Blizzard

The day after we got back from the beautiful beaches of Florida, Boston was hit by a blizzard. In all, the blizzard dumped about 18 inches of snow before it left the area. It was good we came back to Boston when we did to avoid travel frustrations at the airport. We were relatively unaffected by the blizzard except for a power outage for a few hours Sunday evening and no hot water the majority of Monday (which was probably not be related to the weather). Bekah shot this picture of our apartment building on her snowy and very windy walk to work (note the wind blowing). Mitch enjoyed a comfortable day "working" from home.

Holidays

Christmas has come and has now passed. The season went quick for us. We spent most of our holiday break in Florida with Mitch's family. Our trip started off with Mitch's cousin Kristyn getting married, followed by celebrating Christmas with Mitch's Mom's side, celebrating Christmas Eve with Mitch's sister, and celebrating Christmas day with Mitch's Dad's side, all before jetting back to Boston to celebrate Christmas night together in our apartment. Besides celebrating Christmas we enjoyed our time in Florida soaking in the sun at several beaches, feasting on Worth Avenue, biking around Palm Beach, kayaking in MacArthur Beach State Park, and walking around a bird filled nature preserve. The pictures are here. We hope you had an enjoyable Christmas too and can't wait to hear about your holiday adventures.

Merry Christmas

Chris and Kristyn

Congratulations Chris and Kristyn! The happy couple wed at the beautiful Mizner Country Club in Florida. We were lucky enough to attend the ceremony a week before Christmas and make a week vacation of the ordeal to see family for the holidays. Although inclement weather forced the ceremony to be inside, it ended up being a beautiful ceremony and festive reception. Here is a sampling of some of the pictures. We wish them all the best in the years to come.

Gingerbread

To help get into the holiday spirit, Bekah decided to bake some gingerbread cookies. Here are a few of her creations. They are super-yummy! Interested in the recipe? Check out our kitchen-concoctions blog. Happy Christmas cookie eating season!

Stolen

Only two short months ago we were writting to let you know about the great bike Mitch had found for Bekah. Mitch put hours of work into perfecting the bike to his own and Bekah's standards, and we enjoyed several great rides together around town. The sad, sad news is that Bekah's bike was stolen this morning from the parking meter where it was locked outside of church. We're flabergasted this happened, as this is a busy sidewalk and no one reported seeing anything suspicious. We filed a report with the Boston Police Department, but unfortunately, there have been no sightings of the bike. Bekah is experiencing a period of mourning her bike right now. However, Mitch is already on the lookout for a replacement.

Thankful

This year for Thanksgiving we were fortunate to see many friends and family members back in the Midwest. We started our travels by flying into Grand Rapids and spending the weekend visiting several friends: Kyle & Bethany, the Raedle's (the family Bekah used to nanny for while back at Calvin), and Jon & Jodie (and new addition Halle!). After our time in Michigan, we had an enjoyable ride down to Seymour with Anna, stopping for lunch with JD along the way. We then spent the remainder of the week with Bekah's family. Highlights of our time in Indiana include: outlet shopping, eating at Cracker Barrel, taking Tucker (Rachel's new cocker spaniel) on walks, watching Home Alone with Bekah's family (this is a Thanksgiving family tradition), waking up at 2:30AM to go Black Friday shopping with Bekah's sisters, spending lots of time with Carter and Cooper, and of course eating lots of food. We were truly thankful for the opportunity to return to the Midwest and to feel so loved by friends and family this week! Thanks to all our hosts! If interested, click here to see a few additional pictures of the trip.

Maine

This weekend we got to experience the sights and smells of fall in New England. We went to Dan's parents' place in Rome, Maine with our small group. While there, we hiked "the Mountain" to see the colors from the above viewpoint, feasted on steamed clams and blue lobster, and enjoyed each others' company. We would have liked to stay forever, but work and school were calling us back home. We enjoyed a quick stop by L.L. Bean in Freeport on the way into Boston. Fortunately, in Boston the air is still a bit warmer and the peak of the fall colors are yet to come.

