Swine Flu

There have been a lot of breakouts of the H1N1 virus here in the east. Many schools have shut down and we have had an increasing number of students and staff out with flu-like symptoms. I was one of these cases and have been couch bound for the last few days. I work at a school for the Deaf which serves many students with multiple disabilities and compromised immune systems. Needless to say we were all concerned when we heard of two confirmed cases at our school, wondering when they would shut us down... well WE ARE OFFICIALLY CLOSED woohooo. Now, not to say that I am happy that some people are suffering with this illness but for the rest of us (I am feeling much better) this is a MUCH needed 5 day vacation. We had so many snow days this year that we actually go until June 26th!! We luckily do NOT have to make up these days and as luck would have it, this is the week my parents are coming to visit. Thanks universe for working that out for me... I needed a little lift ;o)
Oink Oink

changes

So I can FINALLY spill the beans now that things are official... I got a great job in Colorado Springs as the director/teacher or the early childhood program at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. I am so incredibly stoked about this opportunity and can't wait to rise to the challenge. We will be leaving Boston on the 5th of July and driving all of our meager belongings out to "the springs". The move will be oh so bitter sweet because I have loved Boston and all of my wonderful friends here so much. Now that the change is upon us, I can't help but think about 6 years ago when I first came to this city to decide on grad school. All the things that captured my heart are the things that I will miss every day while in the west. The gorgeous trees and flowering plants, the gruff but warm people, the history and culture of pride... We are ready to start this new chapter in our lives and hope that it brings new wonderful things but it could never take the place of all of the people here... So wish us luck and I will be updating you as we get closer. Cheers to change and new challenges.
Here are a few pics of recent events... Kaitlyn and Eric's visit, my 28th birthday and gorgeous Boston in the springtime

Mike's Time

It took me a week to post due to my family visiting but Mike's official time for the marathon was a personal record of 2:38:09 with a strong head wind. We had a great time and are so proud of him. Here are some pictures of the day- it is a huge deal in Boston and tons of people come out to support the 23,000+ runners. Great job Mike!!

Marathon Monday

So, I haven't posted in awhile although there has been MUCH going on with us in our lives here. I will give more details when they are more concrete but we did visit Colorado Springs recently to "look around" and see if it is a place that we would like to relocate to... more on that later.

More pressing matters would be that of the upcoming Boston Marathon on Monday. Mike will be running it for the third time and I have to post something to say how proud I am. The marathon is something of a pain in the butt at our house- not that I don't appreciate all the work that goes into it but it is a lot of time, money and FOOD required to sustain this habit :o) Mike has been training diligently since August and it is not always easy to be patient with the 2 hour long runs or the triple batch of pasta or the constant smell of dirty running clothes... but now that we are coming to the climax of this endeavor I have to brag a little on the part of my dedicated husband. Mike has run constantly all year (since aug) regardless of the crazy winter and snow that we had throughout jan feb and march.... He has continued to amaze me with his dedication (and weight loss). I know that he will do an amazing job on Monday no matter what his time may be... but for those of you that don't know just what an incredible athlete he is- I need to let you in on his previous times...
Mikes first marathon was 2hr 48m
his second 2hr 39m
and he is hoping to run a 2hr 31m marathon this year

Just to put that in perspective... the first place - olympic runners will be running approximately 2hr 10m marathon.....
so just so you know how amazing this is for him...
If you are interested in tracking his time on Monday, his race number is 1190... and the race starts at 10 am Eastern Standard time. Go to baa.org for more info

I just thought that I should mention this incredible accomplishment for Mike since he wouldn't ever say anything himself- great job Mike- we will all be cheering for you but mostly we are so proud of you for all of the hard work you have done and the dedication that you have shown.... Love you babe.... you are amazing

a message

Tonight Mike and I heard a homily that was very poignant at church. We have been going through some major life changes and challenges and are not quite sure where God is taking us in our journey as a family. We are not sure where we will be a year from now and have recently been presented with a lawsuit that may or may not put us in a difficult financial situation. These are not the first struggles that Mike and I have endured as a couple nor that I have endured alone. Sometimes the universe seems to have a sick sense of humor when it comes down to what seems fair. But what I gleaned from the homily this evening was that no matter what challenges are before us, we are called to ultimately have faith, to know that we have not been forsaken or been left to walk alone. When Noah saw the rainbow after the flood, God told him that it was his promise that he would never again flood the world and I believe that God will never present us with more than we can handle... even in times that it seems like too much. And in reality I should not be looking at the floods in my life and looking for answers but instead looking to all of the rainbows I have had through my life. My wonderful family, health, friends, opportunities and faith. I have been so fortunate to have found my soulmate, to be educated and to be working in a field that I am passionate about. I hope that I will always look for the rainbows in my life even in the event of a downpour... and if I lose sight of that hope, I hope that I have good friends that will remind me of my blessings and that we are never truly alone

Journey to Unity

My good friend Heather that I met when I moved to Boston for grad school 5 years ago was joined with her partner Kara in a wedding ceremony in Amesbury today. The ceremony was very heartfelt, personal and special. Kara, her family and many of our friends attending are Deaf and so the ceremony was done completely in ASL with no interpreters. It is one thing to hear the word of God and witness vows but to see them through the air in ASL is indescribable. They wrote their own vows and shared their "sand story" as they poured sand from different places that hold a special place in their heart. Heather is such an amazing person who gives more than she has to the people around her and has now found her soul's counterpart in Kara. They are such a lovely couple to watch and I am so thankful to have been there with them on their special day. Here is a slidshow of the event.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Brennan's Climb

I thought I should do a blog about my brother Brennan and the feat that he just accomplished. He just got home from a 17 day trek up the largest mountain outside of Asia, reaching the summit at 23,000 feet. Aconcagua in the Andes mountains of Argentina boasts severely high winds and even snow regardless of the fact that this is their summer season. This climb took months of preparation both mentally and physically. Brennan spent countless hours in a chamber to get his body ready for the drastic elevation changes that it would undergo. His team of people that ascended the mountain with him spent 15 of the 17 days going up the mountain, stopping at each drastic elevation change to get used to the conditions. Not all of the climbers were able to reach the summit as there were many cases of elevation sickness, injuries and just sheer exhaustion. Brennan was one of very few that made it to the top. He was so ill at one point, he described not having the energy to open food and eat it. Now that he is home safe (minus one very frostbitten foot) and can reveal what a dangerous undertaking this expedition actually was, it is frightening to think of him in a place so barren and treacherous. But it also shows his tenacity and drive to experience things and push himself to his absolute limits. So congratulations Brennan on this amazing accomplishment. I am sure that these pictures don't do the experience justice.