No Uncles in This House

When we moved into our new place we had the carpets and whole apartment cleaned. Unfortunately cleaning didn't remove the non-paying tenants! As things began warming up these non-paying tenants came out by the dozens!!!!

Yep, yucky, creepy, crawly, disgusting ANTS! We went to the office to report the issue and later maintenance came by our place with traps:

The ants are supposed to go into the trap and in the middle is poison they take back to the queen. Once the queen dies, they others die too. Somewhat skeptical we placed the traps where the saw the ants, the bathroom and kitchen. After a short time (a few hours) we saw this:

It seemed to be working. A few hours later the traps looked like THIS:

After only a couple days this is what the trap looked like:

Yep, the poison is ALL gone! Only 2-3 days. I'm thinking this was a pretty major nest of ants or one super hungry queen!

When I took the pictures into show the office, thinking that it wasn't working, the manager asked how I got the pictures so close-up. No worry about the invasion of the ants, just wondering how I managed go get such detailed pictures of them! Are you kidding me?!

The traps were not all completely emptied (we ended up with 4 or 5 before the ants mostly disappeared) and we still have the occasional ant in both places; however, I have to say it appears that the issue is mostly resolved. THANK HEAVENS!

Who's Smiling Now?

Since Sid has so many emails arriving on Mondays I try to send him a quick note by Monday but mail longer letters to him so he has more time to read the other emails and so he gets mail during the week too. Sometimes I get the emails to him on Saturday or Sunday and sometimes it's a quick one from me on Monday morning.

Well, this morning I went to send Sid a quick email for his P-day and there was a letter from him already; he was on-line when I was! Catching him on-line always puts a smile on my face, feels like a hug from him, and shortens the miles between us. What a great way to start the day and the week!

I thought missionaries were about the work? :)

No Awards Here; So Much for the Dream of Wife of the Year...

Monday's has become my laundry day. Yesterday I did get a couple loads done in between everything else I had to accomplish; making & icing 2 cakes (one from scratch), delivering one cake to a funeral, buying new pajamas for Dan, getting my hair done, sending an email to Sid, and keeping up on the baking dishes. I was feeling pretty good about what I had accomplished until this morning....

As Dan and I were getting ready to leave this morning; him to work and me to Walla Walla helping a neighbor, the conversation was something like this:

Dan:  Did my pants get washed yesterday?
JaNae: No, sorry I didn't get that load done. Which ones are in the wash?
Dan:  All of them. No problem, I'll just wear my scrubs today.
(He only has about 4 pairs of pants he can wear to work..most of which need to be replaced....Man, I'm really failing as a wife right now...)
JaNae:  I didn't get your scrubs washed either so you'll have to wear your paint splattered ones. I'm so sorry I didn't get those loads done. I did the whites and towels first.
Dan: That's ok. It's not that bad.
(Not that bad?! I saw him trying to scratch off one of the bigger, front & center, paint spot!)

So my sweet husband went to work today with paint splatters on his scrub shirt. Sadly, I didn't even have a load finished enough by his lunch break that he could change shirts. Good thing his birthday is tomorrow and maybe he'll get some more clothes...another pair of scrubs might be in order too.

Yes, the last load of laundry is almost finished so new clothes or not he'll have something clean to wear tomorrow. Sheesh!

Catch-up Time-A Few More Random Things

Before Sid entered the Missionary Training Center (or MTC), he made sure our mermaid towel holder was modest:

 When I saw it I burst out loud laughing. Of course we left it covered when we moved. :)

There were many good-byes before our move and Sid entering the MTC. After Sid's talk in his ward his mom hosted an open house for him that many friends and family attended. In addition to many of Dan's family members my sister Lynette & her husband and girls drove up from Utah to be there for Sid's talk. Cambree and Shayla were thrilled playing with the dog that was supposed to be outside:

I think Cambree could have played with "Molly" for hours if Mom & Dad would have let her.

The next evening we held a Horrocks Family Home Evening (or FHE) where we gathered to say our good-byes and share some advice with the departing missionary and he with us. Again, many family members were there in support (and some were there in spirit).

Dan, Matt, Neal, Kevin, & Ann (Horrocks) Loveland.

Roman & Aidan Horrocks

 

Amanda, Gideon, Mark, and Amy Horrocks

Mark, Adian, Kelli Horrocks, Ann Loveland, Amy and Roman Horrocks

Emily Loveland giving a hug to her cousin and best friend.

