Happy Halloween!!

I made a video for my sister-in-law. It's a Happy Halloween/Happy Belated Birthday and i wanted to share it with everyone. BUT- can't figure out how to post it on here. So i'm just putting the link!
ps- yes, i stole it from a friend. Hope you don't mind Jen :)

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/lwOHc4OrcFAlBmxG

Fall is HERE!!

I have to apologize that the pics are not where they belong. Blogger will not let me move them for some reason!!!
Marcy's is the headless horseman on the left. Mine'e the Trick or Treat.

It has Finally started to cool off here in the Rio Grande Valley and it makes it feel almost like FALL!!! i am LOVING it!!! (and let me clarify- "cooling off" down here means it's been high 70, low 80s). Beautiful!!

So here's a little bit of what we've been up to.

My birthday was Oct 12th, which happens to be Colombus Day. We got the day off school/work and decided to go spend the day at the Beach and not to ANY wedding planning!!! It was a Beautiful day at the Beach- Sunny, breezy, 80 degrees. Spent a few hours enjoying the sun and then Marcy took me to Pirate's Landing for dinner. It's this "pirate-themed" seafood restaurant- but it's actually pretty nice and Really good food! I had blackened halibut, crab cakes, and some pretty amazing stuffed shrimp!!

Last Monday our ward had the BEST activity EVER!!! Let me explain- There is an extremely generous family in our ward that has a home that sits on 5 acres. They donated 1 acre to the ward for a "ward garden." There is Another guy in our ward that is an organic commercial citrus farmer. He has been the leader in this project and donated the first round of seed/plants. SO- Monday night was Planting night. We had a lot of members show up and we planted broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and artichokes. He is also gonna use a machine to seed plant carrots, cucumbers, and some other things i cant remember. Oh- and we're also planting potatoes. So anyway, we spent monday night working side by side with everybody, digging, planting, burying, etc- and it was Awesome!!! There were families with kids and everybody was helping. I can honestly say it really was the best activity i've ever done. Got to talk to a lot of different people. The weather was great, and there's something really cool about digging in the dirt, getting dirty, to help things grow!!! We had Great turnout, and i'm excited to see how things go over the next few months!! I went by yesterday and everything looks alive still- and no weeds yet- but i'm sure that will start soon!!! (Pictures are forth-coming!)

Along with fall stuff comes Halloween- I am not going to be here for Halloween but i LOVE carving pumpkins!! It's one of my favorite things. Marcy and i didn't have anything to do last night. It took ALOT of prodding and convincing to talk marcy into going with me and getting his own pumpkin and carving one... But he finally gave in and we ended up having a really good time! And his Pumpkin turned out Great!!!

I'm leaving town on Friday to go home to AZ for some wedding planning and a bridal shower. I'm super excited about seeing my family and getting some stuff done, and even going to a Marcos football game! But i'm sad about missing halloween. (At school, everyone is dressing up on Friday as their favorite book character- i was gonna be Fancy Nancy- guess i'll have to try next year). Marcy is gonna spend the evening hanging out with his sister and passing out candy :)

Wedding planning is going well and starting to slow down. We got our engagement photos back and they are Fantastic!! Marcy is very photogenic! I don't have them with me Currently- but i'll get a few up as soon as i get a chance!!

October Already!

My sister reminded me today that my last blog post was from July, so i guess it's time to do a quick update on my life!!

I moved back to McAllen, TX in August. I ended up back in Arizona less than a week later to attend my dear grandfather's funeral. He passed away rather unexpectedly, but i'm so glad i was able to attend his funeral, and celebrate his great life and the wonderful family that i am a part of.
Thanks to the help of MANY other people, and the Lord keeping an eye out for me too, i finally got my housing and job situation straightened out. I got a GREAT job working in an elementary school library. i LOVE books, and i'm getting great exposure to the different grade levels. I'm taking a college algebra class at the community college working towards my teacher certification- i should be able to start teaching next fall.
The apartment i'm staying in is furnished and free thanks to the great generosity of some ward members. Marcy and i are attending the same ward- i got a calling teaching the 16-17 year old sunday school class, and marcy is in charge of locking up the building on wednesday nights after mutual. Marcy and i are both Really busy, but we enjoy the time that we DO get to spend with eachother.

