THE FALL IS COMING!

My favorite time of year is the fall. It is already starting to happen in Provo and here in St. George it feels like it takes FOREVER for fall to be here!! I love the trees changing and the cool weather, not too cold - not too hot! Hoodies and cute lu lu lemon pants are my staple fall outfit. I know it has been a long time, geez my last post was in January, I have got to do this at least once a month because it feels like time flies by and SO MUCH happens, next thing you know it's been over half a year since I have written. SO, I know there are not a lot of people that read about our little family, but for those that do....here goes the last 8 months......

Well all my boys had birthdays........Shad turned 32 in February, Taren turned 3 in April and Taegyn turned 5 in August! I have included birthday pictures! Buzz, Transformers and Shad's cake! We decided not to start Taegyn in kindergarten because he JUST turned 5 August 2nd and it felt so soon. Waiting a year will help his body and mind mature and be ready for school. For anyone that has boys there is a neat book out called BOYS ADRIFT and it has some amazing points about boys and how they learn to grow up hating school and some things to do about it and help boys love to learn. I love it and a lot of what I read in this book was part of my decision to wait for Tae next year to go to school. We found a kindergarten called Dixie Sun that teaches classes in Spanish 1-2 times a week, which would be so cool for our boys to learn Spanish. ;)

Both the boys are BUSY BUSY BUSY! I think boys are tough on the front end but way less drama (I hope) through the teenage years, so yes I am tired now, but eventually I think they will mellow out! ;) They run run run wherever we go. They love swimming, playing at parks, having Harry Potter read to them (they love reading books) and Taren has to be doing whatever Taegyn is doing. We got both of the boys transformers bikes (of course) Tae has optimus prime and Taren has bumble bee. Our friend told us to take of the training wheels and pedals to teach them balance and scoot around with their legs and when they are ready put the pedals back on and teach them to ride around. They LOVE LOVE LOVE their bikes and many an evening is spent riding around the block with them. Geez they grow up so fast, Taegyn is already moving into his boy face and not toddler baby face anymore.

Football season is here so of course Shad is a happy man, but I don't think his Cardinals are going to be that good this year ;( He is staying busy and getting ready to hunt in the fall. He drew a once in a lifetime Bull Elk tag and is very excited to do this hunt with his brother Shaylor (I am so glad he is going with him) They will have a lot of fun together.

Work is going well! I love being a part of the clinical department and have enjoyed working with the adolescent boys. I think they are one of my favorite age groups to work with. I am applying for grad school at the university of Phoenix and plan on starting in Febuary. I still want to do the APRN degree but while I am here in St. George it makes sense to get a therapy degree so I can do what I want to be doing in the field and get my APRN degree after I am done getting this one. This way I can still work, work in the field I want to be in, and have a degree.

Anyway that is us!! I could not get Taegyn's birthday and bike pictures....I will post them later!

Well here we are and its SPRING!!

OK OK OK.....my friend Ryan told me I needed to update my blog! So thank you Ryan for the nudge because it is....way behind!! It has been about 4 months...we made it throught the holidays with a lot of family and friend time...which is always a wonderful thing!! I had a birthday and turned 32 (WOW) and feeling better instead of older...I know right...might sound wierd but it is true, I feel like the thirties are going to house some of my best years...I may say that when I am in my forties too, but for now I feel like everything about me and my life is only getting better as I get older! Shad had a birthday as well and is 32 as well....I can't say if he thinks his thirties were better than his twenties but I would guess that 2 little boys in his life make it so...he can't get enough out of being a daddy to those two! And they are very much daddy's boys.....unless they are hurt (then they come to me, because nothing fixes boo boos like a mommy's kiss) they want to do everything with their daddy...its cute! Now we are on the horizon of Taren turning 3! It has gone by soooo fast. Our little one is not so little any more and him and his brother do EVERTHING together. If I am ever with one of my boys without the other they always ask why and where is there brother. They are the best of friends, and of course they have days where they don't get a long and I hope they stay close their whole lives....

Shad and I had planned on having what we think would be our last baby (unless it was twins cause I don't think I could be pregnant 4 times) by the time Taren turned 3 and here it is around the corner! I have to be honest I go back and forth, my boys are SO busy and working full time sometimes I am so tired....AND there is a feeling that lingers and lingers so I feel there is another one....We may officially try in JUNE but we will see.....if not this year then next year and I think that will be it for us and kiddos!

