The Sorensens Family

FLYING BY....

2012-01-26T20:14:00.001-07:00

Time is going by so fast!! Winter might be over before it even gets here ;) We're quite disappointed with Mother Nature and the lack of snow. We've been dying to go snowmobiling at the cabin, and I'm starting to wonder if we'll even get a ride in this year. All it does is rain, but it's better than nothing! It's just been really weird to play outside in 50* weather on a January afternoon!

We've had a lot of fun with family this month. All the Sorensen's came home for New Year's Eve. The menfolk spent hours playing Rook that night while we women chatted and chased little rascals around :) It was fun to spend time together eating, shooting hoops, and smacking a pinata!

We've spent time in Burley when Abi & Liza come home with their roommates/boyfriend! We went bowling, played ukuleles, and giggled like sisters do! Blake sure loves all his "Abi's!" He's such a funny kid.

Still has a shoe fetish (he's wearing Nene's heels as I type), talking up a storm, and shooting hoops as much as ever. He loves to cheer "Go Jazz!" when watching games with Daddy. A couple weeks ago he started trying to "dribble" to his little hoop. He just shakes the ball up and down while running up to the basket before he shoots it in! It's HILARIOUS! He had all sorts of fun with his boy cousins last week in Pleasant Grove.

We went to Utah for my dear friend Jules's marriage to Jeff Blake. (I stole this pic off facebook. I think Jeff's brother took it.) The sealing at the Timp temple was so sweet, and the two make a fantastic pair! And the bride was hot, of course. Their reception was at the Provo library (holy gorgeous building), and I am so happy for them!!! Between weddingness, we spent time with the Bones' and catching up with my siblings at BYU. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Blake! The only thing that could have made the weekend better would have been a 49s victory ;)

Aaaaand I finally took a belly pic at 17 weeks. My belly button is officially an "outie" now, and I'm feeling large BUT pretty good! I've felt the baby moving for over 2 weeks now, and Blake loves to "pet" Baby Roo :) We'll know by Valentine's Day if this little sweetie is a he or a she! Also, hopefully by then we'll also be closer to being homeowners or getting a construction loan lined out. The next few months are going to be big ones for our family!!

:: Happy Holidays ::

2011-12-27T18:06:00.003-07:00

Another Christmas has come and gone, and there are less than 6 hours left of 2011! We've been celebrating Christmas all month! Blake has loved Christmas light (called "ho, ho"s), the candy, movies, baby Jesus, and Santa!We had a great time catching up at the Holland Christmas Party in Brigham City...We stopped to visit Grandma Sorensen on the way home...Blake met (and LOVED) Santa at the ward Christmas party...and at Costco with Mrs. Claus :) Blake wants to stay with "Tanta" long enough that Santa says, "Okay, little boy. It's time to go back to your mom now."We were in Burley for Christmas this year for talent shows, the annual cousin nativity, shopping, baking, watching movies, playing, and giggling with my sisters. Abi caught a cute picture of "Dapa" (my dad) and his siblings having a chat :)It was special to attend church on Christmas morning, to take the sacrament, sing hymns with the choir, and remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. "Nama" (my mom) sewed these pretty Christmas dresses for my sisters, and now I have one too!We opened our Christmas presents after church, and Blake caught on quick. He would squeal while opening present after present --whether they were his or not :) Santa brought Blake shoes, clothes, tractors, an animal book, and choo-choo train. I got a cake pop baker, clothes, an awesome ukelele, and a beautiful jewelry armiore! Santa brought Eric clothes, a chop saw, air compressor, and air tools! Blake got some snazzy Sunday clothes from Nama and Abi, and he wore them again to the annual Christensen Ball on the 28th. Blake and I had so much fun dressing up and dancing! Too bad Eric couldn't make it. :( AND I just realized there is only one picture of Eric in this whole post! Whooops. Sorry honey, I love you! ;)We've had such fun and are so loved by friends and family! Last night, after a 60* day (in IDAHO?!?!) we went with Holly and Eric's parents to steak dinner and a swim at Downata. Life is so good! 2011 has been so good to us. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

100th post SUPRISE!!

2011-12-19T18:37:00.002-07:00

That's right, folks....this is the 100th post! So feel free to enjoy our family Christmas card (and read it very carefully)Huh?? A baby?!? Sure enough! This little peanut... (at nine weeks)...is due to join our family July 4th!!! We had some bleeding scares about 4 weeks ago, but as of today's appointment, everything looks perfect!(thank heavens) I'm 12 weeks, I can't believe how different this pregnancy has been so far. Anyway, we are so excited to meet Baby Roo (Blake gave his little sib that name) and hope things continue normally :)

{2011 Family Pictures}

2011-12-07T11:47:00.001-07:00

Over Thanksgiving, my dear friend Nicole was a sweetheart and took some quick family pictures! It was pretty chilly, but Blake was a great sport as long as he had ahold of this giant leaf :) Here are our favorites!

THANKS again, Nicole! I love 'em :)

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T12:10:00.003-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Pleasant Grove this year at Tara and Sterling's home. We spent three nights, and really took time to relax and enjoy the holiday. The whole Sorensen family was together for games, amazing food, shopping, chatting, and watching movies.

Two turkeys showing off their full bellies!

Blake was in heaven having his six cousins and lots of toys around to play all day long. Thanksgiving was an overall success, and we have SO MUCH to be thankful for!

* Eric's new job * Building a home next year (hopefully) *
* Jesus Christ * Our awesome families * Mr. Blake *
* Temple marriage and true love * Good health *
* The gospel and joy it brings * Modern miracles * Missionaries *
* Endless tasty foods to eat * Music and dance * Best friends *
* Education * The scriptures * Phone calls to my mommy * Sports *
* Living 1 mile from Papa and Nene * EVERYTHING *

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Now the Christmas season is in full swing, and 2012 will be here before we know it!

Gobble Gobble!

2011-11-17T21:08:00.003-07:00

My sis-in-law found this turkey shirt idea on pinterest, and it turned out adorable!Cheesin' it in his dump truck :) We sure are THANKFUL for this little boy!!This little turkey is a smarty-pants. He names all parts of the face and just started putting words together..."big boy," "get down," "green tractor," "I'm happy," "buh-bye Daddy," "it's hot," "hop up," "night-night mom."He's still tall and skinny just like Daddy! At his 18/19 month appointment, he was 34" (85th%) and 25.5 lbs. (34th%)With Thanksgiving next week, we've been counting our blessing and loving life and eachother. How did we get so lucky?!?! Life honestly could NOT be any better :D

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

2011-10-31T20:25:00.001-06:00

...there was a silly little family that had a spooktacular Star-Wars Halloween!!! The Rodabough Halloween party (Oct. 21) was a blast! Blake enjoyed playing outside with his cousins and sleeping over at grandma's! The next day we even got to meet up with Nicole, Jules, and family for lunch :)

We missed Eric while he was farming with Dad, but Eric and I did get a young buck the night before! It was really exciting, and the kill and butchering didn't gross me out at all! I think I'll get my OWN hunting licence next fall. This Saturday was our primary's Halloween Carnival! Here Blake is using the force on Brother Krell :)

Eric was farming this weekend too, so Nene went with us! Blake had fun with the booths, prizes, and big kids!

Aaaaaand here we are tonight in our entirety: Yoda, Princess Leia, and the mega-good-looking Han Solo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN--from the cutest Yoda in this universe!

Eeeeeek!!!!

2011-10-20T14:14:00.006-06:00

Halloween is right around the corner!

Our home is all decked out in a spooky fashion :) Check out that lamp! I got it from D.I. for a couple bucks, and I'll eventually revamp it.See the candy corn on the piano? Yeah, I had to hide them after a day. Blake saw them, and he kept climbing the piano to get the "num-nums".....I should have known....

By the way, I enjoy NOT dusting the house for a month. It just adds to the haunted feel, right? ;)

Sidenote: Blake calls anything creepy/Halloween-related a "Boo." I swear he points out a hundred "boo"s a day!

We've had some fun in the last few weeks. Blake and I went with Eric a couple more times to Idaho Falls to play while he trained. (P.S. ERIC IS DONE TRAINING IN IDAHO FALLS!!! He's now in his own shnazzy office in AF!) Blake and I would spend the day shopping, visiting pet stores, going on walks, and seeing the pretty temple!We went to the visitors' center a couple times, and Blake loves Jesus! He walks up to the Christus to pat the "owies" on Jesus' feet. Angela Johnson's bronze sculptures "The Healing Power of Christ" are on display there and they are gorgeous!! Actually, the last time we went to the temple visitors' center, one of my friends from my from BYU was sitting behind the front desk. Sister Teal Morton is serving her mission in south east Idaho, and it was so great to see her!Blake is busy being his busy self, and getting smarter everyday! He is still completely obsessed with balls, tractors, and wearing our shoes! We've been deer/elk hunting a little bit this week with no luck (we'll try again tonight), but Blake LOVES riding with Papa on the tractor while we're trekking through the sages.

Our Halloween costumes are finally complete, and Eric's was last but not least!

I sewed the shirt and vest....can't tell who he is? It'll all make sense with Blake and my costumes! I'M SO EXCITED!!! Actually, Blake and I (Eric will be farming) are heading to the Rodabough Halloween party tomorrow, and my fingers are crossed that Blake leaves his costume on for more than 2 seconds :)

September Summary

2011-09-25T21:12:00.006-06:00

October is right around the corner, and I CANNOT wait for Halloween! Actually, our family costumes are already all but done...I kinda' jumped the gun on that this year :) Our September has been pretty mellow with canning, enjoying the outdoors, and lots of family time. Eric's 27th birthday was last Sunday, and he was spoiled with some nice new shirts and shoes for work, a rhino lining for the truck, and that snazzy vinyl sticker for the truck. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Eric! You're the best Daddy, and we love you!!It was a chill weekend, and hopefully Eric will wrap up training in Idaho Falls next month. Blake and I are so excited to see him at lunchtime again! Speaking of Blake, this little stinker went to nursery today!!!! BEST DAY EVER!

He'll be 18 months in just over a week, but we snuck him in early. He's such a busy boy, and getting too smart for his own good. The other day I counted how many words/names he knows. I was shocked to realized his vocabulary is 60-70 words--although only 40ish actually sound right. He is such a boy and a major tease! He has 16 teeth, can throw pretty hard, enjoys jumping on things (bed, couch, dog), runs full-throttle, dances to any beat, still drools like crazy, sings "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," LOVES to watch football (calls it poopball), cracks me up all day long, blows kisses, and is still a snuggler. (thank goodness!)

On Friday we went to the cabin to finish up the fencing, and I finally got our bedroom decorated! I was thrilled to find the cute matching plaque to hang between our silhouettes.

This other wall still seems like it's missing something on the left side, but it's still coming together.

Saturday evening, we ditched the kids and went with T.J. and Candice to Logan for USU's homecoming game against Colorado State. I had never seen Romney Stadium so packed! The game itself? It was fun.....kinda. We'll just leave it at that.It was nice to get away and reminisce our Aggie days :) Logan is so gorgeous in the fall! I can't wait for the leaves to really start changing here in Idaho! (it's not too early to bust out the hot cocoa, right?) Happy Autumn!!

I Remember....

2011-09-11T19:46:00.002-06:00

September 11, 2001. Ten years ago today was a day of heartbreak and life-changing events for America. Right now we're at Eric's parents' home watching stories of 9/11 on t.v. I remember that morning vividly. As I was getting ready for school, Mom turned on the news, and we saw smoke pouring out of the first tower. I was in eighth grade, and as I put on my cheerleading uniform, I just assumed it was a horrible accident. When I got to Declo Jr. High, I was in Mrs. Murry's classroom first period, and we all just sat around the television watching with our mouths hanging open. I remember watching the towers collapse live. Everyone, teachers and students, spent the day sitting solemnly, watching the news, and feeling blindsided by terrorism and impending war. However, in the weeks and months that followed, it was amazing how the nation came together in hope, patriotism, and trust in God. Those brave police officers, paramedics, fire fighters, and servicemen were loved and revered. We are indebted to their courage and sacrifice. Through the the years since, many Americans have given their lives in the name of freedom for our country and others overseas. THANK YOU!!!!

Today, I spent the morning of September 11th snuggling in bed with my husband and sweet little boy before church. My goodness! So much has occured in the last ten years, but I'm still proud to be in this great nation! God bless America!!

My Parenting Secret Weapon

2011-08-30T10:31:00.002-06:00

EUREKA! Oh happy day!! This week our home has a nice boy and a much happier mom now :) My mom gave me this book when I was pregnant with Blake. I read it, enjoyed it, and planned to use a couple techniques when Blake was born. Well, he's now a busy, bull-headed toddler, and lately I've been feeling frazzled more days than not. Had I been using the Love and Logic methods I planned on? Not really....I forgot :) So last week I pulled out the book again and devoured it! The light bulb went on!!! It's genius, yet so obvious. It helps with potty training, temper tantrums, bedtime, whining, time outs, hassle-free mornings, arguing, and simply making good choices. Even really young kids can learn through actions, consistancy, and love. So, if you feel at your wits end, give this a whirl!! I HIGHLY recommend it. It's only $15 on amazon.com, and I can attest that even though some stories and methods are super cheesy, they work! Kids love them!! Just I thought I'd share my new parenting bible with the world!

this is the life :)

2011-08-20T18:15:00.002-06:00

We sure are loving summer here in Idaho with friends and family! Blake definitely knows what "outside" means, and he'd live outside if we let him. He's been a little unsure about the pool this year, so I was suprised that he gets the hugest kick out of the sprinklers. He is constantly getting soaked and giggling all the way! :)Blake + water + dirt - clothes = happy boy!

Last Saturday was A.F. Day, and all the Sorensen's were home. That morning I ran the 5k along the face of the dam. I finished in 12th overall at 35 minutes....I felt great and I'm getting faster!! Afterward, Blake and I made it to the parade and all the fun booths and activities in city park. Eric missed out...the men-folk were doing manly work at the farm. (Sidenote: Eric finished week 2 of training in Idaho Falls and is catching on quickly!) So we ate, browsed, and Blake even got a ride on the "choo-choo" with his cousins!

Then yesterday Blake and I went to Burley to visit my family and see the Cassia County Fair! While there I finally finished some silhouette portraits of Eric and me. I got the frames at a thrift store for a buck a piece. Add a good cleaning, some paint, and Madi's Cricut, and tada! They'll be adorable in our room at the cabin! Aunt Abi and Madi went with us to the fair. Blake enjoys the large animals but only from a distance. We ran into Grandma and Grandpa Christensen at the food booth and gave loves and said our goodbyes!They report to the MTC on Monday, and it's still bittersweet to see them go. It was a fun visit, but now Blake keeps calling me "Abi" today:) We'll be sure soak up the sun while it lasts!

The Spudman....I DID IT!

2011-07-31T19:23:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was a big deal to me. I'd been training (as well as I could with a busy baby) for four months to compete with my sis Liza in Burley's 25th annual Spudman Olympic Triathlon! 1 mile swim. 24.8 mile bike ride. 6.2 mile run. I had FIVE goals for this race: 1. Don't drown 2. Don't throw up or pee my pants on the run 3. Run most of the 10k. 4. Not be the last finisher in my wave 5. FINISH before 11am (under 4 hours) I accomplished all of them! WOOHOOOO!!!Eric, Blake, and I spent Friday night with my parents so I could get up early the next morning. Well, Blake decided he was done sleeping at 2:30am, so that was that! By 5am Blake was back to bed, but we were ready for breakfast and prep. Mommy french-braided our hair, and I felt like I was six years old again :)
We headed into town at 6:20am and got ready. Liza and I were in Wave 3, so our start time was 7:10am!
There were so many people there!! I think around 2000 athletes were competing this year. I was freaking out just a little bit at this point......And we're off!!!I mostly swam the backstroke, and I will forever be grateful for nose-plugs :)27 min. SWIMLiza and I met up at the swim-to-bike transition, and then she left me in the dust the rest of the race!
I thoroughly enjoyed the bike ride! The weather was perfect, I was feeling strong, the other athletes were so kind and encouraging, and friends and family showed up along the route to cheer us on!! 1:41 BIKE - Yep, it's official. I love biking. I hate running. All along I was most worried about the run, because I have never run more than a 5k. I only hoped to be able to run half of the 10k, but I think I only walked 2 miles of the 6.2! Maybe someday I'll be able to run 10k without stopping.