And- in case you haven't heard, Marcy and i are Getting MARRIED!! Marcy proposed after i'd only been here for a couple weeks. He wanted it to be a surprise, and he knew that if we went anywhere special, that i would be expecting it. So instead, he proposed while i was sitting on the sofa eating a fudgesicle and watching TV on a saturday :) Definitely Caught me off-guard!!
The ring is beautiful and Exactly what i wanted- actually, even prettier than i imagined!! i wish i could fingure out how to take a better picture of it! (i think it's just my hand i don't like)

The date is set for December 19th here in McAllen, TX. The plans are coming together really nicely. But it is DEFINITELY keeping us BUSY!!

The pics below are from us taking time out for FHE this last monday. We decided to make a paper chain counting down to the wedding. We'd been talking about it for a while and finally got around to it! Monday was 75 days. Today- it's 72. It makes me nervous just thinking about all the things we still have to do!!

I just want everyone to know that I am So happy!! Things in my life are busy and a lot of work, but i feel SO BLESSED every day as i think about how things have worked in my life for the last few years. The Lord is SO much more aware of us and involved in our lives than we have any idea of. If we can just learn to trust him, take leaps of faith when we don't know what the outcome will be... the outcome will always be what is Best for us!!

july is OVER??!!!

I cannot BELIEVE how fast this summer went!!! I won't say i wasn't busy- i got to do a lot of travelling and visiting friends and family! I just can't believe it's Over!!

I have to apologize- with everything i've done- i have been in a really "anti-picture-taking" mood. i Always have my camera with me... i just really don't feel like taking pictures anymore. So here's all the pictures i've taken in the last month. This picture is from the beginning of July when i was in Utah (AFTER san diego). i took Lola on a bike ride by her house and we got out and got to see some of the horses and cows that live by her.

This is from Lunch at Zupas with amy and lola. sorry- no pics of me or amy.

I drove back to phoenix on the 4th of July and spent 2 weeks at home in AZ. THEN i turned around and drove Back to Utah on Monday the 20th. i drove through A LOT of rain and storms on the way- this pic is from the scenic overlook just south of Jacob Lake. All that blackness- the storm i just drove through. It was much prettier from up here than being in the middle of it!

I made it to Utah just in time for Lola's 2nd birthday. i KNOW this is not a good picture. But she was having a lot of fun. She got dress-ups of Belle, Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty- along with matching shoes! so fun!!

This picture is from shopping with Julie after spending 4 hours laying out at the pool. These shoes were only $11. And she didn't buy them. Can you believe that?

These pictures don't quite do them justice. They were SO sparkly!!

After we walked out of Nordstrom Rack we saw this car. And yes- i am missing texas.

These are the ONLY pics i took at our family reunion!! My mom's family hasn't had a reunion in like 13 years. We stayed at a Beautiful Resort in park city in these super nice condos. It was So fun to visit and catch up with everyone. and it is so COOL in Park City- like "i need a jacket at night" cool. i LOVED it!! These 2 pics are from the family talent show. Each family prepared a Great skit. Our Family- we don't really "do" skits. So we got the grandkids dressed up and made them dance around for a while.

I wish i had a video of this. It was great!

Marcy flew out to Utah on Monday night and we spend Tues, Wed, Thurs in Utah. We went to BYU, Temple Square, the Oquirrh Mtn Temple Open House, provo canyon, park city, etc. We had a GREAT time. He got to meet a lot of my extended family and they all really liked him too :) We also did dinner one night with my parents, russ and selena, and amy and marcus, in honor of russ's birthday.

Friday we drove from salt lake to az- with a stop at the north rim of the grand canyon. Beautiful- but i wish we'd had more time to spend there!! We stayed Friday night in Flagstaff so that we could go to my oldest nephew's (colton) Baptism in Cottonwood on Saturday morning. That was another great family event! Scott and Clint came up from phoenix.

