The Sorensen Clan

QT

2012-01-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

hi!!!
i am quincy tate scott and I am the new addition to this family!!
i was born on november 21, 2011.
grandma has been busy so she asked me to help her blog my birth....i am not doing anything else so i told her ok!!!

this is me with my mom and dad
right after i was born...

i even still have the goooie stuff in my eyes.

hey!! i am pretty cute!!!

here are my feet....
i hear that feet are a really big deal in this family
so i am glad that i have the right number of toes!!!

here i am in the hospital hanging out with mom....

....and dad...

...and of course my brother and sister...
merrick and berkleigh.

and here i am hanging out with grandma...

...and the fam....

so.... mom is dressed in this picture...we must
be getting ready to leave the hospital!!!

i was so excited to get home and be with my family...
i love them!!!

after being home for a few days
i let mom do a photo shoot...

i had to lay really still....

here is my big brother and sister...
they love holding me and reading to me!!!

we had a lot of fun with grandma... but she had to fly back
to her home to take care of grandpa.
the next time she comes she is going to bring
grandpa with her.

i can't wait to see grandpa!!!

meanwhile....i will just hangout here until they
get back!!!

love you, grandma and grandpa!!!

2011-10-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Last week my Bff, Julie and I went to the
Women's Conference here in Lake Charles.
They have it every year and every year they invite
an amazing woman to come and speak.
This year they invited Vicki Lawrence from the Carol Burnett show.
The conference lasted all day and they had
classes and booths and luncheon with the celebrity.
So Julie and I decided we had to go to the luncheon
and see Vicki Lawrence even if that was all we did!!
Vicki was amazing and really funny.
I always loved her as Mama on the show.

While we were there we went around and looked at
some of the booths and collected all of the free
stuff that they gave out.
One of the businesses had a photo booth. So
we dressed up and got some free shots....

We had a blast!!!

A birthday...100 years in the making!!!

2011-08-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, our whole family went
to see my Dad to celebrate his 100th birthday!!!
He lives with my sister and her family in Washington!!!
And it just so happens that Jennifer and Tyson
just moved to Oregon, so they are only
about 3 hours away!!!
So after spending some time with Jennifer we
piled into the car....
(all 8 of us with equal amounts of luggage)
and drove to Washington.

My Dad was thrilled to see us all
because we have never all been together with my sister's
family at the same time.
We spent about 4 days with him and it was a blast!!!
On Saturday we had a party with fantastic
barbecued hamburgers
and of course cake....

He blew out the candles...

And opened presents...

He was very excited that Mary Jane and I had made
him a quilt. Mary copied the pictures onto
the fabric for me and I did the rest.

We had everyone's picture on the quilt
including my Mom....
Which made Dad kind of teary eyed....

The twins had a great time getting to know their
new cousins.
This is Tessa...

This is Alex giving Dad this giant card he and his sister,
Rory, had made for him, along with the
cap which had a bottle opener attached to the brim!!!!

We had a great time and can't wait to go back again...

Here are some close ups of the quilt...

Stay tuned for pictures from the rest of our vacation....

Hawaiian Plumarias

2011-06-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who like plants on your back porch
but have a hard time remembering to take care of them...
this plant is for you!!!

This is a Plumaria. I have had this plant for
almost 20 years!!!
It grew so big that I had to put in into a bigger pot
because it kept blowing over in the wind.
When It continued to grow I decided it needed to be
cut back. I knew that if I placed the trimmed branches in water
they would root and I could replant them and have two plants!!!

What I didn't expect was for the original trunk to
continue to grow if I left it in the pot.
(Which I did because at the time I couldn't get it out)

So now instead of just having 2 fairly big Plumarias...

I have 3!!!

I also only water this plant about once a week
(or when I think about it)
And during the winter I put them in the garage,
the leaves fall off but they always come back to life
when I bring them outside in the spring!!!

This is only the second year they have flowered
but maybe cutting them back was the trick!!!

Gotta love hardy plants that can withstand our
hundred degree summers!!!!

My newest project...

2011-06-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Last month was Wayne's mom's birthday.
So for a combined Birthday and Mother's Day gift
I decided to make her a table runner.

But while I was deciding on a design, I
found this round table cover and new that she
would love the little chickens
running around the edges.

She really loves roosters which we have given
her many over the years.

It was a bit of a challenge but a lot of fun to do.
I was hoping that it would brighten up her
kitchen and make her smile!!!

I think she likes it!!!

Back home from Southern California....

2011-06-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

I loved being with the family but after
2 1/2 weeks I guess it was about time to
get back home.

We had a fabulous time!!!

One of my favorite spots is Yogurtland!!!
They have at least 12 flavors of frozen yogurt
to choose from and of course you can mix the flavors
and then add your favorite toppings.

My new favorite flavor is guava pineapple with
chunks of pineapple added in. But a close second is
Red Velvet cake dough.....heavenly.

Did I mention that we went back 3 times?

One of the reasons we went back so often was because
we had dollar off coupons...but who could
resist these sweet, happy faces eating
sweet, yummy yogurt?

And of course I can't go to California
without visiting Mickey Mouse!!!
(with thousands of other people)

We decided to spent two days and get a park
hopper pass so we could also go to
California Adventure.
This was the first time I had been to this
park and it was super fun!!!!
My favorite ride was Toy Story...

We needed 3D glasses!

I think Berkleigh looks like a rock star!!!

We stayed until the park closed on the first night
and watched the "World of Color." It was amazing!!
They showed different Disney movie shots on the
fountains of water.
Next time I will probably believe the sign that reads
"WET ZONE..You will get wet!!!"

A couple of days later we went back to see the
few things we missed the first day...
Like feeding the ducks.

...and Winnie the Pooh!!!

And the kids rides in storybook land...
like the Merry-go-Round!!!
So fun.....and more sweet smiles!!!!

On the last day of my visit, Jennifer reminded me
that we hadn't eaten at "In-and-Out" burger!!!
They make the best burgers, fries and shakes...
how could I have left without eating at my favorite
burger joint!!!

So we went for lunch and had a picnic at the park!!!
I think Merrick was tired of getting his picture taken!!!

But we did have fun!!!

A few other activities....

2 days at the beach
2 movies
at least 2 shopping days
a favorites party turned shower for Jennifer
flying airplanes with Tyson
bike ride to the beach and eating breakfast on the pier
kite flying
strawberry picking
and having a lot of fun hanging out and playing
with the gang...

Which is what I will miss the most!!!
Love you guys and thanks for
letting me stay forever!!!!

2011-05-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be visiting Jennifer, Tyson
and the munchkins tomorrow!!!!

See ya later..........Louisiana!!!!
:) :) :)

A time to plant.....

2011-05-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

While Matthew was home from school I decided
to have him help me put in a garden.
I am very excited because I have wanted to
have a garden for some time
but we kept putting it off....

So here it is....

We had a bunch of bricks that we removed
last year from our front yard.
We were trying to decide what to do with them,
when I had a brainstorm and decided to make a path
down the middle of the garden so it will
be easier to water.

We have 6 tomato plants...

2 peppers...

and a zucchini squash!!!

I am thinking that I have room for another pepper
but I know the zucchini will take up a lot of room.

So excited for the results!!!

YW Campout

2011-04-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Our Young women went camping this weekend to
a Ward member's back yard which was incredible.....

They even have a pond on their ten acre
"park".
It was a beautiful day for a camp out...
not a cloud in the sky and
last night the moon was almost full!!!

We almost didn't even need flashlights!!!

This morning the guys took us shooting...

Alayna is already a pro and doesn't need any instruction...

...and Vicki knows a thing or two about guns and can
blow those clay pigeons into dust.

But it was Sarah Beth who surprised us all with her
talents!!! We can't wait for her to show up
her older brothers...good luck boys!!!

The rest of us are still learning...
(I must add)
...from the best!!!

Here is Jessica...

...and Haley with the Bishop.

Eva....

and Lindsay!!!!

Emma.....

...and Ashley.

Our Young Women's President, Lisa,
looks like a pro...

and me...
I didn't hit the clay pigeon with this shot,
but I did with the next.

Then I was done...two shots...I am happy to say
that I have shot a rifle!!!

Then I went back to shooting my 18 mm.
ha!ha!

We had a really great time and the girls did a
really great job.

Fabulous Family Photos....

