A July 22nd BiRthDaY!

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY SWEET, SWEET COLTON! I have a 7 year old!!! Aaah! Colton seems to always celebrate his birthday on the road! We seem to be on vacation every year. But, hey...he's not complaining--not too many people get to be on vacations for theirs!
My family is SUPER BIG into holidays and birthdays...so we always enjoy celebrating with them. That morning he spent all day with his Aunt Mommy's Cara and Mindy while they took him to the free movie at the theatres (Muppet's in Manhattan) and got hooked up with some theater popcorn. Then they came back and swam the rest of the day. I went and moved all of our stuff to Grandma and Grandpa H's, where we were staying the rest of our vacation.

Colton got his favorite dinner of PIZZA-Thanks Gma and Gpa's wallets!

Of course it was Dacie's turn to start getting sick, she started running a fever and would not touch her pizza (you know its bad when that happens). Thank Heavens for medicine!

According to Sterling you are NOT 7 until you blow out the candles on the cake...so i guess it was FINALLY official!

He wanted an ice cream cake, and that is what he got!

Colton with all of his loot he raked in!

An Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD, Spiderman six-pack T-shirt, Six Flags light saber, 3 packs of Pokemon cards, willy wonka candy, A gift certificate to the Children's Museum w/ gma and gpa S...only to get more when he got home!
The Birthday Decorations
A BIG birthday Hug/tackle from the bros!!
We were going to go to the drive-in movies to watch Wall-E and trip to the middle of the Earth BUT Colton opted to stay home and play Game Cube/ Mario (he takes after his father)... Happy Birthday Little Man! (I can't wait to do his birthday tribute-He was my 1st!!!)

Week Synopsis 3/29 - 4/6

My fonts are appearing normal on my customized post BUT they are super funky when published...I guess you will not be bored!(Sister Alaina Taylor and I at my homecoming March 11, 1999?..I have forgotten, aaah!)

SATURDAY March 29: It was stake temple day and since we missed out last time we had tried to go to a session in the temple-previous post, we decided to make a quick day trip down. We dropped the kids off at Grandma's at around 12pm and did not get home until 7pm! That was largely due to the fact that the highways were under construction and closed, AND because we met up with one of my old companions from the mission--Sis. Taylor. She just moved to Phoenix...so we met up and went to dinner, and through a session together. It has been a LONG time (probably about 6 years)..but we picked up right where we left off. She always makes me laugh--she is so funny! We also called one of the people we worked with in our area we served together in. It was good times remembering! It was a great session, we were able to do work for some names that a couple in our ward had prepared.

(Sister Alaina Taylor and I at the Mesa Temple March 29, 2008)

While we were gone Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Marcus, Aunt Amy and Cousin Lola took the kids to the science museum. They loved digging for bones, pulling their whole bodies up with pulleys, and so much more...brave grandparents!

(the boys and Uncle Marcus digging for dinosaur bones at the museum)

It made it hard, and LATE to have to pack up and return home that night.

(the boys watching the coin twirl at the science museum)

SUNDAY MARCH 30- It was hard getting up and to church by 9am, after such a busy Saturday (OK it is always really hard)! Music time went smoothly, even though I did not have as much time to prepare. Dacie was crawling around on the stage in church and broke a prop (huge pillar candle holder thing) for a musical fireside the stake was putting on that night, that they had already decorated for. Dan spent all of priesthood glue'ing it back together while Dacie terrorized the primary kids. She actually came in to sing with me in nursery and did WONDERFUL (are you sure I cannot put her in a little early?) Dan called all the necessary people after church to apologize and they were really good about it. We also got in some naps and had some friends over for dinner (the Jolly's). The husband is doing his last clinical rotation for PT school at Dan's office. They have been such a fun addition to our friends-we wish we could keep them. Dan even made them our famous wheat chocolate chip cookies (we got in Houston, thanks Shirley's). I don't know why... I cook them a majority of the time, BUT every time Dan does he puts mine to shame (same recipe).Go figure--that is why he needs to cook them more!

