Merry Christmas to All...

We're having an awesome time in St Louis, MO, with family.  Abby is having great times with her cousins Ellie and Ada.  We are getting to know the area and friends here.  Times are good for us.

I wanted to share with you the Prayer of Confession from the early worship service at First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood. 

God of good news for all, we are eager to draw near the manger but unsure of what we might see.
A child of love and peace is born into our world, a world of economic uncertainty and international conflict.
We have neighter lived in love nor cultivated peace.  Forgive us.
Birth forth tonight, in the midst of our community, love and peace for all people. 
In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

It's interesting to realize that the world we live in has changed so much over the last 2,000 years, yet we are still in a world of economic uncertainty and international conflict.  I would like to say that I have lived in love and cultivated peace, but I'm just not sure.  I am glad to be forgiven.

I pray peace for all of you as you celebrate whatever you celebrate. 

Happy Chanukah.
Merry Christmas.
Blessed Kwanza.

A Day of Quiet

Don't think that I'm joining a Monastary or planning to avoid talking for a day!

Yesterday Anny and I took a mental health day off of work and spent a wonderful day together to celebrate our shared birthday on Tuesday.  We took Abby to school at the regular time so that her routine would remain the same.  Then we headed home to get laundry going and pick up the house a bit before our vacation to Saint Louis that starts on Saturday. 

If I was to confess, I would let everyone know that Anny and I have only had two dates on our own since Abby was born.  We did have a third double-date over the summer sans children, and that was fun too.  It became a goal for yesterday - have a really messy, non-child-friendly meal, and boy did we deliver.  We went to a barbecue joint and I got two kinds of ribs!  Completely messy and completely wonderful.

We love Abby dearly, but it was nice to not have to chase a toddler.

Okay - tell me that we're not the only ones who have been out less than five times in the first 18 months of a childs life.  Give me some hope, people! 

Countdown to 30 - 2008 - Today!

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.  For a look at all of the pictures in order - check THIS out.
Well, today is the day that I've been looking forward to!  Today I am 30.  (For the record, today is also Anny's birthday, she is just a little more shy than I am.)

I remembered something this weekend that might clue me in to why I'm making such a big deal out of this birthday.  I mean, really, 30 is not 16 (driving), 18 (smokes), 21 (alcahol) or even 50.  It's just 30.  It just kind of falls into a time where there are not other celebrations.

What is great about being able to celebrate 30 is that I was told by a doctor that I would not make it this far without dialysis, and would need a new kidney by 35.  (You can read about that HERE.)  I have been assured by my current nephrologist that I am indeed alive and well, though maybe a little bit overweight.  In other words - I should not be here, according to that doctor. 
 
When people say that they're "reminded that they need to be thankful" my response is typically "I'm thankful every day that I'm alive."  I really do live my life that way, and that is perhaps a key to why my health has not gotten as bad as that doctor beleived it would.  I'm thankful for life.  I'm thankful for my wife and daughter. I'm thankful for all of my friends.  I'm thankful every single day. 
 
I pray that I see 40.  And 50.  And 60.  I don't know that I want to see 90, but medicine might try to keep me going that far!  (Silly doctors)
 
To complete my 30 day project of pictures, I will close with the best pictures I can find of me from the last 12 months. 
 
Here is a shot of me and my two favorite girls blowing out the candle on Abby's First Birthday cake.

 
This is one of my favorite pictures of me.  Ever.  This reminds me of the incredible trip to take Abby to the beach.  She had an amazing time, and it was awesome for me as a parent to see her learn about everything around her.  Each step on the sand was completely new.  I have never appreciated the ocean the same way I have gotten to since we've taken Abby.


It's been fun looking back at pictures and remembering stories from the last 30 years, but I miss writing real blog posts.  A lot has happened in the last month, so I've got a lot to catch up on!
fat cow

Countdown to 30 - 2007

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

2007 was all about Abby for me. Here we are the day after she was born!


And here is the three of us in September at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. We had professional pictures done of the whole Monroe clan, as well as household pictures. We love this one:


Tomorrow is the day. I am struggling to find a picture of me that I like from this year...