1:24 RUN - There were little kids with hoses in their front yards along the run route. They'd spray us as we ran by and give us high-5's! It felt so good to accomplish this race, even though I'm kinda' slow :)

Liza finished just over 3 hours....so she had awhile to relax before I crossed the finish line :) I was so happy to see my honey and baby at the end! I actually felt pretty good after the race. Eric said I didn't push hard enough because I wasn't crumpled and puking at the end! Haha...I'll pace myself just to do without the puking.

We went back to my parents' house to nap, watch some Harry Potter, and eat and eat and EAT! I was starving!! I'll admit I'm pretty sore today, but I think this might be something I'll do again in the (distant) future. Our bodies are amazing machines, and it was awesome to be surrounded with such enthusiastic athletes!!

Way to go, sis! We did it!!!!.....shooting for 2013!!

Right around the corner!!!

2011-07-26T20:21:00.007-06:00

That's right! The Spudman Triathlon is THIS SATURDAY, and I'm shakin' in my boots!! I had been sticking to my training just great until this last month :( Blake walking + teething + sick + travel + more work = slacker! Also, the more I bike (and love it) the more I hate running. I biked the 25 miles bike route with my mom awhile back, and it's totally do-able. Biking has more air flow, more scenery, and it's easier on my poor joints. However, I did run my first race EVER last Saturday for AF's Pioneer Day Fun Run. It was a simple 5k and I completed both of my goals: 1. Don't stop & 2. Finish in under 40 mins. (yes, I'm still slow) I crossed the finish line just after 37 minutes and felt fine! Maybe next time I'll crank up my pace a bit. P.S. afterward, of course, I had to sample the fantastic food they have in the park for Pioneer Day. I mean, it's not right to burn that many calories without compensating with twice as many :)

We've had an eventful last week. First off, Eric got a NEW JOB!!!! He will be the loan officer at American Falls' Bank of Commerce! He is so excited to utilize his degree and passion for business and numbers. I am so proud of my honey, and he looks goooood in a suit. He starts training in August, and we're so thankful for this new adventure. I'm also thrilled that we get to stay here in A.F! I'm really enjoying this town and so is Blake :)

Holly graduated with her RN from BYU-I!!! GO HOLLY! She's such a sweet, smarty-pants. I'd have her as my nurse any day. On Thursday night, we went to Rexburg for her pinning. It was a neat ceremony, and the speakers were wonderful! I didn't get to hear all of it because I am the proud mother of a naughty little boy! Heaven help me!! He's been teething, sick, and just plain ornery. Today he's almost back to normal, thank goodness. Anyway, way to go, Holly!! We love our Aunt Huggy :)

On Sunday we went to Burley to hear my adorable Grandma and Grandpa Christensen give their mission farewell. They leaving next month to serve a mission in Finland! That's where Grandpa served in his youth, and I think they're both tickled to go back! Their talks were wonderful, and I love them so much. We had lunch at my parents' afterwards with lots and lots of relatives. I had a great time catching up! My mom and sisters had so much fun seeing us, that yesterday they came and spent the day shopping with me and Blake in Pocatello. I LOVE THOSE LADIES!! We had so much fun :) Old Christmas photo op:

The rest of this week will probably involve last-minute training, playing with my nieces coming tomorrow, and watching ALL the Harry Potter movies! I'm on the 3rd movie and won't see the last one until I've seen them all again! Good old Hogwarts :) Well, wish me luck on Saturday! I have a soar-throat-ear-ache-cold-thinger coming on, so I pray it holds off until after the race. I had a time goal, but I might just have to be happy with finishing.... ...and hopefully not peeing my pants.......or puking. heh. Seriously.

::Our 4th::

2011-07-08T13:45:00.004-06:00

Blake has been walking for a couple weeks now---YAY finally!! He had to make up his own mind (on my parents' 26th anniversary!) and hasn't slowed down since! We had a great Independance Day weekend. Tara and the boys came over Friday night, and Blake loved playing with the big boys!On Saturday we all headed to the cabin to fence (of course), paint nails, grill, enjoy family, and light sparklers for the kids. Blake watched them through the window and "oooh"-ed and giggled. What fun! After church in Swan Lake, Mom and Dad brought Grandma Sorensen to the cabin for a Sunday visit.It's not the 4th of July without some American strawberry shortcake! We love you, Grandma!! We were so glad you could come see us :)Candice and the girls wanted to see a parade on Monday. There was one in Malad, so we loaded up the kids, and off we went!!It was a fun little parade, and downtown Malad is ADORABLE! Randomly, we ended up sitting next to my high school principal and his family!! I guess they're from Malad originally, and it was great to bump into the Bott's!When we got back to American Falls, we drove up a hill to watch the fireworks in the back of the truck. Holidays are so much more fun with kids :)

The next day, we took the kids to Indian Springs for a dip in the pool! Blake and Kaidence still look like twins :)What a great weekend to bring all things SUMMERy together!! I'm proud to be an American and live in such a beautiful land!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2011-07-08T12:40:00.004-06:00

Yes, I already posted about Nicole's wedding back in April, but she sent me some pictures that are too cute to not share!

I love this girl to the sky!

Kisses from the bride :)

...with Nicole and Jules... and below, plus Leah!

There was a dance floor at the reception, and Eric let loose!!

Thanks for the fun, friendship, and fabulous photos, my dear Nicole!

{happy birthday to me!}

2011-06-26T20:14:00.003-06:00

....I am twenty-THREE....I got all dolled up, and Eric took me out on the town for some Red Lobster and a movie :) It was an awesome day!! Meet my birthday bike:

Eric's parents got me a season swimming pass, and mine got me a snazzy helmet and bike shoes + pedals. I'm officially decked-out for this race....one more month! :) Our nephew Tanner got baptized on Saturday, so Blake and I headed to Pleasant Grove for some family fun! Blake had a ball playing with his six cousins!! (Tanner's holding Blake) We're so proud of you, Tanner! The baptism was touching, the food was amazing, and we ladies ditched the kids for some shopping!! :D At the batism, I saw a lady wearing this adorable dress that was pretty much a l-o-n-g knit shirt. She said she got it at Forever 21, so we hit it up! Look what I found!!!

It's not the exact same one...I LOVE IT!!!! It's my new super duper comfy go-to dress. Happy Birthday to ME!

My Main Men

2011-06-19T20:33:00.004-06:00

This Father's Day, I must thank the 4 main men in my life! Blake is one of the four, of course...but he's not a dad, so move over, baby! The spotlight is on these other three wonderful men! First up is my fabulous father. Hard-working, ambitious, honest, smart, fun, adventurous, and full of love and affection. I will forever be thankful for his patience and long-suffering while raising me :) He'd give me hugs and words of encouragement when my mother was about to kick me to the curb (love you, Mom!)He may look dapper in this picture from 2008, but take away the mustache and some pounds.....and you have yourself a lean, mean cycling machine!! He rides a hundred miles like it's a walk in the park. My daddy is a handsome devil, and I love you, Daddy!!

Next up is my wonderful father-in-law. I really hit the jackpot in the "in-laws" department!! Living a mile away from Eric's parents means lots of time spent together, and I just love it! Dad is one of the most kind, sincere, and loving people I know! He's the kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back. He also cracks me up!!! I enjoy his sense of humor!Eric has spent many evening with Dad farming and fencing at the farm/cabin. They have such a neat relationship, and I'm so glad we live so close! Thanks for raising such a great son!!

Last up is Blake's amazing daddy, and my true love, Eric. He makes such a wonderful father and works so hard to support us. He teaches Blake new things everyday, picks up my slack, and keeps us giggling. He is a wonderful person full of countless attributes that I love! Eric, you are loved more than you even know!!!Who knew this guy would fill those fatherhood-shoes like a pro? I never had a doubt. Over the weekend my parents a most of my siblings came to the cabin, swam at Downata Hot Springs, ate, played games, laughed, shot skeet, and enjoyed eachother's company. I even made a Father's Day cake:ALL of these guys are kings of the grill, so I thought this was appropriate :) After my family left, we spent the rest of Saturday fencing with Eric's parents. It was great to see both of my Dads in one day! We sure love you!!

New Do!

2011-06-10T16:47:00.003-06:00

Blake has graduated from the baby faux hawk hair to little boy short spikes like Daddy! He even gets to use gel too :) This little guy just won't stop growing up! He's learning new things everyday and getting so smart! Brand new words: Jesus, tractor, baby, stinky, and basket.

He'll stand in one spot for minutes. Every once in awhile he'll take a couple steps before remembering it's scary!

More teeth are coming, and pretty soon he'll have 8 teeth on the bottom and just 4 on top! Hahah....he'll be the goofiest looking cutie-pie ya ever did see.

..just BALLIN..

2011-05-30T18:39:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday was one of the best days of Eric's life. It was the day he purchased his little boy a basketball hoop! Blake was so excited, he ate his socks on the ride home...weirdo.He thinks it's so funny to pull off his shoes and socks. If we hear giggling from the back seat, we have a good idea of what's going on! We got home, set up the hoop, handed Blake the ball....and he knew just what to do!Eric was SO PROUD of his future baller!Blake practices making baskets all day now, and just loves it!! It's helping him walk too! In the last 48 hours, he's now taken 4 STEPS, another tooth came in, and he started saying "uh-oh!"

I finally got a new fancy-shmancy bike for the Triathalon, and I only have 2 more months of training! The end is in sight, and I'm getting stronger. :) I'm growing my hair out so I can put it up or something for the race. But my head of hair has been seeming somewhat blah. I wanted to spice things up! I wanted to color it something like my freshman year at BYU:

My under-layers were NEON RED, and I loved it!! Luckily, the honor code office said nothing about it, but my mom made me dye it back to brown before I moved home. Much to my dismay, Eric shares my mother's opinion on the matter of hair. :( Nothing too crazy. Party-pooper! So when Candice and the girls came to A.F., they wanted to get feathers in their hair. So I did too! I went with an aqua one.

Something different and fun, yet subtle enough for Eric's approval. It's a win-win! Today we've spent Memorial Day eating a big breakfast, having a lazy morning, and going to Pocatello. We went to Mckee's to see all the animals. Blake loved it, and so did we! Blake pointed and made sure we knew that every creature with four legs and fur was a "dog"....even if it was a goat or pig. We'll definitely be back :) Happy Memorial Day! THANK YOU to our ancestors who paved the way for our lives, and much appreciation to the armed forces that sacrifice to defend our freedom. We love you and pray for you often!

Blake Monster :)

2011-05-25T20:42:00.010-06:00

When did my little baby turn into a mischevious toddler?!? What a destructive, adorable busy-body!! He loves to dump over the garbage can, unload the laundry basket, play in dirt, throw my phone into the trash, empty the wipes (below), and pull out every outlet cover in the house. Did that baby-proofing do any good?BUSTED, buddy! This kid plays hard (and rough) and then crashes.We spent some time with Candice and the girls during state softball last weekend. Blake and Kaidence are still the best of buddies!

Last weekend, it really dawned on me. Boys and girls are DIFFERENT--even when they're teeny kids. Girls are full of giggles, imagination, loves, screaming, spunk, and drama. Boys are loud and rough....grunting, biting, ball throwing, wrestling, dog-terrorizing, yelling, kicking, stubborn, dirty boys. I LOVE MY BLAKE, but I'd be lying if I said my days didn't consist of chaos!! hehe!

We started time-outs this month. I'm not sure if it's working, but I enjoy the 2 minutes of alone time when I'm at the end of my rope. :) Other new things in the last couple months:
* Blake's increased vocabulary: dog, hi, fishy, ball, whoa, and num-num (food)
* He try cries and fake laughs and thinks it's pretty hilarious...aaaaand I guess it is!
* The kid cruises along walls and furniture like a pro.
* He took his first step on May 16th, but he's still timid about full-out walking.
* Blake is off the bottle! Sippy cup or grown-up cup only.
* He usually has his little pointer finger out showing us everything interesting in life.
* We have an independent boy!! If I spoon-feed him any food, he takes it out of his mouth just so he can feed himself.
* Blake loves cell phones (or anything that looks like them)....he puts them to his ear to "talk" to "dada."
* He's had 8 teeth for months, and that dang ninth tooth is almost through.
* Only 4 months and 1 week until NURSERY. I think that may be one of the best days of my life :)
* He's a parrot! He repeats everything we say or sound he hears.
* Blake is a climber! If he thinks he can conquer the mountain (couch), he will find a way.

He went up and across the couch like this for about a solid hour today! Whatta kid!

Being a Mother

2011-05-08T21:39:00.008-06:00

I have the best job on the planet. I get to stay home and be the mommy of a sweet little boy. It is difficult to fully put motherhood into words, let alone a single post. When Blake joined our family, my heart grew more than I thought was possible! Holding Blake for the first time filled me with joy, love, relief, and gratitude to Heavenly Father. I was also overcome with fear of the unknown, self-doubt, and worry for being fully responsible for a perfect new life. As he grows, I celebrate each little milestone and discovery, and my heart breaks for each new struggle and pain he must experience. The world can seem so cruel, yet so intriguing and awe-inspiring--all at the same time! Life is such a complex thing.

Motherhood is wonderful, fun, and rewarding. It's the best thing I've ever done!! Although, while simply peachy at times, it involves sleepless nights, frustration, exasperation, fried nerves, never-ending messes, poop smeared in the carpet, tantrums, patience, puke, power struggles, tears, and work Work WORK!! Being a mom is hard....and Blake is just one year old!!! I guess you could say I have my work cut out for me :) BUT I LOVE IT! All it takes is a smile, giggle, or snuggle from my boy to make it all more than worth it! Our little family is my pride and joy.

I can't thank Eric enough for being my right-hand-man, and stepping up to fill in the gaps I may leave behind. I honestly don't think I could do this without him! He is such a wonderful father. I sure love my boys!! Last month I came across an advice column article that had me giggling and nodding my head in agreement....I've just gotta share:

Dear Carolyn: Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group... OK. I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners...I do all those things, too. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events); I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy, but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks have the same questions. --Tacoma, Wash.

Dear Tacoma: Relax and enjoy. You're funny. Or, you're lying about having friends with kids. Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them. I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, because it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, cleaned, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest of trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired, or bored, any one of which produces checkout-line screaming.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15. It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier. It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense. It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself. --Carolyn

And there it is in a nutshell! Since just before Blake was born, my life has been consumed with being Mom! It is a full-time job, and there's not another title I would be more proud to wear. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. Everyday I understand the job a little bit more, and it makes me love you that much more Mommy. THANK YOU!

♥ THREE INCREDIBLE YEARS

2011-05-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

Has it really been 3 years?? I have spent today re-reading our love letters through dating and engagement. I have 40 pages of emails and facebook messages to melt my heart over and over again! Who knew I married such a sap?....such a very VERRRRY good-looking sap ;)Eric makes me giddy with joy, he'll make me laugh until I hurt, kiss me 'til I'm dizzy, and his hugs are THE best!! He's my most bestest friend and the best dad ever. LITERALLY. Best. Dad. Ever. Marrying Eric was the greatest decision I have ever made, and I am so SO SO SOSOSOSO happy to be his lucky little woman for eternity!! I love you forever, honey ♥

wonderful weekend!!

