Rain

Here are the girls enjoying a missouri rainstorm.

Yay Bella!

Bella is walking! She started last week and it is so cute. She's got the drunken sailor walk going and I love it. She is so proud of herself. She falls down all the time but it is great because she just hops right back up and keeps going. She is going to give Maddie a taste of her own medicine now that she'll be able to steal toys and run away with them like Maddie does. Bella is such a sweet girl. She has an adventureous little spirit. She is always climbing on everything and getting into everything she sees (like the pan cupboard). She is really observant and loves to take things out and then put them back in all day. We love her!



The girls spend most of their playtime in this little house. They have fun in it all day. Bella carries her bear around everywhere and Maddie is really into spoons lately, so this picture captures them perfectly. My other favorite thing is to tell them to "give your sister kisses." They think it is so funny and they'll do it all the time. I love it! Here is Maddie trying to give Bella kisses.

more wedding pics

Here are pictures from Michelle's wedding (thanks to Abby's blog) for everyone who wanted to see them...

Wedding Weekend

I had the best weekend in California for my dear friend Michelle Rowan's wedding! She was married to Scott Sorensen in the Oakland Temple on Saturday and then had a beautiful reception at her backyard in Merced that night. I was so so happy that I was able to go. Scott and the girls had a daddy daughter weekend! I left friday afternoon for the 3 hour drive to St. Louis. Then I flew to Oakland with a layover in Dallas, so by the time I got there it was 11:30 pm. I was meeting Abby & Hillary there, but they had gone to the wedding dinner and Bachelorette party, and poor Alex was still driving in the car, so I had to take the bart to where we stayed in Walnut Creek. It was quite the journey and I was a little nervous about riding the bart alone so late at night, but it was a weekend so it was plenty crowded. I finally made it to the hotel at 1:00 am. We woke up early and went to the wedding at the temple. Michelle's grandpa sealed them, and it was such a great ceremony. We took pictures at the temple and it was the perfect day. Michelle's dress was the most beautiful thing ever! I can't believe I don't even have a picture with her. I didn't have my camera, and then the battery died later, so this is the only picture I have. Abbs, I need copies of yours!

Michelle's husband, Scott, had a huge group of friends there with their wives. He went to Highland, and a few of them married girls I went to high school with, so it was a small world to see them all there. Scott is also great friends with Mike Wheatley (the husband of my great friend and former roomie, Taryn, who unfortunately couldn't come) but Mike was there. Leash- Your cousin Dave Todd was there, of course. Scott Sorensen also knows V-Dawg (my brother Mike) from High school (lets be honest... who doesn't know him?) so that was another fun connection.

After the temple MAHAK went and had lunch (minus Michelle obviously). We also went with Michelle's cute friend Kylie. It was so great to catch up and be with the girls. MAHAK goes back to BYU folk dance where we all were roomates during SPAC. We have been best friends ever since! It is a totally cheesy Jr. High thing to do to have a name like MAHAK (Michelle, Abby, Hillary, Alex, Katie) but somehow it stuck, and that is what we've been. Then we all started getting married and it has undergone many revisions... the latest being PHABSMAKS... I guess we'll just add another S for the second Scott now!) So silly, but fun! Anyway, these girls are like sisters to me. We are the kind of friends that can get together after months of not seeing each other, and have it be completely normal. I know we'll always stay close, and I'm so grateful for that. It was wonderful to have some girl time (including little Miles and Austin, of course). We are all spread out in Missouri, Texas, Utah, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. Since 2003, when Scott and I got married, one of MAHAK has gotten married every summer since. Abby & Peter in 2004, Hillary & Spencer in 2005, Alex & Ben in 2006, and Michelle & Scott in 2007. Now we'll have to find another excuse to get together every year.

The reception that night was amazing. Truly one of the most perfect/classy/gorgeous weddings I've ever seen. Very magazine worthy! Michelle and her mom did such a great job. The night was filled with pictures, a buffet, and dancing. Everything went great. I will post more pictues from Abby... hopefully one with the bride in it!

