Sorensen Family

Our Christmas Newsletter

2011-12-18T22:10:00.000-06:00

For those of you who haven't already received it, here it is! Pictures will also be up soon!

Big events of 2011 in the lives of the Sorensens:

We had a lot of family and friends visit us in Page this spring! Grandpa Withers, Grandpa Taylor, Kim, Brett, Megan and Brent, Steve and Jess, Cam and Jody and kids… THANKS for coming to play with us!

We also finally went to the Grand Canyon! Awesome!

Mel’s mom and brother Aaron and his family and Ryan’s mom and sister Brittnie were all in Page with us for Easter. That was a busy household, but sooo much fun! We also celebrated Mel’s mom’s 50th birthday while they were there!

At the end of May we had a big life change- we moved to Branson, Missouri! It was a big decision made after Ryan was recruited to take over a hotel. It was very hard for us to say goodbye to our home and friends in Page! We had a wonderful time there!

The trials increased when Ryan’s job went sour, and he was let go 2 ½ weeks after moving here! Our faith has definitely been tried and proved this year! However, two days after he lost his job, Ryan got the opportunity to go up to Joplin (hit by a huge tornado) with members of our stake to help with the clean-up effort. It was a wonderful experience for him, and in the midst of his own trial, he realized how blessed we really are to have what we have! God’s tender mercies strike again!

Melanie went to work as a photographer for a while. It was fun to interact with all of the people and make some good friends, though she’s not much of a saleswoman…

It ended up taking Ryan a month and a half of searching (which was stressful and very humbling) before he was offered two jobs almost simultaneously. He accepted both jobs, becoming an activities rep at a resort and the revenue manager at the Radisson. He very quickly was promoted to the Rooms Division Manager at the Radisson, which was a much bigger job, so he had to let go of the activities position. He is very much enjoying his job, and very thankful for it! We are very aware and grateful for the care we’ve been given by our loving Heavenly Father!

Well, we’ve adjusted happily to our new home here, and really love this area! The trees are truly magnificent- we love the lushness and the colors, as well as all of the wildlife. We’ve been to several live shows and have made many good friends. What a great place!

Taylor has a best friend named Solomon, who is a boy from our ward. Tay is way into Lego Ninjago, and is loving school. He is becoming a proficient reader and pretty good at drawing comics! His big event was getting baptized in September! All of his grandparents and three aunts came to support him, which he was very grateful for! We’re so proud of his decision!

Callie is loving school, of course, and doing very well. There are not as many girls around here as there were in Page, which is kind of a struggle. She is really getting to be a great dancer, though, and loves to sing and perform in the comfort of home (she’s still pretty shy in the spotlight). Callie is really maturing and so loving!

Janey lives for preschool and riding the bus every day. Those things, and nursery at church, are the highlights of her life! She absolutely loves her teachers, and has recently decided that she “loves” a 17 year old boy in our ward! He is a really great kid, to her credit! She has hit a growth spurt as well as her terrible threes…but she’s still our sunshine!

Other than a new job, Ryan got a new calling at church… a primary teacher! He’s never had this calling, but is enjoying it. We’ve also made friends with the missionaries here, which is fun. He and Taylor have also been fishing with a friend from work, and love it!

Melanie has gone back to being a homemaker, and is enjoying all of the time she’s getting to spend with the family again. She taught in Relief Society for a few weeks, which she enjoyed but definitely stretched her, then got called back into Young Womens! Yay! She loves being in with the girls!

This year has been a tough one with lots of big events! However, after the trials come the blessings and the reminder that we have such a wonderful Savior on our side! Our Heavenly Father loves us and helps us in all that we need, if we but ask! May each of us have this testimony, and feel the love of our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we celebrate His birth and gift to us!!

WE ARE SO BLESSED!

We love you all!

Christmas-time is here!!!

2011-12-05T22:36:00.004-06:00

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!"

Please note: we got our first snow on December 6th!!!

(this picture was added to the post -don't worry about the post date)

Giving thanks...

2011-11-24T20:14:00.001-06:00

So, we realized that there are just so many things we're thankful for! We asked everyone in the family to brainstorm, and we came up with quite a list! The most important ones come first:

and here's "just a few" more:

Free photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

We love you all and are certainly thankful for you, too!!!

HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-11-01T11:46:00.000-05:00

We seriously have some cute kids...

We pretty much had a 5 day Halloween this year!

It started off with a carnival at the school for preschoolers and their families:

Callie and Janey did the ring toss.

Callie got her face painted like a butterfly!

The girls also played around in the bounce house.

Taylor did play one game, but was too big for the bounce house and sat off to the side,

bored for most of the time...

Callie's class Fall Party was on Friday.

We also threw a party on Friday night and had tons of fun with several friends, but didn't take any pictures because others we taking them... I'll have to get some of those!

Saturday was the Trunk or Treat at the church:

...and then the "BOOnanza" carnival at the RecPlex.

(we went to this one with our friends, the Andersons, and also met up with

the Hills family when we got there.)

the kiddos had lots of fun hanging out with their friends!

Finally, we went to the WalMart pumpkin patch to pick out some winners!

(Janey was already out by then)

Ok, so we did take a break from festivities on Sunday, but Monday we were right back on that train!

Janey played so hard at school that she fell and got an owie (or 5).

look at her eyebrow, eye and nose...

She was getting into the ghoulish spirit of the day!

Janey and Mom got to clean all the pumpkins.

After dinner, we got ready and set off to do some trick or treating!

We met up with some friends about half way through, and the kids had a blast running from house to house together! Taylor sure was glad to have Alex along, because they were the only boys!

(Janey counted those ghosts several times.)

Mug shots:

"Commando"

Wonder Woman

Janey witch

jack o lanterns!!

(Janey's, Taylor's, Callie's)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

9/10/11

2011-09-27T12:11:00.000-05:00

That was the date when Taylor was baptized! Pretty cool, huh!?! He'll never have a hard time remembering that!

So, that weekend we had several family members visit! Grandma and Grandpa Taylor and Aunt Kim, Grandma Connie and Aunt Brittnie, and Grandma Shell and Aunt Joni all came to celebrate with us. It was the first time that we met Grandma Shell's sister, Joni. What a great weekend!

Everyone arrived on Friday, and we did a lot of chatting and being excited to have so many visitors! That night Mom had to work, so everyone made and ate pizza, then went to visit her at work. They all got their pictures taken, and enjoyed desserts as well! Next we watched the end of Karate Kid at the Bee Creek theater.

Saturday was the big day! Taylor was baptized by Dad. Aunt Kim and Aunt Brittnie gave talks about baptism and the Holy Ghost, and Mom and Callie sang a song, with Taylor joining in for the second verse. Then Taylor was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost! He was so happy and serious! We were all so happy for him, and proud of him! (the program also consisted of each grandparent having some part, per Taylor's planning.)

After the service, we all had lunch at our home. The missionaries also came, and gave Taylor a spanish CTR ring and a lego set. They know the way to his heart!

That evening, we all went to eat (way too much) at a chinese buffet, then went to see the SIX show, and loved it! We all raved about it for the rest of the evening! (check them out: http://www.thesixshow.com/ )
On Sunday, Taylor was sustained as the newest member of our ward! He looked so proud and handsome as he stood there (on a chair, so people could see him) in his new suit!
We'd had such a great weekend spending so much time with our family! It was hard to say goodbye Sunday evening! We love you all, and are so grateful for your love and support! Thanks for making Taylor's weekend so special!

