The Lynch Family

"Summer Nights, everybody are you with me"

2009-08-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

Jamie & her mom, Jan

At Brio celebrating Jan's 60th!

Jamie's brother, Jason, & sister-n-law Megan

We LOVE Brio! YUM

AND...we LOVE Jan!

Daren was a hit with Jamie's nephews

Brandy's bridal shower

The "girls" from work & handsome Bentley

My work family

Justin & Jon Marc showcasing my 4th of July cake

Carter's first 4th of July

4th of July at Justin & Addie's

One of my favorite days of the year

Addie & Mrs. Gannon

My cousin Concetta's wedding

My cousin Dylan & the adorable flower girl

(she had her eye on him the whole night...she was a girl on a mission)

Take note of the bridesmaids' dresses

NOW...take note of mine...YIKES!

(Mom, sorry your eyes were closed! It's the only picture I have

of me in the dress! The bunny ears are compliments of Dad.)

Our first Clippers game #1 in the new stadium

#2 as the minor league team for the INDIANS!

(Note: Daren wore a Red Sox shirt...shame on him)

Marty & Kim

It was Dime A Dog nite...I thought Daren

was kidding when he said we were getting 10 dogs...NOPE!

I only ate 2!

The new Clippers stadium

Baby Henry visits work

with Linsey

With Karen

With Brandy

With me

Painting our office

The first 4 colors were ones we were convinced we'd choose from.

Thank goodness for sample sizes, because we went with the 6th one!

Daren diligently taping, I later found out

I'm not so good at trimming.

Christina's Baby Shower

Me, Christina, Linsey & Becky

...don't go summer...not yet! Is it really already the end of August? It's been so sad all week to see all the little kiddos at work talk about starting school! What a bummer! Time flies way too fast! And to think we've only crashed my old apartment pool 3 times!

We have had an amazing summer with family and friends! Just thought I'd recap on some days during the Summer of '09!

Happy 30th Jon Marc!

2009-07-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday Funday at the Tidball's for Jon Marc's 30th Birthday...

Jon Marc & Carter

The Boys

Gigi & I enjoyed the book "Mr. Messy"

we got to know this book quite well

Proud Uncle Daren

Silly Uncle Daren

Addie & Leo

The Gang

Isabell, Me, Carter, Daren, Justin, Addie, Fred & Charlotte

Addie & I finishing off some snacks

Apparently, I'm pretty funny to look at

"Opa!!!"

2009-07-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Bill & Robin

Renee & Paul

Paula & Rowland

Jim & Felicia

Megan & Brian

Kim & Marty

George & Daren

Daren's Co-workers

Congratulations Tammy and Dave! At the end of June we went to our first official Greek wedding! The Greek Orthodox Church was beautiful on University of Akron's campus, there was no shortage of olives at the reception, Stavros and the Professionals rocked the night away, and Tammy and Dave make such a great couple! It was so fun to be a part of wedding truly centered around family and friends...reminds me of where we come from!

"Sweet Summertime"

2009-07-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Alex "Beast", Christina "Bean", Daren & Me

at The Square Grouper...YUM

Bean & Alex

at Boondocks...Love 'em!

Bean, Sarah "Snoop", Me & Ivers

at Boondocks

Daren & I at The Hemmingway House

Daren, Pat, John, Me & Ivers

at The Hemmingway House

Totally "Key West" and us...being us!

The BEST mojito ever!

Indication of how interested I was on

the Ghost Tour

The Dry Tortugas

Travis, John, Ivy, Daren, Me, Pat & Bean

at The Island Grill (one of our favs)

The Jagodnik/Lynch Family

The girls at a local dive

The cutest brother and sister-n-law

picture...I love it!!!

Snoop and Bean at Sea Base

(good little worker bees)

You have to have one...a frozen

cocktail at Flying Monkey

Pat, Travis, Bean, John, Ivy, Me & Daren

Sisters at Finnegan's Wake

The Irish...and Italian at Finnegan's Wake

Ivy, John, Bean, Alex, Lizzie & Daren

at Big Pine Restaurant...our last morning...I hate goodbyes!

I cannot believe summer is halfway over! We could not have started our summer off any better! The first week of June we flew down to Key West to visit my sister and meet up with our best friends, Ivy, John and Pat. As the 3rd annual trip, it was the best of them all! We have our favorite restaurants which are a must, the hot spots which occupy our days, and new touristy attractions we added to our week. Bean was an incredible host, as always, and her friends are a wonderful reflection of my awesome sister! The highlight...we finally got to meet Alex, and we love him!

Christina truly lives in Paradise! We had days by the pool, house projects, incredible meals, the Hemmingway House, a Ghost Tour, an adventure to the Dry Tortugas, the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor, walks down Duval, local bars, Key Deer sightings, and countless laughs, conversations and unforgettable memories!

Cookouts and Races and Dogs...Oh My!

2009-05-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Katrina, Myself, Addie at Blaine's Cookout

Addie, Angel & Justin watchin' the Cavs

Fred, Nicki, Isabella & Charlotte after 5k

Bentley and newfound friends, Geoffrey & Bode

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the military, and their families, for serving our country! I was just sitting here downloading some pictures (yes, I mastered the art of downloading pictures on my own this weekend...finally) and a pair of jets did a fly by. Eeewww...that gives me chills every time! I missed seeing them, but just the sound of them overhead! I'm a proud daughter and Air Force Brat!

We've had a great weekend! It's been exactly what it should...events with friends, yard work and some relaxing. I went to a Bachelorette Party on Saturday night for Brandy, we had a cookout yesterday at Blaine's, a "birthday" evening for Adam, and we did some cheering for Fred and Nicki as they ran the Clintonville 5k. Brandy was a great trooper for her Bachelorette party...have the bars always had as many weirdos or am I just noticing it more now? We laughed hysterically at the cookout telling hilarious stories...my stomach still hurts. Our evening in at the Natalie's watching the Cavs game for Adam's birthday was a great way to catch up with our dear friends! And, it was fun seeing Fred and Nicki run right by our house for the 5k.

On our way back from the race we saw 2 Cavaliers taking a walk. I don't think Bentley knew what to think! He probably thought he just met long lost family. They were all so cute together! It made me realize how much I love my dog, as the other owners, Daren and I went back and forth with, "Does your's do this, or what about that"? Hopefully, we see Geoffrey and Bode again in the park soon to play!

Now it's back to some cleaning and finishing up on yard work! Happy Memorial Day!

Road Construction

2009-05-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

I could not wait for the Henderson Road project to begin...and here it is! I guess I didn't realize it was going to be this extensive and last till November. WOW! All those times I wrote in and asked when it would start and how it was needed so badly should make me appreciative and happy they are finally fixing our much-needed road. I look forward to having new sidewalks, a new traffic light, and a pot hole free road!

