Chair

The weeks seem to be flying by!  We've made some exciting progress in regards to our kitchen/dining room remodel, but so far it's just in purchases, not actual work.  It looks like Joe may be back in school before all the work is actually completed, but that is fine.  I have definitely been struggling a bit to keep a good routine/schedule going to keep up with all the extra work I'd like to do.  The "to do" list seems to keep growing, but I haven't really felt too overwhelmed yet.  I know I'll get it all done eventually.  And if not, it must not have been too important, amirite?!   😅  But seriously, I am feeling so blessed that I can ease up a bit on work and lists to instead cherish this extra time with Joe.

Fili definitely loves walnuts more than anything else.  A good walnut always makes him stop and eat.  😊

Kili pouched his walnut instead of eating it which really surprised me.  I guess he was worried that I would take it away from him.  😂

I did a really thoroughly cleaning of Haleth's bin yesterday and removed probably 75% of her old bedding for fresh bedding.  I don't do that often because it's stressful to hamsters so instead, each week I normally just throw out the messiest bedding and all the sand and replace both with fresh stuff.  Anyways, she didn't seem as upset as I thought she would be, and I picked her up and held her a lot during the process.  I think she's finally really comfortable enough to handle new situations and changes well without freaking out, so that's nice.  😊

Pretty Flower

Summer break is here!!  Actually it started about a month ago and I got too busy to post this, so I've rewritten it like 3 times now.  😅  I love planning and dreaming into all the things Joe and I could do over his break.  We have discuss what we'd like to do and have already done quite a bit.  What started out as plans for a DIY remodel of our kitchen and dining room has been turning into plans to hire it out, but regardless of how it gets done, I'm really, really, really looking forward to not having carpet in the kitchen and dining room any more!  Of course we want to visit zoos and take some day trips with our friends.  We will definitely be playing lots and lots of board games.  As always, there is yard work, church work, and photography work to do too.  But more than anything, I'm just loving having more time with Joe!!  He is ridiculously overworked, and so my prayer for this summer (and every summer) is that it will be restful and refreshing for him.  

Fili is still my most active little dude that I get to see the most often.  He's a sweet little guy and loves the attention!

Kili has been out more which is so nice!  Both he and Fili aren't tiny, crazy little hams anymore and have instead turned into plump hams that like to chill.  As they continue to age, I have to be more intentional to do health checks on them which often means waking Kili up since he naturally gets up so much later than Fili.

Haleth is still quite timid about being picked up, so I still bribe her with treats.  Once I've got her in my hands, she's fine and enjoys exploring.  Hopefully she will eventually get to the point of not needing so many treats to convince her that being picked up is fine.

Tulips

For the last couple weeks, I've been taking advantage of the cooler weather and lack of bugs to get a whole lot of yard work done!  I found myself really enjoying the work, even though it is pretty hard at times.  I'm pretty sure my level of enjoyment is a direct correlation to the amount of money I spent on plants and supplies.  The fact that Lowes is like 3 minutes away definitely helps too.  😁  Joe and I never necessarily neglected our yard before, but we certainly did the bare minimum and didn't spend money on it since we were so focused on fixing up the inside and taking care of the water problems in the basement.  But this year, we decided to put some real effort and money into the yard, and it's already looking so much better!  With some landscaping fabric, mulch, and edging, I'm hoping that pulling weeds will be a thing of the past.  There is still a lot of work to do though, and so far, I've mostly only focused on the backyard.  I could say more, but I'm actually getting ready to head out and work for a while before it gets too hot.

Fili always seems so excited to see me but then acts like he doesn't want to be picked up once I reach for him.  He's a silly boy!  😊

I've been catching Kili awake in the mornings and during the day more again.  He still isn't awake at night though, so he hasn't been getting as many cuddles, but he's doing well.  😊

I've noticed that Haleth likes to do some rearranging at night.  She pushes her wheel out, throws the sand out of its dish, and moves around her toys.  I tend to put everything back so she can start all over again the next night.  I think we both find this entertaining.  Although I suppose I could be annoying her.  It is her home after all.  😂

Cube

Last week was a bit rough and time definitely got away from me.  It's been well over a year since I've been sick with anything (I think masks and social distancing can be thanked for that), so last Tuesday took me by surprise.  I had gotten my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at 10 am.  I had 12 hours of nothing but a sore arm (which I definitely expected).  At around 10 pm when we went to bed, I started getting body aches, fever, and chills.  I had a rough night, but other than being incredibly tired, I felt okay when I woke up.  I was able to get through my normal morning routine without any issues, but at about 8:30 am when I was getting ready to go to work, I got hit with another wave of body aches, fever, and chills.  I spent most of Wednesday in bed.  At around 3 pm, I was starting to feel much better and by 4 pm, I felt completely fine as if nothing had happened at all.  So I only had 18 hours of not feeling well.  As far as I know, I have not even been exposed to COVID and now that I'm vaccinated, I'm hoping that I won't experience the real deal which has devastated so many families.

