Merry Christmas!!!!!

We had such a fun Christmas this year. Dallin was so excited about Santa coming. He had to run to the computer about every 2 minutes to see where Santa was on the Santa Tracking website. He made sure his cookies and milk we perfect, and that there were enough carrots for all the reindeer. He came in and woke me up at 3:00am to ask if Santa came yet. He went right back to bed, but woke me up again at 6:00am. I let him lay in bed with us until about 6:45, I was sick of laying in bed being kept awake, so we got up to see what Santa had brought. It was pretty cool seeing the tree, presents and stockings. Glenn put everything out since I had caught the flu, or food poisoning, or something that made me so sick. I won't get into details, but it was bad. Both kids were so excited and went straight for the presents. Aubrey opened a couple, then found her stocking with clementine tangerines in it, and she didn't want to do anything else but eat. Every once in a while she'd take a break to open a present. Dallin tore through his presents in record time, and has been playing with them all non-stop since. It's so fun having kids that get so into it. We didn't get any good pics since our camera has seen better days, but here's what we got... The aftermath. We then left this disater area and went to my parents for breakfast and to exchange presents. It was delicious, and great fun. We went home for naps, which were so greatly needed, especially for me. After waking up, we headed back to my parents for a delicious dinner. We really did have a wonderful Christmas and are pretty bummed it's over already.

Christmas Eve

A tradition we have (along with many, many other people) is to open pajamas on Christmas Eve. This year I decided to make the pj pants so we could match. So, Aubs and I had Strawberry Shortcake, and the boys had super heros. Dallin loves that his match his daddy's. Aubs really couldn't care less.
We also enjoyed some homemade pizza, chips and salsa, and sparkling cider.

Catch up

As I'm sure is the case with everyone reading this, the last couple weeks have been insane, so now it's time for catch up...


Some friends of ours in our ward invited us to go on their family boat (yacht) to see the lights in Newport Harbor. We had so much fun! Dallin took charge of the boat. He was Captain Mark's right hand man.



We also took the kids to see the LA Temple Christmas lights. That is one of my favorite things to do around Christmas. Side note: Aubrey ate a WHOLE kids meal on the way up. Hamburger & fries! She loves to eat. Another side note: We are extremely healthy eaters, except for when I'm prego.
Anywho, the kids loved to see the lights and had fun walking the temple grounds.

Christmas is here!......Finally!

Last week was one of the busiest, most insane, exhausting, not fun weeks of my life. Glenn had finals, which means I have no husband. I barely saw him at all last week, which isn't totally unusual, but given the facts that the kids were sick, I've been fighting a cold, and the exhaustion & nausea the little bundle of "JOY" growing inside me causes, I really would have liked to have a husband. The kids enjoyed being toted to mutual & enrichment, however sometimes breaks are needed. Which brings me to the meaning of this post....

Christmas is finally alive in the Sorensen household. I was able to take off Saturday for a few hours BY MYSELF and shop! It was wonderful and much needed after last week. We got our tree last night and the decorations came out. It's by far my favorite holiday. (I can't say time of year since I'm not a fan of the cold weather) But I do love the Christmas season.

Unfortunately this year we will not be mailing out Christmas cards, so don't feel like we don't love you, just know that I am lazy. We tried for a family photo shoot after church a week ago, and with 2 nap times past, we did't get any decent pictures. We are shooting to send out New Years cards, but don't get too exciting, that probably won't happen.

Things are going well this week. We are all feeling better, and have some fun things planned. I'll try to keep updated.

This is the only picture we got of Aubs. She had to go to bed. This was probably one of the proudest moments Glenn has had since being a Dad. Dallin was truly excited about all the Star Wars ornaments we have for our tree. (we have more Star Wars ornaments than not. Not something I'm proud of, or support)
Dallin put all the ornaments in the same spot. I had to keep telling him to find another branch.

Is it normal for a 3 1/2 year old to have to throw gang signs in EVERY picture he's in? You can kinda see his clump of ornaments behind him.

I was just looking through my pictures, and for some reason this one cracked me up. This was taken last Mother's Day, and it looks like both kids are quite anxious for the photo shoot to be over.

Better really, really late than never, right?

Yes, I am finally getting around to posting Thanksgiving. We had a great one. We were able to go up to Southern Utah to visit those in Glenn's family that migrated there. Dallin and Aubrey had a blast playing with all their cousins, Aunts, Grammy and Grampa. Dallin was very sad to have to leave. We recently purchased new luggage and as soon as we opened the box Dallin said "let's pack up all of our stuff and put it in the car to go to Grammy and Grampa's"

Our Thanksgiving dinner was at the clubhouse in Grammy and Grampa's neighborhood. It has the most gorgeous view ever. I didn't take any pictures of it, but look behind the people and you can get a tiny glimpse of what I'm talking about.

just because

And don't mind the mess!

We don't encourage topless table dancing, although it does look that way. This was at Aubs' 1st b-day party. Grammy and Grampa came down, the Brodowski's came up, and the Heagle's stayed put. (we had it at my parents house) It was great times, and I can't believe my baby girl is 1 already.