Playdates

2009-05-23T11:56:00.001-07:00

Exploring new toys at The Ottery House

Watching the carousel at the zoo

The boys were more interested in each other than the fish

Hilarious...they (the zoo people) made Weston (13 months)

and Tyler (8 1/2 months) sit buckled in their own seats.

Surprisingly, they both did GREAT!

I am so blessed to have such incredible friends! Recently, I've had 2 playdates with my old roomies, Becky and Jamie with their 2 little guys, Tyler and Weston! Back in March we went to Jamie's house for lunch and playing. Yesterday we went to the zoo. The boys were so good! Then we hit up "The Cowboy" for lunch, mmm! I love time with my girls and it is awesome to see them in action as mommies! Thanks girls and boys for a great day!

St. Patrick's Day Party 2009

2009-05-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

2 Little Leprechauns in the making...Gigi and Leah

The Host and Hostess

(I told Daren NEVER to grow a beard like that

it totally creeps me out)

Kim, Myself and Addie

Daren, Justin and Marty

The Flip Cup Teams

The Girls ROCK!

The Closing Party...those who made it till the end!

We had another very successful St. Patty's Day party! It is so much fun for us to have our friends over and celebrate Daren's special day! St. Patrick's Day has never been so much fun for me as it is now with Daren's enthusiastic attitude! Thank you to all our dear friends who made it such a blast! Can't wait for next year!

Las Vegas Pictures

2009-05-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

I promised way back when to post more Vegas pictures...here they are!

Relaxing!

2009-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed the weekend so far! I'm (we're) always running around with our heads cut off and today we relaxed! We had a great lunch with Jon Marc, Abbi, and Carter then came home and have watched movies! Don't get me wrong, it's not like I have it all together! Tomorrow I need to get my act together and get some serious spring cleaning done, however it's been so nice to just chill for a day! Love these kind of weekends where we don't have a million things going on and truly relax for at least a day! I hope to be more driven tomorrow...lets hope for the best!

Thank You!

2009-03-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

As I just finished updating February, it really reminded me of how blessed I am to have such wonderful people in my life! Daren and I are constantly in conversations about all our awesome friends and family that make us who we are today! We love being surrounded by such great people! It's so fun to look through all the pictures and talk about such wonderful times that will forever be great memories to us! Thank you everyone for being such good, genuine family and friends to us! Love you ALL!

It's time to watch a movie, and off to bed! I will update more pictures throughout this week and try to figure out how to download pictures from my phone! Goodnight!

Piano Bar!

2009-03-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Daren, Myself, Addie, Justin & Adam

Me & Addie

Gets me excited just typing about it...so much FUN! First let me preface by saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating a birthday an entire month! Thank you Addie for agreeing! There's this new piano bar in town and it is fabulous! Addie arranged an evening to test the place out and we had a BLAST! I cannot remember the last time we went somewhere for that many hours and honestly could have stayed 2 or 3 more, completely entertained! These people are so talented and really know how to get a crowd engaged! I need to get my manual out to download some pictures from my phone. Since it was still my "fake" birthday they had me get on stage with the other birthday girls and former OSU football player Bobby Carpenter got up there with me, how fun!

Friends Joining the Club!

2009-03-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Girl & Myself

The Birthday Boy

Daren & Adam

Addie, Amanda & Myself

Daren, Myself & Cousin Michael

Daren, Doug, Mike "Rac", Michael

Not only have I turned 30, but I've had some friends of mine join the club too! Jamie N, Jamie L and Libby. February is a very popular month! We had such a great time celebrating for everyone! Got us out to our favorite spots too, Brazenhead, Max & Erma's, and Grandview Cafe. Thanks friends for inviting us to celebrate your special days!

I'm 30!!!

2009-03-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

When we returned from Vegas everyone was so awesome to help me celebrate the big day! Our cousin Michael spent the whole week with us here in Columbus and we didn't want him to leave! Michael, you come back anytime! He totally went with the flow of our weekly schedule and made the most awesome cookies ever...Funfetti cookies. Note: recipe is on the side of the funfetti cake mix, and they are GO...OOD!

Jamers made me an awesome two layer cake! It was beautiful if I do say so myself! Cinnamon sent me the most beautiful tulips to work! They were gorgeous! Daren surprised me, as always, with my first Juicy Couture sweatsuit. It's so fancy who knows if I even spelled it right! I tried one on in Vegas just...well, cause they had a store and I had always wanted to see if I'd like one. They were on a great sale, but I totally thought it looked silly on me. Whelp, apparently Daren and Ivers thought it was great, so I got one! I'm really excited about it now! Just have to get it hemmed, like EVERY other pant item I own.

THEN...the girls at work totally spoiled me with lunch, cake, decorations, gifts, cards and dinner! They made me feel extremely special and loved! Thanks girls!!!

So see, 30 is great! OH...and how could I forget a funny 30th birthday story! The day after my birthday we were all leaving work to go to one of my favorites, El Vaquero, otherwise known as The Cowboy for dinner. A cop pulls up behind me and I instantly know I'm getting pulled over. No lights, just him riding my bumper and radio'ing in. So I call my friend Linsey who's sitting in her car right next to me and say "I'm going to get pulled over, just go on to dinner and I'll meet you girls there". As soon as the light turns green, flashers go on, and of course, we're in the most awkward location right in front of a loading and exit ramp to 270. At this point, I'm kicking myself for not putting my new sticker on my license plate, I had just thought about it that morning. He comes to the window and does the ole, "so do you know why I pulled you over?". I responded with the sticker guess. Turns out he could tell I had already paid for my sticker, so I was off the hook for that, BUT my license had expired. "FOR THE LOVE". Who knew? I mean, of all people I've gotten a new Ohio license, lets see 1, 2, 3...4 times in the last 10 years. Don't you think there would have been some renewals some place in there??? Luckily, I didn't have to take any sort of test to get a new one...Michael and I were sweatin' about that one...PHEW! The police officer said Happy Birthday in the end, I think the beautiful tulips in the front seat of my car helped milk it!

Vegas Baby!

2009-03-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Daren, Myself & Ivy at the Luxor

You see a lot of this in Vegas

My whopping $12 win at the airport prior to boarding

Yeah, so no more promises about being and/or becoming a great blogger! I've decided I cannot have the pressure, I must blog when the time is right! I can't quite grasp what it is that keeps me from being a better blogger? I do believe it could be the simple fact that I don't know how to download pictures to our computer. I know, such an easy task...I do it all day, everyday at work with patient photos, but our's seems so much more complicated at home!

Anyways...so I'm 30. Actually, I'm 30 +1 month! Man, time flies when you're lovin' your 30's. Yep, I've embraced them! TOTALLY! So far, so good! At the beginning of February we went to "Vegas Baby" to celebrate. Well, Daren had a PT conference so what a great excuse to make a trip out of it! Daren was there all week and I flew out to meet him Wednesday-Sunday. To make it even more exciting, John and Ivers met us out there! We actually celebrated Ivy's birthday while we were there!