A day of firsts.

2011-08-22T17:59:00.001-05:00

Today was Janey's first day of school!

Taylor and Callie were really cute with her when we dropped her off!

It was also her first day having dry pants all day while not at home! What a BIG girl!!

Also, today was Ryan's first time seeing the JEERK show!

Janey and I joined him when her school got out!

Check these guys out... they're really talented and AWESOME!

http://www.jeerk.com/

Branson pirates!!! (ARRR)

2011-08-18T19:07:00.002-05:00

Today was the first day of school for Taylor and Callie! They were sooo excited! And they looked pretty cute, too!

Taylor's report: "I got a new teacher...and I sort of made a new friend...and it was a really good day, especially at recess!"

Callie's report: "We played games, we read stories...and my favorite part was that I made new friends."

Janey wasn't thrilled that her siblings left her today, but she'll be starting school on Monday, so it'll be ok!

NEED NUMBERS!!!

2011-08-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

So, we finally got a new, local number, (we've been meaning to do it since we moved here) and we're all excited about the new phone. However, my old phone was misplaced (I'm not pointing any fingers, darling daughters) before I was able to transfer my contact list. Bummer! So, now I don't have anyone's numbers. If you've been feeling neglected, that's why! So, if you all could give me your numbers, I'd be much obliged! you can email them to me if you don't want them out in the open air... m.soro@ymail.com. Thanks! Love you all!
P.S. Krista, you made my day with your comment on my last post!!! You can't see it, but I'm smiling BIG! I miss you!

Lots of critters!!

2011-07-26T11:28:00.002-05:00

After having talked to my brother Aaron about how much his wife, Krista loves creepy crawlies, this post is dedicated to her! Love you, Krista!!!
Branson has a crazy abundance of critters and crawly creatures!! Ok, so it's this whole area, and not just Branson. We've had a lot of fun finding and discovering all of these bugs and animals, a lot of which we've never seen "up close and personal" before!

it's a bee!

Ryan-palm sized moth

the spider that sparked the previously-mentioned conversation

grasshopper

pretty beatle

leaf bug

bug

(squirrel)

super scary looking spider

those would be some major webs!

razor back?

cicada? this guy was super noisy!

ok, so you can't see it, but when we went swimming at the beach, we made friends with a see-through yellow fish that was as long as Janey's forearm!

groundhog...found at the school

Taylor observed this guy in order to improve his kung fu skills!

sorry.. don't know names for everyone!

These next two pics are from National Geographic...we weren't able to capture good pics of our own.

We really did see a litter of 4 baby skunks, playing at the edge of a parking lot one evening!

opossum!

And for the next 2, we haven't seen any of these alive...

armadillos... we've only seen roadkill...

ALLIGATOR GAR!!! We haven't actually seen one of these, but they live in our waters around here! They can grow to 10 feet and 300 pounds! Don't worry moms, they don't eat people!!

And here are a few pics of our very own critters!

Janey fish

Tay-zan

Callie Cat

This guy was my favorite friend!! We found him outside our door one day!

I just noticed that the best spider pic didn't upload! Bummer!

But no worries... we'll add it to our next post!

Catching up #7: Goodbye to Page!

2011-06-12T22:48:00.003-05:00

Hiking at Lake Powell for Family Home Evening.

We love it!

My friends Lindsey, Emmy and Kari planned a farewell party for us.

I wish we would have gotten more pictures! Thank you everyone who came!

And thanks fot the beautiful picture of Lake Powell!

Lindsey is in need of one of these now, too... her family is moving to Idaho!

The Johnson family

Charity and Heather and their babies

The Olson family

John and Felicia

This is Blaik helping us pack. Hey! He did a lot more than you'd think! What an awesome boy! ( and his mommy was pretty cool for helping us, too!) Thanks Mandi! You're a saint! We love you!

The packing process:

(before)

(after)

Thanks all you last minute helpers (Emmy, Kari, Andrea, Lindsey, and especially Mandi and Steve) who got us out of there! We couldn't have done it as well (or as quickly) without you!

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

some of Janey's class friends

Mrs. Penni Case

Janey loved having you for her teacher!

Desert View Preschool

Teona and Dana

Lake View's office ladies

Janey and I have spent many days working (and playing) with these awesome ladies!

Robin Greymountain

Lake View Principal

Goodbye Lake View! We love you!

Don't mind the tears... we're just going to miss you!

Page has been wonderful for our family! We knew from when we first moved there that we wouldn't stay long... but that short stop went by so quickly! It's hard to have to say goodbye to so many wonderful friends and memories! Thanks to all the people who've influenced our lives these past couple of years!

Catching up #6: Lake Powell with the Coxes and the Sorensens

2011-06-12T22:33:00.000-05:00

We got more visits from Brent and Megan and Steve and Jessika the weekend before we moved.

We decided to have a hot dog roast at Lone Rock Beach.

So pretty, huh!?!

Thanks for coming, guys! We'll miss you!

Steve and Jess stayed through church the next day, so we got more pictures!

Janey fell asleep during dinner. She's notorious for that!

This was "goodbye."

We love you guys!!

Catching up #5: Track meets and field trips

2011-06-12T21:59:00.001-05:00

Page Elementaries track meets

Taylor ran in the relay

Callie hopped in the Gunny sack race

Janey's other boyfriend, Dustin.

He's a friend of Taylor's from sports teams, and Janey has just fallen in love!

Taylor's class field trip to Navajo National Monument

Since Ryan's job already ended, he got to chaperone this trip, which was awesome for him!

A very old hogan!
There are many more pics from this trip that we didn't post, and Taylor took most of them!

He loves being a photographer!

Taylor's 2nd grade class with teacher, Ms. Hall.

goofing around on the bus

Callie's class also went on a field trip, to some Dinosaus tracks, but we've "misplaced" those pictures...

Ryan got to go on that one, too.

Page Stake Fathers and Sons campout

My cute eyes-closing boys!!

Taylor truly is his father's son!

Their traditional chess competition!

Catching up #4: Visits

2011-06-12T21:08:00.000-05:00

Visits with friends and family!!

The Cheney-Fuquay fam

Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen

The kids got to hold one of Grandpa's chicks!

Jenn Ross: our fav Dixie NICU nurse!

Jenn was Janey's second mommy while she was in the hospital.

J and Bonnie Deem

The beautiful St. George Temple!

Mother's Day flowers from my mommy!

(We got to visit with her in St. George that weekend)

The Findlay fam

We took a tour of the Glen Canyon Dam while they were visiting.

This is the kiddos walking down the long echo-y hallway saying,"Hello! Echo!"

Watching a movie on the balcony- genius idea, Cam!

We had sooo much fun with everyone! Thanks to you all for taking time to spend with us before we moved! It really does mean a lot to us!! We love you!

Catching up #3: Checking out Branson

2011-06-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

Ryan and I flew to Branson to check out his new job at the Lodge of the Ozarks.

We had treats waiting for us in our room!

Yes, that's a towel swan

There are so many different kinds of plants and foliage in Missouri!

It's green everywhere!

The Branson Belle paddleboat... it's a showboat.

Can you make out the downpour? When it rains, it really rains!! No wonder there has been so much flooding there lately! The Taneycomo lake is 18 feet higher than usual!

I just think this is really cool!

A couple of attractions in Branson (beside all the shows).

Hollywood Wax Museum

and plenty of foresty places to hike and explore (as long as you've got your deet slathered on)

Pretty view from the plane!

