Doug Getting Ready for Baby...

24 Inches in 24 Hours...

Doug thigh-high

Scott Larkin knee-deep

Even though the mountain will be closing next week for the season, the snow continues to pile up. Here are some photos from this past weekend of Scott and myself enjoying what the last storm left behind for us to play in. Keep in mind, this is the end of March.

Boys' Bedroom

Another project completed! The beadboard in the boys bedroom was painted last week, and we finished putting items on the walls. The long shelf holds all their "treasures" as I like to call them. Also, above their beds are vintage reading flash cards that just happen to be their names. My Aunt Pat sent them to us a while back and I've been waiting for the perfect place to hang them. I consider them my "treasures". I love them! The bedroom is huge - roughly 17' x 11' so there's plenty of room for them to run in circles trying to catch the other (as they did the other night) and plenty of room for wrestling and playing. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

Springtime in Whitefish

Spring has been in the air. Streets and yards were no longer covered in snow, but look what we woke up to this morning...
So, those of you coming to visit in the next month or so, snow is ALWAYS a possibility!

Jack's First Day of School

Jack is so big! He started preschool today. His program is Monday and Wednesdays from 9-12. Today was his first day and he did great! The class is a nice size, only 8-10 children and most of them are three-years-olds. He was very excited to get to school. When we got there he ran into the classroom, turned to give me a hug and kiss and was off and exploring. His teachers said he did really well. I hope he really enjoys this fun time to get away from all of us and do something on his own.

Happy Easter!

posing with Easter baskets

Jack & Doug working on a sticker book

Happy Easter everyone! We had a very nice and relaxing holiday. The boys were very excited to discover the Easter Bunny had left some treats for them this morning. Even more amazing they were willing to leave their baskets for Mass at 8:30a. The church was packed, but thankfully we had seats and the boys especially Will, were very well behaved. We drove into Kalispell for some coffee then came home. I made brunch while the boys ate tons of candy and Doug helped them with their new sticker books. Basketball (March Madness) has been on our TV constantly since Thursday so we've been enjoying the tournament. This afternoon everyone took a much needed nap. It's been a great day!

Getting Organized

taking a ride

"chillin" in the wine cellar

We continue to finish up projects and get organized. All the trim and beadboard in the basement was painted this week. We opted for enamel since it's so tough, and the boys can be pretty rough on their surroundings. We survived living on one level for a couple of days. The boys even camped out in our bedroom last night and were very excited to be sleeping in sleeping bags. I'm excited they are back in their rooms tonight. Our wine cellar/storage room has a fresh coat of paint - online we've located some very cool wine racks that attach to the wall. We should be getting those soon. This weekend we'll spend getting the basement back in order. Once everything is in it's place and items hung on the walls I'll be sure to post some pictures. We've done a lot of work down there, but I feel it's really added value to the house.

Big Accomplishments

This entry is all about Jack. Today he did something that totally surprised me AND also reminded me that he's getting older. First off, I recently organized the playroom downstairs so it's easier for the boys to find things and put toys away in their designated spots. The boys are pretty good at putting things away, but usually I'm right there on top of them directing the whole effort. Today Jack was playing downstairs by himself and was working on putting together the train set. I went down and checked on him a couple of times, he was having a great time. Anyhow after a while he came back upstairs to have a snack. I went downstairs expecting to find the train still out...but he had picked everything up!! I was so surprised and thrilled! I figure I need to document this kind of stuff.
The other big deal is that Jack is almost a 100% potty trained. He's had a few accidents off and on, but today he stayed dry the entire day and went to the bathroom without being reminded. He's such a big kid! Slowly I'll have to start weening him off the jelly bean reward he's grown accustom to, but right now I'm thrilled not to be buying diapers, even if it's only for a month.

Another Project

Doug rewiring the "wine cellar"
Will & Jack in the workshop

I think Doug might be nesting. This weekend he came to me and actually said, "I need a project". Unfortunately for him the ones he suggested I didn't agree with were a priority, but we did agree on emptying the smaller storage room which we call the wine cellar because it's the perfect size for one, and it's the only unheated interior space in the house. There was some rickety shelving and wires hanging down from the ceiling. Also, we had a pipe break in there a couple of months back, so Doug has been doing some plumbing, electrical work and will be replacing the sorry ceiling with new Sheetrock. We're planning to have all the trim and wainscoting downstairs painted (by professionals) so we figured they could paint that space as well. We plan to use it for excess toy storage and possibly wine. What a combo!

Done!

the updated kitchen

"Sparky" at work

before

after

before

after

The kitchen update is complete! And just under two weeks! We're very happy with our new appliances, granite countertops and new hardware. I'm not sure if the pictures do it justice. We did stick with the same paint color and it will probably be a while until we can update the floors. But until then we'll be enjoying all the new perks in our "new" kitchen.

Boys at Play

Will and Jack are at such a fun stage right now. They are really good pals and have learned that each other is a pretty good play companion. I think it helps that Jack usually does what Will wants and at times they actually share toys with each other. The other afternoon they were playing "race car driver" which included wearing hats and work goggles and running around like crazy. It was just so funny to me that not only had Will come up with this game and the outfit to go with it, but Jack was also more than happy to join in in the fun. I hope they are the best of friends for years to come. They are so lucky to have each other.