So much fun, we walked A LOT! Saw lots of casinos, saw lots of wierdos, laughed a ton, didn't really win any money, ate great food and saw Zumanity (a Cirque Du Solei show). It was an awesome way to ring in the 30's and spend time with the Campbells!

Stay tuned for more fun pictures!

Doing Our Civil Duties

2009-02-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks Addie for asking us to be a part of one of the most important days of your career during the year! Addie works for the Ohio Center for Law Related Education...did I get that right Addie? She is in charge of organizing the high school mock trials. Up until this past Saturday I had no idea what that meant. Daren and I volunteered as facilitators and wow!

Basically, high schools from all around Ohio come to debate a given case in front of volunteer judges (who are attorneys, lawyers, etc in real life). Let me tell you something...these kids are smart! I was so impressed! We've already decided, you have 2 volunteers for next year, that's how much we enjoyed it!

Carter is Here

2009-02-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

Daddy Jon Marc showing Daren how it's done to change a dirty diaper

He's so cuddly

The inital football hold

Now he's a pro...look at that hold!

Ok so my husband has been cracking me up! Ever since Jon Marc and Abbi got pregnant he cannot know enough about Abbi's pregnancy, appointments and what to expect! He has informed us that it's because they are the closest to family who has had a baby to him.

Throughout the 9 months Daren would call Abbi and ask about her progression, check in with Jon Marc to make sure they're ok, and honestly get nervous and excited about Carter's arrival! Those who don't know Daren could think...hmmmm borderline creepster! The week prior to Abbi having Carter he even walked the Polaris mall with them hoping to induce Abbi's labor! Hilarious! He is so genuinely happy for them!

Carter was born last week and he is adorable! We are so happy for Jon Marc and Abbi! Guys, watch out you may see more of Daren then you ever have! They are incredible parents and we are so happy to be a part of all their lives! Daren will make such a great dad someday!

Brady is Here!

2009-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE kids! Baby-sitting is one of my favorite past times and now I'm blessed enough to have friends who trust me with their awesome kids! Whelp...a new baby has arrived and I can't wait to babysit! I'm a little belated on the blog...but WELCOME TO THE WORLD BRADY! And...I'm a slacker because I totally forgot my camera on my first visit to see Brady!

This is shortly before Brady's debut! Libby, I'll probably look like that when I'm 1 month pregnant! Congratulations!!!

Happy Birthday Brad & Becky

2009-02-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Boy & Girl

Happy Birthday Mom & Dad (how stinkin' cute is he)

The girls...by the way my part for my pony tail was hideous...thanks girls for telling me!

It's that time...we're all turning the big 3-0! WOW! I don't know...I'm just going to embrace my thirties! As we all know, the 20's, yeah...they were a doozy! They definitely had their major ups and major downs! Luckily, they've ended up!

I keep telling my sister and sister-n-law during your 20's you do a lot of growing! You go to school, think you have everything figured out, and think once you're in the real world things don't get better! Mmmmm, don't really know about that whole theory! There are so many growing pains! And more for some than others! It's a time where you are truly trying to find your identity, aside from the college crowd, you are now a big kid!

Anyways, how did I get off on that tangent! So, Becky turned 30 in December and Brad's 30th is right around the corner. Becky's sister Anne (with the help of Tyler) through them a surprise birthday party 2 weekends ago! She was very successful because they didn't have a clue! Happy Birthday you two...I'm right behind you! You are such dear friends and we are so blessed to have you in our lives! Love you both!

Party Like It's 2009

2009-01-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

Me, Lauren and Addie

Justin and Addie

Addie and myself

Lauren and Michael

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm sure most can agree, you make these big, expensive New Year's Eve plans and something ALWAYS goes wrong or doesn't meet your expectations! That's why this year we went out with friends like any other night! Guess what, it was a blast! We had such a good time, Thank You to Justin, Addie, Michael and Lauren (all the way from Texas)! The night was spent socializing, dancing and singing at the Grandview Cafe. Yes, Addie's tambourine made an appearance too! P.S. Thanks girls for looking way cute...I could not pull an outfit together to save my life that night! Guys have it way easy!

New Hampshire Christmas Pics

2009-01-08T16:08:00.001-08:00

Lunch with Jason, Jen and Jackson Pelland

Downtown Boston

Outside Mike's Pastry...YUM

Daren and Uncle Wayne

Keri Ann, Stacey and myself

Yes...the matching Christmas PJ's

*Note: you cannot get full appreciation of the light up snowmen

on mine and Keri Ann's

Mom Lynch and myself

Christmas 2008

2009-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

Santa...I KNOW him

Cousins Ang and Michael from New Mexico

Mom and Auntie Louise

Mom's immediate side of the family at Auntie Nance & Uncle Tim's house

Daren & Dad during Christmas Eve gift opening

Bean & I during Christmas Eve gift opening

Doing what we do best...eat at Auntie Rose & Uncle Reg's house

This year Christina "Bean" came into town 2 weeks early in order to have knee surgery before Christmas. Although it was a bummer she had to have surgery, selfishly I loved it because I had more time to be with her over break! I love my sister! Bean, Daren, Bentley and I went up to Cleveland the Saturday before Christmas to spend time with our family. Thank you Auntie Rose and Uncle Reg for letting us stay with you...we had such a good time catching up, playing Guitar Hero, watching movies and playing Cranium Pop 5. Throughout the week we also got to see all our cousins from my mom's side (even Ang and Michael from New Mexico). We are so fortunate to have such a big family! While we were up there we also spent an evening at Auntie Susie's to go through some of Grandma Jagodnik's stuff, that always promises a good laugh or two...more than that! Oh the stuff we found, some treasures, some...we just said what is that and what do we do with it?

After spending the week and Christmas Eve in Cleveland, Daren and I flew to New Hampshire on Christmas morning to spend with the Lynch's. For those of you who don't like to fly when there are crowds, I highly recommend flying on Christmas! It was a piece of cake. Luckily, I was smart this year and mailed all their wrapped gifts the first week of December too! I'm not always a procrastinator! There was never a dull moment in New Hampshire, between Dad Lynch hiding a Wii in the fireplace, the 12 lb ribeye for Christmas dinner, several games of Wii bowling and golf tournaments, countless laughs with Uncle Wayne, Aunt Cheryl, Stacey and Bryan, the endless gifts, helping Keri Ann decorate her new apartment, and drum roll...matching Christmas pajamas...it was a fun time. Thank you for making my first Christmas away from home such a good one!

This trip we also ventured to Boston, it was so pretty. We had a great Italian dinner in the North End, endulged in delicious treats from the famous Mike's Pastry, and went to an Irish bar. Keri Ann and I even broke up a fight in the street, I don't recommend this and I quickly found out I wouldn't make it in Boston! The best part of our night in Boston was coming back home to find all 7+ blow up, bigger than life-size Christmas figures lit up AND singing in the the front yard!

