This wasn’t supposed to happen, and I don’t know how to react. Bryon’s leukemia wasn’t eradicated. There’s 0.5% still in his bone marrow. How small a portion is that, I don’t know, but it’s still there, and that means that it will keep growing, in his case, rapidly (because his HCL has never been chronic), and we’re in a race with time.

46 days until we leave Argentina. In my perfect world, Bryon starts another round of chemo this week, next week he’s back in the hospital for a week, then he’s home resting for 3 weeks, and we still have a week and a half before we leave. Cutting it close, don’t ya think? But it’s do-able.

But this world isn’t perfect, and there are always complications. For instance, Bryon’s doctor wants to do another drug, Rituximab, which is an injection once a week for 4 weeks. That doesn’t fit into my timetable, because what happens if afterwards he has to be in the hospital for some time due to high fevers? Then we don’t make the plane.

And now that I actually write down my perfect plan, it doesn’t seem feasible. But waiting until almost June for treatment (we arrive in Colorado on May 22nd) doesn’t seem plausible either – with as rapidly as Bryon’s HCL multiplies, 10 weeks or more is such a risk.

What do we do?

Okay, body is finally reacting to the news. No more am I numb. What’ll we do? Please, someone, make the decision for me!!!

How do we tell the kids? Do we wait for the full results, which come in 2 weeks, to see if it’s a variant of hcl? That, in my “perfect” world, leaves us with days…and what if Bryon, not being as strong this time, has fevers for longer periods of time, has to stay in hospital, etc.? I know I shouldn’t worry about the future, but we have to consider everything in order to make a decision.

Today I overdid it. I was inspired to take on some projects, which led to others, which has led to a very sore throat and exhaustion. Why am I still up at midnight typing this, then? Don’t have the foggiest.

I can’t seem to get ahead on this packing thing. Sure, everything I move, organize, or sort is one step closer in the whole process, but I just can’t see that at this point. We need to get more out of here for me to calm down. That and having a better idea of what’s going with us and how much space it will take up in our luggage.

Today I started in on the children’s toys, and was inspired by an idea – why not have the kids help choose the toys to get rid of, and help them to get rid of stuff by giving them the money that they make selling them. It might work, but then again, in a week, I might be wishing I never started this. Emily today cried over having to give up a web cam and microphone – complete in its unopened box!! Just because it looked cute, she wanted to take it with us. What will choosing toys be like for her? Help!

This afternoon the wife of the Chileno couple I met 2 days ago called, asking if she could come over and do laundry. Ummmmm…. What do I say? “Of course! Come right over!” They both came, complete with 3 bags of dirty clothes. (She did bring her own laundry soap, thank goodness!) Four loads of laundry. Each takes almost 2 hours. Halfway into the first one, she went to see if it was done, and I told her how long it took, she became a little nervous. We had had our coffee and snack, had talked a lot, asked questions about each other’s families (How old are your parents?, she asks me…huh?), she asked me for more stuff that I’m getting rid of (they’re just setting up their home for the first time, and need everything. Thank goodness for bridal showers in the states!), before more people show up. Turns out friends of ours, who know this couple very well, are on their way to a party and decided to stop by. They hang out for ½ hour and then leave, promising to come by at 9:30 to pick up our Chileno friends.

Right before the first couple showed up we were starting a movie with the kids, as it had to be returned today. So when the second couple left, I suggested we watch the movie. They watched the movie with us as the 2nd load of laundry washed. It wasn’t done washing when the video ended. I left them in the living room while I cleaned the kitchen (it was after 9:30 at this point) and wondered if I had to serve them dinner – all I have in the house are tapitas for empanadas and cheese, so I was going to make quesadillas for them. And in walks Bryon, on his way out the door to return the video, asking if I wanted him to pick something up for dinner!! Hallelujah!! I turned off the stove and continued washing the kitchen.

Close to 10pm the Chileno couple leave, one bag of dried clothes, one wet, and another load in the washer. They’ll come back tomorrow to pick up the last 2 loads (I offered to wash one for her tonight!), and you better believe I’ll have them washed, dried, folded and in bags!!