2011-04-27T16:26:00.012-06:00

Last weekend was WONDERFUL!! Our little family took a trip to Utah to visit Tara and Sterling, go to a wedding, and see Megan graduate from BYU with a major is Psychology!Sam and his beautiful, accomplished wife!My mommy's FIVE Christensen girls :)We're so proud of you and love you, Megan!April 22, 2011 was the day my most bestest girlfriend (Nicole) married HER most bestest friend! (Matt) I helped with the reception and got to do their flowers!!!! Tulips and more tulips :)

Matt's groom boutonniere

Nicole's gorgeous candlestick bouquet

Mothers' lapel corsages (Grand)Fathers' boutonnieres

Grandmother lapel corsagesNicole Ashby and Matthew Boulter (here with Grandma Ashby) were married in the Mt. Timpanogos LDS temple, and Eric and I were blessed to attend the sealing. It was simply lovely!And the bride was lovely too, of course! I LOVE this girl :) She wore her Grandma Johnson's wedding gown, and Matt wore the suit his father wore as a young groom. These two are an eclectic, timeless couple with an appreciation for history, romance, and the arts.Sooo....of course theire reception was perfectly vintage and classy! It was in the Grove Theater and included amazing food, mingling, dancing, and sweet songs exchanged between the two :)It was the most magical, romantic wedding weekend I have ever seen, and it was awesome to be a part of!Cutie-pa-tootie bundt wedding cakes!I have been waiting over THREE YEARS for this event, and it was perfect. I love these two and wish them every happiness! We had a ton of fun staying with the Bone's watching movies, having "girl time" with Tara, and playing with the little boys.Blake had his first Easter with his cousins.....and I took NO pictures!! Hopefully Tara will let me steal some :) Aaaaand she did!! Here's our Easter morning! He found some eggs, wore a new outfit (THANKS, Aunt Tara!), and screamed through sacrament meeting.It was a wonderful, busy "vacation," but what a treat to be apart of these big events!

My Madi Cakes

2011-04-17T18:51:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite events of the year was April 13th and 14th....Mini-Cassia Jr. Miss (now known as Distinguished Young Women)!!! My dear baby sister Madisen competed this year and blew us all away! There were 37 girls that competed this year. Wednesday night was the preliminary night, and Thursday was Top 10 and awards.

(Photo courtesy of Abrey Adams Photography)
Madi sang "Walking in the Air" for her talent. She has the voice of an angel!

Most of us made it for the preliminary night, including Eric, Blake, and Grandma Rodabough and Grandma Kate. Blake did really well! Sure we had to juggle him across the rows to keep him entertained, but he loved dancing during the Fitness and singing (yelling) during Talent performances :)Christensen sisters all grown up

For the final night, Mom, Dad, Blake, and I were the only ones to make it both nights.....but the sisters were even more bummed they missed it when they found out Madi made the TOP TEN!! The performed wonderfully and won a well-deserved Talent scholarship!

Way to go, Madi Cakes!!! We are so proud of you! You are beautiful inside and out, and have a bright future ahead :) Love you, sis!

:: Happy 1st Birthday ::

2011-04-06T18:51:00.010-06:00

We had a BIRTHDAY PARTY last night. Blake is one whole year old!!! The grandparents come on over for some dinner and a delicious chocolate cake made by yours truly :) Blake loves baths, so I sculpted a rubber ducky out of rice-crispies! (that's Eric's favorite part of the cake) Blake gobbled up his own little cake. When he had eaten enough, he decided to throw handfuls of cake in the air like confetti!

He opened lots and lots of presents!

...shoes, socks, clothes, and bubbles!!

We sure love our big boy! At his 12 month appointment, he measured 23 lbs. and 31 inches!

Earlier this week we took some ONE YEAR photos and here are the favorites:

future dunk face :)

Reflections: Childbirth

2011-03-31T20:21:00.000-06:00

Blake’s first birthday is next Tuesday, and I’ve spent a lot of time this last week in reflection of childbirth and mommyhood. To sum it all up: What an enormous sacrifice…but what an endless joy! I LOVE BEING A MOM! As my sweet baby becomes more and more a little boy, I get an itching to have another baby. What stops me? Pregnancy. AND labor. Oh—AND delivery! Some women simply love being pregnant and feel that giving birth is a magical experience! I am not one of those women. I enjoyed ONE thing about being pregnant: 1. Feeling the baby move = I was going to be a mommy! And I only enjoyed TWO things about giving birth: 1. I had a precious baby boy to love, and 2. I was no longer pregnant! YAY!!

When Blake was born (that post HERE), I never included some of the crappy details, so maybe I will now. Just consider this my honest and straightforward account. First off, I had always planned on getting an epidural. (And always will!) I had talked to friends and family about their experiences, so I walked into Labor & Delivery with the misconception that an epidural meant there would for-sure be zero pain. WRONG-O. Hahaha! I laugh at my own naivety!

We checked into the hospital at 6:30pm Easter Sunday for an induction and hung out for awhile, watched movies, and ate. When it got late, I sent Eric home to get one last good night's sleep :). At midnight a suppository was inserted to soften and thin things. Labor started immediately, and they gave some medicine through my IV so I could "get some rest." I have no idea what they gave me, but I had a crazy, psycho-dreams, long, restless night. I would wake up, and still not be sure if I was awake or dreaming.

I didn't feel too rested by the time the Dr. Carlson came in at 6:30am. I was at a 4, he broke my water, and there was meconium in the amnotic fluid (Blake pooped in utero). P.s. for anyone in labor that is getting an epidural, if at all possible, get it before your water breaks. FOR REAL! The contractions that follow are mega-OUCHY!!! Dr. Carlson told me it would take the anesthesiologist 45 minutes to get to the hospital when I was ready for an epidural. I had only 2 agonizing contractions before telling the doc, "I think that anesthesologist had better get over here!!"

The next hour was super duper fun trying to breathe through the contractions and squeezing Eric's hand. Finally the mustache-sportin' anesthesiologist arrived! I never thought I’d be so thankful to get a needle shoved down my spine :) I asked Eric to take one last picture of me pregnant, and this is what he got:
I promise I was smiling! After I got the epidural I slept, and things were smooth sailing until I was almost a 9. Then it got REAL painful in a hurry. All of a sudden, I had complete feeling on my right side. I would lie on that side to get the drugs to distribute evenly. Unfortunately, Blake’s heart rate would drop so the nurses would run in and put me on my back again. I was just out of luck. My body aches just remembering that day!! Awhile later, Blake’s fatty head was trying to fit through my pelvis, and the cracking and popping of my bones sounded terrible! I didn’t feel too good either. Don’t worry, bones weren’t actually breaking! Actually, I have no idea what my bones were doing besides making room for an 8.7 pound baby.

Through everything I never actually cried, but I did get to the point where I was thinking, "It will be 10 years before I have another baby...if ever!!!" and "I'm done. I can't do this anymore!" (as I had a choice there! hah) The anesthesiologist pumped in the last of the meds, and that helped for a little bit. I guess. We even turned on opening day MLB for a distraction. Suprisingly though, being able to push against the pain was the best relief! Those 50 minutes of pushing went by pretty fast. There was a whole audience of NICU nurses there for the delivery incase Blake aspirated the meconium, but thankfully he didn't.

At 2:17pm on April 5, 2010, after 14 hours of labor, 2 episiotomies, and during Marlon Byrd's three-run homer, Blake Eric Sorensen was born! He just whimpered like a little bird and snuggled up to me :) He was perfect! I was in love. I wish the pain ended after he was out, but passing lemon-sized clots, cramps, lots of stitches, and bleeding and bleeding and bleeding……AND ENGORGMENT!!! Who on earth said breastfeeding was natural and easy?!? Good grief. Thaaaat’s another story. We were very lucky there were no complications, things went smoothly, Eric was a champ, I DID have half an epidural, Blake was healthy, and we all got to come home the next day. Still, it was what it was. It sucked. Don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful to actually bear my own children, and I love Blake and our future angel babies enough to do it a few more times. BUT will I be popping out 10 kids? No way. Will I be blabbing about how tough I am and birth was a breeze? Nope. Do I absolutely dread the next time I am in Labor & Delivery? You bet!It blows my mind that women have been giving drug-free birth for thousands of years! I respect all these women, and especially Eric and my mothers and grandmothers. A HUGE THANK YOU for not only dealing with the physical pain of giving us life, but for the emotional pain, heartache, and sacrifice. I hope we provide you enough joy in return (including grandbabies!) to make it worth it :) Our Blake sure is worth it, and don’t ever forget it, kid!

Our March

2011-03-27T16:11:00.008-06:00

This month has flown by, and fortunately April will be a little more sane :) Regular life is plugging along with work, play, callings, and the rollercoaster of parenthood. Blake figured out stairs last a couple weeks ago! He randomly climbed up the stage stairs at my parents' house.

Grandma made sure he didn't fall and crack his head open. Since then, Blake will climb up and down entire flights of stairs with no problem! He thinks he's pretty cool. Last week we got a special visit from our dear friend Anne from Berlin, Germany! She was an exchange student and stayed with my family in 2007. She decided to come back to Idaho for a couple weeks, and on the 16th she hung out with Blake and me for a day. She's such a great girl, and Blake fell in love with her! That night she went back to Declo, and we went to AFHS for Donkey Basketball!! One word: HILARIOUS!! The 4 teams were students, teachers, alumni, and city officials. Those donkeys had minds of their own :)This month has been full of glitter, glam, and other pageanty happenings. Power County had their Junior Miss/YW of Excellence/Distinguished YW program last night, and it went off without a hitch. I'm a host mom, and we've been practicing for a couple months. Last week alone we put in probably over 20 hours of rehearsals!! Geeesh! Here are our 15 enchanting ladies before showtime!I was Adriana Mendez's host mom, and we had SO much fun! This was something entirely out of her comfort zone, and she made this momma so proud!!! She is such a sweet, spunky girl, and she had me laughing constantly. :) YOU GO, GIRL!!....aaaand while I was keeping this lady curled and glitterfied, Eric was in Pocatello making this little purchase:The Tahoe has become a money-pit the last couple of years, so we've been looking for a truck. We went test-driving in January and were floored by Ford's F-150's. They are SO CUSHY for the same price as a Chevy or GMC.We stopped by Courtesy Ford to take a look-see, and they had just got in exactly what we'd spent two months looking for. It's a 2010 F-150 Lariat with all the bells and whistles (even though it was a "used" truck at 2,800 miles)!!

We got a great deal, and Blake likes it too! Happy Spring, everyone!

Discoveries!!

2011-02-27T19:28:00.002-07:00

Eric's eighth grade basketball boys wrapped up their season on Thursday. It's added some fun and variety to our winter :) I had to sneak a picture of him during one of the last games....lookin' good!!

We've had all kinds of new discoveries in the last week or two. First off, Blake has discovered waving bye-bye and shaking his head yes and no (mostly no--he thinks its hilarious!). Also, Blake has decided that the toilet, for some reason unseen by Mom, is a really fun toy. GROSSS!! I am constantly dragging him out of the bathroom....if only those old doors shut tight more than half the time!

Last weekend, I went into our basement only to discover our clothes dryer on fire! Now mind you, this lovely harvest gold dryer has been very good to us. It's the dryer Eric's parents got when they got hitched...35 years ago! What a trooper!! On President's Day we purchased a new fancy shmancy dryer---and washer. It's Eric's fault. I guess it was too good a deal to pass up :)

With the help of Candice and Carly, I discovered these awesome fingernails!! It's called marbling, and it is SO FUN! Google it for pictures and even instructional videos. All you need is 2 or 3 colors of nail polish, tape (so it doesn't get too messy), and a cup of cool water. It takes awhile until you get the hang of it, but each nail is a suprise!! Go try it. NOW!

I discovered I was selected to do the Spudman this July, and I've already registered and paid my dues! I'm excited to do an olympic triathalon, but a little nervous. It's a three part race 1.5k swim (1 mile), 10k run (6.2 miles), and 40k bike (25 miles)!! I've already started working out, and I had better look good in a swimsuit this summer! :D

Lastly, I discovered that I can actually make and frost a decent birthday cake! I had never really tried, but I buckled down and made this one for my Daddy's 48th birthday!!! Check out that technique.

hah! I need some practice, but I'm thrilled it wasn't a flop! Actually, it was a chocolaty delight! My Dad's birthday was yesterday, but today we're celebrating together in Burley!! Happy Birthday, Dad...I LOVE YOU!

{valentines}

2011-02-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

First off, we went to TJ and Candice's for a Super Bowl party, and we had oodles of food and fun! (and I probably gained 5 pounds from the peanut butter bars alone!) We had a great time playing on Kinect, doing our nails, and chatting after the game. Blake had a BLAST playing with his cousins. This is how babies watched the game:
He thinks Kaidence is pretty cool. They follow eachother around and could play for hours on end :)

We've still been as busy as ever, but now throw in a week-long flu. I was out of commission for a couple days last week, and Blake has been on a rollercoaster all week. The poor guy has constant fevers and is just a sad boy. On Saturday, we took Blake with us to the DHS band's Valentine's dance...but obviously, he didn't feel too great. Good thing Grandma and great-Grandma were there to snuggle him so Mommy and Daddy could dance. It was a treat to waltz with my sweetheart and hang out with Sam and Megan. :) AND then all three of us got sick that night through this morning. oh well. We've had a cozy Valentine's Day. It's actually been nice to have a reason to not go anywhere for a couple days. We bought eachother shares of some stocks for Valentines....kind of different, but I think it's exciting! Anyway, I sure love love love my TWO boyfriends!! Eric is absolutely my truuuuuuue love, and I am the luckiest girl to have him and the cutest baby on the planet. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, Y'ALL!!

I feel like a chicken...

2011-02-05T20:55:00.001-07:00

...running around with my head cut off!! The last month has been a very busy one in our household, so here's a brief, or not-so-brief, update on the Sorensen's!

Eric has been busy with work, deacon's quorum at church, and he's been coaching 8th grade boys' basketball with his Dad! I think he really enjoys it, and the kids think he's pretty cool! We've had fun going to ball games with Blake! Our little guy almost watches the game as much as he watches the cheerleaders :) ohhh, boy!!! Eric still has his three-day weekends, so we spend lots of family-time playing together, visiting Burley, watching ball games and movies, snowmobiling at the cabin, reseaching stocks and other investments, and "window-shoppping"/test driving trucks.

I've had my hands full with my cub scouts (we had our pine wood derby this month--my favorite!). I also started teach voice lessons this month. I have two students, soon to be three, and I'm hoping to get a couple more. It's been a great excuse to get back into music and sing again. I've finally started exercising after that darn winter slump, and I entered the lottery for the Spudman triathalon in July. I'll find out in a week or two if I got a draw to race. Also this month, I've become a wedding planner for my best-friend-sister-wife's April wedding, and I couldn't be more excited for their new life together.....and to help plan......and decorate....and do their flowers....and other such fun weddingy thingers. AND I get to be a host mom for Power County's Jr. Miss! This spring might be insane, but so many fun things are going on, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Blake has been talking non-stop, crawling everywhere, and destroying the house faster than I can put it back together. I've given up on arranging the dvds more than once a day :) He dances to music and climbs up the piano legs to pound on the keys. He's actually been sick for awhile with an awful cough (bronchiolitis?) but it's finally letting up....probably right in time for him to catch something else, right? He's also Mommy's sidekick for running errands, exercising, and being an absolute monster during music lessons!!!

Good thing he's so darn cute!

* DADDY'S BOY *

2011-01-10T21:21:00.001-07:00

Blake is the biggest daddy's boy EVER! It halfway melts my heart and halfway makes me pull out my hair!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've seen kids have separation anxiety or prefer one parent, but I have never seen this intensity. Talk about complete hysteria when Eric leaves the room. I'm so happy he loves his daddy so much, but gosh darnit, it's making my mommy job DIFFICULT.Blake does still love me. He started saying "dada" about 3 weeks ago....well, "dada" and "Bob," even though I have no idea who/what that is! Anyway, last Wednesday (his 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY) he finally said "mama!"
Yep, our little lad is 9 months old :) He had his check-up today, and he's already his daddy's spitting image.....TALL and thin. Well, thin because he's burning lots of calories bein' on the move, but he's also been sick for the last week and a half. Blake + lost appetite? = NOT normal. He was 21 lbs. at 8 months, but only 20 lbs. 4 oz. today. He was a whopping 30 inches tall :) 93rd-percentileHe has a total of SEVEN teeth now, and he's growing right up before our eyes. Last month he started "giving 5" and clapping. He also finally got the crawling figured out, and he started pulling himself up to standing over the Christmas holiday.

Blake's also getting more stubborn or independent. Hello tantrums!! He has been boycotting the bottle. If we are eating food, he wants food too. Not milk, no silly bottles....food and drink from a cup. But, to make matters worse, he now wants to feed himself the food!

Blah! He may be making life more challenging, but he's as delightful and adorable as ever, even if he's not a mommy's boy :)

Finishing the year off right!

2011-01-02T20:28:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas!! We had a wonderful holiday going back and forth between Burley, American Falls, and the cabin. We spent the 23rd and 24th in Burley watching movies, shopping, and catching up with my siblings.It was so fun to have Sam, Megan, Liza, and Abi all home from BYU :) On Christmas eve we went back to American Falls in time for NACHOS and to watch the Grinch.

