time for catch up a.k.a. the longest post ever

to say that i have been a little m.i.a. from the blogging world is a bit of an understatement. tomorrow is the last day of june and this is only my second post this month. i'd like to say the lack of posting has been due to all the amazing things we've been doing and the insane fun we've been having, but alas its because i've been a big ole slacker. 

don't get me wrong, we've been having some good times (making memories and all that fun stuff), but nothing that would have kept me from getting on here and posting a few things. 

i was actually telling a friend yesterday that i've been in this kind of funk lately. i have no idea why, but i've just been BLAH. so i'm going to attribute it to that. anyways, i'm attempting to get out of my funky rutt and along with that comes blogging again. so here we go.

warning: this post is probably going to be long and will definitely be random.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{acrylic paint class}

the community center here was offering an acrylic painting class that my sister-in-law brittany and i decided to take. the class promised that by the end of the 2 hour session you would have a completely finished landscape painting. 

i'm definitely a creative person, but i've never really stretched my creativity as far as painting before. my grandma is a wonderful artist and my mom definitely inherited her genes, but me not so much. 

while my painting didn't turn out to be anything amazing, i had the BEST time. it was so therapeutic and i am always game to try anything that allows me to release some creativity. i wish i could take a class like this once a month. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{baby shower}

i knew for a while that i wanted to throw brittany a baby shower for her and her twin boys that are on the way. and all of a sudden i realized that her due date was creeping up on me and both of our summers are already jam packed. so i decided about a week in advance that i was going to go ahead and throw her a shower sooner rather than later. so i recruited a couple of brittany's best buds here in mn and we got a crackin. we decided to make it a surprise, because let's face it... its SO worth the face of the person you are surprising. and let me tell you, brittany's face was well worth it!! she actually looked more scared than surprised. ya... it was perfect! 

and like a complete bonehead, i forgot my camera. luckily, i was able to borrow someone's camera to snap a few shots, but i don't have the pics yet. so i quickly snapped a couple pics of the diaper cake i made, just to give you a little taste of what the shower looked like. i'll share more when i get the others. overall, the shower was a huge success. 

i'm so excited for these little munchkins to get here!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{cookies}

so the girls have tasted cookies before, but never have i given them free reign over their own cookie. its not because i think they shouldn't have them or anything. its usually because it just so happens to be right before they take a nap that i make cookies, and i really don't need them to be on a sugar high while trying to go to sleep (nap time is my saving grace people). also, if i make cookies its normally after they go to bed at night. you know, a little reward for making it through the day. its the little things! 

anyways, i decided it was time for the girls to have more than just a little nibble of a cookie. so we let them have at it last night. and sure enough, just like mom and dad, it was love at first bite. 

baked goods = pure happiness in this household!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{harry potter}

confession... i LOVE harry potter! i mean, really really love harry potter. i couldn't go quoting the movies or anything like that, but i've seen all the movies at least 3 times each... at least. 

so in preparation for the new harry potter movie (and last, tear), i decided to watch all 7 of the movies. i just finished number 7 and am so pumped for the new one to come out. July 15 can't come soon enough!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{cardboard box}

a birthday present arrived for the girls today from their grandma margaret and grandpa nolan. its a little two-seater wagon and is oh so cute. i took it out of the box because i want to have it assembled for the girls on their birthday. 

i figured that would be more fun than a big box, but... i could be wrong. so far, they've been loving their huge box. they have been crawling through it all day. its been quite the crowd pleaser!  

and i've started blogging again just in time, because the girls turn 1 a week from tomorrow. madness, just madness i tell you!!!