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| From SNOWpocalypse! |
Look at other people's takes on WW at www.wordlesswednesday.com
December 23, 2009
December 21, 2009
Christmas Gifts - Can be Last Minute!
We have both had the same idea in regards to Christmas gifts for our families. By "both" I mean that I had an idea in September, and began to put that plan into motion. Last week Anny "had an idea" that sounded pretty much word-for-word what was described to her in September... Yes, we "both" had an idea - and I'm sharing that idea with you!
When my office moved over the summer we found lots of supplies that were untouched from the move 5.5 years prior. We redistributed some of those items to organizations that could use them - and in the case of legal sized manila file folders, I am such an organization! We got them for the sole purpose of letting Abby pain them until her heart is content. Some days that is three brush strokes and the fun game "clean the brushes and make the water splash" and other days it's quite a long ordeal. I hate to throw things away, and hate even more to spend money on paper for her to paint. Win/Win!
Enter - the plain manila file folders:
With a bit of planning, we had about two dozen of these folders with some sort of paint on them - some were heavily painted and some were not so plentiful:
We cut them into pieces that accommodated the cut-out that we wanted - a Christmas Ornament to show through our perfect Abby picture! (I will not show you the picture yet - you have to wait until everyone getting their picture opens it!) After finding just the right pieces to make our list complete, I drew on the ornament shape (which is the size of our drinking glass, plus a small square on top) and Anny cut them out. We are all about shared labor in our house!
(This was the template one, thus no paint)
The final product looks a lot like this, but with the real picture in it!
With every Ornament-Shaped-Picture-Frame, we are giving each recipient a regular picture frame to put it in.
Total time invested:
Abby - a few minutes about once a week painting whatever she wanted!
Anny - Three months to "come up" with the idea - 20 minutes of cutting and ten of putting pics in and taping it to the back.
Rob - About an hour of picture taking, but it was an outing unto itself, and a negligible amount of time drawing the template on the backs of the painted folders!
When my office moved over the summer we found lots of supplies that were untouched from the move 5.5 years prior. We redistributed some of those items to organizations that could use them - and in the case of legal sized manila file folders, I am such an organization! We got them for the sole purpose of letting Abby pain them until her heart is content. Some days that is three brush strokes and the fun game "clean the brushes and make the water splash" and other days it's quite a long ordeal. I hate to throw things away, and hate even more to spend money on paper for her to paint. Win/Win!
Enter - the plain manila file folders:
With a bit of planning, we had about two dozen of these folders with some sort of paint on them - some were heavily painted and some were not so plentiful:
We cut them into pieces that accommodated the cut-out that we wanted - a Christmas Ornament to show through our perfect Abby picture! (I will not show you the picture yet - you have to wait until everyone getting their picture opens it!) After finding just the right pieces to make our list complete, I drew on the ornament shape (which is the size of our drinking glass, plus a small square on top) and Anny cut them out. We are all about shared labor in our house!
(This was the template one, thus no paint)
The final product looks a lot like this, but with the real picture in it!
With every Ornament-Shaped-Picture-Frame, we are giving each recipient a regular picture frame to put it in.
Total time invested:
Abby - a few minutes about once a week painting whatever she wanted!
Anny - Three months to "come up" with the idea - 20 minutes of cutting and ten of putting pics in and taping it to the back.
Rob - About an hour of picture taking, but it was an outing unto itself, and a negligible amount of time drawing the template on the backs of the painted folders!
December 16, 2009
On Our Birthday
I realized over the weekend that this is the tenth birthday that Anny and I have celebrated together. My family threw a big to-do for my 21st birthday that mixed family, church friends, camp friends and school friends. It was bizarre in many ways, but a really great way to celebrate.
(I put this picture up for a different post a year ago and Sarahlynn said "Hey, who are those people?" I assure you, that's us!)
We were not dating - heck, it too Anny another 18 months to even consider the prospect. My family is just cool like that - someone has a birthday, let's make them a cake. Two birthdays? Two cakes!