Catching up #2: Easter and Janey's Special Olympics

2011-06-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

Easter with Gramma Shell and Aaron & Krista & Casen and Grandma Connie & Brittnie

Gramma Shell and her grandkids!

Casen was lovin the balloons!

Page Special Olympics 2011

Janey got first in the 50 m dash!

the softball throw

Janey and her buddy, Andrea

Janey's boyfriend, Tyler

Catching up #1: Zion and Grand Canyon

2011-06-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm going to do a visual catch up. There will be a few consecutive posts all with pictures and explanations. Hope it helps to bring everyone up-to-date!

Over General Conference weekend, we went to Zion with Ryan's mom and sister Brittnie.

We hiked to my favorite place: Weeping Rock. We'd never been there in the spring, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the trickling water was a rushing waterfall!

Callie's Kinder program

(they performed a musical version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

Brett and Kim came to visit us on the same weekend, and it was awesome to play with both of them!

school lunch with Taylor

Page Easter Egg Hunt

We went to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with Brett!

inside the Watchtower

note the whiteness of Taylor's smile- it's not super clean teeth, it's gauze!

He was jumping on big rocks and bit a chunk out of his tongue...OUCH!!

The Santa Fe Railway

(Taylor was pretty excited about this)

Taylor's first minor league baseball game!

His team was the Colorado Rockies!

Branson, Missouri

2011-05-28T14:26:00.000-05:00

So, I know we haven't updated for a while, so this may come as a surprise to some of you, but we moved to Branson, Missouri for a new job! This background is pretty much what you see everywhere here! We are loving it! A ton of people warned us about the humidity, but to all of you... we LOVE it! I know it hasn't gotten to the cursed heat of summer yet, but we are loving the moisture. Branson is great! We'll update again soon, when we find the camera cord and can upload a bunch of pictures.

WE WANT SPRING!!!

2011-03-23T14:47:00.003-05:00

Yes, the background is wishful thinking... "Come to us, Spring, come!"

So, my Dad came down to visit us this weekend, and we had a blast! He ate lunch with the kids at school, had a sleepover at the hotel with them on Friday night, brought a dragon cake and "Pete's Dragon" to watch, and showed us all his mad Twister skills! He also gave the kiddos a really awesome butterfly kite!

So, we took the kite out Tuesday evening (after Grandpa left, because it had been too windy).

After we were done flying, we decided to hit the swings.

Janey was a bit nervous at first, since she's never wanted much to do with them before...

(look real close at her face)

but, as you can see, she was soon loving it! Thanks Daddy!

Since the focus on my camera is difficult to manage now, some of the shots are a little blurry.

WATCH OUT!

Don't mind the blur... look at that awesome hair!

By the time we were done, we had a family of popsicles. Yes, the day looks nice and springy, but the wind sure made it cold! Here is Janey saying "Hold me PLEASE!"

So, we went home for some hot chocolate and snuggling in blankets together on the couch!!

Thanks so much Grandpa for all the fun!! We love you and miss you already!

p.s. I tried to upload a pic of you "twisting," but it wouldn't rotate it right!

Another time...

2011-03-09T22:47:00.003-06:00

Sometimes my children drive me crazy! This morning I got nothing but arguments. So, I gave up and made them get ready for school on their own. Yes... I was sulking a bit. I just get tired of being so dreadfully underappreciated!!! No, but really, I just want them to listen and obey! Without having to spell things out for them every single time!
Ok, ok... I sound like every other parent in the world. This makes me think, tho! What is my Heavenly Father thinking every time that I'm stubborn and rebellious? "Why won't she just listen and obey? Things would be so much easier in the long run!"
Yes, I've learned from my children...yet again...how to be a better child! Why do I have to have things spelled out for me over and over? Yet my Heavenly Father waits patiently for me to ask, and then He does spell it out for me...again! And He loves me all the same, because I'm still learning to become like Him.

The New Year...

2011-02-17T23:30:00.012-06:00

Back to school time has been fun! Taylor and Callie are happy to be back, and Janey started preschool! She is totally loving it, and feeling so big! She still doesn’t participate in group time, but comes home and sings the songs or incorporates what she learned in her home play. She’s growing up, and mom and dad are having a hard time letting go of the little baby that she was! Janey’s teacher lets me “help” in the classroom whenever I want, which helps! I’m still going every once in a while to Taylor and Callie’s classes, too, so I’m staying plenty involved!

Ryan had a business trip the end of January to Salt Lake, so we all went with him and got to spend time with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas. It was nice to be able to hang out with everyone! We’ve missed you these past 6 months! We love you all!!

Grandma's new place.

Grandpa & Grandma Taylor's house

Grandpa Wither's house

the train at South Towne Mall

The day after we got home from that trip, Taylor spiked a fever and was really sick for a few days. Since then, I’ve gotten the same thing, Callie got a stomach bug and some fevers, then Taylor got a stomach bug, Janey got RSV, and Ryan is now sick as well! What an eventful 3 ½ weeks we’ve had! Between the three of them, our children have missed 15 days in as many days of school! No wonder Ryan and I have been feeling the effects of the seasonal downs!! But everyone is on the ups finally, and hopefully we’re about done with it all! I’ve been talking to teachers and docs and friends, and it seems that all of Page is having an illness epidemic…YUCK!!

We’ve had some birthdays, too! Wahoo! Janey turned 3, and Ryan turned 30!!! (He now feels old.) Janey had a Frosty the Snowman party. She got clothes and toys and some cute new shoes and a way cute hat. Ryan got new work clothes, and our favorite gift: a remote controlled toy Bigfoot! It sure was a hit with both dad and the kids!!

And by the way, between parents, grandparents and home, they both got three birthday cakes…

We went to St. George over a weekend and had a lot of fun with Steve and Jessica. We all went climbing on the ridge north of town, and discovered some raw talent!!!

Valentine’s Day was great! We had a lot of fun doing cards for each other and friends. Callie even addressed all of Janey’s class ones for her! Ryan and the kids made sugar cookies, and I went to three class parties on Monday with my children! We had a grand day! Then Ryan took me on an in-house date that night. He’s so creative and cute! He made up a recipe for the perfect date, and I had to gather all the ingredients, including a cute plush turtle, flowers and chocolates! And then we played our favorite card games, and he actually beat me for once! And not just beat me, but slaughtered me! Congratulations, babe, you RULE! We all had a fabulous love day!

CHRISTMAS

2011-01-30T23:04:00.005-06:00

My mom came to Page to spend the holiday with us again this year. We also had the missionaries over for the day, which was a lot of fun! Elder Read converted from the Jehovah's Witness faith, so this was his first Christmas celebration! That made it all the better! We opened presents, which included scooters and a wagon for the kids from Santa, and lots of books and new clothes! OH!!! And my mom gave back my heirloom necklace that she'd had to fix, and which I thought I'd lost years ago! That was a happy moment! That evening, we went to the assisted living center and passed out gifts and caroled. (We all later decided that this was the best part of Christmas.) What a wonderful birthday for Jesus!

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T21:22:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I am mostly posting again so soon (shock of all shockers) because my husband reminded me that I mistquoted the name of the song in my last post. The real name of the song is "Thankful" and it is by Josh Groban, and it is amazing!
And I just wanted to say, that I love Thanksgiving, because we always have so much fun with family, and eat too much food and sleep too little and shop too much(the day after, of course)! Thanks to Steve and Jessica for putting on an awesome day... We love you! And thanks to Connie and Brittnie and Steph and Clay and our friends Cam and Jody and their kiddos for an awesome day spent together!

