Taco Night!

Oh ho ho, I got your attention, did I?  Yea, I'll always run for Taco Night!  (As will Katie Sienicki and Megan Clegg...though Meg might not remember that story as well as we do ;) )

It was a solo taco night today.  My bff, but she's really more than that...my other half, dare I say?  "She who I share a brain with" left today. That's it.  That's how I define our relationship.  [Katie Sienicki] left good old Lexington this afternoon. But we've had a wonderful week, being together again, after almost a year! Gosh, listen to me.  Getting all nostalgic like we caught up after a 25 year high school reunion.  It's not that dramatic, Em.  She'll be home at Christmas-time and home for *good* in March!  

So, delightful partner in crime that she is, flew almost 9000 miles-one way- just to spend a few days with her ailing bff.  That's love.

There she is!  Look at how cute she is.

Naw, we didn't go gallivanting off to a tropical paradise this week...but we did hang out in good old Lexington, caught up on life face to face (without skype-love you skype!) and did what we do best...shenanigans and making memories!


As I'm writing this, so many thoughts come to mind about what I should actually name this post.  Fun fact: that's the hardest part for me when I do actually write here ;) -figuring out what the heck to call each post!  I do the same thing with Facebook albums...it's a name.  A name can define you, or at least update folks on both who you are by what to call you, and will also make someone think certain thoughts when they hear a name, your name!  Your name, you-by the memories made and experiences shared with someone, will trigger certain thoughts when someone mentions you, thinks of you, brings you up in conversation.  Just a thought as we go through life...what memory are you leaving behind? 

By the way, I did actually have tacos tonight.  I just failed to elaborate on that earlier.

And I just caught my cat watching tv.  A Crate & Barrel commercial to be exact. 

I never quite know where my blog-ing will take me, either.  (By the way, do you pronounce it "i-ther" or "ee-ther?"  I waffle back and forth)  Sometimes my thoughts come out as I've been thinking they would, and sometimes-like today-I'm brought to further reaches of my thoughts and psyche as I pour out a snapshot of my life to you.  Beware!

But what's the purpose?  I guess I could have asked any number of questions next...but what's the purpose of what I'm sharing here?  Part of my life, yes.  My Our life right now.

Oooh.  Perfect excuse for a shameless plug!  From 1/2 priced sushi night (what what!) earlier this week with Katie.  (Metro is a delicious little place Chad introduced me to early on in our marriage..wait, we're still early on in our marriage! ahha.  Anyway, if you're in Roanoke, try it out! 1/2 priced sushi all week, 5:30-6:30 pm!)

So, back to purpose?  Part of me doesn't want to even elaborate on it, there's so much that can be said!  But ultimately the purpose of this blog: to share our life with cancer (womp womp) right now, and hopefully glorify God through that.  Wow, that was much simpler than my jumbled brain wanted to make it out to be.  But there's so much more behind the words that actually make it on this site.  Like, I know not everybody we're friends with believes in the same God we do.  And in this diplomatic age I find myself, I waffle with whether or not I should be so bold as to talk about someone who brings out more raw emotion than anybody else I've heard of!  But I go back to what I read in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, and I would urge you to "be a filter and not a sponge."  He was referring to a specific author and situation when he wrote that, but I've taken it with me through the years and tried to apply it to everything I read.  So as you read here, "be a filter, [y'all,] and not a sponge."  Figure out for yourself what you believe, because you have a choice on what to read, what to occupy your time with, in whom you believe.  I know I'm not the best example to look for when you look for a Christian in this day and age, but does that also make me the best example...cause I know I'm not perfect? hmm.  put that in your pipe and smoke it!  Nah, all I can do is go through life living it as I see fit, and hopefully learning from my stumblings along the way, instead of letting them stop me. "Just keep swimming..."Oh, chemo emotions!

So Katie, Chad and I had a fabulous week-here.  It was filled with too much food, lots of down time and great conversations.  Enjoy some pictures instead of more rambling!

Katie, with Tim's invisible arm around her ;)

You know, just caramel apples on a Sunday afternoon.

Get to it, KT! Those pumpkins won't glitter themselves!

Thanks for reading.  Sorry for the shambles and word vomit.  And remember, make good choices! ;)

Halloweens of Old

Dear Fall,

I am so glad you're here!  I've been waiting all year for you :)  I've got my pumpkin spice and apple cider candles burning, Halloween Decor inside and out, even Charlie is excited for whatever coned costume I put him in this year ;)  I'm so happy to have crunchy leaves to step on and orange and purple lights up on the house.  One thing I would love next year are some sweet hay bales, but I can wait, it'll be something to look forward to.

So as I get PUMPED for Halloween 2012, I think I'll share some past costumes, just for funzies.

Where the Wild things Are

Nancy Drew.

This was for an Inappropriate Party. I'll leave it at that.

Kindergardeners! Complete with Macaroni necklaces and a line leader.

Yesss! I love it when EVERYBODY dresses up. Check out that robot, he's beast.  Oh, and I was an orange traffic cone.

Redneck/Hillbilly/Nascar.  Ali really got into character and got knocked up for it!  (oh I kid, I kid.)

Happy Almost Halloween Friends!

birthdays, weddings, new stashes oh my!

Well, hello friends.  oh gosh.  I can't even get through the first sentence without an entirely irrelevant thought running through my head.  Since I mentioned it, I'll share.  Even though it's not how he used to introduce his show, I immediately had a vision of Mr. Rogers when I started writing tonight, welcoming y'all to the latest edition of Sweet Ninnymuggins.  Maybe that means I should start wearing a sweater when I write, and changing to my "indoor" shoes.