Her stats:
Height: 29 1/2 inches. 60%, I think
Weight: 22lbs. 11oz. 75%, I think
Head circ: I don't remember, but it was the 90%

Aubrey's favorites:
-Dallin. She will follow him around and play with him all day long. And he is so sweet to her.
-Food. Pretty much ANY food. She works hard for her figure.
-sippy cups. but not her own, only Dallin's.
-dancing. anytime there is something resembling a beat, she'll rock out.
-diving off our bed head first. She knows how to go the right way, but laughs every time she goes head first.
-walking. She tries to jump out of my arms so she can walk by herself. And she has gotten really fast.
-plug & blankie. although it's mostly just used for bedtime, if given to her, she will snuggle with whoever is holding her.
-Dallin's diego jeep. It's a little tent-like play thing. She loves being inside it.
-toys. she just loves playing with toys.
-trying to escape from my parents house. She has figured out how to open the front door, and go outside.
-stairs. She loves climbing the stairs, and loves it even more when you chase after her to ensure she doesn't roll down them.
-smiling and laughing. she almost always has a smile on her face (or scrunch face, which can easily turn into a smile)
-Papa and Uncle Kirk. She is terrified of some men, but LOVES playing with my dad and brother.
-unloading everything from everywhere. From cupboards to diaper bags, purses and totes. She will empty anything.
-unwrapping presents. She couldn't wait to see what was inside, so she would rip right through the paper.


Aubrey is such a blessing to our family. Between her and Dallin we are pretty much always laughing. She is such a sensitive little sweetie. She will start crying if she sees any other kid crying. We love her so much and can't picture life without her.

Fire update

Well, so far we have made it through the fires (although I wouldn't want to see pictures of our lungs right now). Last night the mandatory evacuation area was little less than a 1/4 mile from us. We would have been the next evacuated, but thank goodness we didn't have to. Yesterday we only had Sacrament meeting at church, so people could go home and prepare in case they had to leave. As of yesterday, nobody in our stake lost their house. The smoke had been so thick and ash is all over the place. We had to cover the kids faces while outside and we all struggled to breathe. We are still hearing sirens, so I don't think the fire is out, but I think it's mostly contained. School was cancelled today for all in this school district. Our high school's athletic fields were burnt, and the continuation school was destroyed. Here are some pictures taken in my parents neighborhood on Saturday around 1:00pm.


Today is a lot clearer. We can see blue skies, but it still stinks pretty bad. I'm pretty sure I will be smelling like a bon-fire for the next little while.

Alright, so there is a big wildfire in our area. It has burned all around our high school (not sure if the high school burnt or not) and is not on both sides of the freeway. People in our ward have been contacting us telling that they have been evactuated. The last we heard, a family that lives about 3/4 of a mile away was evacuated. Should I be getting nervous? Well, I have started packing some stuff up, but what do we pack? The fire is 10% contained, so it's not like we shouldn't be worrying. We've been hearing fire engines going by all day and the sky has been pretty dark. I looked out a couple minutes ago and the sun was RED! Kinda scary.
The worst part of all is that we are having Aubrey's 1 year birthday party in about 1 1/2 hours. We are not cancelling it unless we are asked to evacuate. So, wish us luck! I know everything will be fine, but it's still a bit nerve racking.

Couldn't not post this...

Finally....

Well I finally decided to post my Halloween pictures. I know, I know, it's like way past the spooky day, but I wanted to get it up here before the holidays come.



This was at Dallin's "mommy and me" class. He was Zurg, in case anyone has not seen toy story, or thinks he's a little devil. We had a blast at that party! Every time he saw the camera, he had to pose.



For our ward Trunk or Treat, Dallin decided last minute he wanted to be Mickey, since Aubrey was being Minnie. So, we pulled out last years costume and squeezed him in. Aubrey was walking around in her little yellow heals all night. SO CUTE!!!! They were the talk of the night!

My feelings

I am overwhelmed with gratitude today. I am so grateful to everyone who helped with Prop 8. It was amazing to see people get out of there comfort zones and push this very important issue. I saw our ward and stake leaders and how committed they were/are to serving the Lord. They are such examples to me and my family. I am so grateful that it passed. I definitely saw the hand of my Savior involved in this. It was amazing how attitudes stayed positive when it was very discouraging at times seeing the hate and intolerance being shown to us.
I just want to thank everyone who participated, whether great, or small! I know this would not have passed without the efforts put forth by so many people. Miracles still happen today!

Action!

So I have the coolest friend ever. Her name is Wendy and she is the acting coach on a new Disney show that is taking the place of Hannah Montana. The main actor is Demi Lovado, from Camp Rock, and she has an AWESOME album out. I'm not kidding, it's really good! So Wendy called to see if we wanted to go to a taping of this new show "Sonny with a Chance". My little sisters are obsessed with Demi Lovado, so I couldn't pass it up. It was so much fun. We got there early and Wendy gave us a tour of the sets which was pretty cool. During the taping they have a couple comedian guys there to entertain you, give out prizes, do contests and stuff. Baylee and Becka were both picked for the contests, and Becka won her cd. They even fed us pizza! So after it was over, all the teenieboppers rushed to the front of the bleachers to try to meet the cast. It was insane and there was no way we could have made it up there to meet any of them. Wendy totally got us past the security/body guards, onto the set, and we got to meet all these new teen sensations! My sisters were in heaven! We got pictures and autographs of all of them, and actually got to chat with some for a minute. So, keep your eyes out the beginning of next year for "Sonny with a Chance" on the Disney channel. It was actually a good show and I'm excited for it to take over Hannah Montana!

