The Sorensens

It Has Frozen Over Folks

2011-05-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Brian found some mice living in his hay out by the horses.

Brian's assistant's cat had kittens.

Assistant asked Brian if he wanted one.

Brian came home from work asking if we could get a cat.

Fact: You know what/where has frozen over because there is no way Brian would ever ask for a cat before that happened.

Other Fact: Karen does not want mice living in her house so she will allow a male outside cat to live in the backyard.

When we went to pick out the cat Tanner looked at Brian dead serious and said, "Dad if we get this kitten NO BAD STUFF TO IT OKAY." Let's just say some of B's past comments have Tanner legitimately concerned.

The kids are thrilled, beyond thrilled.

So far Milo has survived
1. going on the small and medium slide by himself.
2. being dropped at the height of Brielle's arms (several times).
3. Going down the big slide with Tanner (he apparently likes it).
4. Falling down the window well (at least four times I think we have that fixed now).
5. Two attacks by random neighbor dog.
All in one day. Good luck to you Milo you sure are loved!

Such a typical picture. Tanner with his arm on Brielle, Brielle wearing Tanner's jacket, Tanner's butt crack peaking out....I wonder if I will find a way to keep his pants up before he starts school.

This is what chubby little Brett has done during most of the excitement. For some reason sleeping all crunched up like this is so much more comfortable than being snuggled in bed. Oh well I am just glad he will take a nap.

Seven Years

2011-04-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

This month Brian and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. I can't believe we have been married that long. We were listing all of the things we have experience in those years. I started with some obvious ones.
Three kids
Three moves
One House
Graduation
Dental Practice

Then Brian chimed in....
Horse Trailer
Three horses
One dog
One dead elk
I couldn't quit think of anything to go along with this last one on his list. I guess we will see what the next 7 years brings us.

Brett's Blessing

2011-04-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

We blessed Brett last Sunday. I was hoping to enjoy some nice weather and good food with our family. We woke up to a snow covered world again that day so we just enjoyed some yummy food and visits with family. Here are some more pictures of the little guy.

I decided to try and make Brett's blessing outfit. (Not the vest we borrowed that from Tanner's blessing outfit.) If you don't look too closely it looks like I did a great job. It turned out fine with a few adjustments but now I know what I am doing if I ever make another one.

Have you ever tried to take a picture of three kids? You get a lot of this.

Tanner and Brett were the most cooperative so I got this nice one of them. I think Brett is starting to look more like Tan Man.

After what seemed like forever, many threats and some bribes this was the best picture I could come up with. Brielle was being such a stinker!

Baby Brett

2011-02-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our newest addition. Brett weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and is 20 inches long. He is just perfect,calm and so, so easy (so far). Tanner pretty much has nothing to do with him, and Brielle keeps close tabs on him (no surprise there). Family and friends have really spoiled us these past couple of days. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Not That Mom

2011-02-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Going through my baby stuff to get ready for this little guy I came across a magazine titled "Games to Play With Your Baby". I feel like I do a very poor job of this with all of my kids so in an effort to change I decided to read it. As I am going through the different games I see some that look nice and then some that I know will never happen. Upon closer reading I read the instructions to "In a high pitched voice say _____ to your baby." This was instructed with several games. Really do I really have to talk even more goofy to my baby than what comes natural? You know we all do it, why I don't know but I think the extra effort is not necessary.

Now my confession, after becoming more educated at what I can do to play with my baby I probably won't change. I probably should. But I just can't see myself putting fun objects and the end of the hall for me and my crawling baby to race to while saying "Stop" and then "Go" down the hall. That is just not me. What I can see is me playing fetch with my kids (when they pretend to be dogs) and throwing the ball they are fetching as far away as possible so it takes longer for them to retrieve. I know I know I am that kind of mom. Maybe the baby will like to play fetch. And maybe my kids will turn out after all because really I am just not that kind of mom.

Finally I think all is ready for this boy he should be here any day now. If only I could get Brian to settle on a name for more than two days at a time we would have him named. Of course if I would just agree to Butch or some such nonsense that would be his name, but again I am just not that kind of mom.

Sorensen News

2010-09-26T18:02:00.001-07:00

Since it has been forever since my last blog I thought I would give an update of our family. Warning: this could be a long and boring blog.

Old News
Tanner and I went to Disneyland with some friend from here. We had a blast.

This summer we took a family vacation that didn't involve mountains or fishing.
First we hit Yellowstone National Park.

Tanner and Brielle have become the best of friend (and sometimes worst of enemies). On this trip they insisted on sleeping in the same bed every night. It was so cute.

Next we went to Glacier National Park.

We took a little hike to this waterfall. It was so gorgeous. I can't wait to go back when our kids are older so we can do some serious hiking.

Finally, we stayed a night with Grandma GG and Lloyd.

I was terrified of a really long car ride home with two little kids, but they did great. Portable DVD players are the best thing ever.

Newer News
We are finishing up the harvest of our garden. It did really well this year.
This is our freaky carrot and huge potato. We even got a carrot that was the perfect hour glass figure of a woman, which one of us just couldn't get over. Sorry folks I didn't get a picture. I think we also have a two or three year supply of pickles and frozen zucchini.

Finally we are expecting our third little one. I am due in the beginning of March. I have my ultrasound in two weeks. B doesn't want to find out what we are going to have. I am undecided. We will see if he can convince me in the next couple of weeks. I have also just gotten braces (which are still killing me),and am in the middle of filling a long term substitution at the Elementary School. Hopefully that explains a little bit of my blog neglect.

