We're on a Shrew Hunt

Last Sunday morning before church Miranda told Duane that she saw a mouse running across the kitchen floor. Well, Duane didn't believe her and then it ran past him and the commotion began. We spent the next 20 minutes trying to find what we now figured was a shrew that measured at least 6 inches from nose to tail end. It was nowhere to be found, so we figured it must have escaped outside and felt safe enough to head to church. After coming home we changed out of our church clothes and then heard the kids screaming downstairs that the shrew was still in the house! We weren't sure what to do, but tried to get it out of the house. We eventually called backup, going next door to get the neighbor for help. I took the next step trying to get entomology or animal to come and remove the rodent from the house. Well, evidentally they are both off on the weekends. After many phone calls that sent me in circles, I finally talked to someone who was going to come and help. In the meantime the kids were at the neighbors and Duane and the neighbor were ransacking the house trying to get it out. Just as the help arrived, after an hour of hard work, Duane and the neighbor we successful in getting our house rodent free. It was quite the excitement for a Sunday!

Once the shrew was removed, it was time to put the house back together. It had made its way into the hall closet, so everything had to be removed.
I didn't snap this picture soon enough, but all of the furniture was overturned and the piano had to be pulled away from the wall. We hope that we never receive a visit from the shrew again.