The Sorensens

Sunbeam Boy!!

2012-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Its offish... my boy is in the Primary, for realz yo!!

And this here is our resident nursery boy : )

Can I take pictures in the church? I don't know!

I love the Primary people!!!!!!! They are my heroes : )

Raleigh showing off... haha!

Little brother lookin' jealous ; )

And that's how its done, y'all!

I have to say, my nerves about Primary were off the charts. Will he like it? Will they like him?? Will he throw up? Will I throw up?? I didn't know!! But, it was no big thing. He was cool as a cucumber (at least from what I could tell, haven't heard otherwise!) and I surprisingly made it through too, lol. I don't want these kids to grow up, dangit! They are SO wonderful right now, in a ask-a-million-questions, make-a-thousand-messes, cry-a-hundred-cries kind of way. Their wants are simple (a quarter for a gumball, etc.) and they get excited about everything, and I mean every little thing. Nothing is "lame" yet and any silly activity is an adventure. They could eat scrambled eggs, oranges, apples, pears, and quesadillas all day (oh wait, they do).

Oh and they are funny, so so funny!! Tonight Steve was getting us ready to read scriptures and I was whispering to Raleigh to tell daddy "Jesus wept", its a legit scripture! Well that spurred on the questions... "What did Jesus wept? Who did Jesus wept?", lol, it was interesting to hear his interpretation of words. I whispered again to him "My father dwelt in a tent" and he told me he had a secret too... "The wise man built his house upon a tent." He is such a goose!

And they are sweeter than sweet. Steve asked Raleigh to say the prayer tonight, and so we all folded our arms (Trenty too!) and then Raleigh proceeded to help Trenty say the prayer : ) Mind you, nothing Trenty says is understandable. But it was quite possibly the most adorable thing ever, seeing my younger son take direction and watch the example of his older brother. Warms my heart like nothing else to see my boys interact in positive ways and become friends, hopefully for life and beyond. Anyway those are my thoughts for today (and a little catch-up in pictures). Love y'all!!

The Usual

2012-01-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Just some cute vids of my kids. I love 'em, duh. You can see now why I am such an ineffective mother. I have the inability to stop myself from laughing at wrong-doing. It was the same when I was a youngin'. My mother would be explaining to me the mistakes I had made and how I was in BIG TROUBLE (of course) and I had to seriously stop myself from cracking up. What can I say, I laugh in the face of danger and misdeeds. Oh and I have no idea where my kids get their wicked dance skills from, its just one of their innate gifts I guess. Don't be too jealous, ok? Love y'all!

The Penny of Doom!

2012-01-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

I just want to share this story because in retrospect it is SO FUNNY, but for 24 hours it was Mommy torture!! Raleigh and I were hangin' out during nap time, watching a movie, whatevs, and I was allllllmost asleep when Raleigh in a slightly panicky voice says "Mom, I swallowed it!". I rolled over, a little peeved about being woken up, and asked him what it was he swallowed. And he told me he swallowed a penny! (The same penny I had told him ALL day long to get out of his mouth because money is gross!) I had a second to figure out how to react, and I could tell he was worried and scared (tearing up right now just thinking about his scared little face!). So I told him calmly and quietly that we would call dad, call grammy, and call the doctor. We woke up Trenty and went to the doctor, were sent to get an Xray and voila! We got this cool little picture of his teeny tiny abdomen! So cool! Anyway, the Xray tech was impressed that the penny had gotten so far down so quickly (this was about 5 hours after he swallowed it) and he said that Raleigh must have a great digestive system. Side note: I don't know if he was joking, but that totally made me feel like a good mom, even if I have nothing to do with it lol!!! So he looked good, it wasn't stuck in his chest or esophagus or anything and the doctor said it should pass in a week or so. Amazingly it passed the next morning! Whirlwind story, but I am so glad he was not seriously hurt and we got that "life lesson" out of the way. He won't swallow anything else again... right??? Well I hope not. And I'm glad we got this super cool xray picture : )

One of those days...

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

I really needed this song today... love Kelly Clarkson too!

And this one...

2012-01-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

Those hips, that hair..

Loves ice cream, and girls... lol

Loves his friends... he does say i'm his "best friend" though! (most days)

Falls asleep in the car if he doesn't nap... smiles different every day...

Can start the best giggle fits...

VERY enthusiastic about holidays and crafts... brings the magic of it all back to me : )

Went right up on stage for the primary program at the Christmas party... and he was only a nursery boy then!

LOVED meeting Santa... makes silly faces...

So sweet... more silly smiles...

Likes ice cream (again)... wears the same shirts over and over.... (even if they're too small)

More Christmas crafts...

GOOFBALL!!! Takes random pictures of his feet, etc. (lots like this one on my phone)

Was Joseph in our little nativity...

Just love these boys!! (he's spitting though, gross! That's a boy for ya!)

Also enjoy the play kitchen at the ReStore!! Lavender or not!!

Well there's my Raleigh update! He had his first week in Primary and did very well! (I'd like to thank the primary presidency for being awesome and his new teacher for being so nice!!!!!) Some other random thoughts: Raleigh is really into money right now, the piggy bank kind of started that. Steve reads to him every night and that makes me so happy. He's pretty good at trying new foods (tried his first Kale chips today and liked them!). Loves going to open gym, the park, friend's houses, Walmart, Costco, anywhere basically! Still loves orange, all kinds of fruit, and asking "why". He's my heart, and I love him! Thanks for letting me photo explode... update - accomplished!

Can we talk about this one for a minute...?

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

Chubby bunny, handsome nursery boy...

Finally interested in reading, if it involves LOTS of hand motions and sound effects : )

Always good for a laugh...

Cape (blanket) wearing cutie...

Super awesome at smiling for the camera....

GREAT sleeper! He gets that from his momma ; )

Like I said, always good for a laugh : )

Great at holding a pen/pencil/paintbrush (way better than Raleigh!), their strengths and weaknesses are an interesting conundrum (it reminds me a lot of Steve and I!). Oh and he was NOT a fan of Santa...

Loves those popcorn cups/pretending things are hats... and the park!!

Thunder thief! He was our shepherd this year : )

Enjoyed Christmas... well, he enjoyed this one toy, lol!

Likes FIRE! Who doesn't??? haha

Likes ice cream (and smiling of course) and got a KICK out of this play kitchen at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore... dang I should have gotten them one of those for Christmas! Hm...

Anyway, thanks for the chat about Trenty. He is one studly, happy, smiley, mischievous little boy. Oh, one last thing, he is crazy brave! Always climbing higher (and falling harder) but somehow making it out alive! Love you Trent, I hate that you're growing up so fast though!!! - Mom

Whatcha Been Up To??

2012-01-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I skipped Thanksgiving and Christmas! Oh well, maybe someday i'll put some Christmas pictures up, just suffice it to say both holidays were awesome. We spent Thanksgiving in Atlanta with the wonderful Barillas clan and then the fabulous McKee bunch came to visit for Christmas, so basically its all a blur! An awesome, fun-filled, happy blur : ) Here is a little of what we've done this past week-ish.

The boys are doing great (aka they drive me nuts as usual, but no major injuries).

Steve is a building machine, and I like to fuel his hobbies by Pinterest-ing and giving him ideas (the kitchen window will look like this very soon!)

The boys and I tried edamame for the first time this week, Trenty ate more than I did and Raleigh helped me open them but would not eat it! I thought it was delicious though, i'll be buying more of that for snacks again!

This is our first CSA share of the season! (13 weeks) I made radish dip yesterday (yum, I halve the cream cheese), we tried some carrots (yumm) and we had some black beans with peppers, tomatoes, and carrots on salads for lunch (yummmmmm)! As for the beets, I know nothing about them.

My boys are very huggy, mostly because they are always having to say they are sorry and then hug. So its like, a constant hug fest at our house, haha! And there is the first glance at our antique store rocking horse! I LOVE IT. I'd probably love it more as a prop, but I let the boys play with it too ; ) Its one of those "oh my brother is on the rocking horse, I WANT NOW GIMME!!!" kind of toys. Sigh. Oh well, its pretty!

And last but not least, the delicious-o bread I made from my friend Emily's recipe! She uses all whole wheat flour (and I would've) but I had already started and I only had 4 cups! (Out of the 14 needed for the recipe, bread fail) Oh well, I used bread flour and it turned out beautifully anyway! (And did I mention, YUMM??)

Well there ya go, we're alive and livin'! I'll put up some retro pictures (from Thanksgiving and Christmas) eventually. I'm thinking about starting a new blog, mostly because blogger gives me SUCH a hard time with pictures lately. Oh and I'll put up some buttons on the sidebar to follow me on twitter and pinterest, not that I do much tweeting but ya know, and I do PLENTY of pinterest-ing so ya know. Anyway, love y'all!

Ron Paul

2011-12-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

He's so great that I'm going to register to vote this year for the first time in my life! Everybody vote!

My Favorite Christmas Song

2011-12-19T17:32:00.000-08:00

I just... love Jimmy!!

Merry Christmas!!

I KNEW IT.

2011-12-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure this won't mean anything to anyone who knows me right now, but anyway, I heard this song on... cough Glee cough cough, and I was like, wow, that was awesome. So of course, I go to youtube and find the original. Well, the original is by a band called "fun.". Seriously. And I love it, and I thought... um that sounds like "The Format" (another band) and GUESS WHATm its the same guy. Anyway, blew my mind. Love this song, its officially on the "workout" playlist.

PS I'm really terrible at blogging... someday i'll put some pictures of the cute kiddos. And the awesome Thanksgiving time. And the new table of amazingness that Steve built. And the Christmas decorating. And the Christmas crafting. And the rest of life, you know, when it slows down. Ok, we're not that busy.. I'm just bored of blogging. Have a good one!

For the Beauty of the Earth!

2011-11-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Beautiful! Look, that lady out there is taking a picture too!

Welcome to our backyard : )

I can't get over how beautiful our Fall has been!