Personal Style

2010-04-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

In an effort to get away from the trailer drama I decided to blog about Brielle. I know it is not as entertaining for all of you but she is still a little cutie.

Lately she is working on finding her personal style. Here are some of her favorite looks.

I am responsible for the flower that is as big as her head, but the necklaces and bag are all her doing.

Tanner's Amish hat comes in handy.

Thanks for the dress Becky.

Winter wear is for indoors and out.

Begging to go outside.

Setting the Record Straight

2010-04-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a first for me. I have never done this blogging stuff, but due to erroneous reports and malicious attacks against my character, I feel it necessary to set the record straight (kind of like Joseph Smith had to do).
First of all, I love my family very much. I understand everyone has weaknesses and strengths. I don't believe in exploiting someone's weaknesses (or perceived weaknesses) online. Karen has known we have been in desperate need of a horse trailer for quite some time. We have a horse (that was given to us) and no way to transport the animal. I had been looking at used trailers for quite a while, but Karen would throw a hissy every time I brought the subject up. I didn't know what to do. I found a great deal on a trailer while Karen was out and about and just went for it. I didn't dare consult with her because she would most likely cause bodily harm (her words, not mine). To make a long story short, I encourage Karen to get what she needs and wants whenever she needs to. She has wanted carpet. I have told her repeatedly to get it. She won't. I think she does this so she can hold it over my head whenever I want something. Thanks for listening, A confused and abused husband.

Birthday Gifts

2010-04-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Brian told me that I needed to be sure and make a post about what he got me for my birthday. Lucky me he read the blog and actually picked up on one of my hints.(Keep reading past the first picture to get a few more details.)

For some reason it felt like he wasn't trying to help me have a happy b-day, but was in a desperate search to smooth things over. This is what he bought "for the family" on my birthday (he knew I was against it). Tanner, Brielle, Brian and I can totally use this to take our one horse up into the mountains and go for a day long horse ride.

Dear Brian,
Thank you for the grinder I really do appreciate it and did not expect it. Also, the next time you go ahead a buy a really expensive item (like a trailer) that I am against, (even if you do it while I am gone so I don't know about it until the deal is done), I will sell your truck.

P.S. I think I was supposed to just write about the grinder. I couldn't resist adding a few more details of the story! Sorry.

Upcoming Birthday

2010-03-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

My birthday is coming up (this is in no way a post to remind people or guilt people into saying happy birthday to me). I am feeling pretty old and actually forgot it was coming so quickly until Brian started talking about it. So here is a recap.
B (to Tanner): Guess who is having a birthday soon.
Tanner: Me I want a rainbow (fish) cake for my birthday.
B: No, not you someone else is having a birthday.
T: confused
B: It's mom. What do you think we should get her?
Me:(in my head) Wow he actually remember my birthday. He is planning what to get me instead of running to the store on the way home from work and grabbing the first thing he finds (which sometimes turns out remarkable well, and sometimes not).

A couple of days later I found Brian shopping on the internet
Me: What are you doing?
B: Just looking up some things.
Me: Looks like you are looking for a new t.v.
B: Yep your birthday is coming up.
Me: That is not what I want for my birthday it is what you want.

A couple of days after that
B:We have some fun things we are planning with the scouts.
Me: o
B: We are going to be doing a really cool bike ride. I need to get a new bike the one I have is crap and I can't keep up with the boys.
Me: Really?
B: A new bike that is a good idea...(then only kinda under his breath) your birthday is coming up...

In case anyone out there is wondering I do not want a new t.v., a bike that is fast enough to keep up with the scouts, a horse trailer, an ice fishing pole, a horse, a saddle, or new tires for my birthday.

Maybe Brian would like a wheat grinder, a pair of running shoes, or some cute new summer clothes for his birthday.

This is a picture of the cake Brian bought me last year. It is a chocolate cake with coconut frosting. I hate coconut frosting... the chocolate part was good. (The flowers were really nice.)

Don't get me wrong I am glad that he remembers to do something for me but maybe a little more planning could help me feel a bit better about my age. And after six years together please remember that I hate coconut even if the cake is chocolate.

She's Off!

2010-02-27T12:45:00.001-08:00

Brielle has been walking for a couple of weeks now and she is really off and going.

Here is her first (and only so far) battle wound. She got a little tipsy and landed right on a block.

Brielle loves balloons. She carried these around for two days straight.

She has been pushing Tanner's little chair around trying to get up on it. Yesterday I turned around and found this accomplishment. She is so proud of herself. The real bad news comes when she pulls it up to the stairs and tries to climb over the gate. I seriously get nothing done when she is awake.

Tanner is getting so big. He has started Sunbeams and loves it. This is his first day of Sunbeams. Brian got him ready and gave his hair a "nice part" for the occasion. My guess... the last time B had enough hair to part a "nice part" was the style. I did a little fixing when he was distracted with another job.

Tan Man is totally into basketball right now. He plays for at least a couple of hours each day. He thinks that he is the next Paul Milsap and when he is really into his game he will not answer me if I don't use the right name (sometimes I forget and call him Tanner instead of Milsap go figure).

Other updates: I just signed up for another half marathon. I am excited to be training for something again.

Brian found his dream boat. He is so excited about it. By dream I mean an aluminum fishing boat that has had better days. I have already let him know that he has to test it out before the kids and I go on a voyage.

The Holidays

2010-01-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well it has been so long since I have posted that I think I will just sum up the past four months in one long post. Sorry if it gets too long and boring. I have started this post about 20 different times but it just hasn't worked out.