10.10.10

Six months after running the Boston Marathon, Bekah was ready for another challenge. This time, the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Running this race is so popular that the number of registrants reached its cap less than two hours after registration opened back in July. Luckily, Bekah secured a spot in the race and has been training with running buddy, Kari, since then. The two went in with the goal to be safe and finish under two hours, and they achieved their goals! Bekah's finishing time was 1:56:45, which is an average pace of 8:55 per mile. The weather, sunny and around 60 degrees, was perfect for the 13.1 mile run, which looped around some of the most scenic views in the city. Mitch and Todd biked along the course to watch the super-fast Kenyans and to cheer Bekah and Kari on towards the finish. What will be next for Bekah? Maybe a triathlon. More to come about this possibility in the months ahead.

Red Sox 7, Yankees 6

Once again, we were able to secure Red Sox-Yankees tickets for the second year in a row due to Bekah's incredibly lucky streak. The tickets were for Friday the 1st of October, but due to rain delays the game was rescheduled to Saturday, making the day a double header for the Red Sox and Yankees. With a start around 9:10pm the two teams battled it out until the wee hours of the morning. Today, October 3rd 2:00am, we are proud to say that the Red Sox have yet again risen victorious over the Yankees. This time in a close match-up that finished 7-6 in the bottom of the 10th inning. This continues our perfect track record for Red Sox wins with Mitch 4 for 4 and Bekah 5 for 5. While we originally had seats in center field, we were able to move closer to home plate as the crowds cleared out a bit past midnight (hence the good picture). We even were able to see Dylan selling popcorn.

Criterium

Today at 1 City Hall Plaza, the roads were closed to cars and open to pelotons of bikers as they raced around Government Center in Boston's second annual Mayor's Cup Professional Criterium. Racers, including Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack, came from all over the country to compete for over $40,000 in prize money. It was an impressive display of super expensive road bikes, incredibly fit athletes, skillful maneuvering, and breakneck speeds. Despite the unseasonably cool weather, the race was spectator friendly with many great spots to view the riders racing by at 28+ mph. Unfortunately, we didn't bring our camera, but did find this picture online of the winner, Daniel Holloway, racing past. Serendipitously, Bekah and Kari are also pictured behind the second racer.

Bike

It was kind of random, but about a week ago Bekah woke up with one goal on her mind: she wanted to do a triathlon. Having been a swimmer in high school and also successfully completing the Boston Marathon, she more than satisfied the swimming and running prerequisites. However, she lacked one necessary qualification: she needed a road bike to do the biking portion. As you could imagine, Mitch was more than thrilled that Bekah showed interest in his beloved pastime. During the next week, he scoured the classified ads posted on Criagslist and came across a beautiful blue (although Bekah claims it is green) Cannondale that would fit Bekah. He stopped by after school, found the bike as described, and well the rest is history. A little bit of work on the wheels and some cleaning here and there and the bike looks almost new. This purchase further diversifies our quiver of bikes, bringing the total up to 4. Bekah enjoys her new bike and Mitch enjoys her company on the road.

Apples

Until today, we had not yet been apple picking in New England. We went with friends, Rob, Dan, and Laura, to Cider Hill Farm, which is just north of Boston. The day was unusually warm for being September and we had great success in finding the best Honeycrisp, Gala, Jonagold, and Winesap apples in the entire orchard. Of course, we also enjoyed eating cider donuts fresh out of the fryer and bought apple cider we will enjoy for days to come!

Good-Bye

Sadly, we had to say good-bye to Tom, Ari, and Kai tonight. This week they will be moving to Hamilton, Ontario, where Tom will begin his career as a chemical engineering professor at McMaster University. Ari has more than a full-time job lined up for her as a mother to new little Kai. We met Tom & Ari during our first weeks in Boston and have been close friends since then. We're going to miss you guys!

(Pictured above are Laura, Bekah, Ari, Kai, and Kari on our last night hanging out together. The blanket was crocheted for Kai by Laura, Bekah, and Kari.)

California

On Friday the 13th of August, we headed out on JetBlue flight 777 to Las Vegas. Despite all the lucky numbers, we ended up having a rather uneventful night waiting in line to check into our hotel. The next day we met up with Mitch's parents and headed across the boarder to California. Our trip to California was full of contrasts. We hiked through dry deserts as well as alongside misty waterfalls. We experienced elevations as low as 282 feet below sea level to elevations well over 10,000 feet. We feasted at all you can eat buffets as well as scarfed down prepackaged freeze-dried meals. We lodged in a fancy suite and roughed it out in the backcountry. Even the temperatures ranged from a high of 118F to lows around freezing. The variety in climate and scenery kept the trip full of excitement. While Bekah only stayed long enough to visit Las Vegas, Death Valley, Yosemite, and San Francisco, Mitch was able to stay a bit longer to explore the California coastline and Inyo National Forest. The main highlight of the trip was our hike up Half Dome, although the pictures do a pretty good job showing all the other attractions we saw too.

