Glass Half Full

What Matters Most

I love to make New Year's Resolutions, although I must enjoy disappointment because for whatever reason my NYRs have been sort of the same for like the past 20 years.  Oh well.  Someday I am going to really master at least one of my goals.  This just may be the year!

I decided that my overall "theme" for 2011 is going to be... What Matters Most.  I am as busy as I have ever been, and I just don't have the luxury to spend time on things that just don't matter very much in the grand scheme of things.  I may need to shelf some ideas and projects that I'd really love to do this year, simply because if I spend too much time on those less-important things, I'll be neglecting things that I know matter more.  I am a firm believer in everything having a time and season.  This is a season of focusing on the essential and fundamental physical and spiritual needs of myself and my sweet family.  That is what matters most to me right now.  

One of the things on my short list of what qualifies as "mattering most" to me is recording some of the events of my family, and blogging is a fun and convenient way to accomplish that goal.  I know that the frequency of my blog posts during the past few years has been abysmal.  I used to blog with some measure of regularity.  I know I can do that again, because it matters to me.

Oh, and these are a few more of the things that matter to me:

 Here's to accomplishing those things that matter most to you in the coming year!

Bloggy Years

You've heard of time being measured in "doggy" years?  Well, in my world, and on my blog, things are sometimes measured in "bloggy" years.  I am always a little stunned when I haven't posted in awhile to discover that it has been months since I last posted.  Months.  It's just weird to me that time goes so fast.

When you measure time in bloggy years, I had pretty much the quickest pregnancy you've ever seen.  In bloggy years, whole seasons go unrecorded.  In bloggy years, my kids get spring fever one day and then are headed back to a new school year the next (that big day being tomorrow -- in real time).

I've changed the name of my blog.  You might not have noticed.  I don't really know why I changed it, but I was just thinking about how being optimistic is important, especially during difficult times, and I mentioned to someone, "I'm glad that I am generally a 'glass half full' kind of gal."  That phrase stuck in my mind.

Maybe changing the name of my blog will actually remind me to post on my blog a little more.  Or maybe not.  I'm not going to be any less busy in the near future, but here's hoping that I can bridge that gap between bloggy time and real time.  

Daddy Daughter Dance

Last weekend, our elementary school sponsored their first annual Daddy Daughter Dance.  One of our PTSO committee members had helped with a similar activity at her previous school, and she really pushed to have a dance at our school.  I am so glad she did!  It was an amazing night.  We were hoping for a big turnout, but we were all stunned by how many dads/grandpas came with the girls.  It was a huge success, and several people have already said how excited they are for next year's dance. 

Even though Rachel is in 6th grade (elementary school in most areas), here in our county 6th grade is middle school, so Julia is our only grade-school daughter.  She wouldn't have minded "sharing" Steve for the night, but I think she was pretty tickled to have that one-on-one date with her Dad.  Steve bought her a pretty little corsage, and here is Julia modeling her outfit (while waiting for Daddy to finish getting ready).

At the school, the girls and their dads signed in on pretty scrapbook paper, then they took a little questionnaire to fill out together.  It was a list of "favorites" with two columns, one for the dad and one for the daughter.  We hoped it would break the ice a bit and help the dads and daughters learn a little more about each other.  We noticed that a few dads came back to the gym after the dance was over, hoping to grab their "favorites" paper that they had forgotten.  I thought that was sweet.

Before the dancing began, there were some yummy treats to sample.  The ladies who prepared the food did such an excellent job!  It was a beautiful spread (the chocolate fountains were a smashing success).

We had a local photographer (one of the moms at our school), who set up a backdrop for photos.  I think almost everyone got their picture taken.  I am looking forward to seeing the pictures of Steve and Julia.

I was in charge of the music, which at first I thought would be no big deal, but as the dance drew closer I honestly lost sleep over it!  I had this fear that everyone would think the songs were lame, or that the girls would be on the dance floor alone, sort of talking/dancing, and the dads would be in the background talking to each other about bike rides or college basketball.  I never imagined that we would get so much participation!  It didn't hurt that the sound system was amazing, generously lent to us by my brother-in-law, Sean.  Anyway, I guess I just didn't give the dads enough credit beforehand -- they all turned out to be dancing fools!  Here is a cute picture of Steve and Julia.  My favorite part about this pic?  If you look closely, you'll notice chocolate on Julia's hand and mouth.  As I said before, the chocolate fountain was a smashing success! 

