Had to post these cute trip pics

Arabesque

High fives.

Playing with John and Sydney's cute kids! Its so fun to have them right next door. We got to see Sarah and her family quite a bit as well and I've just realized I don't have any pictures with them! Hopefully she does. We had fun times with the Bradley's in their yard, the park, the pool, the zoo (okay well we got totally poured on at the zoo, but still). It was SO great to be with my sisters. We loved being with all of you.
We had the best trip and were spoiled as always! Thank you to all of you for being so good to us. We were happy to come home to Scott but miss our wonderful families already.

Sun Fun

We got to see the Hinton's a couple of times! Leash and I go way back. Her kids are darling. We all loved swimming in Grandma's pool.

Maddie!

Taking a drink break.

Taking turns is hard!

Still more pictures

We went to the Dinosaur park in Ogden with my mom and sisters Sarah and her kids, and Christine and her kids. The girls loved it.

Here they are coloring with their cousins. They were really more worried about collecting all the colors of crayons than anything else.

We headed up to play with the Jackman's in Logan and here is the crew loaded up in the car. We loved seeing all our cousins and it was great to spend time with Christine and Jeff. Ashley and the girls were doing some great cheerleading routines! We went to this little Zoo/Park and that was a highlight.

More travel pics

We went to the Hilton's house in Temecula California and loved seeing all the cute Hilton girls. Maddie and Bella had a ball dancing with the girls and copying whatever they did. Maddie had fun talking on the phone with Jessie.

We were so lucky to be in California for Annie's baptism. It was such a special day. She was darling. Maddie and Bella have been talking about Annie getting baptized ever since. They even were telling this guy on the airplane all about it. It was funny.

This is a picture of Maddie's first black eye. She was having a blast jumping on the trampoline with her cousins and got a little bump.

We got to go visit Grandma Rynearson. What a great lady. She gave the girls some little bears and they adored them. We were so glad we could see Grandma.

Where have we been?

We have been all over the place the last month! We had the greatest time visiting Utah and California the past few weeks. Scott studied his brains out for the boards (which were last week), so the girls and I headed on a trip to see family. We were gone for quite a while, but as always the trip flew by! We crammed so many things into our vacation and we loved it! The girls are still talking about their grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. They did great on the airplanes as well. They are such good travelers and I'm so grateful for that. This was my first time flying alone with them and since we had a direct flight it really wasn't bad. I was relieved. A big bag of new toys, treats and surprises always does the trick!

We got to hang out with all our family and some friends as well. It was such a treat. I love being in Utah. It just feels like home. It is so familiar and comfortable. It gets me excited to someday live closer to family. It was great!


We made a stop at the BYU bookstore and got the girls their first creamery ice cream! They devoured it of course.

We headed down to St. George for a fun weekend with the Rynearson's. We swam in their beautiful new pool and jacuzzi and the girls loved it. We had a great time hanging out with Scott's family. Thanks Lace for driving down with us! Here are the girls feeding Dora the turtle at the neighbor's house. (Rynearsons- can I have copies of some of your pictures? You are all so good about taking lots of pictures so I never take enough when I'm with you all! I just figure I'll get copies of them all later, but I know that is a pain! But, I want some of the girls with all of you and the ones by the pool etc.)

We went with Grandma Sue and Grandpa for a day at the beach in Camp Pendleton. The beach there is gorgeous and the girls loved swimming and playing in the sand. They were covered from head to toe! Isn't that cute of Grandma and Bella?

There was a great area for swimming that didn't have a current or waves so the girls loved that.

Kodak Moments!

Future pianists?

I thought this was cute with their little feet dangling! (Maddie pulled out her pigtails so that is why her hair is so crazy!)

Reading silly stories with Dad is one of the girls' most favorite activities!

April showers bring...

May Flowers!


A small town circus came through Kirksville the other day so we took the girls. They loved it and haven't stopped talking about the tigers, the camel, and the balloons!

Mama's Day

I've had a wonderful mother's day. Scott kept telling the girls all day to say "Happy Mama's Day." They would say it and then say, "Party? Presents?" Thanks for everything you did to make it a wonderful day Scott! You have so much going on with finals this week and you are always so good to me.

Sometimes I can't believe that I actually have two girls of my own. I still feel like a little girl a lot of the time. I can't even describe how much joy I have felt in being a mother. I always knew that becoming a mom was what a wanted most. When I was growing up and we were supposed to tell people what we wanted to become I'd say a teacher or a fashion designer or an artist or a florist or a dancer... I think I even had a phase of wanting to be a horseback rider! Inside I always knew though, that I wanted to be a mom and not have to work outside the home. I'm incredibly thankful that this dream of motherhood has come true. Since our girls were born almost two years ago our lives have become "them." Everything we do revolves around naps, or meal time, etc. etc. I wouldn't trade it for anything and feel so fulfilled with the important job I get to do. I'm amazed at how much my girls learn and that they truly do soak everything up. I love teaching them things and watching them grow up. Every stage is exciting and rewarding.