For New Year's my parents, sister, and her family came down. We had lots of yummy food on the 31st, then had a snow day on the first.

Brian and my brother-in-law used their four wheelers to pull the kids on sleds. They loved it!

We had a couple of snow days this year with friends and family. I have to say that this one was my favorite because it was in our backyard so.....Brielle took a nap the whole time. I didn't have to deal with tired cold kids at all! This is Brielle getting ready for some grub clueless that she missed out on all of the fun.

Tanner couldn't wait for Christmas this year. He was so excited and facinated with the whole idea of Santa Clause. That Santa knew just what he wanted. Thomas the Train. He loved it so much I had a really hard time getting any pictures of him. He builds tracks lines up trains and hauls coal for a good 2-3 hours a day. Beauty.

Grandma Sorensen stopped by after a dental appointment and brought everything needed to make a really cute gingerbread house. Tanner loved it.

My parents,three of my sisters and their kids came to our house for Thanksgiving this year. All that delicious food still brings a smile to my face. In all of the cooking, cleaning, and fun I didn't take many pictures. I did get this one of the kids doing their "project". Now whenever they are together they ask for a new project to do. The best part about it...they are so quiet when they do them!

Last but not least Halloween. Tanner really wanted to be Spiderman for Halloween. I came across this Superman and convinced him to wear it. I still missed the really cute Amish guy, and Cowboy I had in Halloweens past, but I put my feelings aside and went for the not so cute Superman. Of course he loved it. If you are like Brian and can't figure out what Brielle is, she is a clown and yes I know the bow is huge! I can't help myself.

We hope you all had a great one.

Brian's Side

2009-10-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Brian told me the other day that if I wanted to get comments on our blog I should write about him (he is right our blog gets way more comments when it is about him). I decided to blog about Brian's side of the room which is always a disaster. This is what it looks like today. My favorite parts are: the top of his dresser is covered in receipts and other papers (most of which just need to be put in the trash), there are a couple of coolers that have not been put away since hunting (mid September),and if you look closely there is a box of stuff from the move that he hasn't unpacked.

Those of you who are thinking that I am a slacker by not at least taking care of the laundry I understand. After four years of doing Brian's laundry wrong he asked me not to do it for him anymore, so he is now in charge of his own clothes.

By the way here is what my side of the room looks like.

If any of you would to see more of B's skills they are displayed rather nicely in his car. YIKES!

The House

2009-10-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some of you have been asking to see pictures of our new house. I have been trying to get everything all set before I post them, but that will probably never happen. So with my limited ability to decorate and whatnot here are a couple of pictures.

This is from the kitchen looking into the living room before we took down the two walls.

Same area as above without the walls.

Close up of fireplace and living room area.

Looking back into the kitchen from the hallway.

Office, which is just off to the left of the living room.

Master bedroom taken from the master sink area.

Master bath, the walk in-ish closet is on the right (sorry no close-up pics it is kinda messy right now) the potty and tub are on the left.

Master tub and pot.

This is the porch that comes off of the master bedroom. Our backyard goes back to the brown vinyl fence. Hopefully the dirt will be covered in pasture grass come Spring.

Upstairs potty. Blue tile on the sink and tub rough to work with!

Brielle's room/laundry room.

Big room in the basement it will be our family room/game room.

On the left is the basement bathroom to the right is our t.v. den. I am still seriously struggling with the paint job in the t.v. room. I will get it right one of these days.

Not pictured because they were a disaster and I had no energy to clean them up:
1. Tanner's room
2. The guest room
3. Storage area

Hopefully this makes sense and feeds your curiosity.

Joy School and The Little Vacuum

2009-10-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

This last month Tanner started Joy School. He really loves it. It is fun to see him learn and play with the other kids in his "class".

He was so excited about his Spider Man backpack that he greeted everyone at school with his back to them. Then he started moving at them like a skunk ready to attack saying "Look at my Spider Man backpack. Did you see my new backpack? Look! Look! Look!" It only took about a week to wear off.

Brielle has mastered the army crawl and will soon advance to full on out of control crawling (right now she occasionally gets on all fours and rocks). She doesn't play with toys anymore she just moves around with her little finger and thumb testing and working the floor until she finds something wonderful to put in her mouth. I am ALWAYS vacuuming and sweeping our main floor and she still manages to find something.

I am still working on getting the house together. Between the kids, hunting season, new animals and lots of sicknesses I just have gotten it all there yet. Hopefully soon!

Spoiled

2009-09-20T18:12:00.001-07:00

My boys have really been spoiled this month.
Exhibit A Brian's mountain truck

Exhibit B Lucky our "free" horse

Exhibit C Bingo the "free" puppy...

Wish me luck everyone!

Still Alive

2009-09-11T15:49:00.001-07:00

Things have been really busy for us. Our new house has some tomato plants that are out of control. So I made this

out of these bad boys.

Then three days later I tackled these guys.

Tanner is loving our new backyard. This is a picture of him catching grasshoppers to feed to his toads. He does this for hours some days. We both love it.

Other updates:
B: Just entered the horse business. He has been pretty busy taking care of Lucky.
K: Ran my 1/2 marathon last Saturday. I felt pretty good about it especially considering I had the flu and only at 3 meals total the previous week.

We are slowly getting our house set up hopefully I will have some pics to post of it really soon.

If Only

2009-08-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

I wish this is what my kids were doing right now, instead of being grumpy/crazy kids.

