Hot water is a good thing

So, my parents came by last Friday and installed a new hot water heater in our home. It is working fantastic! It took a little while for the old rusty water to flush out from the old hot water heater but now, as Anthony says "The water doesn't taste anymore!". It also runs clear (no more nasty chunks of rust).

It was a good thing that we replaced the water heater when we did. When Anthony and my dad were carrying it up the stairs from the basement, a huge chunk of rust popped off the bottom. I'm sure that weakened the structure and it was just a matter of time when the bottom would pop off and we would have had hot water leaking all over the basement. Thanks again to my parents for helping us out with this task! I'm looking forward to the next big task this summer..... redoing the upstairs bathroom!!!

It's a good thing that.....

We are going to replace our water heater.

This morning, I woke up and it was freezing in our house! Apparently, there was a problem with our gas (and yes Anthony, I did pay the gas bill). The heater would attempt to start up but then the gas would not ignite. I checked the stove and it would light, but then quickly fizzle out. I called Questar and they sent a technician out to take a look.

Apparently, there was some air in the line which meant that they didn't properly bleed the line at some point. Of course, when the technician checked the stove, it worked for him and burned like a champ. He went down into the scary room in our house (the unfinished part) and lit the pilot to the water heater. When he was down there, he was stumbling for words to describe the condition of our water heater and Anthony quickly jumped in to let him know we were trashing the old hag on Friday and getting a new one. Good thing; apparently, there is about an inch of sediment on the burner alone (who knows how much is in the tank). Gross! Thanks, mom and dad, for being willing to help us out with the water heater!

A Baby Shower for Amy!

I was asked to make the invitations for my cute sister-in-law Amy's upcoming baby shower being held at my parents house in April. I decided to try to be crafty (it's really against my nature), but I actually ended up having a good time making these.

I still need to decide if I'm going to crochet flowers for hair clips to put in the invitations or not. It all depends on how much time I have. I think it would be a nice touch if I can make the time.

Here's just an example of the invitations I've made. Each one is different from the next. I didn't do the traditional baby shower invitation, but decided to go with a colorful spring time pallet.

Water Heater-o-Rama!

I got a nifty bonus from work this month and was hoping to put it towards something cool like a stainless steel dishwasher, but that all changed when we decided to see how old the water heater is. It's 20 years old!!! I'm amazed that the bottom of the thing hasn't rusted out completely and burst! We've noticed that when you turn the hot water all the way up, after a few minutes the water turns a nasty orange-brown and chunks of rust come out of the faucet. Not good.

So, Anthony and I have been thinking about remodeling the upstairs bathroom this summer when he has a break from school. We can't do it until we get this water heater replaced. There would be no point if we worked on the plumbing in the bathroom, only to have the mixer get plugged with nasty rust. I'm learning so much about water heaters that my dad would be proud. My mom and dad are even planning on coming down to help us remove the old one and install the new one (too nice!!!). Maybe we'll buy them lunch ;o)

Already have Spring Fever!

I've already started coming up with ideas for the spring growing season (I'm sure my mom is giggling with delight about winter coming to an end soon). I've seen these succulent wreaths before and I'm really thinking of trying to create one of my own in the spring. I've heard that they look fantastic as a centerpiece for outdoor furniture or even just hanging off of a fence as a focal point. I'm so excited, I may just jump the gun and create something like this before the crocus even bloom!

I love my iPod Nano

I bought my 5th generation iPod Nano not that long ago, but never really played around with it's features that much. Well, lately I've been on a jogging kick (which I hope to keep up). I've figured out some awesome features that this thing has. I've had the Nike+ (said Nike Plus) sensor for a while and it's also a great little gadget to help you keep track of your running. I highly recommend the iPod Nano and the Nike+ for anyone that is wanting to start walking, jogging, or running. I also love that the Nano has FM radio and a video camera. So fun!!!

Cute Keegan

Heather and James gave us these cute photos of our nephew Keegan. He's going to be four in just a couple of weeks!