Top picture is the new teen heart-throb Sterling Knight, and bottom is Demi Lovado!

"Punkin Patch"

Crystal, Blythe and I had been planning a trip to the pumpkin patch for about a week. The day came and it was HOT and windy and dusty and just gross. We had to go since the kids were so excited, but we stayed for about 10 minutes, then left for the park.

Don't mind the ghetto motorhome in the background. I need to learn how to photoshop.

Monkey Zoo

A couple weeks ago we went to the Santa Ana Zoo for the first time. Dallin and Aubrey loved seeing ALL the monkeys, and the few other animals that are there. We went with Carrie and her boys (who are the cutest little guys EVER!) and Dallin loves playing with them. We had an awesome time, even with the disgusting heat!

Busy, busy!

Life has been insanely busy lately. We have had so many activities and parties going on. I haven't downloaded pictures yet, but stay tuned, I'll be sure to post them ASAP. (there's a ton!)
Kids Update:
Aubrey is totally walking now. She enjoys it more than crawling now. She gets into everything, and trys really hard to play in the toilet. Luckily I've caught her every time she has tried. She has 3 teeth on the top and bottom, but is currently working on getting 2 more out, to make it 4 on the top and bottom. She is a crack up, and such a happy little girl. Oh, and she likes to have her toe nails painted.
Dallin is still hilarious. He loves to show people his "moves". While not dancing, he's either singing, or saying "look at me" or "watch this". My favorite is when he makes me watch him drink through his new cool straw. After ever sip it's "okay, okay, now watch this" and he takes another sip. He is getting so big and is a total boy. He's not even close to being a toddler anymore.
Well, hopefully I'll post the pics sometime today!

Don't forget to vote!!!!!!!
YES on 8!!!!!!!

YES ON PROP 8!!!!

This week I had the opportunity to stand on the corner of a busy intersection to hold wave signs for the "YES ON PROP 8" campaign. What an eye opening experience that was. I didn't really want to do it, but I know how important this prop is (and my sister kinda forced me to go with her). I am just blown away at all the people screaming "tolerance" for the gays, then when I share my opinion, they have no "tolerance" for me. We had people yelling "stop the hate" followed by obscenities that are pretty hateful. The "YES ON PROP 8" campaign is not about hate, or intolerance, it's about preserving the divine institution of marriage.
We did have more good honks with thumbs up, then long honks with middle fingers, so that was good.
As for my opinion on this matter...I don't care what gays do. I do have gay friends, and I love them. I feel that people don't understand the consequences of this proposition not passing. A lot of people feel that it won't effect them. That is so wrong! This will effect everyone, for many reasons. Most importantly (to me, at least) they will be teaching in schools, even kindergarten, that it is okay, and normal to marry a member of the same sex. The "no on prop 8" campaign says this won't happen, but in the State of California Legislation it states that marriage and family will be taught in schools. Well, if gay marriage is recognized, then it will be taught. Some people argue that kids don't care, and it won't effect them. Can I just say that my 3 year old son absorbs EVERYTHING! And how confusing that would be for kids.
My next concern is what it will do with society. The divorce rate for gays is at least 150%, where as with heteros it is 50%. What makes a good, healthy society? HEALTHY FAMILIES! With a divorce rate of at least 150%, what kind of healthy families does that bring to society? And I am in no way saying that the 50% for heteros is acceptable. Society has definitely declined as the divorce rate has grown.
A "YES ON PROP 8" vote does not take any right away from the same gender couples, except for the title of "marriage". They still have all the same rights, and privileges as hetero-couple and can still enjoy the ceremony and celebration that unites them. Whereas a "no on prop 8" vote takes away religious freedom from those who do not believe in same sex marriage. Churches will lose their tax exempt status if they refuse to perform marriages for same sex couples. And church adoption agencies will be forced to include same sex couples as adoptive parents.
So please, even if you aren't religious, and don't care either way, VOTE "YES ON PROP 8" to benefit society, and most importantly to help our children and preserve religious freedom.
YES ON PROP 8 !

www.preservingmarriage.org

Shake that thang!

Aubs, like most babies, loves to dance. She pretty much only has 2 moves. One is the shoulder twitch, and this one is the hip sway. Don't mind the white trash onesie!

Park Day

We decided to take a trip to feed the ducks yesterday. It was a beautiful day with the temp in the high 70's, giving us a nice break from the heat. Aubrey loved the ducks, but I think I scared Dallin when I mentioned that the last time I went there the geese chased me off the island, but the kids had a blast, and we took a gazillion pictures.
This little beast loves to climb up the slide.