April 28, 2013

Happy Birthday, My Love

Today, I'm going to be getting a bit personal. 
After all, it's a special occasion - Macky is celebrating his birthday today!
Since I can't be with him in person (as I'm in NY and he's in Manila), I'm dedicating this post to him.

Waiting in the airport for our flight to Bacolod! (2009)

Macky and I have been together for 7 years and 4 months. This is a spectacular accomplishment for us both, especially because we've been dealing with being in a Long Distance Relationship (LDR) for 2 years and 10 months (and counting). There have been countless moments of joy, of sorrow, of anger, of drama - but every single one was worth it. Our relationship is one of the best parts of my life, and I love the stability and strength that it possesses. We're currently in the middle of plans and details for our September church wedding, which is being held in Bacolod (my hometown in the Philippines).
at Greenbelt 5 for my despedida (2012)

Quite simply, Macky happens to be the one for me, the love of my life. It almost feels like he was made just for me, as he possesses many of the qualities I wanted in a partner. These are things like loyalty and affection, respect and trust, honesty and faithfulness, humor and kindness, and many more. We even have a running joke that he meets all my requirements for the perfect husband - except that he doesn't quite know how to do laundry (though he's willing to learn!). 

I happen to love him with all of my heart. It absolutely thrills me that I get to spend the rest of my life learning, growing and loving with this amazing, wonderful man. 

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I do love writing personal posts and sharing parts of my life with you. I love it even more when there's something that ties them in with my love of reading and writing. This post is no exception.

One of the things that Macky and I share is a deep, deep love of stories. We both enjoy reading, though I read far more than he does. He's picky about what he chooses to read, but he loves the books he loves with an intensity that far surpasses even my craziest fangirling moments. I, on the other hand, devour books like there is no tomorrow - mostly because I love getting lost in stories and worlds and characters. 

getting our hair done (2012)
[One thing we absolutely agree on: Harry Potter - books and films - is amazing.]

One of the best things about this mutual love is that he gets it. He understands when I tell him I am sobbing over something that happened to a beloved character in a book. He understands when I tell him that reading kept me up until 5AM because I just couldn't put the book down. He understands when I get completely lost in a book and forget to do other things or pay attention to my phone. He's that guy who will make me tea or bring me snacks and just keep me company (silently, possibly reading his own book) when I'm in the middle of a book I love.

He's also incredibly supportive when it comes to the book blog, both in terms of promoting the darned thing to his friends (which always makes me feel shy!) and in terms of contributing to the blog (and you should look out for more posts from him!). And he's my number one supporter/critic when it comes to my writing.

So yes, I'm incredibly lucky to have this incredible, supportive man in my life - and that I get to have him forever.  

our civil wedding ceremony (2013)
Happy birthday, my love. 
I love you, always and forever Macky.

38 Comments:

  1. Happy birthday Macky!! Best of luck to you both... LDR's can be rough. I know, because I was in one myself for a year. My hubby is a pinoy, by the way, and we've been together for 18 years this May!!

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    1. Okay, first of all - it is SO COOL that your hubby is Filipino. That's AWESOME. Does that mean you've been to the Philippines before? And congratulations! 18 years is an AMAZING accomplishment.

      LDRs are tough, and I don't honestly recommend them unless the circumstances absolutely deem it necessary. I don't like being apart from Macky, but that's just how it has to be for now. Hopefully, we can be together soon!

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  2. Alexa, girl, this made me tear up! I'm so happy that you have such a wonderful and supportive man in your life, and it's so obvious that you love each other deeply.

    On an unrelated note, I have been dying to visit the Philippines for some time. I'm half Filipina, so I would love to visit the country. I also haven't met anyone on my mom's side of the family, and that is awfully depressing.

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    1. Oh wow, that's awesome! You should definitely visit the Philippines someday. It's especially awesome if you enjoy the beach, as we have a ton of beautiful beaches over there. I hope you get the chance to go one day!

      And thank you for the well wishes. I truly consider myself lucky to have Macky in my life.

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  3. Aww, God bless to the both of u! U r so sweet Alexa! :)

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    1. Thanks Jenna! I appreciate the well wishes :)

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    1. Thank you for the well wishes! I really appreciate them :)

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  5. This is a lovely post, Alexa! I hope you two made time to chat via phone/online :) I hope all your wedding plans are going well, too! xox

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    1. Wedding planning from another country/timezone is a bit crazy BUT I'm lucky to have a team of people (mostly family) that are super supportive, and super happy to help. So it's been going fairly well thus far!

      As for the time thing, it's hard sometimes but we make it work. It's only going to be for a few months longer (hopefully)!

