The Pier!

Our Sunday Afternoon was spent on a leisurely walk along the pier...

Dacie used about every mode of transportation as she took it all in, she was definitely an observer and watcher this trip.

Yes, this would be a 'chick' surfing th wave above...she was the only one to get up while we watched the surfers wait for the perfect ride!

I am sure Dacie is envisioning the day when she would be out there herself...surfing

That girl has such color and personality!!!
The boys just relaxin' while watching the waves!



Dacie was enthralled with watching the waves crashing below her through the cracks in the wood planks!
and of course..we watched the mackerel getting reeled in while someone lost "THE BIG ONE!"
I could spend every Sunday afternoon with my family this way!

HaPpY EaSter!!!!

Easter Sunday March 23, 2008We LOVE this time of the year where life begins to peek out once again, and we remember that all will live again!

(our backyard nectarine tree always adds some color to our day)

The Easter Morn Sorensen Kids-

(L to R) Colton Ray (6), Ryland Kent (3), Dacie Ann (1), Sterling Daniel (5)

The Whole "blue" FAM!

I'm Blue da de de da de da

Can't get enough pictures...just to be sure!

This picture is a 'feat' in itself considering it was taken BEFORE church (which starts at 9am) and we were on time! (thanks to the egg hunt note left by the Easter bunny)

AND because we had such a busy day-the day before, on Saturday: We cleaned the whole house from recent company leaving, watched three other kids for a few hours, and went on a date out to eat and play games w/ three other couples (Trezises, Rabans, and Bargars) to celebrate some of their birthdays. It was a LATE night for the Easter Bunny!

The Easter Bunny MADE IT...barely!

Because it was such a late night for the bunny's "helpers", there was NO candy left in the store. BUT his helper did have some serious detective skills and she was able to find some stashed packages hidden in the store shelves, AS WELL AS get creative with pink juice and pastel 'regular' candies...at least the umbrella's had already been bought!
The 'helpers' were not neglected either!

The kids keeping asking when it is going to rain....NOT VERY often we keep telling them. It looks like we may have to wait until monsoon season to get good use out of their umbrellas! We rarely need them, so we don;t have them...but when you do need them it is inconvenient to not have em' . THANKS BUNNY!
A little candy to get us through church!

Allot of Dan's family had unexpectedly gathered down in Phoenix together. We did not want to be the lone man out AND we did not want Easter to be the only day we did not attend church (as a friend of mine put it). So after sacrament, and after I had turned over all the games for singing time, we snuck out of church and headed down to the valley.

Dacie got in a little cat nap and beauty rest on the way!

So IMMEDIATELY upon arrival the patient boys followed the Easter Bunny's note and...
FOUND the eggs!






While Dacie got in some quality cousin time (the ONLY cousin on Dan's side!)
I am surprised that they are not in matching outfits, as we seem to always get them together to take pictures whenever we connect across states.
I hope they are always close little girly cousins

Lola sharing her Easter basket w/ Dacie
We also enjoyed a yummy dinner,
and Colton cheating in a game of battleship with Grandpa (who said you cannot move the ships half way through the game?)
Uncle Russ (the only Sorensen sibling not home, out of the 6) called to tell us that he got ENGAGED- he got Colton on the phone and told Colton to tell everyone who had gathered in the room. This is Grandpa talking to him on the phone about his future June wedding!

One last fling with the basket ended our day as we drove back home to Cottonwood to begin a NORMAL week-bummer!

Oh yeah- and some of the Aunts BLiNG completed Dacie's celebrations! What a GIRL!!!
We hope your Easter was full of loved ones, spring color, blue clothes (ha ha), food, safe travels, eggs, church, and remembrance of our Savior.

Love the WEEKENDS!

FRIDAY January 29th: It was Dr. Seuss's b-day and at Colton's school that means they get to wear their pj's all day, bring their stuffed animals (he brought his duck he got in the hospital for his first kidney surgery), blankets and READ lots..with teachers switching rooms reading their favorite books to the students. I was grateful Colton chose pj's w/ a top and a bottom (as he favors big t-shirts)! He also wore 'his' slippers (above), and was quite disappointed when I made him go to school in sneakers, only to switch into his slippers. They are actually MY slippers I got on my mission. A cute, older sister would make them for all the sister missionaries that served in Rio Linda (Do you still have your pair sister Bond?, Sis. Socwell--didn't you get a pair too?) aah, I LOVE it, seeing them put to good use and passed down. He LOVES them, I don't know why, but he does. Dan left for seminary at 6:05 am and then worked until 6:30pm, then he went straight to a live broadcast seminary training and did not get home until 8pm. We did not get him for very long that day!
So I did what all good moms would do and we had a movie/pizza night eating in the Living Room (which is a big no-no)! I did this cause I was solo, did not want the newly mopped floors dirty, and the boys had cleaned the bathrooms well. Our movie was Garfield. SUPER CUTE! Dan came home at the end of it all!
Dan and I then settled down for our own movie: Believe in ME! It is an EXCELLENT movie and comes thumbs up recommended by me (NOT just because I play basketball, and am partial to it!)
SATURDAY MARCH 1st: The boys woke up begging me to change the calendars (they are obsessed with them, counting down to holidays, b-days etc.) Sterling had a friends transformer b-day party to go to. They had a jump house, pinata, cake, ice cream, the works. While he was at a birthday party I was at a stake Relief Society birthday celebration. Our stake goes ALL OUT for these events. They had transformed the church ,once again, to look like the days of the scriptures. It was a bit different then at x-mas-they had pillars, and candles, fruit and grapes, palm trees...you get my drift. Then they had a full on production/musical of the ten virgins and a complete meal. I missed the morning of classes BUT thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon production and lunch. It was AMAZING! it is so amazing to me how music brings in the spirit so quickly and strongly. Some of my girlfriends performed in it and I was so touched by their hidden talents. It kind of made me proud to see them up there!
The rest of the day we stayed busy trying to keep our high maintenance Dacie pacified. Oreos worked for a bit! Dan also took the boys down to the river to fish for a little bit..no bites!