Potica Year #2

2009-01-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud! Last year Auntie Susie and I started a tradition of making a Slovenian nut roll, potica, for Christmas just like my Grandma Jagodnik. When Grandma went to heaven 2 years ago, that was one of the first things we vowed to keep going! This year was even better, Christina was in town! I must say, Christina is a natural...I think she has Grandma's skill! Her dough turned out the best! Thank you Auntie Susie and Uncle Tom for making the trip down from Cleveland, we love having you in here!

Timbuk...3rd Year and Counting

2009-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

There is nothing else that gets you in the mood more than cutting down your own Christmas tree! I love it! This is something I start to look forward to every year in the fall. And we are so fortunate to have friends who enjoy going to Granville with us! Jamie and Laura Natalie, Justin and Addie Natalie, and Jeff and Claudia were all in attendance this year. I think everyone successfully got great trees too! During our adventure this year it snowed, making it even more festive! Can't wait till next year!

Anticipating Baby Tidball

2009-01-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

I am so upset with myself! Can you believe I didn't take a single picture of the shower we had here for Abbi? (Except for one the next day of Addie's favor bag she had in her purse) AAAAHHH...how in the world did I forget that...and everyone else too!?! It was so cute! Baby Carter's room is all monkeys, therefore the theme was...MONKEYS! The girls and I made all of Abbi's favorite foods, had a candy bar with fun bags that had monkeys, and for dessert, a banana split ice cream bar. We did not go hungry. I borrowed an idea for Becky's shower and played a guessing game using the letters of Abbi's last name, Tidball. Each bag contained a baby item starting with each letter that everyone had to guess. I was able to stump everyone on some of them.

Meanwhile, Daren threw a Poker Pamper Party for Jon Marc at their house. Which consisted of pampers for Carter to play and poker. Of course, Daren remembered to take pictures and lots of them!

We cannot wait for the arrival of Carter! Abbi and Jon Marc are going to make awesome parents!

Annual Hutta Christmas Party

2009-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

YUM...this year for work we went to The Melting Pot for lunch. And let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS (imagine me singing that). It was such an awesome opportunity for us to mingle outside of work. I so enjoy the girls I work with and am so thankful for the experiences I have at work! Not everyone can say this about their job.

It's About Time...

2009-01-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

So lets catch up! We spent a great Thanksgiving in Virginia with mom, dad, and my sister. It had been over 2 years since we were all home in Burke together as a family...wow, time sure does fly! Our week consisted of eye doctor appointments, catching up with the adorable Colbert family and seeing Cinn's cute pregnant belly (#3), enjoying a delicious meal cooked by mom, battling the mall crowds on black Friday, and getting mom and dad's Christmas tree. Thank you mom and dad for an awesome Thanksgiving week!

Christmas Break in Cleveland

2008-12-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

It's me...long lost blogger! I have so many fun pictures to put on the blog. Promise to get them up soon to update the past month. December has been fun and flown by so far. We got home from Thanksgiving and jumped right into Christmas decorating, the annual Hutta Christmas lunch, hosting a shower and Pamper poker party for Abbi and Jon Marc, going to Timbuk Farms in Granville to cut our Christmas tree down, and welcoming my sister, Christina for a couple weeks.

Christina had surgery on her left knee last Tuesday (as she says, her left knee was jealous of her right knee). She has recovered really well, still in an immobilizer and on crutches though.

Saturday we drove up to Cleveland to spend time with our family. We always love coming up here and catching up with everyone. We will have a white Christmas too, which makes it that much better! Daren I and will fly out Thursday morning for New Hampshire to spend time with the Lynch's. We're excited to have the opportunity to spend so much time with both our families this year.

6 Things I'm Thankful For

2008-11-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

I've been tagged by Amy to list 6 things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. It's funny because we all sat around the dinner table this evening and had to give 2 things were were thankful for...so I got a little bit of a head start.

Family - I have been blessed to be brought up in a large, loving family! Our immediate family consists of my Dad, Mom, sister, myself and Daren (Bentley too). However, we are extremely close to both my Dad and Mom's side of the family. As I've grown up, I realize not everyone can say they know their aunts, uncles, cousins and even great aunts and 3rd cousins. My parents have always instilled the importance of family. Through every trial and tribulation we are there for another. We have been taught to never give up, reach for your goals, and know family always comes first!

I am grateful for my new family too! Not everyone marries their best friend and I can honestly say that I have! Daren makes me want to be a better person and strive to do the best I can. Together we love more, give more, and want more. Thank you Daren!

Friends - For all my friends; of the past, present, and those to come! This is another way I am truly blessed! I am a firm believer you can never have too many friends. And as Libby stated in her blog, they are your family too! Thank you to all my dear friends for being you and touching my life!

Music - As my family continued to go around the table I chimed in with this extra thing I'm thankful for this year. This morning my family went to a Thanksgiving service at my parent's church, Immanuel Bible Church, and the music was absolutely incredible! It actually brought me to tears. It's so powerful and can say so much! My sister said after going to church this morning she needed to shave her legs again because the music gave her goosebumps...it's so true!

Experiences - Although life can throw you curve balls you learn through experiences. Whether they are good or bad! I am grateful for having the experience to move around the country and overseas due to my Dad being in the Air Force. I am grateful for the experience to go to both undergrad at Miami and grad school at Ohio State. As difficult as it was to fail my PT boards and get divorced, I am grateful for the strength and lessons I learned along the way! With every door closed new one opens!

Freedom - I am extremely proud and grateful for all the troops fighting for our freedom! My Dad taught me it is a gift to live in this country and have freedom. Despite the nasty presidential campaign that just came to an end, I am proud to be an American and respect the men who die for us each and every day! My Dad served for 28 years in the Air Force and I will forever be grateful for him living his dream out. We are blessed to be Americans!

Health - I am grateful for my health and the health of those I care about! I know it's in God's hand's but I am always thankful for the health of my family and friends! You don't realize how your life can be changes significantly once something affects the overall health of someone you love!

Amy, thank you for making us all reflect! We do all have so much to be grateful for this year! Despite the economy and the trials our country has faced in 2008 we overall have a lot to thank God for each and every day! Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family!

5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party

2008-11-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

Getting all the pumpkin "inners" (as Daren calls them) out

Busy at work

Masterpiece (our's is the spider)

Thank you Justin and Addie for another awesome Pumpkin Carving Party! We always look forward to having our lame pumpkin design compared to everyone else's masterpiece! Just kidding, we really love that you guys do this every year. Sorry we don't bring a whole lot of talent to the table! Next year I'll have the spider mastered, just needs more joints in the legs so he doesn't look like a beetle.