"GRATEFUL"

2010-11-19T22:35:00.028-06:00

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE! This really is the best time of the year! We are all excited for the holidays, and getting antsy. Steve and Jessika (Ryan's brother) already have their Christmas tree up! We've been listening to Christmas music, especially a Josh Groban cd that also has a song called Grateful- just for Thanksgiving! He sings about the many things we have to be grateful for, despite all thats wrong in the world. It's inspiring! I love it! We really are so blessed, and try to acknowledge those blessings more readily. Having a wonderful family and great friends and satisfying job and happy children are just the beginning! We have the gospel knowledge to be all the more grateful for! REALLY! What a blessing to know who we are and where we're going, and that we have help from a loving Heavenly Father who will guide our lives if we but let him! WOW! I think about my life, and realize that I've always had that testimony. But think of those people who don't know these truths! Life could be so much better for them if they could know who they are and how much they are loved, and how truly happy they can be! Thinking about this makes me realize how important my example really is, and why there is such an urgency for missionary work! I mean, don't I want everyone to be as happy as I am? YES!!
Ok, so I said in the previous post that I would have birthday updates and pictures. Here they are!

Ryan made me an AWESOME fresh peach pie for my birthday!

Callie's 5th birthday. What a pretty princess!

Taylor was a jedi for his 7th birthday.

Callie's first day of Kindergarten, and Taylor's first of 2nd grade!

Ryan found a TARANTULA on our screen door one night, so

we made him our pet for a few days. It was the size of Ryan's palm,

and neighbors said that he must have been a baby, because he was small!

Taylor has lost 2 teeth, had one pulled, and has 2 more loose.

This was his first.

Ryan took me on an early anniversary trip to Canyon de Chelly, in Chinle, AZ. It was amazing! It is a "mini Grand Canyon" that several Navajo families still live in and herd sheep there. Thanks to Connie and Brittnie for watching our kids while we were gone!

Can you see the pictographs

in the 2nd picture?

Halloween Festivities:

carving pumpkins!

great costumes, eh?

We conducted an experiment and survey at the school:

Do pumpkins float?

YES! They do!

Just recently, Page's Balloon Regatta was here again! This time, Ryan's hotel sponsored a pilot, so Taylor and I got to go up in Tom's balloon with him!

Taylor and I got "first flight" inductions- drinks on our heads!

Tom and Sue were awesome hosts, and we thoroughly enjoyed our ride!

Had to share the cute kiddos pics!

I dare say our children are stinkin' cute!!!

And that'll be all for now!

Back to school...

2010-08-22T21:10:00.002-05:00

School started for us Arizonians on August 10th. Taylor is a big huge 2nd grader, and Callie started Kindergarten! Callie is still getting adjusted; she says "it takes so long til I can come home." (We have full day Kinder in Page) However, she is in the same class as all of her friends, so she likes going, and loves her teacher, Mrs. Robinson. Taylor is just having a blast making new friends and being back in the social setting of school. And he likes his teacher, Mrs. Hall, too. Mom and Janey are still getting adjusted to having just each other to keep company at home, but loving it! What a fun little girl she is! She is now talking like crazy, and running (looks crazy) and starting to finally have a hunger for learning new things. Ryan has been doing real work (physical labor) all week at the hotel, as they've started the renovation process. They finished the first 13 rooms in 5 days! We're really excited! This weekend we've spent in St. George with Steve and Jessica, playing. We went to the community center pool yesterday, and had a blast!!! I would love to share some pictures as soon as we can get our computer to cooperate. Anyway, pics and birthday updates hopefully soon! Love you all!

Catch up

2010-03-07T20:51:00.006-06:00

2010 has been a very busy year for us thus far! We all got to go on a business trip with Ryan to Albuquerque, celebrated Ryan and Janey's birthdays, had Aaron and Krista come visit us over Valentine's and have gone to the beach a couple times. We also have prepped our back yard and will have our garden in by this weekend! Here are a bunch of pictures that go all the way back before Christmas. We hope each and every one of you are doing well!
Enjoy!

2009-12-20T20:59:00.009-06:00

Merry Christmas!
This is our favorite time of year, for one obvious reason. It’s the best!
We love the lights, sounds, smells, and magic that comes with this season. We most enjoy reflecting on the birth of the Savior of the World. As the world turns more and more away from anything to do with Christ, it is great to really focus on Him and the blessings he gives us. This year we have been blessed in many ways.

Ryan took a new job working at an amazing hotel for an even more amazing company. He is learning TONS, and is really excited for the upcoming renovation of the hotel. He is getting back into hiking, and has just gotten even busier with church callings! He loves this area, and looks forward to all of the exploring we have yet to do. Ryan actually got into reading again; he's not much into novels, but "The DaVinci Code" grabbed his attention!

Melanie has enjoyed a calling working with the young women in our ward. She is thoroughly awed by the amazing youth we have these days! And the ladies she serves with are pretty neat, too. She got called to the activities committee again, and is loving that as well! She helps in Taylor's classroom once a week, and likes to take the girls to play group so she can have mom's social hour too! She's also been doing a lot of reading and learning, and hopes to take a class or two at the community college here.

Taylor is enjoying the first grade, and everything that comes along with it: reading, writing, computers, music, recess, PE, and yes, math! He loves playing Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii, and is really into the Magic Treehouse book series. And, for those of you who are long-time blog followers, he has officially gotten sick of "cold lunch" from home! He always tells me he wants hot lunch at school, so we're mixing up what I send him a little more! Taylor wants to play soccer and get into karate, so we'll see how busy we are in upcoming school years!

Callie has been working on her beautiful voice and really enjoys dancing and playing with new friends. She is a sassy girl! She is already such a little mother, and loves to boss everyone...hmmm...I'm sure she didn't get that from her mom! She would like to be a ballerina, so we'll have to see about getting her into dance classes; the girl is very talented!

Janey is walking now, and is growing up so fast. She’s not our baby anymore, and loves to let us know it! "Stop!" is her favorite new phrase... She also loves giving kisses and is very good at it! She is starting to love babies dolls, and is starting to be interested in other little friends. She's going to be our social butterfly!

So, a quick replay of some of the exciting things we've done this year:

We spent lots of time in Salt Lake with Melanie's family this summer for her brother Aaron's wedding, and then her brother David's funeral. As most of you know, we moved to Page, Arizona in May, for an awesome new job, and bought our first home! We are loving the area- Lake Powell is our "backyard," and it is beautiful! We went hiking in the world famous Antelope Canyon, as well as other beautiful places, and have been swimming at the lake several times. We've had many family members and friends come to visit, too, which has been fun! We've gotten to spend a lot more time with cousins Scott and Karen and their children, which has been fun for parents and kids alike! Taylor and Ammon are best buds. We are regulars at library story time, and went to movies in the park in the summer. More recently, Ryan and Melanie celebrated their 7th anniversary in style! The amazing chef at the hotel fixed us a 5 course meal, and it was delectable! Melanie went to see "New Moon" with all the other crazies at 2:30 a.m. opening day. We spent Thanksgiving on a houseboat with friends, and have attended some awesome ward activities! We went to a NICU reunion for Janey, hosted at the Jubilee of Trees, in December, and got to see a lot of dear friends. We've made lots of great new friends here, and are just loving our ward! We look forward to spending Christmas and New Year's with lots of family!