Saturday eve always brings about bath night--and what an EVENT that always ends up being! I decided to get real cute and roll all of Dacie's hair in sponge curlers, and the next morning...we had ONE winner left. I had to wet down her hair b/c of the crazy half curl, too curly, no curly look! Not doing that again until more hair grows in-
I stayed up until 11pm that evening getting music time ready for Sunday. I NOW have so much compassion for primary music leaders, after being in this calling. It is like doing a sharing time every week, adapting for the nursery all the way up to 12 year olds!!! Some times it is ALOT of work in regards to preparation. I was printing off the new song, laminating, making a game, etc.


SUNDAY March 2nd:Ryland announced in nursery today that Dan and I were getting married. When I came into nursery to do the music the leaders were laughing telling me what he had said, I simply told them, "After four kids we thought it was about time to get married." (REALLY we were married October 21, 2000 in the Washington DC temple) We all had a good LAUGH about that one. Ryland also announced to all of his classmates and I, that he cannot wait until Christ comes again. I love that kid.
It was Ryland's first day off of grounding(for over a month)-from ALL forms of coloring, after taking a permanent marker to our car! He promptly drew all over Coltons pants-AAHHHHH!!!!!

Dacie took 4 STEPS ToDay! Walking is around the corner! She might be right on track with her bros. @14 months!
We ended the evening with some games of red light/green light, telephone, and Simon says!

Monday March 3rd- I started my new goal and woke up when Dan was leaving for seminary to exercise on my beloved elliptical, before the kids woke up (sleep has been a long time coming, so I have been selfish with it, even a half hour). The morning went flawlessly! We also ran some errands while Sterling was at preschool-we got an automatic car wash (and Dacie freaked out!). We also got some markers for FHE tonight-we are giving the boys their routines and charts!

I busted out the Irish music for st. patty's today, as well, and did about 2 minutes of irish and 15 of clogging(with the shoes and all)and I AM SO OUT OF SHAPE! besides the fact you lose your talent when you don't use it!

I did receive some heart-breaking news today, my freshman year (in room) roommate (pictured above with her two children and hubby) has been in ICU for two weeks, she was just taken off of life support and is not very responsive-however, her prognosis is promising. It is not very clear what happened to her. My heart had been tender already, lately, for my other good friend who passed away this time last year. Life is fragile. They are pure women, great young mommies, and dear friends! It hurts inside.

We LOVE long weekends--ha ha that is what this turned into. On to a new week!

Another Peaceful Sunday Evening?

I don't know what it is about Sunday evenings that brings out the 'dancers' in my children! BUT they somehow manage to dance, run, twirl, pillow dance(Dacie), ball bounce (Sterling) to even the calmest of music!
You would have NEVER guessed that Colton had been running 102-103 fevers for two days and had been flat in bed-we even had to wake him up to give him medicine all day. I guess the meds had kicked in at this point, because he is right back on the couch this morning with no energy!

Dacie was rockin' out- head banging and everything (which even solicited a smile from her rocker Dad). I wish I knew how to do the video clips on my computer HOWEVER I have been having the hardest time accessing my friends videos on their blogs (it always says buffering for loads of minutes and then goes black) ~ So one less thing to worry about I guess!
At least, the day of rest ended in some scripture study. I am so grateful for Dan for doing this, he is vigilant about teaching our children the scriptures.

Some Dacie side notes for ya:

*Dacie and I officially stopped nursing this week! It was her 1st year b-day gift to me. I enjoy having my body back, and she had no more interest!

*As some of you might know I have an obsessive compulsive disorder about towels being hung straight (in kitchens and bathrooms). Children are here to teach us right? So Dacie's new fixation is ripping ALL the towels down in ANY room she enters and then leaves them on the floor in rumpled messes. Soon as I go in and fix it, the next time I go in the room it is down again! aaah! Stinker