Monday March 31- I had dinner on the table and we had started eating by the time Dan got home from work! You know that is a 'feat' when it is post worthy! He LOVES it when I can do this, and today was no exception. We had a family home evening lesson on tithing as the boys are starting to get allowances for their chores...paying tithing has become an issue. We invited them to listen for a talk on it in general conference this weekend.
(Dacie trying Dad's shoes on for size)

TUESDAY APRIL 1st- APRIL FOOL'S! For a family who is so 'into' holidays we sure did not come with anything creative, BUT we did have friends who were and we got some great ideas for next year! Dan was home and I went on our 2.5 mile walk with the Relief Society sisters. We only had to stop once for Ryland to go to the bathroom on the side of the road! Then I went to Colton's class and worked there for an hour. Later that day Ryland went with me to walmart to get his 3 year portraits taken. I only ended up spending $80.00 there on odds and end household items- ha ha! Dan got the money done. The stake called me and it is OFFICIAL-I GET OT GO TO GIRLS CAMP! I am so stoked(old school word I know)..it has been a long time coming with my pregnancies and babies, I have not been able to go. I am a girls camp fan.I am also going to be a leader over the YCL's with one of my favorite friends (Janae Gordon)! yahoo!

(love playing with different styles of hair w/ Dacie as it starts to grow in, getting ready to leave for Grandma's)

WEDNESDAY APRIL 2- I made it to playgroup!!! I do not think I have been able to make it since Christmas.I think showing my friend Chelsea Jolly where to go may have helped the fact. With Dacie's nap schedule and Sterling's preschool pickup time, playgroup has been more inconvenient for me than convenient. I made arrangements for both and we played Disney BINGO with prizes! It was right up the street at our good friends (Raban's) house--they have a perfect kid backyard and we enjoyed friends and sun! Dacie also had two milestones this week! We used up our last can of formula (she has had a hard time transitioning to straight milk digestively speaking) AND her two canine teeth up top came in (only two more to go)!

(she was actually pretty patient letting me do this hair-tying bit, the boys waiting in the car were NOT!)

THURSDAY APRIL 3- I was super brave and we had an adventure taking our van in to get 'cleaned' at a super wash place...where they do the inside and outside for you, after we had walked 2.5 miles again. I think we were there an hour and collected every business card in the place, petted two dogs, watched the actual car get washed, visited the bathrooms twice and only had 2-4 meltdowns! Our car needed it...and then it sprinkled (WHAT! it never rains in Arizona). I avoided going anywhere that day to keep the car clean a little bit longer, since it was raining a bit. I do love clean cars. Colton brought a letter home from school today telling us that they had tested him for the gifted program (ALPS) and he had qualified for it next year! 1 down 3 to go...for getting Dan's brains! I had to marry a HOT nerd to give them hope (just kidding). It was also pokeno night at the clubhouse. Not as many showed up, so it was a more low-key night of game playing. I got what I brought BUT I chose it--I won twice! It was a fan to clip on to my elliptical, so I can cool off and not have to freeze out everybody else in the room!

FRIDAY APRIL 4- I decided to go shopping in the morning while I had 2 kids instead of 4. I took Dacie bikini shopping...and ended up getting her the cutest one piece! My friend Julie Hoggard dropped off her son for me to watch while she got a haircut (a trade for picking up Sterling at preschool on playgroup day). I was still shopping at babysitting time--so he came shopping with us! That was an experience! The Hoggards came over later that day to play with the kids and cure "witching hour" (the hour before Dan gets home and the kids are going NUTS). Julie got in the mood to see a late movie, I am always game for movies. So we ate dinner, laid down the kids and Dan busted out his video games, while Julie and I went to a late showing of 21(thanks to a free pass from Dan's work). I was up way past curfew!

(Dacie and Dan coupon clipping Saturday morning)

SATURDAY APRIL 5- We enjoyed watching general conference and staying in our pajamas for as long as we could! Dan did a menu, clipped coupons and finally got dressed to go shopping!

