Spring? Are you alive?

Not here in Iowa it's not. Today the high was 50, which is massively warmer than the last week and a half has been. I am soooo tired of this cold weather! My garage is full of finds I need to makeover in the sunshine! Including 2 trikes for Ellis to ride like a little biker boy! And I want to open my windows and air out my apartment for crying out loud! Strip my table not in my dining room, paint flakes all over my carpet! Come on!!!

Also, I cannot wait to move into the house in June. I know the summer is going to be miserably hot. But having a backyard to let my boys explore all day (under gobs of sunscreen) and a porch to sit on and watch the spectacular nightly thunder/lightning storms (without rain!!) with  my honey.  My mom and stepdad a mere blocks away to visit all the time... I mean, Texas in the spring is about the most beautiful place on earth, but I'll take Texas in the summer too- haven't been home for one of those since 2005! I am using so many exclamation points cause I am so excited and I can't help it!!!

Ok, so here in the Des Moines Metro (ok I am tired of capitolizing cause i have so much to say and it's taking up too much typing time!) they have this thing called 'spring cleaning' where basically you can put out big items that don't normally get trashed- furniture, shrubbery, etc... so last week was urbandale's spring cleaning- and so i drove around for HOURS (no joke) each night through the neighborhoods looking for treasures... and guys! the things people throw away baffle me! if i'd had a truck it would have been SO HISTORICALLY INCREDIBLE! but alas, i had my car stuffed so full i couldn't even roll the windows up and got amazing things!

An old wood framed chalkboard, I've been searching and searching for them on ebay but they are ridiculously expensive!  the 50's end table, obviously a winner, that yellow crate thing, will be a perfect bedside table between 2 twin beds for the boys, books on the inside, a lamp and fun stuff on top, just gotta get some cool legs for it... and the chair, i'm not sure yet, i just loved it- a little refinishing on the wood might be all it needs...

and this amazing old box, i'll probably use it as a toybox at the end of the bed for the boys' room...

i also got a really nice cooler (the ones with the cupholders on top and a spout on the bottom- why do people throw them away, they are like $50 at the store!? and 2 baby gates (for when ellis gets into a big bed and such, a spiderman tricycle and a big wheel tricycle.... treasure! i don't care how much money damon makes one day, i think i'll always love dumpster diving and trash freebies best!

and the boys are growing and getting so crazy and funny- hudson is into clicking at people, he does it to get your attention, or to just have a conversation- maybe he'll serve his mission in africa! ellis is into singing these days, and he says the funniest things sometimes. they are both so cute- here is some picture proof:

helping dad make guacamole for conference!

watching conference! we think we may name a kid Holland after Elder Holland, wasn't his talk incredible (no surprise!)???!

 we had a day that hit 70 degrees like 2 weeks ago, so we had a picnic!

of giraffes!

and damon invented this genius idea...

 now ellis looooves having picnics... too bad the weather has been too cold for one in a long time!

 hudson is finally starting to take solids! mostly in the form of bread and crackers. so maybe we are getting somewhere...

i've been trying to craft more lately, and i've been addicted to buying succulents every time i'm at home depot or lowe's... also, martha stewarts gold paint is golden! also i finally got a drill bit set for our drill and made a little pot out of a clearance bowl from target ... i love having a drill! i can't wait to have a big garage and fill it with tools... i might need to start taking some classes, i'd love to start woodworking too...

i know, those eyes and those ears are completely amazing!

brothers! they are even sharing a room now- finally! though most nights it doesn't go as well as hoped...