Ben - He just left for Denver, via the train, this morning. He will be there 8 days: all of next week, coming back on Sunday. He's there as a donor for his brother Joe. Joe was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (a type of cancer) about a year ago. It's been a tough year for Joe and his family and he ended up needing a stem-cell transplant. After some testing, etc., Ben was found to be a perfect match. Which only happens for about 25% of siblings, so we were super happy! This week Ben will be checking in to the hospital on Monday - Thursday, every morning, for a subcutaneous injection of a medication to help stimulate his body to produce stem-cells (baby cells that eventually mature and specialize into specific cells - in this case: red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. All these cells were affected and basically attacked with Joe's cancer.) Friday is transplant day. Ben will have two IVs - one taking blood out and then the blood being filtered and stem cells being saved and collected. Then the another IV will be used to put the blood (minus new stem cells for Joe!) back in to Ben. That will take about 5 hours. If they get enough stem cells, good. If not, they will need to repeat Friday's procedure on Saturday. Joe is already at the hospital receiving chemotherapy to kill all the naughty cancer cells in his body. We are fasting, praying, and hoping for the very best for one of the very best and his very best wife and children. :)
Me - I am working about 2 days a week (I am all done at the hospital). It's great. I feel beyond lucky and blessed to have this job as the hours are ideal. I get my kids ready for school, ride my bike with them, drop them off, then ride to work. I usually need help getting Lucy home if I'm working (since it's about 30 minutes before I'm done), but that's been able to work out just fine with Miles being home some of the time - as well as friends and neighbors helping, too. I was so very glad to get out to Ouray and Silverton this past month. I'm enjoying YWs and am so glad to be serving in the ward!
Miles - He just finished up his climbing season. He had his regional competition today, which we (i.e., his family) missed due to a combined YW/YM activity - among other things . . . He didn't do as well today as he had hoped. But for Miles' first year at this new and unique sport, I think he's done a great job. As his teammates just told him, "You don't need more strength [he's totally buffed-up], just better technique." He's motivated to maintain his strength and keep climbing now and over the summer. He was ordained a priest a couple of weeks ago, and blessed the sacrament this past Sunday. He said a fine, while slightly fast, prayer. :) He's pleasant and helpful and nice to be around.
Jonas - He's at a rough spot in his teenage years, I think. He's nice at school to teachers and friends, but he can be a beast at home to us. He's not excelling academically, although he should be as he is smart enough to have straight As. He loves texting . . . almost too much. He likes a girl (Chelsea) and she likes him . . . I think she's going to be baptized soon. He excited about snowboarding at Telluride this coming week. He filled up the car with gas tonight (while I sat in it) and then told me that "technically it's illegal" for him to do so. Some age-limit or something. Huh, who knew? He made a delicious chocolate cake a few weeks ago.
Emmy - She's doing great and loving school. She has a good group of friends who seem pretty nice, not too full of drama, and sporty. She is self-driven to do well in her classes. But that doesn't mean she doesn't moan and groan about her homework at times (at least a couple times a week . . . ). But she's doing well in all of her subjects. She hasn't cut a finger off, much to her delight, in her shop class. She just finished up her third and final day of skiing at Telluride with her school's ski-club. She ended up getting pretty sick on the last two trips' bus-ride home. I convinced her coach to do a "Gymnast showcase" in February and he agreed. All his gymnasts will do a little performance, including the team girls doing their routines on each event. Emmy totally wanted to and still wants to do it - but she is already so worried about it! I tell her it's just for fun . . . But amazingly that doesn't help. . . She's pretty great, yet a little spicy as well. Her latest quote to Ben: "I don't like your stupid speeches!" Ouch. She has since felt quite badly about it . . . especially when we tease her about it . . . :)
Lucy - She's doing pretty great as well. She loves school and loves her teacher. She decided not to do Girls on the Run and I wasn't sad about it. As Lucy told me, "I don't like running." It's the first year she could do it, but there's always 4th or 5th grade if she changes her mind. She likes playing with her friends and had a fun birthday party last weekend and has a "Goodbye/Moving Away" party this coming weekend. She is becoming a good little skier. She loves piano. I'm not sure what else to say about her . . . She still cries a little more than is necessary. She loves riding her bike to school.
Okay, some pictures now:
1 comment:
Hahaha. I feel Ben's pain (about the speeches, not about all that hospital stuff).
Post a Comment