So - once again to my beloved - A Great Big Happy Birthday!
(I put this picture up for a different post a year ago and Sarahlynn said "Hey, who are those people?" I assure you, that's us!)
We were not dating - heck, it too Anny another 18 months to even consider the prospect. My family is just cool like that - someone has a birthday, let's make them a cake. Two birthdays? Two cakes!
So - once again to my beloved - A Great Big Happy Birthday!
December 09, 2009
I Found A Lump
December 3
I am hoping that this post ends happily sometime before my birthday with a solid "Thanks be to God" at the end. Right now, that is simply a hope. I don't want to make a lot of posts about this, so I'm going to make one long one. I don't like it when the focus is on me for my health, and if I start posting now and drag it out for ten days I will go berserk.
Sometime a few years ago I noticed that I have a hard lump on my left arm. I mentioned it to my doctor and he gave it a feel and told me it's not a big deal, probably just a calcium build up. No need to worry unless it got bigger or began to hurt. Fast forward to November of this year - I now have four of them, two on each arm.
On the 23rd of November I went in for my first physical in about 12 years. I was putting it off because I see specialists all the time, so what was the big deal? I decided it was time. I mentioned the bumps on my arms and she said the same thing as my old nephrologist - not hurting me, no need to remove them.
I also mentioned that I have a similar lump in my left breast. She gave that a feel and indicated that it could really go either way - either it's really nothing or it's really something bad.
Earlier this week I scheduled a mammogram - "yes, I'm a 30 year old male" I assured the woman on the phone "and I need a mammogram." It's scheduled for next Monday (December 7th) and then I have to play the waiting game that so many of my friends and family are used to playing.
December 7th
I just got home from my first ever mammogram. I don't need to remind you from a paragraph ago, but I'm a 30 year old male who just had a freaking mammogram. Needless to say, I'm a bit on edge because I know that I now just have to sit and wait. I don't even know how long I have to wait, hopefully just two days, maybe three or four. The wait has gotten to me before, between kidney biopsy and diagnosis.
So - the mammogram. Wow. Ladies - I don't know that I ever envied your bodies, and if I did, all of that went away at about 2:45 this afternoon. You know you're going to have to do that yearly? I 100% agree that it's essential to have it done, but hot damn. My moob still hurts. (Moob being man-boob.)
Since I was coming from work and you're not allowed to wear deodorant I had to stop by the house to take mine off. Yeah, I don't go to work without my deodorant, so it was a necessity. Do you know how weird it is to clean out your pits to go to the doctor?
I got to the appointment just in time for my paperwork to be filled out, and was called back a little while later. I've sat around in offices for hours for years, so I'm not upset when I have to sit around a little longer. Understand this - nobody in a doctors office wants your appointment to be delayed. They are doing what they can, what their jobs are. They will get to you, calm the heck down. Okay, now that I have said that... I got called back to the mammogram room and the tech asked "is it alright if you take your shirt off?" Umm... how else are you going to squeeze my moob? "Yes" worked fine, and off it came.
The big squeeze was next. I have talked about this with my family and one of my aunts warned that it was going to hurt. I underestimated the warning, I guess, because I was actually shocked about how flat my little moob became. They did it one time flat and then a second time at an angle. Done with that part I put my shirt on and waited in the hall for the next step, a sonogram.
I have had sonograms before. Wait, you're remembering that I'm a 30 year old MAN and that sonograms are typically reserved for pregnant non-men? Yeah. I'm onto my third as of today. Anyway - they did a sonogram of my breast after waiting in the hallway for a while. That is when someone noticed that the "at 5:00" on my chest was really at 7:00. Funny, but that's important!
Now comes the waiting. I'm trying to be a realist, but I have worked myself up with every sort of phone call that I could receive this week and all sorts of outcomes.