Steve cut that tree down, woo!

OooOOoo pretty!

Smile guys!

Yeah, no mom. lol

Guess who's visiting us?? There she is, GRAMMY V!!!

Chillin' in the stroller, yeehaw!

Hope you're having a good day! Love all y'all!

Candy Buy Back!

2011-11-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Raleigh, Trenty and I hit up a local orthodontist today who was offering to buy back Halloween candy at a dollar a pound and Raleigh got 9 whole dollars!! Can you believe that? We had 9 pounds of candy in our house. Plus the extra candy in the freezer we left out for dad ; ) Anyway, Raleigh was excited about his own "real money"! I had coincidentally bought him a "Halloween" piggy bank at Target this morning at 50% off (he has always wanted one of those) so he was excited about it, and its just a cowboy one, not holiday-ish at all! I gave him all my change from the car too, so he put that in the bank as well. Anyway, Mommy made out pretty well with Target Halloween clearance stuff AND the candy is gone AND Raleigh has money to spend with Grammy tomorrow, yay!! Let the fun begin!!

PS Everyone is feeling much, much better! Hallelujah!!

2011-10-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hobbes!!

My one picture of Calvin and Hobbes : )

Above: Best Halloween house of the night!!

This is Raleigh post-trick or treating : ) I think its safe to say he had a great time, 2 hours walking around in a chilly but not freezing night with some awesome friends, what more could you want on a Halloween night?? Lots of candy? Yep, got that too. Now what to do with all of it... hmmm... Good times!!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Well last year I had the fabulous idea of having the boys be Calvin and Hobbes, well this year I was on a roll getting their costumes together! I painted Raleigh's Calvin shirt and got through 3/4 of the Hobbes shirt and pants and then life happened. The boys were sick with a cold for a week and then I went to Time Out for Women last weekend in Richmond (which was AWESOME! I highly recommend it!), and then I came back to sick kids! I took Raleigh to the dr Monday morning and he tested positive for strep and he had obvious hand, foot, and mouth disease. Let's just say it was the longest week of my life, hfmd is VERY contagious so we were quarantined all week and then Trenty got it on Thursday. After a week of drinking Capri sun and trying to trick them into eating yogurt, we made it to today. Trenty is still sick and miserable, but Raleigh is feeling better and able to eat a little bit. I went to the Relief Society Souper Saturday this morning (also fun, slightly unproductive, but fun) and then I took Raleigh to the ward Trunk or Treat where he had a BLAST. It was like he hadn't seen people all week or something............... ha. Anyway, nobody "got" his costume, I felt kinda lame, but i'm still proud I put it together and I bought a little tiger costume for Trenty to wear on Monday (hopefully). Well, wish us luck and pray for us to get better (mostly Trenty). Oh and WASH YOUR HANDS CONSTANTLY, lol. Happy Halloween y'all!!

Weekly Update

2011-10-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm getting really terrible at updating this! Anyway, here's a bit of what we did last week!

Last week we...

- Tried (unsuccessfully) to nap between Conference sessions
- Went to Mutual with Steve at the Boone Hall Corn Maze/Pumpkin Patch, and had a blast!
- Got REALLY dirty on the "chocolate mountain" (??) during playgroup at the park... starting to understand the "Boy = a noise w/ dirt on it"
- Went shopping/returning stuff/dinner on Friday night as a family. Jason's Deli is always a winner!
- Bought that papasan chair at Bed Bath and Beyond for 20 bucks : )
- (not pictured) Thoroughly enjoyed myself at a book sale downtown!
- Had a great Saturday before the boys were both sick all night with colds : ( and had to miss church, bummer!

On the agenda this week:
- The usual activities during the week, groceries, gym, institute, playgroup, etc.
- Steve's birthday Wednesday : ) : ) : ) Except that he has to go to mutual : (
- My birthday Friday!!!!!!! And date night (going out for mexican)!!
- Chocolate cupcakes w/ mint buttercream (for both birthdays : )
- Another possible corn maze and/or pumpkin patch trip this weekend
- Making Halloween decorations for FHE

Hopefully the boys will feel all better soon so we can go on with our week, and I'm praying Steve and I don't get sick!!!! Love y'all!!

This Is Me!

2011-10-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this challenge on Pinterest (where else?? ;) and I think it is an answer to a prayer! I have felt the prompting to record a history for our family and for myself a lot lately, and it makes me so anxious (and I really didn't know where to start)! I am hoping that I can record some things here, and probably more personal things in a journal. Anyway, here is the link: This Is Me - LDS. Seems easy enough to focus on one thing a week-ish and slowly, but surely, create a personal history. The first challenge is to record your testimony and how you gained it. She made a cute scrapbook sort of thing, and I'm not too good at cute scrapbook things, but I think I will write a letter to my kids and share my testimony (thus far) with them. That way I'll be writing to someone instead of just writing it down, I think it'll help me get the important things in there knowing someone very important to me will read it someday. You know, like these cuties:

I hope you are enjoying General Conference! Yesterday felt like a crazy day, but Trenty slept through the first session and when they were awake for the second session they were pretty chill... just eating candy and playing, etc. Steve is super awesome at helping them during Conference, I tend to be like "Can't help! Can't stop taking notes compulsively! Sorry! Good luck with that!!". I need to work on that : ) I am so grateful for my family and being able to listen to the Prophet and Apostles with them! Raleigh melts my heart when he hears a word he recognizes or a song the choir is singing, nothing makes me prouder than seeing his face light up when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang "I Am a Child of God". I hope he remembers that message forever. Enjoy your Sabbath day, love y'all!!

PS Love this post and idea: Plan B, makes me feel a little better : ) The packets don't work for us either and the candy backfired, lol. Oh well, live and learn!

Jack and White - Love 'em!

2011-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

I just love this sound, they are fab. Enjoy! And Happy Conference weekend everyone!!

A Little Activity!

2011-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

So here is our version of a pre-General Conference activity. I printed out a packet and let Raleigh help me cut out the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles. We glued their pictures onto notecards to make them more sturdy (I'm sure you could use scrapbook paper to make them fancy) and then used packing tape to "laminate" them. We used the "Magnetic Buttons" on the back to make them stick to our board and ta-da! General Authorities! I'll probably get more of those magnetic buttons and make different things (nativities, letters, etc.) eventually, Raleigh loved doing this with me. He loves to cut and glue, but lets be honest, Mom did the bulk of the work, haha. Anyway, it was fun and we'll be looking at their pictures all week to get ready!

And these are pictures of our house after I went a little crazy moving the decorations around. We've had the Temple pictures for a loooong time but never bought frames, so I just used sticky-tack on the walls, oh well! I put some huge maps up too, just for kicks, and so far the boys like the USA map. I'm pretty sure everything I hung up is crooked, haha, but whatev! I'm glad I didn't have to buy anything to re-decorate, oh well except the clearance maps at Target ($5 for both). I'm going to write a quote on the mirror with dry erase markers, at some point. Anyway, yay! We had a great Saturday and got a lot done... now I'm ready to relax (and hopefully not fall asleep) at the General Relief Society meeting, hooray! Love y'all!

Happy Jars!!

2011-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well that was awesome! I saw this idea on pinterest, of course! Just search for mind jar and you will find lots of "recipes"! Here is the one we used: http://chasingthefirefly.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/free-your-mind/. It worked great! For 3 colors of glitter glue and one 6 pack of loose glitter at Walmart, it was about $7. Plus the pack of pint sized jars were $10. So basically, it wasn't the cheapest craft for us to do, but I wanted to do it! The mess is contained!! Most people probably have glitter lying around and mason jars anyway, so it could be a free craft. Anyway, Raleigh loved squeezing the glitter glue, sprinkling the extra glitter in, pouring the water and finally shaking them up! It's the first "craft" we've done in a long time, and if I find more like (easy, cheap-ish, mess contained, not just a throw-away) then i'll do more. Today i'm just giving myself a pat on the back for trying something new and having fun with my boy! Have a great day!!

Thoughts

2011-09-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith- you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled.

You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships... You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses.

I didn't write that myself, not trying to kid anyone here, I just don't know exactly where it came from. It struck me really hard because I feel like I am constantly angry, frustrated, or anxious. And not just in my head, but all over my body. I can feel the adrenaline rush through my arms and up into my neck when I am impatient. Not just with my kids, but with myself and my life in general. We live in a culture where we are taught to always look for the next best thing and cling to it, and it's hard not to think that those who have the next best thing or even just something different than what you have isn't automatically better. I've heard it said that if we all laid our troubles out on a table, we would immediately grab ours back when we see what kind of trials other people have (thanks for that pinterest, lol). I feel like I am constantly begging the Lord for the things that I want instead of thanking him for providing me with the things I need and already have! Even all the things I have that I previously wanted! I've always wondered where my constant anxiety comes from, and I think I've finally pinpointed that its a major lack of patience in all things (and especially myself).

We had Stake Conference today and the thing that struck me most, that I felt in my heart is that Heavenly Father wants us to grow closer to Him and not away from Him. I know that is pretty simple to understand, but it never really hit me until today. Sometimes I feel like if I read my scriptures, pray, attend the temple, have FHE, etc. for a period, eventually I will not need those things because I will be "self-sufficient in the gospel". Ha! Such a thing doesn't exist! As if the goal was to become centered on our our knowledge of the gospel and not the source from which it all comes and our relationship with our God! I never put that together until today, and it hit me really hard. I guess I thought it was like learning times tables, we practice practice practice and eventually we should be able to do the math in our head. When really, we need to brush up on our scripture everyday! We will never NOT have a need for them! We will always be reaching further up to heaven, or we will be stagnant (or more likely, steadily declining).

Another thing that touched me from Stake Conference was when they spoke about how we should read our children scripture stories. I can't remember all that was said, but I thought to myself about how there are so many patterns in the scriptures. Righteous people have trials, they have faith in the Lord, and He helps and comforts them, even through all their trials. Wicked people have trials, they murmur, they corrupt others, and they die in a flood or something like it. Or they feel the love of God, change their ways and are saved and become missionaries.

