Merry Christmas!

Here we are at Salmon Creek Beach in California, August 2010.

Dear Family and Friends--

I hope you'll forgive me for this short-cut method of newsletter-distribution, but I figure if you've gone as far as to get online and read this, you must be one of those folks who genuinely care about our family, thus you won't mind that I have taken such drastic sanity-preserving measures this season, in fact, you'll be glad I did!

So, with no further fanfare, here's a little news about us:

Amber (20) is a junior at SUU in Cedar City, majoring in creative writing and minoring in vocal performance. She's aiming for a study-abroad in London this summer and is still the book-and-movie-trivia buff of the family.

Shannon (18) graduated high school a year early and started BYU this fall. She's aiming to be done with her Sociology degree in record time, hoping all the hard work distracts her a little from missing her missionary boyfriend.

Emma (14) is enduring high school with a 4.0, missing her broken camera, toting a sketchbook everywhere, and picks up after everyone in the house even more than mom does.

Adam (12) is Dad's right-hand man on every project. A typical 12-year-old boy: works on merit badges, tries to avoid homework, eats a lot, sleeps more than ever, and wants a cell phone in his stocking.....

Bridget (11) is Mom's right-hand man, I mean, GIRL! Super responsible and the best helper around, she's gonna be a great mom someday. She is reading the Harry Potter series like mad, hoping to finish volume 7 in time for the midnight movie premier next July. I'm confident she'll make it!

Joey (7) is a sensitive little fellow who wants to be in on all the action no matter what it is! He loves reading, keeps insisting he's "not a little kid anymore," and is so cute that his school teacher compares him to a "little Brad Pitt."

James (5) can't get enough of playing with the posse of little boys around the neighborhood. They are double-, triple-, and quadruple-trouble (but they're so cute, they get away with a lot). Hits the pillow and falls instantly asleep each night.

Julia (2) Those big blue eyes and long brown curls keep us all wrapped around her little finger, even when the terrible-two attitude shines forth loud and strong! She's gotta be a tough cookie to hold her own in this crazy family. So far, so good.

Norman: got released from our ward bishopric and put into the singles' ward bishopric the very next week. It's opening up a whole new social scene for our family; all 5 of our daughters are engaged (I'm kidding!). He's busy with his job, and there's never a dull moment at home, so sneaking away for lunch-hour rock-climbing and early morning runs keep him going strong: he ran 2 marathons this year.

Ingrid: decided to carve out an hour for reading each day, to renew her brain that has been dormant for too long-- it's a joy and a stretch, and it doesn't always happen, but she's not giving up! Keeping up with all of the kids and household stuff takes the other 23 hours of the day. 2010 highlights include lots of hiking this summer (2 new local peaks!), reading "Les Miserables," and a running half-marathon.

Thanks for taking the extra effort to find our newsletter and hear about all our goings-on. We love and cherish each of our family and friends, and hope you enjoy--with us--the season for its real reason: the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sending lots of love,
from The Sorensen Family

P.S. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year, too!

After Shannon's graduation in May

In San Francisco in August

Rhubarb

Today I am thankful for many things related to this rhubarb. First, that it was growing in Amber's backyard while she was living down in Cedar going to school. I am thankful that I SAW it growing there, thankful that the owners told her she could take what was growing in the backyard (because they don't take it or use it [refer back to last fall and all those apples I posted about]), and I am thankful Amber had a super sharp knife handy (despite all her stuff being packed up to move home) with which I could harvest this!

I am also thankful that it has survived happily, bagged up in the back of my fridge, for 6 weeks now, waiting til I could bake a pie. Well, I have ZERO time for baking non-essentials this week, so I chopped it up and froze it. But the last thing for which I am thankful is that the rhubarb I harvested yielded exactly the amount I would need to bake 1 pie, AND make 1 batch of one of my most favorite summer-time treats: berry-rhubarb ice cream. It is the BEST! But for now, to the freezer with you, 7 cups of sliced rhubarb! I'll be seeing YOU later!

The Eiffel Tower?

Today I am thankful that Alexandre Eiffel does my dishes. Or someone with his architectural abilities anyway. So when I come home and see the drying dishes stacked on the counter, I get a smile on my face.

Bananarama

Today (well yesterday) I was thankful to find bananas for 20 cents a pound, which is about half of what I usually pay. So I stocked up. 40 lbs. $8.00. 8 gallon-size baggies full of smoothie-ready bananas in my freezer. We're ready for summer! Did you know that a frozen banana can be a fabulous base for a smoothie, adding creaminess and texture similar to adding ice cream, but of course, much more healthy? Yep, I'm going bananas! Come along!

Snow

Today I am thankful for the little skiff of snow that fell during the wee hours of this morning and made everything look pretty again.

Cutie Pie

I am thankful for this little cutie-pie, and my favorite window that great picture-taking light comes in.

Good food!