2009-11-08T21:15:00.020-06:00

It’s officially autumn in Page! Yay! The weather has cooled off; our average daily high is about 70 degrees…perfect! We’re seeing beautiful fall colors, too!
We had a busy October with a family reunion at Arches, General Conference, a sleep study, a primary program, and a business trip to New Hampshire (Ryan).

Oh, and Janey spent some time behind bars in the Page Hospital for pneumonia. (she's all better now)

We had a great Halloween!

Taylor and Callie went to a fun party, and Callie created her costume for it- a beautiful pink fairy! What a cute girl!

We carved some awesome pumpkins, and had lots of fun and spooks while trick-or-treating. Janey even got a treat!
Taylor and Callie braved the scary chainsaw guys and tall monster...

What cute characters we have!

Now, the first weekend of November, Page has its big festival: the Balloon Regatta!

The night glow is the best...all of the ballooners set up on main street and give us a light show!

Well, we hope you all had a great October as well, and we look forward to the holidays just around the corner...CHRISTMAS TIME IS COMING!!!

Lots of "new!"

2009-08-31T00:44:00.006-05:00

So, we'll catch up quick...we've had a lot this week!

Taylor's birthday was Tuesday, and he had a superhero dress-up party with cousins and a friend. Being six is much bigger and better than being five! Wolverine and Spiderman (and Taylor) are the best!

Wednesday, Janey got cute new glasses! She's adorable, of course, and looks very studious!

Saturday we went to our new favorite swimming spot at the lake, and went on to explore more fun bays and beaches to play at on future outings! The kiddos had a blast in the water, and we even got them both to jump off the rocks into the "deep end" (with life jackets, of course)! We saw a few fish, lots of lizards, and Taylor discovered a crawdad! We loved playing in the waves that crashed when boats went by, and exploring underwater with a snorkel. What fun we have at the lake!

First Grade!

2009-08-15T23:03:00.005-05:00

Taylor has finished his first week of FIRST GRADE!!! We are so proud and excited for him! He got an awesome new Transformers lunch box, along with a Crayon sandwich box and thermos. He has decided that he wants the same lunch every day for school...we'll see how long that lasts! Anyway, Tay is so pumped for school! He was a little nervous at first, but after we went to meet his teacher the day before his first day, and he saw that she was his old primary teacher and that they have a cool classroom (with gerbils!), he got super excited. He kept saying: "When is it going to be nighttime? I want to go to bed so I can go to school!" He has even stayed excited all week! He tells us each afternoon the new friends he made that day. Hurray!

Congrats buddy; what a big boy!

first day--COOL DUDE

David Taylor

2009-07-07T16:25:00.005-05:00

My eldest brother died on June 26th. What a sad day! We had his funeral July 6, and that was a hard day! David was a closed person, so we didn't know him as well as we'd have liked to. We'd been out of contact with him for the last few years. He was somewhat a mystery to us when this whole thing started! However, after a week at my Dad's house looking at pictures and listening to stories and remembering memories, I feel I know him much better, and I'm grateful! My brother was a strong-willed, compassionate, dedicated person. He was a passionate learner and doer. He was a great example of character! He was (is) loved by so many! He is missed dearly, and we will be anxious to see him again!

Through this experience, my family has really been brought much closer together! We've learned a lot about love and forgiveness. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father's tender mercies! I am grateful for eternal families! Although I am terribly sad that he is gone, I am so glad that he is in a place of love and happiness!

We love you, David!

This is sooo cool!

2009-05-31T22:38:00.000-05:00

We're here!!

2009-05-12T18:05:00.005-05:00

So, we made it to Page! We officially moved here the first week of the month, right after my brother Aaron got married to Krista Luke (Taylor), whom we love! I haven't blogged because we've misplaced the cord for our camera, and can't get the pictures on my computer! (I figure blogs with pictures are much more interesting than those without.)

We're hanging out in the hotel for a couple more weeks until we close on the house, and we're slowly getting familiar with the area. There is so much involved in moving to a different state..sheesh! I still haven't gotten everything transferred, because I'm not familiar with Arizona stuff. But we are loving this little town, especially our ward. Ryan really likes his job, too. The best thing about this hotel is that its a mini habitat for small creatures: bunnies, chipmunks, lizards, birds and lots of bugs! (Outside, of course; not in!) There has been one tiny bunny hanging out by our sliding door, and we've enjoyed watching it munching on the grass and hopping around. The temperature has already creeped above 90 degrees, but then we got a major rainstorm and it cooled the area off very nicely! We also got flash flooding, which made some cool little "canyons" around town. There is so much to explore here!

Life is good in Northern Arizona!!!

Here are a few pictures from the wedding...dang, we have cute kids!

This was a good picture of us-we don't have many where both turn out looking good!

Callie, Taylor and cousin Joseph

Gramma Shell and snuugly Janey

the newlyweds!

(We're so happy for you!!!)

Visiting Daddy!!

2009-04-19T18:51:00.009-05:00

Ryan's grandpa came down to help me pack stuff, then accompanied us to Page for the weekend. Grandpa let us work on him to move down here with us. He really likes Page, and the lake and golf course help a lot! Ryan took us discovering! We had a ton of fun, and are sad to be separated again.

these are some of the "stripey rocks" we pass on the way to Page

Janey stole Grandpa's heart! Here she is "copiloting."

Glen Canyon Dam and kids on the bridge

a scenic view trail

Taylor and Callie exploring

The Colorado River

Lone Rock beach

Janey's lovin the beach life!

Happy Easter everyone!!

2009-04-12T22:10:00.008-05:00

We wanted to bear testimony that Christ is our Savior, and that He did, in fact die for us so that we can live again! We've been pretty excited to talk about the resurrection today, because we look forward to it some day! How wonderful to know that we can be together as a family forever! We watched the movie Testaments tonight, and Taylor (in reference to the story of Jesus) said "I believe it." Wow! What an awesome boy! He's an example to me!

We were so excited to have Daddy here for the weekend to spend the holiday with us. We just sent him back to Page, and we miss him already! We love you sweetheart!

I got this really cool book, A Christ Centered Easter, from Deseret Book last week. It's got lots of ideas and activities for making Easter more about Christ and the resurrection. We tried a few things, and really enjoyed it! I highly recommend the book!

This year was Janey's first "fun" Easter, so it was exciting. She (ok, the rest of us, too) munched on candy and edible grass all day, played with plastic eggs and tried hard boiled eggs. They didn't go over very well...

We have some dang cute Easter chicks and bunnies, and the proof is in the photos!

...busted, Jane!

CUTIES!!!

FOR RYAN:

Dear Dad, I hope you have a good day. I love you so much and I miss you. I want to see you soon. Love, Taylor

jh bnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnrrrrv h Love, Janey

I love you Daddy! I hope you have a good day. love you, love, Callie

Separated...

2009-04-03T15:19:00.003-05:00

Well, Ryan moved out! The kids are already missing Daddy. He has officially started his new job in Page, and I get the pleasant job of packing and cleaning all by myself! I'm so excited! No, I've got parents coming in a couple of weeks to help us out, and I have really great friends and neighbors around who'll entertain the kiddos so I can focus! I know everyone says this, but you really don't realize how much stuff you have until you have to pack it all up and move it! Anyway, the kids and I will be here until Taylor is done with this term at school. We'll be out of Cedar City the first weekend in May. Page, here we come!

Paisley is coming home!!!