Pumpkins...Pumpkins...Pumpkins

2008-11-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Circleville Pumpkin Show

After eating pumpkin donuts, pumpkin chili AND a pumpkin hamburger

Picking out pumpkin at the pumpkin patch

Ok, so I'm recapping...AGAIN just enjoy October with me. It went way too fast! This year Daren and I went to the Circleville Pumpkin Festival for the first time ever. I have been wanting to go since moving to Columbus and never made the trip out there. As first time goers, we figured it all out. We left home around 10am and only hit about 10 cars of traffic as we were exiting the ramp. First priority was beginning the morning with a pumpkin donut, YUM! We walked around all the vendors and streets, ate some more pumpkin goodies and after about 1 1/2 hour we headed back toward Columbus. Boy were we glad we got there when we did. Going the opposite direction we passed about 3 miles of bumper to bumper traffic headed toward the festival. Too late guys...duh!

On our way back we decided we just hadn't had enough pumpkin for the day. We found this great pumpkin patch, picked our pumpkin, drank some apple cider and enjoyed a few songs from a blue grass band playing under a tent. If only you could have seen it...HILARIOUS! Just imagine these adorable old men, about 6 of them playing all sorts of string instruments and down on the imaginary dance floor an older woman (with maybe 6 teeth) dancing a fancy little jig wearing a huge fur coat and white overalls. We just took it all in! It made for a great fall day!

The day didn't end there either. It was then off to the Natalie's for the 5th annual pumpkin carving party!

I Know...Where Have I Been?

2008-11-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Gosh I thought I was going to be better at this! I religiously check everyone else's blog day after day...then there's me...a slacker! BUT I'll have you know I am no longer a slacker in the kitchen! I have turned a new leaf!

I'm often impressed with Daren's culinary skills. He offers to make a meal, goes in with confidence, and in the end creates this delicious treat. On the other hand, I attempt to make dinner, 9 out of 10 times am missing a main ingredient, try to substitute, and then result in an "ok" meal. I know I've passed the test if Daren says, "now this would be something you could make if we have people over for dinner". Unfortunately, I do not get that response quite as often as I'd like.

Fortunately, I work in a place where I've become very dear friends with my coworkers, all of which are female. Over the past couple weeks I finally started asking the girls what types of meals they make, how they go about it, where they get their recipes, and how they do their grocery shopping. Of course, I have also consulted my mom who made homemade meals for our family all growing up. Mom says, "AnnMarie, if you know how to read and follow directions you can cook".

So...last Friday after work I sat myself down with all the recipes I've collected over the past couple years. I picked out ones that had similar ingredients, yet a selection of dinners. Then I wrote out a grocery list and collected my coupons. I drove myself over to Kroger and away I went. With this week coming to an end I am happy to report I made a Pot Roast (thank you Great Aunt Cathy for your recipe) on Tuesday, Italian Mac & Cheese (thank you Joelle for your recipe) on Wednesday, and Foil-Pack Chicken, Mushroom & Stuffing (thank you Kraft Foods magazine) last night! AND...Daren liked them all! YEAH for me!

I always had this impression that cooking at home would be expensive, time-consuming, and make way too much food. Well, I'm here to say if you plan your grocery list out with your recipes you can save quite a bit, if you have all the ingredients ready at home your preparation time is quick, and we've enjoyed having leftovers for lunch all week. I'll let you know how next week goes!

This weekend I am going to get back on board with posting well-overdue pictures too!

While I was Ironing...

2008-10-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

I was just down in the basement ironing, thinking about the blogs I posted this week and I forgot some things! First and foremost, a big thank you to everyone who offered to help or a place to stay during the power outage! A special thanks to our fellow "Clintonvillers" Justin and Addie! They had us over to watch House and charge our phones one night, then invited us (along with their friends Damon and Kate who didn't have power) over for dinner another night. You guys rock!

Second, Happy Anniversary to everyone else who celebrated September anniversaries. Jon Marc and Abbi's on the 1st, my parents on the 15th, Chris and Cinn's on the 17th, Jamie and Laura's on the 25th, us on the 29th, Brad and Becky's on the 30th, Mike and Kim's on the 1st of Oct, and Pat and Erin's on the 6th of Oct.

I always have after thoughts once I've already posted a new post! Oh well!

Happy 1st Anniversary

2008-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our friends Mike & Lauren gave us this idea

(we'll do it every year to see how we've changed...hopefully not look too much older)

Monday, the 29th was our 1st anniversary! Wow, does time fly! Daren surprised me with a night at North Pointe, where we got married on Sunday. We had a great dinner at Molly Woos, a night out, and then walked the grounds the next morning retracing our footsteps the day of our wedding. How much fun! Daren had also arranged the morning off work for me allowing us to have coffee and then come back to the house to spend more time with Dad and Mom.

This year has been awesome! Daren and I kept commenting on how easy it is to be married to one another. We are best friends, totally in love, work really well together and look forward to all the goals we have planned for us as a couple. We've really enjoyed traveling to see our family, spending time with our dearest friends, accomplishing things in each of our careers, and making changes to our house. We can only hope this 2nd year of marriage is just as good! Thank you to all our family and friends for your support...you mean the world to us!

Landscaping

2008-09-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Before Landscaping

No More Ugly Bushes...YEAH!

New Light, Numbers & Mailbox

Drum Roll Please...Our New Front Yard (notice the arches)

Since Daren bought our house 2 years ago I have been super anxious to work on the front yard. For everyone who has been to our house you know we use our back door as our main entrance rather than our front door. Therefore, not everyone really pays attention to our front yard as much as the backyard. We have worked really hard on sprucing up and maintaining the back, while ignoring the front. I finally had enough. SO...I arranged for Stump Busters to come and get rid of the roots we had in our front. Leading us to HAVE to cut down the ugly 5 foot bushes we had covering the front of our house before Stump Busters could arrive. I talked Dad and Mom in to coming to town to help assist with our project. They are both incredible with renovations and Mom has a green thumb. Dad, Mom and I all went to Oakland Nursery on Friday and picked out all new shrubbery. Daren got the final say in our selections and the layout. After the game on Saturday the planting began. We made a very good team. The goal was "Contemporary Cottage"...a little bit of me and a little bit of Daren. I think we made it happen. And by "we" I must dedicate that mostly to Dad and Mom! With new landscaping, new lighting, new numbers, new mailbox, and new fixtures to the overhang I think we accomplished our goal! I look forward to adding some window boxes, a stone path and possibly painting our shutters in the Spring. THANK YOU DAD AND MOM for EVERYTHING!!! We could not have done it without you!

Hurricane Ike in Ohio

2008-09-29T15:08:00.001-07:00

We finally have power. Yes, we were one of the lucky ones who did not have power from Sunday at 3:30 pm till the following Sunday at 6:30 pm. This past week we were finally back to normal! My sister, living in the Keys, naturally had to evacuate. Of course Ike didn't even really affect them in the like projected. I certainly didn't expect us to get hit so hard! It was the strangest thing though...no rain but the wind was really strong and you could actually hear trees breaking. The first night was the worst because I was in the middle of doing all my weekly chores. I just sat down waiting for the power to come back...and waiting, and waiting! Daren was happy as a clam getting his "emergency kit" out of the basement and putting it to use. He has this gigantic flash light that has a car charger outlet on it allowing us to watch DVD's every night on our portable DVD player. By Friday...I have to say it got old! (And our little secret, Daren drained his truck battery from charging so many things throughout the week). Then my cousins were in town, talk about lousy hosting on our part. We provided them with a place to sleep, flashlights, and warm water! Good thing they're family, I know they'll come back! Although we were without power for a week, we were very fortunate our house is intact, we have a gas water heater, and nobody we know suffered great losses! BUT, big thanks to AEP for saving my sanity!