Overall life is busy, fun and full of blessings. We have many loved ones in our lives who fill our hearts with JOY! Hopefully we can enjoy springtime here in St. George before it gets too hot and I will be posting pictures soon of Taren and his BIG 3 lamb roast for his birthday!

Life goes on.....

well its been awhile! I have decided that when you have little ones it is hard to find time for things like writing blogs...that being said I think it is still important for me to do even if its once a month, its like a journal of our family as we evolve and develop. I certainly want that in the years to come. So what is life like for the Sorensen's these days...well I am loving my new job as a therapist assistant. I am in the midst of figuring out my long term school plan. I adjusted it a bit and am going a non-conventional route to become a therapist. I will have to go back to school and get a bachelor's degree in nursing (I am currently working on the pre-reqs for nursing school) Then get my Masters degree as an APRN and become psychiatric nurse practioner. It is the degree that can expand my scope of practice and I can still do couseling. I think I have just resolved myself to be in school for the next few years. I figure if I get my master's degree and my Ph.D. by the time I am 38 I will be thrilled. I am in for the long haul for sure.

Shad is doing well and about to go hunting for a cow elk. I hope he gets one this year because then our freezer is full of healthy, organic elk meet for over a year.

My boys are growing up fast and there is talk about adding another one to our clan by the time Taren turns 3. I considered it now, but I don't want to go through my last trimester in the ridiculous heat of St. George, SO we are waiting, but probley next year for sure. Taegyn goes to a kindergarten class one or two times a week at his day care and is doing well in the class. Taren gets to do pre-school while Taegyn is upstairs in his class. Its a great day care and we love it.

This year for Halloween they were sharks and loved the costumes. Shad and I went to San Diego because we have an awesome friend named Jessica Washburn who made it all happen and it was like a second honeymoon. Great times. So my kids got to hang with my most amazing parents and got to go trick-or-treating with Grandpa Pool. Needless to say they had a blast.

Life is good, we can't complain. Sometimes we wonder how we are so blessed (Thanks mom and dad, it must be your blessing spilling over! ;)

Nostalgia

Well I was updating my blog and changing things around and found a picture I LOVE, this is one of my favorite days in the whole world, riding this amazing horse was SO MUCH FUN! This is an FPS registered Fresian horse, worth around $150,000 to $250,000. They are amazing big gentle animals. This was one of my bridal pictures! Such an amazing time and day to remember. I wanted to share....as well as some wedding photos...would love to see all of your special day and a wedding pic or two if you can find them!!!

PERU and more

Ok seriously I want to write on this more often. Really not since JUNE! Geez...well of course so much has happened in a little over 2 months. Let me start with I GOT A NEW JOB! Pretty much the one I have wanted for a long time. I get to work with the clinical department at Entrada where I have been working for a long time and be Matt's therapy assistant. I LOVE IT! It is so amazing to be doing the work I LOVE. I don't get tired ever of doing therapy in the field...ok I do if there are over 10 kids...but I still smile when I think about my job and my life. OK....THEN I went to PERU for 2 weeks with travel days added onto that, so was gone for 17 days total. It was SO neat to be part of another culture and cultivated in me the desire to become fluent in spanish. I want to return and travel some more and would like to be able to hold my own with the language. Next time I want to bring Shad, he would have loved being there. Everything I did I thought....Shad would love this, Shad would love that....so definently bringing him to south america sometime. We stayed with a family who also has a healing center. We ate so healthy and clean and just overall had an amazing time. I went with my best buddy Jessica who is phenomenal to travel with and we laughed so hard sometimes I started crying. We created lots of fun memories, made some great relationships and had an experience of a lifetime. The boys are busy and growing. Taren is going through the terrible two phase. Hopefully that ends soon! The picture is there latest sleeping arrangement. Once we leave the room Tae goes down and sleeps with Taren, so cute I had to sneak snap this picture. Hopefully I update this more often!

Whoa its been too long!!!