2009-03-25T18:17:00.003-05:00

Our friends, Luke and Clover Dunn, had a baby 3 months early...like Janey! The baby has been in the University Hospital NICU for 3 months now, and she 's finally coming home! HURRAY!!! It's been a long road for the Dunn family, but they've been very faithful-and loving for that sweet Paisley! And what a feisty little girl she is! She started out at 1 pound 10 ounces, and is now about 5 pounds, and doing fantastic! What an amazing miracle baby! And what a blessing that little angel is to her adoring family! This is an example of those sweet tender mercies that our loving Heavenly Father bestows upon us. I want to testify that our Heavenly Father knows and loves each and every one of us! And through our trials, He blesses us immeasurably!

Congratulations Clover, Luke and Blake; you made it!

And welcome home Paisley!

LAKE POWELL!!!

2009-03-22T18:47:00.005-05:00

Ryan got an awesome new job!!! He's going to be managing a full service Marriott Courtyard in Page, Arizona! WE ARE SOOOO EXCITED!!! We went down to Page this last weekend to check out the town and start looking for a place to live. It's a nice little place- much nicer than I thought! We will be minutes from Lake Powell, and within 2 hours of 4 other national parks/monuments. The kids are excited to live by the beach, and mom and dad are just excited for "new." Now you all have even more incentive to come visit us!

Vacation!!!

2009-03-19T19:51:00.007-05:00

We've been California dreamin' for a while now, and we finally made it happen!!!

Last week we got back from our trip to San Diego! It was awesome! We LOVE the beach! We got to spend lots of time with Gramma Shell (Mel's mom), went to Seaworld and did some surfing! What a trip!

On Sunday we got to recupe from a day in the van, and we got to visit with Uncle Brett and Jonathan and Gramma Shell. We walked the Oceanside pier that night, and Taylor said "This is so cool! I can't believe we're walking on water!" Then Callie got to feel the sand in her toes for the first time!

We spent Monday and Wednesday at the beach, catching some sun, surfing, feeding and chasing birds, making friends and sandcastles, playing in the cold water, collecting seashells (including an intact sand dollar!), and totally enjoying the experience! Callie proved to be a true beach girl at heart-she loved the water, and was pretty excited to be able to surf with Dad! Ryan and I had renewed our love for the ocean, and starting thinking we'd like to live near one someday.(My Mom will be pretty thrilled at that confession!) I could sit and watch and listen all day! Even Janey got really excited when we took her down by the waves!

Tuesday we went to SeaWorld, and were thoroughly entertained! Taylor and Callie loved Shamu the best, and both said they'd like to be trainers when they grow up. The show does say anything is possible if you just believe... Anyway, we sat in the soak zone and really did get very soaked! The show was great-we'd highly recommend it! We saw all the different creatures, including turtles and sharks and rays, which we got to pet, and we saw the Clyde and Seamore sea lion show, which was a favorite of the kids.
Tuesday night Ryan took me on a date to restaurant at Oceanside Harbor. We met friends Jeff and Kristy there, and I ate fish! Thats a big step for me, because I don't like fish, but that fresh stuff was really good!

A few more highlights: we got to see Grandpa Eric, watch dolphins surf the waves with the surfers, and stay at a really awesome hotel!

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

We drove down to see the temple before we left Thursday morning, and the kids said goodbye to the ocean several times. Gramma Shell, you've won us all over! We had such an awesome time we can't wait to go back!

BEAUTIFUL!

Happy Dr Seuss Day!

2009-03-02T22:56:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Dr Seuss' birthday today, by eating green eggs and ham for dinner along with some other "different" green foods. The kids tried everything, and Taylor even said he liked the asparagus! We had fun making other crafts, too! (Including making Janey into the cat's hat.)

A really cool site to find games and stuff is www.seussville.com

Catching up...

2009-02-28T23:08:00.014-06:00

JANEY IS ONE YEAR OLD!

We celebrated her first year of life on January 28th. Of course, she had no idea what was going on, but we were sure excited for her and oh-so-proud of her!

She wasn't into eating her cake, but she loved the frozen yogurt, and she soon made a grand mess with the whole dessert!

We went to see some of her old and current doctors, and had a party just for her!

Janey, we are SO proud of you, and so glad you are part of our family!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some of you have asked for pictures and/or details about certain events, so I decided to finally catch you up! Here is a little update with a lot of pictures!

At the end of July we took the kiddos to Wingers for their combined birthday dinner. Steve, Jessika and Jenna met us there, and we had a great time! Taylor and Callie especially loved their dessert!

August was a very exciting month! Taylor started kindergarten at a charter school called Gateway Preparatory Academy. (It has the same guidelines as traditional public schools, but uses the Montessori philosophy for teaching, which is more individualized and child directed.) The first couple of days were kinda crazy, because something went wrong with the water at the school, so “classes” were held at SUU. Taylor loved it, but had a bit of a hard time adjusting to being off on his own. He now absolutely loves school, though, and is learning at an amazing rate! We’re so proud of him!

Then Tay turned five and had a Ninja Turtles birthday party-very cool! He got all of their special weapons, so he’s now a pro ninja!

We did, in fact, bless Janey back in September. It was a wonderful event- we had tons of family in town, and we enjoyed them being here! It was the first time that some of them met her, so it was great. However, Janey obviously knew it was her party, because she opted for “cry if I want to.” She got overwhelmed super quick with all of the people and commotion, and we had to let her go to sleep…so we didn’t get many cute pictures. But it’s ok, Jane!

I just had to add this pic too: we had a major downpour in July one Sunday afternoon, and we were soaked by the time we got to the van after church! So we decided to stay out and play a while! Note the river road behind us.

Finally, here's a couple of pictures from Christmas!

...And our family pictures...

THE END!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-23T22:58:00.002-06:00

2008 has been a very big year for the Sorensen family!! We started out with Melanie having a crazy delivery with Janey being born 3 months early at 1 pound, 15 ounces. (For those of you who don’t know the details, Melanie had a placental abruption, which put both mom’s and baby’s lives in danger. An emergency c-section was performed, and Janey had complications from prematurity. She had a hemorrhage in her brain, causing hydrocephalus and a need for a shunt that runs from the ventricles in her brain to her abdomen.) After a very rocky start, 4 months in the NICU, and 3 head surgeries, Janey is now almost a year old and doing great! She is a Life Flight veteran and graduate of 2 NICUs! (Dixie Regional and Primary Children’s) Despite her problems, she is almost ALWAYS happy and smiling! She is our little angel baby! She eats well, sleeps well, and is finally growing well! She weighs about 15 pounds now! Janey has a physical therapist who comes to our home twice a month to work with her, and she’s doing great with it! She is so patient, and such a good little hard worker! Janey makes new friends everywhere she goes with that sweet smile of hers!

Taylor and Callie love their baby sister! These two little big kids have grown up a lot this year! For starters, Callie is now a big sister, and a great one at that! Both are ver familiar with “Janey’s hospitals,” especially the cafeterias! They are also very good at staying in hotels! They are now accomplished explorers!
*Callie is 3 years old, and the mini mom at home. She helps entertain and feed Janey, and is very good at telling Taylor what he needs to be doing! She loves doing “school work” in her preschool workbook, and she’s learning to write her letters (she’s already a pro at her name). She loves to play with dollies and has a great imagination! She is a very talented singer and loves to dance, especially with the 12 dancing princesses! She is definitely our little princess!
*Taylor has grown like crazy this year, and he has the leg pains and flood pants to prove it! He is a big 5 year old, and started kindergarten at a charter school in August. He loves his school and his teacher. He loves to show us his lessons and school work at home and when we visit his classroom. He’s made lots of friends and is a very social little guy. He’s a jokester, and loves to play ninjas and superheroes. We are amazed at how quickly he’s learning and maturing! He shares his testimony of Jesus and gospel principles with us and we are just amazed! What a great example he is! He’s a fantastic big brother! Oh, and most recently, he got to be Joseph in a live nativity, which was very cool!