I am thankful for good food, especially THIS, our traditional Valentines Day breakfast. (I was pleased that Valentines Day was on a Sunday this year, so we had time to enjoy our breakfast and not be rushed, the way we would have been if it had been a school day. Also, it made the wake-up-and-get-it-all-ready hour not so awfully early.) We often have waffles with berries and cream, but I think pancakes are a little more popular at our house, so I went with pancakes this time. Whole wheat, from scratch, of course. Mmm-mmm good!

Amaryllis

I am thankful for this lovely amaryllis that we have witnessed come to life, starting as a small bud and growing at a surprising rate into a beautiful bloom, just in time for Valentines Day. Thanks to my sister Candace for giving it to me!

All in a day's work

Today I am thankful for our Team Sorensen and the hard workers they are. We stacked 2 cords of wood. Whew! Great job, kids!

No snow

Today, for this moment, I am thankful that there is no snow. So kids can get on some skates and get out and have some fun and sunshine. Cold sunshine (there is a cruel north wind), but sunshine nevertheless. I am also thankful that I saved the rollerblades that Amber used to wear.

Deals!

Today I am thankful for Plato's Closet and the chance to score sweet deals on good things! I have wished for a pair of galoshes many times over this wet and slushy winter-- check! Also, my favorite shoes from "the good old days" (whatever those are-- THESE are the good NEW days!) were red high-top Chucks. Well, check that too! Grand total: $25. Love it!

Lemon water

Today I am thankful for my yummy lemon water, that the lemons were fresh and free, and that I have my favorite big glasses to drink the water from. I like lining up 4 pint glasses, each with varying amounts of ice, squirting some lemon juice in each, and having my water intake pre-measured for the day. I drink the water in each glass once the ice has melted; and being that there is more ice in each successive glass, theoretically it can last me all day. If it doesn't, well, I can make more! I love lemon water. It makes my mouth feel clean, can cure my munchies, and is good for me! What are you thankful for today?

Wipers

I am thankful for windshield wipers. How would we drive in this gorgeous weather without them?

One amazing girl

I am thankful that I have a daughter who keeps track of things and helps me to be as fair as possible as a mom. She's a great girl. I love her tons. She is the most driven, self-motivated person I think I have ever met. She has a plan for her life and is working non-stop to make it happen. She gives me very little to worry about, and for a 17-year-old, how many parents can say they are grateful for that? Shan, you are amazing.

Drama!

I am thankful that I have learned to avoid Facebook comment-drama by keeping my mouth shut most of the time. Once in awhile I simply must interject my nosey opinion about things, but for the most part, I sure enjoy Facebook most when I can just see what my friends are up to and not get involved in heated debates. I still have a lot to learn here, but I am thankful for my progress.

Volunteers

Today I am thankful that the teenagers volunteered to do the dishes after a big family dinner with our friends! Thanks, S & C!

Broken Dishwasher

Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I am thankful that our dishwasher is broken. I have rediscovered the joy of washing dishes by hand. It reminds me of when Norm and I were first married, and I am loving that the big kids aren't holding it over the little kids' heads all the time: "When I was your age, we were doing dishes BY HAND!" Now the little kids are learning to do dishes by hand too. There is just something so satisfying about a sink full of sudsy water, and of course the singing that goes along with the washing is something I will surely miss when the kids are all grown up.

Good People, and Good Council

I am thankful someone was found alive! And that there are so many good people in the world, going to Haiti and helping, each in their own way: doctors, search and rescue workers, etc. I sometimes wish I could just drop everything and go help.... but it is not to be. I am thankful my life is what it is, that we are blessed and safe and healthy, and I am thankful for council to be prepared, in case the day comes when we are not so blessed or safe or healthy.

Example

Today I am thankful that, although spreading out my child-bearing over 18 years has its challenges, it also has its benefits. One thing that came to mind is that I like to nurse my babies for what some people consider a long time, a year and a half, or more. My older children will have grown up seeing this, and will hopefully follow that example. I was only 8 when my mom had her last baby, so many things about baby-rearing I was not able to learn by example, just because I was quite young. I hope that my older children will be able to learn some good things from watching me mother my little ones. I also hope they will let the bad things I do slide right thru their memories and be forgotten!

Color!

I am thankful I learned how to change the colors of my blog-- the black was just really getting me down. Winter is "blah" enough without having to look at a black blog all the time. I am thankful there is supposed to be a storm coming early next week. Winter needs to hit her "refresh" button.

Bacon?

Today I am thankful that, although Adam picked bacon to have for his special birthday breakfast, and I had to fry bacon in my kitchen (never! bacon is for camping breakfasts only!), it does mean I get to have this:

for lunch! A BLT with real bacon. I only eat something like this about once a year. Usually right around the time of Adam's birthday. Hm. It was delicious!

I am thankful for the temple. There is peace to be found, work to be done, and joy as a result. I need that!

Errors!

Not errors, but FINDING errors! Today I found an error on a utility bill that I had not caught before. There had been a billing mistake on the part of the utility company. It resulted in a credit of hundreds of dollars to our account! I am thankful the mistake was theirs and not mine. I am grateful we caught it and that we benefit!

Sunday Dinner Dishes

I am grateful for the fun new tradition of singing together as we do the Sunday dinner dishes. Usually it's showtunes, but you never know.