I left sunday morning and it took all day to get home after some flight delays etc., but I made it! It was wonderful. I missed my hubby and my girls like crazy. I'd never even been apart from the girls for more than a few hours. They did great with Dad though. He is a champ. I don't know how many guys would let their wives leave them with their babies during school. I came home to everything in perfect condition... :) My husband is a saint. It was so liberating and rejuvenating to have some time "off" for even a couple of days. I highly recommend it, and am grateful it worked out. Thanks to my hubby Scott for being so incredible and to Michelle for letting me be part of everything!

Meet me in St.Louis... um no thanks.

I have to post about our adventures in St. Louis last week. Scott went with a few friends on a 3 day road trip to see some of the rotation sights in Michigan and Ohio. They were getting back to St. Louis on tuesday night, so Tobey and I went wednesday morning to meet Jason and Scott. We were going to stay for a couple of days and see all the museums and stuff there. About half way to St. Louis I was thinking how lucky I was that the girls had slept the whole time so far. Then I turned around in time to see Bella throwing up all over herself. You've all been in a car with the throw up smell... it is BAD! So, we pulled over, and I tried to clean up the brand new car seat, and put the smelly clothes in the trunk. Then we were on our way. About an hour later and I turned around to see Maddie throwing up all over herself and her brand new car seat. By this point the smell was horrible. The first thing we did in St. Louis was to find a grocery store to buy some Febreeze!
Anyway, we finally made it and got to go see the temple and the zoo, so that was fun. After the zoo we were driving around to find a gas station to get a drink. We saw a bowling alley and decided it might be fun to bowl, so we were going to go check it out. We pulled in the parking lot and turned off the car. Jason ran in to see if the bowling alley was too smokey, and when we decided it was and went to leave, our car wouldn't start.
We tried everything we could think of, but nothing worked. We borrowed jumper cables from a couple different people who all told us that we really should get our car out of this area, because it wasn't safe. They kept saying if we left our car there, it wouldn't be there in the morning! That made us feel much better. All the kids were tired and hungry and hot, and we didn't know what to do. It was too late in the day for car places to be open, so we were getting a bit frustrated. Finally Scott found a tow cable in our trunk, and we hooked it up to the Roos' car and they towed us a few miles until we found a Wal mart. The unfortunate part is that they couldn't find the spot to hook the tow cable on, so they kept hooking it to places that would come off in the middle of the road. We had to keep stopping and directing traffic while we tried to get going again. The kids were all screaming in the sweltering car with no AC so it felt like a long few miles. We made it to Walmart, and although the car area was closed, some nice workers were still there and they took pity on us and helped us get in a new battery. By this point it was like 9:00 and we were all exhausted but grateful that the car was running again. Thank goodnes for the Roos'! You saved our lives!
So we started driving out to our hotel that we had booked on priceline (for only $25 a night) but we couldn't seem to find it. We finally did, and the reason we had a hard time was because all the power was out. A storm had come through and they weren't letting anyone stay. We couldn't believe our luck. We ended up going down the road and having to pay $100 at the nearest hotel. The next morning the girls were still sick and the Roos' daughter, Addie was sick too, so we just decided to go home. So unfortunately our trip to St. Louis was cut short, and left us with a sour taste for that city... maybe we'll give it a try again in a few months. As for now, we are glad to be back home with the car working and the girls healthy again.

24

My birthday this year ended up being during Scott's finals week, but thanks to my wonderful friends here in Kirksville, I had a great day. I went to lunch with a group of friends at Ruby Tuesdays and it was fun to just get together. Maddie and Bella were tired and a little naughty, and sort of hard to handle. They just kept wanting to climb on the tables and wouldn't sit in their chairs, so Scott came and picked them up so I could enjoy lunch a little more! That is why they aren't in the picture. Thanks, Saysh for organizing, and for all you girls for coming.

That night was our girl's night at Tana's so I got to celebrate again. Tobey brought all sorts of decorations and Kasey made a delicious cake! I love just getting together and chatting with the girls! I was so grateful for good friends who made the day great.

Scott and I got to celebrate the next day because his finals were over! We went to Columbia and ate at the Olive Garden and did some shopping. My sweet husband spoiled me as always. We had such a fun time and there is nothing I love more than spending time with Scott.

Thank you everyone for the phone calls, cards, emails etc. What a great birthday!

Our latest tricks!

My friend Tobey took these darling pictures of the girls. I turned my head for two seconds and the next thing I knew... DIRT! Yum...


