Five Things for Friday, Bat Catcher Edition

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I caught a bat.

Well, three bats to be exact.

The week after the 4th of July we went up to Idaho to my family’s cabin. We invited Jon’s cousin and her family along as well. They have four little children under the age of six and we have three little children under the age of five. So between us we had four adults and 7 children under six. It was wild, but so much fun.

My grandma had warned me that, since the roof on the cabin is getting old, that there may be bats getting into the cabin. I wasn’t too worried and figured we would just handle things when we got there. The first night we didn’t hear or see any bats but the second night it was really rainy and cold and so we built a fire in the fireplace. Apparently the heat from the fire must have made the attic really hot because that night we had four bats!

Asher was the first one to spot one. Jon was putting the three little boys to bed when Ash said, “Dad, something is moving up there.” Jon looked but thought it was just the shadow from the ceiling fan and told him to go back to sleep. “No, Dad it is living!” and so Jon turned on the light and saw that there was indeed a live bat crawling on the fireplace.

When Jon turned the light on it began flying around the room and the boys (Jon included) started shrieking. I went up and promptly freaked out. Until I realized that me freaking out scared the boys and made them cry. After that I tried to just freak out inside. The bat was flying crazily all over the room and so I ran and got a fishing net and started sweeping wildly at the bat. On the first sweep I managed to hit it and send it tottering through the air and but on the fourth sweep I got it in the net. Jon put it inside a pillow case (which is what I am holding in the picture) and then he took it outside to let it go.

The little boys thought it was awesome.

Which was good because we had to do it two more times that night.

And once more the next afternoon. Rose was awake for that one and she was thrilled. She loves bats (remember what she was for Halloween) and she actually reached up and pulled the net out of Jon’s hands when he was trying to catch the bat because she wanted to do it. She wasn’t scared a bit. Which is more than I can say!

All that day the boys played Bat Catchers and ran around the cabin with flashlights, nets, pillowcases, and arm chair covers on their heads hoping to find bats.

My Dad came up the next day and sealed up the holes where we think the bats were getting in. After he did it Asher came to me with a heartbroken face and said, “Grandpa hurt my feelings.” Worried, I asked why. “Because he sealed up all the bat holes, now I can’t catch anymore bats.”

Needless to say, my feelings weren’t hurt a bit!

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I just pre-ordered my copy of this book.

I am so excited about it. I had heard that this was in the works several years ago when I went to the Church History Library to look at the minute book for my the re-enactment of the first Relief Society meeting. This book is a transcription of the minute book from the Nauvoo Relief Society with essays to help understand the context in which they were given. You can read a preliminary review here. I am so excited that this is coming out! I posted that I had ordered this book on my Facebook page and one of my readers told me that, thanks to the Joseph Smith Papers project, the full transcription (and images of the original pages) of the minute book is available online. I had no idea that this was out there. What a treasure. I am so excited to study these records in more depth. I know that just studying the first meeting has had a huge impact on my understanding of the Relief Society and what God has prepared for His daughters. Can’t wait to have this in my hands!

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My sister-in-law is getting married at the end of the month (to an awesome guy) and Rose has been really excited about the wedding. She talks constantly about wearing her “wedding dress” ( she is going to be a flower girl) and about going to the temple. Whenever we see or talk about a temple she always chimes in with, “When I am big I am going to get married in the temple in my dancing dress.” So far whenever we ask her who she is going to get married to she says, “No one, just my dancing dress.” So, apparently the dress is the most important thing… just in case you wondered 🙂

We got the invitation for my sister-in-laws wedding and Rose carried it around all afternoon. I got this really cute video of her “reading” me the invitation. I can’t understand half of what she says but her expressions are so cute, it just about says it all.

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Here are just a few snap shots of our summer. So far it has involved a lot of Popsicles, swimming and sand!

I just love this last one. Walking hand in hand with cousins. Oh, I hope they stay this way forever.

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I upgraded to a new linky for my blog! This one allows you to add pictures and so it should make linking up to your Five Things for Friday posts more interesting. I know that I like clicking on links with pictures much better than text ones. I hope that this will encourage more blog hopping between my readers. The real joy of blogging is getting to know other people and I know that I have made some of my best “blog buddies” through blog hops. I sure hope that this one works for you Tristan! She has faithfully linked up but for some reason my other linky didn’t like her at all. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this one works! If not, then you must be jinxed 😉

If you want to link to your own “Five Things for Friday” post you can use the tool below to add your link. 1) Please link to the URL of your blog post and not your main blog and 2) Please include a link back here