Bob's Pumpkins

This one's for you Bob! Steve went and got the pumpkins from your garden and they sure brought us a lot of attention! Everyone who came to our house commented on the size of your pumpkins! Especially the gianormous one! Many a person told us it was the biggest pumpkin they had ever seen! In the picture below, you can see how big your pumpkins were! The one on the left is from your garden and the other one was one of the biggest ones we could find when I took my preschoolers to the pumpkin patch. The one below isn't even half of the size of the picture on the right!

We had a really fun time cleaning them out! Coralee had her friend Brynn over and she helped us out. Coralee and Landon did not care much for the sliminess of the pumpkins, but little Brynn did not mind at all! It was quite a sight watching her dive right in and scoop out the seeds! Especially when the pumpkin was about as big as her! We had a good time. Stephen did the creative carving! I think he did such a good job. Our pumpkins looked great Halloween night and they still do! The big one also served as my backdrop for my preschool pictures. The pictures turned out really well. Thanks for the monster pumpkins!

So, here are the girls cleaning out the big one. I thought you might want to see how thick the walls of the pumpkin were! It took me awhile to get the top off! Then, Coralee wanted to show you the top! Can you believe how big it is?!

Happy Halloween

We had another great Halloween. I had a hard time getting into it this year. I think it was just one more thing that I had to do and so it was hard to motivate myself, but we pulled it off even though we didn't have decorations. Much to Coralee's disgust. She really wanted to get our stuff out, but it just didn't happen. Sorry Cor.

Coralee was a Barbie Bride; Landon was Spiderman; Braylon was a cow; I dressed up as a cow and a basketball player for my preschool classes; and Stephen dressed up as a pregnant account manager. He likes to dress up like people from work. He looked great though! He really can pull off anything can't he?!
Like every Halloween, we got the most out of our costumes. We had plenty of opportunities to strut our stuff. First, we had our community Halloween party at our park that my friend Kim does every year. She amazes me. Coralee was unable to attend as she had practice for the primary program, but Landon and Braylon had fun trick or treating.
Next, we invited our friends Jessica, Alana, and Brigg to our ward's trunk-or-treat. They live down the street from us and our kids are the same age which is lots of fun. The kids loved going from trunk to trunk to get candy. However, Landon was very nervous about the "fire". Several people had dry ice going and Landon thought it was smoke. We couldn't go to those trunks! I got to walk the kids around while Stephen passed out the candy. Good times.

Third, we got to wear our costumes to my 3-4-year-old preschool class party. We had a good time making crafts, eating, and trick or treating in the basement. After the party we loaded up in the mini van and headed off to Steve's office to show off. The kids always get lots of candy from all his co-workers. They are great. We got to crash his office potluck and see everyone's costumes. Fun, fun.

Fourth, we lived it up Halloween night! We had our friends (the ones mentioned above) and Brother Dave over for Chili and then we headed out. The weather was much nicer this year and we didn't have to go home due to frost bite. Gotta love that. We walked up and down our street and the kids did so good. There were a couple of scary houses that we couldn't go to, but other than that they do not seem too tramatized. We were worried about Landon. He kept falling behind because he was so busy taking everything in. He would stare at each person as they walked by and then we would look very closely at every house for "scary things". One boy's costume really scared him and we had to skip a few houses to get ahead of him. Halloween is such a disturbing holiday for the wee ones. I really don't get it.
Finally, one last hooray as we got to dress up for my 4-5-year-old preschool class. This party was a little more chaotic than the first, but we lived through it and I think all of the kids had a good time. I was happy when it was all over! That is our 2007 Halloween in a nutshell. Hope you all had as much fun and excitement as we did.

World Series

Well, our beloved Rocks did not do as well as we would have liked, but we sure are happy that they made it to the World Series! Especially since Steve and I got to go to game three here at Coors Field! It was AMAZING!

First things first, I am sure that anyone who reads will be asking the question, "How did you get tickets?" At least that is what we get from everyone here when we tell them that we went. This genius, at least he is in this situation, that Steve works with got into the back up URL for ticket sales to the games here in town. Lots of people from Steve's office bought tickets since they were the only ones fighting for tickets in the backup URL. Steve and his buddy Cliff bought four tickets and then Cliff sold his two on E-Bay because he was going to be out of town and the sale paid for Steve and I's tickets along with putting some extra cash in Cliff's pocket! It was unbelievable! We went to the World Series for FREE!Stephen called me laughing and said, "You will never guess what just happened!" My first thoughts were that he either got fired or he had some monster sale and was able to buy his company. What he told me was even better. For those of you who may not know, getting tickets to the World Series is next to impossible. With people all over the country bidding at the same time, it is so hard. They did not do local ticket sales, so the only way to buy was online and so it was a nightmare. First, tickets went on sale on Monday until the system crashed and then they went back on sale on Tuesday. So many people made it all the way through the process and then once they submitted their information, it would say that the system failed. So many people we know tried to get tickets and came out short! I told Steve we must be livin' right to have gotten the opportunity to go.
So, about the game! It was AMAZING! It was so cool to see the stadium filled to capacity. We had gone to a game ealier in the season and the place was empty. It was really sad, especially for Steve because the stadium was always packed when Denver first go the Rockies. So, it was de ja vu for Steve and surreal for me. We walked around the stadium, becuase we got there like two hours before the game started, to take it all in. When we were almost back in our seats we got caught in a cattle drive. At least that is what it felt like. We got trapped in a mob of people and we did not move for like five minutes! It was so crazy. The place was insane. It was so cool to experience it though, even if it was a little claustrophobic (How do you spell that!). We caught the end of batting practice which was fun for me because I had never seen batting practice before. And then we were able to sit back and watch as the stadium filled up. It was awesome.