Blake got a present that night from Eric's parents. He loves his rocking chair :) Christmas morning we headed back to Mom and Dad Sorensen's.

Blake's first Christmas!! "Did Santa come last night?"

"He DID! And he brought me lots of presents!!"

Blake had been yanking the bows off presents all month....the time had finally come!

Santa brought Blake clothes and a choo choo train :)

Santa brought us a NEW BEDSPREAD, clothes, games, and lots of other fantastic doo-dads!

The whole Sorensen family got together that weekend and headed to the cabin to play for 4 days!! On Wednesday we went with Holly and the Bone's to Logan for AGGIE BASKETBALL!!!!!

Blake enjoyed his first college basketball game!

We beat Hawaii 74-66! UTAH STATE HEY AGGIES ALL THE WAY!!

And back to the cabin after the game....brrrr! Snowmobile ride at 11pm are freezy.

"I can't put my arms down, Mom!"

We played and played and played in the snow!! Eric even snowmobiled his name on the mountainside!

And here's our trusty fleet of sleds! On New Year's eve we went back to Burley, and I went snowboarding for the 1st time in 4 years!!! It was pretty rough, to say the least. I'm still SO sore, but it was fun to play on the slopes. We had our Christmas there (Thanks Mommy and Daddy) and ate our traditional black-eyed pea soup. Each bean = one day of good luck in the new year! The time spent with our families was priceless, and we're so excited to see what 2011 will bring!

winter wonderland

2010-12-19T18:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went to Bountiful, Utah for Kasia (my cousin) and John's wedding. The sealing was just lovely, and these two were adorable!I got to do the wedding flowers, and it was a success! Roses, ribbons, crystals, and pine cones....I thought her bouquet turned out fabulous :)
We headed back up to Burleyfor the reception at my parents' house. My mom got a little carried away (in a good way) with decorating, and the house was a winter wonderland!! She and Madi cut out and glitterfied DOZENS of snowflakes to hang.
You'd have to see it to get the whole picture. I absolutely adore the birdcages....there was one on each table too.

Blake also enjoyed being cuddled and loved by everyone and anyone. He also especially loved the Christmas cookies for refreshments!

Now we're back home and ready for Christmas in 6 days!!! We have all 12 of our ornaments on our little tree.

Eric and I have decided to get one ornament per year to represent that year's greatest event! Blake, of course, was our greatest event, and this little ornament just too perfect!!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

:: Deck the Halls ::

2010-12-08T20:14:00.001-07:00

Remember last year's Stocking Saga?? I finally brushed off my craftiness and finished our Sorensen family Christmas stockings!!

Eric's stocking is the skiing snowman, mine is the gingerbread house, and Blake has the Rudolf stocking! I hand-sketched each character, and I think they turned out swell! But if I knew the felt scenes alone were going to take 2 hours each, I might have just bought stockings instead. The stockings are now hung by the window with care, and we're decked out and ready for Christmas....two foot Christmas tree and all!!
Blake met Santa last night at our ward Christmas party! He was pretty intrigued by that white beard. I know one good little boy on Santa's Nice List!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-05T18:30:00.002-07:00

We had Thanksgiving at my Grandma Rodabough's home in Woods Cross! The roads were fine, the company was great, and the food was amazing! If you have never had a turkey cooked with the infrared grill, Eric highly recommends it...he was in love with that bird!! Blake fell asleep right before the feast, but he got some later that evening!

About 30 Rodabough's showed up. We ate, laughed, played games, and piled into the basement to watch Toy Story 3.

Auntie Abigail stole my baby and played "photobooth" in the bathroom mirror....with various visiters :) Helllllooo, Grandpa....and cousin Kayla's lovely eyeball!

I love that toothy giggle! That night I stayed up with some aunts and sisters to go to Walmart at midnight. I will NEVER do that again!!! Madi and I got stuck in the mobs by the electronics and nobody could move an inch for about ten minutes. I guess I'm not cut out for that "Doorbuster" thing. It's not shopping...it's grabbing. I prefer to shop :) I'm thankful for a holiday simply for food, togetherness, and gratitude---and our family sure has a lot to be thankful for this year!

sick sick SICK!!

2010-11-22T19:52:00.006-07:00

The three of us have had nasty colds for a week and a half. Blake caught some bug, gave it to us, and hopefully we'll have perked up in time for Turkey Day! I am so ready be done with snot, coughing, snot, hoarseness, aches, snot, sore throats, fatigue, snot, and blahness!! Oh....and did I mention SNOT?!? I swear, Blake is an leaky faucet!!!! Blake has an ear ache on the mend, and hopefully my voice (which disappeared 4 days ago) will return soon! Before we succumbed to illness, we snuck off for a date doing a session in the Twin Falls temple and had a fun night bowling with T.J. and Candice. I also spent a relaxing evening putting this little wreath together:
I'm trying to accumulate holiday decorations now that we're staying put for awhile. For Halloween, I waited until the very end of the holiday and bought adorable decorations on sale for dirt cheap!! I'm planning on doing the same with Christmas. BUT we planted some indian corn in the garden this year, and they were too cute to not use. I got a twig wreath at a thrift for for 25 cents! I hot-glued the corn on, wrapping the wreath in raffia and gold wire, and added some leaves.
Voila! We're off to Grandma Rodabough's in Woods Cross for Thanksgiving. Hopefully we'll be feeling fine by then...and I pray we won't catch something else!! Wishing everyone health and safe travels through the snow this week!

haircut DOS & toofuns CUATRO

2010-11-09T20:51:00.004-07:00

Blake gas been needing a real haircut (vesus his first little trim) for awhile now. So yesterday I got out the clippers and did a little evening-up! The clippers didn't phase him much. In fact, he kind of liked the buzz sound!It ended up a liiiittle shorter than I had planned on, but he's lookin' sharp! See those two little buggers in his mouth?? Yep. Blake has teeth. Not tooth....plural. FOUR to be exact. All four front chompers broke through in 3 weeks flat! That's gotta be a new record :) Hopefully we'll all take a teething break now. I think he likes his new toofuns...well, except for when he bites his own fingers. This guy is a graham cracker junkie!! Blake is now geared up for Thanksgiving turkey!

<< Happy Halloween >>

2010-10-31T19:34:00.001-06:00

We took Blake trunk-or-treating last night at the church building.
Blake: puppy
Mommy: fire hydrant. Unfortunately, most people had me mistaken for a robot or power ranger :)
Daddy: trusty dog-owner!
Look at that adorable puppy bum! I think his costume turned out swell :) He was mesmerized by all the other kids in their costumes. We had fun, and he got some candy to share with Mom and Dad.
He did get a sucker though....and he knew just what to do with it! Hope everyone's HALLOWEEN was as sweet as ours!!

{our fall fun}

2010-10-28T19:34:00.004-06:00

....shotgun shootin, family visits, sewing, playing, movies, scooting everywhere (Blake), grilling on Eric's new grill, and growing 2 new teeth (the second tooth broke through an hour ago!!!)....We sure have been enjoying October at the Sorensen household! Our Big Little Pumpkin is so excited to go trunk-or-treating on Saturday and kindly share some (all) of his candy with Mom and Dad. Bwahahaha!! I love Halloween, and who cares if I have alterior motives?! Right? :) Earlier this month, I spent a couple days slaving away on this masterpiece:Blake is going to be the MOST adorable puppy on the block. And yes. I am quite proud of myself....and the fact that I finished a sewing project without swearing once! GO ME!!! It has been a busy month of projects. We finally tackled THIS project: river-rocking the walk-out basement.
It only took us amateur masons a month's worth of Saturdays to finish the rock. I'm amazed we still have fingerprints on our nubby fingers...pretty hard on the hands! I think it turned out to be pretty gosh darn good-looking :) The day after we finished, our little family went to Logan for Gish's wedding reception and the Utah State Homecoming game! October 23, 2010

My handsome man....

...and my other handsome man! Yep, Blake has already drooled all over his new sweater. Soooo, these pictures were taken right before the rain/monsoon started. We only really saw the first quarter before the downpour! Oh well, it was a rough game anyway. We headed north, and lucky for us, we got to see Grandma Sorensen in Preston for pizza and visiting!!

Blake watched Grandma's every move and got quite a kick out of her :) We've been drinking in the autumness, but I think it's coming to an end. It's getting cold, cold, COLD! I'm crossing my fingers that Saturday will be nice....HAPPY HAUNTING!!!

Sorensen Family Pictures

2010-10-17T19:23:00.011-06:00

At the end of August, all the Sorensens came to the cabin for family pictures. Debbie Teide and her daughter Meri did a fantastic job!!

I love 'em!

sIX mONTHS aGO...

2010-10-06T11:14:00.004-06:00

...this was my baby:
And now, here Blake is for probably the last time in the bouncer (he's learning to escape!):
The last 6 months have gone by SO FAST, and I am loving every minute of being Blake's mommy :) He is such a funny, curious, adorable boy.....and a BIG boy!! He is 19 pounds and 28 inches--93% for length! Blake is a busy body and learning new things everyday. He's been sleeping all night for a couple months now, and in the last month he has been wearing his 9 month clothes, scooting, grabbing (and eating) EVERYTHING, and sitting up! He is such a fun kid! So last night, for Blake's 6 month Birthday, I decided to let him eat a mini-cupcake. He was a fan, to say the least :)
That cupcake didn't stand a chance. It was demolished in .3752 seconds flat. Yum-yum!! Happy Half-Birthday, Blake!!!!
We love you, big boy!

I CAN CAN

2010-09-23T20:48:00.003-06:00

...No, not the high-kicking dance, but real domesticated, wife-ful CANNING!! I can do it! Okay, I know it's not rocket-science, but hey! I haven't canned in over 6 years, and I did it all by myself! (Eric helped too, of course) We ordered some pears and peaches, and our summerly salsa garden really outdid itself this year....DOZENS upon dozens of tomatoes and all different colors of peppers!! We probably made 20+ pints of delicious salsa! The other garden has had a shmorgasbord of vegetables all summer. Blake has even been enjoying various ground veggies. Potatoes are a DEFINITE favorite. This Idaho boy doesn't eat potatoes, he inhales them :) Yesterday Eric brought some carrots home from the garden. He unearthed this treasure:Hahahahaha!! There now sitting in our fridge. (I'm doing an experiment to see if a continous supply of baby carrots will appear!)

Sentimental Journey

2010-09-12T20:50:00.007-06:00

With much reluctance to separate these twinner buddies for a couple days... Little Guy accompanied me on a much-needed trip of nostalgia :) Blake and I headed down to Provo last Friday to visit my some family and old friends at BYU!! Every once in awhile, I really miss BYU and enjoy walking through campus and remembering places, foods, faces, smells, and memories. It was really fun to be on campus with Blake, and he was such a good boy!

I took Blake to a small atrium in the JSB where I decided/knew I'd marry Eric the following spring. Blake thought it was pretty cool. We met up with Aunt Abi, who had just moved to Provo a couple weeks ago!

Sadly, these were the only pictures I took of our WHOLE TRIP! Lame. I got to see all of my siblings at BYU, and some cousins and old friends! That night I stayed with the Ashby's in American Fork. On Saturday, we took it easy, and Nicole, Jules, Blake, and I went on a gorgeous hike to a river in Alpine. It was such a treat to stay with the Ashby's, share Blake with the girls, and spend a whole day with my dear Nicole, with some Julesness sprinkled in here and there. :) AWESOME weekend!! Can't wait to do it again someday!
Friday night, my parents, Madi, Max, and my grandparents stayed with us at the cabin. My Dad has been training for LOTOJA, a 209 mile bike race from Logan, UT to Jackson, WY!!!! He ended up finishing in less than 11 hours--GO DAD!! (pretty sure he has a sore tushy today.) So yesterday after my family had left, I had a hard time leaving this face with Papa and Nene at the cabin.

As much as I missed that smile, Eric and I had a great day just the two of us. We went to Logan to recall our Aggie days! I sure love that beautiful valley and campus also. We decked ourselves out in Aggie gear from the bookstore, ate some Aggie ice cream, met up with TJ, and went to the football game. USU-38 ISU-17

Go Aggies!! Great game, great place, BESTEST guy ever!

:: First Haircut ::

2010-08-27T21:31:00.009-06:00

First off, last weekend we went to Burley for the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo! I've gone probably every summer of my entire life, and it's a jolly good time! (and the maple bars are to die for) Last year at the rodeo, Blake was roughly the size of a blueberry or something. He's a little bigger this year, and he enjoyed watching the cowboys do their thing while snuggling with Grandma Christensen!
I love how this photo has my cousins Ashton picking his nose in the background, as well as some guy's tushy :) classy! The next day we went boating and enjoyed our time with the Rodabough family. Perfect finale to the summer!

Today, Blake got his FIRST HAIRCUT!! We're having Sorensen family pictures this weekend, and the mane needed to be tamed! BEFORE:
Look at that curl! His hair on top was up to 5 inches long in places. And AFTER:

What a handsome guy!! It was just a little trim, took all of 5 minutes, but it was somewhat of a bittersweet moment :)

Rosie Toes-ies

2010-08-18T15:47:00.004-06:00

I love arranging flowers! I started floral design back at BYU a couple years ago, and I still enjoy it! Actually, I've wanted to do wedding flowers on the side. Last weekend, my Aunt Dorene had me do flowers for my cousin's wedding open house, and it was so fun!! The colors were gold and shades of pink, so I kept it simple with roses and wheat :)
Before....and after:
10 bouts, 5 lapel corsages, 4 wrist corsages, and the bridal bouquet!
It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. I need practice to get faster....but I loved it and can't wait to do another! So if you know anyone in need of wedding flowers--who doesn't want to pay a gazillion dollars to a floral shop-- let me know!! Near the end of the wedding reception we headed to Dairy Queen with our friends the Andersen's. It was so good to see Brandon and Lindsay, and we got to meet their sweet baby boy Grant!They're buddies already!! Blake and Grant are exactly 3 months and 8 hours apart---to the minute! :)
Also, someone has found his toes-ies!!
...and it's pretty darn cute! I especially love that now, instead of rolling around during diaper change, he holds his own feet for me! What a gentleman :)

FOUR month FATTY

2010-08-09T19:49:00.009-06:00

Blake had his four month check-up today, and couldn't be healthier!! He handled his shots like a champ, and measured about 17 pounds and 26 inches long. That puts our big boy in the mid-eightieth percentiles for both height and weight! This week Blake learned to grab his feet, and he is sleeping through the night! Halleluiah!!!!!!! The end of July was full of fun. Blake took me on a date to Pioneer Day in Aberdeen while Eric was working.
Blake and Aunt "Huggy" after the parade! I hadn't been to Aberdeen in over eight years, and it's pretty cute little town. TANGENT/Personal plug for myself: I've been working out for an hour a day, 5 days a week, and it's paying off! Last week I got into ALL of my jeans again, and I feel goooood!!! Actually, yesterday I wore a German dress to church that I got when I was 16! Of course I could hardly breathe, but I wore it proudly :)
We've been fishing a couple times at East Fork, and Blake was feeling like quite the tough guy in his baggy jeans and hat.

Deep down, he's just a softy....

But he's gotta keep up his macho demeanor like Daddy :)

We've been playing with cousins at the cabin...

...swimming at Downata Hot Springs...

...family reunion-ing at Bear Lake...

...and eating everything in sight!

This kid is a little piggy! He realizes that when Eric and I eat at the table, there is food involved...and he wants some, by golly!! One of the best baby-shower gifts I got was a food-grinder (THANKS Grandma Rodabough), so he gets tastes of our dinner and he thinks its great! Now we're starting to introduce specific veggies each week.

BRING ON THE YAMS!

...MILESTONES...

2010-07-25T19:32:00.006-06:00

Blake has been growing up so much...16 pounds is becoming quite the load to haul around!! I have no idea where the last (almost) four months have gone! I haven't recorded many of his milestones, so I thought I would compiled them before I forget.