Kai

Congratulations to Tom and Ari on the birth of their firstborn son Kai. Kai is a very punctual person arriving exactly on his due date. Both Kai and Ari are doing well. Bekah, of course, made it to the hospital only a few hours later to help welcome Kai into the world.

Cape Cod

Recently, Bekah's parents and nephews came to Boston on a 15-hour road trip. Rather than stay around the city, we rented a townhouse on Cape Cod for the weekend. On the way, we stopped in Plymouth to gaze at the infamous Plymouth Rock and see a replica of the Mayflower. While on the Cape, we enjoyed time at Coast Guard Beach, eating fried seafood, and soaking in the sun. The trip was extra special since it was Carter and Cooper's first time at the ocean. They agreed it was a pretty salty and sandy place. As always, we posted exciting pictures.

Franconia

Having a taste to revisit the White Mountains after our Presidential Traverse and also wanting to get in another training hike before our Yosemite trip, we headed out to Franconia Notch State Park for the weekend. We had been to the area before in Fall 2008, but this time we had our eyes set on summiting Mt. Lafayette. We headed out with Dan and Laura on Friday night and were lucky to get one of the last remaining campsites in the White Mountain National Forest. With wonderfully cool weather we headed out on the 9.0 mile loop hike. It was a scenic climb up the falling waters trail past 3 major waterfalls. We made a short side trip out to Shinning Rock before summiting Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette. We followed the Old Bridle Path down from Mt Lafayette and made a quick stop at Greenleaf Hut. In all the trip climbed 3,500 feet in elevation and took close to 8 hours to complete. We also toured the nearby Basin before heading back to our campsite for dinner. You can check out pics of our outing here.

Grand Manan

This Fourth of July weekend we fled the country and spent our long weekend in Canada's Maritime providence of New Brunswick. Our main purpose of the trip was to camp on Grand Manan Island in the Hole-in-the-Wall campground. We were looking for an exciting place to visit and this seemed like the place to go. We left Boston Friday night and made the trip to Blacks Harbor ferry terminal with surprising little traffic. Having arrived there late, we spent the remainder of the night at the ferry terminal. Saturday morning we were the first car on board the ferry. With calm waters and cool breezes, the hour and a half crossing was an enjoyable cruise that included a seal sighting and some whales in the distance (sometimes it can be a pretty rough ride). As we neared the island, we spotted the cliffside campsites we were to stay in. Excited to claim a good campsite, we first headed to the Hole-in-the-Wall campground and set up camp. The rest of the day was spent driving along the coast, hiking along cliffs, biking to a lighthouse, and feasting on a fantastic dinner complete with freshly caught haddock. Sunday, we hiked out to Ross Island on a land bridge at low tide to see an abandoned lighthouse. We also took a hilly bike ride out to Dark Harbour, saw the natural Hole-in-the-Wall for which our campground was named after, and watched the sunset on the west side of the island. Monday morning brought a beautiful sunrise after a somewhat noisy night of what may have been whale singing. After our oatmeal breakfast we had to pack up camp, take the ferry back, and drive home to Boston. For more details of our trip, check out our pictures.

Garden

The garden is growing fast! Unlike last year's soggy June, this June has been excellent for growing. Our plants are already nearly double the size they were last year. Check out our quickly outdated pictures here. As for what we are growing this year:

• Tomatoes- Bush Champion, Supersteak, Viva Italia, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, Japanese Black, Brandywine, Celebrity, Early Girl
• Peppers- New Ace, Garden Salsa, Golden Bell, Red Beauty
• Basil- Sweet Basil, Red Rubin
• Peas
• Carrots
• Mixed Lettuce
• Spinach
• Cilantro
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Broccoli

Traverse

The trip was cancelled previously due to high winds, soggy conditions, and risk of hypothermia, but this weekend the weather cooperated and Mitch's epic adventure across the Presidential Range became a reality. The hike, called the Presidential Traverse, crosses a string of mountain peaks in excess of 4,000 feet named after US presidents including Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce. Its a strenuous and sometimes dangerous hike with the area known to have some of the worst weather in the world including the previous world record wind speed of 231 mph. It gets so windy at times that buildings near the summits need to be chained down so they don't blow away! Having said this, the area is pristine wilderness, home to some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in New England, that attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the world.