Countdown to 30 - 2006

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

In January of 2006 we made the trek down to see my sister speak at a Chapel Service at her high school.  It was a really neat way to see my baby sister, and was a great trip.  I think it's the last road trip we have taken, and it was with Jae and Nadia so it was even more fun!  Here is the five of us:



In the summer of 2006 Anny and I flew up to Iowa to join the extended family on Anny's side for "Christmas in July." It's an idea that I had been throwing at Anny for years because it's easier to get around during the summer than to pray that we can all gather at Christmas. Someone else brought the idea up to the powers that be, and it happened.

There is a really "fun" picture of all 15 (17?) of us in tie dyed clothes, but I either can't find it or am intentionally not posting it. Here is a shot of me with Anny's cousins daughter getting corn ready for dinner time.



Aren't I sweet?

Countdown to 30 - 2005

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

In 2005 we met up with Anny's family to celebrate Christmas in Casper Wyoming.  I choose to remember the trip fondly, though I ended up in the ER on the day after Christmas.  Yuck.

Here is a picture of me with our neice Ellie right after the Christmas Eve service at the church. Since we only see them a copule of times each year, I'm not sure how much she trusted me at that point!

Countdown to 30 - 2004

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

2004 was the year of "the" hair. I go through cycles of growing it out and cutting it back. Anny prefers only one of those stages (short) so the instances of long hair are now few and far between. Here's a picture of me with my Aunt Pam of us in the spring of 2004:


Yeah, that hair had been going for a while. It was not until after this picture was shown to me that I realized that it needed to be hacked away. In August of 2004 my brother Jason got married to Nadia. Here's a shot of me and my sister at the wedding. Much better on the hair front!


(Believe it or not, I didn't have anything to drink, that was just me being silly with Michelle!)

Countdown to 30 - 2003

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

I can't figure out anything huge or earth shattering from the year 2003.  Here is a picture of me cutting up a turkey on the weekend we celebrated our birthday at the beach:



Actually, in 2003 our neice Ellie was born. She's awesome. Here is a shot of Anny and I meeting her at Thanksgiving that year:

I remember thinking that she was so tiny that I would break her. Obviously I know better now. She's been through a lot in her five years, but she's a wonderful little girl. The perfect neice! (Don't tell her sister I said that!!)

Countdown to 30 - 2002

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

In the spring of 2002 I got married!  Rather than show you the regular, boring, staged, official picture - here is a picture of the rehearsal:


In the summer we celebrated the anniversary of my maternal grandparents. Here is a shot of me with my sister:


She is going to be mad that I posted it, but I love her anyway!

Countdown to 30 - 2001

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

2001 was significant for many reasons, but aren't they all?  Unfortunately, 2001 was the year I was diagnosed with my Kidney Disease, FSGS.  This is the year that I went from skinny to fat, and it only took a matter of weeks.  More details on that story is HERE.

2001 was also the first time that I made the trip out to Wyoming!  Anny's parents live at the base of Casper Mountain.  I have been several times (and we're going again in the spring) and it's beautiful out there.  It is funny, though, that I have never seen snow fall out there, but there has always been at least a foot on the ground! 



Yes, the snow on Anny's jacket was my fault.  How can you be around that much snow and not throw a snowball or two?

2001 was also the year that I (we) moved from Maryland down to Manassas so that I could work as the Office Manager at Camp Glenkirk.  It was a great experience for the most part, and a time of my life that I would never change. 

Countdown to 30 - 2000

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is a shot of Anny and I at the end of the summer when folks were going somewhere nice.  You will probably notice that I didn't bring nice shoes, so I'm wearing tennis shoes.  I have sure changed since then! (and holy cow, that's a big belt buckle!)



In the fall of 2000 Anny moved to Tennessee to work at an environmental education facility.  She was there for months and we only saw each other a couple of times.  We each had phone bills that were incredibly high, but in retrospect I would say that it was worth it.  We made the long distance thing work, and work well.