The "recipe" for a happy life is not a secret. I want my children to know that fact clearly. I don't want them to search for true and everlasting happiness in anything but the gospel. I think a lot about Lehi's dream and how clear the symbolism teaches what happens to the faithful who CLING to the rod and how others WANDER off in strange paths, only to be lost and confused (and probably very sad). The gospel of Jesus Christ is not confusing. Yes, there is symbolism and analogies, etc. but it is no secret what we can and need to do to gain eternal life and eternal happiness. The prophets have taught in the scriptures, and still teach today, what we need to do to be with our Father in Heaven again! And THAT why we are here in the first place, to gain a body and mortal experiences! How blessed we are to have a latter-day Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson and modern revelation to know what God wants us to do and where He wants us to go! He wants us to come back to Him! And God will never give us any trial we cannot handle, which I've found means that He trusts each of us VERY much! More than we can most times comprehend, which means that His love is so perfect that we cannot comprehend it either!

Sorry this was jumpy, but so is my brain. You do not want to see inside that thing, it is a mess. Anyway, I didn't get to hear a lot at Stake Conference today but I'm so glad to have the opportunity to feel the Spirit and be able to share that with my family and especially my sons. I hope I can teach them all that the Lord wants them to know, or at least teach them to "fish" for it themselves day after day. Ok, it's past mommy's bedtime... goodnight!

(PS someone remind me of all of this tomorrow when I want to rip my hair out because my kids aren't taking a nap, haha, but seriously)

Phone Update!

2011-08-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not super awesome at updating the blog anymore, but I take lots of pictures on my phone, so here ya go! Enjoy y'all!

Hey-yo!

2011-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sooo... uh, its been a while bloggity-blog! I missed you (and you and you and you!). I've got a new friend, Evo 3D of amazingness. Here are all the places we've been... enjoy!

Testing testing

2011-07-24T20:10:00.001-07:00

In Love

2011-07-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

With this song, with my husband, with my kids, with my life. So great! Have a nice day!

Why I Let My Kids Watch TV

2011-07-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to be controversial with that title, I promise. But today I was so glad I let them watch a show because they sat next to each other quietly for SO LONG (10 minutes!!! That's like a year in "mom-time" right?). Anyway, life is good. Trenty is a total HAM for the camera, so I had to be super sneaky for that first shot (can't wait to get our new phones this week so I can be more discreet and catch more of their cute moments). I added a thing to our preschool by the way, we do everything 3 days a week minimum (more if Raleigh wants to). I can't handle the pressure I put on myself sometimes. Yesterday preschool was just not happening and I am so glad I just let it slide and we had a good day. If I get 3 days I know that's more than he's ever done so there ya go! After just a couple days of this, I've seen him improve a lot! Or maybe I just never really gave him the chance to show me how he colors, etc. I was SOOOOOOOO worried about his coloring abilities, or lack thereof, but I'm happy that now he can hold a crayon the correct way at least, its a start! Anyway, i'm just rambling. Moms, you know what I mean? The stress of getting your kids to be "on target" with their peers is overwhelming to me, which I can handle, but I don't want it to be overwhelming for Raleigh. He's a fun boy who will talk your ears off if you let him (although he doesn't say much in public), be empathetic when his brother falls down the stairs (talk about a cryfest), and do any chore I ask without whining (yet). I love my Raleigh and I'm so proud of him everyday. I love my Trenty too and he makes us laugh and have heart attacks everyday. I'm so so so so so happy to be their Mom and I'm glad I'm not missing these sweet moments.

Turning Three

2011-07-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

What is it about turning three? Here is a list of stuff Raleigh did today to prove he is still "terrible" in his two's, not quite three yet!!
- Wiped his snotty nose on the carpet.
- Wiped his wet hands on the wall.
- Stuck a piece of red pepper from dinner up his nose.
- Screamed "NO!!" at Steve and I very deliberately.
- Threw a monkey stuffed animal at his brother.
- Taught his brother to bonk him in the head.

Its been a fun day, I guess you could say. We also started Raleigh's "preschool" today (hm, wonder if he's rebelling?? It was HIS dang idea!!). We read three books, sing three songs, color three pages, and do three chores and then he can watch a show and get a sticker for his calendar. He seems to like it and want to do it but I'm thinking its making his brain work to much and think of things like "oh I'm going to wipe my nose on the carpet to save tissue paper, GENIUS!". Sigh, gotta love kids.

PS You know its 2011 when your three year old holds up a birthday card to his ear as soon as he opens it and is surprised that it doesn't play music. Ridiculous!

PPS Trenty kinda sorta said his first word-ish today.... "Uh oh!"

PPPS Pinterest is dangerously addictive, like facebook + etsy + blogging + twitter addictive. Also, I love it.

Some Pictures from Last Week

2011-07-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Notes: My Trenty is a ragamuffin. My mom is wonderful. My brothers are LOUD but helpful. Raleigh is creative. Stephen is not in any of these pictures, but I love him the most. Side note: I can't wait to go see Harry Potter tomorrow. Have a great weekend y'all!

I Love My Kids!

2011-07-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

So grateful to be their Mom each and everyday!

Fourth of July, Good Times!

2011-07-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had such a great and busy Fourth this year, just how I like it! BBQ for lunch, BBQ for dinner, and then a city fireworks display we could see from our street! If I knew the view would've been THAT good, I would've told more people to come over! Next year : ) Anyway, we all had a lot of fun and are still a little worn out from it all! And Grammy V, Braeden, and Kallahan came up for the weekend too! Hope y'all had a happy Fourth of July too! Next up, beach trip w/ Grammy and the boys, Harry Potter (yay!!!), and Raleigh's birthday!

Watermelon, of course!

2011-06-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

(I realize this first pic is off color but you can see his top teeth!! They crack me up!! : )

Summer has been pretty good to us. Yes, its blazing hot outside. But life is good. We are excited to have company soon and the Fourth of July is soon and we are going to Asheville soon and Raleigh's birthday is soon, yay!! Anyway, we are doing good and hope y'all are too!

Good Time!

2011-06-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm just in a "yeehaw" kinda mood today, ya know? Have a good one!

Cute, Cutie Boy!

2011-06-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

MAN, this kid is a sweetheart! I just love this kid. He's just a lovey dovey dove boy. And so silly too! He gives Raleigh hugs all the time, just walks right up to him and hugs him, and it is just about the sweetest thing in the universe. And he's always handing out books to everyone. Oh goodness, I JUST love him!! Thank goodness for little Trenty's!!!

Cypress Gardens/Father's Day Adventure Part 2

2011-06-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Scroll down for the first part of the adventure! We had a fabulous weekend, I am so grateful for my husband and my boys!! Hope y'all had a wonderful Father's day too!!

Cypress Gardens/Father's Day Adventure Part 1

2011-06-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Because 20 pictures in one post is enough ; ) Happy Father's Day to our favorite dad, We love you, Steve!!!!

Knee Deep

2011-06-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

I love this song, its my official summer song now. Enjoy!

Ok this one is fun too! I love summer songs!

Chip Chip Chiperoo!

2011-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Um, seriously?? These are Lil Chiperoo cookies from Whole Foods Market. (Not my pictures by the way - wellsphere.com, I just googled it). And they are incredible. I thought I liked Great American Cookie Co. doozies but these are SO MUCH BETTER. I wish I could emphasize that more. Oh wait, here goes...

SO MUCH BETTER.

Anyway, now I can't turn it off. Oh well. Go getcha some. Have a nice day.

That Kid

2011-06-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ok well both of them actually. They are cracking me up lately, and I really need to start remembering what Raleigh says so I can write it down for laughs later. When Raleigh gets really crazy and won't calm down I hold out my hand to him and ask if he wants a chill pill, which he finds hilarious. So during church yesterday, he was giving me imaginary chill pills during sacrament meeting and telling me to "chill your bill, Mom!". It was awesome. Also, we were at the mall and Raleigh was looking around in Books-a-Million and I told him "5 more minutes!" and he said "Mom, just be patient for a minute and then we can leave". Haha, whatever you say. And yes, he diligently tried to vacuum for about 5 minutes this morning while Trenty and I looked on like the couch potatoes we are. It was awesome. I love these kids!! (PS no Trentys were hurt in the taking of that last photo, I saved him of course).

I'm Mean.

2011-06-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm just sayin', somedays don't you wish you were a Sorensen?? Mmm, mmm, good!!

Just Sayin', Happy Birthday Mom!!

2011-05-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane!! We love you!! And if I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, you are the prettiest Mom I know!! Hope you had a wonderful birthday this year!!

Oh Silly!

2011-05-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

This is the stuff! (This is another music video that I copied from FB, its awesome! Wish it would let me embed it!)

Oh and....

Haha, have a great Thursday!

Give a Little

2011-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Givin' you a little pick-me-up on this (blazing hot South Carolina) Tuesday!! Have a great day y'all!

Peace and Quiet

2011-05-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Could you just eat them alive??? After these pictures were taken, all heck broke loose. They were cryin' and whinin' and did not sleep anymore. It was pathetic. But hey, I enjoyed the peace and quiet while it lasted (hence all the pictures)!! And gosh dangit they are cute asleep OR awake!! I love my babies! (Oh, and they love the spray park too, hence the swimwear!)

Another Fun Present!

2011-05-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks Mary, Pops, Ricky, and Will!! We got lots of play time out of this until Raleigh put one of the chicken tenders from dinner in the water, werrmp werrrrmmmp. So I've got to de-grease it before we can play with it again, lol. Anyway, we LOVE it and can't wait to use it all summer long!! Happy birthday (again) Trenty!!

No Cake, No Candles, No Presents (today)

2011-05-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

But that don't mean we don't LOVE ya little boy!! Trenty, thanks for coming to us straight from heaven!! We love you with all our hearts and couldn't imagine being without you!! Hope you liked your birthday pie!! Love, Mom, Dad, and Raleigh!!