Started Smiling: 3 weeks
First Laugh: 5 weeks on Mother's Day -- Best Mom Day present ever!!!
Started Talking: at 5 weeks or so he started cooing, since then, he's become quite the conversationalist! We'll have chats that last 10 minutes at a time, and I LOVE IT!! I also enjoy his sing-song-y sighs. Will he have the musicallity of his mama? Maybe so! He already loves to be sung to or just listen to music/the piano while playing.
We moved him from his bassinet to his crib a couple days shy of 2 months. Actually, he slept in our room for maybe 4 nights total. He was just SO loud, that we wheeled the bassinet out into the living room and shut the door. Don't worry, I could still hear him cry! But yeah, by 2 months, he kept crying when he'd smack his arms on the sides of his bed and baby bath. Just got too big!
Blake has been trying to hold up his head and do push-ups since the day his was born! He was almost two months old when he started holding his head up successfully.
He found his tongue at 2 months old, and it has been constantly licking and sticking out since!
He rolled tummy-to-back on June 11: 2 months + 6 days old!
Blake found his hands at about 2 1/2 months. He is getting really good at grabbing things and getting them into his mouth....hair, blankets, toys, grass, etc.
He was fed his first bowl of rice cereal at 3 months. I know it was a little early, but this kid eats like a ravenous wolf! I was hoping some cereal int he evening (well, besides in his bottle) would help him sleep all night. NOPE! Four hours later, and he's hungry again. At least he enjoys the cereal and is getting the hang of using a spoon.
For the last month, Blake LOVES to stand (with assistance) for up to 20 minutes! geeesh! Sometimes he gets reeeeeeeeally mad if I sit him down.
Speaking of getting mad, he's learning what he likes and doesn't and gets mad if he doesn't get his way! For example, he loves lights, and sometimes I let him watch the computer when I'm on. Yesterday I was uploading a video, and he was watching intently. As soon as the video stopped, because it wasn't completely loaded, he'd scream until it started again!! Am I a bad mom if I just laughed at him? What a kid :)
His newest feats are scooting on his tummy and trying to sit up, although he still needs help. At 3 months + 1 week, he'd flex his little abs to sit up if I had him reclining. Too bad he can't quite stay upright when he gets there, and I have to rescue him from his feet in his eyeballs.
Finally, this last week, Blake started to roll from his back-to-tummy! I'll have to keep an eye on this kid. He'll be on the move before I know it!

Laughing at Daddy while rockin the tie-dyed onesie from cub scouts! :) He is a daddy's boy, for sure!!

Something Blake can do that I CAN'T: I can't raise one eyebrow to save my life. But of course, fresh from the womb, and he can do both one-at-a-time! This guy has a steller stinkface!

Something Blake can do that Eric CAN'T: Touch his toes and look cute farting :)

He makes me melt like a popsicle of the Forf of JULY!

2010-07-12T21:44:00.003-06:00

Yep...he does make me melt. Which one, you're asking?

Well, the one with the hat, of course...haha! I love my boys SO SO SO SO much!! Sidenote: I met my bestest buddy and true love THREE whole years ago today!

I'm so lucky to be the Mommy of the cutest Mr. Independent in the world! Gosh, I love that smile :) We had a fantastic Fourth of July this year. We went to the Rupert parade on Saturday and just kicked back with my family! On Sunday night we headed to the cabin to spend July 5th with Eric's parents, Holly, T.J., and the little girls! It was a lot of fun sunbathing on the hammock, going on walks, and doing puzzles.

Here are the babies...Kaidence is 7 months older than Blake, but size-wise, he's right on her adorable heels! Kaidence is intruiged by Blake and is always trying to grab him. I hope they'll grow up to be as good buddies as they are now :)

On a car ride, the both babies were staring and smiling at me, then all of a sudden they fell asleep at the same time!

And I had to throw this one in. This is Blake's new favorite sleeping spot! Now I have to pry him AND Eric out of the recliner! :D Speaking of Eric, he gets the BEST HUSBAND AWARD for my birthday present! Well, actually, this is my Anniversary/Mother's Day/Birthday/Thank-You-For-Having-My-Baby present!!

He got me an alexandrite and diamond ring!!!!! Alexandrites and pearls are June's birthstones, and alexandrites are super cool! In sunlight, they are teal/green, but indoors they are purple/maroon. Sweet huh!

Final braggage: I've started running again! I love being outside in the sunshine, and so far I don't hate running as much as I have in the past. I've lost 5 lbs. in two weeks!! Ten more pounds and I'll be back to pre-pregnancy weight! WOOT!! We hope everyone's enjoying summer as much as we are!

{birthday.weekend}

2010-06-27T21:12:00.006-06:00

I had a super fantabulous birthday weekend last week! Eric finally had a weekend off work, so we packed up and went to Burley for the Christensen family reunion. There were about 120 come and it was great to get to know some of these relatives better and learn about my great-grandpa Olaf Edgar Christensen. It was great, as soon as we got there, my mom stole the baby, and Eric and I played all we wanted :) Crafts...great food...chatting...shot gun shootin...fishing...all kinds of delightful activities! Too bad I'm a loser-head and didn't take a single picture! I didn't even get a photo of Pedro, the delish fish I caught. (I even gutted him myself, thank you very much!) WOOT for reunions. I love my family! :)

Anyway, on Sunday after church, we headed to Sun Valley with the Sorensen clan. I look forward to this getaway every year. My 22nd birthday was Monday, and ironically enough, Blake was 2 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days old that day! Crazy cool!! We spent the day shopping with the ladies, swimming with the guys, and just kickin' back.Blake went swimming for the first time, but he seemed to think it was just an extended bath....put him right to sleep. Then we swam ourselves silly and went back to the condo to stuff our faces :D It was wonderful, even though we missed Holly and the Bones this summer....there's always next year!

Headed home....with Blake's gums wrapped 'round Daddy's thumb!

Stike a pose, BABY!!

2010-06-24T18:42:00.000-06:00

When Blake was almost a month old, my dear friend Nicole came to stay a couple days. While here, we had a mini photoshoot, and I love these pictures! Isn't she great?? Here are my favorites :) Enjoy!!

Great-grandma Zollinger

2010-06-09T18:41:00.003-06:00

My Great-grandma Inez Price Zollinger passed away May 30, 2010. She was almost 91 years old and lived a great life and left a wonderful legacy. Great-grandma Zollinger (center) with Grandma Kate and my Uncle Dan.
The funeral was June 5th, and quite the clan showed up. She and Grandpa Zollinger had 9 children (my Grandma Kate is the eldest), 50 grandchildren, some hundred great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren...Blake was the fourth great-great :)

We love you, Grandma!! We miss you, but we're so happy you're with Grandpa again!

Blake's Blessing Day

2010-06-06T21:57:00.001-06:00

Blake had his 2 month check-up this morning, and he did awesome with his shots! He cried for maybe 10 seconds and has been just fine the rest of the day. He weighs 13 lbs. (79% for boys) and is 24 inches long (85%). Everything looks dandy, and my litte guy getting so big!

Blake Eric Sorensen was blessed yesterday by his daddy! He even wore Eric's 25 year old blessing outfit and was wrapped in a blanket Grandma Holland knitted before she passed away.
The men in the circle were Eric, my dad David, my brother Sam, Grandpa Earl, Eric's dad Terrell, his brother T.J., and bro-in-law Sterling. It was a wonderful blessing, and I love my little family so much!!!
Our families came over for lunch afterward. Let me tell yah, Eric can make a mean crock-pot-BBQ-beef! I can't believe baby Eric wore this sweet little outfit. He loves his little man so much!
Blake and mommy :) My mom and I sewed the skirt just for the blessing.
It was wonderful to have our families all together, and I sure love my boys!

Schools out for summer!

2010-05-31T17:53:00.001-06:00

Well, technically, I haven't been in school for over a year, but my siblings have begun their summer vacation (except poor Holly just started summer semester). My big little sister Abi graduated from Declo High School on May 24th!!! Great job, sis! She had awesome grades, a great ACT score, and will be heading to Provo to BYU this fall.

Abi and her favorite (only) nephew :)

Blake is becoming more and more fun! He smiles, coos, and tries to sing and talk. He is such a a good boy, and is almost sleeping all night! Eric's favorite part of his lunch break is to have a quick nap with his little man, and it's pretty darn adorable.

Posing in their sleep....like father, like son. And this week is the week! The whole long hair thing has been a fun change. It probably hasn't been this long since I was a high school sophomore...if ever. I had to take a picture to document this achievement. :) My fine hair just likes to tangle like a beast, so much to Eric's dismay, I'm chopping it! If it were up to me, it'd never get this long again, so take a good last look!

our smiley guy

2010-05-18T20:12:00.005-06:00

Blake is a month and a half old, and full of personality. I love his silly faces! This is a favorite...his suprised/perplexed face!What a handsome devil! :D He started smiling at 3 weeks and he laughed for the first time on Mother's Day...my heart melted :) I couldn't catch his gigantic wide-open smile face on camera, but half-grins are also a.dor.able.
Blake mid-giggle!!
This boy is just a-growin'--he was 11 pounds at 4 weeks--probably because he wants to eat ALL THE TIME! He only gets up once in the night to eat, (YAY!) and only really fusses when he's hungy. He's becoming a chubber.We have such a good baby and are having so much fun! Also, hallelujah...Spring has finally come to Idaho, and I have been eating it up. Eric and I are spending oodles of time working on the yard and soaking up the sun in the process. Life is SOOOO good!!

MAY DAY and a wedding!

2010-05-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

Eric and I were married two years ago on May Day (May 1st). My older brother Sam married his sweetheart Megan the same day this year! It was a wonderful way to spend to spend our anniversary....attending a temple sealing of a couple we adore! Since Saturday's festivities were planned to the max, Eric and I celebrated our anniversary the night before by eating Taco Bell's 5-layer burritos in the car while we listened to the Jazz game on the radio (GO JAZZ!) It was great fun :) Early the next morning, we went to the Bountiful temple for the beautiful sealing. Afterward, we peeked outside before we went out for pictures and saw this:SNOW!! Ironically, it also snowed on our May 1st wedding in Salt Lake :) So, pictures outside didn't really happen much....thank heavens for the pretty atrium. Christensen sisters and our cute parents!
Pictures, luncheon, and back to Burley for a lovely reception we (Mom + me + sisters) put together. I was the honorary florist! ...and Abi made the delicious cake!
Blake was pretty darn excited to fit in with the wedding party :)
It was a wonderful day, and we couldn't be happier for Mr. and Mrs. Christensen!

2010-04-26T20:43:00.002-06:00

Grandma Sorensen turned 90 years old in April, so we had a birthday party for her last Saturday in Swan Lake, Idaho! Most of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids were able to come for lunch, games, and chatting. It was wonderful to meet more Sorensen cousins and show off our little man! Here is our immediate family with Grandma....

And our first family photo!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!! We love you!

Life with baby

2010-04-25T21:21:00.003-06:00

Blake will be three weeks old tomorrow, and my whole world still feels turned upside-down.....in a good way. :) Sheeesh, new babies are A LOT of work. Motherhood is not for wussies!! This whole experience has definitely made me appreciate my mother and mom-in-law. Not only have they helped us out so much in this new adventure, but thanks a million for birthing and raising us. Heavens knows it wasn't easy!
Eric has been a champ adjusting to fatherhood. He has even changed a few poopy diapers! I love watching him cuddle and play with Blake. I've never seen a man more proud of his little boy.
He enjoys sleeping on his side with his hands by his face or up above his head. I'll swaddle him like a baby burrito, but somehow he always wiggles him arms out. We're still working on getting day and night figured out (he's had them a bit mixed up), but we are getting there!Our handsome little man is a great baby. He only really cries when he's hungry, needs a diaper change, or gets those darn hiccups--which happens up to 8 times a day! He's becoming more alert and is full of little smiles and funny faces. He is so fun!!All tuckered out from a bath...isn't that hair great?!
He's fattening up!! At his two-week check up, he weighed 9 pounds even and grew a half inch. He already feels heavier when I pick him up. He also is a STRONG little boy!!! He has a killer grip and loves to stretch out his long legs. He has been pushing himself up with his arms and holding his head pretty well since day one. Is that normal?
He's also a snuggler, thank goodness! Although, his cuddle-preference doesn't come in handy at 2am.
Having a baby has been a heck of an adjustment, but he sure has blessed our lives and stolen our hearts!!

:: first photos ::

2010-04-20T15:16:00.002-06:00

Big BOY!

Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Christensen!

Dressed up to go home...the outfit was already too short for his long legs. Eric was so proud!

Go AGGIES!!

♥ Welcome to our world, baby boy! ♥

2010-04-05T21:46:00.000-06:00

Introducing........

Blake Eric Sorensen

Born April 5, 2010
2:17 pm
8 lbs. 7 oz.
21 inches

We checked into Portneuf Medical Center L&D last night (Happy Easter Sunday!) at about 6:30 to "jumpstart" things! Labor didn't start until about midnight, so I sent Eric home to get one last decent night's sleep while I stayed to "get some rest." hah! riiiiight. By 6:30am, I was at a 4, Dr. Carlson broke my water, and things got rolling! The blessed anesthesiologist saved my bacon via epidural, and I started pushing at just after 1pm. Our perfectly beautiful son came into the world at 2:17 and we couldn't be happier parents!!! ♥ We're super duper grateful that everything went so smoothly, and we're already completely smitten with this adorable little guy! ♥ (...even though I currently feel like I've been hit by a bus)

PICTURES...the new camera came!

2010-03-30T16:50:00.007-06:00

So here are a couple pictures of the baby's room:

I sewed the curtains myself!

My talented Aunt Stacy made this beautiful quilt. I love it! So, I'm almost 39 WEEKS along. Seven days or less! woot! Looking at me straight-on, I maybe look like I gained a few pounds. But then I turn to the side and..... BOOM BABY!! We're ready for you to join us, Earp. And the sooner you come, the sooner we'll start calling you by a less dorky name :)

The Final Fetus Update

2010-03-25T20:33:00.003-06:00

Dearest sea-monkey fetus Earp,
I love you, but my ribs and hips have informed me that you are wearing out your welcome. I guess you will grace us with your presence when you're good and ready, but personally, I can't stretch anymore!!! Plus, I'd much rather hold you in my arms than in my guts at this point. Can't wait to see you!! LOVE, Mommy

I am SO READY to have this baby!! He feels cramped in there so tight. I'm still two weeks from the due date, but we've slowly got the ball rolling! He's finally dropped!! I'm over 50% effaced, just a little bit dilated, but having plenty of practice contractions. I'm taking a 2 mile stroll everyday, so hopefully that will coax him into coming sometime next week. If not, at least I'm getting some exercise before being induced on April 6th. twelve. days. So close, yet so far away....blehh. (Eric's still got his heart set on the baby being born on April Fool's Day :D)

Our little guy's room is decked out and ready to go! Unfortunately, due to my butterfingers, I dropped and broke both of our digital cameras in two months. Grrrrr! So, alas, no pictures of the room (or my big belly) until our new camera get here....hopefully it comes before the baby does!

RECENTS

2010-03-24T20:20:00.005-06:00

A LOT has been happening while we've been waiting for Earp to make his grand entrance. First off, Eric and I got a calling in our ward. We are the BEAR cub scout den leaders!!! As a little kid, I was jealous when Sam got to go to cub scouts and I didn't. Instead I had to learn to crotchet in Achievement Days....don't get me wrong, that was fun too....just not as fun as fishing, games, field trips, and those nifty badges and beads they get. Eric and I have only had one den meeting with the boys so far, but it was great fun! I'm super excited for it to warm up outside and play all summer. Now, how do I get Eric to not also turn into a nine year old when he's with the boys? hah! :D

I have been working on a project for the last month or two. I had never helped throw a bridal shower, and planning and executing one was a blast! Sam (big bro) and dearest Megan are getting married May 1, 2010 which is our second anniversary! I AM SO EXCITED!!! Sam sure has found himself a special girl :) Love her. And they're adorable...they kiss and stuff. Anyway, planning the bridal shower has been my fun little project to keep me busy while at home. It happened March 20th at Grandma Rodabough's home in Woods Cross, UT. I think 45-ish ladies showed up for a delicious lunch, funny games, and chatting our hearts out! Megan's favorite color is green, so I went with a fun St. Patricksy "best of luck" theme :)

Bride-to-be Megan: Thanks for the fun...and I can't wait to have another Christensen sis!