(Yes, same Emily blogged about here.)

Dan's cousin Kelli saying good-bye to Sid.

(I love this shot and made sure Sid had a copy. Can't remember if I sent it to Kelli or not, guess I'd better get one sent just in case.)

We weren't 100% serious while gathered together, we had some fun moments too...

Jackson Horrocks being a bother brother to Roman.

Amanda helping Matt & Gideon compare their hands...the boys are only a few months apart.

Jackson hamming for the camera.

  

Kelli, Emily, & Amanda catching up and sharing some stories about life.

Dan showing off his Christmas gift (a blanket with the sites of Pocatello on it) to Aidan, Matt, Sid, and Neal.

A few more blanket audience members, Emily, Kevin, & Ann.

A final family picture before Sid went into the MTC two days later and Dan & I headed to Washington the next week. The good-byes until we meet again...

Since We're on the Subject....

As Valentine's Day approached Dan was trying to decide what to do for his employees. I suggested that they do boxes or bags for them which they could put treats and cards into for each other. (Similar to what the elementary school classes do.) Dan contemplated the idea and decided that it would work for his center. So we purchased some white lunch bags that I decorated for each person. There was a unique bag for every one of Dan's 30+ employees.

I also raided the local dollar store for decorations to put up at the center. The Saturday night before Valentine's week Dan and I went into the center and put up the decorated bags and purchased decorations. We hung ribbon as streamers, taped doily hearts all over, stuck clings on windows, placed the bags in an obvious location, and left a note from Cupid. When the employees entered the center on Monday it was all festive and holidayish. We had a good time putting everything together. Dan said that the employees were quick to look for their own bag and when not finding it at first thought they had been forgotten.

By the end of the week the bags were full of candy and Valentine sentiments to and from the employees.

Not sure if it's good or bad: the center had more decorations up than our apartment did AND the only supplies purchased for the employees's goodies bags were the bags themselves, I already had everything else and still have more to spare...

Keeping the Romance ALIVE!

It truly makes me smile that some of you blog as infrequently as I do. I love to catch up but it really does take hours to stay updated with everyone's blog. Guess I just need to follow fewer blogs or something to that effect. But where's the fun in that?

Anyway, I'm not going to go on about that in this post so I'll move on now.....

Moving on....

Dan and I take turns planning Family Home Evening and weekly Date Nights. We alternate weeks and have them marked in brightly colored ink to help us keep track of who's in charge. Leading up to our respective responsibilities we will remind each other who's in charge so that something will be properly and impressively planned.

I have to admit our date nights are generally more exciting and memorable than our Family Home Evenings. We'll go to dinner, rent a video, do a Friday road trip (when Dan has the day off), attend church activities, and other various outings we discover in our new surroundings.

On Friday, April 30th we had dinner group at our home so our date night moved to Saturday, May 1st. Dan was in charge and planned a day date for us. Since this was somewhat momentous, I decided that pictures should be taken to document the events of the day. So, without any further ado, here are the makings of our May 1st Day Date...

What we needed to bring with us:

Out the door we go! (Not sure why Dan looks so unhappy, he planned the whole outing and it's his moment to show off his creativity.)

Stop #1: Pay rent...

...and check the mail. (We each did a task with this stop.)

Stop #2: The credit union.

Stop #3: Kadlec hospital to visit Dan's employee who just had her baby.

 

Stop #4: A tour of the movie theater turned stage theatre. (We strolled in and the owner/manager willingly gave us a tour of the place, after Dan mentioned his Master's degree in theatre.)

Stop #5: The library to return books BEFORE they were overdue.

Stop #6: The video store. Dan's company plays movies while the donors donate their plasma so he's always looking for movies to add to their collection, and that are edited by Clear Play. We went in to see if the manager would give him a deal and then looked through the DVDs they had on sale. (Here Dan's calling the center to make sure they don't already have the titles he wants to purchase.)

Stop #7: Something to eat. We had to order $6 or less in food since that's all we had left in our account until payday the next week. I know, you wish you could be big spenders like us! :)

Stop #8: We tried to look at a possible new apartment to move into, but the office is closed on Saturdays...

...so we admired the ducks instead.

Stop #9: Home to watch one of the movies we'd just purchased and to end the date on a more traditional note.

Hmmm, I think I was short-changed on our date, we just ran errands...Oh well, we did it together and it was more fun that way. Guess I have to let it slide, this time anyway....