I agonized over the playlist, but should have known that when it comes to elementary-aged girls, you can't go wrong with Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and a little Lady Gaga or Black-Eyed Peas (I threw in some Coldplay and other "grown-up" music for the dads).  It was the YMCA, though, that really got everyone out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

There were honestly a few times during the evening when I was wiping away tears.  I think it was a very special evening for the girls, and maybe even more so for the dads.  When the song "Daughters" by John Mayer was playing, I noticed this little girl looking so lovingly up at her Dad, that I had to snap a picture.  I think this captures the essence of our night.

Yay for Dads who adore their Daughters!!!

 

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails... times two!!!

I'm pretty certain that most of my blog readers have probably already heard my exciting news, but here it is again:

I...AM...HAVING...TWINS!!!!!

Two days ago, I went to the doctor for a routine exam, and being 16 weeks along in the pregnancy, we were hoping we'd be able to find out what we were having.  Almost immediately after Dr. Hall put the ultrasound wand on my abdomen, he stood up straight and sort of started giggling.  I thought this was a little odd, but figured that since he knew we were hoping for a boy, he must have seen the "it's a boy" clue right away.  Then, he turned the screen a little bit away from me and more in Steve's direction, and asked him, "Steve, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"  I looked at Steve's face and my heart immediately began to pound.  His mouth had dropped open and his eyes were wide.  He said, "There are an awful lot of extra body parts in there!"  Then I realized what was going on --- twins!!  I screamed.  "Are you kidding me!!!"  We were all laughing and shaking our heads.  I sort of focused on Steve and didn't pay much attention to the ultrasound for a few seconds, then Dr. Hall said, "I think they are both boys!"  I screamed again.

We left the office and somehow made it to the car.  What a shock!  Even more shocking is that this was my THIRD ultrasound.  A few people have asked me, "How did they not see the twins before now?"  This is the chronology of events leading up to our surprising discovery:

7 1/2 weeks:  My first visit.  Lengthy ultrasound showed a tiny, tiny fetus with a detectable heartbeat.  We were thrilled.

10 weeks:  I started making comments to Steve and others that "I swear I am already showing!  This is so weird.  I have never shown this early before!"  One night I began to have some spotting which started out dark and then turned bright red.  The next morning I called the doctor.  He said to come on down, that he'd squeeze me in.  VERY quick ultrasound showed one fetus with a strong heartbeat.  Relief.

12 weeks:  Next "routine" appointment.  Still having some spotting but figuring it was just how this pregnancy was going to be.  Still feeling like I was growing at a quicker rate, yet not gaining any weight to show for it.  Hoping for another ultrasound to put my mind at ease, but since I'd had an ultrasound only two weeks earlier (and the doctor was having a very busy day), he used the heartbeat-detector machine (I am sure there is a more official name for that, but whatever).  We heard a heartbeat, it sounded strong.  I was so tempted to ask for a quick ultrasound, but lost my nerve.  Didn't want to look like a silly girl.

16 weeks:  Most recent appointment.  Had long since stopped telling my husband that I thought I was having twins, because "certainly we would have seen them on ONE of the ultrasounds, right?"  Laying on the table, doctor laughs, husband nearly has a heart attack, scream, scream, shock, more shock.  Me enjoying declaring to Steve, "I TOLD YOU I WAS HAVING TWINS!"

So there you go.  I'm having twin boys.  It was a blast to hear everyone's reactions, but my favorite was a text from my brother, Greg (I'll edit it slightly, but you'll still get the picture):  "Mindy, if there were ever a time for a "HOLY SH&%!!!" - it's now!" 

We went to Target after the appointment and bought some blue onesies.  I found a few of Emily's old dolls and put the onesies on them, then wrapped the dolls up as a gift.  After school, the kids were immediately asking about our appointment.  We had them gather around the island and told them to open the gift.  Cameron was already shaking in his seat even before the tape came off the box.  When Rachel pulled out the first doll dressed in blue, everyone shrieked, "It's a BOY!!!"  Then Julia yanked the second doll up, looking puzzled, and Rachel screamed, "TWINS!!??"  Cameron starting clapping and screaming, Julia jumped up and down, and Rachel actually sat there in shock (she's old enough to process that this really IS a "Holy Sh&%" event for our entire family!).  Incidentally, Emily just seemed pretty ticked off that we had dressed her dolls in different outfits without consulting her first.

