I awoke with a start.  There was a loud ripping noise outside my door and the pounding of feet running down stairs.  My heart rate accelerated greatly.  This was it.  After almost a month of trying, the time had finally come.  I hear the feet come back up the stairs and a beating noise happen that causes the awful ripping noise to finally stop.  It's over.

"Did you get it?" I yell.

"That wasn't a mouse...it was an 8 in rat!"

a full body shudder took over me.  I have been living with a rat for over a month.  Our landlord has not been doing anything, until I finally told her we had to try something else besides poison because the 'mouse' had eaten through my shoe last night.  Guess that should have been a clue that it wasn't a mouse.  Anyway.  She brings by two heavy duty crazy strong sticky traps.  Jeff sets up the line of defense just inside the door the thing was always going into.  The boys are laughing and excited.  Anne and I are completely grossed out and tell Jeff he has to stay in case we catch the mouse because we don't want to deal with it.

Thank God he stayed.  Anne couldn't look at the rat, although she did see it.  I couldn't even open my door until I knew that it was gone from the house.  SO GROSS.  All of this happened at 6:40 this morning.  What a wake up call.

Hopefully, there was only one.  Guess we'll find out.  We put out the second sticky trap, I just hope we don't have to deal with another one...that ONE was scary enough.

Now, I have to finish a paper, and Anne and I have decided to clean our entire house cleaner than it ever has been before.  Every inch of this house will be cleaned.  We are getting new rugs for the upstairs...because...ewwww....

NASTY!

40 years.

My parents are amazing.  Their love runs so deep.  I can only hope that someday I too will celebrate something so special with someone so special.

My heart is full tonight.

Took my parents to the Melting Pot.  Seriously...my favorite restaurant EVER.  If I could eat every meal there... well - I'd probably get tired of it.... but I'd be pretty dang happy. 

So - congrats to the rents.  They deserve it.

I'm tired.

Mission trip in the morning.

So much to do.

Gone til Saturday...then a 12 hour break...then off to CYF Conference!

Woo!

Oh right - I still need to pack stuff.