I've learned a lot about myself since becoming a mom.

-I've realized that I'm not as patient as I want to be. When I lose my temper with the girls I always feel bad about it immediately after. It is a good thing they are so forgiving!

-I've realized that I expect a lot of my girls. Sometimes I forget that they are so little and when I say, "No dumping the bath water all over the floor," they might not comprehend that I REALLY mean it!

-I've realized that at this stage of life I'm just not able to get a whole lot out of Church. Between the snacks flying everywhere, the girls battling for my lap, and us trying to teach them how to whisper we are happy that we make it through the 3 hours every week!

-I've also realized that even though everyday with little kids is different that I thrive on keeping a sort of schedule and structure.

-I've realized when the girls are happy mom is happy, but if Mom is happy the girls stay happier too.

-I've realized what a big responsibility motherhood is. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed that I've been entrusted with 2 smart and beautiful daughters of God.

-I've realized that I can't do it alone! What would I do without my Scott, our families, good friends, and of course the guidance of the Spirit and the love and blessings from our Savior and Father in Heaven?

I've also realized that...

-I can go on little sleep.

-I can rock crying or sick babies all night long.

-I can nurse twins for a year.

-I can put my girls needs in front of my own.

-I can push a grocery cart and pull a stroller at the same time.

-I can sing primary and silly songs over and over again.

-I can come up with creative ways to keep the girls happy.

And most importantly, even though I make a lot of mistakes I can love two little girls more than I ever imagined and I'd do absolutely ANYTHING for both of them.

Before we were putting the girls to bed Scott was playing the piano and I was holding the girls on my lap on the rocking chair. They held still enough to snuggle with me for a few minutes and I was overwhelmed by the tenderness of being a mom. I had flashbacks to when they were babies and I would rock them in that chair and wait anxiously for Scott to come home from school and help me. What precious times these are. Thank you Maddie and Bella for letting me be your mama!

Happy Mother's Day

Scott and I have incredible mothers and examples in our lives.
I love my mom sooo much and can't even explain how much I appreciate all she does for my family. She amazes me with her generosity and love for others. I hope someday I can be as good of a hostess as she is. She throws a great party. She is a supportive wife and it seems like nearly everything she does is for her husband or one of her children or grandchildren. She is the rock of our family. That lady has done a lot of good for a lot of people. I love you mom and hope to be more and more like you!



Scott's mom is also amazing! Melanie is so happy and spunky and a definite go-er. (is that a word?) She is fun to be around. She makes others feel good about themselves. She also amazes me with how hard she works for her family. When we are in St. George she spends half of the time cooking everyone's favorite foods. She's also a wonderful labor and delivery nurse. Moms who get to have her as their nurse are so lucky! I love Melanie and couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law. I will be forever grateful for the wondeful son she raised.

Where would we be without these two women? We owe so much to them and we realize that we are only starting to understand the sacrifices they have made for us, the tears they have shed for us (both happy and sad) and the love they feel for us. We are grateful for the wonderful role models they will be for our girls and we know Maddie and Bella are blessed with the two greatest grandmas ever.

Lately...

So what have we been doing lately? It is amazing how the time flies by some weeks. Here it is May. Sometimes I don't really know what we've done the past while. Regular life I guess. We are enjoying our last few months here in Kirksville. Scott has been busy studying for his classes and the boards coming up. He's starting to feel the pressure and I'm so proud of him every day. He's such a hard worker.

We are loving the warmer weather and have already enjoyed lots of picnics at the park and walks. I love meeting Scott for lunch at the park and letting the girls play. Scott really does an amazing job of spending as much time as possible with the girls. He usually comes home for lunch everyday which makes me feel like we see him even more. He also comes home for a few hours at night and plays with them. The girls really look forward to this Daddy time. Scott amazes me at how well he can balance everything.

Maddie and Bella are as cute as ever. They are talking a lot and repeat pretty much everything we say. They always try to say big words and it is really cute. They are so smart too! They pick up a lot more than I realize. They have both started saying (actually shouting) "NO WAY" when they don't want something and it is driving me crazy. I keep trying to tell them that we use nice words, but it just isn't clicking. I've caught myself saying "No way" to them though, and that is why they are saying it! I didn't even realize I was doing it. I never yell "NO WAY" at them or anything (okay I usually don't :) We do have moments...) but sometimes if they are doing something naughty (like coloring on the walls or furniture for example) I'll say, "No way, we don't do that," or something to that effect. We'll see if I can "undo" this one.