First Birthday Present Ever!

2011-05-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen!! I can't believe my little teeny tiny Trenty turns ONE next Sunday!! We just love love love him so much!! Here are a few tidbits about our Trenty:

- He is a screamer and a little tyrant.
- His voice sounds JUST like Raleigh's! Sometimes I can't tell who is screaming because they sound so much alike!
- He loves food, mostly bananas and ice cream lol!
- He has one and a half teeth, bottom front.
- He is a walkin' fool and is losing some of his baby chub, boohoo!
- He is a lot braver than Raleigh was I think, but they both jump into things way faster than I'd like them to!
- He takes good naps and goes down pretty easily.
- He loves us all and likes to smile at all our friends.
- He gets realllllly bored when Raleigh is sleeping and stands over by the gate by the stairs to wait for him to wake up!
- He'll go and get stuff when I ask him to (diaper, ball, book, etc.).
- He signs "more" by clapping really frantically, lol. Its more like a HURRY UP MOM smack.
- I don't think he really "says" anything but if you talk to him, he will jibber jabber back to you. And it will go on and on and on, lol.
- He always wants Raleigh's sippy cups, regular cups, snacks, etc. (Insert tyrant antics)
- He has the funniest expressions and I just love him!!

Dear Family,

2011-05-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the new whiteboard...

Thank you for the sweet messages...

Thank you for making me a Mom!

Happy Mother's Day y'all!!

Hey! I Was There Too!

2011-04-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

Proof! And no, I did not go to Clemson. But I do love me some $5 t-shirts!

Glorious Weekend Part 2

2011-04-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

I promised some more pictures, and here they are! Egg hunting, egg dying, hanging out, the usual! It was a great weekend, and I'm so grateful for our family in Atlanta opening up their home to us for Easter weekend!

Glorious Weekend Part 1

2011-04-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous weekend in Atlanta!! On Saturday we were able to tour the LDS Temple and it was beautiful! The boys opened up their Easter baskets from Mary and Pops that night and we went to an Easter service at their church. The next pictures are from their Easter baskets on Sunday, after our church, before the Great Egg Hunt and lunch. I think I'm out of order on these, lol! Anyway, it was so fun. More pictures to come!

Grrrrrrrreat Day!

2011-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

See the tooth in this photo above? Click to enlarge!

Ok, these pictures are not ALL from today, but we did have a great day! The last two of Raleigh are the only evidence I have of our beach trip today, lol. How cute is my little lobster?? Next time I will be a little more liberal with the sunscreen, sheesh! And moving upwards, we (well, Steve and Raleigh) planted strawberries in the front for FHE and we sang "The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden" and ate yummy brownies with this easy recipe:

In a saucepan, melt 1 stick butter and 1/4 cup chocolate chips, then turn off the heat.
Add 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 cup chocolate chips.
Mix together until well combined and pour into a greased 8 X 8 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Viola! Yum! Fast FHE treat!

And moving on up, Trenty has a tooth! And he was super cute in his pink shirt on Sunday, awww!

And last, but actually first, but not least, (huh?) Raleigh feeding Trenty the other day as sweetly as can be. Saving that image into my emotional bank account for times like forgetting to put sunscreen on my baby boy.

I Love 'Em!!

2011-04-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

How sweet are these babies?? Trenty's blue eyes are so cute!! Anyway, remember this post? Well I forgot to update y'all (and I really should upload a video) but yeah, Trenty is walking now! Right around the beginning of April (General Conference weekend-ish) he really started to get the hang of it. Raleigh walked right around the same time I think, 10 and a half months. I don't know if its just because they're boys or trying to keep up with each other or what, but I am surprised they both walked around the same time, and earlier than I expected. I really thought Trenty would care less but NOPE he is loving his new-found freedom. And gosh dangit it is so dang cute when he walks up to me with his arms outstretched and a big dang smile on his ding-dang face! BLAH I love 'em!

And yes, everyone in the family likes black licorice except for mom. Gotta find some black jellybeans for Easter...

Oh Yes We Did!!!

2011-04-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

http://charleston.craigslist.org/ctd/2313987742.html

Muahaha! We traded in our Hyundai Elantra for this stunning Chrysler Town and Country! I am SO SO HAPPY and feeling very blessed and grateful! Now I just need three more kids to fit in the back, anyone wanna donate?? Haha, yay!!

Hooligans

2011-04-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

These two pictures are for Shelley M.

THIS is what Raleigh was doing while I was on the phone with you.

Eating yogurt with his hands AND feet... aren't my kids so talented?? lol!

Here is what they were cooking for a snack, Fruit Loop Soup! Yummm...

Love the Trenty smile and Raleigh's dry spaghetti mustache! Hooligans ; )

General Conference: The Hymns

2011-04-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

Just letting you know, this is long. Even my own husband doesn't read them, lol.
Hymns have always touched me throughout my life. Listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is such an intense spiritual experience for me. (And the BYU-Idaho Choir was great too! I love that school!) And now, as a mother, I feel the hymns even stronger especially as I see my Raleigh recognize a tune and give me a big "I know that song!" smile. I have to admit, I listen to the Conference talks and take notes, but when the music comes on I really start to feel the messages. I feel comforted by my Savior's love and it is my favorite part of the Conference experience. Here are some of my notes about the hymns:

- During "I know that my Redeemer lives" I got to show Raleigh our Aunt Belinda in the choir! That was pretty neat! This is one of my favorite hymns ever. Such a great testimony of the Savior!
- "I Know That My Savior Loves Me", this is such an inspiring Children's hymn. I first heard it when we were teaching in Primary in the Summerville Ward. I remember crying during Singing Time as we learned the words. (I was also very pregnant : )

"The love that He felt for His little ones
I know He feels for me.
I did not touch Him or sit on His knee,
Yet, Jesus is real to me."

- President Henry B. Eyring mentioned two hymns, "Sweet is the Work" and "Have I Done Any Good?". Just the phrase itself "Sweet is the Work" makes me think of so many things. Sweet is the work of service, of motherhood, of marriage, of gospel learning and teaching, of home and family, of temples, etc. I am going to try to find all of the works of the Lord and make them "sweet" to me. "Have I Done Any Good?" was later sung by the choir beautifully and I think it really emphasized the messages about the Welfare program.

- The BYU-Idaho sang "How Great the Wisdom and the Love" and I was so impressed! Made me wish I had taken choir at BYU-I!

- "Press Forward Saints" was great too. I love that one. Also "The Spirit of God".

- Richard G. Maynes mentioned two songs as he talked about the family, firs being "I Am a Child of God". Raleigh was mesmerized. During nursery when we sing "I Am a Child of God" I am always so in awe of how many of the tiny two and three year olds know all the words to that song! I hope it sticks with them throughout their lives because they really are children of our Heavenly Father who love them so much! He also mentioned "Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth" and I try to find hope in that song as often as I the words come to my mind. A couple phrases like "making home a part of heaven", "praying daily", "searching scriptures faithfully", "Father help us find the way" remind me of what I should be doing at home.

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf talked about "turning down the volume control of the world's noise in our lives" and I am trying so hard to do that right now. In the past couple of months, we have started listening to classical music in the car with the boys and it has helped us a lot. I didn't think listening to regular music was a problem until my sweet little Raleigh started requesting "the whiskey song" and then I realized that I needed to change what we were listening to. There is a lot of good music out there, I just can't find it on the radio fast enough. So classical music it is, and Raleigh is now requesting "the cello LOUDER mom!". Haha. (now you are all going to think we are snobs but really, Raleigh talks about poop just as much. don't worry, we're normal (relatively), lol)

-And last but definitely not least, my favorite song of Conference:

- Ok that was not last. The choir also sang "More Holiness Give me" and it makes me think of Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk about desire and how we should "seek the best gifts" and gifts of the Spirit. Also how the king gave up everything to know God. Man, that is hard. But listening to that song reminds me what some of the best gifts are.

Ok, last, last thing. For FHE last night we listened to President Monson's talk about temples (after Elder Bednar, Sunday morning session). Then I printed our coloring sheets of temples and we clipped them to our curtains (random, I know) so that we had a picture of a temple in each room (hopefully some day we can get real pictures framed). Then we just talked about temples a lot and the purpose of temples, etc. Also we are so excited for the temple in Meridian, ID near Steve's parents! What a blessing!

Tomorrow I'm going to talk about the Young Women's broadcast.