Fili apparently doesn't care that much for broccoli.  He was biting at the fabric instead.  Such a naughty little dude.  😂

Kili seems to appreciate almost all food.  I was surprised that he started with the stem of the broccoli, but I was glad he was enjoying it.  😊

Haleth completely froze when I set her down.  Normally she loves all food, but she's still a little bit unsure of not being held and didn't seem to know what to do in this new environment.  She's definitely coming out of her shell though.  😊

 

Heart Box

I'm loving this warmer weather!  I've already mowed the yard and gone to the zoo a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.  I still have quite a bit of yard work to do, but I'll get it done eventually.  😊  I used to struggle a lot with not wanting to start anything unless I knew I could complete the project all at once.  But in the last couple years, I've shifted my mindset to focus on slow and steady work which sometimes means a single project takes months to complete, instead of a day.  I don't let myself get frustrated by this like I used to.  Instead, I admire the baby steps that get me to a finished task.  Getting our yard to look the way I want is a perfect example of this.  I don't have the time or resources to do everything all at once so instead of not doing it at all, I started the work, and let myself be proud of each baby step of progress made towards the goal.  So when I say I'll get the rest of the yard work done eventually, I really do mean eventually.  😄

Fili isn't very cuddly, but he always wants to be held.  He's really quite sweet, even when he glares at me for smushing his face with kisses.  😂

 Kili has become quite the recluse.  I have no idea when he wakes up to start his day, but it is definitely well after we go to bed.  He's so sweet though and definitely still my round boi.  😅

So it was probably almost a month ago that I took those pictures of Fili and Kili in this box from my neighbor who thought it would make a cute backdrop (she was definitely right by the way!).  I knew I wanted pictures of Haleth in it too, but because she wasn't very tame at the time, I had to wait and hold onto the box.  Last week I finally felt comfortable enough to get some real pictures of Haleth that aren't of her in my hand or in her bin.  She did well!

Plate

In some ways it seems like the construction on our street is so close to being finished, and yet I don't actually know what the full process of removing a concrete street and re-pouring it looks like, so I can't really guess how much longer they will be working.  None of our driveway was removed when our side of the street was ripped out and replaced, so we've had access to it for a couple weeks which makes this easier.  There was awhile when our driveway was the only one available for the neighbors on either side of us and across from us, so it's gotten a lot of use.  Thankfully the neighbors on our side can use their driveways now so they've been able to share the load of helping out all the people on the other side of the street while we all wait for our road to be finished.  This was especially helpful yesterday when the only side street near us got closed so they could remove the asphalt in preparation for resurfacing that road, which thankfully is a much faster process than concrete.  Despite the inconvenience, I have really appreciated seeing everyone coming together to help each other out, and I've finally met neighbors that I've lived by for nearly 5 years now.  Also, I'm sure the road is going to look awesome when they are done, whenever that will be.  😊

Fili wasn't appreciative of me cleaning his bin yesterday, but he did appreciate the whimzee treat he got, so I think all is forgiven.  😁

Kili didn't seem to care too much that I cleaned his bin.  I think he's always been a bit more laid back than Fili.

Haleth has made SO much improvement!  One of the first steps after she was finally comfortable in my hands was to get her comfortable when she wasn't being held.  I started this process by putting her in my jacket which she loved!  This also allowed me to walk to other parts of the house with her.  I also pulled out a snuggle sack I made a while ago which has been super helpful in this process of taming her.  She's definitely not scared of me anymore, she's not jumpy when being held, and I've witnessed her being active in her bin instead of hiding all the time.  I still have work to do with her, but she's becoming a sweet, confident, and plump potato.  😂

In My Hand

I missed celebrating one year with Fili and Kili.  😕  I got these brothers from the ACC on March 24, 2020 which was right before the hunker down orders were starting.  I remember how tiny they were and how they both fit so easily together in my hand.  I can't believe how quickly the last year went.  I have really enjoyed these two, but I have to admit that even after a year with them, I still struggle to tell them apart.  😬  Every time I think I have them figured out, then it seems like they switch personalities and looks.  So I keep the sticky notes on their bins so I know who I've grabbed.  😂  

Fili has been my little buddy in the evenings.  He wakes up pretty early and then he moves to his sand bath where he quickly dozes off until I wake him up for food.  

Kili doesn't seem to have much of a set schedule anymore.  I haven't been seeing him in the mornings, but I catch him up at random times throughout the day getting a sip of water before heading back to bed.

Haleth is still pretty timid, but I can pick her up fairly easily once I've coaxed her out of her bed with treats.  Usually when I put her back in her bin after holding her, she goes right back to bed, so I almost never see her active.  In some ways I'm disappointed that she is still so shy, but then I remember that I've only had her for a month, so she's actually made a lot of progress in a short amount of time for how terrified she was.  😊