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  6. Happy birthday to Macky!! I hope it is a wonderful day, even if you can't be with him Alexa!
    I absolutely love this post, it shows just how much you love each other and how lucky you are to have found someone to love who loves you in return!
    Also: you two are so cute together!! :)

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    1. Thank you Daisy! It was a wonderful day, even though we only got to Facetime over the phone for a short while. I can't wait until he's finally able to join me over here!

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  7. Aww, this is so cute! Happy birthday Macky and best wishes to both of you! I can honestly physically feel the love between you two! Everyone wants to be able to find the one and feel that love and I'm so happy that both of you have found it! :)

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    1. Thank you so much Annie! I really feel that way about him, and I'm fairly certain that won't change for the rest of our lives. Thanks for the well wishes!

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  8. You guys are THE CUTEST!! SO glad that you've find someone that shares your interests. Happy Birthday, Macky!

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    1. Thanks Kate! And yes, it's amazing that we both love to read and write. It makes me excited for the future ahead of us!

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  9. Haha, awwwww, you guys are TOO cute together! I'm so happy for you two. That is great that he's so supportive and is always there for you. Believe me, I know how hard long distance is. It sucks to the 10th degree. Sigh. But these are the kinds of things that either make or break a relationship & its clear that it just makes yours stronger. Yay! Happy Birthday to your fiance!

    Vivian
    Confessions of a Vi3tBabe
    Deity Island

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    1. Thanks Vi! And I know you know all about LDR - it must be tough on you too :( It helps to be in constant communication! I'm so grateful that we've managed to stay strong in spite of the distance between us.

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  10. Aww, this is such a sweet post! Happy Happy Birthday to your love! :) Hope you had a lovely cyber date to celebrate. You'll be in the Philippines soon to be with each other in person.

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    1. Thanks Chachic! We did have a cyber date, and while it wasn't as good as being together in person, it was still pretty sweet. I am SO excited to go home!

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  11. Oh my gosh this post is just too cute. I'm really happy you found someone like Macky, Alexa. He sounds perfect for you! And happy birthday Macky! I hope your day is fantastic!

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    1. Thanks Rachel! And he is, in fact, perfect for me, even though he's not a perfect person. I'm so glad to have him in my life!

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  12. AWw this is adorable. I love that you shared this with your followers. It's so great to learn more about the person behind the blog. I'm so happy for you two and wish you a lifetime of happiness :)

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    1. Thanks Nicole, especially for the well wishes. As for getting personal on the blog, I used to feel iffy about it. But then I figured - it's MY blog and I can share stuff like that because I want my book blogger friends to get to know me even better :)

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  13. Oh my goodness you guys are SO cute! It sounds like you guys have such an amazing and supportive relationship. Happy Birthday to your wonderful guy! :D

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    1. Thanks Julia! He's a great guy, and I am supremely lucky to have him in my life.

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  14. Happy birthday, Macky! You two are darling! :)

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    1. Hi Jana! Thanks - I'll pass on the message in case he doesn't see it :)

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  15. Awh, you two are such a cute couple! :) Reading about these things always make me so happy and it reminds me of me and my boyfriend. I also believe he is the love of my life. I agree, he gets me in a way some people don't. Happy belated birthday Macky!

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    1. Thanks Mel! I think it's wonderful and extremely special that you feel that way about your boyfriend. I wish you both the best indeed!

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  16. I love this post so so so much. Happy Birthday, Macky! Congratulations, guys!

    Love,
    Ava
    http://www.whyavareads.com/

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    1. Aww, thanks Ava! I'm glad you enjoyed reading this post.

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  17. You are probably the cutest ever. Happy birthday, Macky and SO MANY CONGRATULATIONS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE!!!! xoooo

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    1. Aww, Gaby, thank you! *hugs* I feel so very lucky! (Also - YOU ARE COMING HOME SOON.)

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  18. Wow. Feeling the love. Book Bloggers, fellow bookworms and all... thanks so much. Deeply touched by the response. Work has been nuts so I haven't been stalking this blogrunner as often as i used to. And i haven't been working on the reviews i should have been working on... :P ah well... you are all awesome. And to Alexa, thank you love... you're worth all of it and more. Love you always.

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    1. I love you <3 It was so fun and so worth it to put this post up! Everyone has been so supportive and loving and amazing in general.

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  19. MOST ADORABLE POST EVER.

    Seriously awwwwwwwww.

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  20. I love reading personal posts! And you look so happy in all of your photos together; it's obvious he's the perfect man for you. I hope your wedding planning goes well and I can't wait to hear more about it!!

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