Anyway- marcy picked up these matching t-shirts for us at South Padre Island and had them airbrushed with our affectionate nicknames for eachother. aren't they lovely??

And this is the hat he bought for me while we were at the outlets in Park City. Which brings me to the next step in my life.

I'm MOVING TO TEXAS!!! i decided about a month ago and it feels like things are really falling into place. I have a place to stay and a job lined-up working as an aide with the Pre-K kids at an elementary school. I'm so excited about the chance to move back and be a Texan again!! But again- i can't believe it's so SOON!!!! I'm hoping to leave on August 10th!! 1 week!!! I have so much to do! But i'm so happy about how things are working out and it's so nice to feel like i have some goals and i'm moving forward!! The end of "living in limbo" might be in sight!!!

sorry it's been so long...

This is gonna be more than you ever wanted to know about my trip to San Diego!!

My best friend julie flew down from salt lake and then we drove over to san diego a few weeks ago. We got there monday afternoon and stayed until friday morning. It was a Great week! and thanks to clint's generosity with a free hotel room- it was pretty cheap too!!

The first few pics here are at Sunset Cliffs on Ocean Beach. We ended up there by accident, but i think it was one of the coolest places we went while we were there. There was a bunch of tide pools we got to explore. Mostly a bunch of crabs- but we also found this big EEL!! Too bad we didn't have anything to poke it with...

Look close and you can see the eel! and i just Loved these Crabs!!

Tuesday morning we got up and drove out ot Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument. We wandered around the old lighthouse, learned about the defense of the coast in world war two, hung out in the visitor's center, and wandered down to the tide pools. It was overcast and breezy and cool. It was AWESOME!! And julie made friends with this little lizard...

To get to the monument, you have to basically drive through part of the Naval Base. There's a national cemetary there and we stopped to look at that too. Very, very cool area!

That afternoon, we got a little lost, but we eventually found our way to Balboa Park. We kinda just wandered around- we ended up in this botanical "building" that was SO cool! Then we ended up in the Japanese Friendship Garden. Little pond with the fish, and Bonsai trees. Pretty cool.

This was the display of all these different kinds of Orchids. i've decided that they are my Favorite!! SO Pretty!

One of the only pics that jules and i took Together while we were there!!

Collection of Bonsai trees :)

Tuesday evening we went down to Old Town and wandered in some of the shops, spent $40 between us in the candy store, and had dinner at this Great pizza place :)

Just some of the fun things we found in the shops in Old Town :)

Wednesday we decided to go to the Zoo. I haven't been to a zoo in a long time! We took the bus tour when we got there- got a good view of most of the zoo. But some of the other cool stuff we saw- the reptilie house, the INSECT house full of bugs, there was an aviary with different kinds of hummingbirds- VERY cool, and we saw a bunch of really colorful lizards that we really liked. And of course the pandas were cool :)

After the zoo, we ended up driving back to point loma to check out the tide pools again, but it was still high tide. we asked around and ended up driving along the harbor (which we LOVED) and ended up at some aircraft carrier/museum that we wandered through. Also very cool! After dinner at the fish market- we headed back to the hotel!! (Our hotel was super nice and had indoor heated pool, outdoor heated pool, and hot tub. I think we ended up down there every afternoon/evening. The weather was Perfect!! )

This was an Acutal ship that was moving through the harbor! Jules and I were thought this was pretty cool!!

Giant memorial on the harbor by the museum- and then the aircraft carrier museum.


Thursday morning Jules and I went back to Balboa Park. We went to the Hall of Fame sports museum, and the Car museum. Both were pretty cool, but we didn't spend very long there. We were ready to get to the beach!! The weather was gorgeous and we spent a good few hours out there!!

After enough sun to get a nice burn, we got some food and went back to the hotel for a little more pool time :) we went to a late movie (The Proposal- Great movie!!) and then packed to leave the next day! We had a nice road trip Friday driving from San Diego to Salt Lake.

I'm disappointed in myself that i didn't take any pictures AFTER i left San Diego. I spent a week in Utah catching up with family, friends, mission companions, roommates, and even some dog-sitting. But mostly i spent my time hanging out with my sister and my niece Lola.