Ryan and Melanie are much older and wiser this year, as well! (Or maybe just more experienced). We’ve become more knowledgable with medical terminology, and much more grateful for medical technology!
*After Janey’s birth, we found out that Melanie has a blood disorder called Factor V (5). It is a clotting disorder that required medication for a while. It can cause lots of other health problems, so I’ll have to be much more careful with my body from now on. I’ve gotten lots of experience in decision making, and lots of opportunities to work on my goal of becoming more patient! I’ve realized that answers to prayer often don’t come the way we want. With 3 children, I’ve learned to juggle and schedule better.

I love being a mom! Connie, Ryan’s mom, once told me that I’m giving my children the best gift by staying home with them. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to do that!
*Ryan is still managing the Marriott, and enjoying his job. He’s a proud daddy, and loves to play with his children! He’s very excited now, too, because Janey is saying “da-da-da!” He’s taken up golfing, and has had some really rare, good moments! He is thrilled that winter is finally here, and that the snow is coming!

We’ve traveled a lot as a family this year! And though long car rides are boring, we’ve gotten to visit relatives a lot, and go to many fun places, including the zoo, a dinosaur museum, an awesome aquarium, and lots of parks. Tons of new experiences and many new friends have made for a very exciting year!
We’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with Melanie’s sister, Kim, since she’s been attending SUU in Cedar. She’s been invaluable with helping out, and we’ve loved having her over at our home so much! She’s a very fun aunt, and we love her so much!!
We’ve gotten to see Ryan’s brother, Steve, and his wife, Jessica, a lot, too! They live in St. George, and helped out a ton while Janey was in the hospital. It’s been nice having family so close to us this year- we love them! And Ryan’s sister, Stacie, and her family just moved to St. George as well! Maybe we’ll get the rest of the fam down here, too!

Our family has learned a lot about love this year. Even though the world revolved around our family and trials for the first half of the year, we know our comfort and support came from all of you. There is NO WAY we could have gotten through all of that without the prayers and fasting and help from all of you! We’ve learned a lot about how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and how he shows it so many different ways, and through so many people. Thank you all for your love and support- it really has been truly appreciated!
Our family has also learned patience and faith and trust and friendship this year. We’ve really learned to appreciate and love our Savior so much more for his atonement and wonderful way of succoring us. The Holy Ghost has become a very dear friend as well. We are so very grateful for the gospel and the plan of salvation! We love our Heavenly Father and are grateful for His priesthood power, and for the many miracles we’ve been blessed with! We are so grateful for temples and for our forever family!

You know, we are so grateful that the Christmas season is here! This is our favorite time of year! Despite the crazy things that are going on in the world, so many people remember to love and to serve. I think it gives us a chance to remember all of our blessings, and the abundance that we have to be grateful for! This is a great time to think about our lives, and re-prioritize. We’d like to challenge all of you to take a few minutes to really think: What are your blessings? Your talents? Count your many blessings, name them one by one! Think about how you can re-focus your life, whether it be to rededicate to God and family, or to start working on your goals again. Remember the recent counsel to simplify our lives! Put the most important things first, and let go of all the other “stuff!” Make it a priority to tell people that you love them! Smile! Serve others! Be happy!

We love you all, and are so grateful for all of you! Thank you again for all the love and support! Have a very Merry Christmas, celebrating that Jesus Christ who made it possible for all of us to have such wonderful lives!

Love,
Ryan, Melanie, Taylor, Callie and Janey

2008-12-08T14:41:00.003-06:00

Ok, ok, ok! I know we haven't updated anything for a long time, but I have a good excuse..sort of. Good excuse: we've been having problems with internet connection on our computer, so I haven't been able to blog during the day because I have children! Bad excuse: I haven't taken the time to blog elsewhere after Ryan gets home at night. Sorry! I'm now working on an extensive report with lots of pictures, so it'll be up soon!

Who are you voting for?

2008-09-17T11:32:00.002-05:00

As you all know, elections are coming up.
If you are anything like us, you've had a harder time figuring out which candidate to fully support this time 'round. Well, there is a website that you can visit to help you see who your views most allign with. There are also links to learning more about certain issues and topics so that you can become more educated. If you are interested, go to www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com. Hope this will be of some help!

Janey's blessing

2008-08-14T23:11:00.001-05:00

Yes, its finally going to happen!! Janey will be blessed in our ward on September 7. She is finally ok to go out in public, because hopefully her immune system is strong enough now! Hurray! Anyone who wants to come is welcome, of course- we would love to see you!

Birthdays Galore!

2008-08-09T18:59:00.008-05:00

July is a BUSY month for our family! We celebrated Melanie's birthday, Callie's 3rd birthday, and Janey's 1/2 birthday. Lots of parties and lots of fun! The family is doing great, and we're thrilled to report that Janey is a very happy and easy baby!!! She gets sick really easily, but she deals with is well. Taylor and Callie absolutely adore their baby sister, and love being able to hold and feed and play with her. We're getting excited for the next few weeks, because Taylor is starting kindergarten and then turning 5 years old! Where did all the time go? Whew! Its a very bittersweet time of our lives as parents! Taylor is way pumped for school; he's a big, independent boy now! We're excited for him!

Mel's birthday- who knows how old?

Callie's birthday! She is such a dancing princess,

and got plenty of dress-ups!

Janey's day! She wasn't up for tasting the treats,

but she loves that colorful balloon!

Janey's 6 month photo shoot

Callie is a sweet big sister!

Everyone kneeling for family prayer!

...and cold toes!

The Homecoming!!

2008-05-28T11:56:00.002-05:00

First, we would like to apologize for not writing more frequent updates!!

Second, Janey is home!!!!!

Now here is the story:
Janey was at the NICU in St. George where we were waiting for the head to hopefully get better. After a while it became apparent that her head was actually getting worse. It came to a point where Dr. Miner wanted to talk with us again and figure out a plan. We decided that even though we were prompted a few weeks ago not to get the surgery, that maybe now was the right time. We spent a lot of time praying. Sunday afternoon we met with the doctor. We talked for a while about spiritual promptings, and a mothers intuition. He told us that he always follows prompting from the mothers, because they can and do receive guidance for their children. He said looking bad, if we didn't follow that prompting, he is certain something would have gone drastically wrong. He told us he felt confident that now was going to be the best time for the shunt surgery. So....the following Tuesday Melanie and Janey flew back up to Primary Children's Hospital. The next day the neurosurgeons placed a shunt that runs from her brain down to her stomach, and everything went very well! Over this last weekend they began to make preparations for her to come home, not back to the NICU in St. George, but HOME!! Monday afternoon we went through the discharge process and at 5 pm we rolled out the door! We stayed the night at Melanie's parents house, then made the journey back to Cedar City on Tuesday. We can't even express how overwhelmed, overjoyed, tired, scared, happy, nervous, and relieved we are to have her home! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have prayed and offered your assistance and support during this blessed trial!