We, along with our friends Dan and Laura and Todd and Kari, decided to explore the area this past weekend. Thursday night, we made the 2½ hour drive from Boston to New Hampshire and camped at Sugarloaf I Campground in the White Mountains National Forest. Friday morning we woke up bright and early at 4:30am, tore down camp, ate breakfast, and shuttled cars to each trail head before 7:00 am. Our two day traverse across the Presidential Range began at the Appalachia trail head and followed the Valley Way trail upward from there. The trail meandered around a river most of the way before we split off on the Watson Path. Watson Path was a steep climb up through the tree line and was more like bushwhacking than following a well-groomed trail. Eying the time, we decided to ditch our summit attempt of Madison and take the Pine Link half a mile to the Madison Spring Hut. Slowly we crawled over the boulders that separated us from a well-deserved lunch at the hut. After a refreshing break, we headed out along the Gulfside Trail past Mount Adams, Jefferson, and Clay. It was a well-planned and well-marked trail that took us through alpine tundra, past breathtaking vistas, and even over a patch of snow. We eventually spotted Lakes of the Clouds Hut off in the distance and decided to abandon our Washington summit attempt in favor of dinner at the hut. With the 6:00pm dinner time quickly approaching, we headed across the Westside Trail, got our pictures taken by some tourists on the Cog Railway, and made it to the hut with half an hour to spare. We were fed like kings and slept like babies.

Saturday morning we woke up to a cloud-filled wonderland as the hut staff serenaded us with Danny Boy. They filled us with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and pancakes and sent us on our way. The Crawford Path quickly took us past Mount Monroe and over Mount Franklin. With plenty of energy we decided to summit Mount Eisenhower and Pierce before heading down the steep path to Mizpah Spring Hut for lunch. From there we took the Mizpah Cut-off back to the Crawford Path. We eventually met up with Gibbs Brook and briefly stopped at Gibbs Falls. From there it was a downhill trek to the parking area. After two days and 18.9 miles of trails, we safely and successfully traversed the Presidential Range! We rewarded ourselves with a pizza dinner and roasted marshmallows before turning in for the night at Sugarloaf II.

Sunday was spent relaxing from the hike with noteworthy memories including a stroll around Saco and Ammonoosuc Lakes, a brief encounter with a bear, and roasting kielbasa over the fire for lunch. The drive back to Boston was uneventful except for a stop at Cracker Barrel, Bekah's favorite restaurant, for dinner. Here is a compilation of pictures from the trip.

Boston Med

Today Bekah got a sneak peak of the first episode of Boston Med, which will premier on ABC Thursday at 10PM. It is a documentary with "real life drama" from three Boston hospitals, including Brigham & Women's Hospital, which is where Bekah has now been working for almost two years. The series runs for eight weeks and is guaranteed to be full of powerful stories. In addition, you will be able to get a feel for the fast-paced environment and world-class colleagues Bekah is surrounded by each day while at work. To see some additional previews and to read more about the show, click here. Although Bekah found herself in front of the cameras a handful of times last summer while the filming was taking place, she does not expect to see herself in the final product. We'll be curious to know what you think of the series!

Chatham

This past weekend, we and a bunch of our Boston friends spent a relaxing weekend on Cape Cod. Everyone chipped in to rent a beautiful and spacious cottage in the heart of Chatham, MA. While most had the day off on Friday to head up early, Bekah and Dan had to work and brave the weekend Cape traffic late Friday night. Saturday we woke up early to watch the World Cup, had a delicious cinnamon roll breakfast, Mitch and the guys went on a morning ride around Chatham, and the rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing on the beach and playing bocce ball. That night, we barbecued a steak and chicken feast, gave the Adam's and Mack's their going away gifts, and enjoyed ice cream at Emack and Bolio's. Sunday was spent watching the World Cup, playing tennis, touring Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, cleaning up, and of course braving the traffic back to Boston. Click here to check out our pictures.