My favorite part, well one of my favorite parts, was the beginning when they announced the starters and then Carrie Underwood sang the national anthem. This was not only one of my favorite parts because I love Carrie Underwood, but because it almost made me cry. The huge flag, fireworks going off during the rockets red glare, the whole stadium singing so loud that it almost drowned Carrie out, and just the feeling that a game could take patriotism to a whole knew level for me is something that I cannot even put into words. No wonder they say that baseball is America's favorite passtime. In that moment, I felt the validity of that statement. It was a moment that I will never forget.

My second favorite part happened in the sixth and seventh innings, when we finally put some runs up on the board. The highlight of the night was when Matt Holliday got up in the seventh inning and on the first pitch, from a brand new pitcher, hit a three run homer! The place went nuts! I don't think I have ever yelled so loud in my life. Everyone was jumping up and down, fives were being given to everyone standing around you, and the stands were filled with the waving of white towels. (At every entrance to the stadium, they passed out towels with World Series printed on them.) It was a sight to see.

The night was truly amazing, even if we did end up losing. Steve and I got to be together (My most favorite thing about the World Series!) and enjoy and great baseball game in an amazing atomosphere. It's funny how a simple game can unite so many people. It was incredible to see the whole city going crazy over our Rockies making it the World Series. It truly gave everyone a boost and made for a great Rocktober! I never quite understood how people got so fanatical over a game, but now that I'm living in Denver, I am beginning to understand. The road to the World Series gave everyone high hopes, made people believe that miracles do happen, and made everyone realize that when things looks as though they are impossible, if you work hard enough and you work together you can achieve the impossible. What a season! Thank you Rockies!

Braylon

Braylon is growing and changing so fast! I cannot remember if the other two grew so fast. It seems like they stayed smaller longer. I guess life life is speeding up, or maybe it is us! Nonetheless, he is growing way too fast! He is beginning the teething process all over again. We thought we might have a break after he got is top two, but it looks like it is going to be a never ending process! He is grumpy and snotty again! Poor little dear. But, he is also so much fun and so cute!! Just wanted to send a couple of pictures that we took this week and give you all a little update on him.

Here are a few of the things he loves at the moment:

• Shaking his head no



• Laughing at his brother and sister



• Clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth



• Licking his lips


• Playing with the circular caps that cover the screw on the toilets and putting them into his mouth! Ooh I greatly dislike that one!



• Pulling himself up on things.



• Giving his mom a heartattach by trying to get to the stairs when the gate isn't up.



• His bottle



• Table food



• Avocados (Thanks Loni! I never thought to feed my babies avocados!)



• Paper (Him and Landon both love to eat it!)



• Baths



• The video camera



• Mommy (He is quite the mama's boy!)

Pancake Breakfasts

It is tradition in our house, every weekend, that Stephen prepares pancakes and bacon either Saturday or Sunday. This is something that we all look forward to all week long because we know that Dad will make lots of extras for us to eat throughout the week.

Coralee and Landon love to pull chairs over to the island and help their Daddy make the pancakes. They are very good "dumpers" as we like to call them. They are also pretty mean wiskers! They love to help stir the batter and make it smooth. Sometimes, they like to be a little too helpful if you know what we mean! Braylon, loves to watch. We've tried to get him more involved but he just knocks things over and spills. But, we are sure that his observation will someday benefit our family as he is sure to be a pretty mean pancake maker!

Here are each of the kids last Sunday during our pancake breakfast! Their favorite part, besides helping, of pancake making is their dad's embelishments. Crowd pleasers in our house include chocolate chips and sprinkles. Steve is quite the pancake maker! The best part of this tradition is that we get to spend time together as a family cooking in the kitchen. It is the best way to start our day and it is one of the best parts of each weekend!

We love soccer!

Coralee had her final soccer game last Saturday. It was a great game to end on. The team we played was pretty equal to us in talent. Most of their kids were playing for their first time just like mine, so it was an equal playing field. We scored quite a few goals and so did they so it made for a fun game. The best part was that two of my kids scored for the first time and every kid on the team scored at least one goal throughout the season. It was a great high note to the season.

Although Coralee did not score a goal in the last game, she had scored two goals throughout the season. She was really aggressive and it surprised us. She really got in there and battled to get the ball, it was so fun to watch. She came so close to scoring on Saturday. She had dribble down the field, but just couldn't get the ball in. It was very exciting. I am such a proud coach/mother. The only discouraging part to being coach/mother is when Coralee really didn't want to be in the game or she complained non-stop about how tired she was when she hadn't done anything yet. She always said her legs were tired and that she needed a rest. I guess that is part of being four! She was so fun to watch and I was happy that she was always excited for her games and that she even played for that matter. That is more than I can say I did when I was her age. She is a little stud!

