Saturday Cleaning Day

We've got the whole family out working in the Florida room. The kids and I have newspaper soaked in water and vinegar and are getting the windows squeaky clean. Edilberto is cleaning screens, cleaning the floor and doing some painting. There's a lot to be done but it's finally coming together.

I am taking a moment out of the work to say that I am having to return this borrowed computer today. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be on-line again. Hopefully soon though. See you then!

Feeling like a pathetic whimp!

This moving-in stuff has gotten old. I want my house to be organized, furnished, decorated, easy to keep clean, and beautiful...NOW! The Florida room tiling is just about finished as of today (took the guy almost exactly ONE MONTH to install the floor!!!) We just have to clean-up, paint and furnish it now. It will be our guest room/playroom/read and relax room.

The washer and dryer are outside on the patio. I can't do laundry until tomorrow when they're put back in the laundry area. Part of the tiling was done under there. I have a few pairs of pee-peed in underpants from my 3 year old, who's still learning to make it to the toilet, that desperately need a good washing.

Went to make my mom's meatloaf recipe for dinner tonight, but forgot to get tomato sauce. Plan B was spaghetti, but didn't have enough spaghetti noodles. Looks like the kids will be having baked (frozen) chicken nuggets instead. Thought about making blueberry muffins, but realized I don't yet have a muffin tin.

I went to take a picture but realized that the digital camera card was full. I don't yet have a place here to develop pictures (I'm picky. Guess I'll have to go anywhere to start out with).

Wish I had a friend who could just come over and hang-out. Mostly, I wish the kids had friends who could come over and play with them.

O.K. I've been through rougher moments in life. I am just in the mood to whine and cry at this particular moment. Tomorrow will be better!

Just For Fun

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Finally...An Update! (sort of)

Unbelieveable. I have two of my own laptops here, but can't use either one. I've got a loaner laptop from a friend which I'm on now. My friend had one of my other laptops and forgot the power cable to it. It's got no working battery either. And my other laptop has a short so can't receive power from the power cable!

This just reflects our lives right now in trying to get settled into our new home and life here. It seems like every detail, however small, is just plain complicated! I've felt silly for complaining because it's not like we have anything huge to complain about. I just am feeling weary with everything not working.

Take the construction of one of the rooms in the house. The guy who's working on it (new ceiling, dry walling, tile floor and painting), has been ill (migraines - I feel for him!) and hasn't been able to be very consistantly here. Therefore, we are living in this state of construction. There's a layer of construction dust all over the dishes, floors, countertops, etc. My asthma has been bad because of it. Life is on hold for me oftentimes because I don't know if the construction guy is really coming or not; even when he says he will be. I want so much to be completely unpacked! I think this feeling is compounded by the fact that we've been living in temporary situations for over 3 years. We need to be settled for a change!

Edilberto is often torn by wanting to get his family settled at home, and having to work and in the process of learning about the work he's just taken on. I know this will soon be past us. It's just been a difficult past couple of days. The feeling is worse for me because I am not on my own computer and can't communicate en masse like I want to without my Outlook Express and e-mails! I want so much to send out an update on us and PRAYER requests. We can certainly use your prayers if you read this!!! Thanks :).

Technical Difficulties

My apologies to those who come here to check-in on us. I'm bursting with things to say (I didn't earn the nickname "Babbles" for nothing, you know!), but our computer is having some serious hardware problems. I will be back as soon as we resolve them (one way or another). Please check-in again soon as I'll be back whenever possible.

Monday Monday

Glad to say that Isabella is very well now. What a relief!

I spent the day home with the kids though (I had wanted to take them out) because the cable installation guy was here installing our telephone, television and internet hook-ups. I had to follow him around the house deciding what walls to put holes into.

It's nice to be hooked-up finally. Although the telephone isn't working 100% yet and we still need to actually buy some telephones! Every day there are small steps made in getting settled, but it sometimes still seems far from accomplished.