"Each of our temples is an expression of our testimony that life beyond the grave is as real and as certain as is our life here" -
Thomas S. Monson

General Conference: First Impressions

2011-04-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

There is so much about General Conference this time around that I want to remember. And because this is my only form of journaling I thought I would try and post a little each day for a week of what I felt inspired by during Conference. Here are some of my 'first impression' notes:

- Humility, humility, humility. That is an attribute Christ that I would like to acquire.
- Study the life of Christ and create a Christ-centered home by reading in the New Testament.
- SERVICE and being an example to my children through serving others. I was really touched by all talks that were focused on the Welfare program of the Church. I felt reminded of my family's need to be life within our means and be self-sufficient so that we can better serve others and teach them to be self-sufficient as well. (Especially our own children).
- Trials. We are given enough trials in this life to become who our Father in Heaven wants us to be. Our trials remind us of His infinite love and the need we have to understand and use the Atonement of Christ. Our trials help us gain Christ-like attributes if we bear them with faith.
- Be willing to make sacrifices. Prioritize our lives and let the extraneous activities or habits fall out of our lives. Cut off our arms (figuratively speaking).
- Listening to Richard G. Maynes speak the words of "I Am a Child of God" and watch Raleigh light up as he heard the words of his most favorite song in Conference.
- The sheep leading the lambs away poem really, really made me examine myself and my example to my children.
- DESIRE. Dallin H. Oaks, how did you know?? This whole talk was like seeing a teacher's copy of a test.
- Nuggets vs. flecks of gold. I felt like this principle was talked about many times. Small things bring about great things. Be kind.
- President Uchtdorf talking about turning down the volume control of the world's noise in our lives. Move forward with faith, hope, and charity. Service! By becoming the answer to someone else's prayers through service, we can become the answer to our own prayer. "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."
- Paul V. Johnson, "being good is not enough, we want to become like the Savior". He talked about trials also, our trials are not wasted if we have faith in Christ.
- David A. Bednar talked about light switches and watching the sun rise and how those things relate to the spirit of revelation. The spirit of revelation is real! This talk was reassuring to me.
- Fill the home with pictures of the Temples of the Lord. (Our FHE lesson tonight is inspired by this message from the Prophet!)
- I loved hearing so many speakers, including the Prophet, encouraging returned missionaries to make Temple Marriage their number one priority. Amen! I am taking this as a clue to teach my sons to prepare to be worthy to serve a mission and be married in the Temple soon after their return.
- Richard G. Scott melted all our hearts when he talked of his wife. Such a sweet reminder of the joys and responsibilities of marriage!
- D. Todd talked about chastening and he told the exact same story of the currant bush, etc. that we learned about in Institute a couple weeks ago! I felt my need for this lesson deep in my heart both times I've heard it. Repentance leads to righteousness, "he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of me".
- Carl B. Pratt gave a great lesson on tithing and using money wisely. Once again we were reminded to be self-sufficient and live within our means.
- And my FAVORITE Conference talk this time around, Lynn G. Robbins. I lovingly call it "Parenting 505".

Well I think that was my longest post yet, tomorrow I will talk about the Hymns during Conference!

Kid History

2011-03-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ok so I'm a facebook stalker but I don't have a facebook, how lame huh? Anyway, I saw this posted on my sister-in-laws page and watched all four episodes and I don't think I've laughed that hard in a LONG time!! I had to pause it at times because I was laughing so hard. Ok I'm pathetic. Thanks Shelley and Mike (who I'm pretty sure don't read my blog) lol. Enjoy!

More of the same

2011-03-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Random, random, random. I am a terrible blogger!

Me and Trenty in the mirror, I sure do love that baby!

Heart shaped bread, awww : )

How cute are my boys?? Eat 'em up!

Me and Trenty pre-church last Sunday!

Not much going on around here but rain, rain, and more rain and I LOVE it! It's getting really green outside and it reminds me of Friendswood and all the times it flooded... sigh, good times. I am also excited for LDS General Conference this weekend and all the family time we will get to have! I am also coveting people with vans. Hopefully, we will either get a van or I will get over it soon. Someone block any and all car dealership websites from my computer please. Also, craigslist. Anyway, I am grateful for our blessings. Especially the two cute ones that I get to hang out with everyday. I mean look at them!! for realz, cute.

Random Spring-ness

2011-03-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here I am, photo spewing at you all. Enjoy!

Exhibit A: I burned a grilled cheese sandwich to DEATH today while I was talking to a friend outside in the driveway. I am grateful I did not burn the house down with my baby napping upstairs. Blessings!

Exhibit B: Raleigh ripped up some of my fake flowers so I took the opportunity to clip them to their hair. HA. PS I want lots of boys for obvious reasons (my lack of hair do-ability). They are rather pretty though, if I do say so myself!

Exhibit C: My new mirror/menu board thing-a-ma-jig. This is my and my Trenty before church, awwww. I love my sweety, sweet, sweeeeeeeet Twenty!

Exhibit D: SPRING in SC! Don't be jealous. Unless you're jealous of this face:

Then I completely understand. Or be jealous of this face:

What a hunk, huh? Or this face:

Yeah, I know, you wish you had one of these.

I can't get enough of that Raleigh-boy. I was just telling another friend today that Raleigh is insane, and he is. But there are moments, such tiny and fleeting moments, when he makes me so grateful to be his mom (gratefully, those moments carry me through many of the hard times). One funny story: he likes for us to play in his room with him and pretend his closet is a grocery store and he asks me what to get and I asked him for chips and he said "Chips and salsa, right?". Haha, he knows me too well. He also got me "Chocolate ice cream with marshmallows", yeah baby! I sure do love my babies and husband!

Whole Wide World

2011-03-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

You gotta love Mindy! And NieNie! And her adorable kids!! Enjoy, and happy Tuesday!

Learning to Walk

2011-03-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Just a couple notes before you watch this 19 seconds of good parenting:

- Trenty is learning to walk, which is obviously easier without wearing pants.
- I have a block in my mouth, because Trenty thinks it is funny and I was trying to get him to smile (which is why I sound weird).
- Raleigh is behind me, with his head nuzzled into my neck which HELLO is tickly, and makes me pretend scream.
- I almost deleted this video.

Last note: I am so glad I did not delete this video. It makes me laugh each and every day.

You might want to turn down the speakers a little bit (especially at the end).

Untitled from Katie Sorensen on Vimeo.

PS we are not professional actors, surprising huh??

The Living Room

2011-03-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry some of these pics are dark! I've been working on the living room for a while and when I found out my mom was coming to visit, it really kicked me into gear! I'm done with wall decor, and my next goal is to make some side tables and get some lamps. I love it so far, I think my style is kind of crafty, thrifty, eclectic, haha. In english that means CHEAP. And I personally think it looks like a craft wall art gallery. (We have such a weird home layout!!) But I'm proud of the things I've made and so grateful for the things that Steve has helped me with (aka everything).

PS if you've ever come to my house, you know the couches are NEVER in the same place. They weren't even like this when my mom was here two days ago, haha.

PPS Raleigh calls the livingroom the "lemonloom" and I love it. He also says "lasterday" instead of yesterday. So funny.

PPPS Thanks Kristen and Shelley for the comments on my last post. You two are some of my favorite people in the universe and it means a lot to me that you understand and are there for me! Love y'all!!

Sick Day

2011-03-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Its been a rough day over here. Trenty got a little sunburn yesterday at the beach and he has been cranky ever since. He is so whiny, and to be honest, I am so whiny too. I've been sick with a little cold all week, not enough to knock me down but just enough of a cold to make me achy and tired. So taking care of a sad baby + trying trying (key word) TRYING to be patient with a two and a half year old + sick mommy = yuck. I am just out of it. We took a "sick day" and didn't really do much and now I feel worse than before. When do I get a day off??

You all have these days right? Days where you just wanna throw up your hands in the air and give up? Days where you look at your neighbors fake animals and just laugh and think "at least I'm not the only crazy one"? I have to admit though, Raleigh really loves those animals. And sometimes I wonder if he'll ever love me as much. If being a mom to Raleigh doesn't teach me patience and how to "love your enemies" than I don't know what will....

Uncharted rhymes with Farted

2011-03-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, its official. I am a terrible blogger/journaler/keeper-upper with life. Just know that we are doing great and staying busy enough to not be bored enough to blog. I miss boredom actually. Here is a look at what a typical week on the Sorensen Abode looks like:

- Monday, usually a park day. Hopefully soon it will be a beach day. I love Mondays (no seriously). Also FHE, which we need to do better at.
- Tuesday, library story time and errand running day. I am trying NOT to run errands however in order to save money. Oh and it is also Tuna Tuesdays.
- Wednesday, LDS Institute and playgroup day. I love Wednesdays for the mid-week spiritual upliftingness (not a word, don't care). And for the outside time with friends! I love our ward! Steve has mutual on Wednesdays.
- Thursday, wild card day. Usually by Thursday, all I want to do is sit on the couch and read books with my boys. So that's what we do! Or we go to the park again, because we are park people. (not homeless people though).
- Friday, we tried out the open gym time at the community center nearby and Raleigh really liked it! I think it will be another weekly thing for us.

Well, I'm glad I wrote that down. That's journaling, right? All plans are subject to change though, and they do like every second. The boys are doing great and Raleigh is officially no-diapers, mostly because he was getting confused. So now he's got a vinyl mattress cover, and I've been doing laundry times 4. But ya know, I guess he's gotta learn somehow! Trenty is scarily close to walking. I'm honestly afraid that someday he's going to walk up to me and I'm going to miss his first steps. They are both awesome and adorable, as usual. Anyway, here are some videos.

Please excuse the guy who flips the bird, other than him and that moment this video is awesome. Thanks Mom for sharing it on facebook and thanks Steve for letting me hack your account. Jennifer Nettles is my fav (the girl from Sugarland). I wish we were bffs, no seriously. Josh Groban, not my fav, but I think he's funny in this. Oh and Sara Bareillas is awesome too. We're practically sisters (inside joke for anyone who knows/remembers my maiden name).

Thank you Jack Johnson for continuing to be awesome.

-

Random Update

2011-02-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

- As of last Friday, the 25th, my little Trenty can climb the stairs! And not like, one or two but up the whole, well, half flight of stairs!! (video coming soon)
- Steve and I watched Inception the other night and it really IS awesome! I won't give anything away, mostly because I'm still trying to figure it all out myself, haha.
- We're going to the temple this weekend and I am so so so so so excited! See here: http://lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng. So beautiful!
- We went to the park 3 times last week. THREE. We love springtime!
- I think I am going to go to the beach this week. I can't help myself, I've been waiting, ummm, forever. Ok maybe not that long but I got a park pass last week and you can't stop me now!
- Raleigh and I have been reading scriptures together in the mornings and practicing letters with this: http://www.theideadoor.com/images/stories/Printables/Files/Quite%20Book/GospelQuietBook.pdf. I love it, quick and easy and enjoyable for both of us.
- My BFF from college Esther is engaged!!! Esther is the funniest, smartest, awesome-est person I know and I am so so happy for her!
- I've been watching the Duggars on Netflixed and I'm bummed you can only get the first two seasons on there. Sigh, woe is me.
- We had the pioneer woman's sloppy joes tonight, yummmmm. Look it up, eat it up.
- Have I talked about this cake yet? I can't talk about it. I might cry, it's so amazing.