2011-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

We just received our fabulous pictures back
from our fabulous photographer...
Andrea Touchet.

We love them all...

....especially our air boat photo.
We had to carefully make our way over to the boat
because it was so muddy...

...but it was worth it!!!

Chris and Jen's picture turned out fabulous..
...but what do you expect from fabulous looking kids!!!

And Jen and Tyson's little family
always looking sweet!!!

And of course the Merrick and Berkleigh
can't take a bad picture....

We didn't take a single picture of Matthew..
He will just have to wait until he finds a
significant other...
But of course he looks fabulous too!!!

It was a super fun day and
we had a really good time being all together.
Love you all!!!

Funny Family Moment....

2011-01-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

One day while we were in the car driving home from one of our millions of fun activities with the grandchildren , Wayne asked Berkleigh and Merrick if they were an animal which one would they like to be?

Here were their answers...

Berkleigh.............Penguin
Merrick................Snake
Tyson..................Dolphin (perfect choice)
Matthew..............also a penguin, because if you are going to be a penguin you need a cool Uncle to play with!!!
Grandma.............Swan (I was originally a monkey but Matthew talked them into changing me to a swan)

And the funniest.....
Grandpa.............The dinosaur!!!!!

My favorite family Christmas pictures....

2011-01-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

Putting the boys to work...

Waiting for my Santa buddy.....

Riding bikes...

Christmas Eve Nativity...
(just gotta love the donkey!!!)

Christmas Eve pajamas...

Berkleigh rolling around in her new quilt...

Our trip to Old Navy...

Our trip to see the baby alligators in Jennings...

...and playing at the fun park in Jennings.

Berkleigh's new friend, the Cheshire cat, at the Dairy Barn...

And one of my favorite family shots ...

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!!!

Getting ready for Christmas!!!

2010-12-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Last week some of my friends included me in making
gift tags for our gifts this year.

I decided to go simple...
...so I could get more done.

Here are a few which I cut out by using my
Cricut machine, which I love and use all the time.

When I got home I added some glitter so they didn't look
quite soooo simple.

There was a bit of giggling when the girls discovered
that both Susan and I
(Susan is my son's mother-in-law)
had brought samples of our
wrapping paper so our tags would match!!!

So... I am thinking...just what was the giggling for?
Why wouldn't we want our tags
to match our wrapping paper?

Just what were they thinking?
(I hope you know that I am kidding)

I had a great time, Lisa!!! Thanks for the fun day.
We will have to do it again next year.
(and have everyone bring their wrapping paper!!!)

OK...So it's not a Macy's parade........

2010-12-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

...but it was fun and we only had to travel
to Sulphur for their annual
balloon parade.

We thought they were only going to have
the "balloon shaped" balloons
but they also had these cute
balloons....
(I know they are not flying but Sulphur has low hanging electrical wires)

...and even some cute puppies...

And here is Wayne trying to get as much candy as possible
before the little girls gets it all.
(Not really, there was tons of candy for everyone)

We also picked up a bunch of beads...
I have been out since I gave all of mine away.
So all the people around us started to give us
their beads too...

And here is our stash of candy...
Can you find the crawfish?
The sucker in the shape of a cross?
Two old pieces of Halloween candy...
...and how many tootsie rolls are there?

Visiting the Fam

2010-11-12T07:41:00.001-08:00

About a month ago
(I know why didn't I blog about this earlier)
I went to visit my dad, my sister Mary Jane
and her husband, Rob, in Washington.
(My dad has Merrick and Berkleigh's hugs around his neck)

We had a great time hanging out together
which is what I miss the most.
But one day we went to Tacoma
to see the Museum of Glass...
It was fantastic!!!

We saw these beautiful glass
sculptures outside...

...and inside we watched them make some of their
sculptures which they display or sell.

This one was huge and they added silver and
glass pieces to the side.
This pictures makes it look like a reflection but it is
actually the design in the glass.
It only took them about an hour and we were
mesmerized from start to finish.
Of course Mary and I could have stayed here
all day....

...but we went back outside to see the glass bridge
and more amazing sculptures.

The glass bridge had glass pieces in the ceiling...

...and more on the walls, which was amazing because
it was an amazing day and the sun was shining through
these amazing pieces of art.
(do you understand that it was amazing!!!!!)

I also took pictures of my dad's dahlias.
They are really pretty (amazing).
He is really proud of them.
While I was there we always had at least
one vase of flowers on the table.

Love you guys!!! Thanks for letting me come
and hang out with you!!!!

2010-09-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go on a fabulous trip

to Canada a couple of weeks ago with some
wonderful friends of ours.

We flew into Montreal and went sightseeing
to "Old Montreal."
I love old buildings and especially cathedrals so
we went inside this Catholic church.
It was very ornate and kind of dark so most of my
pictures didn't turn out....

...but I did get a good picture of this
stained glass window which was
in the ceiling...very cool...

We walked around this part of town and
went into some of the shops..

...before we traveled on to where we were
staying for the week.

Mont-Tremblant is about 75 miles north
of Montreal and it was really beautiful!!!

"Halte du quai" means "Stop at the wharf"

Here we are with our friends the Smiths and the Neeleys
just after our cruise around the lake.

We stayed in this fun apartment...

...which looked out over the golf course.

We went on hikes and saw a few deer.
This one was really tame. If we would have had some
food I think she would have eaten right out of our hand.

There were flowers everywhere!!!
On the bridges...

On the side of the road...

...and even above the road.

One morning we went exploring and found this
old covered bridge...

...and took more pictures through the sides of the bridge.
(this is one of my favorites!!!)

Right near the bridge was this quaint
farm...

...and this cool sign post.

Of course we had to get in our daily
required amount of shopping.

This is the Mont-Tramblant village which had
lots of shops and fun things to do!!!

Such as the candy shop....

... and the Christmas store, which we found
ourselves in almost every day.

Before we left the owner new our names and
gave us each a friendship angel ornament...
just for coming in every day.

This was one of our favorite places to eat...
Crepes!!!
We had dinner crepes one night and dessert crepes
one afternoon. They were heavenly.

They even had a "Build a Bear Workshop"...

Before we left, I decided to take more pictures of the
signs...since they were in French and
kind of fascinating....

Some were very familiar....

...and others I had to look twice to figure out
what they were trying to say!!!

We had a great time and like most places
we visit, I hope I can return someday...

More vacation pictures...

2010-09-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the fun we had
during our vacation in California.

One day we rode the ferry out to Balboa
Island. It is not an actual island because
you can also drive there but the ferry is
the way to go....

It is a really cute little place with lots of fun
shops. We walked out onto the pier,
watched the waves and hung out...

They had a great playground where the kids
had a fun time climbing on this crazy
spider-webby shaped thing that must
have been about 25 feet tall!!!
Merrick of course climbed all the way to the top.

And of course the swings were super fun too!!!

The fire station was displaying
their antique fire engine so we
went in and had a look...

But...my favorite part was watching the twins walking
around in their fire hats.

Part of the time we just hung out...

One day the twins took us to a reptile store.
It must have had every kind of snake, spider or
reptile that you would ever want for a pet.
(...or not)
We bought the food so we could feed the turtles...
little did I know that the food would be alive...
and that the turtles would be soooo hungry...
There was even a huge catfish in the bottom of this
pond that loved the worms...

We also enjoyed our helium balloon ride...
We had to wait for a couple of hours until it was
our turn... but it was worth the wait.

It was dark by the time we went up
but it was a wonderful evening and the
surrounding city lights were beautiful.
We could even see Disneyland's fireworks
off in the distance.

Of course one of my favorite places to go is the zoo...
and I have always wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo.

Giraffes are always my favorite...

...but I also loved the seals....

...and the bugs!!!
You have to agree that these are the cutest
bugs you have ever seen!!!

Of course the pandas are amazing....
This is the dad.

The mom and baby were kept separately.
(but those pics didn't turn out as well)

The night before I came home,
we went to Disneyland to watch the
fireworks and hang out at
Downtown Disney
We had benets at the Jazz kitchen...

....saw the lifesize Woody in the Lego store...

...and watched this lady, who reminded us of Snow White,
make these incredible Mickey Mouse candy apples!!!

We were all pooped by the end of our trip...

....but we can't wait to go back again!!!!
Love you guys!!!
Thanks for such a fun time!!!

Beach Time...

2010-08-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

While on vacation in California
we went to the beach and had our
first of three beach days!!!