OSU Football

2008-09-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Daren with teammates Adam, Jamie Houle and Jamie Natalie

Laura & I at Youngstown State

Daren & I at Youngstown State

Dad & Mom at Skull Session for Minnesota Game

OSU football is 4 games into the season! We are so excited to have season's tickets this year since Daren has been working for OSU for 4 years now! Every home game we stop by Jamie and Laura's tailgate to see all our friends and get pumped up for the game. My cousins, Dootz and Michael along with Dootz's girlfriend Lauren and friend Joe, came into town for the Troy game and my parents for the Minnesota game. For the Troy game Daren also had a gymnastics alumni weekend which gave him the opportunity to meet up with gymnasts from the past and those who are currently on the team! The gymnastics world is one big happy family! We look forward to the remainder of the year...GO BUCKS!!!

Bentley Turned 5

2008-09-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late, but on August 23rd Bentley turned 5! Bentley Boohead had a great day! We took a nice long walk, he had a special birthday treat, and of course presents! I think I was more excited about his presents than him...oh well!

Tyler Hoffmann is Here

2008-09-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tyler William Hoffmann arrived Thursday night! He is so adorable! After a long labor, mom, dad and baby are home now and doing well! Becky and Brad are naturals! What a blessed baby!

Baby Hoffmann on the Way!

2008-08-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Becky is in labor. Her original due date was September 8th, but little Biscuit wants to make his debut in August! Becky's water broke at 2:30 this morning. As of 4:30 pm still at 6 cm. It's killing me not to know if Biscuit has arrived! I cannot wait to meet him!

Our First Year

2008-08-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

So...we didn't become the bloggers I had hoped we would become over this past year! I'm pretty disappointed in myself, given I check other peoples' blogs on a daily basis. Even getting to know other families I've never met simply by reading their blog! Daren thinks this is creepy, I think it's just plain curiosity and friendliness! We're making a comeback though! Now that I have learned how to download pictures to the blog, I am ready to take this on full force ahead!

I will do my best to recap this year as we approach our 1 year anniversary! It's so hard to believe we've already been married for almost a year! We have had so much fun! We are blessed to have one another, our families and dear friends!

Enjoy our past year together...I've learned after catching up on our blog entries that Daren and I need to take more pictures of us together. I'll get better at this for year #2! The following posts "Jazz and Rib Fest" to "Trunk or Treat" go from the most recent to October 2007.

Jazz and Rib Fest 2008

2008-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Daren loves to go downtown to the annual Jazz and Rib Fest in July. This year we rode our bikes down, enjoyed the fest for about an hour, then road around downtown. We have such an awesome path that goes from our house down town. We ended up riding about 12 miles which made for an awesome afternoon! Don't ask why I was brave enough to put this nasty picture of us online in our bike helmets, but this is the real deal folks!

Becky's Baby Shower

2008-08-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of July I hosted a baby shower for my best friend Becky! Her sister Anne, friends Amy K, Amy G, Libby and I all had a blast planning this special brunch for our dear friend! The big task I took upon myself was making Cinnamon Rolls from scratch. My friend Vanessa has this great recipe, but lets face it I'm not the best at baking. Luckily, I know this and have embraced it. So the weekend BEFORE the shower I did a trial run. Thank goodness!!! To make a long story short, I ended up skipping an entire side of the recipe card (the part where it teaches you how to roll the cinnamon rolls with the filling). I realized something was missing, but rather than check my email from Vanessa I became upset with her thinking I am not as good of a cook as you Vanessa! Panicking, I franticly started looking through other recipe books. In the end I ended up rolling the dough into balls...don't even ask! It was hilarious! 2nd time around was PERFECT and a hit! Becky is due September 8th, her new little bundle of joy will be here any day now! We cannot wait to meet him!

4th of July 2008

2008-08-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

Like last year, we took the opportunity to drive back home to DC for a very patriotic 4th of July with mom and dad Jagodnik! We don't get home often, so it's always nice to be "home" in Virginia. We also got the chance to head out to dad's airport to see where he stores his plane (Daren is standing in front of Big Blue, another plane in dad's hanger). It's so beautiful out there. On our way back we stopped by Cinnamon and Chris' to see the boys (Brady and Cash). Daren, Dad, Chris, Wild Bill (Cinn's dad) and the other men put on a great fireworks show...entertaining to say the least! Cinn's boys are getting so big, and now #3 is on the way!!!

Babies...Babies...Babies

2008-08-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

We have so much fun watching all our friends as parents! Ernest and Sarah welcomed their baby girl, Kesra in December. Fred and Nicki had their second beautiful baby girl, Charlotte in March. We got to visit Jason and Jen's new baby, Jackson, in April on our trip to New Hamshire. While in New Hampshire we also got to see Pete, Lindsey, Gavin and Big Blue eyes, Logan. Gabriella, Rac and Amanda's daughter, turned 1 at the end of March. Mason, Joelle and Keith's son, turned 2 in April. Isabella, Fred and Nicki's oldest, turned 2 in June. AND last but not least, Jackson, Mike and Libby's little guy, turned 1 in July. All these little ones are so stinkin' cute!

The Annual Collis Cookout 2008

2008-08-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

Every year Jeff Collis invites us to his house out in the country! It's so much fun to drive out there, spend time with our friends and hang out around the bonfire. Jeff and Claudia are always such awesome hosts! This year was, unfortunately our last time to see his loyal best friend, Bailey, before she went to dog heaven! Thank you Jeff and Claudia for always including us!

Key West 2008

2008-08-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

In May we took an awesome trip down to the Keys to visit Bean. We met Ivers, John and Pat down there for a week of absolute fun, incredible weather, and memorable moments! We've been down with the Campbell's twice now, so we know how to make the best out of this trip! Bean was an incredible host and we finally got to meet Samson (her dog). We spent a day at Bean's house enjoying the pool, a day at the beach and walking Duval Street, a day out on the water snorkeling, an evening at Bean's restaurant for dinner (yum), a night down at sunset festival, stops at Margaritaville, the southern most point, and Irish Kevin's, we saw KEY DEER (a first for some) and introduced the party ball! As always, we were not ready to leave! It's no wonder why Bean moved down there to live...it is Paradise (yes, that's her backyard)!