December 8th
Shit. I just got off of the phone with the nurse practitioner that ordered my mammogram. The radiologist says there is indeed a solid mass there, which they believe to be a benign fatty mass, but can't be sure. Shit. That is NOT the call I wanted to get. Scheduling a consultation with a surgeon for tomorrow to see about having a biopsy done. Knowing my history of biopsies, this could make for a long process.
December 9th (Pre-Appointment)
Anny decided to go with me to the appointment this morning, and deep down I'm glad that I did. I "had" to get a call from my pastor to push me to invite Anny, rather than just tell her about it. Let me say, for the record, that I didn't tell her not to come, I simply said that I did not think she needs to come. If it goes badly, I will need her later on.
December 9th (After Appointment)
Phew. I have been to meet with the surgeon with Anny. He was fun and quirky - probably someone I would go back to see if I ever need surgery actually. He really liked my belly scar, or that's how I'm taking his "wow" when I took my shirt off.
He confirmed what both the Nurse Practitioner and Radiologist said - what I have is called a (NON-CANCEROUS!) Lipoma (info HERE), or a fatty tumor. It is nothing to worry about. He said that he would remove it if I wanted him to and we had a conversation about the meaning of the word "bother" and that some folks are bothered because they play with such things all the time, some are bothered merely by the idea that it's there. Anny and I agreed that we are not bothered that it's there, and if I were to "play" with my moob I would have bigger fish to fry, especially in the work place.
With all that has happened over the last few weeks, I'm relieved, exhausted, confused and relieved again. I am going to take off a mental day later this week.
Thanks be to God.
I am hoping that this post ends happily sometime before my birthday with a solid "Thanks be to God" at the end. Right now, that is simply a hope. I don't want to make a lot of posts about this, so I'm going to make one long one. I don't like it when the focus is on me for my health, and if I start posting now and drag it out for ten days I will go berserk.
Sometime a few years ago I noticed that I have a hard lump on my left arm. I mentioned it to my doctor and he gave it a feel and told me it's not a big deal, probably just a calcium build up. No need to worry unless it got bigger or began to hurt. Fast forward to November of this year - I now have four of them, two on each arm.
On the 23rd of November I went in for my first physical in about 12 years. I was putting it off because I see specialists all the time, so what was the big deal? I decided it was time. I mentioned the bumps on my arms and she said the same thing as my old nephrologist - not hurting me, no need to remove them.
I also mentioned that I have a similar lump in my left breast. She gave that a feel and indicated that it could really go either way - either it's really nothing or it's really something bad.
Earlier this week I scheduled a mammogram - "yes, I'm a 30 year old male" I assured the woman on the phone "and I need a mammogram." It's scheduled for next Monday (December 7th) and then I have to play the waiting game that so many of my friends and family are used to playing.
December 7th
I just got home from my first ever mammogram. I don't need to remind you from a paragraph ago, but I'm a 30 year old male who just had a freaking mammogram. Needless to say, I'm a bit on edge because I know that I now just have to sit and wait. I don't even know how long I have to wait, hopefully just two days, maybe three or four. The wait has gotten to me before, between kidney biopsy and diagnosis.
So - the mammogram. Wow. Ladies - I don't know that I ever envied your bodies, and if I did, all of that went away at about 2:45 this afternoon. You know you're going to have to do that yearly? I 100% agree that it's essential to have it done, but hot damn. My moob still hurts. (Moob being man-boob.)
Since I was coming from work and you're not allowed to wear deodorant I had to stop by the house to take mine off. Yeah, I don't go to work without my deodorant, so it was a necessity. Do you know how weird it is to clean out your pits to go to the doctor?
I got to the appointment just in time for my paperwork to be filled out, and was called back a little while later. I've sat around in offices for hours for years, so I'm not upset when I have to sit around a little longer. Understand this - nobody in a doctors office wants your appointment to be delayed. They are doing what they can, what their jobs are. They will get to you, calm the heck down. Okay, now that I have said that... I got called back to the mammogram room and the tech asked "is it alright if you take your shirt off?" Umm... how else are you going to squeeze my moob? "Yes" worked fine, and off it came.