Now before you go thinking I’m all nice or anything, let me tell you the truth. I couldn’t say no. Despite the 7 loads of laundry that I hid, which could have been my excuse for not allowing her to use my machine, I invited her over. I knew the time constraint, knew that it was a more-than-3-hour commitment, yet I said yes anyway. Despite feeling terribly sick, the totally messy house (I cleaned up the living and dining areas before they came), despite the fact that I don’t need to use my new motor on other people’s laundry.

But they are borrowing money to get life started. They are both in seminary, and have seen God blessing them in so many ways. I’m part of the blessing, reluctantly. I changed my attitude. They won’t be asking again to do laundry, as this week they’re planning on buying a machine.

My attitude changed when I thought how everything I ever wanted or needed was provided for me when I got married. My first apartment had its own washer/dryer installed. The towels and sheets that I will give my new friend (Soledad) next month were brand new 11 ½ years ago, given to me as generous wedding gifts. I take so much for granted, and really am ashamed that, having received everything free, that I complained over people choosing the wrong shades on some of the items. Soledad will get what she can, and is very happy about it. So if I can be a blessing to her, may God pour down more lavish blessings on her than the 2nd hand items I’m giving her. And may God continue to make me grateful for what I have, and what He provides for me.

Finally starting to take packing seriously.

Today I packed up everything from the dining room and living room that we want to get rid of and that we don’t need in the interim. WHY do we collect so much stuff? I’m at a dilemma as to how to get rid of all the stuff! Yard sales are unheard of here. Bryon suggested taking it to church and letting people just take it. Fine and dandy, but I don’t want to be visiting all these churches just so that we can set up a table of stuff to get rid of – how embarrassing!!

I am so grateful to be finally getting on this. There’s so much to do, I just haven’t taken the time to do it. As it looks, we’re not going back as light as we had originally planned – good thing for everyone who has volunteered to take stuff back for us!! As it is, I don’t think we’re going to make it. Costa Rica is a dream of ours, but it’s hard to travel through with all this stuff. Do we really need all of it? Even with sending all our books back via mail we don’t have enough space.

One thing I am glad of, is that the girls aren’t in school. Even though it would be a lot easier to get rid of stuff they value if they were in school, I can’t imagine having to teach them English in the afternoons. Since packing and sorting is physical, it’s easier to do when I’m tired, rather than trying to teach and keep my patience when I’m tired.

Today Bryon and I sorted through our cd’s to get rid of those that we don’t want anymore. 9 made it out of our 2 cd cases. Only 9!! And 4 were in sets!! We listen to probably 10% or less of those cd’s, Bryon less than I. Yet we’re taking them back with us…oh well (sigh).

53 days to go until we leave for Costa Rica. Somehow that’s not scary yet. Still seems like a lot of time. But probably in 2 weeks I’ll be wondering why I didn’t take more advantage of my time now to get more done! But then I think back to the last time we moved, when I packed up and wrapped all the furniture in 14 days. So technically I could wait 5 weeks then start…and my family would kill me!

More House Problems...57 days to go

(Posted 2 days late...)
Last night while I was on the computer Andrés was in our closet area, saying, “What happened here?” Curious, I got up to find him in our hallway to the bathroom, looking at the floor. “What happened here?” he says again, and I immediately called Bryon, who came running. He thought that something terrible had happened to Andrés. Instead what he found was our entire closet area soaked with water, running out of the bathroom. The carpet was buried under a river. We all got on our flip-flops and made our way to the bathroom. Turns out there’s a hole in the back of the water tank on the toilet which allows water to escape once the water reaches a certain point. In this case, the tank bulb had not reached its limit, but was blocked from that limit, so the water continued running. We spent ½ hour squeegie-ing the water back into the bathroom and down the open drain, with which, fortunately, every bathroom in every house in Argentina comes equipped. Now the rug smells mildewy, the air is heavy with the smell. Bryon has gone to the mission office to pick up the rug cleaner, which will suck up the extra water.