Easter 2008

2008-08-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Our first Easter as a married couple was spent here at home. We went to church and then to one of our fav's, Cap City Diner, for brunch. Although surprisingly we were bummed we had to order off the menu for brunch, no buffet, WHAT? It was a nice, relaxing day just the two of us and Bentley Boo! My favorite thing in my Easter basket...my new green Crocs!

St. Patrick's Day 2008

2008-08-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've always considered St. Patty's Day to be a holiday, but now that I'm a "Lynch" it IS a holiday! Even Bentley joined in the Irish fun! The day started off with green eggs (yes, they were actually green) and ham! And we ended the day with the start of an annual party at our house to celebrate the big day! Our first year was a great success as our friends all joined in the fun!

New Year's Eve 2007

2008-08-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

We brought in the New Year with the Tidball family! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2007

2008-08-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

For Christmas we went up to Cleveland to spend it with the Jagodnik/Formica family. Mom and dad always drive up to Cleveland from DC, my sister (Bean) flies home from Key West and us from Columbus. Christmas Eve is huge for my family. It's tradition to go to church, then come back to Grandma and Auntie Nance's house for dinner. Following dinner we open gifts from the youngest grandchild up to my Grandma (11 grandchildren, 6 spouses, 3 great grandchildren, 4 of my mom and her sibs, and their 3 spouses). Yes, it's timely however it's tradition, time together, and always entertaining. Daren got to experience his first BIG Christmas! We always spend the day with dad's side of the family too over at Auntie Susie and Uncle Tom's house. Dinner is always delicious, the games always get us riled up, and this year we were told a new family member would be joining us in July 2008. Our new baby cousin, Joey! This picture is The Jagodnik Family, small but mighty! *Side note: please notice Daren's red corduroy pants, they go to an old suit, yes red corduroy suit, his dad wore that Daren found during one of our trips to New Hampshire. They started out as a joke, but are now a hit!

A Hard Day's Work...and Evening of Fun!

2008-08-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Auntie Susie and I made a promise to each other when my Grandma Jagodnik passed away in October 2006 we would keep the Jagodnik family traditions going. One of which is making a Slovenian nut roll, potica, for Christmas to hand out to all our friends and family. Grandma Jagodnik did this each and every year. Not only did she make it for Christmas, but for Easter too! We thought we'd take baby steps. Auntie Susie and Uncle Tom drove down from Cleveland for the weekend and the baking began. We used Grandma's recipe (recipe card and all), wore her old aprons, used her original rolling pin, and then rolled it out on Grandma Formica's old porcelain top kitchen table. How much fun! We laughed, we cried, and we celebrated! My Dad was the judge of our final product and we got the stamp of approval! After a long day at work we attended the annual Natalie Christmas party!

Timbuk Farms 2007

2008-08-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 years we have gone to Timbuk Farms in Granville to cut down our Christmas tree! I LOVE Christmas, so this is something I really look forward to each year. Nothing gets you in the mood more than piling your friends into the trucks all bundled up, driving out to Granville listening to Christmas music, hopping on the old school buses and heading out to the type of Christmas tree you choose for the year. So fun! We've gone with Jamie and Laura the past 2 years. Brad and Becky were unable to make it this past year, but Justin and Addie joined the group! Can't wait for this year!

Thanksgiving 2007

2008-08-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Thanksgiving in New Hampshire with Daren's family! Uncle Wayne and Aunt Cheryl prepared a delicious dinner and even surprised us with a little bit of home. They became hooked to cornhole when they came out for our wedding. Aunt Cheryl could not wait to surprise us with her very own cornhole game. Didn't take long and we got some good family competition going! It's always tradition after dinner to watch a family movie (hand chosen by Mom Lynch). This year we watched The Holiday. We'll get better at capturing more pictures this year!

OSU vs Michigan 2007

2008-08-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

We may be an "old married couple" now, but we are still troopers! For the biggest game of the year, we got up early with Jamie and Laura for a morning out at Panini's. Sure, we may have been the oldest people there at 6am but we sure were proud of ourselves! Then it was off to a nice cookout with all our friends and fellow tailgaters!

Halloween 2007

2008-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Party at the Tidball's! The newlyweds, Jon Marc and Abbi hosted a great Halloween party at their house! In attendance was Jose from Chipotle (Daren), the Tooth Fairy (me), Rob (from Rob & Big), Deputy Clementine from Reno 911, St. Pauli's Girl, Sam Adams, and an Ohio State cheerleader and football player.

Trunk or Treat 2007

2008-08-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Vanessa and her family have this long-standing annual tradition to have a Trunk or Treat for Halloween. I had never heard of such a thing. She and her husband, Jace invited Daren and I to join along. They invite friends and family to their home, you park your car in the field behind their house, and you open your trunk to all the little kids to come trick or treat out of your decorated trunk. How cute and SAFE! Now we just need some kids to join in on the fun!

Pictures

2007-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

We have not yet received our wedding pictures from our photographer, but thanks to our best friend, "Ivers", we have some great pictures to share. Please to go http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=OBZs2LNs4aMXEw to see few of the 1000 pictures Ivy took! She did a great job!

Our engagement pictures are also available to view at http://www.pictage.com/366549. The event key is Jagodnik

Then, yesterday Daren and I participated in a new fad called "Trash the Dress". We met with our photographer at High Banks Park, across from where we got married and, well...trashed my dress! We took pictures in the leaves, on trees, in the mud! My dress is not really trashed. The bottom is very dirty, but it should all come out. It was fun to wear my dress again! We had a blast! Go to www.bankspix.com, then go to Blog on the left side, there are pictures of us in Karla's blog.

If for some reason you cannot see any of the pictures, email me at annmariej1@aol.com and I'll try to mail them to you!

THANK YOU!

2007-10-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we've already been married a month! Daren and I would like to thank all our family and friends for your endless support and love! Our wedding was a dream come true! We hope you had as much fun as we did! We knew we were blessed prior to our special day, but when we stood in front of everyone during our ceremony...wow, we ARE blessed! Thank you for everyone who was able to attend all the festivities! We missed everyone who could not be there!

We had an incredible time on our honeymoon to Riviera Maya, Mexico. All the Mexicans thought I was Mexican...Daren got a kick out of that! I was "AnnaMarias" the whole week, while Daren was "Senor Lanch". Now it's back to the real world!

Thank you's will be going out in the next week or two, so thank you for being patient with me! We really appreciate your generosity! Love to you all!

Go To...

2007-09-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

Our photographer posted a blog on her website with some pictures from our photo shoot we had last Friday. www.bankspix.com and go to her blog page. I'll let you know if she posts any additional pictures! We can't wait for the big day and look forward to seeing everyone who will spend the day with us! Love to you all!

Pictures

2007-09-09T18:43:00.001-07:00

This past Friday, Daren and I took the day off to work on wedding "stuff". One of our projects of the day was meeting with our photographer, Karla, to take some pre-wedding/late engagement pictures. We had a blast! We met Karla at the Steelewood, Ohio State's gymnastics facility to have some fun. I can't wait to see the pictures. Then we went to the Gateway down at campus to take some more serious pictures. Karla will be posting our pictures on her website, www.bankspix.com, within the next couple of days! I'm sure they'll be entertaining to check out!