Good stuff, have a nice FHE!

Nonsense

2011-02-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

I just put this up here so I could find if and listen to it 50 more times. I mean, occasionally. She is such a great singer! And this is live! Insane.

V-Day 2011

2011-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Katie Sorensen on Vimeo.

Just a little video from our Valentine's, we had a grrrrreat day! The boys and I spent the day down at the Tanger Outlets and then took a little trip to the beach (yes it was not beach weather, oh well : ). When Steve got home we all went out to NYPD Pizza and it was delicious as always, if you live around here don't miss it! We just had a really fun day.

PS Here are some pics of Raleigh at 9 months (Trenty is now 9 months, yay!). I stinkin' love chubby babies!!

Oh What a Day!

2011-02-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

I wish I had some pictures from yesterday's crazy day but it was too crazy! Here is the rundown:

- 9 am, Raleigh burns his finger on my straightener in the bathroom (crossing that lesson off my list!)
- 9:15 am, Raleigh jumps off his rocking chair and hurts himself
- 9:17 am, Raleigh rocks too hard in his rocking chair and hits the back of his head on the couch
- 9:19 am, Rocking Chair in time-out, indefinitely
- 9:30 am, Raleigh and Trenty are in the pantry while I'm getting out the snacks for the park and Trenty falls on a box and gets a bloody nose!
- 9:45 am, I almost give up for the day, but we head out to playgroup at the park anyway
- 10 am - 12 pm playgroup, no casualties thank goodness!
- 12 pm - 1 pm, We go to Lowe's to buy some wood for some of my projects. I ask the guy back in the lumber area to cut my boards in half and we happily head over to the massive saw area. He begins and my children cry out in SHEER TERROR because I forgot to prepare them but instead said, "Boys look! He's going to cut our wood!" with a happy smile on my face right before the torture began.
- 1:15 pm, We leave Lowe's, the boys are sobbing and hanging on to me while still inside the cart. People stare, but say no words (thankfully).
- And the rest of the day was history, Raleigh took a long nap, Trenty and I made dinner (PW's Sloppy Joes and Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Frosting), we ate, Daddy went to mutual, ta-da the end!

Honestly, I'm surprised they don't get hurt/scared more often.

Also, Raleigh won't poop in the potty but he pees consistently every 20 minutes, any advice?

Oh and something I want to remember, we were singing songs with Raleigh's toy microphone and Raleigh being silly asked, "Can you sing the Jelly song???" and on the spot I busted out with this, sang to the tune of "Five Little Speckled Frogs":

This is the Jelly Song!
I could sing all day long!
Don't you just love the Jelly Song?

This is the Jelly Song!

I could sing all day long!

Don't you just love the Jelly Song?

Creative, don't you think?? Haha, actually its kind of an inside joke. And I love it : )

If you sat through all that ramble, you deserve a couple of pictures. Here are the super cute Valentine's Steve's Mom made and sent to the boys, thank you Mary!! Raleigh won't let them go : )

No Cute Pictures, Sorry!

2011-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

But if you need some good tunes, then play on player!
I heard these songs today and I just love 'em!

Colbie Calliat is one of my absolute favorite singers! This one is adorable : )

And I heard this song in the car and didn't know who sang it and when I found out it was Darius Rucker I thought, "of course!!". He is awesome, and from Charleston. See the bridge behind him? A Charleston beauty! I love it!

Lovely! Have a great day!

Pics and Applesauce in the Crockpot

2011-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Just a couple things on my mind today:
- I hate to say it, but Raleigh's potty training is going really well (knock on wood!!!!!)
- I can't remember what else I was going to say.

Anyway, try out this crockpot applesauce recipe if you haven't yet: (did I blog this already??)
- Peel and quarter lots of apples (I can usually only do 4-6 because my hand gets tired, but more is better because this stuff doesn't last long once it's done! 4-6 apples makes about 3 cups)
- Throw them in the crockpot, squirt on some lemon juice (I'm going to be really technical and say 4-6 squirts should do it), two or so spoonfuls of brown sugar (big spoons, in my case... just because I like it), a capful of vanilla and a half a cup of water. This has got to be precise. I'm joking, it's pretty much foolproof. Put your crockpot on high if you want it done fast or low if you want to wait in agony all day. It should take about 2 hours or so until the apples are mushy and wonderful. Just mash 'em up with a spoon or fork, but not your hand because it will be really hot : ) Ok I'm being silly, anyway, it's delicious. We like it warm, but cold is alright too.
EDIT: ALSO ADD 4-6 shakes of Cinnamon!!!

Yum, even Trenty loved it. It's one of those treats where you say "just one more bite" over and over again and then all the sudden it's gone and you say "dangit! I ate it all!". Just speaking from experience here!

Shout Out

2011-02-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

It's late, Steve fell asleep reading his book, it was hilarious. I am sitting here typing as quietly as I can. I just wanted to give a little shout out to my family. I love them. I love Raleigh's happy attitude and silly smiles. I love Trenty's belly laughs and voracious appetite. I love Stephen's endless help and willingness to let me nap on Saturdays. I love it, I love it, I love it. I am blessed beyond measure and my cup runneth over.

PS I haven't taken pictures in a while, can you tell? Or did you think my kids wore the same clothes every day? (Ok, sometimes they do... I like to keep up on the laundry!)

Boohoo!!!

2011-02-06T07:47:00.002-08:00

Trenty is usually a pro at walking along the furniture and the cabinets in the kitchen but last Wednesday he biffed it pretty hard on the corner of the kitchen island. This is my first Trenty injury and i'm pretty sure I cried longer than he did. It's purple and green now. Let's have a moment of silence for my poor baby : (

Random Happy Thoughts

2011-02-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

Sunburst Mirror of Love That's not really what it's called but holy cow I LOVE it! Now I gotta figure out where/how to hang it... Note if you are going to make this: Hot glue the poster piece flat on the back, that way it will hang flat (I think?). I don't know how well mine will hang, but we'll see!

Raleigh's pancakes the other morning, yum!! Steve is the master of Mickey Mouse pancakes!

Oh my sweet little ham!! I just love this smile, makes me so happy!

Here are a couple other DIY projects i'm thinking about taking on:
Coastal Wooden Flag
Fabric Covered Corkboard
Barn Door and Wreath
Envelope Backed Pillow Cover
Coffee Filter Wreath
Pom Poms

Ok so I don't know where all of this is going to go, but I just love it! It'll be like a party at my house all the time! And you know how I feel about parties : )

Those Poor Kids...

2011-01-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

When is their mother going to realize she is not a hairdresser?

How many bad cuts is it going to take??

At least I didn't buzz the baby's hair.
I get points for that, right?

He is still such a ham!

Oh sweet Trenty, you know what they say, you get what you paid for!

Your mom is really not "cut out" for this, lol.

Love y'all!

Mom : )

And We're Live!

2011-01-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

No, I was not featured on TV or anything. I just decided to un-private-ize my blog, because, well... because I changed my mind. Anyway, welcome back! And check out my cute little corner! I went thrifting yesterday with the babies and it was a blast. Raleigh kept asking "One more store, Mommy?" and of course I said "I guess so....". Sigh, poor me ; )

We hit two Goodwills, one antique store, and the HomeGoods/Marshall's about 40 minutes from our house. It was an adventure. I got lots of "You are brave!" and "You look like you have your hands full!" comments. Which was awesome because while they were watching Raleigh's two year old antics, I was snatching up some good stuff! Muahaha!

I also checked out the Habitat for Humanities ReStore and got that little house shadowbox! Painted it myself, ha! Steve got the paint from the mistinted section and I loooove it! I'll try not to paint everything the same color, I promise. If you can't tell, our house is getting a little makeover and I'm so excited!

PS Isn't Trenty the cutest? He is especially cute right now because he's sleeping, lovely boy.

Cute!

2011-01-25T04:30:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Katie Sorensen on Vimeo.

Steve and I are sick today. blaaahhhhh, enjoy the video.

And you're probably wondering...

2011-01-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

How did Steve make that bookcase?? Is he a genius or something??

Well, yes, but that's beside the point. Here is the website where we got the plans:
http://ana-white.com/2009/12/plan-cameron-3-shelf-bookcase-perfectly.html

We spent about $100 on the wood, and used an electric skil saw, hammer, nails, and a square for measuring. It was way more expensive and time consuming than we had thought it would be, but hey, it was an adventure I guess. And I love it! Thanks Steve!!

The Bookcase

2011-01-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

Also: How I am addicted to library book sales.

Look how massively awesome this thing is! Steve made it with his BARE HANDS (hot! I know, right?). Anyway, I love my little library. There is another bookshelf with lots of Berenstain Bears and Little Critter books too (Raleigh's favs) and another brown basket full of board books for the wee one (that'd be Trenty, not so 'wee' in real life). Well now I gotta figure out what to put on top and in the middle shelf. Trenty's height is perfect for standing up on that middle shelf, so whatever goes there needs to be baby-proof, so it will most likely be stuffed animals. Once every 3 days I feel like throwing all our toys out, but I don't, so sometime this week i'm going to at LEAST go through them and pare down a little bit. And the 'toy closet' is getting a makeover, or something. Maybe I could make it Raleigh's bedroom, you know, Harry Potter-style? Anyway, just an idea. I love this bookshelf, I can't wait for Steve to make five more ; )

2011-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a good one of each of them, lol.

Some things I love about Raleigh (and a couple I don't, but laugh about anyway):

- The way he says living room "lemonloom"

- The way he is very subtle when he knocks Trenty down, he doesn't push or even use his hands. He almost always uses his head, or his bum.
- The way he JUST wiped his snotty nose on my curtains.
- When I ask him "Raleigh what are you doing?" he says, "Anything!" When he really means "Nothing!" lol, this is when he knows he's in trouble or it sure looks like he might be.