Anyway, I just thought I'd give an update on the girls. Maddie is walking! It is so cute. She is actually amazingly steady for just learning. This last week she just sort of figured it out and now she walks everywhere. It is so cute to see such a little person cruising around on her feet. I love it. Bella hasn't quite figured it out, but I've noticed her watching Maddie walk around a lot so I'm sure she'll decide that she wants to do that too. Maddie also likes to say "Peek boo" but for some reason she covers her ears instead of her eyes. She also says "bear" all the time because she loves her little bear security blanket. She has such a fun, lively personality and is always on the go.


Bella is so smart! She can say three different animal sounds now. She says Moo, quack quack, and growls like a tiger. It is so cute. We don't even have to do the sound first, we just say, "What does the tiger say?" and she does it. It is darling. She loves anything that has buttons on it (the remote, the cd player, the telephone) and turns on and off the TV all day long. She is a very observant little girl! She loves to play in the water and has no fear. She is also so happy and constantly on the go with her sister.


They both have four teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom. They love to play with their dad and every day when they hear the garage door open for him to come home they say, "Da Da!!" and they start to squeal and get excited. They love to dance to their favorite children's songs DVD from Aunt Lacey. They have learned how to blow kisses and give good kisses too! When they are in their high chairs they love to pass food to each other. They'll trade a little cookie back and forth and they think it is the funniest thing. They still take two great naps everyday! Yay! It is amazing how fast they are growing and learning. We can't believe they are 13 months old! We love these little sweeties!

A wonderful read

While I was in St. George my in-laws recommended a book and I have to write about it because it was one of the most incredible stories I have ever read. It is called Left To Tell. It is written by a woman who survived the Rwandan genocide in the nineties and her story is totally inspiring. The things that the people went through were absolutely horrific, but the amazing thing about this book is that she explains how she relied on God through everything and ultimately was able to forgive the people who killed many of her friends and family. I couldn't put it down and it was a really quick read. Very motivational so I recommend it to everyone!

What a month!

Well, I've been away from the blogging world for a month or so, and so much has happened at the Rynearson house. We spent most of our July in Utah with family and friends and it was so wonderful! We celebrated the Fourth of July with my family in Oakley, where we saw the parade and went to the rodeo.

We all took a little hay ride and a highlight was the play put on by all the cousins. It was darling! The kids all had matching Red shirts for the festivities. We even had a birthday party for the girls there. Here they are about to jump into the little bug cakes I made. (Thanks for the cute idea Tar!)

It was such a blast to have my entire family together! It worked out so good that we could all be there! We love and miss you all!

We spent the next week in SLC and loved seeing our friends and family. We were spoiled of course! Maddie took her first few steps, and I think both the girls will probably start walking in the next few weeks or months. Kind of fun, but kind of scary too! Scott and the boys did some golfing and a little work on Sarah and Josh's new house in Holladay. We went out and saw Mike and Chantele's darling apartment and made a trip to IKEA. It was like an amusement park for adults! Pretty fun! The Jackmans came down from Logan to hang out with us as well and I loved having quality sister time! We did lots of swimming and playing outside in the grass ( a luxury we rarely enjoy in MO because of the ticks) Here are the girls playing in Grandma Sue's sink.

We also got to see lots of old friends that we miss, so that was a highlight for us! We had a MAHAK reunion, a DIVA game night, a visit to the hospital to see Sarah Ames and her new twins, a visit with Laura, Ash and hubbies, some quality time with Deb, play time with the Hintons, and a trip to Provo to see the Morgan, Whitney, and Hill and lunch with Blythe. It was the best!!

We then headed down to St. George for some time with Scott's family. It was fun to just relax and hang out with the fam. It was Scott and my fourth anniversary while we were there! I can't believe it has been four years. They've been incredible, and when I look at how much has changed in four years, it is amazing. For our anniversary we went to see Harry Potter (our first movie together in the theater in over a year!) and about 30 minutes into the movie the power went out in St. George. It stayed out for the next six hours so we didn't end up getting to see the movie or go to dinner. We were a little disapointed, but we spent the night playing games with the family in a warm (no AC) house till the power came back! We have plans to make up for it soon and still celebrate our anniversary!

Scott's family loved playing with the girls and we celebrated their first birthday again! We went to Pizza Factory for dinner where they made them pizzas shaped like the number 1.