Needless to say, we are all so thrilled, if not somewhat humbled, panicked, shocked, and surprised.  It's crazy to think that just a few months ago we felt good about being "done", then decided to to try for another boy, then got pregnant with lightning speed, and now we are having twin boys.  I feel like I am on a roller coaster ride!  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few months.  The due date is Aug. 30th, and my goal is to stay pregnant for as long as possible!  Thanks SO SO much to those of you who have already shared your sincere kind words and encouraging messages.  We love you!

P.S.  That unsettled feeling of having a "phantom itch that I just can't scratch" (from my last post) makes a lot more sense now!

An Ode to Stretchy Pants

I was feeling very out of sorts but not knowing why.  I mean, you feel somewhat out of sorts during pregnancy the whole time, but this was different.  It was like I had a phantom itch that I couldn't scratch and it was so irritating to me.  This lasted for several days, until I discovered the cause - I needed to break down and finally buy maternity pants.  I realized that every time I was feeling unsettled or irritated, it was usually after I had been wearing my regular jeans all day (doing the elastic trick on the button, of course).  I finally just said to myself, 'I'm going shopping.'

Who gets giddy while shopping for maternity clothes?  I did.  I was grabbing every cute pair of capris and jeans and cargo pants I could see.  Each time I pulled them on I felt like letting out a little cheer.  I know that sounds pathetic, but I have long since gotten rid of my other maternity clothes, and the clothes now are actually quite a bit cuter than I remember them being!  The whole experience shopping for maternity clothes reminded me of many years ago, when I fought and fought the idea of getting a minivan, but then when we eventually got one it was so convenient and spacious I felt like cartwheeling out to the garage every time I needed to drive somewhere with my little kids (then the kids got older and we decided to get an SUV, not knowing that we'd be having another baby! I'm sure there will be days when I really miss that sliding door and lower seat).

Anyway, all I can say is, what a difference that beautiful stretchy band on the stomach makes.  I was tempted to wear the pants straight from the dressing room to the service counter to home, but instead I held off and changed into them the minute I walked through the door.  I felt so carefree and, dare I say, even a little sexy in my new pants.  I smiled all night and couldn't stop hugging my kids and my husband. 

Bless you, stretchy pants.

  

Playing Favorites

It's official.  Emily has chosen Steve as her favorite parent.  Most children who have a favorite may not share that fact so freely, so as to spare the tender feelings of the other parent.  Not Emily.  She is so smitten with her Daddy, and shows her favoritism shamelessly.  It's not to say that she doesn't love me, too.  I know she does.  When we are here together during the day, she often gives me hugs and kisses, and when I come home from being gone, she is always happy to see me (although it's nothing like the greeting Steve receives upon returning home from pretty much anywhere, including the garage after just taking out the garbage).

The most blatant display of her lopsided affection happens each time the bus pulls up to drop her off from school, and Steve isn't the one picking her up.  I can see her standing up on the front seat, pouting, with her thumb to her forehead (the sign for "Dad").  Poor Dave, the bus driver.  As I approach the open doors of the bus, I can hear him giving her a pep talk about "Mommy's here!" and "What a nice Mommy you have!"  Makes me feel a little pathetic to hear the BUS DRIVER taking up for me out of pity.

I'm sort of getting over it, though.  I know she loves me, she knows I love her, and the favoritism comes in handy when she has a nasty diaper and won't let anyone but Daddy change it.  Sweet justice.  Here are a few pics I've captured of Emily and her main man...

Come to think of it, Emily, I really don't blame you.

He's my favorite, too.

Slices

I promised a little slice of our life.  It seems odd to start by sharing what's going on right now, without acknowledging the past...um...how long has it been?  7 months?  So, since I bragged about the ability to upload photos so easily, I thought it might be a good idea to actually share a few.  After all these months, a few little slices will have to suffice...

Here's Steve in May at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa.  What an awesome accomplishment!  But don't let that smile fool you - he actually felt deathly ill and was so disoriented that he nearly walked off the edge of the mountain.  Thank goodness he recovered quickly!  He'll always have good memories of the villagers he was able to help in Africa.