- Today, I asked him to go wash his hands while I was feeding Trenty and then 10 minutes later I remembered that he was still washing his hands, and a slightly loud "OH CRAP" rang out in my head. I said, "Raleigh! Please stop washing your hands or whatever you're doing and dry your hands off and come in here!" Good one Mom, I'm sure he caught all that. Anyway, the water didn't stop running and he didn't come out, so I plop Trenty on the floor and I head to the bathroom. Raleigh is wet, not drenched thank goodness, and I see a little water and the hand towel on the floor. I thought "well I'll just use the towel to wipe up the wet spots" and I stepped on it and it made THE LOUDEST sloshing sound. Haha, good times.

- This morning, Raleigh woke up and went downstairs with Steve and proceeded to pull a chair up and find Oreos and Reeses Peanut Butter cups that I had laying out to make pies. He had them for breakfast, lucky duck.

- The way he tells Trenty, "No books for you! You will rip them up Trenty! Don't rip them!" rip = yip

- The way he tells Steve, "But I want to watch/read Lord of the Rings with you!" Lord = yord, Rings = yings

- How he puts his shorts on backwards and says "Mom! Watch! I'm walking backwards!"
- How he wakes up in the morning and is genuinely happy to be awake and see us. So sweet!

Ok and a couple about Trenty:

- How he inhales food when I feed it to him, human vacuum that he is.

- How even though Raleigh sits on him, and takes his toys, and knocks him over, and everything else Raleigh does, Trenty STILL wants to play with him and watch him and be around him. I love it!

- How he prefers to be standing but can't really get around, lol.

- How he blows raspberries 24/7. And "whistles".

Anyway, real good day over here today. I am so blessed to be the mother of two incredible children!

Delectable

2011-01-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Yum! And i'm not talking about the canned sweet potatoes Trenty ate today. This baby is delicious. He went to the doc today, 18 lbs (50%) and 28 in. tall (75%), and one Hep B shot, woo! No, you cannot have him. He is whining right now, but hey, wouldn't you too if everyone around you was walking, skipping, and frolicking around the house and you had to hobble around on your knees?? Poor kid, he just can't keep up. Both of the kids were awesome at the dr today, and I had promised Raleigh a lollipop but guess what they just had stickers and coloring sheets (which Trenty spit up on as I was looking through them for one Raleigh might like, whoops!). Oh and Trenty spit up all over the floor and my shoe while the dr was talking to us too, lol. Its a good thing I really like the boys' pediatrician and he is super nice because that could've been a really terrible experience, But he just handed me a box of tissues and I laughed at him and then we both started laughing because Trenty's spits are a little more than a tissue can handle. Hilarious, anyways happy MLK day!

Preschool!

2011-01-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hahahahaha "butt" is not one of our words. It's actually "butter", lol!

"Butt-ball" hahaha, ok i'll grow up now.

Oh and the matching game was going to be Noah's Ark theme but I couldn't find any awesome free printables, so I had to draw them myself. Pretty proud of the bullfrog and the beaver, not gonna lie.

Tracing the letter "B" 2 times in whip cream with pretzels! (Thanks Mom!)

Oh and blowing bubbles with crazy straws in milk! Who can make the BIGGEST bubbles??

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I think it's just dandy that I got this book at a library book sale, sweet!

And the bubble machine is finally going to get some action tomorrow, Raleigh loves that thing but it is a mess!

The toys correspond with the words, no "butt" in there, sorry, LOL. Ok, enough Katie.

Wish us luck!

Trenty - Almost 8 Months!

2011-01-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

I could just die every time I see that picture above, so stinkin' cute!!

I need to blog about a thousand things, but I have another thousand things I need to DO and I am exhausted emotionally, mentally, and therefore physically. So here are some pictures of my kiddos, especially the ever-adorable Trenton! He officially crawled today. He usually just goes from sitting up, to crawl position, to sitting back down to get where he wants. I've been telling him for months that that's the hard way to do it! So while I was blow-drying my hair this morning, and he was wailing, he crawled about 10 feet over to the bathroom where I was. I knew he could do it, the little stinker. He's been pulling up for a couple weeks now and he'll probably be walking "any day now" for two+ months, just like he was with crawling. Any day now! Haha, oh well, I don't worry too much about it like I did with Raleigh. Trenty is so dang cute, I just want to eat him for breakfast most days, but I don't just so you guys can see pictures of him. You're welcome, have a nice day.

We're Alive!

2011-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd use that title just in case you all thought otherwise. We are back from our White Christmas vacation! We all had a great time and now I am trying to catch up with life, once again. Here is what I've done so far: read a book. It was a great book though! It's called Matched by Ally Condie and I read it in three days. Its a great novel, kind of like Hunger Games-ish, but not so violent. Actually, the opposite of violent. It was so interesting to me I think because the Society they live in reminds me a lot of Satan's plan. What would it be like if we had no choices to make? What if someone made all the choices for us? This book made me really look at my life and me grateful for the agency that Heavenly Father has given us. The writer is LDS but its not an LDS novel. I will say it is MUCH better than Twilight or Hunger Games, to me at least. Much more poetic and thought-provoking. Anyways, back to cute baby pictures from Christmas:

My A-dorable little niece Gwen, who would never get in trouble in my house because her little voice is the cutest thing in the universe. Little lisp and everything, I just love her!

Here are all the other equally as awesome nieces and nephews, Raleigh (as you all know), Kaitlyn, Luke, Gwen, and baby Claire (the teeniest, tiniest little thing!). Trenton not pictured, lol, he was the baby Jesus understudy I guess, haha.

Christmas morning sunrise! So beautiful!

Raleigh giving Trenty a present on Christmas morning, love!

Raleigh watching Daddy sled, super awesome!

I just love this picture : )

He is so handsome!

Proof that I was there, and I actually did sled once! Woo!

Steve!

Uncle Mike!

Trenty grabbed a twizzler, little (happy) stinker!

Gwennie again!

Gingerbread men!

Our stockings!

I can't get enough of him in his little snow suit!

Muahahaha! - Steve

Lol! I just love that little series.

The few, the proud, the pictures of me, haha.

Grandma Sorensen and Trenty!

More to come!

A Conversation

2010-12-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Raleigh talking to himself on his cellphone (aka his hand):

-Hello Miss Besamee! (Bethany) Hello Lily! (Her daughter)

- (looks at me, "Its Lily! Lily's calling!")

-You got a present for me??

-What kind of present?

-A orange and yellow present??

-Oh! Hooray!

-I got a yellow present for you!

-Alright.

-Merry Christmas! You better watch out I'm tellin' you why because Santa is coming, you better not cry Trenty!

And then he took these pictures of Trenty, lol. Raleigh cracks me up!

2010-12-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

The cuteness in my house is OUT OF CONTROL.

If my children go missing, it's because I ate them alive. Gosh dangit, I love 'em so much!!

2010-12-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! How lovely are your branches!

See the checkers? Raleigh made me "flowers"! What a sweetheart!

Check it out! Christmas has come to town! And Raleigh is a little more than obsessed with it all! Every trip to Walmart (which is every other day) Raleigh yells "CHRISTMAS TREEEEEE!!!" And then we sing the song. And then we get funny looks (mostly at me, apparently singing in Wally World is only cute when kids do it).

Anyways, I am really enjoying practicing the piano lately. I played "When the Saints Go Marching In" for Emma on the phone and I am really proud of being able to play BOTH hands at ONCE, talk about talent! Anyways, my goal is to be able to play many of the hymns well enough that people could sing to it. This will take me years, i'm sure, but I really enjoy it right now and hey it's a cheap hobby! Well, once you get the piano at least lol. The boys really love to play the piano with me too. Raleigh asks to play Jingle Bells every day and Trenty is usually on my lap while I practice, or on the floor next to me.

We listen to a lot of classical music in the car too, its helping me to feel less stress and anxiety, etc. This week has been really busy and we are in for an adventure when we head out to Utah/Idaho for Christmas. Oh and I have a two year old who likes to push limits. I seriously love the heck out of him but man sometimes he drives me nuts.

Trenty is doing well. Rockin' and rollin' on all fours a lot and reaching for everything. We finally got a baby monitor so he will be out of our room soon. Raleigh has a new bed, yay! Alright, well this post is very random but I just wanted to update a little. Have a great weekend!

Christmas Time is Here!

2010-11-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Eating pizza, watching The Wizard of Oz, and just being cute!

Christmas village! Ok, I guess I like this Christmas decoration stuff...

Advent calendar from my VT companion in Summerville, Raleigh loves the little ornaments!

"I'm dressed like Santa Claus!!" haha!

Just looking at this picture makes me twitch a little, clean it up!

I hope no one minds me posting this, here are some of my nursery littles! I love 'em so much!!

I've taken two looooong naps this weekend and heaven knows I needed them! Saturday I was starting to get a little down and then I slept and I woke up feeling like a hundred bucks. Poor Steve, he puts up with so much from me but I'm working on it! I really feel blessed to have my calling in the nursery, it has helped me so much! I wish there were more willing people to serve in the nursery because the blessings I have gained from this experience are ten-fold. I realize it can be a hard calling and some people think of it as being the "ward babysitter" but oh man, it really isn't! I feel myself really growing spiritually and emotionally now and it is because of the challenge of serving in nursery. Anyways, we have had a good weekend and now we need to get ready for the big Christmas trip!!