Next accomplishment: I finally finished the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover this morning!! WOOHOOOOOO!!!! I had read it all through the years, and know all the stories and doctrine. However, I made a goal to read from page 1 to 531 before the baby came. It was incredible to be able to see the connections or how one story stemmed from another. I got the whole story this time! It was a precious, wonderful (and eye-opening) experience and really strengthened my testimony in the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation. God really knows what he's doing! Now that I finished it, I need to keep going....time for Doctrine and Covenants!

One month left....

2010-02-28T20:50:00.015-07:00

February has been a month of showers....BABY showers....and i have been spoiled rotten!! My mom and sisters threw a baby shower in Burley on the 20th, and it was fantastic! So many ladies came for lunch and to chat. My Rodabough aunts, cousins, and Grandma made the trip from Utah. Thanks girls and dearest Mommy!!!

Lots of friends, gifts, and fun!!! Thanks again :) Then yesterday my Sorensen Mom and sisters had a baby shower for me in Logan at the Bluebird, complete with Bluebird chicken for lunch, of course! Little Miss Kennedy (middle niece) picked out the "New Mom To Be" crown I have on! :)
Sorensen and Holland aunts and cousins came to enjoy the afternoon. Eric's cousin Jill and her girls:
The Ashby gals even came with Liza in tow....and yes, I am LARGE and IN CHARGE!!
We received so many wonderful gifts from both showers and we are so grateful!! I actually feel somewhat ready now--still have a lot more to do before he's allowed to come though. Based off most of our gifts, this little boy's room is definitely going to be baseball themed...YAY! Eric will be so proud!! Also, Eric is pretty proud of this pretty piece of paper:
His diploma finally came, and Mom and I stole it and framed it for him! Happy Graduation, Eric!

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T19:12:00.002-07:00

I'm 32 weeks today, and I have been feeling GREAT!! Rarely sick, more energy, I'm sleeping well, clear skin, thick hair, and just plain happy! Just 8 more weeks until we get to meet our wiggly little guy....and we're getting excited!! I'm also excited for: The OLYMPICS, NBA Allstar games, and Valentine's Day! Now I've got to pull out my 2nd grade cut-and-paste skills to make Eric a homemade Valentine :) We bought car insurance for our V-day "gift" to eachother. So that's what you get, my love! A heart-felt card and breakfast in bed complete with pink pancakes! I sure love my Eric!!!!!! Here's wishing everyone a dandy Valentine's Day!

:: Frozen Toes ::

2010-02-08T09:56:00.002-07:00

Well, my toes didn't freeze, because I don't get to snowmobile at the cabin. Bummer......next winter, next winter....... Last weekend some new faces came to play at the cabin! My parents came Thursday and stayed the night with me and Eric. It was a cozy delight, and fun to chat with my mommy while the men were out sledding :) The next day, the Bone's came, as well as Brandon & Lindsay, Carl, and his squeeze Laura. So fun to have them and hear the boys relive their high school glory days! HILARIOUS!!These three amigos (or stooges) spent the weekend playing on the machines. Well, I hear they probably spent as much time digging eachother out of snowdrifts as they did actually sledding. I guess the snow wasn't incredibly cooperative this trip.

We are the beautiful women that make these boys' lives wonderful. Brandon and Lindsay are having a baby in July, and I just realized that standing next to Laura in the 8th month of pregnancy was NOT a good idea. Hah!

Now off to Kimberly for church and the Superbowl with T.J. and the girls. Thanks for a heck of a weekend!!

January's already over?!?!

2010-01-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

I hope the year doesn't fly by as fast as this month did!! Busy, busy! Despite Eric's objections because of the bad weather, I made a final solo-flight to Utah County for a few days to visit family, friends, and reminisce my crazy fun college days at BYU. It was such a treat to unwind in American Fork and catch up with people I love and miss. While there, Nicole introduced me to the cutest headbands EVER, so we made a trip to Cabela's for feathers! Here's my finished product:
You just need: a headband
almond-shaped piece of felt
feathers
ribbon
hot glue gun

I'll have to take a picture with it on. I also fell in love with this arrangement of Free Falling by John Mayer: CLICK HERE to indulge! Earp was pretty good for the trip...well, except for when he'd wedge himself between my ribs and right hip.....and puuush and strrrrrrretch! YOWZERS!! It's his new favorite activity, but I am NOT a fan. I couldn't get him to cooperate and kick for my dear friends. But as soon as I got home and Eric started talking, the little stinker went crazy! Maybe he just missed his daddy :)

Throughout January, Eric has been working his little heart out. He's been working 10-hour shifts, but I get him to myself for three-day weekends and LOVE IT! We spend weekends at the cabin or visiting Burley. On Friday we went to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the King Fine Arts Center. My friends Julene Thurston and Cherie Hamilton directed it and it was wonderful! So for Januray in a nutshell, life at the Sorensen home is great, and we're looking forward to what February will bring.

Growing like a weed.

2010-01-16T21:15:00.003-07:00

This was taken last Thursday at 27 weeks.

Now (28 weeks) baby boy is over 2 pounds and about 15 inches head to heel. He's just growing and growing.....and so am I! Last week (unfortunately), his little limbs found my ribcage, and he's been using it for a leg-press. Yowweeeee! I'm getting more and more uncomfortable, excited, and anxious. We met our new Pocatello doc last week, and I think he'll be great! Before meeting Dr. Carlson, I'd never met an OB/GYN that wears cowboy boots and a tucked-in golf shirt on-the-job! haha! But we are in southern Idaho! :) I have respect for a man that dresses himself with such confidence and gusto.

So I'm kind of struggling to adjust to this next stage of life. We're done with the college scene, Eric's working all day, I'm baking a baby and being a domesticated house-wife. My days now consist of: Eric getting up and heading to work by 7am while I sleep in. YES, I sleep in while I still can because sleeping (or trying to) has become an evil chore. Looooong nights. Very uncomfortable. So yes, if I can sleep, I will. Eventually I get up and eat. Then I clean the house top to bottom, practice the piano, mend Eric's pants, cook food, ...............and THEN WHAT!?!?! Is this what the rest of my life will consist of, plus kids thrown into the mix?? Weird. So far it has been a good opportunity to try new recipes and catch up on scripture study. Plus, I have started more hobbies and projects, one of which I finished this week:

I came across this adorable farmer fabric back in December. It made me think of a story of Eric as a little kid. As a wee tyke, he wanted to farm like his daddy--so Eric planted wheat in his sandbox! I snatched up the fabric and had it hem-stitched and surged for Christmas. Last week I crocheted a simple edge on the blanket and burp rag, and I think Earp will like it! Next project: Time to start setting up the baby's room.

Our Happy Holidays

2010-01-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

We're finally back to normal life after the long, wonderful holiday break! We spent Christmas in with my family in Burley this year and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities. On Christmas Eve, all the family go over to Grandma and Grandpa Christensen's house for treats, visiting, and to read the nativity out of the Bible. We drew names of who was who. I was Isaiah, and Eric was.....the Babe. Hah! I should have snapped some pictures of him "cradled" on the floor. Unfortunately, I was listening to the story and busily hand-sewing the jingle bells on the seven Sorensen family stockings.This is as far as I got on the stockings this year. I'll have to put holiday scenes on them next Christmas. I also gave Megan some hair and finished her Christensen stocking over the holiday!
What cute little soon-to-be-inlaw-buddies! Christmas was magical as always at the Christensen home! I even had a hard time sleeping because I was so excited! The Santa(s) brought us a Bosche mixer, a food processor, and a Wii!! Eric was a sweetheart and gave me a gorgeous silver locket and this super-comfy rocker/recliner. He named it Fred. Since we picked it up last week, I'm beginning to think he got it more for his lunch-break naps than for a me rock the baby ;) I got Eric some books and a remote control truck that can go 30+mph! He is the most giddy kid I've ever seen when he's driving that thing! It was wonderful to be in Burley for such a lengthy visit! Love y'all!!

Last week we spent four cozy days at the cabin for New Year's with the whole Sorensen clan. Everyone enjoyed snowmobiling, eating, playing games, and just being together. We stayed up late to ring in the New Year playing Scattergories and laughing until I almost peed my pants. What a great place to be to start 2010! New year....new decade....new life. Guess I'll have to get on top of making some resolutions for the year.

sleigh bells ring....

2009-12-22T17:03:00.008-07:00

The snow is really coming down today, and Christmas is creeping closer and closer! I'M SO EXCITED!!!! Eric and I can't wait to give each other our fabulous gifts. So much for a budget this year! Oh well. Eric skipped out on walking at graduation to finish setting up house in American Falls. I love our two-foot Christmas tree! It makes our home so cozy :)

Home, sweet home :) We love it here.
We're also getting more and more finished on the cabin in time for New Year's Eve!The kitchen is about finished, and we've got the family room furnished.

Eric has been back to work at the irrigation district while I've been a kindergarten teacher sub all last week. We've also enjoyed being so close to Burley for frequent holiday visits!!

Earp has been doing just peachy. Clarification: We've been calling the baby Earp - pronounced 'erp' - for a couple months now. I felt bad calling him an "it" before we knew the gender. No, he will not be named Earp (or Wyatt) after he's born. Yes, we do have a name. No, we won't tell you yet :) BUT he will not be named Facundo, much to Eric's dismay.

Here I am at 24 weeks, and feeling great!! My only complaints now are eternal fatigue, leg cramps, and nausea only from garlic smells. weird. I'll be 25 weeks on Christmas! yeeeah! That makes him about 13.5 inches long head to heel, and he probably weighs 1.5 pounds. Earp's still quite the shaker and a mover....just wiggly as ever! Its amazing to realize how much we already love this little guy! God bless and Merry Christmas from the three of us!

The Stocking Saga

2009-12-04T13:09:00.005-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted, so here's a quick update of our recent happenings:

Big move back to AF, ID = no more working at IHOP. I'll be substitute teacher in AF for the next few months.
We spent wonderful, fun-filled quality time with our families in Burley, American Falls, Kimberly, and Pleasant Grove for Turkey Day.
We went to The Blindside, and Eric and I fell in love with Sandra Bullock yet again :)
I baked the mostest amazing apple dumplings ever to Thanksgiving at Tara and Sterling's. Then we stuffed ourselves silly.
We ladies did the Black Friday thing at the University Mall. There were some killer deals, but the place was a zoo!
We decorated for Christmas, and on Tuesday night I was able to sing with my mom and sisters in Burley for a Christmas Fireside. Good times :)
We spanked the Cougars at the Spectrum on Wednesday night....WE LOVE AGGIE BASKETBALL!!!!!
Lastly, Eric has just one more final until he is an offical college graduate!

So I was an absolute GENIUS and took NO pictures of any of it, but I have documented the Christmas Stocking Saga which I will share now. So, I get married, right? He was raised one way for 23 years....I was raised another way for 19 before the hitchment. Now, we're going to have our own offspring. How easy is it to combine the traditions and expectations of two people as bull-headed as we are????? NOT VERY. The Christmas stocking saga has been an ordeal, but I'm glad I can laugh about it due to my own genius. In our house, we grew up with these home-made, cute-as-a-button stockings:

Dad, Mom, Samuel, Me (Beka), Eliza, Abigail, Kelsey, Madisen, and Maxwell

My Grandma Rodabough made stockings like this for her family years ago. Now we, along with most of my Rodabough cousins, have these cute, felt and yarn, doll-ish mini-me stockings. FUN, huh!! Not so, says Eric. Strange, even creepy, says he. Have these stockings in our home? Over his dead body. He's a manly tough guy and refuses to be made into a "doll." I had always planned on making our family stockings like this. What kind of stockings does Eric want? The usual plush, red and and white ones. blah. Well, I'm done having a cow and spent much of Thanksgiving break working on what will be the new-and-improved Sorensen family Christmas stockings. No plushness, but no creepy little doll people either. They're felt, elf-toed, and will have jingle bells and cute holiday scenes on them. I'll post when they're finished.

HOWEVER don't be fooled by my compromise. I do not give in that easily. This year we'll spend Christmas in Burley with my fam. So while Eric went back to Logan for class last Monday, I stayed in Burley to practice our songs and make THIS:

Sorry Eric. I hope you don't have nightmares. But since you married me, you DO have to have a mini-you stocking. Hopefully he doesn't see the blog before we go to Burley, because I want to see him come face-to-face with my little masterpiece. Kudos to me...I'm totally diggin the Aggie hat ;)

p.s. Sam and Megan aren't getting married until May, but I couldn't help myself!! Sorry Megan, you get to be bald until you're officially married to my brother. That's part of the initiation process. :) Actually, we're still trying to find the right hair-color for her.

>> Break out the BLUE <<

2009-11-17T22:10:00.004-07:00

...because Baby Sorensen is a BOY!!!!!! WooHOOOOOO!!! We are so SO SO excited. For so long I had felt the baby was a boy deep down, so my heart was kind of set on it being a little guy. If it was a girl, I think I would have been surprised to death. So, Eric's pretty pumped, if I may say so myself!! The ultrasound went smoothly, and the baby was not shy at all....ALL boy and no doubt about it. He sure is a busy-body for an eleven inch babe. The ultrasound tech would be looking for his heart or spine, and the little guy would not hold still to get a good picture! I have a feeling that this one is going to keep us on our toes ;) We did purchase the baby's first outfit today. Appropriate for the spawn of Eric? I think so!! So April 8, 2010 is still the magical date. I like the 3D mugshots....you can see his little face!! We're HALFWAY there. Hallelujah!

Alrighty folks....it's poll time: boy or girl?

2009-11-12T21:04:00.002-07:00

The 20 week ultrasound is going to be Tuesday, November 17. That gives us only FOUR days to play the gender game. The suspense is killing me!!! Eric is still hoping for a boy. I was so sure it was going to be a little guy, but now I'm straddling the line until we know for sure. I sure am curious to know what you folks think. Some folks pride themselves in being excellent guessers, so take a stroll over to the poll ---->>> And we'll see on Tuesday! :)

JAZZ it up!!

2009-11-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

For Eric's 25th birthday, I promised him tickets to any Utah Jazz game. I'd never been to any NBA game, so the gift was win-win. We went to the Utah vs. San Antonio game last Thursday and had a fantastic day in SLC.
We hadn't visited Temple Square since we got hitched, so we took a long walk around the grounds.

18 weeks along....
Salt Lake is gorgeous in the fall....especially the temple grounds. We walking over to the Gateway for shrimp dinner at McGrath's and window shopping. p.s. I am having a love-hate relationship with clothes right now. I looked and looked, but anything I thought was worth buying would only fit me for another couple weeks. But THANK GOODNESS for sweet sisters-in-law with maternity clothes to lend. Hello elastic waist pants!!
The game was a lot of fun....especially for my first live NBA experience!
Perks of the game: Boozer actually came alive and played well, I LOVE the Jazz, I hate the Spurs, we kicked the Spurs' tushies, I didn't have annoying college kids standing in front of me the whole game, Deron Williams rocks my socks, it is hilarious to listen to elderly fans get worked up, and I had a saucy husband by my side.

Happy Birthday, hubs!! and woot WOOT!! Way to go Jazz......now don't disappoint us for the rest of the season, pretty please!

happy november

2009-11-01T22:55:00.001-07:00

We went to Rexburg for Halloween night to watch Holly's Halloween performance with the BYU-I Symphony Orchestra. It was a SUPERHERO themed performance and a lot of fun!!
After the performance we took the boys trick-or-treating :)

Then Sunday was Kaidence's baby blessing in Kimberly. She is such a sweet baby!

Happy November!

Halloweeners.

2009-10-27T09:57:00.000-06:00

Witches sailing through the sky...on their broomsticks way up high...black cats howl as they go by...Oh! This is HALLOWEEN!!!

I absolutely LOVE October! Eric and I have been busy with normal life + the cabin + family + Halloween festivities. While Eric was a party-pooper, I went with my family to Grandma Rodabough's in Woods Cross to dress up and have a ghoulishly delightful time. Usually, I dress up as something edgy or seductively frighting, but I couldn't fit into my black dress! As a plus, I was sick and felt like the walking dead, so natually, I was a ghost in the super duper comfortable gown.
Here is my family (minus Dad who came later, plus Liza's friends). We ate our hearts out, had costume contests, chatted, played games, and watched Hocus Pocus! Meanwhile, Eric was at the cabin with his parents installing the floor in the main room. We saw it last weekend, and it's awesome! The cabin is really coming along.
Eric and I went to Logan's Pumpkin Walk yesterday...FUN stuff!! Pumpkins are painted and set up in incredible scenes. Too bad we missed it last year, and this is our last fall in Logan.