I am trying to get things ready at the house for paint, if only my two little ones would cooperate. Oh well I guess there is always dishes to do and boxes to pack. Brielle is cutting teeth, so a little nap on her part would really be great!

Rite of Passage

2009-08-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

I think I read somewhere that collecting bugs, snakes, frogs, and toads is a rite of passage for boyhood. (I think I also heard that every boy needs a dog too.) Anyway we went to Grandpa Sorensen's for the day and came back with these three.

Three toads + a butterfly net to catch bugs with = a very happy little boy.

Great Basin National Park

2009-06-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Great Basin National Park at the end of June (yes I am REALLY behind). Here are some pictures I managed to take

Tanner's outfit this day cracks me up. You can't go wrong with shorts and cowboy boots. For some reason he insists on fixing his hat like this.

The Glacier at the end of our hike

Hiking up to the Glacier if I remember right it is about a 5 mile round trip hike. This picture was taken by some other hikers who definitely thought we were crazy.

My little chubbies getting warmed up in dad's sleeping bag

B always had plenty of help.

Tan Man's Birthday

2009-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Okay so Tanner's birthday was well over 20 days ago...this month has really flown by for me. I can't believe my baby boy is already three. He has such a personality and keeps us on our toes! We are so glad to have him in our family.

Tanner used his new hammer to crush the cookies we used to make our homemade cookies and cream ice cream. Apparently he sampled one in the process.

B gets 98% of the credit for this cake it was his idea and mostly his creation in case any of you are worried he is getting all "Martha" on us he used his tough man pose for this picture

If you are not up to classifying all of your different trout this cake is nothing less than a cutthroat trout a very important detail to all the boys in my house

My baby girl spending time with Grandma Olsen

Thanks everyone for the great party!

Family Update

2009-06-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

Brielle:She is bursting at the seams. She weighed over 14 pounds at her 4 month appointment. She has all the dimples, rolls, and elastic bands you could hope for. She is still sleeping like a champ has started to eat cereal. She laps the first couple of spoon fulls off the spoon like a puppy dog. If I ever leave her to herself for too long she simply inserts the thumb and takes a little snooze until I get to her.

This is her getting ready for some grub.

I was in the middle of getting her dressed after the tub and Tanner needed something. By the time I got back this is how I found her.

Enjoying the fishing trip

Passed out in the swing

Tanner: He is loving this nice weather. He loves to ride his tricycle down to daddy's office and begs me to "pitch him" (pitch balls to him so he can hit some grand slams). He is really excited to get a dog and has already named it Bingo.

Tanner in his new fishing hat, he also loves his new baseball hat. Holding hands with his cousin at the zoo. They were so cute to keep track of each other.

B: Fishing is the name of the game for him. Did you know that you HAVE to go fishing once a week and you HAVE to start the fishing as soon as the ice starts to melt off of the lake? He is anxiously awaiting the maiden voyage of the Mother Ducker (the boat he is borrowing from his brother for the summer).

In this picture he is sporting his lucky fishing outfit. HOT!

K: I have been trying to get my buns back in shape. I am hoping to run a half marathon in the fall. I have also been working on my pitching skills and answering the questions "Why mommy", and "What does _____ do" about 5,000 times a day. By about 5:00 in the evening "Just Because" is how I usually answer. That is promptly followed by "But Why Mommy" I am trying save up the rest of my energy for our next move...which will hopefully be this summer.

Thumbs, Run, and Mud!

2009-04-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

If I don't feed Brielle right away or get her up from her nap as soon as she is awake, I usually find her in this position...I hope it doesn't last.

On Saturday, two of my sisters and I ran a 10k. We all did well. I averaged an 8 minute mile pace, much faster than I expected at this point in the game. It feels good to be getting back to normal.

Rain or shine Brian and Nathan were determined to hit some mountain trails with their four wheelers. As we entered the canyon it started to rain. The girls stayed in the vehicles with the babies while the guys set up camp. Fortunately Brian's mom sent us with these garbage bags...the perfect rain gear.

Sara and I watched the dudes at work, first they got the kids in their rain gear, then made a blazing fire, then climbed the trees and hung up a tarp for some shelter. We ate lunch and relaxed by the fire without getting wet. After lunch, the rain and snow stopped and the boys went out four wheeling. We ended up with mud everywhere! In the end we were all tired, muddy and happy for the good times.

Is it December?

2009-04-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

I took this picture yesterday afternoon. This is what it looked like out our front window. When I took this picture it was starting to snow again. Brian gets so excited EVERY time it snows. Me on the other hand not so much. I thought by the time I made it to April I wouldn't have to go running in the snow. I guess I was wrong. At least I haven't fallen this year. My knees are still recovering. Oh well it has to end sometime right?

Easter

2009-04-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Easter was really fun this year, because Tanner was old enough to get all excited about Easter egg hunts, coloring eggs, waiting for the Easter Bunny and of course eating tons of candy. Here are a couple of pictures I managed to get.

This was taken minutes before going to church it was the best we could do with minimal time and a boy that was all sugared up!

Brielle and the Easter basket Grandma Sorensen sent us.

Tanner and Brielle with the basket, notice the chocolate mustache Tanner is sporting. I let him fill a small cup with candy and put the rest away. He seriously ate candy for a half hour straight... NICE

Coloring eggs was really fun this year. After we colored the eggs we had several Easter egg hunts with them. Brian doesn't understand the joy of finding a hard boiled egg (why would you look for it if it wasn't filled with candy?) I loved it as a kid and Tanner has really loved it. We are having another Easter egg hunt this morning. Apparently it is my turn to find them so I better go!

