06-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our Aunt Susie sent us a cd of her snapshots from the wedding. I decided to post them since I don't have any pictures of my sister's big day up and also so Andrew and Chica can see some random shots of their own wedding. Enjoy, my Chica Bonita! You were one beautiful bride!

The bride, as calm as could be. . .

"The Baker Sisters" - Bek, Chica and Blondie

Andrew and Cristina conversing during David's song

Mom and Dad. . .2 down, 1 to go!

David and Rebekah. . . Good work you guys! You pulled off an amazing evening.

Chris and Melissa - We're next! Just a few more weeks!

(By the way, nice shirt and tie. . . Perfect colors!)

I thought Justin and Ryan might appreciate this picture. Justin looks as if he is trying to figure out how to use such a high-tech camera, and Ryan looks as if he may have forgotten the film. Hmmm. . .

Car Detail. . .in the mall parking lot?

2008-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, and I went to (ANOTHER) wedding tonight, afterwhich we enjoyed a family journey to Wally World. They dropped me off to run a quick errand in the mall. When I came outside, I found the great Doug Baker doing none other than. . . waxing the Mazda 3! Mother quickly informed me that he had already "washed" the car using a gallon of water and some rags he had found in the trunk. He was now finalizing the car's fine appearance with some vigorous circular motion and a fresh coat of tire shine. After sitting there for several minutes and getting quite a few "Smile - You're on candid camera" looks, a man walking out of Dillard's asked if his car could be next! My family has officially lost it. I'm going to miss these good bonding times with my parents, but it's good to know that they will never have a dull moment, even without the kids to keep it interesting!

Mom went right along with it. . . just glad to finally get her car looking nice for Homearama.