the start of something big

 yes, people, that's snow. in late march. so not cool.

the dumpster's here.  and what a sight it is...  after a very much anticipated wait, we finally got our permit to close in our screened-in porch!  we're knocking out the wall you see in the last picture and enclosing the rest.  adding a storage bench that will double as a window seat along the back wall, some built-in bookcases, and a cozy rug.  

i am someone who needs to wake up and come down to a clean kitchen and have enough time to unload the dishwasher before the day actually gets going.  right now, our only play area for the boys is down in the basement.  or dungeon, as i sometimes call it, especially on spring days when it's blizzarding outside. (thank you, kansas weather)  so as soon as we come down, we have to have breakfast on the table. and after breakfast is finished, we must get to playing!  which means, on days where it's just me, the dirty dishes pile up in the sink because the dishwasher hasn't been unloaded, i have no motivation to unload it, and then the whole day just unravels.  all because i couldn't have a clean and empty sink.  so i'm being a bit dramatic, but it's mostly true.  i feel like having this room is going to solve all my problems.  it's right off of the kitchen, where i'll be able to see the boys, there will be windows and daylight all around, and i just may be able to enjoy my own breakfast while they play!  hallelujah!

the framing guy is already at work, the boys are enthralled, and bryan and i are so excited.  now all i have to do is convince bryan that the big purple oar doesn't really belong in our dining room.

these boys and their cars...

how is it that boys are automatically hard-wired to love machines? cars, trucks, busses, fire trucks, dump trucks, back hoes, and the list goes on and on...  and why is it one of the cutest things to watch them 'beep beep' all over every single possible surface in the house?  finally playing together -- until, of course, the other's car is suddenly more interesting.. which always happens too fast for me.

seriously.

can't get enough of this face.

the lake!

had a wonderful weekend away at the lake of the ozarks.   a couple of my good friends are cousins, and their family owns a lake house down there.  they've been going there their whole lives, and it was such a good time!  i'm realizing now i forgot to take pictures of all the yummy food we had - brisket, the worst-for-you-best-tasting cheesy potatoes ever!, spaghetti and meatballs from a real italian, a healthy but yummy breakfast casserole and more cookies/brownies/ice cream than even i could take. unfortunately, it was raining the majority of the time, but that didn't mean we didn't have fun...  we had cocktails in the middle of the day, pedicures at night, and even a nap!! it was as relaxing as two days chasing 16 month-old curious boys around could be!  liam decided the wide open spaces could only be thoroughly explored if he wasn't wasting time crawling.. he started walking the day we got there and except for a few rooms/hard floors he's not completely comfortable on, he's pretty much a walker!!  it's so adorable to watch, because he's still so wobbly... 

so here are a few pictures of the gang! sorry i didn't get any of wheels and tate...  the other babies present.

poker, quarters, and lots of beer after a rainy day of golf

listen up!

matchy-matchy just for libs

these poker chips kept finney busy for awhile...

the master pedicurist (?) who refused to have her picture taken.. kimmy

sarah, doing a wonderful job of posing and holding babies

no it's not black, it's dark eggplant!

libbus p.

we didn't do this on purpose and i liked how it looked...

thanks again, senter clan, for a great time!!

15 month babes

a few pictures from yesterday... i couldn't find shirts that were the same, but different (same pattern, different colors), so they matched... but seriously, how cute.  i keep going back and forth between needing to cut liam's mullet and not wanting to get rid of his curls...  i'm so torn!  finn's hair isn't as long, and it's curlier, so i don't have this problem with his yet.  we finally got around to baby-proofing the whole ground floor, so the last couple pictures are of them enjoying their new favorite activity... taking everything out of their drawer in the kitchen and banging, banging, banging!  their germo-phobie daddy has a tiny issue with this, but it keeps them occupied so i don't really care. 

finn (top)

liam (bottom)

a splurge

because i have two babies, i don't very often get to splurge on clothes.  good thing i don't have two girls! it would be all over... however, i've been eyeing this romper at boden for awhile now.  i have a good friend, who will remain unnamed, who just furnished her boys' whole summer wardrobe from this catalog.  although i doubt she thinks it's their whole wardrobe.  she showed it all to me, and i couldn't resist coming home and buying these ADORABLE rompers for the guys.  i don't usually match them, and i don't usually go anywhere but old navy/sometimes gap on sale for their clothes... just got them in the mail today, and i'm in love.