March Madness

2009-03-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

In an effort to survive the NCAA tournament (you know 32 games in two days and you HAVE to watch each one of them not to mention more games on the day after..)I set up a competition with Brian. So far in the past two years my bracket has stomped the crap out of Brian's. The rivalry is in full throttle this year. After the first round Brian is one point ahead of me. He was all kinds of talk and pride until he lost one of his final four teams last night. Mine are all still alive and kicking! Good luck to all of you and may the best woman win!

Holy Crap!

2009-03-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know that many of my post have to deal with potty traing and poo and whatnot. Let's face it, it is a big part of my life. Last week Brielle went through 80 diaphers in 6 days, 90% of them were at least partially loaded and others were fully. She has slowed the flow now and saves them up for one giagantic mess. Today it happened to Brian at lunch just before he had to get back to the office. Yep through the diapher, onesie, pants, blanket, her sock, and his clothes. He didn't appreciate her big happy smile as he changed to get back to work.

This is Brielle today.
We had her 2 month appointment on Monday and she weighs 10lbs 1once!

I just had to add another picture of the smile.

Our Babies

2009-02-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting around to posting some new pictures of the kids... I thought I would also add a picture of Brian's new baby. I can't believe Brielle is already six weeks old. All I can say now is I am ready for a run!

These first three pictures were taken on February 10th.

This is one of the most recent pictures we have of Brielle taken on February 23rd.

This is B's new baby. He NEEDED it to clear snow at the office. It will be nice not to pay someone to clear the snow, but I have a feeling it will be headed up the mountain as soon as the snow melts.

The Best Ever

2009-01-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

I feel so lucky right now! I have the best mom and sister there ever was. They took Tanner for me all last week. After spending time the past couple of days with two kids by myself I have realized that they really did save my life. I am so thankful for their thoughtfulness.

I also have the best newborn baby ever.(I really think that God wants me to have more kids so he is making this newborn thing easy on me). Brielle is never fussy and so far has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT 5 DAYS IN A ROW. Yep that is right I am talking 11:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. I hope we can keep this up.

Brielle Marie

2009-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Brielle joined our family on Thursday January 15th at 6:30 p.m. She was 6 lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long. Labor and delivery was pretty quick and easy thanks to some modern medicine and a great doctor. Brielle and I were both doing really well so we were able to come home from the hospital Friday afternoon.

So far Brielle is a perfect little newborn. She is eating, sleeping and pooping like she was born for it. We have had two really great days and nights with her. I hope it will keep up this way.

Tanner is doing well with the new addition. He doesn't spend too much time with her, but has displayed his excitement for her in running jumping and being overall crazy. I hope it will calm down in the next few days.

Here is one of Tanner's newborn pictures to compare with Brielle.

You are a Cow Now Karen

2009-01-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love being compared to livestock? It is especially great when the comparisons deal with labor, delivery, and nursing. So I had contractions, a lot of them for a long time last night. Brian got all excited and wanted to rush me to the hospital. In an effort to get me into the car, he said, "You are not a heifer anymore Karen, you are a cow now." (Here is the definition if you need it Heifer: cow giving birth for the first time, Cow: already given birth at least once.) So anyway the contractions stopped and despite what he thought Brian did not have to worry about delivering our child in the car on the way to the hospital. And for the record if the lactation specialist (you know the one that grew up around lactating mammals his whole life) turns up this time while I am nursing it will not be pretty!

Disclaimer: Brian would like you all to know that cows deliver much quicker and faster than heifers do hence the comparison.(That makes it all sound bettter right?)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2009-01-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year. It was nice to see family and not have to take a plane ride to get to them. It was also really great to have our siblings who are living outside of Utah make the trip to come see us! Tanner loved being with his grandparents and cousins.

Brian and Tanner enjoying the snow.

Tanner was begging to build a snowman but the snow wasn't too great for a traditional snowman, so here is what they came up with.

Tanner got a tent and has already spent about 5 nights in it.

A fishing game and a bike who could ask for more?

Tanner was a shepherd boy for the Sorensen Christmas Nativity. (Next time I should take a second to wipe the face before the photo shoot.)

Where do I Start?

2008-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

So while I was working on this today....

Tanner did this. (This picture does not even start to do justice to the house. t

He has been playing so good lately. Today he brought ALL of his toys out to the living room, he even included the toy box. Now I have toys, three different "frains"(trains) plus their "frain fracks" (train tracks) to handle along with all of the balls, guns and cars one could wish for. It is 6:30 and I have no plan for dinner but we are all hungry. Hmmm where do I start?

Projects Done!

2008-11-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

This last week or so I have been able to check off my biggest projects of the summer/fall. I am really excited to have them done. Maybe I am just really glad to get them finished, but I think they turned out pretty great.

So if you have anything in your house that you just want to get rid of talk to Brian he is sure we can use it. That is how we inherited this fine love seat with a matching couch. Call me picky but this just was not going to be part of my house without a little tlc.

When I started this project I thought reupholstering them would be the hardest, but with Cindy's expert help we got most of it done in a day. I was naive enough to think that using a varnish stripper on the wood would make refinishing the wood easy. Yah that didn't work and after more sanding than I ever want to do again they were ready to be re stained. Was it worth it....still working on that one, but I am definitely glad to have some more "new" seating in our house.

The next project was to get Tanner into a twin bed. I found a great deal online, and with a little help from Grandma Sorensen's quilting machine finished up this bedspread to go on it. It has fishes and baseballs on it. He loves it!