Here are Coralee's favorites about the season:

1. "I like playing soccer."



2. " I like when I score goals."



3. "I like the end cause I get snack."



4. "I like my Daddy cheering for me when I play soccer."



5. "I like playing with my teammates so I am not playing alone."
   


6. "I like when I kick the ball away from the other team, so I can score a goal."



7. "Soccer is my favorite sport."

Here are my favorites about the season:

1. I love that the kids are too young to know who won or lost.


2. I love that the kids play just to have fun.


3. I love that it is non-competitive.


4. I had great players and great parents.


5. Every kid scored a goal.


6. Parents commented on how much fun their kids were having.


7. I got to run around and play like I was four.


8. Coralee told me that I was her best coach.


9. My daughter had a smile on her face each game and had a good time.


10. We got to be together as a family. Steve, Landon, and Braylon were the best cheerleaders!

Well, that sums up soccer. We had a great experience, a great season, great players, great parents, great fans, and a great time!

GO BULLS!

I finally did it!

Hello All,

Today is a major milestone in my life! I have finally set up a blog and I am hoping that it will motivate me to take pictures of my kids and keep you all posted on what is happening in our lives. I apologize (mom, dad, Bob, and Renae, bros, and sis's) for my slackerness! I know you are all dying to see pictures of the kids and I have just not kept up very well. I think this is a major turning point for me! Hee, hee.

Well, we are all doing much better. Steve and Landon are recovering from strep and Coralee, Braylon, and I are keeping our fingers crossed that we do not get it. The stomach flu has already passed through all of us and we do not need any more sicknesses! We are all feeling well thus far.

Steve is busy teaching seminary in the mornings, working, taking care of our yard (he does such a nice job), trying not to think about his parents being gone on a mission to Africa, cheering on the Rockies, and trying to keep up with me and the kids and all of the stuff that I keep getting us into! Steve loves teaching the youth every morning and we have seen so many blessings come into our lives due to his service. We have all been so excited about our Rockies. I am finally beginning to understand why people are so passionate about professional sports. It is so exciting to have a home town team go to the playoffs and even more exciting to make it to the championship. You all better be cheering the Rockies on during the World Series!

I am busy teaching preschool Monday thru Thursday mornings, coaching Coralee's soccer team, working as the Young Women's laurel advisor, helping with the young women volleyball team, doing Body Shop At Home shows, and trying to keep up with three kids! Now you see why I said that Steve is busy trting to keep up with me!! Yikes!

Coralee has her last soccer game on Saturday. She did not want to play soccer at first, but is really enjoying it. She is much more aggressive than Steve and I thought she would be. She has even scored two goals. She was so proud! She is going to preschool, here at our house, four days a week, taking dance lessons from her Aunt Karla, and singing in the Sounds of Joy Choir which she absolutely loves. She has her Nana's and great grandma Sorensen's love of music. We couldn't be more grateful! She is lovin life and is a busy little bee.

Landon is waiting to be old enough to be able to participate in sports like his sister. He has a love and passion for baseball (Go Rockies!! Hopefully we will be World Series champs!), football (Go Broncos!! Even though they STINK this year!), basketball (Go Nuggets!! This is their year!), and now soccer thanks to his sister. He always has his Rockies hat on, his glove on his hand with a ball in it, and a bat in his other hand. He loves baseball. He is his daddy's best bud. He walked into our room the other night and said, "Dad, I wanna lay down and watch football!" That had to have been heaven on earth for Steve! He is going to preschool four days a week as well, which is a little hard on him, but he is getting used to it. He is actually learning so much and we are so proud of him.

Braylon is mobile and all over the place! He has been the best baby, but I can tell already that he is going to be a little terror! He loves getting into everything and the word no is the green light for him to go as fast and ferociously as he can! He gives me a little smile when I tell him no and then gives it his best effort to do whatever I am asking him not to do. He is going to be so much fun. I am not going to be able to take my eyes off of him! He is crawlin all over the place and pulling himself up on everything. He may be our earliest walker. He is getting his top teeth and Steve always teases that he is going to have a huge gap! They are so cute! He is staying busy trying to keep up with his big sis and bro. He wants so desperately to do what they are doing. It is pretty funny to watch!

Coralee and Landon got glasses about a month ago and are doing really well adjusting to them. I am finally sending some pictures (Again sorry mom, dad, bros, and sis's! I am a slacker.) of them after one of Cora's soccer games. We have to patch Landon's left eye to strengthen his right. He and Cora are both farsighted and he has amblyopia in his right eye and it is almost blind. Pretty scary when we first found out, but we caught it soon enough that he should be ale to regain full vision. They look so cute in their glasses and are doing so good wearing them.

Well, that about does it over here for us. Hope you are all safe and happy. We are glad to report that we all are over here. We love and miss everyone!