Home Ownership

I have LOVED having a place to call ours these past two months. From the three bedrooms, to the back yard, to the extra storage in the garage and attic, to the big open windows, to the tile in the kitchen, it's been divine!

However, with the good also comes the bad. We've already experienced some of the "joys of home ownership" everyone talks about. Here's ours:

1) One day before we left on vacation, I woke up to tons of ants all over our kitchen floor. What a way to start your day, huh? I hate bugs, even tiny little ants. Brian had already left for work, so it was up to me to take care of the situation. The first thing I did was freak out. Second, I called my mom and freaked out some more. And third, I finally got a grip on things and started taking action. We didn't have any bug spray, so I sprayed them all with 409 and then wiped them up with a paper towel (oh yuck!). I then investigated and found that they came in through a tiny hole in a baseboard that led from the garage to the kitchen area. By investigating the garage, I found white little larvae bugs. We're not exactly sure where they came from, but our guess is that a fly came into our garage where we were keeping our garbage bins and it laid an egg. When it hatched, the little white larvae bugs attracted the ants from under the garage door, which then led them into our house. After I had everything cleaned up and I had blocked off the entrance as best I could with things ants don't like (cinammon, cinammon sticks, black pepper, cayenne pepper, vinegar, cloves, and bay leaves (I made quite the barricade). I also made a homemade bug repellant of vinegar, water, and dish soap. I sprayed it around the hole I found and all over the garage. I then got the kids ready and took them to Walmart for some bug spray, ant traps, and cauking to fill the hole. I think I grew a lot that day.

2) Being in Oklahoma, it's common to see bugs, as seen in the first fiasco. Apparently, new sod attracts bugs as well though (just my luck). Brian sprayed outside a few different times at my request, but a few weeks ago I saw some mama-jama spiders inside! As much as the ants freaked me out, I think the huge spiders freaked me out more. I saw one when Brian was at work. So, first thing's first, I freaked out. Second, I called my mom and freaked out again. And third, I got Brian's shoe and threw it at it. I was too wimpy to throw it out, so I covered it with a tupperware container and let Brian deal with it when he got home. And just in case you're wondering, yes, I know how wimpy I sound.

3) A few Saturdays ago, Brian and started our day doing little things around the house when we noticed the house getting hotter and hotter. Thankfully, everything was still under warranty, so we just called the housing warranty office and they sent someone right over to look at the A/C. After messing with it for awhile, the repair man told us our compressor was a dud and they'd have to order a new one. (Brian and I bought a new house so things like this wouldn't happen. Go figure.) The repairman put something on the A/C called a hard-start that acts like a crutch. He told us to use it sparingly and not try to over work it because it could go out in 24 hours or in a week. Bummer for us because it only lasted two days. And of course, the weather forecast was said to be the hottest week of the year (about 110). I knew the kids wouldn't last long, especially since they wouldn't be able to fix the A/C for a few days. I immediately started packing and made plans to head up to Stillwater to spend a few days with Brian's family. Brian, on the other hand, suffered here at home. He went to work early, took long lunches, and worked late. Unfortunately for him though, the house just got hotter and hotter. By Tuesday night, the house was about 93 degrees! Let's just say he didn't sleep well that night. Thankfully, the A/C was fixed on Wednesday afternoon and we were all able to come home. No problems since then, so hallejuah for that! Here are a few pictures and video from our stay with Brian's family.

Uncle Jacob & Jackson

Raelene & Chyler on the slip-n-slide 

4) Last night, we had another recurrence with the ants... again in the kitchen. (It might not sound like it, but I do wipe my counters off and sweep the floor regularly!) Brian and I were about to go to bed when we went to get a drink from the kitchen. Of course, I was the one to notice the ants first. This time they were all over one of my countertops! The freaking out was more controlled this time since Brian was here to help, but to be honest, there was still a little freaking out. After killing what we could see, we found they were coming from behind the stove. When we pulled the stove out, there were more coming in from the bottom of the wall. We immediately sprayed and killed what we could see. I was a little nervous that I'd wake up to a kitchen full of ants again, but thankfully they were gone (and yes, I made Brian be the one to go check). I decided that today I'm going to be merciless to any ant hills I see. Do you blame me though?

Don't get me wrong. I really, really, really LOVE my house. But, I thought I'd share a few "not so good" moments as well. I'll post pictures from the inside as I decorate, but... I'm the type that goes to the store, buys 3 different items, comes home, tries them all out, don't like any of them, return them all, buy 3 more different items, and so on. No joking. But hey, I'll get there one day!