Here are a few of the highlights...

Matthew buried Merrick....

...he loved it even though he
was in a standing position!!!

When he was tired of being trapped in the sand,
Grandpa tried to pull him out...

That wasn't working to well, so we
had to dig him out...

...Then Grandpa tried to make a sand castle
but he had a little problem...

The princess kept trying to knock it down...

...So we buried her!!!

But then we had to bury them both
again...

It was a fun day...
I especially enjoyed riding the bikes to the beach.

More vacation pictures to come....

Just the right size.....

2010-07-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today I took flat Berkleigh and flat Merrick

to Jennings, Louisiana!!
Not much going on in this little town
but they do have a great little park just off the freeway
where they have an alligator house!!

That is where we met Bubba!!!
He is eleven months old.

Do you just love the leash?

This little guy was brought to the alligator
house by a hunter who had found him in the wild.
I was told that he "waited around"
for the mother to return but decided he must have
gotten separated from the rest of his family.
Because he has been raised in captivity he is
smaller (by about 4 inches) than he should be.

I wonder if the 4 inches are really going
to make much difference in the long run?

I sent flat Merrick and flat Berkleigh
home today. So sad but we will be visiting
them in person in just a few weeks.

We just can't wait!!!
See you soon!!
Love Ya!!!

Hugs from the Grandchildren!!!

2010-07-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Merrick and Berkleigh made us some hugs
the other day and sent them to us!!!
We love them and can't wait for the real thing
when we go on vacation in a couple of weeks!!!

Thanks bunches!!!
Your cute little hands really made us smile!!
Love you!!!

Flat twins for the fourth!!!

2010-07-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hi!! I am flat Berkleigh, and I am flat Merrick!!
and we have arrived in Lake Charles, Louisiana
just in time for the 4th of July celebration!!!

We got to hang out with our cool Uncle Chris and
cute Aunt Jen!!!

And we are staying with our awesome
Grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen.
Grandma stuck flags in her hair
to get into the spirit of the holiday!!!

We had to hang around for awhile listening
to the band play until it got dark enough
to see the fireworks.....

..... But then when it was totally dark,
the fireworks started and they were awesome.

We were so excited that grandma could
hardly keep us still so she could get a picture.

We had tons of fun!!!
Tomorrow we are going to see something that
Louisiana is famous for!!!
We can hardly wait to find out what it is.....!!!
Grandma says it will be a BIG surprise!!!

It's a daisy day!!!

2010-06-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

I was shopping at Walmart today when
I came upon the flower section.
They had sooooo many flowers and they
were all so pretty with such vibrant colors
that I just had to have some!!!
These daisies are so vibrant they hopped
into my cart all by themselves!!!

Can you believe this color!!

Hope you have a daisy day too!!

Our Family Tree

2010-05-27T08:36:00.002-07:00

Last summer we had a
Sorensen Family Reunion in Cedar City, Utah.
It had been a long time since we had all been
together so it was very fun seeing everyone again.
Most of our nieces and nephews have grown up
and are starting families of their own.
It was a really fun time.
So to commemorate the event we made a
Family Tree with everyone's hand print
as the leaves on the tree.

When we got home I decided to make it into
a quilt for Mom and Dad. I am finally getting
around to finishing it.

Here are some of our favorite
hand prints....
Matthew was still on his mission, but we didn't
want to leave him out.... so his hand is actually
Chris' hand.

Wayne and I tried to interlock our hands...

And of course Mom and Dad..
or Grandma and Grandpa..
(or Great Grandma and Grandpa)
are on the tree's trunk.
Jennifer had the greatest idea to put their
initials inside a heart on the tree trunk, and
we added apples for color.
I thought it turned out cute.

This was my first large freehand quilting project..
it was really fun to do but I need some more practice.
(So you might not want to look too closely)

I am looking forward to having another
family reunion when everyone is ready!!!
WooooHoooo!!!!!!

Birthday Girl!!!!

2010-05-19T05:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Jennifer!!!
Here are thirty reasons why you are
the very best daughter ever!!!

1. You were a super sweet baby!!!

Happy first Birthday!!!

2. You are a really great friend!!!

3. You were always a really good student
and loved going to school.
This is your first day of first grade.

4.You always had fun with
our Holiday traditions.

5.You loved Christmas and getting cool
Christmas presents.

6. You love the beach!!!

7. You are always really beautiful
and we could count on you to be a worthy young woman.

8. You graduated with honors and we have always
been really proud of you.

9. You have always been a great sister.

10. You have always been ready to go
on a fun trip anywhere!!!
(Yes, that is Stonehenge!!!)

11. Always a little crazy, but we love you just the way you are!!
(This was taken in the executioners room in York, England)

12. We were always proud of you for
finding such great guy as Tyson and
marrying in the temple.

13. You are always a fun daughter....

14. ...and granddaughter.

15. You have the cutest twins
ever.!!!

16. You love to keep your parents up on the latest,
such as going to see "Wicked".

17. You love Mary Poppins!!!

18. You are always teaching
Berkleigh and Merrick something fun!!!

19. You love Halloween and you are
super creative with costumes for
the twins.

20. Always giving the twins the very best
examples to follow!!!
(just kidding, you truly are)

21. You are a really kind and loving mom!!

22. You are always taking the twins to the "happiest
places on earth"!!

23. The maker of the best
birthday parties ever!!!

24. Besides being a great mother you are also
a great wife.

25. You are a really good cook and you like to make
fun foods for the kiddo's.
(She once made an octopus out of a hot dog!!)

26. You are always really dependable and faithfully
works hard doing your callings at church.
(Remember when you had about 4 separate callings?)

27. She graduated from BYU and taught school
for a few years before having
Berkleigh and Merrick.
(She was still working up to 2 weeks before!!)

28. You are a financial genius, and finds all kinds of
bargains.
(Just see one of her last posts!!)

29. You are always thinking of new and
inventive ways to teach the twins.
(Watch for this summers posts!!!)

30. You are just the best daughter a mom
could have!!! Thanks for always being so sweet,
fun and good!!

Have a really wonderful Birthday!!!!
Love you tons,
Mom and Dad

2010-05-09T16:15:00.001-07:00

I am to have this mother...

Note this is not my baby, but it is a great picture of my mom. :)

Oh, how I wish I could spend the day with her.

She is a great example to me. If I do anything right as a mom it is because I am following the example my she set for me to follow.

I wrote this post about her for her 50th birthday. I hate to reuse, but there is a lot of good stuff in it! :)

I love you mom! Sorry I am lame, and didn't get your present off yet. You just need to live closer so I don't have to worry about that. :)

You see, I try to make her awesome things, because she is SUPER creative. I have the best intentions, but it takes me awhile to pull through. Not one of my best traits, and not something I got from my mom.

Sorensen Missionaries!!!

2010-03-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

So handsome....

We are very proud of both of you!!!!

Our trip to Hogle Zoo...

2010-03-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

While we were in Utah a couple of weeks ago
we took a trip to Hogle Zoo.
It was late in the day, a little cold, and not
many people there...

A perfect combination!!!

This little monkey really liked us!!
He stayed right up close to the glass
and played with us for quite a while.
He was really cute....
I just wanted to take him home with us!!

The elephants are always one of my favorites
and they have a new baby!!!
How cute is that!!!

We weighted ourselves and the three of us
together weigh as much as the
newborn elephant.

It was a great day for pictures and you just
have to love a Zoo that will let you get up
close and personal with the giraffes!!!

They were incredible!!!

This snow leopard had been hiding until
we walked up to the glass. Suddenly both he and his
mom came out to pose for us just so we could
get another upclose and personal shot!!!

Do you just love the snow on the ground!!

Unfortunately, we couldn't get up close
with all of the animals...
so we just had to make do....

Have you ever seen a turkey as amazing as this one?
I have never seen one with his tail
feathers up.

Very cool!!!

Another fun Sorensen Family outing!!!

Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Matthew

2010-03-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Matthew came to visit
Berkleigh and I at our house in California!!!
We had a really great time!!!

We took them to the beach...

Matthew helped me build an airplane
out of my Tinkertoys that I
got for Christmas....

So I gave him a big hug...

...and took them to In and Out Burgers.
(Grandma shared her milkshake with me!!!)