Look at this garden, and yes, they are all painted pumpkins. a.dor.a.ble.

I thought this pumpkin-faced witch was great! I'll get you, my pretty....

So we came home, made carmel apples, and carved our OWN pumpkins! Eric's is the spooky face and mine is the ghost! BOO!
p.s. If you haven't seen Tim Burton's "Coraline," DO!! It's my new favorite movie :D

...FOOTBALL...and more stuffs...

2009-10-09T17:11:00.000-06:00

Firstly, back up....USU's Homecoming was 2 weeks ago. The week had delightful festivities and free Scottsmans and Aggie Ice Cream :D I highly recommend the Aggie Blue Mint flavor. Delish! Saturday (Sep. 26th) was parade day and the game against SUU was that night. The football team looks a lot better this year, and I think they'll just get better in the years to come. We won 53-34 and had a great time....the place was packed!
The next week I finally got a job at IHOP! Hallelujah!!! The manager worked with me three or four years ago at Morey's Steakhouse. I have been sick of being sick, so it's great to have to get out of the house and have a life. Speaking of being sick, it is definitely not letting up. I keep thinking its going to end, but alas, not yet.

Last weekend we took a little trip to Utah County to see some family, friends, and go to the USU vs. BYU football game on Friday with the Bone's. I did indeed wear my super cute Utah State sweater, even though I walking into the stadium feeling a split allegiance. However, after a couple minutes there, I was miffed and very disappointed by how rude the Cougar fans were just because of my sweater!! Oh well. So much for brotherly love and all that crap...as long as its outside of sports, right? The game was pretty good, and the Aggies put up a fight. All in all, I will never go to another BYU/USU football game. Thankfully, we had a great night afterward with Brandon, Lindsay, Carl, and his new squeeze Laura :) We love you guys!

The rest of the weekend consisted of watching Conference (WOW...what great testimonies!), spending quality time with the Ashby fam + Jules, jammin' out to Owl City, hanging out at home with Tara and the boys, and cathing up with Liza, Sam, and Megan. I may have been sick and sluggish most of the time, but it was so refreshing to hear from the leaders of the church and be surrounded with people we love and that love us. We can't wait to visit again!

Banquet, BIRTHDAY, and BaBy!!

2009-09-23T00:49:00.004-06:00

Eric, my now 25 year old smarty-pants husband, got some dandy scholarships for his last semester at USU. So last Thursday night, we attended the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business Annual Fall Awards Banquet. Eric's and my parents made the drive to Logan for the banquet and to celebrate Eric's birthday which was the next day (Friday).
The ballroom was done up fancy-shmancy, dinner was delicious, and the music and speakers were great. As we were snapping a picture of us before we left, I felt a man put his arm around me and jump in our picture! It was Jon M. Hunstman himself!! How cool is that?? I really admire his warmth, generosity, ambition, and integrity.

After the awards banquet, we headed back to our apartment with our moms and dads for some birthdayness :). I baked Eric's two-layer, cream-filled chocolate fudge cake. I am still trying to be a little more domesticated, but this cake was a definite upgrade from his last year's birthday cake!

Geeesh, look at this handsome guy. So twenty-five years ago on September 18th, the world was graced by the presence of Eric Sorensen, and boy, am I thankful!! Life is never dull with him around, and he is a sweetheart. BEST HUSBAND EVER, hands down! Te amo mucho! :D We spent Friday night and Saturday at the cabin. There was some working, a lot of eating, a little fishing, and a gorgeous drive up Cottonwood. Happy quarter-century, Eric!! xoxox Love yah!

So, Baby Sorensen is baking very well! Yesterday was the blessed day that we got to see all TWO whole inches of our alien peanut baby and hear the heartbeat!! My heart skipped a beat when....there it is! Right there on the screen! Sweeeet. It was pretty cool....and Eric is finally assured that there IS something in there. The heart is beating about 165 bpm, and you could see it flutter in the chest. All looks great and perfectly normal! Sweet relief :) Despite all sea-monkey lookingness, I think he/she is adorable.

Second trimester, here we come!

♥ 1+1=3 ♥

2009-09-15T14:33:00.002-06:00

Sure enough...we have a little BABY on the way!! Despite feeling like my body is out of control, we are happy as can be! I am in my 11th week of pregnancy, so Baby Sorensen is due the beginning of April. Honestly, my gut instinct is that it will is a boy, but what do I really know, right? (Eric's crossing his fingers!)

Morning sickness might (hopefully) be finally subsiding...YAY! My personal biggest bummer about being pregnant is that I canNOT tolerate tomatoes. blech!! Yes, you know those bright, plump, delicious tomatoes we had been growing in our garden all summer? The tomatoes I have been waiting months to sink my teeth into and eat on top of every meal?? Yeah, I have not had a single one of our muchos grande bonita fruits....I do not even want to look at a tomato. Actually, I am done talking about them now. Anway, we are super duper thrilled to start our eternal family, and Eric will be the best dad ever!! :D Our first ultrasound is next week, so we'll keep you posted!

Farewell Uncle David

2009-09-12T14:02:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the funeral of my Uncle David Allred. It was a beautiful funeral, and he will be greatly missed. He was a great man with a friendly giggle and a great sense of humor. The Allreds lived next door to us most of my childhood, and it was very sad when he was diagnosed with cancer five years ago. He fought a courageous battle, and passed away on Labor Day leaving behind my Aunt Dorene and their eight children. I am sure he is now busy with his mission on the other side. He is a wonderful person and will be greatly missed.

....back to the grindstone

2009-09-06T14:40:00.006-06:00

We're back in Logan....been here two weeks now actually. I'm looking for a job, and Eric is trying to get through this last semester without imploding with impatience. 'Can I be a graduate already?' He would have finished last May if I hadn't ensnared him with my beauty and wily ways, causing him to transfer to BYU just long enough for us to get engaged. I cost him a semester. Sorry, babe. But, I was worth it, right? ;) I love Logan in the autumn, so I'm just fine with being here....especially since we'll be done and gone BEFORE the Logan freeze dumps on us for good.

Eric and I got a new neice last Monday night. Her name is Kaidence Marie Sorensen, and she's a squirt!! We visited the girls on Friday and got to cuddle the baby. She's not much more than 5 pounds and a few adorable ounces. Welcome to the world, Kaidence! And good job, Candice and T.J., for birthing cute little girls.Kaidence held by her biggest sis, Kendall

Lastly, woot woot for COLLEGE FOOTBALL. I'd better be excited, because that's all Eric will be watching for the next couple months! Go AGGIES!!!!!!

Summertime: Lookin' nice. Feelin' right.

2009-08-18T21:17:00.008-06:00

Yayayay!! I have a piano :) A dear lady in American Falls ran out of room in her house for her mother's piano, so she GAVE it to me a few weeks ago. What a blessing. I've been playing for an hour or so a day now, and love it! Eric even enjoys stretching out on the couch and asking me to "serenade" him.
We've been car searching all summer. The Tahoe gets 15 to 16 mpg and it's painful to fill up. We finally decided we wanted a 2007 Ford Fusion and found one just for us. Last Tuesday we drove to Utah and bought Ruby :) and we LOVE her. She gets a good 27-31 mpg. Happy day! We drove Ruby to meet the family over the Cassia Fair & Rodeo weekend. Each year most of the Rodabough's come to Burley to stuff ourselves with happy burgers and maple bars, cheer for the rodeo-ers, play games, laugh, sing, and catch up with life.
We were going to go boating all day Saturday, but it was too chilly. Instead we drove through the Idaho country-side to Albion, City of Rocks, Oakley, etc. Here's a picture of a couple of us at the top of Bath Rock in the City of Rocks.

It was a fantastic weekend, and I wish I would remember to take more pictures. Oh well. I am officially done working with parks and recreating in A.F. forever.....hallelujah!! We'll be moving to Logan next week, and the job hunt will begin. Summertime is at a close!! School starts in less than a week, and Eric will be relieved to graduate in December. I am excited to go back to Logan--especially in autumn time :) Wish us luck. We'll blog again soon from Utah.

...fun in the sun...

2009-07-30T20:43:00.001-06:00

I'm so happy that Indian Springs re-opened this summer. I am missing out on boating in Burley, so I get my sunshine + water fix at the pool. We've gone a few times with my neices and nephews.

The summer is still flying by fast as ever. Last weekend, there was a dandy little Pioneer Day parade in American Falls. I haven't had FREE food that delicious for awhile ;) Tomorrow, the whole Sorensen clan is heading to the cabin and Downata for swimming! Maybe by then, my feet will have tanned to a normal color :)

farmerTAN and other tangents

2009-07-15T20:28:00.009-06:00

Blast you, tan lines!! Since I was a summertime streaker in my toddler years, when school ended, it was time to bask in the sun (none of that fake-baking stuff)...barefoot and in as little clothes as I could get away with. NO! I was NOT a hussy!! But I pretty much lived in a swimsuit (whether I was in water or not) from May to August. Hispanic strangers would ask if I was a "half-bean baby," but I didn't mind. Welllll, last summer, after tying the knot, I had my first real farmer tan. Huh??YES, my boss makes me wear shoes at work. I hate shoes. Okay, it's not a big deal, but this year, mine are really good. All I need to do is put my brown hands against my snowy thighs or stomach, and I can sing "Ebony and Ivory" all by myself! It's kind of hilarious :) but as the summer continues, I am getting mistaken for a latina girl--that should know Spanish, for heaven's sake!--more often. I wear my rings at work all day, so now, when I forget to put them on for church or something....I have tan-line rings on! I like 'em....it's like those cool ring tattoo things, right?

Sorry, you don't get to see anymore farmer tan body parts or limbs. the end. okay, not really....

Subject change: Our garden has been thriving thus far. Our tomato plants seem to be on steroid or something, and they really aren't very old yet. And mind you, Eric is 6'4" in this picture. Well, not just in the picture, but always. yeah. So, I can't wait for them to turn red so I can gobble them up ferociously.
Eric and I are still enjoying our summer and the warmth that finally graced us with its presence. Last weekend my family made the trip from Burley to spend Saturday with us! We swam at Indian Springs and had a BBQ back at our home. I am so happy Indian Springs is open again. When I was a kid, we'd pile into the car to go for a swim. It was only a 40 minute drive, but it felt like FOR-EV-ER. Who knew I'd grew up, marry an American Falls boy, and live 5 minutes from the pool? There was a giant tube in the middle of the deep-end with punk kids chilling on it. Yeah, Eric flipped it and took the tube. Haha!
My cousin Kelsey is living with my family, and we love her! She turned 16 that weekend, and I made her birthday cake. It's chocolate, but has a giant cookie crust with a peanut-butter/carmel paste between the layers. It was delish!
Here we all are: Ben (my cousin visiting for the summer), Madi, Dad, Mom, Sam, Kelsey, Abi, Max, me, and Eric. p.s. Liza is missing....she's at BYU for summer term. We took this right picture before we headed over to Aladdin at the Mystique. I love and adore my dear family of Christensen's (and Rodabough's too!)!! They are the funnest, craziest, BEST family EVER.

:: July 12 ::

2009-07-12T21:15:00.004-06:00

Two years ago, this had been my life:

Crazy college freshman life at BYU, dancing, training and competing at Miss Idaho. I planned to get into the dance major, go on a mission, graduate from BYU, get married in my early/mid twenties. Well, July 12, 2007 changed all of that. It was Thursday. I got off work from waitressing at Morey's Steakhouse, and Brandon Andersen from Marsh Creek branch invited me over. Some of his high school buddies from American Falls had been boating and were over at his house in Burley. I beautified myself and headed to the Andersen's. I greeted some of my friends from the branch and noticed two tall boys shooting hoops, Carl and Eric. (Little did I know, Eric would be my husband in 10 months) Carl, fresh off a mission, was still a bit awkward, bless his heart! And Eric totally dogged on me when I said I was from BYU. Jerk! ;) I thought he was super cute, but kinda' acting all quiet and macho (I found out later he was tired from work and boating)....UNTIL we started playing Catch Phrase!! I was sure to sit by that cute guy, and he sure comes alive in a game involving competition. It kinda' peaked my interest, but I went home thinking he wasn't really my type. Besides, I didn't date RM's because you marry RM'S and I didn't want to get married for awhile! A week later, Eric called me up and asked me out. FANTASTIC DATE!! He's a goofball and totally my type! Eric's mom took this picture on our 3rd-ish date. So JULY 12--two years ago today. It all started there as some summer love and blossomed into a long-distance relationship from BYU to USU resulting in engagement, transferring colleges twice, and marrying the love of my life! Eric, you're the most wonderful guy in the whole wide world. I wake up each morning to your curly bed-head hair and stinky breath and adore you for being you. :) I get to be with you forever and ever....how lucky am I?!? LOVE YOU, HONEY xoxox

>>Independence Day<<

2009-07-08T19:27:00.002-06:00

I love Independence Day.....fireworks, sunshine, BBQ, and patriotic festivities! This year was my first July 4th away from Burley. Eric's parents, Holly, Eric and I headed out on Friday night to spend a cozy night at the cabin! First thing in the morning, we shot some skeet.

Admit it: Eric is sexy with a gun. We went to Logan for the day to shop and see the car show! We walked around looking at cars for a couple hours and STILL didn't see them all.

Mom lookin' all matchy-matchy with this little baby. Classic cars are pretty snazzy.....and I've decided that cobras and corvettes are delicious to behold. After shopping our hearts out, we went back to the cabin to watch fireworks. They were pretty far away, :) but I watched them through binoculars!! We spend Sunday at the tiny ward in Swan Lake, and had Grandma Sorensen and some cousins to the cabin for dinner. The weather was great, and I am mighty thankful to be a citizen of this country and have the freedoms that we do. God bless America!

* 21st Birthday and Sun Valley *

2009-06-28T18:39:00.001-06:00

Listen up ye masses of people--I proclaim: "I have the best husband in the world that gives the best birthday presents EVER!!" He gave me an adorable shirt....but not just one shirt, TWO cute shirts....and not just two shirts, but also.......an ORANGE FISHING POLE! And what do you do with this pole of vivacious, wonderful delight? Dance around with it? yes. Knight your husband with it? Perhaps. Catch a tasty fish and eat it right up after naming it Ellen? Of course!!! My birthday was on Father's Day-JUNE 21st- but I took my present fishing the day before in Burley with my siblings.

He's pretty serious about his fishermanhood.

It took awhile but I finally snagged a tasty trout.....11" long.....I named her Ellen. And ate her. Delish.

On Sunday after church, Abigail made my birthday and Dad's father's day cake (alternating white and chocolate layers...fabulous!!) I love my family! That afternoon, Eric's parents came by and picked us up for a family get-away in Sun Valley. Why is it so darn beautiful, and expensive, there??

Eric's dad has meetings there every year, so the whole fam stays in a condo and plays for a couple days. We swam our hearts out.

Almost every picture I have of Kennedy has her drinking out of the hot-tub-cool-dripper-thing. Silly girl! I look forward to loading up at the candy store (I live for their coffee truffles....with coffee EXTRACT, people!) and window shop, pizza night, movies, more swimming, fun in the sun.

Grandma Nene and Papa with the grandkids!

Thanks for the fun!! Hopefully we'll be back again next year!

Jumping JUNEbugs!!!

2009-06-19T21:31:00.006-06:00

Goodness, gracious!! Eric and I have been jump, hop, skipping all over Utah and Idaho this month. June started out with a trip to Pleasant Grove, Utah for a baby blessing. We headed down on Friday (6th) to have some birthday fun with 6 year old Tanner. While there I also got to spend time with my sister/wife Nicole and the Ashby's. Dearest baby Grayson John Bone was blessed on June 7th, and this kid is getting huge! Yep, he's a fatty and still going strong. 97th percentile in height AND weight. sheeeesh......

I sure have the tendency to be a baby-hog....ask anyone.

Grandma is trying to love her new grandbaby while the cousins try to smother him with loves :)

Holly, Eric, Grayson, Tara, and TJ...does the kid look like a month and a half old?