Hello....I have taken way to long to update this blog...and its funny...it does not have to take that long and I have just not made the time for it....so I am going to try and do it at least 2 times a month. ok so update since febuary.....well I made it through another winter in the field and boy am I glad all the snow is GONE!! I sure hope that is my last winter ever doing 8 days in a row in the field.....we got so much snow in the field this year again!! Wish I had taken some pictures around the fire pit, the snow was so ridiculous...it would take 2-3 hours to set up camp and get enough wood to burn, and then you spend the rest of the day drying all the wood by the fire.....whew...glad that is over. So whats going on with the rest of the time? Well I am still trying to figure out grad school and I think I have finally settled on getting an Psychiatric Nurse Practioner degree.....which means...I have to get ANOTHER bachelor's degree and become a nurse, then go to grad school to get the APRN degree....BUT once I get it I will be able to have my own prescriptive practice, and after that I will go for a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. and be able to do everything in the practice I eventually want to which is med management, testing and counseling....pretty awesome, and I am in the long haul with school. So that is me and school. Hoping to be able to work at Second Nature Entrada while doing some of this schooling stuff, but not be in the field for 8 days in a row...since school is impossible to do with that schedule. The boys...they are BUSY!! and I love the age they are at!! Tae asks so many funny questions and of course Taren has to do everything he does...if Tae is eating at the table, Taren has to as well, no high chair for him! They love playing in the dirt, in the water and climb all sorts of things. I am glad our family loves doing things in nature because those boys LOVE to be outside!! We love our lives and feel blessed and hopefully some cool changes are coming up ahead here!!

Dang its been awhile, I have been a slacker!!

Ok I admit it, I have been a huge blogger slacker!! So my last post was in december and here we are approaching the end of Febuary. Not a ton has happened....ok well some significant changes may be happening soon, but I can't talk about those yet...so I will talk about the boys....growing up fast! Taren is talking a lot these days, he is saying full sentences and can pretty much tell me whatever he needs and have little conversations...how about he weighs 29 lbs and Tae weighs 31 ;) One day I think he is going to beat up on his older brother, it is like my brother Spencer against Shad....they got this big plastic container from our friend Lisa and they call it their bazooka....but Taren says Gakooka...its so cute! Tae has become a puzzle master, he loves doing them and he does 50 peice ones....Taren has to do everything Tae is doing and it is fun to watch them play and tackle each other around the house. We went to the park the other day and I was sitting under a tree watching them, Tae is not shy at all, he ran right up to the dad that was there with his daughters and said....Man, look at my shoes....Man chase me.....it was hilarious, he says really funny things. He tells me when I get back from work he missed me and gives me huge hugs!! I can't believe that Taren will be 2 soon!! So I am still in the field working, and the winter has been brutal, tons of snow...but hopefully its a shorter one and spring comes quickly. Shad is still doing back up and we are content for now. We both had our birthdays and turned 31....It feels like I am not getting any older...maybe that will change after 35...for now I feel super young still!! Well that is it for now. Valentines day was fun, I got Shad a massage and bio shock, an x box game, super weird one by the way....and I got a new braclet!! Life is great for us all!

You are a different girl........

So Taegyn is growing up so fast and learning all about the world and saying the funniest things....for example....mom I don't want to pee like girls anymore, I want to pee like daddy now.....and today I had my hair in a basic bun.....about an hour later I had put this hair scruchy in that looks like real hair around my bun, it was all curly and I added some earrings....and Tae looked at me and said you are a different girl now....;) So I see small accessories do matter then....he tells me things are wierd, he says no thank you when he does not want something...he loves it when we lay by him when he goes to bed and he makes sure Taren stays in line...he lets me know if he is mad at me...the funny things just keep rolling in, it is great! One another note, Shad is starting school in January, he is going to start getting through his generals, he is going to do it while working, so is going to start with 2 classes, I am so excited for him. He killed a buffalo and we are now waiting to pick up the meat...our portion should last us a year or so. ;) I am still in the field and moving into the heart of winter when it snows all the time...not my favorite, but I will make it through. We had a wonderful thanksgiving, Shad had to work so spent the day with Matt's family so I am glad he had someone to spend quality time with while we stayed with my parents and had a wonderful day and then family reunion on my moms side! it was great! I got Tae a new bed, it is a bunk bed that should last the boys a long time. ;) I am working during christmas....so MY official christmas this year is the 28th of December, and we will be hanging out in St. George for it. That is life for now...

