Feeling Blessed

Hey friends. Spring is finally here! We are leaving our windows open, our allergies are taking their tolls, and we found four disgusting spiders in our apartment yesterday. But we are happy, and for the most part, very healthy. Our baby is growing and we're so excited. But, recently, major things in our world took a tragic turn.

Most of you may have seen the horrific events that occurred at the Boston Marathon this past week. As a resident of Massachusetts, someone who works in the heart of the city, whose dreams have come to life here and someone who has a great deal of passion for the city it has been a very tough week.

Patrick and I were extraordinarily lucky. I had the day off from work, so was able to be safe at home and not enter Boston that Monday. Patrick works in the city, but he was at a safe enough distance that he was able to confirm his safety to me quickly. He also happened to drive into the city that day (because he was running late that morning) and came home soon as he could. Our friends and family were safe and checked in very quickly. But many were not. My heart grieves for them. My heart grieves for this city. For an event that is meant to be joyous, and a celebration of life and freedom.

But on the other hand, I have seen such heroic deeds done; marathon runners who continued to run past the finish line two extra miles to the hospital to donate blood. Spectators who instead of running away from the explosions, ran to the victims to help. The FBI and the law enforcement of Boston, the state, and more recently, Watertown, who searched tirelessly in the days after the events to find the two suspects. And who, yesterday, bravely did find them and put a stop to them.

On Monday and yesterday, when the whole city was on lock down, Patrick and I stayed in our home. We felt all day the same feeling that swept Massachusetts, the feeling of anxiety and of being unsafe. Now that those responsible for the terrible acts of violence have been stopped, and it is a new day, I am truly counting my blessings.

I'm grateful to have love, safety, shelter and friends to share it with. A healthy pregnancy so far, exciting projects to work on and a beautiful new home to build (we moved!). There are countless things, little things that I fail to think about each day that have been returning to the forefront of my mind in light of these attacks. I'm heartbroken for what has been done to Boston and to its people, relieved that justice will be served, and hopeful that I can remember to be grateful for every day that we have.

With love and thankfulness,

Micah

Registering!

We finally did it! Two weekends ago, P and I had a wonderful time finally registering ourselves for our wedding gifts! We hadn't been able to go, and kept having to reschedule so two Fridays ago we turned to each other and said "Let's go. Tomorrow." And we did!

Guys, registering for wedding gifts is a little too much fun. We made sure to only ask for things we knew we needed/wanted and that we would actually use. P got to use the laser-gun-thingy (and I am glad, I probably would have broken it or something). Oh! Where did we go you ask? The Crate & Barrel of course! It's got beautifully designed and top-notch products that are actually affordable. We found most of the things we'd like, but there are still others (we plan on registering at a few places to give different price ranges/options for the guests).

I'll admit, there were a few times when the thrill of registering faded, and it got kind of tedious, but then we would head to a different section, like furnishings or bed/bathroom and our energy got refreshed. My advice, make sure you can dedicate at least an hour and a half to each store you plan on registering for. That way, you won't end up just settling and you can really discuss with your fiancee what you want. Remember: you're registering together for things that you will populate/define/employ in your future home together. They are supposed to last, and you must agree together. Sure -- there were definitely a few compromises (Thanks Patrick, for agreeing to the cobalt blue tumblers I love!) but all in all it's a fun and exciting thing to do together before the wedding!

Expert Registry-Man

I'll admit, I have been obsessively checking our registries online and adding/subtracting things. And we still are looking for a few items (we both have specific tastes aesthetically for things, so sometimes it takes longer for us to decide). I will also admit that while I am very excited about receiving things to create a home with Patrick, I do feel the slightest twinge of guilt. I know that we are not forcing anyone to give, but you know that feeling on your birthday that you get as you open presents under the gazes of your gift-givers? It's immense gratitude mixed in with a little guilt. I guess it's something that I have always felt about presents. We are so excited about our wedding and to have all of our guests present for the celebration of the marriage. That being said, if we don't receive anything we registered for, I'm happy. If we do, I'm immensely grateful. We are blessed to be surrounded by loving friends and family. And preparing for this wedding coming up in ::gulp:: four and a half months has really made me focus on that.

Best,

Micah