Finally I really wanted to have a matching blanket and bumpers to put in baby sister's bed (we still have no name for her). Being the cheapo that I am with a little time and less talent I decided to make them myself. I recovered Tanner's old bumpers and then made this blanket to go with it. Brian doesn't undestand what was wrong with what we had, but I think it was worth it!

Now I need to finish up things for my class and get working on my holiday lists!

Am I Biased?

2008-11-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

I am sure that I am at least a little biased, but I think Tanner is pretty much the cutest cowboy I have ever seen. He had a really great Halloween. That afternoon we carved our pumpkins together (he was all kinds of excited to help). It is fun to see him get excited about the holidays. Saturday morning while I was getting him dressed he asked if we could go trick or treating again that day.

Thanks again to Grandma Sorensen for the material.

B is Ready for Halloween

2008-10-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

We spent our day Monday in the mountains getting more wood. As the last tree fell Brian took off in the opposite direction as fast as his little white legs would take him. Unfortunately he ran into a live standing tree. (I am told he hit a branch that was sticking out and that "you would run fast too if you heard that tree coming down"). Being the manly man that he is we were still able to finish the load.

This is gross I know but here is what it looked like before he cleaned it all up.

After he cleaned it all up he decided that he needed stitches. Silly me suggested he go to the Urgent Care. What I didn't remember was that he took a class in facial something something reconstruction and therefore was qualified to do it on his own. He headed out to the office and came back within 30 minutes with these really nice looking stitches (I know scary).

The morals of the story: 1. Watch out for standing trees 2.Apparently a DDS is pretty much qualified to do anything in the medical field (Right?).

P.S. Please feel free to blow up the picture of him chopping wood so that you can closely examine it and then be thoroughly impressed with the size of the tree, and Brian's manliness. Apparently the picture I took and posted doesn't quit give it justice.

The Process

2008-10-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

We have being working on potty training for some time now. Tanner has been really good about keeping himself dry all day long. The poo poo part of the trainig wasn't going so well until we develped the process. Here it is.
So I put him on the toilet at about the same time each day. He needs to have this towel on him, not for modesty purposes, but apparently it is too cold to sit in the john and relax about your business without it. Then he gets "his" magazine, or another book. Within 15-25 minutes we have success everytime. Gotta love it!

Chopping Wood

2008-10-26T15:01:00.001-07:00

For Brian's birthday he bought himself a hitch for the Jeep. His main reason being that we needed to chop a bunch of wood to use in our fireplace this winter. (I am sure it had nothing to do with the fact that it is one step closer to getting a boat, or pulling up four wheelers and snowmobiles to his favorite play spots.)
Anyway yesterday we got our first of at least three loads. It took about 10 trees to fill up the trailer we were using.

Cowboy Boots

2008-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

I bought these boots before Tanner was born to decorate his room with. Last Monday Brian took Tanner horseback riding and of course he needed some cowboy boots. I was sure they wouldn't fit (they are still two sizes too big). With an extra pair of socks and a little practice wearing them he continues to tell me "They fit mom, they fit me."

We have also inherited this play horse add that to the boots and hat and we have a real cowboy. The boots are the first thing on in the morning (I caught him putting them on this morning with half closed blurry eyes) and the last thing off.

This is Tanner riding the bucking horse(just like at the rodeo).

Think Pink

2008-09-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!
My ultrasound experience was much more interesting this time around. They had a monitor for me to conviently see what was going on so that was nice. Plus it took some time to find out what we were having (legs cross and cord in the way). We got to see some really great 3D shots also. The 3D showed up on the monitor in orange and black. When there was a really good shot of the baby's face I heard this conversation.
Brian: "Look Tanner there is your baby sister"
Tanner: "That's an orange baby, that's an orange baby sister"
Brian: "That is just how the picture is she won't be orange when she comes out"

I am sure he is wondering how that orange thing is going to look like a real baby.

What September?

2008-09-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well I can't believe that it is September already. The past couple of weeks have really flown by, it doesn't seem like we have done too much but I guess we have stayed busy.

Most of our free time has been spent up the canyon on the lake. The boys really love the fishing. I like the relaxation I get some of the time.

Tanner really loves his fishing pole. The last time we were there he caught some moss. He kept saying "What is that yucky thing?" It was pretty funny.

My parents have been up for a few trips. My dad brought his little fishing boat. Tan had a lot of fun out on the boat with the men.

I was told that this picture had to be part of our blog. This is just one bunch of fish that have been brought home to eat. I think that this summer I have filleted 22-25 fish. Thankfully my mom helped with a bunch of them. We are getting good at it.

After a long day of fishing he still has the hat, fishing pole and backpack. What a kid!

The biggest change for me this month is that I am a USU student again. I am taking one class online to get my teaching certificate renewed. I wasn't too happy about it at first (it still have a current Ohio Certificate...long story), but it has been fun to be learning again. I guess I really like to be a student. Besides that we are working on potty training and refinishing an old couch. We also find out if we are having a boy or girl next week so I will keep ya'll posted.

Tagged

2008-08-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Amber tagged me and I am supposed to list 6 quirks that I have really only 6 this will be easy

1-I have to have the butter on my toast completely melted. This means I toast the bread, put butter on it, then pop it back in the toaster for a couple more seconds it is the only way to eat toast.

2-I have diagnosed myself with people claustrophobia, this is where you can't handle being surrounded by a crowd of people. Watching people rush the football field after a great game can get to me. How can they breath with all of those people around them?