The guy who's putting a new ceiling and floor into the Florida room (a room which we desperately need to have finished for more space and unpacking) didn't show-up again. He's very skilled but quite flaky it seems, in coming when he says he will. The washer and dryer are off of that room, so I end-up doing little laundry thinking he's coming. Or I don't take the kids out to play somewhere because I have to wait for him to show-up. *sigh*

Edilberto was very busy today picking-up large donations for the thrift store and also making some deliveries. It's a lot of physical labor.

All of the details of my day seem so insignificant compared to the Hell that some lived through and are living through in Virginia today. My prayers are with the families who have been stricken by this unbelievable act.

Sunday Ramblings

We were all set to go to our friend's church today, but Isabella got sick late yesterday. We were up almost the entire night with her. She's been miserable with a headache and fever, complains of weird things like her eyes hurting and her tummy hurting. She's been restless and hasn't really wanted to be held (except by her daddy when she does). She's thrown-up a couple of times (I think from her head hurting?) I teeter-totter on whether or not to take her to Urgent Care since it's the weekend and we don't yet have a pediatrician of our own. Just when we were getting ready to take her, she seemed to be doing well. It's all so confusing to know what to do. Do we wait to see how she's doing?

Liam had 5th Disease (I think) last week and was very restless when he had a fever. Then the rash on his face appeared and he was better. I thought that's what was happening with Isabella too. But then the other symptoms like her head hurting made me wonder. Of course, you're always scared thinking of meningitis. But she wanted the light on over her head in the middle of the night (wouldn't let me turn it off), when we were up with her. So that makes me think that's out as a possibility.

It's kind of a stressful weekend with Isabella not feeling well (and me worrying about her) and needing to buy a car a.s.a.p. among other things. The van we are using is borrowed until the end of next week. There's a possibility to buy a van (Honda Odyssey) at a good price (older but with under 100,000 miles and only one owner). Edilberto may have to go look at it today or tomorrow because it will probably sell quickly.

Anyone know anything about the Odyssey?

Feliz Aniversario Liam!

(Picture taken back in 2005)

Happy Birthday to our dear Liam. He turned 6 years old today!

For Snickollet

http://snickollet.blogspot.com/

Kids are well

Thankfully, Liam is better now. The fevers left as mysteriously as they came. We can now get on with exploring our new world. At least we had to stay home these days anyway because of the unpacking and getting settled (which of course, is still happening). But it was nice just to take the kids out to the grocery store today. I told them they were like magnets to me because they followed so closely and so well beside me the whole time. I think they were just glad to get out of the house.

On the way home, we drove across the street from our development to a very nice park we had heard about. We were just looking from the car because it was late and we needed to get the groceries home.

Edil, meanwhile, was at the thrift store fixing-up the place, waxing a floor and moving things around. However, most of the day was spent driving around hauling a trailer and picking-up donations for the store.

Back on-line again!

I'm back on-line, Edil is back to work, the kids have been sick (Isabella seems fine now, but Liam still is having high fevers off and on with no other apparent symptoms). I've been working hard getting our new place clean, organized, and finding places for everything. We still have quite a few boxes to unpack, some furniture and smaller things to obtain, and even need to purchase a van (we're currently borrowing one). So there's lots to do!

Edil's very busy learning the ropes at the Missionary Resource Network. So far, he's helped obtain 20 brand new sewing machines to send to the Dominican Republic for a project that works with mothers of over 200 children in a very poor community, and 10 new sewing machines to be sent to Peru; has encouraged a missionary from the Dominican Republic in creating self-sustaining work programs; has helped a Haitian pastor gather cargo to send to Haiti with things like furniture, tires, plywood, chairs, clothing, and many other things. This cargo is for two schools and an orphanage in Haiti. Edil has also served as translator from Spanish to English for a pastor from Peru (who was also given a computer through the ministry along with the 10 sewing machines.)