Happy Birthday to Bentley

2007-08-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my little Bentley Boohead is now 4 years old! We sang happy birthday to Bentley this morning and then he spent the rest of his day with his girlfriend, Elsa, Jamie's Golden Retriever. I think he had a great day!

43 Days Till The Big Day!

2007-08-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe we have 43 days till our big day! I am so excited and can't wait for all the details to come together. Most importantly I can't wait to marry Daren!

Things have been a little stressful the past couple weeks! Invitations were mailed this week which is such an exciting part of planning our wedding! My cousin, Nikki, designed a beautiful invitation, she is extremely talented!

Daren and I have also been in the process of moving my belongings a little at a time to his house. It really solidifies things when I start combining the medicine cabinet. I told him yesterday, so your bandaids and my bandaids are now "our" bandaids.

Tonight my Bachelorette Weekend gets kicked off at mine and Jamie's apartment. Jamie made the most adorable invitations and has planned an awesome weekend! Thank you to Jamie, Becky and Christina for making this weekend so special!

We've also had two wonderful showers thrown by our friends! Jamie and Laura through us a blast of a couple's shower! That day, well and night, will forever go down in history! Who knew we could all relive our college years at a wedding shower! It was so much fun! Of course Laura and Jamie went above and beyond! Everything matched and just when you thought Laura out did herself, she out did herself again! Then my girlfriends from work through me a brunch shower. All of my Martha Stewart friends would have greatly appreciated the attention to detail. EVERY detail was unique, creative, color-coordinated and adorable! They made lipgloss, "AnnMarie's Lip Passion", navy polka dot napkins, flower napkin rings, reversible make-up bags, delicious food, an advice book...yes, that was all made by them! It was unbelievable and I was surrounded by such dear friends! Daren and I are truly blessed!

I'll get Daren to help me download some pictures of our showers and my bachelorette party! Thank you to everyone for being so supportive of us!

Exciting Happenings

2007-07-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

The Meeting of the Parents
For the 4th of July AnnMarie and I traveled to her home in Washington, D.C. My family also traveled to D.C. to take advantage of a baton event for Keri Ann, and of course the big meeting of the families. It was exciting for AnnMarie and I to have our whole family together, and there was no shortage of laughs. Mr. J provided a tour of the monuments and the Air and Space Museum that rivaled the best tour guides in the city. Take a look at the heads of the family.

The Bachelor Party

A two night affair that consisted of lots of meat eating, corn hole, major league baseball, a boat, Kirk Herbstreit, best friends, future family, and some girl calling me short. A great time was has by all but unfortunately the Indians couldn't pull off the win. Post game my trusty future cousin in law led us to an Ohio State bar smack dab in the middle of Cleveland. Jamie and I got the nerve to go talk to Kirk Herbstreit who was exceptionally nice. Hang on Sloopy soothed our ears over the speakers, which helped me forget about some tall girl graciously letting me know that I was short after I told her we were all there for a bachelor party. Enjoy the pictures.-DL

The Planning Continues...

2007-07-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

As our big day gets closer I can't help but get more and more excited. Daren and I continue to finalize all our details and plan our special weekend to be with all our family and friends. I met with our cake lady this week, Jane Brooks, and look forward to everyone tasting the yummy cakes she makes. Yesterday I met with Karla Banks, our photographer to coordinate the details of our wedding day. She and her husband are incredibly talented. If you have the chance you should check out their website, http://www.bankspix.com. I'll keep you updated with any new developments!

Our Wedding Party

2007-06-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Maid Of Honor:
Christina "Bean" Jagodnik - AnnMarie's sister
Bridesmaids:
Keri Ann Lynch - Daren's sister
Becky Hoffmann - AnnMarie's Best Friend/Roommate from Miami of Ohio
Cinnamon Colbert - AnnMarie's Best Friend from high school
Ivy Campbell - AnnMarie's Best Friend from middle school
Jamie Lindholm - AnnMarie's Best Friend/Roommate from Ohio State

Best Man:
Derek Lynch - Daren's brother
Groomsmen:
Regis "Dootz" Matiyasic - AnnMarie's cousin
Jamie Natalie - Daren's Best Friend/Teammate/Roommate from Ohio State
John Marc Tidball - Daren's Best Friend/Roommate from Ohio State
Justin Natalie - Daren's Best Friend/Roommate from Ohio State
Justin Toman - Daren's Best Friend from gymnastics camp growing up

The Big Day

2007-06-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce the date, time, and place for the big day has been established. Here is what we know so far.

September 29th, 2007 ceremony to tentatively start at 5:30pm at the Conference Center at North Pointe. We are excited the ceremony, reception, and hotel are all at the same location. Oh yeah...the pub too! Here is the website if you want to take a look www.conferencecenteratnorthpointe.com

We have reserved a block of rooms in hopes everybody will be as excited as we are about staying in one spot for the fun weekend. Rooms can be reserved at 614-880-4300 under the Jagodnik/Lynch Wedding party. Single rooms will run $109 and double suites $129. The rooms are really nice, and the suites have a living area.

We will update this blog as best we can with new information. We look forward to sharing our special day with you.

February 19th, 2007 - Engaged in the Big Apple

2007-04-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Daren and I are happy to announce our engagement! While opening our Christmas gifts this year Daren surprised me with a trip to New York City for my birthday. The day after my birthday, as our trip was coming to an end, we went to Serendipity for lunch. After a yummy lunch we were sharing a frozen hot chocolate when Daren put a belated birthday gift on the table. I opened the wrapping paper to find the book, "Love in a Time of Cholera", from the movie Serendipity. Now some may think I would be suspicious at this point, but no...I commented on what a creative gift and asked where Daren found such a unique copy of the book which was closed shut with a little pink ribbon. I untied the ribbon, expecting to find Daren's name and phone number on the inside cover. Instead I found his definition of Serendipity, "Finding my soulmate in my best friend". At this point I was still not suspicious. Instead, I began to flip through the pages to find the most beautiful engagement ring tied inside a box Daren had cut into the book with the words "Will you marry me". For those of you who haven't seen the movie, you'll have to rent it and it will all make much more sense!

So, our planning has begun! We look forward to sharing our plans with you and are very excited to share our special day with you!

Daren's Version

2007-04-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

AnnMarie got to tell her story of the engagement so here's my short version. Frozen hot chocolate was served... AnnMarie focused on the task ahead as you can see in the picture... I tossed in a twist with a package hiding a diamond ring... she was successfully surprised, smiled, and said yes. AnnMarie got a frozen hot chocolate and a diamond ring, I got my soulmate and a beer at a 100 year old Irish Pub, priceless!!! --Daren

AnnMarie wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, it is back there somewhere.

One more picture from New York City.