3- I love to exercise, especially running. I have run nearly every day of my life since the 7th grade.

4-Chew with your mouth closed what more can I say.

5- I am very anti-coconut. At least I don't gag anymore if I accidentally take a bite of something that had hidden coconut in it.

6-I sleep with two pillows, one for my head and the other for my side. I started this when I was expecting Tanner and it has continued.

WE DON'T PLAY WITH OUR POOP!!!

2008-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Doesn't he look so nice, calm and sweet? Don't be fooled! Tanner has turned into a crazy man. Here is a list of some of his latest accomplishments.

1. colored on mutiple doors, walls, and furuniture

2. found some pens and decorate my couch with ink

3. got into my make-up... two full lipsticks and two eyeliners later you can imagine the mess

4. started drinking milk out of his sippy cup then spitting it out on a chair, (or his bed the second time) and then smearing it all over. He used about 2/3 of a sippy cup of milk before I caught him both times.

So all through this I have told myself he is just two and curious. I even considered myself lucky because he wasn't playing with his poo like some kids do.....So today he was in his room playing away nicely I heard toys out so I wasn't too worried. He played for about five minutes and I decided to check on him, by the smell in the room I knew something was up. As I started what I thought was a pretty typical bum change I noticed some markings on his leg. At this point Brian was called in for back up. Upon further investigation we found traces on his hands and in his carpet. Apparently poo is yucky. Should you still want to take a taste, just go ahead and wipe your hands off on the carpet. Once this is done be sure to continue to play with your toys like nothing has happened. The lesson he learned "we don't play with out poop". Also he now knows that poop actually does taste yucky.

Fun times. So after this I have two questions.

1. What should I expect next?

2. How long does this phase last?

Top Ten List for July

2008-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

July really slipped away from me and I didn't get a chance to blog about some of the great things we did this month, so I decided to make a top 10 list. This list includes both the great and not so great things I remember about July.

1. Brian started working at his 0wn practice yipeee

2. We went camping with a couple siblings from my family and B's.

3. While we were trying to get to a great fishing hole (really I think Brian just wanted to test the jeep's 4 wheel drive abilities) Tyler got his parents Explorer high centered.

Good thing we had a tow cable with us in the jeep. I think the guys loved the adventure, some of the girls were a little concerned at the situation.

4. Probably my worst memory for July took place on the 4th. Our wonderful little town has a breakfast at 7:00 in the morning for everyone. Apparently in order to make sure everyone makes it, they start firing cannons and turing on sirens at 6:00 IN THE MORNING ON THE 4TH OF JULY OUR DAY OFF TO SLEEP IN. I am still really tempted to find out who is in charge of the ordeal and let them know that I have an alarm clock, and I will set it myself should I desire to eat their breakfast. (By the way Brian thought it was hilarious and just kept laughing at me about it all day)

5. I found two decent places to run, mild hills and no mean dogs.

6. We went to two rodeos, one was a home town not the greatest, the other was pretty great. Both rodeos have inspired Brian and Tanner to do a lot of bull riding.

7. Brian nearly killed us off. We went on a nice drive up to a new canyon near our home. Well it had just rained and was really muddy up near the top of the canyon our jeep fishtailed and came inches from going off the side of the road. I have never been so scared in my life. Brian was even a little worried so I knew we were in rough shape for awhile.

8. I got to visit with some Utah friends that I haven't seen in a couple of years. It was great to catch up with them.

9. I missed visiting with my Ohio friends.

10. I made it through the first trimester of my second pregnancy. I feel soooo much better now. We are expecting our new bundle at the end of January.

Well that is about it, hopefully I will be able to keep up better in August.

Runny Nose

2008-07-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Tanner has a really bad runny nose. He needs it wiped every other minute. Brian and I got tired of getting up to get some tissue for him, so we set him on the task. He kept just bringing us one square of toilet paper which definately was not enough to do the job... so we told him to bring us some big boy tissue for his nose. A couple of minutes later this is what he showed up with. Awesome, that should be enough!

Sisters

2008-07-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

My sister Wendy came to visit us from Arizona and as an added treat, the rest of my sisters, their kids and my mom came to crash at our house. It was supposed to be for just one night, but we had so much fun I convinced them to stay for a second one. It was great to have them all here.

The first day here we set up Tanner's pool and slide the kids had a great time.

The second day we went up to the mountains to go fishing and enjoy the cooler weather. This little lake is about 30 minutes from our house. Brian caught one fish for each kid and let Andrew throw them back he was so gentle with them (not) that we were surprised that only one ended up coming home with us for dinner.

Just before they left we posed for a couple of pictures. It only took me two tries to get all of the kids to look at the camera! It was so fun I hope they will come back soon. (Yes even you Sara)

First Day of Work

2008-07-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

So one of the greatest days of our life happend on July 1st! Brian started work in his dental office. To me it was a little more exciting that graduation just because the past month has been rough (Brian was more stressed than finals week in dental school... for a whole month) It is also nice to know that when Brian leaves home he is working to get us out of debt, instead of leaving home and getting us more in debt. What a great day!

I tried to get a picture of him in his office the day that he started, but some of his staff walked in right as we were getting ready for the shot and of course he was way too sheepish about it by then.

Brian has a really great staff. He has been pretty busy and likes the work. We are proud of him!