My favorite

So this is one of my favorite pictures of Taegyn when he was around 18 months....and now Taren is in the same costume.....so different yet similar!! I have had so much fun with these two cuties!! Last night we went trunk-or-treating with Cami and her boys, and they had a blast playing some games and going around the parking lot getting candy, I swear that for every 2 or 3 pieces that went into their bags...they ate one, came home pretty wired...we also ate chili that was soo good, but my body did not like it, so after we left my belly started hurting....we took the boys around the neighborhood and by the time I got home I told Shad he would have to put the boys to bed....I felt nausous....and sure enough spent the rest of the night throwing up and feeling like crap, today I feel better...but it sure does suck to throw up! I think it was the chili...but then I fed my boys that chili too and they were fine...so who know what it was....Anyway an update on our lives....

So I have gone back into the field for 8 days on and 6 days off, the economy has finally caught up with Second Nature Entrada and they just didn't have the room for my mentoring job, at first I was sad, and thought the field would be hard, but so far it has been great, I mean, we spend less on daycare and when the boys are not with me they are with Shad, the one I see the less right now is Shad and we are finding creative ways to stay connected and close. I am hoping to start grad school next year and be able to work at least part time at second nature entrada...

Shad has gone hunting twice now, he went to Wyoming for an elk tag, did not get one but had a great time with Uncle Jim and Kang, and will most likely go again next year, probley later so that the animals will have moved down and they have a better chance.....the second time Shad went hunting, he had a spike elk tag, a young male, he got one, however failed to have his tag or his hunting license with him, and he didn't have the head to prove it was a young male....he got pulled over by the game warden and because of all those things they took his meat....it ended up better than it could have gone, the game warden said he could get ticketed for poaching....which is a felony....in the end they gave him a no tag ticket and I think a failure to prove the sex of the animal (even though they did DNA testing and found out it was a young male), Shad figures out what that is going to cost Monday...but anything is better than getting in trouble for poaching.....so hopefully he learned how to be a better hunter. He has one more hunt this year this month for a cow elk, we'll see if he get one...if not we are either going to get a buffalo from this guy Shad knows....(of course split it with some people because its going to cost around $1200) and or buy a half a cow from Redmond farm where they raise grass fed beef...so either way we will fill up our freezer....I was sad for Shad to have worked so hard to have the meat taken away.....oh well, next time he will have everything he neeeds....

The boys are growing up fast, Tae is getting taller...I am not sure how as he is a very picky eater...and Taren is really coming out with his personality. Tae will walk up to me and tell me I am his best friend, it is so cute and Taren is saying more words and starting to really understand everything I say to him. They have constant little colds right now I just wish they would get over....Tae still loves spiderman and batman, and recently loves to watch Yo Gabba Gabba, and Wonder pets....Life is good for us what can I say, we are excited about the holidays and (except for snow in the field).....

Happy Halloween from the Sorensen's

Here I they are......tiger and lion for Halloween.....

Mommy your my best friend

So that is what my big man is saying these days.....he will come up to me, hug me, kiss me and tell me we are best friends....he asks for hugs and kisses when he is sad and always lets me kiss away the ouchies!! He loves for me to tell him stories and even after I read him just one more, he asks for just one more again....he loves batman and spiderman and can sing the transformers song and really has take to doing puzzles.....he is growing up fast and I am savoring this time, because I know he won't always ask for hugs and kisses like he does now.....;)

Here is a Halloween preview.....Lion's and Tigers and Bears oh my!!! (Shad is a bear, we all know it....he's just not in the picture....;))

Look at this old school picture!

How cool is this old school picture from Shad on his mission....he is giving a kiss to a fellow companion! So Shad! ;)

New PIcs....fun times...

Here are some pics to enjoy!