Mom planned a big birthday party for Berkleigh and I...
(I think Grandma helped a little bit too)

Mom made us get dressed up and take our
pictures together.
Mom asked me to hold Berkleigh's hand so she
wouldn't keep running around. :)

Then mom and Dad got dressed up too!!!
They looked really funny...

Mom made us a birthday cake and these really
cool cupcakes that looked like
popcorn....!!!

Then our friends gave us these really fun presents...
I wear mine all the time.

Berkleigh got some dolls with a bunch of clothes!!
She really likes them.

We also took Grandma and Matthew to Disneyland!!!
Grandma let us play with this big, huge, wet ball
while Mom and Matthew went on
Space Mountain.
When we get bigger we will get to go on it too!!

Berkleigh and I tried to get the sword out of the stone but
it was really hard.
Berkleigh tried so hard that she was shaking!!!
I guess we will have to wait until we are bigger
for that too.

Then we went on the Merry-Go-Round...

And the teacups...

And "It's a Small World"...

We had a great time.
We can't wait until Grandma and Grandpa
bring Matthew back again!!!

Love you!!!
Merrick and Berkleigh

Valentines Day Traditions.....

2010-02-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

This year for the twins birthday,
(which is also Valentine's Day)
Jennifer is planning a circus birthday party.

I have been busy making another
pettiskirt for Berkleigh.
(I made a purple one for her last year which she loves)

But this year it is going to be red
and they are always so much fun to make....

After the fabric is cut out into many little 2 inch stripes,
I always wonder if I really need 4 yards of fabric
for a three year olds "skirt"!!!

Here is a picture in progress...
And this isn't even all the pieces....

Well... I don't want to hold you in suspense....
.......the answer is yes!!!
Can you believe this little skirt used
4 yards of fabric???
(If you look closely you will notice it is standing up by itself!!)

And we don't want to leave Merrick out of the fun...
He is getting a bow tie for his special day...

Watch for further posts to see the twins in their outfits.
The party isn't until next Saturday...
but we are traveling to California tomorrow!!!
We are very excited to see them all again.

Hope You Have A Very Happy Valentine's Day
full of your own family traditions!!!

He's back!!!!

2010-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hurray!!! Our missionary is home!!!
We are so excited to finally have Matthew
home from Mexico after his two years of service!!!

It was a very long wait.
He was expected to come into the Lake Charles
airport at 7:05 pm on Monday,
but his plane from Mexico City was late taking off.
He didn't leave Mexico City until about 3:00
in the afternoon. So he didn't get to the Dallas airport
until about 7:00.

He missed his connecting flight to the LC so
the best he could do was fly to Houston.
So when he called we jumped (literally) into
the car and drove to the Houston airport.

Do you just love the hat!!!

He had to wait for a few minutes for us to arrive but
not too long.

His Dallas flight was a little late too!!!

We were just glad to finally see him
and hug him again!!!

He was released from his mission the next night at
President Newton's house. It was all very nice.
Matthew bore his testimony in Spanish and then again in English.

We all had tears in our eyes.

We are now acclimating him back to life in
America. Chris supplied us with flags for our
American style breakfast with all of the fixings!!

And then they got creative......

We are so happy to have you home Matthew.
We are so proud of you for all that you accomplished in the
two years that you were in service to the Lord.

Congratulations!!!! We love you!!!!

Countdown.....

2010-01-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

We received a call from Matthew's Mission President's
wife last night. She was calling from Mexico to tell
us that Matthew (Elder Sorensen) would be coming
home from his mission on.....

Monday, February 1st at 7:05 pm!!!!

We were soooo excited to hear from her!!!!
She wanted to know if we had any questions.
I was glad to know that he wasn't traveling alone.
He would be traveling with 18 other elders until he
reached Dallas. Then he would continue on to
Lake Charles.

Sister Johnstun also told us that Matthew was
a really great missionary and she was sending him home
skinny, tanned and handsome!!!
(But we already knew all of that!!!)

We can't wait to see you, Matthew!!!

Waiting for Christmas.............

2009-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

The countdown blocks say only
one more day....

The house is decorated and the presents are
wrapped.....

The traditional pumpkin pie and
pecan carmels are ready....

and the gumbo is cooking on the stove....

The nativity is out in its usual spot....

And the newest holiday decoration is
also ready.......

(We just couldn't pass up this cute
nativity from our Alaskan trip this year)

Wayne is in his usual holiday spot....
waiting on Christmas.....

And do kids ever change?
This one just couldn't wait any longer!!!
(Yes, he is really asleep)

Hope your waiting is filled with hope and anticipation
this holiday season!!!!

Merry Christmas and happiest of New Years!!!
Love the Sorensen Clan!!!

I Love to See the Temple....

2009-11-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

One of the men in our Branch in Jennings
loves to build small replicas of buildings
in Thailand, since that is where he is from.
He likes to share his unique culture in the form
of buildings and other Asian art forms.
It is very cool.

So for our Primary Sacrament Program
we asked him if he could build a replica
of the Houston Temple.

We have all been very impressed with his abilities
and especially since he built this from
just a few pictures.

Our Primary children loved it too.

We had a great program with lots of
talent from the cute children
in our little branch.

Great job kids!!!!

Spooky!!!

2009-11-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween especially when our
son and daughter in law are so into Halloween!!
This year Chris decided to build some stilts to go
with his scary Grinth costume that he (I helped a bit) made
for Halloween last year.
If you don't know who Grinth is, then you will have to play
the computer game, Guild Wars, to find out.

We had fun spending the evening handing out candy with
Jen and her parents, while Chris impressed the
neighborhood children with his scary costume.

Do you just love the picture!!
I even captured the full moon in the background!!

And you just gotta love his eyes!!!

I loved this picture too because it looked like he
was about to eat Jen!!
But she doesn't look too scared!!!

Great job Chris!!!
We will be waiting for you to outdo
yourself again next year!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Pictures......21!!!!

2009-10-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since Matthew has sent pictures
so it is always fun to get some!!!
These are the Elders in his district.
(I love sepia pictures)

And this is one of the families that has
been recently baptized.

Matthew is turning 21 in November!!!
We are excited and so we are asking as
many of you who would like to send him a
birthday card!!! He will love it!!!
If you send it during this next week
he will receive it by his birthday on the 22nd.

Here is his address:
Elder Matthew Sorensen
Mexico Culiacan Mission
Rio Choix 888
Colonia Rosales
Culiacan, Sinaloa 80230
MEXICO

This isn't pouch mail so it will cost 79 cents.
A date hasn't been set yet but Matthew comes home
in January!!!!
It is getting close and we are excited!!!!

Funny Story...

2009-10-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday, I was teaching our little Primary children
in our little Jennings ward the Primary songs
to get them ready for their
Sacrament Meeting Presentation.

I brought Lincoln Logs so they could build
a house (or a happy family) with them as we sang the songs.
I wanted to start out with "How Firm a Foundation"
because we were putting down
the foundation of the house!!!
But one of the little boys
(we had a total of 4 children) insisted
on singing "Bob the Builder"!!!

At first it didn't occur to me
what he meant but as soon as we
moved on to the second song he
became very happy!!!

We have now renamed "My Eternal Family"
to "Bob the Builder"!!!

He was so funny and cute that it totally
made my whole day!!!

"Diamonds are a girls best friend".....

2009-10-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

....but first we have to find them!!!

This last weekend we went to the Crater of Diamonds
State Park in Arkansas with our
friends the Smiths, Neelys and Knowles.
It is a fun place where you can dig around in the dirt
and keep any diamonds that you find!!!
(Really!!!)
The largest diamond that was found in the park
was a 40 karat diamond found back in 1924!!!

We were told there was still plenty of diamonds
left to find and we were all convinced that we were
going to find some....
so we proceeded to dig.....
(Yes, the Smiths are in the background)

We were told that some of the biggest diamonds
had been found just laying on the top of the soil...
So Wayne proceeded to walk all around the park
looking for a little sparkle!!!

I got tired of walking around so I picked a spot
and dug up all the dirt around me.
But all I found was this cool green rock
which turned out to be......

.....a cool green rock!!!!
Actually they said it was Jasper!!!

We thought Michele might have found a diamond
when we saw her sparkly crystal....

...but it was a sparkly quartz!!!

Some of us like the Knowles decided to use the
sloushing method.
(I don't think that is the exact term)
They washed their rocks first to get all of the mud off
and then sloushed them around some more
and then looked for anything that sparkled....