(the mariners t-ball team spring 2008; Sterling top row 2nd in on the right, Colton top row far right)

I got dressed earlier because BASEBALL SEASON HAS BEGUN! Dan and I paid our dues to play on the co-ed softball team. Colton and Sterling are on the same t-ball team this year (GOOD! as this past fall soccer was allot of coordinating w/ 2 places to be and 2 games at the same time). It was picture day and a hit-a-thon. I am the cheapest mom in Cottonwood! First, they gave an order form with no pricing list. So when I arrived and we were being herded and rushed like cattle, I did not know what I was getting. When I did get a price list I realized that they had no individual team shot (of course)...so I was going to break down and buy a package with individual shots of the player, just putting Colton and Sterling in the individual shot together. They WOULD NOT let me do it..and I was not going to pay $40 for two packages. So I asked them if I could just take pictures with my camera (since I carry it with me everywhere, now that I am a blog addict) at the same time they took pictures, and they were cool about it! Everyone kept asking if my boys were going to get shots and looked at them so sad when I said no. We did not go get sponsors for the hit-a-thon either- I figure the $100 to sign them up was plenty! I know, I am a jerk...when they excel maybe I will get softer

(Colton left; Sterling right)

Here is the brothers! I think they are SO CUTE TOGETHER! I LOVE IT! Note: their pants and cleats are garage sale 25 cents a pop!

(Sterling left #13; Colton right #14)

Later that day while Dan was at the priesthood session Coltons' friend, Tej, called and asked if he could come over --I hate being the mean momma. So Tej came over for an hour. He really was super easy and occupied my bored boys! However, our house sounded and looked like a circus when the neighbor kids joined in the back yard. Dan went and helped a lady in our ward, who just broke her arm, put on her sling properly after the session. Baths were half-way done when he got home! After the kids were in bed, our friends the Trezises came over to play games...forget curfew again!

(We wish our kids sat like this for ALL of conference. I think little pinky lasted about 2 minutes TOPS)

SUNDAY APRIL 6- It was a relaxing day where we just sat, listened, and had no where to go and no where to be. It was uplifting and peaceful! The boys had conference packets to fill out and they watched the first session in the a.m pretty well. I did get teary during the second session when they were specifically speaking to young mothers. We still managed to plan Dan's seminary lesson for tomorrow, go through a huge tub of pictures and toss a bunch of 'stuff', feed and dress the kids in sabbath attire AND curfew is IN force tonight!
(picture of the actual conference center in SLC)

I Love conference, it always puts the world into perspective...its going to be a GREAT week!

The Whole Sad Story!

WARNING: This is a super sad story about the death of our last baby chick

(Minutes before her fatal end, Curious George playing with Dacie)

Many people think I am a mean mom for not allowing my children pets. After this incident happened I remembered why I do not. It is NOT necessarily the extra care (paricualrly w/ bigger animals) BUT the attachment I form with them, even with the smallest of creatures...and as most things do indeed die my heart hurts. My heart can only worry and be sad about so many things....besides the fact, that on my mission I saw allot of nasty pet situations!

As many of you are aware of, little Ryland got 2 chicks for his third birthday from my parents. One was BRIGHT blue (OGAN) and the other was a Rhode Island Red (CURIOUS GEORGE). The chicks were absolutely adored by the neighbors, our cousins and my children. They LOVED looking at them and taking them out every day. Two days after Rylands birthday little OGAN diappeared! We kept them in our garage for warmth and protection. It had been a beautiful day outside, so I left the garage door open and the box lid as well, so that the chicks could enjoy the sun. They were set back pretty far in the garage, so I felt like I could hear them. Too bad baby chicks are little chippers, so when they got ecpsecially loud at one point I did not even consider they may be chirping at an intruder. But alas, when I went back out to check on them OGAN was gone. We looked everywhere in a panic. There is aboslutely no way out of the box. He was gone.

Not too long after, Dan went out to the car and opened the garage door... and there stoodw one of the NASTY stray cats in our neighborhood just waiting by the door. Dan watched him as he just stared at the box..and then Dan went and got his pellet gun. We then knew what had happened to OGAN-- I am glad we did not see feathers or anything of that sort. OGAN was the sassier of the two...so we settled into a quieter way of life with our Curious George.

Dan was not very enthusiastic about taking on a pet, and having to build a coop etc. BUT as the days went on I noticed him turning 'soft' on me. He let little C.G. (abbreviations for Curious George, for the sake of the story) sit by him at the table while he was doing money. Dan also, a few times, cleaned up the chicks pasting (NOT a very FUN job) and washed her and blow dried her. Dan also let the chick run around the house and laughed at it, as it started following us around as it imprinted. C.G. especially was fond of Dacie--Dacie was not sure what to do with such a little admirer. At first Dacie scream, but as you can see in the pictures, she began enjoying a little buddy and something that idolized her. Someone that would play right by her and not go too far from her!