Century

It was a bit of a long shot, but they did it. Mitch and his biking buddy, Adam, successfully rode their bikes 100.90 miles from their apartments in Boston, MA to Chatham, MA! The trip took just over 8 ½ hours, with the bikers beginning their trip at 8:00 in the morning and finishing around 4:30. Having only ridden his bike a maximum of 52 miles previously, this was a massive biking feat for Mitch. Calculations indicate that it took over 5,600 calories and 2 gallons of water for each biker to make it to their final destination. Mitch alone consumed 4 cliff bars, a ham egg and cheese English muffin, a Boston cream donut, and a king-sized snickers bar en route. The weather was sunny and clear making for an unseasonably hot day with temperatures on the black asphalt peaking at a sweltering 98.6 °F. Memories include several turkey sightings, stopping for lunch in Plymouth, climbing over the Sagamore Bridge, and begging for water at a local thrift store. To check out the ride in greater detail and see ride stats and splits follow the link. Pictures will be posted soon.

Bethany

After spending two years in Zambia with Partners Worldwide, Bethany has returned to the states. Being home about a month earlier than her husband, Kyle who is still in Zambia, Bethany decided to take a road trip from Michigan out to the East Coast to visit friends. Bethany visited us in Boston for the weekend and got to see all the sites, despite the wet weather. She received a full tour of the Freedom Trail from underneath an umbrella, enjoyed a chocolate mouse cannoli from Mike's Pastry, attended Park Street Church, shared a ride on the swan boats with Bekah, strolled through the Fenway Gardens and the Fenway Rose Garden, and joined us in watching some World Cup soccer and the Celtics. It was great to see her and to hear her stories from Zambia!

Pass

For those of you who may not have heard yet, Mitch passed both sections of his qualifying exam. Yippee! Thank you everyone for all your thoughts and prayers. Having passed the exams means that Mitch can now move on to the next phase of his doctoral program: research.

Green Mountains

Needing some rest and relaxation after his qualifying exams, Mitch met up with some friends from Calvin for a few days of camping in Vermont's Green Mountains. Having no car, Mitch bought a Greyhound ticket and headed off to Albany without incident. There he met up with Sam, Christina, and their 6 month old daughter Abby. They continued on to meet Neil in Vermont at Merck Forest. Everyone had camped together before, but this trip was extra special since it was Abby's world debut camping experience. Whether its old age setting in or the fact that they weren't sure what Abby would be up for, they took a slightly softer route by reserving the Ridge Cabin. It was a charming cabin about a 2 mile hike from the cars furnished with a primitive table to eat on, wooden bunks to sleep in, and an old wood burning stove for heat. They practically had the whole forest to themselves and are proud to say they saw more wildlife than people. Notable sightings include a snake, humming birds, a deer, woodpeckers, and porcupines. They even got to learn a fair amount about maple syrup production by visiting a sap house (for which Bekah was very appreciative of her pint-sized souvenir). Of course, Mitch took pictures.

Parents

Worried about Mitch's mental state after his qualifying exams, Mitch's parents decided to make a trip up to Boston over Memorial Day weekend to spend some time with him. It was an enjoyable weekend that included several trips to REI, a tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, dinner in the North End, a stroll along the Charles River, a morning in Chinatown, and an afternoon in Beacon Hill (pictured above). The time flew by, but everyone agreed it was well spent: Mitch's Dad enjoyed looking around REI, Mitch's Mom savored the homemade frozen yogurt, Bekah discovered she likes bubble tea, and Mitch was relieved he no longer had to study.

Allison

Our most recent visitor to Boston was Allison. Lucky for us, she was able to squeeze in a visit between Mitch's qualifying exams and her brother Erick's graduation from Brown. Highlights of her Boston tour included strolling along the Freedom Trail, viewing the gravestone of the rumored inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne, discovering purple basil in the North End (now growing in our garden), and yes riding on the famous swan boats in the Public Garden.

Ice Cream

After weeks of waiting, Bekah's KitchenAid ice cream attachment finally arrived. The ice cream attachment, or as we affectionately call it the "ice cream cooker", was part of a manufacture's rebate that came with the mixer Bekah got for her birthday. While the exact logistics of how Bekah ended up finding about the rebate is a story of its own, we are proud to say that it is now in our possession taking up a substantial portion of our freezer. So far we have only ventured out into the world of frozen yogurt (mostly due to the cooker's health conscious owners). After making a few test batches, we found the secret ingredient and can make frozen yogurt that rivals that of Red Mango. Recipes are soon to follow on kitchen concoctions.