Besides our awesome trip to Lake Tahoe in June, we also celebrated Emily's 4th birthday.  What a cute birthday girl!  We could eat her up like a cupcake.

More birthdays were just around the corner in July.  Rachel's 11th came first, on good ol' Independence Day.  It was a lovely day!  The weather was more mild than normal, and we enjoyed the Kaysville parade in the morning and swimming at Dad's pool in the afternoon before the fireworks.  The 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the whole year!

Another highlight in July was visiting the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House.  Our kids had never been inside a temple and were amazed by the beauty and reverence.  I think Rachel and Julia were especially impressed and touched.  It was a beautiful day for our family (going to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory afterwards was also a treat!).

 

My sweet husband Steve took me on a weekend trip, no kids, to San Francisco to celebrate my 35th birthday, also in July.  We stayed in a cute little boutique hotel, ate yummy food, biked across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito, and explored as much of the town as we could.  The highlight of the trip for me was going to see the musical "Wicked".  I loved it and look forward to seeing it again.  We also saw the Giants play the Phillies at AT&T park (third row seats!!).  It was a wonderful retreat!

 
August was a busy month as we enjoyed the last days of summer and prepared for school to start.  We drove several hours to Colorado so Steve could participate in the Leadville 100 mountain biking race.  What an adventure!  I had never been to Colorado before.  It was breathtakingly beautiful.  We stayed outside of Leadville near the Breckenridge area.  I can't wait to go back there again.  Steve did awesome in the race, especially considering that his wrist was broken!  We enjoyed hanging out with our brothers Mike and Greg and their families, and also several of their friends.  It was a treat to see Lance Armstrong in person (if only for a few seconds on race day as he whizzed by us, going on to win the race, and then the next day at the awards ceremony).  I love taking our family to these races.  Steve inspires me and the kids and I always feel really bonded as a family. 

This first picture is of our kids and their cousins on the day before the race -- future Leadville racers, perhaps?

Here's my tired but happy kids awaiting the start gun (we always wake up so early on race day):

Boom!  The start gun has sounded and the racers are off!

The weather was a bit unpredictable that day and we had to deal with a little bit of rain, but we still had a great day.  The Buttschardts graciously allowed us to park ourselves and our stuff under their shade apparatus, and since the race was an out-and-back course, we chose a good spot to "camp" where we'd be able to catch the racers coming and going.  The pit stop is usually very hectic for the rider and the spouse, when we are trying to re-supply the rider as quickly as possible, while also keeping an eye on the kids, and then rushing either from the start line or to the finish line.  For that reason, I didn't get any pictures of Steve during the race!  I'm sure someone else did, but that always seems to happen and I don't even realize it until later.  Anyway, I borrowed these last few pictures from Facebook friends.  Here are a few of us at camp waiting for our riders to come through:

This next one is after Steve has finished, and we are cheering on my brother Greg as he comes across the line.  I love this picture.  I couldn't have smiled bigger if I'd tried! 

The whole family posing at the finish line after the race.  

Leadville was an awesome experience.  I really hope Steve can race it again someday!

All good things must come to an end, and before we knew it, the summer was over and it was time to go back to school.  This was an especially tender year for me because I had to send my oldest to middle school!  I wasn't ready for her to enter that junior-high environment and all that it can entail.  Well, my worries soon faded as I saw that Rachel really loved middle school and adjusted just fine.  She is an exceptional student and just a great girl all around.  Julia is sailing through 3rd grade, Cam is rockin' the 1st grade, and Emily is loving her second year of preschool.  The first day of school doesn't seem that long ago, and here we are closing in on the home stretch already!  Here are a few shots from that first day:

It wouldn't be September without the Lotoja bike race (Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming = 206 miles in one day).  Steve rode for his fifth year in a row, and had an amazing race.  He came in 23rd place overall out of over a thousand racers.  We were so proud of him!  Way to go, Steve!