George the Snake

2008-06-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

We went down to Gunnison to help with the hay (Brian helped and Tanner and I were just along for the ride). Toward the end of the day Brian found a baby blow snake. The boys were both in love with it, Tanner more so if he could look at it, but not touch it. So we found a bucket that was nearly as tall as Tanner and put the "nake" in it. Tanner carrried the thing all over the place. He showed it to Grandpa and brought it in Grandma's house to show her and Aunt Cindy,( there it was named George). Brian was sure that it needed to come home with us, so while he was distracted by food and T.V., Cindy helped me convince Tanner that George needed to go back home to his mommy and daddy. With a little whimper from Tanner the "nake" was released. Thank Goodness!

Tagged

2008-06-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Okay this is the third post for today I promise it is the last. I guess my sister Wendy tagged me so her we go.

ATTACHED OR SINGLE? Attached, for 4 years
BEST FRIEND? Too many to name one, Brian says "put me down", so Brian
CAKE OR PIE? Cake
DAY OF CHOICE? Saturday, long runs and B takes Tanner for the morning
ESSENTIAL ITEMS? running shoes?
FAVORITE COLORS? Red and Navy Blue
GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? Bears
HOMETOWN? Magna
INDULGENCE? Currently Swedish Fish but I always love a browie sunday
JANUARY OR JULY? July definately!
KIDS? Oldest: Brain, Cutest: Tanner
LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT? My family
MARRIAGE DATE? April 8th
NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS? Three sisters and two brothers
ORANGES OR APPLES? Oranges
PHOBIAS OR FEARS?Feet (Brian says not being in control)
QUOTE: Not sure...
REASON TO SMILE: The sun shines in Utah :)
SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN? Superman
TAG 3 PEOPLE: Tammy, Bethany, and Emily
UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: When I was little I a bite of an orange that my sister peed on (I didn't know about the pee until I had the bite, then I spit it out... not a funny joke)
VEGETABLES?Asparagus, corn, and broccoli
WORST HABIT? Forgetting about the laundry (in the washer or dryer)
X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? Ultrasound YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? Steak
ZODIAC SIGN? I have no idea..is pieces a sign, that might be it.

Big Boy Bed

2008-06-13T12:39:00.002-07:00

So I have really been dreading Tanner's move to a toddler bed. I was sure he would take some time to adjust to it, by getting up in the night two or three times, kicking at his door, and or refusing to take his naps. What was I going to do with no sleep at night and no break during the day (I know life is pretty tough with one kid). Anyway after the move we converted his crib to a toddler bed and.... he loves it! He doesn't get out of it unless we come and get him out. He also runs in it when it is time to go to bed or take a nap. A couple of days ago he shut himself in his room, when I went to check up on him he was in his bed just chilling. Up next: potty training!

Graduation

2008-06-13T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yipeee no more school!!!

I know I am really late at posting this blog, but with the move and waiting to get our internet set up I have just gotten around to it. We went to B's graduation on June 1st. I was great to see him walk across the stage and get his diploma (mostly because it meant that we are done with school and school loans). In case it wasn't really obvious to you all before now, Brian really hates anything formal, so getting dressed up for graduation and attending it was a big sacrafice. It was also nice to have his parents come in for the weekend. Now that we are mostly settled into our house he has been working like a dog trying to get all of the paper work finished and set up so that he will be ready to take over the practice on July 1st.

Dr. Sorensen in what he called his clown suit.

After graduation Tanner just couldn't focus enough to look at the camera.

Big Boy Baseball

2008-05-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see the Columbus Clippers (known as big boy baseball in our house). Tanner was so excited to go. While we were driving he kept asking us where we were going (just to be sure we really were going to the game.) I asked him if he was excited and he immediately said yes. Then he asked me if I was excited, when I said yes, he asked Brian if he was excited. This continued on until he saw the stadium lights... a sight so wonderful it left him speechless. It was a little cold but we had a really great time.

Tanner was watching the pitches very closely. He would say nice pitch, stttirike, and hey batter batter swing... pretty much whatever Brian would say he had to repeat it.

Sung Choon, Hye Kyung, and Tyson came to the game with us.

Packing

2008-05-21T18:18:00.001-07:00

I spent most of the afternoon packing today. By the time I was done I could actually see progress in my house. Thinking back on my day I realized that today was the first Wednesday I have not planned to watch the Greens since June (okay I have taken a few vacations). Packing and quitting babysitting just make me realize that we really are moving. I wanted to let all of you know that we have had a great time here in Ohio. You really have been our family out here. Thanks for all of the recipes, advice, talks, runs, and time spent watching the kids play. I only hope the ward and neighborhood we move to is half as good as the one we are leaving. I wanted to include some pictures of friend here in Ohio and I realized that I am usually the one taking the pictures and it is usually of Tanner and his buddies. I guess I better charge up my batteries and get snapping pictures before we go. Thanks to Henry, Parker, and Corinne for being such great friends to Tanner. He will really miss you.

Notice Tanner is watching Henry and Parker to see what they are doing just to make sure he is copying them just right.

My First Blog

2008-05-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have entered the blogging world. After stalking may blogs for the last couple of weeks I decided it was time for me to start one for our family. I hope this will help us to keep in contact with all of our family and friends especially when we move. Moving and saying good bye are at the forefront of my mind right now but it makes me too sad to write about now so I thought I would post some pictures of our trip to Louisville. We went there for my marathon and had a great time. The best part is that is only took me three days to walk normal!

Tanner cheering me on at the race

Outside Churchill Downs

In front of the Louisville Slugger Museum

Tanner hit the sidewalk with his bat for two blocks until we reached the jeep,

then he insisted on holding it all the way home... not my idea, not a good idea!