...they just got dirty....
......but they looked good doing it!!!

The "Diamond Man," which we decided to call him,
found a diamond while we were watching him.
We could tell that he had been diamond hunting for awhile,
maybe because of the magnified glasses on the top of his head,
but mostly because he actually
FOUND ONE!!!

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at the quaint
little town of Washington, Arkansas which had been
the capitol of the confederate United States for a period of time.
We wished we could have looked around a bit more
this booming town with a population of 148,
but they were just closing as we arrived.

But we did go inside the court house which reminded
us of the court room in the movie,
"To kill a Mockingbird."
There was no balcony but it was a very
beautiful building with wood floors and ceilings!!!

We had a great time!!!

Trip to Washington

2009-09-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

I just arrived home from my week long trip
to see my Dad, my sister Mary Jane and
her husband Rob.
(and I don't want to leave out Meathead, their cute
black and white kitty.)

Notice Dad's flower garden behind us...
the Dalias are especially beautiful!!!

Mary Jane took the week off from work
and the first day I was there we went
to Mt. Rainier. It was a perfect day with
not a cloud in the sky. We drove as far up the
mountain as we could get by car. Mary thought
we would be able to see snow on the ground but
it had melted away from the lodge where we ate
our picnic lunch.

We made a couple of stops along the way...

One at the top of this waterfall, which was very
cool. Mary and I hiked down to the base of the
waterfall...

...and then looked back up to see my Dad
waving his arms at us from the bridge.
(He is next to the man in the white shirt.)

At the lodge we found a chair build to
fit a King so we had Dad sit awhile
while we shopped in the gift shop.

To bad we forgot to bring his crown!!!

I think the weather was just made for us
because it was such a beautiful day.

The rest of the week Mary and I played.
We went to the state fair and ate traditional
Washington State fair scones with raspberry jam,
checked out the quilt show and sewing displays,
(for a couple of hours!!!)
checked out the animals,
(because dad was going to ask)
(and because it didn't feel like a fair if we didn't at least see a cow!!!)
and the flower and pottery exhibits.

We also went to as many fabric stores
as we could get away with and hauled home
an abundance of fabric!!!

The highlight of the trip was to see Eric,
my nephew and his wife, Stacy and their
adorable children, Alex and Rory...

...And my other Nephew, Brian and his wife,
Crystal and their cutie pie daughters
Jessy and Tessa.
(sorry Jessy is missing from the picture along
with Daniel who wasn't able to come)

We had a really great time and I
can't wait to go back!!!
(but I better start sewing so I can feel OK about
purchasing more fabric!!!)

Love you guys!!!

Harry Potter!!!

2009-07-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a Harry Potter fanatic!!!
So I talked Chris and Jen into going to the
midnight showing of "The Half Blood Prince"!!!
Chris even dressed up as Harry and looked really great!!!
But there was only one other person who dressed up
and she wanted a picture of the two of them together.
She made a really impressive Severus Snape.

My camera started to go fuzzy
(I think because the battery was low)
so the picture of Jen and Chris and I didn't turn out
but the movie was terrific!!!
I will probably go again with Wayne later this week!!
(did I say I am a fanatic!!)

"Rav 4 Us"

2009-07-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo!!!
We finally traded in our little white '99 Malibu
for a Toyota Rav4. It is so cool to drive and I love the color and
it looks so great in our garage!!!

In case you are wondering if we are copying Chris and
Jen's vehicle, I am pretty sure we
liked the Rav4s before they bought theirs.
But who cares, we both love our cars!!!

A Matthew Moment...

2009-06-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Elder Sorensen is in Culiacan, Mexico
where he is serving his mission and loving every
minute of it.
(Well, at least most minutes!!)

Here are some of the highlights from
month 17...

Knocking the big dog's doors....
(The servant asked him to leave)

Giving service by helping an investigator with
their laundry...

Getting bit by a child....

Shopping at the neighborhood mall...

All in a days work in the life of a missionary!!!!
Keep smiling Matthew!!! You are doing a great job!!!
Love Ya!!!

North to Alaska!!!

2009-06-06T10:13:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a fabulous, two week trip to Alaska!!
Here are some of the highlights of our trip!!

We were accompanied by our friends the Smiths, the Neelys and the Knowles.
(Do we look cold?)

The cruise was fantastic!!
We saw a lot of beautiful scenery along the way.

We stopped at three ports on the way to Anchorage;
Ketchican, Juneau, and Skagway.
Here is Wayne during one of our excursions. He is very intently
panning for gold!! He found a little but our guide thought
I had been the lucky one to have found the most!!!

On a bus ride up to the summit of one of the
mountains we saw a bear alongside the road!!
This was taken from the window of the bus.
The driver wouldn't let us get out to get a better shot!!
Amagine that!!

We also saw many glaciers while on board the ship.

This one is named Margerie and it is huge!!!
It is 1 mile across and 21 miles long!!!
We were able to stay and watch it for about an hour
while it popped, cracked and fell into the ocean!!!
It was amazing!!! I loved the icy blue color of the ice.

After we landed in Anchorage we took the train to the
Denalli State park where we spent the night
and came back the next day.

It was a beautiful train!! We rode in the top and ate
lunch and dinner in the dining car below!!
So cool!!

While in Denalli we visited the Husky Homestead where
Jeff King trains his dogs for the Iditarod dog sled race.
He has won the race four times. We got to
hold a couple of his 17 puppies!!!

And of course we saw wildlife along the way!!!

Caribou!!

Moose!!!

Musk ox!!!

We also saw whales but only from a distance.

Words can not express how beautiful and magnificent
this trip was. We had tons of fun!!!

Wedded Bliss!!!

2009-05-20T04:43:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Anniversary Chris and Jen!!!

Love you!!
Have a great day and a wonderful life!!!
Love Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday Pumpkin!!!

2009-05-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hope you have a great day!!!

We love you!!!
Happy Birthday!!!
from the Fam!!!

California or bust!!!

2009-04-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

This last week I went to visit Jennifer, Tyson and
the twins in California. I had a 3:00pm flight to Phoenix and then
on to Cali, but my flight was canceled due to the intense
thunder storms in Houston.
Almost 24 hours later I arrived at the John Wayne
airport, after spending the night in Phoenix.
The sun was shining and the weather was beautiful
so what else could go wrong-- right?

Unfortunately my luggage went to LAX, but
they brought it to me by the end of the day
so it wasn't to bad.

Luckily that was the only traumatic thing
that happened during the week.
Here are some pictures of the fun we had!

I took this picture of John Wayne mostly for my Dad
who is a big John Wayne fan!!!

We went to the "Happiest Place on Earth"!

We went to the Santa Ana Zoo and
saw Llamas...

and monkeys...

and this incredible turkey.
I couldn't help but wonder how old he was?

It was warm so we took lots of
snack breaks!!

We also had time for projects while the twins were
napping!! We made these bags during Jen's
Enrichment night activity. Everyone's turned
out soooo cute.

We also spent a lot of time singing in the car.
The twins favorite song is the Pirate song from
"the Pirates of the Caribbean" at
Disneyland. They know to raise their
arms just as if they were on the ride!!!
They have been trained well!!

Thanks for the fun week Jen and Tyson!!

If you want to see more pictures or
a video of Berkleigh's exciting day at Disneyland
go to Jen's blogspot!!!

Finished!!!!!!

2009-03-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is my latest creation!!

My friend, Julie Matheson asked if I would
make her a quilt out of her childhood
clothes which her mother had saved for her!!
I was really excited because the fabrics were
so pretty. I hated cutting them up into tiny
squares but the finished project was well worth it.

:)I didn't realize that this picture was sideways
until after I blogged it!! :)

Eventhough I would have loved to be able to
machine quilt it for her, we decided to go with the professional
(who actually owns a quilting machine)
Here is the close up of the flowery/leafy design
that Julie choose.

New Pics!!!

2009-03-24T11:23:00.001-07:00

Matthew sent us some more pictures this week!!!
Here he is with the Elders in his District.
His companion, Elder Hernandez O., is the taller one in the back.
There are so many Elder Hernandez's that they add
the letter to their last name so they can tell them apart.
Matthew is doing really great and loving
his mission.

Matthew was really excited for this brother
to get baptized. He also received the priesthood
the following Sunday.