Well this is definitely the longest hiatus I've taken in ninny's short life.  I do apologize, it was not intended!  We've just been having such fun the past few weeks, and something gets lost at the end of the day.  Part of that is absolutely chemo brain, part of it is poor planning, and part of it is pure laziness.  Shambles.  I'm a work in progress :)

Well, latest cancer update is that I have another WEEK until my next treatment!! Wee!  Usually I have treatment on Thursdays, but we're switching to Tuesdays per my dr.'s request...I think it's easier on his schedule or something.  You'll have to ask Chad, I'm not entirely sure. But we do have to go up to UVA this Thursday for my 25% Completed Chemo Pet Scan!  I don't think the staff calls it that, but it's what it is!  I'm 1/4 done with chemo, y'all.  And it's crazy.  Life flies by, whether you're having fun or not ;)  Naw, I'm having fun but I wouldn't count chemo among my "besties" if you know what I mean. 

So I get a PET Scan on Thursday-a full body scan.  They're looking for progress in the shrinkage of my mass (I think.) (again, I defer questions to Chad, he's a much better remember-er than I)  I also have an appointment with a pulmonologist on Thursday.  I keep failing the darn lung function tests, and that's no bueno with my treatment, as it could be because of one of the drugs, oooor (as I suspect) because I haven't worked out since 2009 and I believe the human body likes a good sweat and elevated heart rate more than twice a decade.



But a plus of having to go to UVA twice in the span of a week: we get to have some vittles with T$ and Steve Rawls, who will also be in the C-ville area on Thursday.  Yay!  T and I have been trying to have a date since, well, since I moved here.  And it's finally coming true!  Big things are happening, y'all!  This must mean I'll have good results from the PET.  PET Scan sounds so cuddly, doesn't it?  It's not my favorite thing to get but they make it worth it.  The test takes about 2 hours total.  First they hook you up to an IV that has a tracer thing running through it, and this "tracer" runs throughout your body, clinging to cancer cells and then when I get loaded up into the MRI machine, it'll light up the affected areas, which will tell the docs where and how big my mass is.  [again, that's the best as I understand the process-they're nice and use small words and big hand gestures when they describe procedures to me]  Oh, and you have to drink this stuff that tastes like chalk...or what I think chalk tastes like.  Something I never tried in my childhood.  Now, gluing my hands together with Elmers?  On a weekly basis.  Deeply inhaling the big fat Sharpie my mom only used for writing on packages at Christmas time?  Check.  But taking a nibble of chalk?  Never tried it.  Anyone have personal experience here?  Sooo, once I get IV-ed up and drink my chalk smoothie, I have to wait for it to run through my body for like and hour and a half.  But I'm in my own room, and last time my nurse Jose dimmed the lights for me (he thought I looked like I wanted to nap-how did he know?!) And I'll have a TV and a nice leather chair that reclines and a red "COME NOW" button that will send nurse Jose or whomever is closest to my bedside immediately.  It took all my strength not to push that button every time he left the room last time...I'll have to hide it again this time...deep in my chair, out of sight, out of mind, ya know?


Anyway, I have an extra 5 days of a "good week" this time because of the switch from Thursdays to Tuesdays, and this is probably going to be my favorite stretch of treatment throughout this whole treatment.  I feel like my birthday came early.  


Oh hey great segue!  So speaking of, there have been birthdays galore recently!  One of the celebrations was for my bf CParrie.  I also unveiled one of my new wigs (thanks to my mother-in-law!) for the occasion!  Enjoy with some pics

I felt like Katy Perry #missionaccomplished

Family Photo

And at the end of the weekend, we continued the celebration and invited CP and Mike to one of our favorite places ever.  It's called the Inn at Willow Grove in Orange, VA.  (think Bed and Breakfast but upgraded) It's right outside of Charlottesville so within reasonable driving distance for anyone in VA.  It's also the nicest place I've stayed, and quite possibly has the nicest people working there as well.  To kick off our honeymoon we stayed there the night after we got married, and fell in love with it.

CP and I before gorging ourselves at dinner.

Dinner at Willow Grove-couples shot! :)

 Whew!  I feel like I've word vomited so many things already, but I have oh so much to share!  I'll keep the rest short.

2012 is the year of the wedding.  Congrats to just the weddings that we've had the pleasure of attending this year! Ash & BMo, Kaitlyn & Travis, Derek & Kelsey, Kara & Will, and soon-Drew & Kelsey and Michelle and Joey!!!  My cousin Melis also got married two weekends ago, but unfortunately it was the day after chemo and I just couldn't swing the 10 hour trip.  So many many congrats to Melis & Derek, we wish we could have been there.

But the latest wedding festivities happened just this past weekend, and I'm happy to announce Mr. & Mrs. Will Siewers on Sweet Ninnymuggins!

The wedding was beautiful, with lots of laughter and only happy tears.  This couple-for anyone who knows them-exemplifies what it means to walk with Christ everyday and love others as He loves us.  If you're looking for fabulous new friends-try and holler at these two ;)

Well, since I put it in the title, I'll include this last thought for today.  I'm always looking for new and innovative things to do with mustaches.  So Shannon shared a very motivational photo on my facebook wall the other day...
 

He even looks like my charlie!  So, Shan shared this and I was STOKED!  I was like, "yes, let's do this, Charlie!  We got this!"  Well, enjoy the results:

Poor ninny.  Couldn't keep it frontside.  All he cared about was when my hand was going to pet his head.  Oh well, I enjoy a good "top stash" with the best of 'em!   

Well thanks for reading and make good choices!

p.s. Have you come up with your Halloween costumes yet?