Time never stops moving......Tae turns 3

Well the 4th of July has come and gone, we had a great time with Shad's sister and mom, we swam, watched movies and ate good food....:) and now its already August and Taegyn has turned 3! I can't believe at times how fast my life is going by, and how quickly my babies are growing up....We had a big party for Taegyn for his 3rd birthday, it was a lamb roast, Shad picked up the live lamb and then dressed it down, slow cooked it all day long and we ate it by 8pm sunday night....we had a lot of people from work come and other friends and family it was great! Roberto and Matt were celebrated as well, we made it the party for the Leos! and we ate a lamb...very fitting, anyway I can't believe he's 3. He is so big and saying so much more and doing so much more...and he's his brothers protector its so cute! I will post more about it later and wanted to share these now....;)

PRAYERS NEEDED

Baby Deyton passed away peacefully sunday morning at 11:10 am please keep Derek and Krystal in your prayers, even if you don't know them, let's send out prayers to all those who are in need of comfort for lost loved ones. His parents are glad that Deyton is reuinted with Heavenly Father.....The gospel is such a blessing.


anyone who knows me please pray for this little guy, he is our cousins baby and they have some tough decisions to make, his story is on this link http://babydeyton.blogspot.com/, he has a rare heart condition...he is new to this world and needs lots of support and love to stay...even though some of you may not know him....send some love and prayers his way, we all have a lot to share!

Ok Seriously its been awhile......time for an update

So its almost been two months it feels like since an update....so much has happened!
First off....I did not get into grad school this fall, there were only 10 spots and lots of applicants for the distance program....so I have committed to doing whatever I need to, to get into school by next fall, at first I was REALLY sad...and it has turned into a blessing as most things do....I get the opportunity to work some more and get completely out of debt while taking the next year to bolster up my credentials for other grad school opportunities....so in the other news...we went to Wyoming for memorial day and had so much fun...we rode horses as much as possible and even did it in the rain....since then we have had lots of time with family...Spencer had his brithday and then Kp did as well, so we got to see a lot of everyone and when Shad went to Laconia for his motorcycle trip...the boys got to spend 4 days with Grandma K and Grandpa Pool while I went into the field...so its been a great June, it has been cooler than usual and I am so grateful for that, it really has just started getting really hot in the field...and that usually happens earlier...we are just going to keep it mellow for most of July...Taegyn is growing up so fast and says things like, I want to do it myself ok mommy...you understand? yeah where the heck did he learn that! and Taren is full on walking about 80% of the time now...and trying out more words and of course wants to be doing whatever Tae is doing....I am so grateful for my life, we really are so blessed. :) Enjoy the new pics....Shad got his deer hide back...and it was for Tae's room since it is one of his totems....and we usually keep it on the floor but one night he decided he wanted it to be his new blanky...and he sleeps with it almost every night now...I love that he loves it!

Jason Mraz.....and other fun things

Lots has happened! I went to California at the first of this month to watch Spencer graduate from film school! Go Spencer! Yeah for living personal legends...the boys got to go to the beach for the first time! :) and well, Shad and I went to a concert in Vegas....Jason Mraz was playing, I was originally going to go with Dem and that didn't work out, so Shad went with me...we left the kids with my dad, headed up early....(got to vegas at 10pm...) I mean early since the concert didn't start until midnight vegas time so 10 pm was early ha ha....people that is 1 am the time I am used to....anyway we got to vegas and watched a movie (X-Men Origins..Wolverine) and then proceeded to go to the show, James Morrison opened for Jason and then he took the stage and it was a great show, he has some GREAT songs...and Colby the one who sings lucky on his CD showed up and sang with him it was cool! I am glad we went and we liked the smaller seating and venue place, the Palms only holds 2600 people, so no matter where you sit you can see whats going on! And we had some pretty great seats. Anyhoo....Shad wanted to drive home, put a few energy drinks down and got us home about 6:20 am....I am so tired, I slept in till NOON!....and it was fun to go with Shad. I am sending my official transcripts to the U of U tomorrow, I got my Bachelors degree posted on my USU transcripts so I think that is the final piece to finding out if I got accepted to go to grad school this fall. So....if I don't hear in the next week or 2 I am going to make a few calls to find out :) I think either way I would get a letter....but now I am not so sure...anyway Taren is getting a mouth full of teeth and blossoming with personality, he is almost walking...and so much fun and an easy laugher, Tae likes playing with his buddies and is at such a fun age to do about almost anything...he also is pushing a lot as well....I guess thats 2 year olds. We are mosing along through the summer and hope to do some fun things this summer. We are remodeling the bathroom upstairs and the whole upstairs should be completely done in the next month, then on to plan the living room, kitchen and outside....those are really big projects...as always life is good...enjoy the pics...I was having fun with the camera! Oh and my dad is coming into the field with me for 5 days to an adolescent girls group...should be lots of fun...more later!