(Again, I notice how skinny I was then. I think this is the last skinny picture there is of me.)

Countdown to 30 - 1999

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

The Spring of 1999 was hard, but in May my brother graduated.  Since I don't have a picture of him and me together, here is a pic of me and my best buds at the Baccalaurate Service.  Charlene's sister and Bryan's brother graduated in the same spring...



I met my wife Anny in June of 1999! We shared some things in common, and worked on others over the years. We actually share a birthday, though the years are different. At the end of the summer, most of the other staff went back to their colleges, but I was doing the Community College thing and Anny was already teaching, so we were both here.

It's hard to believe that we ended up together sometimes, especially since I remember very vidly a conversation on a hike in 1999 (or early 2000) in which she said "I will never get married until I'm ready to stop having fun!" Yeah. That's me, the guy that got to take away all of her fun times and tie her down to marraige. What can I say, that's what love will do!

Sharing a birthday meant that my family went a bit crazy and baked two cakes - one for each of us. Here's the proof!


(HERE is my post with a bit more detail on the way we met and our first year together, if you haven't heard us ramble on about it before!)

Countdown to 30 - 1997 & 1998

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by. (It seems my math was wrong, so I started a day late. "30 in 29" does not have the same ring, but it will have to do!)

1997 was the first year that I worked at Camp Glenkirk. That place changed my life in many ways, all for the good. I think about it often, and always fondly. Anyway, here is a picture from my first summer, looking much more like an ape and a human:



In 1998 I returned to work at Glenkirk. My second summer was much better than my first, mostly because I was more comfortable with the people and program, having done it the year before.

Here is a picture of me canoeing on the Shenandoah River. It is a bit scray to know that I was once that skinny!

Countdown to 30 - 1996

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

I graduated from high school in 1996. It was such a shock that the principal stuttered my name! (I know you're surprised that I could not keep my mouth shut long enough for the picture.)



Because I know that Charlene wants to see another picture of Bryan pop up, here is another from graduation day:


I remember my first day of college in the fall of 1996. Since I went to a middle/high school that required uniforms to be worn, my first day of college intimidating! I could wear whatever I wanted. Okay, it was honestly overwhelming more than anything else. I would have traded it for uniforms in a hearbeat!

Countdown to 30 - 1995

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.


I went to the Junior/Senior Banquet with my friend Chere', who was a Senior at the time. Here I am, all dressed up.


I hosted a Halloween party in 1995. I invited four girls and three other guys (me being #4, for parity). Only the guys showed up. I spray-colored my hair neon green. Since the girls didn't show up, we guys (yeah, Allen, Bryan and Joe) hopped in the car, shirtless, and went to the McDonalds drive-thru. Yeah, we were rebels.

Countdown to 30 - 1994 (oops! Updated)

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is my class picture. I believe I was allowed to pick out my clothes this time, and that is a rainforest tie. Guess they could not get me to smile, either.



(forgive the earlier post - this is corrected)

Countdown to 30 - 1993

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

This picture is still from freshman year, but it was the spring of 1993. Our school did a regular trip out to Ocean City toward the end of the year, and here is me (middle, looking like an idiot) with my peeps.



It's funny, but I distinctly remember that day. Those trips were always fun, though I have yet to figure out how they related to education!

Countdown to 30 - 1992

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Okay - I've got nothing for this. I'm guessing that since it was freshman year of high school, I chose earlier in my life to not keep any pictures or such.

I will take this space, then, to acknowledge that in 1992 I met my best friends to this day - Bryan and Charlene Harrison. (She was not Harrison at the time, but that's okay) The three of us went through some interesting years that I would not trade (most of) for anything.

I like to take credit for clearing the way for them to date - and therefore marry and have children - because Charlene used my parent-cred to snag permission to go out with Bryan. It was a classic "if he's Robert's friend, he can't be bad." I think her parents still believe that, and honestly it's one way I try to keep my self together. I always want to be the guy that only knows good people.

Countdown to 30 - 1991

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is another official school photo - I thought that I was The Man when I saw this come back from the photo people. Now that I look back, I'm not so sure that red headed people should take photos in front of red screens.