2010-11-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

We definitely enjoyed our Thanksgiving this year, mmm and I'm still enjoying for every meal so far! Pumpkin pie for breakfast is one of my favorite things ever. Turkey sandwiches with KETCHUP are amazing, right Steve?? lol, and we've got all the Christmas shopping done except for choo choo trains at Ikea, but we'll have to wait till we get to Utah for that. I am so excited for Christmas! Oh and I still have some presents to make, so that's on the to-do list. Steve is getting the Christmas decorations out and I would fight him on it but he just looks so dang happy about it, lol. I hate getting them out when we won't be here for Christmas. Oh well, Raleigh will enjoy it! The boys have been napping really well lately. Its so nice to have Steve home for a little bit. Oh and it started raining today, it hasn't rained in forever! Hopefully it will get cold someday. Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

2010-11-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is are starting point for tomorrow! We've finished: Pecan Pie, Chocolate Silk Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Fruit Salad, Jello Salad, and Pyper Rolls!! Tomorrow: Baked French Toast, Homemade Whip Cream, Turkey, Gravy, Yams, Mashed Potatoes, and Stuffing! I got all that decor-ish stuff (and not pictured red fabric napkins) at Walmart for a grand total of $40! (Not including glassware) How sweet is that? And all totally usable for next year. Really, I only make a huge fuss out of Thanksgiving, out of all the holidays it is my favorite. Mostly because of the memories I have from the past and the memories I hope to create with my family and friends for the future. The rolls pictured below are a part of ALL my delicious Thanksgiving memories and today I am thankful for them! (I really wouldn't brag about these rolls so much except that they really are amazing!) I can't* wait!

*Couldn't wait... I already ate 4 rolls : )

Yummmm

2010-11-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

Last year's spread!

Apparently, I have another post title "Yummmm" because it came up when I typed this title in, haha. Anyways, on to more important business. Here is our Thanksgiving Menu this year:

Turkey - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homestyle-Turkey-the-Michigander-Way-2/Detail.aspx
Gravy - Steve's secret recipe (or I actually don't know what he does, but its GOOD.)
Mashed Potatoes - Regular ole potatoes, mash 'em up with milk, butter, salt, and pepper!
Stuffing - Stovetop, baked, not soggy, delicious-ness (recipe from my mom)
Nancee Pyper crescent rolls made in heaven - actually made by me this year, wonderful holiday goodness
Yams/Sweet potatoes - what's the difference? Slather them with brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows and I'll eat 'em up!
Olives - Random Sorensen-ness
Fruit Salad - Again, random Sorensen-ness
Jello Salad - Sorensen recipe, this stuff is good.
Apple pie - not holiday appropriate, but that's ok I still like pie (Steve is going to smack me when he sees my commentary on the menu)
Pumpkin Pie - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Libbys-Famous-Pumpkin-Pie/Detail.aspxYUM (I was going to make Pumpkin Cheesecake from here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Pecan-Cheesecake/Detail.aspx or here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Double-Layer-Pumpkin-Cheesecake-2/Detail.aspx but I am chicken-ing out, and besides, why mess with the best?)
Pecan Chocolate Silk Pie - trying something new this year. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Silk-Pecan-Pie/Detail.aspx If it bombs I'm making a pecan pie on Friday. I need pecan pie.
And Baked French Toast for breakfast (Steve has the recipe somewhere...)

Phew! I am so excited this year, we are having some awesome friends over and they are bringing food too so we should be sufficiently stuffed when the day is over! Can't wait to wear my stretchy pants!! haha

Humbled

2010-11-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today was rough. I don't think I've had a day like this in a long time. I would list my complaints in a bulleted list or something awesome like that but I don't have the energy. So instead I will tell you that we really enjoyed having the missionaries over for milk and cookies and it pretty much made my day that they chowed down on my amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies (if I do say so myself). We visited with them for an hour or so (after a visit they had scheduled bombed) and it totally brought the spirit into our home to have them here. Trenton didn't make a peep the whole time they were here and Raleigh had a blast looking at the pictures in the Book of Mormon with one of the Elders. It was like opposite day, HAHA.

Anyways, I felt bad for myself all day long. I almost quit like a hundred times. But I pushed through and I prayed and I felt like a missionary. Missionaries do hard things everyday for two years straight. They work hard and prepare and rush around to meet appointments just to have people say "thanks, but no thanks". There are disappointments. There are rejections. There is exhaustion.

I may not wear a tag, but I hope my family sees me as a missionary. I hope my children know that I am trying my best everyday to be like Jesus Christ and that I love them as He does. I am grateful for the example of the missionaries. Their dedication, their love of the gospel, their persistence, their knowledge of the truth. The sacrifices they make are inspiring to me and I hope I can be a better member missionary to those around me, especially my family.

Hello?

2010-11-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

Is anybody there? Ok, good. I figure that most everyone has forgotten about my blog so I might as well be honest. I am grateful for Harry Potter, and the many memories I have from the books. Such as staying up until seminary to finish the latest Harry Potter novel, and waiting in line for the movies every Thanksgiving. Oh and the weird Thanksgivings when there wasn't a Harry Potter coming out and so we were all like "what are we supposed to do for Thanksgiving?". Anyways, Harry Potter is awesome. And not in a obsessive dungeons and dragons, lego star wars, twilight mania way. Harry Potter is legit. Anyways, now you know what kind of a nerd I am. This post brought to you by mugglenet.com.

I'm thankful for....

2010-11-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

Lots of things recently:
-The scriptures
-The Ensign magazines
-Classical music (esp. Beethoven's 5th, or as Raleigh calls it "Tom and Jerry music")
-my adult beginner's piano lesson book (I might not be able to run a 5k yet, but gosh darnit I'm going to teach myself to play the piano!)
-my regularly clean house, a skill that I have recently realized that I worked hard to attain
-my amazing husband, who thinks like I do (except about what people eat for Thanksgiving)
-my adorable children (one of them is pictured above, awwww...)
-the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
-The Five Browns
-Mindy Gledhill
-Clair de Lune
-Crayola Washable Paint
-Washable Dry Erase markers
-Christmas (online) shopping done! 3 gifts per person, I think that will be a Sorensen family tradition for us. keeping it simple
-agreeing on stocking stuffers (oranges, apples, chocolate oranges, beef sticks, toothbrushes, stuffed animals)
-DVD player and toddler headphones in the mail... a necessary evil for our long vacation coming up
-playing checkers with Raleigh (he thinks the goal is to make "Mickey Mouse" with the black checkers, lol)
-listening to Raleigh sing almost all of "Jingle Bells"
-watching Raleigh pull out the choo choo train tracks day after day and ask us to make a "circle"
-letting Raleigh "practice piano" with me and sing "CDEFG,GFEDC.... etc."
-Raleigh, in general (I've recently realized that if I don't roll with the two-year old punches, that I'm going to hate everything, so we're working on rolling with it)
-watching Trenty sit up and casually fall over
-watching Trenty play with toys like a CHILD and not a NEWBORN, ok, maybe this one is a little sad
-laughing with Trenty in the dr's office and remembering a fun dr visit with my mom when I was younger, remember that one time Mom??
-Trenty, in general. He's such a great addition to our family.
-making a thankful turkey picture with Raleigh and asking him what he is thankful for "Turkey and chicken" and then the rest of us : )

Ok this list is long enough. What I'm trying to say is, if you open your eyes you will see everything that Heavenly Father has created for you with new eyes. Living in Thanksgiving daily is pretty awesome.

My New Wallpaper

2010-11-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

Photo found on ldschurchtemples.com, you can learn more about the temples there or on mormon.org!

I had the opportunity this morning to attend an endowment session at the Columbia, South Carolina temple and I am so grateful for that! The temple is probably the only place where I feel true peace and comfort. I have always been an anxious, stressed out person and I know that it is my own dang fault for worrying so much and getting worked up over the smallest things. It's kinda pathetic, really. But in the temple, that all goes away. I am reminded why I am here and what is really important in this life. I am reminded of the promises I have made to my Heavenly Father and the promises He, in turn, has made with me. He wants me to be happy and know that He loves me. And you! And that I should love you! The temple is such a beautiful, peaceful, uplifting place and I am truly blessed to be able to attend one nearby. I just need to get there more often ; )

I also got this DVD at the bookstore: http://mormontabernaclechoir.org/products/product?product_id=651
It is beautiful too! And perfect for when Raleigh asks for Christmas music! Yay!

What a Pro!

2010-11-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

He is so awesome/adorable/amazingly cute!! I mean really now, those cheeks??? Eat 'em up!
I'm thankful for YOU Trenty Keith!

Mmmm

2010-11-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful that the Scentsy party was a success! I forgot how much I love getting ready for parties and making tons of food! Oh and please do this for me: Buy chocolate almond bark (chocolate coating stuff), Ritz crackers and peppermint extract. Melt the chocolate and put in a little (maybe 1 tsp. per package of chocolate) peppermint, cover the Ritz in it and voila! You have yourself some homemade thin mints NO LIE! You're welcome ; )

2010-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for this cool photo

(that I did not take myself and can't for the life of me remember where I found it.)

Today was kind of a bust... up and at 'em tomorrow though...

2010-11-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, but will someone tell me when my baby grew up??? No teeth to lots of beautiful white teeth.... no talking to "Night night Mommy I love you"..... brown hair to blondie.... cranky pants mcgee to happy preschooler.... lazy days to non-stop action-packed days.... and the list goes on and on. I can not believe my little teeny tiny baby just told me "night night mommy I love you", are you serious?? I am so grateful for my blurry little boy. I hope I can treat him right, and I hope that heaven includes lots of family home videos of happy times for me to watch (and repentance erases all the stuff I don't want to remember). Anyways, hug your small people today!!

2010-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I forgot to post on Saturday but to be honest it is getting hard to find something blog-worthy! I feel so blessed to have the family that I have, my husband who is amazing and patient and kind, my Raleigh who prays for everyone in the world before bed at night and regularly says "thank you" and "I love you", and my Trenty who is just content to be invited to the party that is our family. Not every day is perfect, heck not every hour is perfect, but when you are really looking hard to find things to be thankful for you will be surprised at how they seem to multiply before your eyes. I feel so blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and to know that I am a child of God. Sitting down here every night and trying to think of something "cool" I am thankful for has turned into a real appreciation for this life I have been given. I have hard times and issues just like any other person, but I know that if I live the gospel and be the person my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I can be happy and make others happy too. That girl in the picture above seriously had no idea what she was getting into and what Heavenly Father had in store for her. I don't just feel lucky anymore, I feel blessed. Happy Sunday!

- Katie