Matthew had a scuffle with a dog a few weeks ago.
But luckily he only received a scratch.
I think he was more upset about his pants
than about the bite!!
One of the sisters in the Ward fixed
these pants for him!! I was surprised, they look
beyond help!!!

I am grateful there are such nice people
looking out for my son.
Someone was even thoughtful enough to make
him banana bread.

And if you were wondering what that shape is on the top??
It's Pooh Bear!!!

Time Out!!!

2009-03-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here is our group of women at the Houston
"Time out for Women" conference this last weekend!!!
We had such a great time, getting to know each other,
seeing friends we haven't seen in ages and
of course listening to the great speakers
that come to enrich our lives.

Just some of our favorites were author and CEO, Sherry Dew,
impressive singer and song writer, Jenny Jordan Frogley,
funny and talented, author, Mary Ellen Edwards and
another favorite singer and song writer, Kenneth Cope.

You can tell from our attire that it was kind of cold and rainy
but we didn't let that dampen our spirits as we listened,
took notes, laughed, purchased some of their
products and had a wonderful "Time out"
weekend!!!

On our way home we had to stop at one of my favorite
Texas barbecue spots, "Rudys" and brought home
some of their brisket, pork and sausage for our guys at home!!!
(And of course some of their fantastic sauce!!!)

We can't wait until next year!!!

Look alikes?

2009-03-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

Who is that little girl holding the sweet peas?

Do you think she might be related
to Berkleigh Rae Scott?

Let me know what you think!!

Our day at Pinederosa..... "Ethan's".....Park!!!

2009-02-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Andrews took Tristan to the Temple for his first time yesterday,
(Congratulations Tristan)
so I watched Savannah, Ethan and Jackson for the day!!!

We went to the park, swung on the swings, had lunch,
swung on the swings, had a scavenger hunt, swung on the swings!!!
(The swings are Ethan's favorite)

I have a feeling that Jackson will grow up to like the swings too!!!

Of course we had to spend some time kissing Jackson...

I guess I wore them out because when we got home Ethan flopped
on the couch and stayed this way for about two hours!!!

While the boys slept, Savannah and I finished her baby doll quilt
and started on a skirt for herself!!!
Sorry no pictures but we will update you later on the progress
of the skirt!!!

(Today I am not doing anything!!!)

HUMP DAY!!!

2009-01-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

Today is Matthews 1 year anniversary
for being on his mission!!!
WooHoo!!

He is having a great mission
and helping many of the Mexican people.
He is in Culiacan where the Mission home is located.

The funniest story that Matthew has told us lately is when
he and his companion met a man on the street and asked
him how he was. After initial greetings, the man said he
was occupied at the moment.
But the Elders proceeded to ask if they could just take
a moment of his time to tell him about the restoration.
Then the man told them he was deaf!!!

I will have to remember that one when
telemarketers call!!!

Just one year to go Elder Sorensen!!
You are doing a great job!!
Love you!!!

Christmas Eve in Mexico!!!

2009-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

We received some of Matthew's pictures yesterday!!!
The Mission President and his wife had the Elders in the area over for dinner
and activities on Christmas Eve.
They are getting ready to act out the Nativity....

...can you guess what part Matthew played!!!
I don't know how he was talked into playing Mary
but he is always such a good sport!!!

The ward gave them gifts for Christmas......

...and on New Year's Eve they had a barbecue at
a members home.
It looks like they ate very well, but I would be
surprised if Matthew ate any of these onions!!!

Keep up the good work, Elder Sorensen!!!

Two Christmas' in one !!!

2008-12-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

How much fun is one Christmas!??!
Well, times that by two, because we had twice the fun this year!!!
Before going to California we spent Christmas (about a week early)
with Chris and Jen!!!
We had dinner, opened gifts, played games and watched Chris play
with his new toy helicopter!!!

They thoughtfully gave me really cute "Brighten" earrings
(my favorite brand)
and this really cute star to go with my starless Nativity!!!
Now it looks complete!!!

Then after flying to California to see Jennifer, Tyson,
Berkleigh and Merrick, we spent Christmas with them.
Berkleigh got a kitchen set which she apparently loved because after
seeing it we had a hard time getting her attention back on opening presents.
Uncle Chris and Aunt Jen got the twins this tent set which they also loved.
After we set it up for them they played in it for hours!!

Jennifer painted this watercolor picture for me of Seacliff beach in Aptos
where I grew up. Past the pier is a cement boat which has been there
since 1919. It use to be a restaurant and dance hall until
the depression when it was left empty.
Now it is a home for seagulls and pelicans.
Because we will not be going back every year to visit my parents,
(my Dad just moved to Washington to live with my sister and her family)
Jennifer knew how much I would miss this beach.
I love this picture and hung it up in a special place as soon as
we arrived home.
I have such thoughtful children!!!!

We also did a four way call on Christmas day with Matthew, Chris,
Jennifer and Mom and Dad.
Matthew is doing great and is loving his mission.
He was just transferred from
Mazitlan to Culiacan which is were the mission home is.
He is having trouble emailing pictures home but hopefully
we will have more pictures to share soon.

We feel so blessed at this time of year to share this wonderful
Christmas season of Christ's birth with our family and friends.
We hope all of you have had a
MERRY CHRISTMAS and will have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

20 years ago today.......

2008-11-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

Happy 20th Birthday Matthew!!!

We love you and we are
so proud of you and the
great work you are doing!!!

Hope you have a terrific day today!!!!

Love from the Fam!!!
Mom, Dad, Jennifer, Tyson,
Merrick, Berkleigh,
Chris, Jen and Thunder!!!

Thanks to everyone who sent Birthday cards to Matthew!!!
I am sure that he will love them and all of you for thinking of him!!

Dedication

2008-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a year today since my Mom passed away.
She was always such a great Mom to my sister and I and wife to my Dad. She was dedicated to us which was obvious by the way she was always involved in our lives.
She taught us to sew when we were young. Both Mary Jane and I completed 10 years in the 4-H program where we won many awards for our clothing and sheep projects.

Mom came with us each year as we attended 4-H summer camp.
Because the bathrooms were so far away from where we camped,
she would get up early each morning
and bring us water so we could freshen up and brush our teeth.
(Looking back, I think she just wanted to hurry us along,
but we thought it was because we were special!!!)

Mom was also my room mother every year at school until I grew out of having room mothers.
She always made special yummy treats for each of the holidays.
We were always the envy of the other classes.
She did all of this at the same time my Dad working as a carpenter.
She was always right there with him getting him supplies, painting
and helping with whatever he needed.

By her actions she taught me to be a kind and caring person.
They were always helping others, and actively, attended church.

We love this picture of Mom holding Berkleigh for the first time.

Mom loved to sew, crochet and knit. She always had a project that she was working on and many completed so she was ready to give anyone
who needed one a baby blanket or a hand made towel.

Mom loved flowers and hummingbirds. She had a collection of vases. And she loved to pick up and collect rocks from different placed they had visited.

Her favorite President was Ronald Reagan. When he was governer of California, he visited the Santa Cruz county fair. She crossed the barrier to shake his hand and get his picture. She might have had more pictures of Ronald Reagan than most of the rest of the family!

More recently, when we went to visit, Mom didn't usually
feel well enough to go out.
But this summer, we talked them into going to the beach for a barbeque.
Dad loved helping Tyson cook the hamburgers.
It was a great day.
(We always got a kick out of Mom's sunglasses!!!)

That same summer we also talked them into going to see the 10:00 pm showing of the
"Pirates of the Carribean".
We thought they would like it--- but not so much!!
Movies have changed a lot since they had seen their last one
20 years ago!!!

Mom was always really proud of her 5 Grandchildren and 7 Great Grand Children.
We love you Mom!!

It's a contest!!!

2008-10-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew's birthday will soon be here on November 22nd.
So join in the fun to see how many birthday cards Matthew
can receive by his birthday!!!
It takes 3 weeks for him to get his mail,
(plus the wait in the mission home)
so if you send him a card sometime this week he should
receive it before his birthday!!!

Here is his address:
Elder Matthew Sorensen
Mexico Culiacan Mission
Rio Choix 888
Colonia Rosales
Culiacan, Sinaloa 80230
Mexico

This is not pouch mail. Cards are not allowed in the pouch mail.
So the cost of the card will be 72 cents.

Thanks for joining in on the fun!!!

Hurray!!!