Each day I let the kids go out back and play, and we would set the chick out there as well, while they were playing. They always had instructions to watch out for the bird, so they would not step on it, and to be soft with it since it was so small. As most mothers do, I have very many responsibilities that call me indoors, and so I would go in the house and leave the back door open, checking on the kids every so often. I had just taken these pictures above of Dacie and C.G when I went in and then I heard the boys fighting over the chick. I usually take a more passive approach to fighting, to allow them to work it out on their own. I thought to myself, " I should just go take the chick away so they will not fight over her". A few minutes later Colton comes in carrying little C.G and she is dying!!!! She was laying down, eyes closed, and shallow breathing. I started screaming-what happened?!! and then started sobbing as I held the poor little thing in my hands. The boys told me that Ryland had decided that it would be fun to send C.G down the slide--which she fared well doing, AND then he decided to throw it up in the air and let it land on the ground. After the second time of doing that to her, she stopped moving...and I guess he did it again for good measure. The fighting had been Colton trying to take away the chick from the BRUTAL BOY ....MY SON!!!! I was sick to my stomach. If only...why.... From what I can gather little Ryland had NO IDEA that he was really hurting the chick. For all I know he thought it could fly, or bounce like a ball...I don't know. I just sat there on the floor sobbing holding the chick, while all the boys started crying as well. We then took her back to the garage and put her under the heat lamp on a soft towel, and said a heartfelt prayer. I prayed that her pain would be minimal and that she would be taken quickly, if that was to happen AND that if she was suppose to get better or had a chance of getting better she would show some improvement, so we would not make her suffer. Dan tried to tell me to kill her when I got him on the phone. I just couldn't! But every time I went in and looked at her it just made my heart so sad. Dan got home and offered to relieve her. I just couldn't do that either, thinking she might be 'stunned' and return to normal if we let her rest. Dan told me he would not make the decision but I was making her suffer, and he was willing to do it when I was ready. I told him after dinner if nothing had changed he could. Then I said a little prayer in my heart that she would die on her own, so I would NOT have to make that decision. Right after dinner we went in and she had passed away.

The boys all went in to see her after and Colton kept getting choked up. Sterling was distracted most the time and was indifferent. Ryland went in and out of caring, crying and NOT really understanding. However, I can say that we were all teary and felt the spirit as we said a little prayer in the garage. I believe my boys realized at that moment that we could pray to Heavenly Father for anything AND that life has value, even the smallest of creatures. Sterling simply said, "Oh its OK, he is going to live again." He was absolutely right, and it really was that simple. We had just had an FHE lesson on Monday about resurrection and how death is not final for any of us. They were just applying what we had taught them.

(The boys digging the grave for our little friend)

The next day we waited for Colton to get home from school and we decorated a box, with our apologies written on the outside of it, then painted a rock for the headstone. We took C.G down to the river where there is a pet cemetery nearby, and buried her under the most beautiful tree.

(notice the little purple flower they left on her headstone too)

Some friends who looked at my pictures asked why I took so many by the cemetery and I did because it was such a BEAUTIFUL day and place. I LOVE that we live close to the river. Sometimes people see pictures and ask if that is Arizona. I'm not gonna lie...it is pretty here and makes the West allot more do-able for my East coast green desires.It made such an emotional thing for me more peaceful becuase of where we were.

(If you look closely you can see her little rock under the tree that shoots out leaning to the right)

I think one of the reasons I was so sad was because C.G loved us, and her care was absolutely in our hands...kind of like a baby. We abused that, and she got really hurt.

I have lost family and friends MUCH MORE dear and they have had MUCH more of an impact on my life. I know some of you may be laughing at the drama I made this into. BUT I feel it needed to be a big deal for my children to see the finality of death and reality of the value of God's creations, as well as responsibility and prayer. These teaching moments are few and I had to capitalize on it! I cannot think of a better time of the year to learn this lesson-

My heart is so heavy for anyone who has ever had to watch much more than a chick suffer in death.

And now I am thinking about getting some more chicks (after all... we have learned the HARD way, have the equipment AND I want to be able to have eggs in time of need and because I hear they taste and are better) We'll see, be still my heart (dogs, cats ,skunks and RYLAND's)!

*The 'chick killers' birthday tribute will fittingly be posted tomorrow!

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.