Had I told you that I can’t wait to get out of this house? Eight weeks and 1 day to go…

Let me tell you what happened after the rain we had on Friday night. As usual, our circuit breakers all tripped during the storm and we woke up with no electricity. There’s a particular zone that sets off all the others whenever it rains. Lately we have been having lots of rain, and without fail, that zone has tripped. We have to wait quite a while for it to dry out before we can turn it on. Unfortunately that is the zone which supplies power to our alarm system. The monitoring department calls us whenever we are disconnected to them or when we have had a “failure” in that zone. And usually it is I who answers the phone when they call. I have the conversation memorized; it goes something like this:

Hello ma’am. This is (insert name here) calling from Siemens Alarm Company. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?
Christine
Uhhh…
Cristi-NA
Very good. And what is the security password please?
(You didn't very well think I'd actually post our password, did ya???)
Very well, ma’am. We are calling you today because recently we are showing a break in our connection with your alarm system. Can you tell us why?
Yes. Every time it rains, the circuit blows a fuse in the zone where the alarm is connected. (I can hear typing furiously in the background, and assume that he is recording my response.)
Do you believe that this problem with be remedied soon?
Well yes, once the weather dries out.
Thank you ma’am.
No, thank YOU for calling.

I feel like making a recording and pushing play whenever Siemens calls! Why can’t they just see the notes from last time and draw the conclusion that due to rain, we have no connection. Imagine someone reviewing our file and finding the same responses every time? I might take the situation more seriously if we had more reason to depend on the alarm system. As it is, we have a problem with the box inside (certain lights are flashing that shouldn’t be), and the box outside was not working properly so a representative came last week, took it with him, saying that it will be fixed within 10 days.

Even though we have no A/C power connection, there is a battery source, which the alarm runs on until the original source is reconnected.

I love this home, the wonderful yard and even the swimming pool, the high wall surrounding us, the many rooms. The kitchen is very nice, even if the oven doesn’t work (better to heat up the outside with that oven anyway!), the laundry room is such a blessing, and we have been very fortunate to be here for these past 2 ½ years. Yet as much as we like this place and feel that God has blessed us tremendously, we will not miss the problems this house has!

School starts!

Well, school started this week, Thursday to be exact. I’m in the teacher mode again, fun fun. Since the homeschooling company didn’t sell me all of the books in their curriculum, I’m having to invent, something I have had to do before and never enjoyed it. However, I have prepared all of the weeks between now and when we leave in May, so I think this time it’ll be easier to persevere.

And how are the girls doing? Well, hmmmmmm, must be honest and say that I didn’t start off slowly, but jumped right back into it, all subjects, full speed ahead! Poor things. They really need a better-trained teacher. Actually, they’re doing pretty well. Eli has been more resistant and complaining than Emily, but that’s typical. She’s also faster and brighter, but Emily endures more and doesn’t complain half as much.

This past week we got a letter from a church, and a 7-year-old girl (in 2nd grade) wrote a letter to the girls. It was apparent that she had written her letter without copying it, and her spelling was perfect, and she was using complicated words (she spelled ‘favorite’ perfectly). When I showed it to Bryon, he and I thought of the same thing; there’s no way Elizabeth could spell as well as this girl, let alone Emily. What are we going to do to get them up to speed for the fall???

Knowing Spanish of course outweighs perfect English spelling, but try explaining that to the school system, or try convincing them that my kids are intelligent, if they can’t pass basic entry level exams. Will we continue to home school them? That’s an option… and I’d consider doing it, if we got involved in a church that the girls could really have a social outlet. We’ll see as time goes on.
And Andrés? He’s not learned Spanish, and probably won’t. When I speak Spanish to him, he asks me to speak in ‘inglés’. I really want him to learn Spanish, yet most of the time I forget to talk to them in Spanish…I have to get into the habit if we have any chance of continuing in the States.