2008-09-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to finally receive pictures from Matthew.
He has had problems with his camera so he bought a disposable camera,
took some pictures and gave the camera to Elder Webb
who was on his way home from his mission.
Elder Webb was also serving in the Culiacan, Mexico Mission.
They met but did not serve together.
Meanwhile, Elder Webb's parents moved to Huntsville, TX.
so I was worried how we would get the pictures.
But Sister Webb called this last week and sent them to us.
So here are our first pictures of Elder Sorensen serving in
Los Cabos, Mexico.

Matthew's companion (Elder Thebault from Canada)
and the other two Elders who they room with.

The Elders in Black (EIB).......

And in white!!!

I had to add this picture because ...
1. It is my favorite and he looks very cute in this picture.
2. He is wearing the WALL-E watch that I sent him just for fun.
It turns out that he and his roommate lost their watches
about the same time my package arrived.
They were their favorite item in the package!!!
Go figure!!!
If you were not one of the lucky few who went to see the
movie "Wall-e" the first few days it was out,
then you may not have received a "Wall-e" watch.
Don't feel like you missed out.
It was just a plastic wrist band with a little watch
embedded in the plastic. I may need to send him a real watch
but for now he seems happy with Wall-e!!!

'Tis the season!!

2008-09-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

No....
not for Christmas lights decorating our windows....
but for plywood panels!!!!

Chris helped us put these up Saturday morning before we
left because of the mandatory evacuation of
hurricane Gustav.
Even though we have experienced a hurricane before,
it is still very stressful. We appreciated Chris' help so we could be ready
for another adventure!!!

We were lucky enough to have fun cousins in Houston to invite us to
stay with them for a few days. Herb and Mary Hyatt and
the youngest 3 of their
8 children welcomed us into their home even though
we didn't arrive until
1:30 am on Sunday morning.
(It took us 7 hours to get to Houston)

After spending a couple of restful days with them we continued on to
Austin. But who knew that the evacuation would be lifted so soon
and Wayne would be
required to return to work the next morning.
So on the way home on Tuesday we decided to stop
at one of our favorite places!!!
It was well worth the drive!!!
(I should own stock!!!)
We took a tour and saw first hand how they make
the worlds best ice cream!!!

After the tour they gave us dishes of ice cream!!
Wayne and I both tried two of their newest flavors.
I had "Cantaloupe and Cream" which is now my new favorite flavor,
and Wayne had "Snickerdoodle". Which was interesting but I
am not a huge fan of cinnamon in my ice cream.
But it did have pieces of snickerdoodle cookies inside!!

We are glad that we returned home safely and to electricity
and trees still standing tall and straight!!!
We hope all of our friends and family were also safe and out of danger.

We thought of leaving our plywood panels up until the next three
hurricanes pass by. But we are pretty good at getting
them up and down quickly so we have taken them down.
(leaving Christmas lights up all year round is
also one of my pet peeves!!!)

"California here we come..."

2008-08-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

We have been spending the last two weeks in California
with Jennifer, Tyson, Merrick and Berkleigh.
Chris and Jen were also able to come with us and spend a week
seeing the sights of sunny California.

The highlight of the trip was going to see the play "Wicked" at the
Pantages Theater in Hollywood. How many times have you seen the
"Wizard of Oz"? Well you do not know the complete story until you have seen the play.

The theater is beautifully decorated inside and is
really quite amazing!!!

And it is very close to the corner of ....

And of course we saw some of our favorite stars
on the sidewalks of Hollywood Blvd.

2008-08-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Some of our other favorite activities of the week were....
Walking barefoot in the sand at Newport Beach...

missing Matthew...

building sandcastles....

and just enjoying each others company.

2008-08-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

We also watched "Monsters Inc." with our new monster jamas!!!

Wayne and I stayed for another week up the coast with my Dad.
So we went to Carmel beach....

and found Hermit crabs......

and lots of seagulls!!!

We also want to Disneyland and played fun games together and
had a great family vacation!!!

Time for a change!!!

2008-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

Just an update on Elder Matthew.
He has been transferred to Mazatlan this week.
His companion is from Mexico and knows little English.
He is feeling the challenge of having all Spanish speaking Elders to talk to,
but he is excited and happy to be serving the Lord.

Do you just want to jump on a plane and go visit!!!

18 months!!! I am going to be there!!!

6 months in........18 to go!!!

2008-08-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Elder Sorensen has completed his first 6 months of his two year mission
for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
He is in the Culiacan, Mexico mission and loving every minute of it!!!
Well, he is not complaining anyway!!!
Here are a few pros and cons to serving a mission....

They didn't have any water at their apartment for a few days
so they had to shower with a bucket and a cup!!!

Watching out for dogs in the area is important since Matthew has
been nearly bitten a couple of times.

He and his companion walk everywhere they go but they were just given
cell phones to make life easier!!!

He is serving in a beautiful location in Los Cabos on the
Baja peninsula.

He is not a "greenie" any more, because he is serving with his
second companion who is from Canada.

Most important he is serving the Lord and teaching the
people of Mexico about the Savior and the restored gospel.

They have had two baptisms and many contacts.

We are very proud of him and happy that he has taken the
opportunity to serve a mission. Our whole family is blessed for the
service that he is giving to the people in Mexico.
Good job Elder Sorensen!!!!

The above picture is of the other Elders who he arrived with and
his Mission President, Pres. Johnston from Rexburg, Idaho.
Hopefully more pictures will come soon.

2008-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a trip to Branson, Missouri.
It was fun to get away for awhile and rest and relax
in the Ozark mountains!!
Our first stop was Silver Dollar City!!

There is an amazing underground cave included in the amusement park.
We walked down into the cave thousands of feet as you can see from this picture
of us looking up at the hole of last remaining sunlight!!!!
AHHHHH!
This "room"in the cave was huge!!!
It is bigger than a football field and taller
than a 20 story building!!!
We also saw waterfalls and stalactites.
But we missed out on seeing any bats!!!

Our favorite ride was the flooded mine because...

...we could shoot targets and try to get the highest score.
I creamed Wayne once but he says that was because his gun was broken!!!
(sspphhhh!!!)
Don't we just sound like kids at heart!!!

2008-07-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

One of the kids favorite rides (when we were in Branson 20 years ago)
was "Fire in the Hole".
We got wet so we were happy and cool.
--Chris was actually too small to ride and Matthew wasn't born yet--
So I guess it was Jen's favorite ride!!

We took about 10 of these pictures before we were able get a good one.
I am surprised we got the water wheel in the back ground!!!

Our last night we went to see "Broadway".
Great performers singing great songs from all of my favorite Broadway plays!!!
What more could you want?
(A trip to NY!!)

The morning we left we drove to Lake Taneycomo.
The fog had settled on the water and looked amazing.

We had a great time and can't wait to go back again!!

Nifty Fifty...

2008-07-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I was going out to dinner last night with just my family
but was pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Olive Garden
to see a table full of some of our best friends to share my birthday with me!!!
Julie managed to get us all together and still have it be a surprise!!!

I don't feel like I am fifty
but if I have to be then sharing it with some of my best friends
(who have been my friends for the last 25 years and are still my friends)
and family makes it all worth while.

I saved the great candle but let the waitress and staff share the rest
of the huge, yummy, chocolate cake that Julie brought.
(I just didn't want to take it home and gain 50 pounds)
Thanks again to all of my great friends and family who we have shared
so much with me through out the years!!!
I am so blessed!!!
Thanks for making my day fun!!!
Love you all!!!
xoxo

Girl's Camp 2008!!!

2008-06-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

I went to Girl's Camp last week and had a really great time!!!
The theme was:

I wish my camera worked because then I would have some
pictures of the the girls from the Lake Charles ward and
also from the Orange, Texas Stake.
But instead here are some of my favorite activities from camp!!!

We went swimming, canoeing and water sliding!!
We had great classes and certification!!!

We made fun craft projects, like this cool photo album.

We made some red, sparkly flip flops, so we could all look like Dorothy
for the last nights program and testimony meeting.

And all of the leaders were given this great plaque to remind us
of our Eternal home that we are working towards.

We were very spoiled by having air conditioned cabins,
nice showers and great cooks to feed us for each meal.
(It was great not having to cook!!)
Thanks Vicki, Gwen, Kristen and Samantha!!!
And of course we hung out with the girls and some of my best friends,
Julie and Lynn.
It was an all round great time!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day mom! We love you. You are the best mom, mother in law, and grandma. Thanks for being so amazing. It gives me something to work towards!