My good friend Becca came to visit us from Las Vegas and we had fun swimming at her parents pool and catching up. The highlight of our time in St. George was that Scott's little brother Matt came home from his Mission to the Philippines. It was so fun to see him. He was an incredible missionary. He didn't get home until 11:30 friday night, so they went and picked up Alberto's Mexican food and we all sat outside and caught up. It was a late night for everyone! His talk on Sunday was so great, and we were so proud of him. We are glad Matt is back and hope he'll come visit us soon! Melanie had an amazing feast after church (like she always does) and it was a wonderful weekend.

Scott's entire extended family came into town for the weekend so we got to be with everyone and celebrate Randy's 50th birthday together. We love Grandpa Randy! It was so fun to watch him play with the girls and they just loved him!

Here are the girls with Great Grandma and Grandpa Hammond. I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures, but I've just realized I don't have any pictures of the girls with Matt or Randy. Hopefully his family took some, so send me them please! I didn't take very many pictures the entire trip, so I want pictures from everyone we saw okay?

While we were in Utah my wonderful sister Sarah had her baby, Benjamin David Bradley, and he passed away a couple of hours later. We were all so heartbroken and our thoughts and prayers are still with them. We were grateful to extend our trip a couple of days so we could be there for the graveside service. It was such a tender time. Bradley's, we love you all so much and are thinking of you. They got some beautiful pictures taken and I wish I had one to post.

Here are the Lunt men (minus Dad and Dan) enjoying the Patio after the service.

Well, We have made it back to Kirksville and are adjusting to regular life with Scott in school. The girls and I have had so much attention and people around. I think they are going to get a little bored. We are always up for visitors so come find us in Missouri! Thanks to all of you for a wonderful visit in Utah.

We love our Aunts!

Swimming at the pool.

Maddie and McCall

Bella in the tub.

Aunt Lacey and Aunt McCall came to visit us last week in Missouri! We loved having them here! We showed them around our little town and pretty much just played with the babies. It was wonderful to have their help and company (especially because Scott was doing his two week preceptorship in south east Missouri). He was able to come home for saturday and sunday to see them as well. We are so grateful for such wonderful family! They spoiled the girls and the babies miss them already!

The Cubs!

The highlight of Scott's trip was going to Wrigley Field for the Cubs game. He was in Heaven! We rode the subway to the game and the crowds were crazy! The girls did amazingly well. People couldn't believe we'd bring 2 babies to a 3 hour baseball game, but they were perfect! It was the first of many baseball games to come for them!

Chicago again

We walked around Navy Pier that goes out into Lake Michigan. The Lake is beautiful and so big! There are running paths all along the coast with beaches and the city right there. It is beautiful.

Monday we went to the free zoo. The girls' favorites were the warthogs and the polar bear. The warthogs were moving around and making noises so they like that, and the polar bear was swimming right up next to the glass where we were and he kept coming by so they girls would try to touch him!

We walked around Millenium Park where they had this huge fountain, beautiful gardens, and some cool architectural design stuff.

More Chicago

These are more pictures from the Museum of Science and Industry.


This was an exhibit about genetics and cloning. There was some information about identical twins and we have come to the conclusion that maybe our girls are identical! We have no idea really, and probably never will unless we got them tested. The reason we got thinking this is because this sign says that identical twin babies don't always look exactly alike because they can change a little during the pregnancy. Identical twins don't run in the family (it runs through the female bloodline, not the male) and there are no twins in my family anywhere. We are always telling people that they don't look alike to us, but everyone else seems to think they do! Maybe the world is right and they are identical... who knows!

Chicago!

We just got back from a wonderful weekend in Chicago! We had a blast. We love that city. There is so much to see and do and it was so nice to have some fun family time. We got there last saturday and went to the aquarium. The girls loved seeing all the fish up close. It was pretty croweded because of the holiday weekend, but we had fun. They had a baby beluga whale named Bella that was born only a day before our Bella. (She weighed about 120 pounds more!) We had to take a picture of Bella with the sign.



They had a cool exhibit on the coral reefs of the Philippines that Scott loved. We pushed the girls around in their strollers and carried them around all weekend! They were troopers!


On Sunday we went to church and then to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was one of our favorite places. This is a picture of a German submarine called the U505 that the U.S. captured in WW2. It was really amazing to see it up close like that.