What a Beautiful Life--

This past week while I have been in California celebrating with my family, Dan's uncle quietly slipped away from this earth life. It has been a long battle and in fact, his last words to his family written on a pad were "what's the big deal?"

He will be absolutely missed on this earth life (particularly by Dan's dad who only had one brother and they were best friends).

I have fond memories of Sunday afternoon dinners at their house while Dan and I were at BYU..

We are grateful to know we will see him again.

And although I have been home for less then 24 hours I find myself unpacking and then repacking bags for Dan and I.

Dan was raised with these cousins and so he heads out to the graveside service in beautiful Ashton, Idaho .

While I have commitments that would be hard to back out of-I am going on our stakes pioneer trek with the youth.

Although both of us are heading out on trips that will be hard emotionally for Dan, and physically for me-BOTH these trips will conclude with peace, reunions, friendships, and stronger testimonies of the Gospel.

(I am not sure my sister watching our kids will end with the same results.)

We will have lots to share next week!

~

Here is Uncle Steve's obituary below:Steven Ray Sorensen was born Oct. 18, 1949, in Mesa, AZ, to Bert and Raeola Sorensen. His early years were spent at the P.Z. Ranch near Winkelman, AZ. By age five, his family had located to Phoenix, AZ; and at age 14 to Winslow, AZ, where Steve graduated from Winslow High School in 1967.Steve began college at Northern Arizona University on a music scholarship. He interrupted his education to serve as an LDS missionary in the Kentucky/ Tennessee mission. After his mission, he continued his education at Ricks College in Rexburg, ID, and later at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where he earned a B.S. in history and a M.S. in library science.Steve's greatest loves were his family, LDS church history and fishing a dry fly. In 1974, Steve married Mareen Peterson in the LDS temple in Provo. In 1980, he began a distinguished career as an archivist for the church, serving many years as the Director of Church Archives, a stimulating job that took him to many areas of the world. Steve's significant contributions to the preservation of the church's history were acknowledged by many, including the Mormon History Association, which awarded him its highest distinction in 2006. At the time of his death, he was an editor of the Joseph Smith Papers.Steve's earthly life ended May 29, 2009, at the Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA, where he had been a lung-transplant recipient following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He slipped quietly away surrounded by his wife and seven children.Steve is survived by his wife Mareen; seven children, Dane (Cassandra), Kirsten (Jason) Carson, Andrew (Merilee), Ernest (Melanie), Jon, Annikka (Jason) Fluckiger, Curtis (Emily); 11 grandchildren; five siblings Douglas, Susan Bryson, Andrea Rhoton, Gwen Higginson, Jean Zufelt; and his parents.Steve's family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at the Stanford University Medical Center, including the Heart and Lung Transplant team, as well as Dr. Tracy Hill in Provo, UT, who worked tirelessly to allow Steve to spend more precious time with his family and loved ones.