I love you!

Jen

Our trip to Washington DC!!!

2008-05-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Wayne had a business trip to Washington DC this last week
so I was lucky enough to go with him and
see all of the magnificent sights
of our American heritage!!!The white house is one of the smaller buildings, believe it of not!!!
I have never seen so many huge buildings that take up entire blocks!!!
President Bush waved to us from the White House!! (believe it or not!!)

Climbing to the top of the Washington Monument
was another awesome experience.
We were in the presence of greatness as we rode to the top
of the monument
with a boy scout troop from North Carolina!!

The Lincoln Memorial was the one monument that
I was the most excited to see!!!
And it was even grander than I imagined!!!
Sitting on his lap was very cool too!!! (believe it or not!!)

The Iwo Jima memorial was the first monument that we saw after
arriving in Washington DC.
It was in walking distance to our hotel.
We walked there just before dark and my first thought was "It's Huge"!!!
Pictures do not do it justice.
The same thought went through my mind all week upon seeing Washington DC.
It is amazing how such a small area of land can hold so much history!!!

There was a few times that I was drawn to tears
because of the magnitude
of where and what I was looking at.
The Iwo Jima monument was the first time,
a couple of days later the Vietnam memorial took my breath away
as I thought about my POW bracelet that I wore all during high school,
and the third time I was standing in the rotunda of the capitol
looking up at the immense hand painted ceiling.
Seeing over 200 years of history in one week is beyond words.

2008-05-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Another monument that was one of Wayne's favorites!!!

Wayne being taught by the master!!
This is also one of my favorite pictures.
Some of our favorite works of art include...
the "Ghost Clock"
which doesn't look like much until you realize the sheet
isn't a sheet at all,
but part of the complete carving of the "clock"!!!
Right!! It is all wood!!!
Even in person it was hard to tell that it was wood!!!

Van Gogh...

Monet...
Around every corner there was another original work
by one of the masters.
It was incredible!!
I could have stayed at the National Gallery of Art all day!!
Oh!! I did!! And part of the next day!!!

And of course, you can't leave Washington DC
without seeing
the Hope diamond!!
This picture doesn't do it's 47.5 carets justice!!!

We loved Washington DC!!
With all of its heritage, culture and beauty!!!
We kept wondering why we never took the kids
when they were younger.
But we can always plan for the future!!!

Watermelons Anyone??!??

2008-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

While we were in Jennings today going to church, we took one of the members home and passed this unique house!!! I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. It reminded me of a house in Ponca City, Oklahoma where we lived for 9 years. That family decided to hang all of their treasures on the outside of their house until there was not any room left to hang anything else. (Maybe that saved on having to paint!!) But compared to the Ponca City house this one looks good enough to eat!!!The only thing I would add to this fruity version of the witches house in Hansel and Gretel is a huge azalea bush planted on the side. Too bad they are not in bloom any longer. This is our azalea bush on the side of our house. It was beautiful while it lasted!!!

Los Cabos, Mexico

2008-04-07T18:57:00.001-07:00

Matthew emailed us today and he is in the southern
most part of Baja, in Los Cabos.
His companion is Elder Lamm.
They room with 2 other Elders, they walk everywhere they go,
they have taught 15 lessons this week
and one of their investigators is almost ready for baptism!!!
Wow!!! What a week Elder Sorensen!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Mexico or Bust!!!

2008-04-06T18:56:00.001-07:00

Matthew arrived safely in Culiacan, Mexico last week along with 7
other Elders. This picture was taken at the mission home along
with his Mission President,Marion R. Johnstun, who was a professor
at BYU-Idaho before being called as a mission president.

Congratulations Matthew and Good Luck!!!

Flying to Mexico!!!!

2008-03-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Elder Sorensen's last day in the MTC. He will be flying to Dallas, Mexico City and then on to Culiacan, Mexico tomorrow. It will take him all day because he has 2-3 hour layovers at each airport, but he is very excited to get out into the mission field serving the Lord. He will be calling us from the Dallas airport in the morning.Here is his new address if you want to send him a letter
through the "pouch" (letters only) service.

Elder Matthew Sorensen
Mexico Culiacan Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT. 84130-0150
USA

Another weekend project???

2008-03-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Yes!!!
We have been building new shelves for our pantry.
(I say "we" because I am supervising Wayne's work) Our previous wire shelves fell a couple of week ago.
This isn't the first time that we have had to rebuild shelves in our house.
My closet shelves have fallen twice and Wayne has put them back up both times!!!

So we are putting up "amazing" wooden shelves that we hope will stand the test of time,
or at least until we move!!!
Besides supervising, I will be painting the entire pantry.

I know we do a great job, but we are not for hire.
The rest of the year we plan on being on weekend vacation :) !!!

What's for dinner??

2008-03-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have trouble deciding what to make for dinner?
I tried something new last night and it turned out great!!!
It takes a little time but it is well worth the effort.Artichoke Chicken

12 Chicken Breast halves(skinned and boned)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Fresh mushrooms
9 oz. can Artichoke hearts ( not the marinated variety)
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup Butter
Flour
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup Orange juice
Pasta or rice as a side dish

Cut the chicken in bite-sized pieces and coat with flour, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet and add oil and garlic. add coated chicken pieces a few at a time and fry until golden brown. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Saute whole mushrooms in the same skillet and layer them over the chicken. Cut artichokes in bite sized pieces and layer them over the mushrooms. Pour orange juice over all. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve with buttered pasta or rice on the side.

Pure Texans!

2008-03-03T17:19:00.001-08:00

Aren't we cute?
Why is my horse pink and have handles!??
Stick'm Up!

My trip to California!!!

2008-03-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have many reasons to go to California lately. One of which (but not the most important) is to go see San Fransisco. This trip Jen, Berkleigh and Merrick took me to China town so we could buy a bunch of cool (cheap) stuff for the kids to get a kick out of.The most important reason to visit California was to see Berkleigh and Merrick on their one year birthday!! We had a little family party with cake and presents on Valentine's day. We decided that Valentine's day would never be the same for any of us every again. So after the party, I watched the babies while Jen and Tyson went out to dinner by themselves!!! It wasn't a first but they can count how many times they have been out by themselves on one hand!!
Jen made Berkleigh and Merrick cute little shirts for their birthday. Berkleigh's also included a tu-tu and tights!!! Tu-Tu cute!!!
I spent most of my time visiting my Dad who lives in Aptos, which is where I grew up. It is only about a two hour drive from where Jen and Tyson live in Walnut Creek. We had a good time, but it rained most of the time I was there so my trips to the beach were limited. My Dad likes to watch old westerns, Walker Texas Ranger and Law and Order. So I got all caught up on all of his favorite shows. We also played cards and worked around the house.

My newest creation!!!

2008-02-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

I finally finished Chris and Jen's quilt that I made for their wedding present. It is only a year and a half late!! I didn't have a spot in the house large enough to set up a quilt so I paid someone to machine quilt it for me. It is hard to see in the picture but it is a really beautiful stitch and I am very happy with it. Chris and Jen have already seen it but they don't know that it is finished so I am going to surprise them with it for Valentines Day!!! It will really look great in their new apartment in Lake Charles!!

Taking Matthew to the MTC

2008-02-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Our Uncle Matthew is going into the MTC. (That is short for Missionary Training Center). He will stay for two months, learning Spanish and how to be a great missionary!!! Then he will fly to Mexico for two years!!! We will miss him but we know that he is doing the Lord's work.
But first we went to visit our Great Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen in Manti, Utah. Their house is over 80 years old and Great Grandpa was born in the back bedroom!!! It has lots of great places to discover!!
We hadn't seen snow before. It was really cold!!! Uncle Matthew threw snowballs at us, but believe me we got him back!!!

It was so cold that some days we just played inside!!!

2008-02-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Sorensen and Uncle Matthew tried to find the pond in Great Grandpa Sorensen's backyard. I hope the fish are still alive under all of that ice and snow!!!
We went bowling for the first time!!! The balls were kind of heavy so we let Uncle Matthew win. (I guess Mom won once too.)
We went walking in the snow one day. We have never worn so many clothes at the same time!!! It was COOL!!
We had to leave Great Grandma and Grandpa's house so we could take Uncle Matthew to the MTC. Doesn't Uncle Matthew look handsome!!!