pictures

Marcus and I at the Hero Breakfast:

Pictures of the new ring:

my hero.

I have so many exciting things to report on that I barely know where to begin. I think I'll start with this morning and work backward.

This morning Marcus and 4 other firefighters were honored at a Red Cross Heroes Breakfast. He received this award for helping pull a man from a burning building in June of last year. The breakfast was really well done, and it was a great honor for those guys.

Marcus and I got back from the East Coast on Tuesday evening. We went to Baltimore, DC, and New York. We had amazing adventures there, and best of all, we got to hang out with my sister, Sarah!! There were so many awesome memories made, but the highlights include:

1. Marcus getting down on one knee and giving me a new, phenomenally beautiful ring while we were ice skating at Rockefeller Center. It was picture-perfect, and people even cheered for us. We celebrated our 5th anniversary while we were there!! :)

2. Seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was big and impressive. Did you know that the face alone is 8 feet tall?

3. Getting to see Wicked on Broadway. It was really well done, and perhaps the best show I've ever seen. After that, Marcus and I went to a delicious little Italian restaurant and had a romantic dinner. The whole evening was awesome--except for when I fell out of my shoe, and faceplanted.... imagine Cinderella only much less graceful... ouch.

4. Exploring DC with Sarah & Marcus. We all feel a little more American after seeing all the sights in DC. My favorite part was taking a tour of the Capitol with Patty Murray's assistant. We learned a lot of phenomenally interesting 'America' facts. I feel like I may have upped my Trivial Pursuit game a little just by visiting. That may just be wishful thinking though.

5. Getting to see Sarah's favorite places in Baltimore. I got to meet her friends (who are super fun),

and see the places that Sarah frequents, including a really cool church that has a terrific gospel choir. We also went out to eat at amazing restaurants all over Baltimore. It was so much fun to spend time with her, and I'm so proud of her cute life there. She was a tremendously hospitable host, and the whole time was terrific!

While we were there, our friends had their baby boy. Congrats to the Finley's on the birth of Ty. :) We can't wait to meet him!

Before that, I had an impromptu birthday bash to celebrate my birthday. It was fun to see everyone, and I felt well-celebrated.

Health-wise, I remain about the same. I'm still vomiting daily, and not feeling much relief from anything. My bloodwork remains good, so I'm pleased about that. The trip was pretty good for me, health-wise, so I'm super relieved about that.

Phew. I think that's all. Hugs, love, and thanks for all the prayers!!

brelin