The next day all the Sorensen's headed to LAGOON! I hadn't been since my senior trip in high school, and I had been craving a thrill-binge for awhile, and I got my fill. Fortunately there weren't a ton a people there, and the weather was nice and cool. We rode EVERYTHING, and then we'd take a break to ride with the kids and get our brains back between our ears. Here we are on Puff!My family made the drive to play that day. My mom is an absolute roller coaster junkie, so we lived it up. We went on both Rockets twice, Colossus 3x, WICKED, and everything in between. Ever been on the Wicked ride? It's intense and fun, but I ended with a wicked headache and my stomach lost somewhere in my innards. My mother has a much stronger stomach than I have :)

After heading back to a RAINY week in American Falls.....yay for flooding.....we were off to Burley on Saturday the 13th for the Zollinger family reunion and Grandma Zollinger's 90th birthday!!! There were over 150 of her kids (and their kids and their kids....) there. We ate and visited to our hearts' content. It was wonderful to see some old faces and long lost cousins.

Okay, LAST event for this post! The next week, Mom, Madi, and I headed south (again) to Provo to see Liza and attend a wedding. I left Eric home to make me money. Besides, I bet he's really good at sleeping through weddings :) Monday night, we met up with Liza's roommates and spent the night at her apartment. It's amazing that after all of these years, Liza and I can sleep soundly together on a twin-sized upper-bunk! Our cousin Alyssa Rodabough got married the next day, June 16, in Lehi.

We're the oldest of the Rodabough girl cousins. Jessica, Me, Liza, and Madi. (Abi was gone at Idaho Girls' State)

And here is almost the complete Rodabough clan. Best wishes, Alyssa and Alex! That's all for now, but our jumping JUNE-ness is still in full swing.

Current obsessions

2009-05-18T17:44:00.000-06:00

Newest mega-obsession is.....Yes, we can play it for hours and hours!! Beating Eric in a race...which doesn't happen very often...gives me thrills! Being married to him sure has turned me into a competitive son-of-a-gun. I'm usually Yoshi, and Eric likes Bowzer. So, if you haven't tried Mario Kart, DO.

Today we planted our GARDEN! Yes, it's pretty little, but it works for us. We did it last year, and loved fresh veggies from our backyard.We have 8 tomato plants, 8 pepper plants, and a bunch of onions. These new plants are Eric's little babies!! He's a dandy gardener. I can see that deep-down he kinda wants to be a farmer :) I can't wait until we have fresh veggies on our sandwiches, omlettes, and whatever else we feel like.

Speaking of planting, I'm planting the flower gardens in the AF city parks while being a parks and recreation worker again this summer. Besides planting and weeding, I also mow and weed-eat 8 park lawns, fix sprinklers, and drive tractors and such. I'm the only girl in the group, but it is SO NICE to work hard outside versus being a boring telemarketer indoors all day. As far as planting the flower gardens, I'm realizing that I work better making dying flowers pretty than trying to keep a garden alive. I am obsessed with FLORAL DESIGN! Over mother's day, I arranged these bouquets for my mom and grandma.

A year ago I took a floral design class at BYU and loved it! It was actually exciting to learn the names of dozens of flowers and foliage. We had hands-on opportunities to arrange flowers, and I took pictures of a couple of my creations:Floral design really interests me, but I have a LOT to learn. I'm spending some time after work going to Impressions Floral & Design to watch and help. Maybe someday I'll want to have my own floral shop........or dance studio........or be a pilates intructor........or yoga!.......or an elementary school teacher! Yep, I could see myself doing these jobs. Good thing I have a whole life to figure it out what I want to be when I grown up.

Our First Anniversary <3

2009-05-04T17:52:00.008-06:00

WOW, one year already!! And we even still like eachother ;) Nah...we love eachother even more than the day we wed on a freezyingly snowy May 1, 2008.The last year has been SOOOO much fun, and I am looking forward to the eternity ahead of us. We finished school last Tuesday....I am the proud holder of an A.S.....and moved back to American Falls the next day. We'll be here for the summer working. For our anniversary present, Eric bought a bedroom set!This is our dresser/mirror. There is a nightstand and chest of drawers that match. It's solid cherry, and it's just beautiful! Our anniversary was Friday, so we had two days to settle into our little home. (It's so nice to be in a house instead of a tiny apartment) We ate dinner at the Sandpiper in Pocatello. Their coconut shrimp are to DIE for.We came home and dug into our wedding cake. It was still pretty frozen even after thawing for a day, yet suprisingly tasty!Eric is such a silly, handsome, wonderful guy. He makes me feel like a lucky lady! I love him more than anything!!

Junior Miss and WICKED!!

2009-04-26T11:41:00.013-06:00

Abigail, my 6'2" little sister, competed in the Mini-Cassia Junior Miss a couple weeks ago with 38 girls!! There were so many girls, it took two nights of pageant-ing before a winner was chosen. Eric was a good sport to come to the first night, but he had to go back for school the next day while I skipped. You're shocked, right?

Abi did so well! She played Gershwin's 3rd Prelude for her talent, and got into the TOP TEN!! ...not too bad! :)

My mom sewed her formal gown, and Abi got to wear it that weekend to her junior prom. She was an absolute vision of loveliness, and I am so proud of the smart, talented, sweet girl that she is! We sure love having her in the fam. Sam brought his squeeze Megan home for junior miss, and it might have been an overload for her first pageant-viewing experience. It was so fun to have them home for a couple days...I adore her!On Friday we hopped in the car and went to Pleseant Grove to see new baby Grayson. He is a sweetheart! Just a mellow little guy with a head full of dark hair. We just loved him to pieces....I just hope I wasn't too much of a baby-hog. I have a tendency to be one. It was a great weekend to spend with the three little guys, and Tara is looking great! These are all 5 grandkids, and T.J. and Candice will have another girl in September!Eric and I needed a photo together at Cabella's :)
Eric's mom got tickets for the Saturday matinee of WICKED, and it was absolutely the most amazing thing I have EVER seen. I was floored. The costumes....crazy awesome scenery/set....the singing!! Glinda was hilarious, Fiero was a total hunk of man gorgeousness, and Elphaba blew my mind! I loved it!!

Easter

2009-04-14T16:44:00.004-06:00

For Easter Sunday, Eric and I went to visit my Grandma Rodabough in Woods Cross. We went to sacrament meeting with her, and it was great to remember Christ on that special day. During the closing hymn, 'I Know That My Redeemer Lives,' Grandma mentioned to me that she was going to sing the song in Slovean like she had learned on her mission. SO--halfway through the first line Eric decided to sing it in Spanish in my other ear! Sorry folks, but I only know english :) But by the end, with different languages on both sides, I don't know what language I was speaking in. I think it was an other-worldly mix of the two...hah! After church, Grandma had us hide the Easter eggs for everyone coming over later. Eric is quite the hider. I never found a couple of mine. I should have taken pictures, darnit!! Oh well, it was delightful to see all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I even got to hold my new baby cousins Ayden and Ella. What precious babies!

Speaking of sweet, new babies, Eric's sister Tara had her little boy yesterday!! He was 8 lbs. 7 oz. and they're still deciding on a name. He's the first born nephew I've ever had, and I can't wait to meet this little guy.

UPDATE: He has been named Grayson John Bone. Welcome to the world, Grayson....we love you already!!

FUN new things!

2009-04-11T22:43:00.006-06:00

We have discovered some new fun activities this month besides the regular watching of sports, dancing in the livingroom, and going to the cabin.

Fun new activity #1: Playing TRUCO! Eric played this "tricky" card game on his mission in Argentina, and he taught it to me last month. Only two people play, first one to 30 pts. wins, and the rules are confusing at first. However, now I kick Eric's tushy! (okay, that's a lie) Our rule is that we have to speak and count our points in Spanish. I can now count to 39, and I'm learning more. Anyway I love this game for the most part. I mean, I'd love it ALL the time if I won all the time. But alas, 'tis not the case. Still, try it out! It's a hoot!

Fun new activity #2: Cooking food that actually TASTES good! yay! I'm a little slow, but I'm figuring it out. I guess as a child, I struggled a bit with conformity, so I rarely follow recipes. I throw whatever the heck I want into the pot. Eric's been a good sport about it. We've decided to plan our meals and buy groceries according to our weekly menu. I hope it continues because Eric is like a little boy at Christmas going through the cook books and making grocery lists. Last week I made Bruschetta Chicken, and Eric died and went to heaven!! I was so proud of myself....and it was SO EASY! The picture of the scrumptious meal doesn't do it justice. Want the recipe?? Just let me know!

Fun new activity #3: Singing karaoke at retirement and assisted living centers in Logan. Eric is in a class where his group does service in the community. They decided to spend 4 or 5 evenings with these elderly sweethearts having talent and karaoke night! It has been so much fun to go with Eric and spend hour after hour singing good ol' tunes from the 1930's. I actually knew most of the songs! Eric got into it too....especially singing, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" Harry Carry style! He danced and pranced around so much one night, he pulled the karaoke machine off the table. Yep, it broke. Oh well, the dear old ladies sure got a kick out of him. He'd sing his heart out and dance to the point where the little old ladies would turn to me and say, "He's crazy! I bet he keeps life interesting!" I just laughed.

Fun new activity #4: It's an hour drive to the cabin. Even though we stop in Preston to visit dearest Grandma Sorensen, I usually end up talking to myself for the whole drive. SO, today we came up with a new game to keep us entertained, and it was suprisingly FUN!! We counted all the dead dear on the roadside from Preston to Swan Lake. Hahaha....33! There were 33 dead dear, one elk, and a racoon. Well, that's all for now! HAPPY EASTER!!

DAVID ARCHULETA!!

2009-03-29T14:27:00.003-06:00

Firstly, check out this picture of our drive home from church today:
HAPPY ALMOST - APRIL!! Isn't this cold weather silly??

Anyway, Holly's 19th birthday was on Thursday, so for her birthday Mom got tickets to see DAVID ARCHULETA in Pocatello!! There was an extra ticket for me, so on March 22nd Holly, Mallory, Mom, and I got to see him sing LIVE! Amie Miriello opened for him, and I think she rocks! She has this awesome earthy/indie/folk/rock voice that I totally dig. Look her up. Now.

The place was packed with an infinite number of 12 and 13 year olds. Holy moley, those girls' high-pitched screams could have killed a dog. BUT, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Which I did....Yep, I screamed my fair share. I had no voice (or hearing) for the next day or two :D I had only caught him singing on American Idol a couple times that season, and yeah, I thought he was pretty good.

No, he's not just pretty good. He is amazing! It annoys me when celeb-singers really aren't that good live, but let me tell you what, THAT BOY CAN SING......totally knocked my socks off! I actually think he was better live than on his CD.

Not only is he a talented writer and singer, he was also very sweet, adorable, and freaking short. That little Davey boy definitely has a new-found fan!

more March-ness....and lack of a better title

2009-03-24T15:24:00.002-06:00

Yes, yes, I have been slacking, but sometimes it's hard to be productive in March. You know that month that is supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb. psssh! I think not. There was some lambiness for a few days there, but a lion came right along and ate it up. Logan is freezing!! Anyway, no matter the temperature, we have been busy.

Over spring break. Eric and I went home to Idaho where we spent lots of time with out families and worked. I worked at the elementary school in American Falls, and it was a quite the experience! It wasn't easy, but I would rather be in an elementary school than in a high school any day. Kids are cute and say the darndest things. It was a treat to have the little girls follow me around and call me pretty, but I'll admit, sometimes a classroom is the home of organized chaos! I taught Pre-school up through 3rd graders in that week. I spent the week laughing with the kids, but they kept me on my toes. Those subs---they're pushovers, right? Not ME! Don't worry, I only had to kick one first-grader out in the hall all week ;) American Falls has a large hispanic community, and the little latino girls would ask me if I spoke spanish. Nothing new. I was always asked if I was a half-bean baby (half Mex) when in high school. It cracks me up!

Over spring break, the Aggies won the WAC championship (WOOT!) and were scheduled to play in the first NCAA round in Boise against Marquette the next Friday. We got tickets and headed north with Sterling and T.J. The game was blood-pumping, the Taco Bell Areana was packed, but it was a heart-breaker, nonetheless. We should have beat them, but missed shots and bad calls are never a great combination. We lost by one point. ONE POINT! grrrr! Oh well, it was fun to go and spend time with the guys and T.J.'s wife and girls. I guess all I have left to say is, "GO LOUISVILLE!!"

The day after the game, Eric and I went to the temple in Logan with out Zollinger cousins! Every year we get together to do work for deceased family members and see eachother again. It was a beautiful day, and Eric was such a good sport to come to the temple with me and my mazillion cousins on a Saturday instead of going to the cabin. What a trooper!

March happenings

2009-03-02T22:12:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post, and right now, I'm thinking of our dear friends, Heather and Cameron Salony. They sure helped us readjust to socialness while returning to school as newlyweds. Over the weekend they moved to D.C. where they will live for a month before moving Washington state for work. We sure miss their company and evenings of watching the Jazz and playing games. Below are a few pictures us playing Rage on our last game night together :( I hope we see them again someday. Love 'em!

This year Eric played intermurals, and the team did pretty surpsingly well for a team called the Mighty Ducks! Yeah, if Eric had helped pick the name, I'm sure it would have been totally original and full of awesomeness. The team went undefeated for 6 games--winning by more than 20 points most of the time!! Eric was the rebounding machine on this team. They had their first loss on Monday night, and though I was clearly devastated, Eric had a great time ballin' with the guys. I loved being one of three wives to cheer the boys on. I even got some action shots of Eric at the last game. ((Click on the pictures if you want to expand them))

Yep, total stud. We went home last the weekend to see my dad for his birthday and Eric's mama for her birthday. We gave them Gossner's cheese, milk, sausage, curds, whatever for their birthday gifts. How cool are we? At least the birthday-ers liked it, and we love them! Too bad we had to come back to school before we were finished visiting, but we're spending all of spring break in Idaho making $$! (hopefully). Abi's also getting ready for Junior Miss next month, so I might be helping design and sew her wardrobe with mom...fun stuff! That's all for now..... later!

The Sorensens Family

FLYING BY....

:: Happy Holidays ::

100th post SUPRISE!!

{2011 Family Pictures}

Thanksgiving

Gobble Gobble!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

Eeeeeek!!!!

September Summary

I Remember....

My Parenting Secret Weapon

this is the life :)

The Spudman....I DID IT!

Right around the corner!!!

*::Our 4th::*

My Best Friend's Wedding

{happy birthday to me!}

My Main Men

New Do!

..just BALLIN..

Blake Monster :)

Being a Mother

♥ THREE INCREDIBLE YEARS

wonderful weekend!!

My Madi Cakes

:: Happy 1st Birthday ::

Reflections: Childbirth

Our March

Discoveries!!

{valentines}

I feel like a chicken...

* DADDY'S BOY *

Finishing the year off right!

winter wonderland

:: Deck the Halls ::

Thanksgiving

sick sick SICK!!

haircut DOS & toofuns CUATRO

<< Happy Halloween >>

{our fall fun}

Sorensen Family Pictures

sIX mONTHS aGO...

I CAN CAN

Sentimental Journey

:: First Haircut ::

Rosie Toes-ies

FOUR month FATTY

...MILESTONES...

**He makes me melt like a popsicle of the Forf of JULY!**

{birthday.weekend}

Stike a pose, BABY!!

Great-grandma Zollinger

Blake's Blessing Day

Schools out for summer!

our smiley guy

MAY DAY and a wedding!

Life with baby

:: first photos ::

♥ Welcome to our world, baby boy! ♥

PICTURES...the new camera came!

The Final Fetus Update

RECENTS

One month left....

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day

:: Frozen Toes ::

January's already over?!?!

Growing like a weed.

Our Happy Holidays

sleigh bells ring....

The Stocking Saga

>> Break out the BLUE <<

Alrighty folks....it's poll time: boy or girl?

JAZZ it up!!

happy november

Halloweeners.

...FOOTBALL...and more stuffs...

Banquet, BIRTHDAY, and BaBy!!

♥ 1+1=3 ♥

Farewell Uncle David

::Our 4th::

He makes me melt like a popsicle of the Forf of JULY!