And to catch you all up on the rest of my life, i'm back in Arizona for a couple weeks, and i'm headed up to Utah again on Monday. I'm spending 2 weeks up there- including a family reunion and Marcy is coming up for a week, too! and THEN- I'M MOVING TO TEXAS!!! Yup- i'm finally getting things together, and after a year of "living in limbo" i'm finally gonna have a Plan!! And it feels Great!!

The last few weeks...

...have been VERY busy. I'll try to fill you in and keep things brief.
My dad's only brother, Steve, passed away on May 29th after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. It was a very sad occasion and he will be dearly missed. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, coworker, and friend to so many. I haven't been to many funerals in my lifetime, and I'm very grateful I could attend this one. As hard as it is, I think it is very healing to be surrounded by family, friends and loved ones during such times. Steve's parents, siblings, children and grandkids were there, as well as my parents and all my siblings. the funeral service in Utah was beautiful, as was the graveside service in Idaho.
Steven Ray Sorensen was born Oct. 18, 1949, in Mesa, AZ, to Bert and Raeola Sorensen. His early years were spent at the P.Z. Ranch near Winkelman, AZ. By age five, his family had located to Phoenix, AZ; and at age 14 to Winslow, AZ, where Steve graduated from Winslow High School in 1967.Steve began college at Northern Arizona University on a music scholarship. He interrupted his education to serve as an LDS missionary in the Kentucky/ Tennessee mission. After his mission, he continued his education at Ricks College in Rexburg, ID, and later at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where he earned a B.S. in history and a M.S. in library science.Steve's greatest loves were his family, LDS church history and fishing a dry fly. In 1974, Steve married Mareen Peterson in the LDS temple in Provo. In 1980, he began a distinguished career as an archivist for the church, serving many years as the Director of Church Archives, a stimulating job that took him to many areas of the world. Steve's significant contributions to the preservation of the church's history were acknowledged by many, including the Mormon History Association, which awarded him its highest distinction in 2006. At the time of his death, he was an editor of the Joseph Smith Papers.Steve's earthly life ended May 29, 2009, at the Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA, where he had been a lung-transplant recipient following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He slipped quietly away surrounded by his wife and seven children.Steve is survived by his wife Mareen; seven children, Dane (Cassandra), Kirsten (Jason) Carson, Andrew (Merilee), Ernest (Melanie), Jon, Annikka (Jason) Fluckiger, Curtis (Emily); 11 grandchildren; five siblings Douglas, Susan Bryson, Andrea Rhoton, Gwen Higginson, Jean Zufelt; and his parents.Steve's family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at the Stanford University Medical Center, including the Heart and Lung Transplant team, as well as Dr. Tracy Hill in Provo, UT, who worked tirelessly to allow Steve to spend more precious time with his family and loved ones.

Engagement pic of Steve and Mareen.

Steve with his Dad when they returned from their mission to the Philippines.

Steve and my Dad on one of their MANY trips together.

There are countless pics of Steve with his grandchildren- he Loved spending time with them.

The Cabin in Idaho

The Grand Tetons in Idaho.

I flew to Utah Thursday morning to attend the funeral that morning. I stayed at my sister's house and spend thursday and friday with her and lola and the rest of my family. Saturday morning we drove to Idaho for the burial in Ashton, and then drove back to utah late Sat afternoon, so we could get up Sunday morn and drive back to Arizona. It was a lot of driving, but I'm so glad I was able to attend. It gave me more a sense of the wonderful family I'm a part of and I'm so proud of the heritage I have.

This was the Last pic I took with my camera on my trip before the battery died :( Just Lola and I brushing our teeth together. She loved to come in the bathroom while I was getting ready and play along. I wish I had a pic when she put eye shadow all over her face!!

A picture from one of the Many stops I made with Dan and my Parents on our drive home from Utah. It was a Long drive, but quality time with my family. This pic is from when we stopped at Lee's Ferry. We got out and wandered over to Lonely Dell while my dad gave us history of the area and the people who settled it. It is an area that he had visited with his brother, Steve, so I felt like we got more information than the average traveller. Steve was a Historian for the Church, and Exceptionally knowledgeable about the early history of the church in Utah and Arizona.