Annabelle

Congrats Qinhai and Jenny on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Annabelle! Qinhai and Jenny were members of our small group last year before moving to Cambridge to have additional space for their soon-to-be-born baby girl. Bekah and some friends threw a shower for Jenny this past November. At the young age of six months, Annabelle is very strong, enjoys flying through the air on her dad's arm, and is close to being potty trained!

26.2

Patriot’s Day, April 19 2010, marked the 114^th annual running of the Boston Marathon. The day couldn’t have been more perfect, with sunny, clear skies and temperatures peaking in the mid 50’s. The alarm went off at 5:15, and within minutes Bekah was dressed in her Team Brigham singlet, downed a pre-race breakfast of Frosted Mini Wheats, and headed out the door. She met up with other teammates downtown and boarded a chartered bus en route to Hopkington, MA. The ride took about an hour, making Bekah nervous she would not be able to run the whole way back. In Hopkington, Bekah was pampered to energy-rich snacks in a warm, heated Team Brigham tent, while other marathon runners were left outside to brave the elements in the 40 degree weather. Mitch and Adam even dropped by on their bikes for a surprise visit to wish Bekah luck for her big race. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the officials directed Bekah to her starting corral, the gun fired, and 17 minutes and 51 seconds later Bekah crossed the starting line.

The beginning of the race was crowded with Bekah jostling for position among the other 23,126 runners. After a near catastrophe at mile 1 when Bekah almost twisted her ankle on a discarded piece of clothing in the road, it was smooth sailing downhill along the spectator lined course to the halfway mark. There, tears of joy filled Bekah’s eyes as she was greeted by her cheering squad (Mitch, Dan, Laura, Adam, Tom, and Ari) sporting Bekah t-shirts and a giant banner. They made such a commotion that several other spectators hung around just to see Bekah and cheer for her too. Here Tom and Laura jumped the barriers and joined Bekah as bandits. They met up with Kari at mile 16, who also joined the team of Bekah cheering bandits. With much support and encouragement (along with wonderful water, Gatorade, and orange slice service from her bandits) Bekah made her way up the infamous heartbreak hills that encompass miles 16-21. From there it was a tiring downhill trip to the finish line. Just before finishing, Bekah was given a final boost from her cheering squad (this time with the addition of Rob and Malissa). It was the encouragement she needed to run the remaining mile. At 3:19 PM, Bekah crossed the finish line, making her the 19,753rd finisher. Her finishing time was 4:32:30 with an average pace of 10:24 per mile. She then met up with her cheering squad at FitCorp, where she showered, re-fueled, and received a much needed massage from a Brigham nurse. The day ended with a celebratory barbeque at Dan & Laura’s place, where they served hamburgers and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese upon Bekah’s request.

There are several memories Bekah will always have from the day, including the tens of thousands of spectators lining the entire course, cheering for Bekah by name (her name was written on her jersey), and passing out an assortment of items (water, juice, Twizzlers, popsicles, orange slices, Kleenex, etc) to keep the runners going strong. Bekah will also not forget seeing some interesting folks (a man dressed as a hamburger, a man running barefoot, a 77 year-old woman, a bride wearing a veil, Team Hoyt, and a group of runners dressed as bunny rabbits) who ran alongside her on the marathon course. Some of these memories were captured with photos.

Preparation

Preparations are well underway for Bekah's running of the 114th Boston Marathon. The runners are already beginning to arrive in Boston, including our friend Jori, who made it in today. Last night we made a gigantic sign to cheer Bekah on (above from left to right: Laura, Tom, Ari, Mitch, Bekah, Todd, Kari, Katelyn, Adam, and Dan). Today she finalized her registration, picked up her official bib number, and carb loaded at La Familia Giorgio in the North End. Tonight she is going to get a good night's rest. The countdown is now less than two days away. She is super excited and can't wait for the race to begin. Good luck, Bekah!