The weekend after Lotoja, we went to a picnic sponsored by our local chapter of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation.  I love to meet and greet other families blessed to have children with DS.  Emily had so much fun and was quite the charmer.  Here are a few of my faves of her from that day:

October brought Julia's 9th birthday and Halloween, which are separated by only a few days.  We love any chance to celebrate Julia!  She is a wonderful and caring person who makes life fun.  She didn't have school on her birthday (lucky!) so we went on a hay ride with some of our neighborhood friends, then took her to Tepanyaki for dinner.

 


The kids had fun dressing up for Halloween and tolerated my usual "scrooge-ish" attitude towards the holiday in general.  I really can be a fun Mom, I promise, I just don't love Halloween!  Maybe I have some repressed memory that will surface someday and explain it all....    Anyway, cute kiddos.

November brought a few fun and important events to note.  First, we took our kids on a weekend trip to St. George and Zion National Park.  We loved the warmer weather, where we hiked and took bike rides.  We'd never taken the kids to Zion N.P. and we were all mesmerized by how beautiful it was, especially with the changing leaves.

I love that last pic with Steve, blurry as it is.

Steve celebrated #37 in November as well.  I made him a pumpkin spice cake (which he asked for, and which he said proves that he really is getting old).  I didn't have a "3" candle so we just pretended the cake said "37".  We took a picture of ourselves at Corbin's Grille, where we went out for Steve's b-day date.

Also in November, we enjoyed Thanksgiving with our family, which is always wonderful.  No pics of that day - must not have brought my camera.  

On a more personal note, November was special for me because I had been trying to lose weight since August and reached 15 pounds lost by the first of November.  I didn't do anything fancy, just cut a few calories and stepped up my exercise routine.  It felt so good to drop a few, that's for sure! 

Shortly after achieving that goal, my husband turned to me during a church meeting and whispered, "I think we should have another baby".  Where did that come from?!?  I was a little surprised, but actually so excited.  We had decided as a couple that we were probably done having kids, but personally I would occasionally have moments where I would hope for one more.  I guess it needed to be Steve's idea, because it didn't take much convincing on my part!  It usually takes us months to get pregnant, but just a few short weeks later, on Christmas Eve, after taking 3 tests in one day and seeing 2 lines on each test, I was pretty sure I was pregnant and broke the news to Steve.  We were both so happy but a little shocked!  Steve sure studied those pregnancy tests carefully for a few minutes.  We couldn't believe it had happened so fast!!  I am now almost 14 weeks along and feeling great.  The baby is due at the end of August.  I'm sure there will be much more on that subject as time passes....

But before I even took those pregnancy tests, we had to get through the craziness of December.   I decided to sing in Heartbeats again, which is always enjoyable but makes for a very busy December.  A local newspaper, the Odgen Standard, did a story on us this year.  Here is the photo from that article (I'm 3rd from the right):

 

Knowing that Heartbeats would take up a lot of my time during the first few weeks of December (we performed close to 20 times), Steve and I made a goal to do our shopping early, so by about the 17th I was done with my singing and we were nearly done shopping!  That was nice.  We did a Sub for Santa service project for a deserving family again this year with the Scotherns (my side of the family), which is always one of the highlights of my year.  We also enjoyed taking the kids on the train to SLC to see the lights at Temple Square.

We had such a nice Christmas.  It always makes me sad that Christmas is just one day and that it seems to come and go so quickly!  I truly cherish these times with my family.

This last picture cracks me up!  It seems odd that we are so snuggly and smiley over that  hand blender (which I love, by the way).

January and February have come and gone so quickly, with exactly ZERO photos to show for it.  We have stayed busy with school, homework, work, church and everything else.  It's been fun to do a little skiing at Snowbasin.  Life is really good.  We told the kids about the pregnancy in early January, and Rachel almost cried with joy.  The last time I told her I was pregnant she was six, and now she'll be twelve by the time this baby comes.  The kids are all so excited and talk about the baby often.  I love the phase of life we are in and look forward to the challenges and adventures that a new baby will bring.  Haven't done this in five years, but I guess it's like riding a bike - it all comes back to you. 

Didn't expect this post to be so long.  You got a few more slices than you bargained for, it seems!  It feels good to get these events noted.  Now, moving on...

Because I think keeping a journal is important, but yet I sort of stink at it ....