They currently have an obsession with "rella" (Cinderella), but they've only seen the singing parts with the Mice and birds etc. We have to skip ahead in the Disney movies because there are a lot of scary parts. The other obsession is "Barbie Fairies." I have the cartoon version of Barbie and the Nutcracker and they love to watch the opening credits that has two little barbie fairies flying around. It lasts about 20 seconds but they love it and want to watch it over and over again. Then we skip ahead to the very end where barbie and the prince do the grand paux de duex (sp?) and they like to watch the pretty ballerina princess dance. I knew we'd have little dancers ;). Their very favorite books are Fancy Nancy and Alice the Fairy. We read both of these over and over again. When we get dressed for church or when I try to put bows in their hair I tell them they look like Fancy Nancy and they get so excited. They are both getting a new tooth, which may explain some of the recent crankiness, but also I think they are just getting to be two year olds who want to do things by themselves. I'm trying to be more patient and let them do things on their own- like climb into their own carseats for example. It feels like it takes 10 minutes each time we have to get in or out, but they are much happier and then we avoid screaming fits. :)

Some of my favorite moments are when I'm in the other room and then I hear them laughing hysterically about something. I peek in and usually they are sitting together making funny noises or faces back and forth and laughing at each other. It is so neat to see their bond already. They battle for toys and mommy's lap, but they love each other so much. I like to see them taking care of each other. When I give one of them her bear, she asks where is the other's bear etc. They are little sweethearts and I love them so much!

Other noteworthy news is that we are closing on our house on Tuesday. Then we will officially own our first home. It is exciting. We're so grateful to my parents who have helped us a ton as we've been trying to figure out all the ins and outs of everything to do with home ownership. They help us and support us so much in so many ways and we look up to them and appreciate them more than they'll ever know! Anyway, the amount of paperwork involved in buying a house is amazing! We are still so happy about it and can't wait to decorate and settle into life in Cleveland. It is definitely bittersweet though. We'll miss our friends here in Kirksville a lot.

In my down time I've been learning how to knit and working on a friendship quilt- that I'll post more about later. I also spend my free time looking at decorating ideas and online shopping ("window shopping" really). I'm hooked on Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and yes I must confess... The Bachelor. (Thanks to my BYU roomies for that one...)

We are doing well and happy with our little life. We are finding joy in the day to day- most days- let's be honest here. :) We have so much to be thankful for and we can't believe the blessings that we have in our life. Love to our family and friends.

Dad and the girls watching "rella."

RACES

Maddie and Bella love to have races! They have a lot of energy and since they weren't able to go outside for months we had to come up with some ways to get the energy out! It is finally warming up a bit so we can play at the park somedays! We can't wait of the wading pools and aquatic center! Anyway, most days we have races from the kitchen to the family room. Then we do dancing. I'll have to take some pictures, because it is darling. The girls can do all sorts of ballet moves! The love to have Dad come home and play ball or wrestle and tickle. They are pretty fast little runners! They like to jump off the couch and on to the big bear and they always get up after and say, "CRAZY!"


Our little girls are growing up so fast!

Projects

I love doing projects! After the girls go to bed it is one of my favorite things to have my alone time with my current project. I like trying new things, and I think there is a sense of accomplishment when you can see something you've made. When the girls were little I remember thinking that I would never have time for myself again. If I got a few minute nap or shower it was a blessing! I rarely had time to do any extra little thing. Now that the girls are on a pretty regular routine- one good long afternoon nap and bedtime around 8, I have some time for these kind of things! There are so many things I'd love to make and learn how to do. I have to try and control myself because it is like that talk from conference in October about good, better, and best. While these things are fun to make and have it is sometimes easy to neglect other important things- like cleaning the house or reading scriptures or working out etc. I'm trying to be better at the balance. I'm enjoying this time though-while I can do things like this. (Maybe that means we'd better have another baby... No, not yet!)
Here are some of my current projects...

This is my first ever quilting project. All those tiny squares were quite the process, and it actually doesn't look that great clos up, but I'm learning. My friend Jessica is a talented quilter so she taught a few of us the techniques on this. I learned to embroider, and then to piece together the quilt, hand quilt, and do the binding. I really enjoyed it and want to do more quilting in the future.

This is one that I'm so excited about. It is our BLOG BOOK! I did it through blurb.com where you can just import your blog and then you format the pages. It actually didn't take very long. I worked on a page or two at a time forever, but then Jessica inspired me with her finished book, so I finished it in a couple of days, and it really was fast! It is such a great thing to have. The quality is wonderful too. It looks very professional and it is so nice to have out blog in a hardbound book that will last forever. I've decided to start doing the girl's scrapbook this way as well. I've been doing it digitally, but by the time I buy the photo paper, sheet protectors, and all the ink, it gets expensive. You can make any kind of book on blurb so I think this will be a good way to do their album. We stared our blog in May of 2006 so it if fun to look back at all the entries from just before the girls were born.

I made frames! I have painted them or gotten the mat/glass or even the pictures yet, but this was a fun new thing to try so I thought I'd post it. My friend Betsy is an incredible photographer and she did our family pictures last year. She makes frames all the time so she taught a few of us how to do it. We went and bought the wood and used the power tools and everything! I was pretty proud of myself! I'll post these when they are finished.


Anway, I think it is nice to have a few things to work on to learn new skills or just to develop talents. I loved Elder Ballard's talk for young mothers in conference! He was totally speaking to me! I thought it was great how he said to pick a couple of things to learn or work on. Good advice! :)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! It snowed here today, but the girls still had to wear their darling Easter Dresses!