Six Months Old

Elise is six months old today! My how time flies! Everyone tells you to enjoy your babies because they grow up so fast, and a few months ago I thought they were crazy, but now I totally know what they were talking about.

In just one month Elise has changed in so many ways. Elise can now sit up on her own, take tubbies in the big bath, eat baby food (she loves all foods that start with "p"-pears, peas, peaches...), ride in her jog stroller, pet the dog, fake cough to get attention, put her own pacifier in her mouth, and sleep from 8:30 pm to 7:00 am!

Bryan often says that every time he's with her, she's doing something new and amazing. We are very proud of Elise, and feel so blessed to have such a healthy, beautiful baby girl.

Bee-Keeping 101

They're here, and they're happy! Three thousand bees arrived at our house just after the church service on Friday night. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was such a surprise to see so many bees in such a small mesh box! Because it was later in the evening and close to dusk, we couldn't hive the bees Friday night, but they needed somewhere to stay, so they rented a downstairs closet for the evening and were no trouble at all.

On Saturday, Bryan and my dad hived the bees. It was a perfect day-sunny, calm, and 62 degrees. Hiving the bees basically means that they transferred the bees from their temporary mesh travel box into the hive, where the bees will build honeycomb and eventually make honey. Bryan got all suited up in his gear(my dad went without-so brave!) and introduced the bees to their home. They also provided the bees with some food for now until they can go out and collect pollen to make their own.

On Sunday, we had our annual Easter gathering with tons of family and friends, all of whom were quite interested in the bees in the backyard. After our lunch, we all headed back to the hive so that Bryan could check on the bees, make sure the queen was still okay (very important!), and show off his new hobby. It's probably a good thing that the bees are staying at my parents' house. I think that if they were just outside our door, Bryan would be too tempted to visit every day! As odd as this all sounds, it was really a lot of fun, and I hope that our bee-keeping days are just beginning. The best part of all the bee activities this weekend was that nobody got stung!!

The Bees are Coming!!!

Yes, the bees are on their way. That's right, bees. This endeavor began when Bryan and I watched a program on PBS last spring about the honey bee crisis. Apparently, honey bees are dying in droves every year, threatening the pollination of all of our flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The Bee Movie actually did a very good job at explaining what's happening with the honey bees. After a lot of encouragement from my family, Bryan ordered the bee stuff and the bees. The hive box came in a billion pieces that we (Bryan) has to paint and assemble, which he is going to do this weekend with the help from my dad and a friend. He also ordered all the gear so that he can take good care of the bees (doesn't he look cute in his veil??) Then....the bees will arrive Easter weekend! I think that the hive comes with a couple thousand bees, including the queen. I've named her Deborah, which means "honey bee." Now, a note to all our neighbors: our bees will not be living in our backyard. They will be out at my parents' house where the bees will enjoy feasting on the blueberry farms and my dad's tomatoes. We'll let you know when we have honey to share!!