.... I have decided to start blogging again.  I know my blog has been listed as "private"for a long time, but I actually never gave out the password to anyone because I haven't posted anything!  I have only written a few things down in my journal since I last posted on this blog several months ago, yet I have four binders full of my blog pages that I have printed out over the past few years.  I am realizing that this is, for now, the best way for me to record some of the comings and goings in this crazy/beautiful life of mine.

A few things have changed since my last post that have inspired me to blog again.  Namely, we finally got our computer problems worked out, and now uploading photos is a snap.  That was so frustrating before.  It was actually never the computer or the browser, but the internet connection itself.  Anyway, after many hours consulting with the technician and a few (several) cuss words uttered out of frustration, things are running beautifully.  Finally.

Another thing that I needed to change was my attitude.  I sort of began to resent my blog, or I guess I resented the pressure to post more frequently or to be more clever or to take better pictures.  It's weird.  I sort of resented other people's blogs, too.  I wondered how in the world people had the time to spend on blogging, and Facebook, and Twitter, and gaming, and whatever else, and still lead a functional life!  Personally, I got sucked into a bit of that for a while, but after some time had passed, I couldn't do it anymore, not with a clear conscience, anyway.  Either people have discovered some sort of unknown energy source that I am unaware of, and/or extra hours in their day, or there's a whole lot of laundry piling up somewhere.

I do believe that there is a way to enjoy blogging and other internet activities responsibly.  I think it requires self discipline and great time management.  I also think you have to truly diagnose your reasoning behind spending time on these types of activities.  I read an excellent article by Elder David Bednar, entitled "Things As They Really Are".  I don't want to be too preachy by quoting some of the article here, and I think most of us hopefully aren't as enthralled in cyber activities as some of the examples he uses in his address, but it is still so interesting.  If you have a few minutes, Google it.

I am looking forward to composing posts that primarily serve as a way to record a slice of our life, and as much as I have enjoyed people visiting and commenting on my blog in the past, I am going to blog whether or not anyone comments on or even READS these posts.  Heck, life is busy.  I hardly check blogs anymore myself, even those of people very dear to me.  We should do what we can with the time we have and try not to be too hard on ourselves, right?

So, stay tuned.  But for now, my laundry pile needs my attention...   

Lake Tahoe

We kicked off summer with a lovely trip to beautiful Lake Tahoe.  We had never been there before and we were smitten.  Luckily, we had great weather and even better company.  It was a family reunion on Steve's side, with his parents, all 5 of his siblings, and everyone's kids (30 people).  Lake Tahoe was an ideal location for Steve's active family, with an abundance of mountain biking trails and rock climbing routes, in addition to paved bike paths and hiking trails.  We loved going to Sand Harbor beach, which was breathtaking (I mean that figuratively AND literally - the scenery was beautiful but the water was FREEZING).  A little cold water didn't scare the kids, though.  We shared meal-making duties, and the food was fabulous.

The highlight of the trip for me was going on ladies-only bike rides with my awesome sisters-in-law.  I was also stoked to get new family pictures taken by the one-and-only Shannon Montez (Steve's sister). The highlight of Steve's trip has to be missing his flight to Reno and losing a whole day of vacation (long story that we are trying to erase from memory), followed closely by exploring Tahoe's incredible mountain biking trails. The kids were in pure cousin heaven.  We had such a wonderful time.  I am already looking forward to our next reunion with the Caldwell clan.   

   

Still buzzing...

So, a few weeks ago I posted about that weird honeybee episode in my backyard.  I spoke too soon when I said there wasn't a single bee out there anymore.  Turns out, a handful of bees came back later that day, then a few more, and a few more.  Truth is, they NEVER went away.  The 50-100 that we see at the same spot each day are actually very busy at their job of creating a new hive.  When I thought the queen had flown away, I was very mistaken - she actually flew straight into a hidden "cavern" in our house, a rock pillar/edge that didn't get properly sealed off during construction.  The hive is confined to that pillar, which is entirely outdoors, but it is still unnerving to think that thousands of bees are making themselves at home in MY home.  

The beekeepers don't know what to do.  In order to retrieve the queen and the hive, they'll pretty much have to break all the rock off of one portion of our house and probably destroy the framing underneath.  Or, they can seal off the top and the bees will all die.  I certainly feel bad about thousands of honeybees dying.  I also feel bad about the side of my house being destroyed.  Tough.  We're having our rock contractor come over to give us his opinion.