i’m an “i can do this” sort of person which often creates a lot of frustration in my life. why? because my efforts often teach me that i actually don’t have what it takes–the skills, the time, the support, the wisdom, the long suffering, the…you name it. yet, disappointment doesn’t stop me from trying, once again, to make stuff happen. last year, however, ants killed that can-do spirit, killed it dead, but thankfully only as it relates to pests.

you see, we bought a house–an old house. it being early spring, the trees barely looked alive and there were zero signs of legged-life aside from our neighbors and a few dogs and birds.

until the ants arrived.

i’m not sure where we saw them first. it was either the kitchen or the upstairs bathroom. i killed a couple. once the killings became daily and multiple times a day, i was done. done done done. being pregnant, i didn’t want to use any harsh chemicals and i certainly didn’t want to spray raid on the kitchen counters…but i think i did, followed by lysol wipes and vinegar. the products probably cancelled each other out. i was desperate.

the ants kept on coming and eventually i think i saw some other pest. now i was really done. a neighbor happened to mention the pest control company she uses. i called. the price was right, in comparison to another company.

“Justin, we’re using them.” this wasn’t a battle he dared to fight. i was pregnant, nauseous, and grossed out.

and now we have a pest control company that sprays quarterly. the gentleman who comes, knows pests. he can name a variety of wasps, a variety of roaches, and more. he knows their access points. he knows not to spray in my daughter’s room–she’s too young. he knows what bait works best and where. he’s thorough. he’s nice. he’s efficient. he does his job.

it’s ant season again. the last few days have made that particularly evident. so i was excited to get the call on Friday: “it’s time to schedule your quarterly treatment.” i wanted to hug her.

i expended a lot of energy last year, trying to fix the issue myself with my limited knowledge. and even though i tackled the ants a bit over the past weekend, knowing the pest control guy would be here today definitely put my mind at ease. i happily noticed zero ants when i got home from work this evening and i smiled–God would love it if i trusted Him this much.