All this in just THREE working days!

I haven't gotten out with the kids much because of unpacking but mostly because of their not being well. It still doesn't feel like home but I know that it will take some time. I am anxious to, with the kids, get involved in the community.

Currently off-line, but mostly moved in at least!

We don't have our phone/internet hooked-up yet, but once we do, I'll be updating regularly again. We're are at friend's house for Easter and I'm using her computer to let everyone know that we've moved into our place finally. We've still got a lot of unpacking to do and are still feeling a big dislocated. It is good to be in one place again and hopefully soon, we'll feel a bit more settled in.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Update on the Meeting and Moving Day!

Well, the meeting was informal. Just filling-out papers, hearing some of the rules of the community, like parking, what to do if you want to have a party at the clubhouse, etc. The president of the homeowners' association was a nice, family-man sort of guy. He was very welcoming and said that most people who lived in the community were likewise. He was surprised by the lady who had been so rude to us. I was relieved that things in the community weren't what they seemed on that first encounter.

Today is moving day. The house isn't exactly 100% ready for us to move into. But we'll have to get things done day-by-day. It will be nice to finally be in a place of our own after so long!

We got the cats, Daisy and Pepper, out of the kennel yesterday and moved them into one room of the house to get them used to it there. They were well cared for but seemed very happy to see us again!

The new paint in the house looks great! I love picking-out the colors and seeing them on the walls. I will try and post pictures sometime in the near future.

Well all right then. Certainly not the 'Welcome Wagon.'

Walking around the outside of the house we are moving into (eventually), we met our next door neighbor. A nice lady with two very cute children. Along comes her next door neighbor, an older woman, who blurts out to the other neighbor, "So these are the people who are roadblocking your driveway!" Then, looking straight at me says, "You're the people moving in? Have you been APPROVED yet by the 'Association.'?" Not a "Hello. Welcome to the Neighborhood." Nothing.

I had to maintain my composure and Edil had to understand what this lady meant. He said, "Excuse me?" And she repeated exactly what she said before. I guess we both felt like we were in a movie and couldn't believe what we were hearing. I've heard of people like this before but am surprised at how many people I've run into here like that (although this was more difficult because it's actually where we'll be living and not just a mere public place). It's been a challenge to continue to respond to this type of thing in the opposite spirit. We were able to overcome our hurt and offense by being extraordinarily kind to this woman in return. She backed-down somewhat and seemed somewhat embarrassed by her rudeness. She said she didn't think it would be a problem once we talk with the Association, for us to move into their neighborhood!

The day was very much like that for me yesterday. Though we are living in my native country now, it certainly is feeling quite a lot like foreign land to me. The culture is very different from what I am used to on the West Coast U.S. having never lived on the East Coast before, and never in a place with so many different people groups glomped so closely together (which I find fascinating, but also very challenging at times). People seem very surprised when you treat them with kindness.

Today, we have an "interview" with the Homeowners' Assocation. I'll let you know how it goes!

Paints, Tiles, Pots & Pans

Getting married again would help. No, I'm not looking for a new husband. It would just be nice to have another bridal shower and wedding gifts to start our new life, in our new place! We left a lot behind in Brazil (given away or sold) and are now having to start mostly from nothing. I just ordered new pots and pans. I bought a couple of lamps. We also get first pick of anything that comes to the thrift store Edil will be running (which is nice of course!) We were able to find a few things there, but definitely not everything we need (unfortunately they are out of pots and pans at the moment). We'll need to stock the fridge, cupboards, get towels, cleaning supplies, etc. etc. etc.

So, this will be a very busy week. The carpeting in the bedrooms has been ripped-out and tile floors are being installed. We will be painting the whole interior. Slowly during the week our boxed things will be moved in. Our cats will come out of the kennel to stay in a room at the house by tomorrow or the next day. I have a feeling it is going to be a long week. But hopefully a productive one.