26

This year, Mitch had many surprises in store for Bekah's birthday. For about a month before her birthday, Mitch hid this huge box in the tiny apartment without Bekah discovering what was inside. The new Kitchen Aid mixer also came with an ice cream maker attachment, which will get plenty of use this summer. In addition to exciting presents, Mitch also prepared a surprise progressive dinner with friends. The celebration included appetizers at the Buys', "Curry Mountain Medley" fully prepared by Mitch, and chocolate fondue at the Viens'. A good time was had by all. Check out the pictures for proof.

April 1

Okay, just to make sure no one is confused, Bekah actually did reach her fundraising goal today. This is not an April Fool's day joke. It is a cause for great joy and celebration!

Funded

Admittedly, $3,500.00 is an impressive sum of money to commit to raise for community programs at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. The fundraising process has not been easy, with many slow weeks of no donations leaving Bekah wonder if she would ever reach her fundraising target. Today, however, it is with great joy and enthusiasm that we are announcing Bekah has successfully reached her goal! She has surpassed the $3,500.00 marker by $12.66. Bekah is so grateful to the many supporters who have made her fundraising process a success. Thank you so very much to everyone who so willingly gave to help out this worthwhile cause. The fundraising was the hard part. Now all Bekah needs to do is run 26.22 miles. That should be a piece of cake.

Famous

Bekah's famous! She has been featured in the latest edition of the Brigham & Women's Hospital's weekly newsletter, the BWH Bulletin. The article highlights her role in fundraising for the hospital and applauds her effort in training for the 114th Boston Marathon with Team Brigham, a group of 31 employees running the marathon. To read about Bekah in the article, click here. For all those public health savvy people out there, she is pictured on the same page as Paul Farmer. Thanks to all who have helped her raise over $3,100 for community programs at the hospital. Interested in helping her reach her goal of $3,500? Visit her fundraising page. There are only two weeks and 5 days left till marathon day! Hopefully her hematocrit level rises before race day.

Tulips

Spring is in the air! The past few weeks have been wet, windy, and rainy, but we are already appreciating the grass being a little greener, tiny buds forming on the trees, and the daffodils popping up. We decided to bring a little bit of spring (and the good old Dutch heritage) into our apartment with these beautiful tulips!

Anemic

Unfortunately, Bekah's marathon training was halted last week when she learned she is anemic. She had been feeling unusually tired for a few weeks and went to the doctor to have her blood tested. Sure enough, her hematocrit level (percentage of blood carrying red blood cells) was only 23%. A normal value for females is 36%. Needless to say, Bekah's doctors were alarmed by her low rates and ordered her to stop any type of exercise until the number rises. She had a blood transfusion last week, is taking iron supplements three times a day, and will continue to have her blood levels tested weekly for the coming weeks. The doctors are hopeful Bekah will have enough high enough levels to run the marathon, which is three weeks from tomorrow. We are thankful Bekah's anemia was found before it got worse.

During the past week and a half, God has been teaching Bekah a lot. This is what she has to say about what she has learned so far:

For the past four months I have been so disciplined in my training regimen. Even the dark, cold nights, early Saturday mornings, and a hungry husband did not keep me from going out for these runs. I had everything planned perfectly as to how I would train for the marathon. In addition, my body was functioning perfectly to help me run 4, 6, or 18 miles. When one small detail (an iron level) was not in the range it should be, suddenly my previously perfect training schedule was wrecked. When normally an athlete is told to push harder, I have been told to rest. It is so close to marathon day, and I have been told to rest.

It is now that I sit here and recognize that my strength (physical and emotional) truly is a gift from God, and something I have little control over. God is the one who formed me in my mother’s womb and created my body to function appropriately. It’s pretty amazing to me – every heart beat, every breath in and out, every movement of my legs – God has coordinated all of this. He has given each step to me. It is He who gave me movement in my legs and gave me a joy for running. He has given my body strength since my first step, and it is He who can restore my body to strength in the coming weeks. To God be the glory!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

--2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Keep checking Bekah's fundraising page for updates about her training. She has now raised over $3,000 for Brigham & Women's Hospital and has about $500 left to raise before marathon day!

Licensed

Congratulations Bekah! She has successfully passed the next level of her clinical tests and has achieved her final level of licensing for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This means she will never have to take another test again in her lifetime! She is now a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), which means she could have her own private practice if she chose so. Despite the fact she could branch out on her own, she still works at the Brigham, just getting paid a little more.