Back in Arizona, I had only ONE WEEK left at my current job. It flew by so fast! I have been working at Physiotherapy Associates in Tempe, AZ since September. While I have enjoyed working there and learned a lot, I have felt strongly for a while that it is time for a change. I'm not looking for a change in job, but more a change in Career. I have been working as an Athletic Trainer since I graduated 4 years ago. I enjoy my work, but I am totally burned out on the hours and having work dominate my life. So after a couple vacations, I'm looking to get back into school and maybe get my teacher certification. Still weighing my options :)

These are pics from my last day of work. The little package i'm holding is actually my Gigantic Purse- graciously saran-wrapped and compacted by a few of my co-workers. Thanks a lot guys :)

One of the therapists I work with was also leaving Physio- so we had a big get-together at Majerle's in chandler. I didn't take any pics that night, so I had to steal some from other people.
Bethann and Austin.

My favorite girls I spent the last 10 months working with! Nicole, Megan, and Katsy.

The last thing I need to blog about is my trip to Texas this last weekend. I had not been planning to go back to Texas anytime soon- I was just barely there 5 weeks ago. However, I was talking to Marcy on the phone Thursday night and he informed me that he was planning to get baptized on Saturday evening. I knew that Marcy had started attending church and meeting with the missionaries, but he hadn't mentioned much about how things were going, and I'm not one to push. Then with everything that was happening with my family and the funeral and travelling, he didn't feel appropriate bringing it up. I am So glad he told me when he did! Thanks to helpful parents and a VERY generous family friend, I was able to arrange a flight out Saturday morning and make it in time for the baptism! SO- after a 12 hour work day friday and a party at Majerle's, i made it home late friday night to make hotel arrangements, rental car, and cancel/reschedule everything i had planned for the weekend. I got it all pulled off, and surprised Marcy at his house Saturday afternoon about an hour before the baptism!!

The baptism was a Beautiful service. His parents and sister came and were Very supportive. There were also a lot of ward members there. I'm excited for him and it comforts me to know that he has so much support from friends and members of the ward.

This is outside the church after the baptism.

The rest of the weekend was a lot of fun!!! It was one of the Only trips I've had to texas that I wasn't on a tight schedule and just had time to relax and enjoy myself. Marcy and i were able to spend a lot of time together, talking and learning and connecting- it was just Really good!

Sunday afternoon we got to spend a few hours with good friends and their new baby. I felt so at home there and enjoyed catching up with people that were like family to me while I lived in Texas. We got to have dinner Sunday evening with Marcy's family. I love hanging out with them and they always make me feel like part of their family. This is a pic of Marcy's parents- they are Awesome!!

Monday was a nice day that Marcy and I got to spend together- and we kept ourselves busy. We went to lunch, and bowling, and swimming at the hotel, and dinner, and went and hit golfballs at the driving range! It was just a Fun day!!

We bowled 3 games- and the scores of the last game were pathetic- but i'd like you to notice the Overall Scores of the 3 games. I Finally found something I can beat Marcy at!!

So I was in Texas from Saturday to Tuesday. I had a great time and I'm SO glad I got to go and be a part of such a special event in Marcy's life and hope that I can be a continued support for him as he continues to learn and grow in the gospel.

As for me- I'm back in Phoenix and working on a plan for my life. I'm headed to San Diego next week for a vacation with Julie. and Then up to Utah for a few days. Eventually I'll come up with a plan and start acting like a responsible adult again. For now I'm enjoying vacations and trying to figure things out :)

no more posts

i lost the charger to my camera battery. and the battery is dead. so my camera is useless, and THEREFORE there won't be anymore blog posts til i can find my camera charger. i hope it's soon. because i don't want to disappoint the hundreds of people who check my blog daily waiting for insights and updates about my ever exciting life!!
and while i'm at it, i'll remind all of you that tomorrow is my LAST DAY at my current job! time for VACATION!! :)