More Home Improvements

I was just going to label this entry, "Home Improvements", but I think I've already used that one. Besides, I have a feeling there are going to be many more of these same types of entries throughout the next year. :)

1. Bees Were Buzzing ...


This by far was the most interesting and entertaining. When we moved into the house we knew there was a bee infestation on the roof. We were told it had been there a couple of months and we were credited some money to get rid of the critters.

We finally got someone out to see if they could remove them all without killing them. Turns out the bees weren't in the roof, but rather in the wall behind the chimney. The only way to get them out would be to open the wall into the living room and let them free. NOT an option. We decided we'd be okay if they killed the little guys.

When the guy opened up the wall, the honey just started to drip out. He said there were probably 10,000 bees in there and they must have been there for more than a year. While the man was scraping the honey combs out I asked him how often he gets stung. He replied by asking, "what, you mean right now? Uhhh, about 4 already." He didn't even flinch.


In total about 4 or 5 honey combs were removed. No telling how much honey. Sadly, we have oleander trees in our back yard, and were advised the honey could be poisonous. It sure smelled sweet in the house though. Kinda reminded me of one of my favorite books, "The Secret Lives of Bees".


2. Pond Scum ...

We didn't do good with before and after pictures here. When we moved into the house we were a little nervous about the cute pond with the little bridge in the backyard. We had no idea how to take care of it. There were fish in there, but no telling how many. We couldn't see them. The previous owner told us we didn't have to do anything for them (regarding food, etc) that they just ate what was in the pond. It was so over run with lily pads and gunk, there was no telling what they had to eat. Our only hint was the time Chance jumped into the pond and came out smelling something like ROT.


The nicest guys came out to clean out the pond. These bags are all filled with the gunk on the bottom of the pond. Seriously, there was a least 2 feet of scum on the bottom. They said they'd never seen a pond so neglected.

There aren't any after pictures of their awesome work since it's basically just an empty pool. We can't replace the plants until spring, so I'll try to put in an update when it looks nice. The good news is we are now able to see that we have at least 15 fish and will inherit 3 more (thanks to our new friends at the pond and garden shop). Another bonus is that now that it's so peaceful to sit by the pond and listen to the water fall, I was back there long enough to notice a hummingbird fly to its nest. I guess our neglected trees have been a haven for little birds. I wonder how many little birds we'll have around come spring.

Holiday in Review

I thought I would have updated the blog by now, but I'm a little slow. Let's do some catch up.

1. House Guest

Brandon wanted to bring this cute little guy home from his science class. He's a boa constrictor, about 6 feet long. Not all that cuddly, but pretty cool. We got to feed him live rats, which about made me hurl. I used to have rats as pets, and watching them become dinner was a little sad. Seeing how quick the snake went to work on them was very impressive.


2. Projects

Over the holidays, I decided to make this baby quilt for a sister in the ward who just had a baby. I'm her visiting teacher, and not quite sure if we're connecting. She's not a member, but is super nice. Aubrey helped me pick the fabric. It was a fun project and turned out pretty cute.


3. Family Traditions

I think Brian is still shocked by how beautiful the weather is here during winter. For the last few years we've made it our Christmas Eve tradition to go on a family hike. This year we went up a new trail that ended at a nice lake. It was a fabulously warm day. The kids were extra eager, and Chance was thrilled to be part of the fun. To be honest, we started the tradition with ulterior motives. The long hike would leave the kids exhausted and fast asleep very early so we had lots of hours to take care of things. This year it did NOTHING! The only ones tired from the trip were me, the dog and Brian. Aubrey stayed up until after 11:30 pm and Jon woke up at 4 am because he was too excited to wait. Brian and I didn't go to sleep until after 1 am. We were busy putting together the new foosball table. (Fun Fact: during college I earned the nickname "Kimbo the Barbarian" because of my mad foosball playing skills.) I guess next year, we'll have to re-think our family hike. It might be a family triathlon in order to get these kids tired! Ha!


4. Holiday Quiz

We were a little late with this one. We decided to make gingerbread houses this year. We did the graham cracker version. And we finally got around to it way after Christmas. Still, it was a fun family night. Brandon got a little graphic with his war scenes. The gummy bears impaled with candy cane sticks were a little too much for this G-rated blog. So, you get to see this creation. Can you guess what famous building it is?

Joy In The New Year

I stole this picture from a girlfriend's blog (thanks, Trish) as it really intrigued me. I'm not really a resolution setter, more of a goal breaker within a couple of weeks. However, I really like this thought of creating JOY in our own lives.

"JOY" is our family theme during the holidays. During my mission, my mission President's wife gave a lesson about using JOY to help direct our focus. Things should be done in order:

Jesus first
then Others
finally, think of Yourself.

Trish used this phrase in a UFO (UnFinishedObjects) challenge regarding sewing/craft projects. What a great relief to get all those things that have been started, but not finished, out of the way. I was thinking about all our projects, and in a new house there are MANY, but I was also thinking of relationships. How many unfinished resentments, grudges, or appreciations do I have stored up about people that I need to get out? Just plain letting go of the negative, and sharing the positive with those who really need to hear it.
Consider this a challenge for your own UFO's.

Another New Years idea that I read about was picking a word for the year. Then tacking that word up somewhere so you'd remember to live by it and help you make a change. Some examples were: "finish", "persevere", "nurture". I think my mantra for 2010 will be "DO IT". I know it's an oldie, but it's still a goodie. There are so many times when I feel inspired to talk to someone, reach out, or want to try something new, but fear holds me back. This year I want to step out of my comfort zone and grow a bit in different areas of my life. And also, use it as a motivator to get to work and do the things on my list, not just keep adding to my list. :)

However you mark this New Year, I really hope for you peace. Whatever trials/pains, joys/happiness that comes to you, I hope you have a good foundation to get you through. Peace is such an amazing gift, and I'm grateful for the peace that I'm starting 2010 out with.