Permit

The second time was a charm! After two tries, we successfully obtained one of the most coveted wilderness permits in Yosemite. The National Park System has granted us permission to spend two days in the backcountry to hike to the summit of Half Dome (pictured) and explore beautiful Little Yosemite Valley. We are thrilled to have won the permit lottery. Mitch has already begun searching for bear canisters to protect our food from being eaten by bears.

Birthday

This year we celebrated Mitch's birthday with lot of food. The day started with a birthday breakfast. In the evening, we went to a delicious seafood restaurant downtown. Unfortunately, it was pouring monsoon-like rains on his birthday, so we were absolutely drenched while eating dinner. We ended the night with his favorite dessert made just the way he likes it: cheesecake with an extra thick crust and fresh fruit. It was a fun and memorable night. Later in the week, we celebrated by having more cheesecake with friends. Happy Birthday, Mitch!

Seymour

Bekah took a long weekend away from work to visit her family in Seymour. While there she had a fun time of doing some of her favorite activities: outlet shopping, hanging with the family, eating at Texas Roadhouse, watching Carter & Cooper play basketball, cheering on the US in the Winter Olympics, training for the marathon (James & Kristi joined her for most of the 10.5 mile run), celebrating birthdays, and watching snow fall...watching lots of snow fall. You can check out her pictures to see some of the excitement.

53%

This week, Bekah passed the 50% mark in fundraising for Team Brigham! She has collected $1,871.22 of her $3,500.00 goal. Thanks to all of you who have already contributed! Today's run was 18.5 miles, and she is pretty exhausted! She has now logged 323.5 miles since beginning training on November 23rd! You can check out her fundraising page for updates about the training runs. Other exciting news is that Bekah is now an official entrant in the Boston Marathon - see for yourself on the BAA web-page by typing in "Machiela" into the last name field. The Boston Marathon is April, 19, so it is now less than two months away!

Cookies

For Valentine's Day, Bekah made Mitch one of his favorite desserts... sugar cookies. You can check out Kitchen Concoctions for the recipe.

287.7

...and counting. That's how many miles Bekah has logged since beginning her Boston Marathon training in November. She runs about 4 times a week, including one long run with Team Brigham each Saturday morning at 8AM. Yesterday's run was 18.5 miles!! This is the furthest Bekah has ever run before! Believe it or not, she said that it felt pretty good, and she is still walking today! Also, Bekah is now at 35% of her fundraising goal. Thanks to all who have shown their support. Check out Bekah's fundraising page for weekly updates about her training runs.

Orchid

It arrived yesterday in the mail! The box contained an orchid carefully packaged in synthetic filler, propped up by a bamboo pole, and covered by a protective paper sleeve. The orchid was a Christmas gift from Mitch's uncle and aunt who sell orchids online. The orchid's tag says it is a Lc. Breen's Jenny Ann. We are not quite sure what that means, but it has a wonderful fragrance. We now have 6 plants in our 400 sq ft apartment: a calathea, Christmas cactus, cycad, pine tree, amaryllis, and orchid. Its a big responsibility to be entrusted with so many delicate lives, but we are enjoying our little jungle.

Go David Go

Congratulations David! David just completed running the 2010 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n Roll Marathon with a time of 2:51:56. He finished 72nd out of 5,711 finishers. Not only does his time qualify for the Boston Marathon, but it beats his age group qualifying pace by nearly a minute every mile! Great job, David. See you in Boston next year!

Trainer

After weeks of Mitch drooling over bike trainers online, Bekah finally granted her blessing for him to purchase one. It is a beautiful blue and silver trainer from 1up USA. For those of you who care, it is made of solid anodized aluminum, machined with less than 0.001 of an inch of run out, and has a 7.5 lb flywheel capable of producing up to 3,000 watts of resistance. Pretty hot! The trainer is made entirely in the US and backed by a lifetime guarantee. Mitch even convinced Todd to get one too. So, while Bekah is running dozens of miles outside in the freezing cold, Mitch is happily riding his bike trainer in the comfort of the apartment. He has even arranged things so he can surf the internet for entertainment, and at the same time be cooled off by the gentle breeze of his trusty desk fan. Can it get much better than this? Bekah has also been using the bike trainer for some cross-training, although she admits her leg muscles are sore for days afterwards. Can biking be better exercise than running?