And again with the wax in the front catching the flash on the camera. I really was stylin...

Countdown to 30 - 1990

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here's my brother, my father and I in a picture taken at church for the directory.


And here is my official school picture. Welcome to the Flat Top Years!

It's funny that you can see the hair product more than you can see my hair in the picture!

We went to Disney World that summer, too. Check out my brothers rolled socks (I rocked them too) as well as my self-inflicted bunny ears. Dorks.


The fall of 1990 was my first year in Maryland after moving from my mom's house to my grandparents house. Want to know the meaning of culture shock? Move from coastal North Carolina to a Washington, DC suburb while transitioning from public elementary school to a private middle school!

Countdown to 30 - 1989

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is us three siblings, Jason, Rob and Michelle, in that order:


Here is another that I hope is from Halloween:


Wow, going from sweet to young-terrorist that quickly. Just wow.

One thing that I remember is that I went to a school called Rochelle which we all renamed Roach Hell.  I never once saw a roach, but I was a pre-teen like the rest, so that's what I called it too!

Happy Thanksgiving

There are many many things to be thankful for this November, and the list below is only a sample.

I'm thankful that....

...we have a warm place to live and enough money to keep it warm
...I have a wonderful family, both the ones that live inside this house and outside of it
...I have wonderful and supportive friends as close as next door and as far away as the other side of the globe
...Anny got her National Board Certification last week.  It's a great relief that the waiting is over.
...we will get to spend a little time with a lot of family today
...in less than a month we will be visiting with even more family in St Louis
...Abby is a wonderful child in every way
...I have friends that I've met through the net and keep up with
...for as much as I look for something to complain about, life is good

What are you thankful for today?

Countdown to 30 - 1988

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

1988 brought about the birth of several new family members! But first, my school photo:



Here I am with my brother, and our cousin Jon.


It seems that I liked photography a while ago, too. It's fun that I've picked it back up recently.



My sister was born in '88 as well, but later in the year, but her picture will come tomorrow.

Countdown to 30 - 1987

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is another guessing-on-the-year picture!



This picture is in such good shape that you can see the thumb-smudge in the corner. Hooray for pictures in boxes!

Countdown to 30 - 1986

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

The only thing I can find for this year is a school picture...



Guess I'll fill space then by letting you know that the first computer virus was released in 1986. It was named Brian.

Countdown to 30 - 1985

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Okay, I'll be honest, I'm totally guessing at the date on this photo. Since I don't have any others that I can peg as 1985 from dates on photos, this will have to suffice.



This one too:


Again, I'm so happy that Abby will not have to guess about dates and all that, because she will have electronic copies of her pictures!

Countdown to 30 - 1984

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here is a shot that I hope is from Halloween!


Here I am with my brother having a heck of a time!

Countdown to 30 - 1983

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

I guess I will start with the slightly more embarassing picture of this whole poject....


Have to love this hair cut:


And here I am with my mom and my brother.


Those are some sharp glasses, mom!

Countdown to 30 - 1982

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Okay, I'll be honest about the 1983 pictures - I'm not 100% sure of the date on these because I don't have the originals in hand.  I THINK these are from '83....



It's Christmas Time


It's funny that I run from the camera these days when I look and see how much of a ham I used to be!

Countdown to 30 - 1981

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

In January of 1981 my brother was born.  He's a cool guy now, so it's okay with me that he was born.  There were a few years in there that it was questionable...


It seems that I had to have my hair cut:


For the record, I still whine that much when I get my hair cut.  Don't believe me?  Ask Anny.

Countdown to 30 - 1980

I was born on December 16th, 1978. For the 30 days leading up to my birthday, I'll be posting (mostly) pictures and (a few) stories about the years gone by.

Here are a couple of photos that (as best as I can tell) are from 1980:

With as excited as I look in this picture, you might think that I would love bikes.  I do not.

I do, on the other hand, love me some Easter!

This is the last year that I can say that I was an only child!

*****UPDATE*****
I found these two this morning, and they were too good NOT to put up: