April was rough. In one week, we experienced the marathon bombings, the manhunt to find suspect 2, and a cancer diagnosis for one of Ian's cousins. Work has been crazy busy, and our apartment radiators turned into geysers twice. But in the midst of pain, heartache, and stress, I think it is more important than ever to remember that there is still so much to be thankful for.
01. Google's April Fools pranks.
02. a good reminder to connect, not compare.
03. Ian's guys' night allowing me to catch up on Once Upon a Time.
04. winning an office March Madness event representing a tree I actually know.
05. a fun birthday party for a good friend from the office.
06. a quiet, relaxing weekend.
07. a home opener party at the office.
08. catching up over dinner with good friends.
09. Karen and Jeremy visiting for the marathon.
10. the fun surprise of discovering Mallory was a Mallory I knew.
11. making a new friend over the weekend.
12. crab cakes at the Barking Crab.
13. not missing the Sox game, despite not getting a time change alert.
14. cannoli at Mike's Pastry.
15. Karen, Jeremy, and Mallory doing well and having fun at the 5K.
16. photos of the finish line Sunday night.
17. learning Genki Ya delivers their delicious sushi.
18. catching Levi (and Joe) at marathon mile 17.
19. safety on Marathon Monday, for us and those we know.
20. the incredible first responders in Boston.
21. living in a city with unbelievable emergency and health care.
22. being home when the radiator in our bedroom turned into a geyser.
23. keeping our belonging dry thanks to Ian's quick reaction.
24. [REUNION]'s prayer gathering for the marathon and a baptism celebration.
25. the national and global support for Boston.
26. NYC and Boston's sports truce (yes, I know it's temporary).
27. a chance to visit the pop-up memorials and process.
28. incredible family to help support Ian's cousin Alli in her fight against cancer.
29. the early text message from a friend, warning us to stay home from work.
30. letting our families know we were safe before they even knew to worry.
31. the media keeping us updated but also respecting the security/safety issues.
32. safety for those within the search perimeter (including several coworkers).
33. going to bed with resolution, instead of more worry.
34. the best possible outcome to the situation.
35. all of the officers who helped make that happen.
36. a Sea World kids show with a baby sea turtle rescue (PT! so cute!).
37. homemade cheddar dill biscuits.
38. [REUNION]'s commitment to love and serve Boston always, especially now.
39. singing "your love is all around" on Sunday morning.
40. date night at the Coolidge.
41. MBTA bus signs flashing BOSTON STRONG and RIP Officer Sean Collier.
42. safe travel to Kansas for Ian.
43. for our trip, new (plum!) luggage that isn't missing wheels.
44. TJ's sweet potato gnocchi in sage butter sauce.
45. FaceTime to stay in touch when Ian is out of town.
46. surviving a hectic week at work.
47. (virtually) seeing family I wish I could see (in person) more often.
48. hanging out with community group friends.
49. bike rides in 75 degree weather.
50. allergy medicine.
51. a KO meat pie for lunch.
52. a DR team Skype session with Luis Vargas.
53. beautiful flowers for a work event.
54. a solid first attempt at champorado.