The big squeeze was next. I have talked about this with my family and one of my aunts warned that it was going to hurt. I underestimated the warning, I guess, because I was actually shocked about how flat my little moob became. They did it one time flat and then a second time at an angle. Done with that part I put my shirt on and waited in the hall for the next step, a sonogram.
I have had sonograms before. Wait, you're remembering that I'm a 30 year old MAN and that sonograms are typically reserved for pregnant non-men? Yeah. I'm onto my third as of today. Anyway - they did a sonogram of my breast after waiting in the hallway for a while. That is when someone noticed that the "at 5:00" on my chest was really at 7:00. Funny, but that's important!
Now comes the waiting. I'm trying to be a realist, but I have worked myself up with every sort of phone call that I could receive this week and all sorts of outcomes.
December 8th
Shit. I just got off of the phone with the nurse practitioner that ordered my mammogram. The radiologist says there is indeed a solid mass there, which they believe to be a benign fatty mass, but can't be sure. Shit. That is NOT the call I wanted to get. Scheduling a consultation with a surgeon for tomorrow to see about having a biopsy done. Knowing my history of biopsies, this could make for a long process.
December 9th (Pre-Appointment)
Anny decided to go with me to the appointment this morning, and deep down I'm glad that I did. I "had" to get a call from my pastor to push me to invite Anny, rather than just tell her about it. Let me say, for the record, that I didn't tell her not to come, I simply said that I did not think she needs to come. If it goes badly, I will need her later on.
December 9th (After Appointment)
Phew. I have been to meet with the surgeon with Anny. He was fun and quirky - probably someone I would go back to see if I ever need surgery actually. He really liked my belly scar, or that's how I'm taking his "wow" when I took my shirt off.
He confirmed what both the Nurse Practitioner and Radiologist said - what I have is called a (NON-CANCEROUS!) Lipoma (info HERE), or a fatty tumor. It is nothing to worry about. He said that he would remove it if I wanted him to and we had a conversation about the meaning of the word "bother" and that some folks are bothered because they play with such things all the time, some are bothered merely by the idea that it's there. Anny and I agreed that we are not bothered that it's there, and if I were to "play" with my moob I would have bigger fish to fry, especially in the work place.
With all that has happened over the last few weeks, I'm relieved, exhausted, confused and relieved again. I am going to take off a mental day later this week.
Thanks be to God.
Wordless Wednesday: Baking Time
Getting Ready for Cookies
Originally uploaded by armonroe
See more Wordless Wednesday entries at www.wordlesswednesday.com
December 02, 2009
Thanksgiving!
There is almost literally no way for me to capture all of the awesomeness that was our Thanksgiving this year - Anny's parents came from Wyoming and Paul and Sarahlynn and the girls made the trek to our house too! All in all there were six adults and three girls - and it was a blast.
The girls sat at their own table for meals, and that worked out really well:
We took everyone to the NASA Goddard Visitor Center over in Greenbelt. It was small, but perfect for our outing on Friday. Here are the girls again:
Of course we took them to our favorite local museum, the College Park Aviation Museum!
(That is where my pictures run out!)
Our turkey was perfect, our company was great.
The girls were incredible together with the exception of a few incidents that were likely fueled by sleep schedule craziness.
I really wish that we lived closer - and maybe someday soon will - these are the type of people I could see every day and not tire of!
The girls sat at their own table for meals, and that worked out really well:
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| From Boals Visit 11 2009 |
We took everyone to the NASA Goddard Visitor Center over in Greenbelt. It was small, but perfect for our outing on Friday. Here are the girls again:
 |
| From Boals Visit 11 2009 |
Of course we took them to our favorite local museum, the College Park Aviation Museum!
 |
| From Boals Visit 11 2009 |
(That is where my pictures run out!)
Our turkey was perfect, our company was great.
The girls were incredible together with the exception of a few incidents that were likely fueled by sleep schedule craziness.
I really wish that we lived closer - and maybe someday soon will - these are the type of people I could see every day and not tire of!
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