can i get an AMEN?!

for sunshine and temperatures above 30??!? i hardly ever miss fresno, but every time i would look at the weather there (yahoo doesn't seem to want to leave), i got a little jealous... okay, a lot jealous, i didn't see the sun for a month!!  maybe i'm exaggerating, but we've been under a serious cloud for a looonnng time and it's finally lifted.  i feel like jumping up and down and singing "the hills are alive!"  we've been able to get to the park several times, and our moods have definitely improved.  we were getting tired of the basement.  so here are a couple of pictures of these great boys - who i've not updated about in awhile... we have lots of teeth, we are cruising around on everything, but haven't decided we'd like to walk yet (mom didn't walk until she was 18 months and turned out to be great on her feet!), we're getting a tad pickier about what we eat and much more vocal about it.  mom's trying to transition us to one nap a day and it's not going well...  maybe we're not ready.  we have a kindermusik class that we go to every week that we LOVE, and have gotten a couple of hand drums to play with at home.  our hair is curly and our mom never wants to cut it...  but there's a certain little monkey (liam) who's bordering on mullet and we can't really have that and feel good about it.  we'll have our 15 month appointment in a couple of weeks and we'll probably weigh about 22-23 pounds...  here's a couple pictures of us on our favorite swings!

finn

liam

the green bookshelves

i'm so excited to finally be able to do this post!!  a very, very long time ago, we were perusing the pottery barn catalog (we play a game to see if we can name what the other one will like - after five years of marriage, we're pretty good at it), and we both fell in love with these bookshelves.  as you all know, pb is just a tad out of any reasonable person's price range, so we decided to tear that page out and save it for a project we bryan could one day complete.  along came our five-year anniversary, for which the custom gift is wood.  we don't always necessarily stick with the customary idea, but it's fun to try and be creative.  i loved our first year, which was paper- needless to say, he did very well. :) i tucked this magazine page away in my studio and pretended we'd lost it in the move.  for some reason, he got really set on doing these shelves NOW, but i played dumb and was able to (with the help of my dad, who pronounces 2x4 : twobuhfour - one word, no y) design these shelves in secret.  i went to lowe's and stored the wood in our neighbor's garage.  i know, it's going to be so good... except he found the plans.  my sweet husband, who seldom cleans without me knowing, and is almost never in my studio cleaning, walks into the kitchen... "did you draw this???" i almost cried i was so mad.  not at him, just at the fact that my surprise was ruined.  so i eventually got over it, and i can say that, a couple of months later, in between taking care of babies (who are one year old, i don't want to talk about it, but stay tuned for their birthday party post), work, and giving me breaks when i need them, he's finished the bookshelves.  how stupid is it that i don't have a finished picture?  i will, i promise.  they are amazing, and i know you can't even tell they're not the $400 ones from pottery barn.  they're going in the basement, which we're calling the babies playroom.  lucky babes. lucky me, to have a husband who can do these things!!  a few pictures to share...

working in the garage... brr

what i based my plans off of... who needs pottery barn?

a little pat on my back, if you don't mind... :)

ok, i got off my lazy behind and snapped some pics... obviously, already in use!! on a slightly different note, just found this number 2 at anthropologie- perfect for the twin's playroom!  i would spend all my personal money at this place if i could...

christmastime with poppy

every year from the day after thanksgiving to christmas eve, my dad plays the piano at halls, a fancy schmancy department store on the plaza. you can find him at the bottom of the main escalators, playing and sometimes singing while shoppers pass by with their goodies... and don't worry, you don't have to wait for him to stop playing if you'd like to talk- he can do both at the same time. i know, so cool. it's the perfect time of day for us to visit, so i decided to take the babes down to hear him play. it's the first really cold day of the winter, and i just bought their coats. naturally, i want them to last all winter. needless to say, they're a tad big. :)

jingle bells...

so much to look at

mom, seriously, will you at least take this off while we're inside???!?