A note from Mommy...

2008-04-27T23:19:00.004-05:00

So, this is Melanie's first update!! A lot has happened in the last month! Janey has recovered really well from her surgery, and she is now up to 5 pounds, 4 ounces! She finally looks like a newborn, at 17 1/2 inches long, too!

We have been back from Primary's for almost 5 weeks now, and Janey has made tons of progress. She is up to 1.5 oz per feeding (every 3 hours), and she's even doing pretty well at breastfeeding! I have to be at the hospital a lot lately, so that I can feed Janey--scheduling is getting more and more difficult! She's also taking some bottles now as well, which means that Daddy gets to feed her sometimes, too! He absolutely loves it! It's getting much harder for us to have to leave her each time we have to go home!

Taylor and Callie are handling the situation amazingly well. They are, of course, getting extremely tired of chaos as a way of life, and they are sick of Mommy and Daddy having to leave them so much to go see their sister. Needless to say, there has been a lot more stress and contention in our household as of late! But, they love going to visit Janey every Sunday, and getting to hold her and love on her. They are cute doting siblings! They get so excited, and they sing to her and hold her hand, and give her kisses on her head. They love their baby sister! She's just so stinkin cute!

We've been able to spend a lot more time with Steve and Jessika (Ryan's brother and his wife), and that has been a lot of fun for us! The kids absolutely adore them! They live in St. George and have extended never-ending amounts of help and support, as well as their home, their culinary skills, and their babysitting expertise! They are wonderful!

The doctors were ready last week to send Janey back up to Primary's for the shunt surgery, because she just has not made much progress with her hydrocephalus (head problems). I was extremely disappointed, but we figured this is something that needs to be done. However, I could not get rid of the anxiety I felt about her going up. I kept thinking: maybe if we keep her here and keep working with her, it'll correct itself... but I've had some minor postpartum depression, and didn't know if that was the cause of the anxiety. What mother wants to send her baby off to get more brain surgery (with more throughout her life)? Anyway, I finally went to the temple last Tuesday, and had a really neat experience! After much pondering and praying to my Heavenly Father, He helped me come to a conclusion. First of all, He knows me and my situation, and is concerned about my family! He loves us very much!! Secondly, now is not the time for surgery. I feel strongly that if we make it a matter of prayer and exercise faith, that Janey's head could correct without surgery! What a wonderful opportunity for us to see God's love and power in action! If we put our trust in Him, and hand over our problems, he can comfort and guide us, and even make miracles happen!

Ryan reminded me also that when he gave Janey a blessing last week, he was prompted not to mention surgery-it confused him then, but makes sense now! Neat experiences all around, huh!?!

I want you all to know that I have a very strong testimony that my Heavenly Father is there, involved in my life, and he loves me very much! I have seen it over and over and over these past few months-what a blessing of love to me! I've come to realize that if I have faith in Him, and that He is in control, I don't need to worry about what is going to happen, because it will all work out! And He'll keep reminding me of that, as many times as I need it! I'm so grateful for my Savior's atonement-His love for me! Jesus Christ has made it possible for me and my family to be able to get through this very trying experience, and with much more gained from it than we could ever have imagined! I am extremely aware of Their love for my sweet baby girl, and what a special little girl she is! I really do stand all amazed at the tremendous love that is poured out upon me from above!

Now, back to the story...

I talked to Janey's doctor, and he agreed to give us two weeks to see if we can help Janey make some more progress, and then they'll re-evaluate her.

So, we have 2 challenges for all willing to accept them: 1- Make the extra effort to find proof of God's love for you...it ends up being a lot easier than we expect! And it makes you feel so good! 2- Please fast and pray for Janey this next Sunday that her head will be able to correct. We need your faith! And please pass on the invitation to fast to anyone you'd like-the more the merrier, and the more faith working in Janey's behalf!

Thank you for all of your love, faith, support, prayers and monetary donations!! We love you, and hope you have a very happy day!

When you believe

2008-03-25T19:44:00.002-05:00

After two weeks in Salt Lake City, Janey was Life Flighted back to St. George today! During her time at Primary Children's she had a few really rough days, but has made a lot of progress. The swelling in her head has gone down, they took her off the ventilator, and she weighs over 3 pounds! We are all very excited to have her closer to us again, especially Taylor and Callie who haven't got to see her since she has been at Primary's. Despite the many trials Janey and our family has faced, we have always had the calming assurance that she was going to be okay, and that everything would work out. During those hard days, there is a song entitled "When you believe" by Stephen Schwartz that would always bring comfort and hope. I would like to share a portion with you:
"Many nights we've prayed, with no proof anyone could hear.
In our hearts a hopeful song we barely understood.
Now we are not afraid, although we know there is much to fear.
We were moving mountains, long before we knew we could.
There can be miracles when you believe.
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill.
Who knows what miracles you can achieve,
When you BELIEVE!"

Journey to Primary Children's

2008-03-14T16:00:00.003-05:00

Despite a few setbacks, Janey has been making good progress. Last Monday Melanie and little Janey flew in a Life Flight plane up to Salt Lake City to Primary Children's Medical Center. On Wednesday neurosurgeons placed a reservoir in Janey's head to help drain the excess fluid she has around her brain. We are pleased to report that all went very well with the surgery! They are going to monitor her for a few more days, then hopefully she can go back to St. George! Taylor and Callie have been troopers during this ordeal. They have been faced with many new experiences but are handling it all really well. Thank you all again for your continued prayers in Janey's behalf, for they have been heard in the heavens and she is being blessed!

Has the day of miracles ceased?

2008-02-26T16:06:00.001-06:00

No!

January 28, 2008 is a day we will never forget. After family home evening, Melanie's placenta ruptured (she was 6 months pregnant). At first we did not know what was wrong, or if our un-born child was ok. We spoke with Dr. Sanders and he told us to get to the hospital immediately. Because of all the bleeding we thought we had lost our baby. It was a sweet surprise when at the hospital they hooked up the monitors to Mel's stomach, and sure enough our baby's heart was beating! A short while later, (because of the continuous loss of blood) Melanie and the baby's strength failed. The doctor's rushed her to an operating room where they performed an emergency C-section. After they took the baby out, they had to perform CPR on her little body for about 25 minutes, before she started breathing on her own. Thanks to the skilled hands of our doctors and nurses, a priesthood blessing, and the divine hand of Providence, Melanie and our baby's lives were spared! So, I proudly introduce Janey Rae Sorensen as the third child in the Sorensen family!

Our challenges did not end that night. Janey weighed one pound and 15 ounces, and the Life Flight team took her down to St. George to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. A couple days later we learned that she had a stage 4 (the most severe) bleed in the right side of her brain. The doctors said that if the bleed gets any worse, we would need to start preparing for the worst. The next few days were long days of prayer and fasting. The following week we received the latest ultrasound results back, telling us the bleeding had stopped!!!!! Truly, we witnessed another miracle! Janey has had various other illnesses and infections. She is still in critical condition, but the whisperings of the Spirit have testified to my wife and I that she is going to make it.

We want to thank all of you who have fasted and prayed in her behalf. We very humbly ask that you will continue to pray for our little Janey. We want to bear you all the witness, that there is power in the priesthood. We have seen the impossible become possible. Our Heavenly Father has blessed our family beyond which I can express gratitude. God lives, and guides the affairs of our lives! Thank you again for your continued prayers in Janey's behalf!

Has the day of miracles ceased? NO!