WooHoo!

Sam recently passed his CPA exams! WOOHOO! I am BEYOND excited! Accountants usually work crazy hours anyways but to top it off he was always studying into the wee hours of the nights and weekends. I was going crazy! I remember when we first came out to CA and I was 9 months pregnant with Smith, Eliza was a 1 1/2 and Isaac was almost 3. One of my first days at church a lady comes up to me and introduces herself. When she found out Sam was an accountant she says, "Yay!, now we can be accountant widows together!" After church I grab Sam and desperately ask him if he really will be gone all the time. He sweetly reassured me that he wouldn't do that to me. It's probably good that we both didn't know how little we would see each other those first few years. I would have stayed in UT! ;) Anyways, when Sam's certificate came I quickly put it in a frame to hang up. Sam isn't too keen on the idea. If it were up to him he would probably leave it rolled up and in the back of his closet. But it's going up, probably just in our room, but I want to be able to see that baby. I survived-we all survived!

Celebrate good times

We always said that when Sam passed his exams we would do something to celebrate. I thought maybe we would go to dinner. However, Sam found a good deal on airfare to Hawaii. So we packed up the whole crew and took off. The kids had so much fun. It was just so great to have Sam all to ourselves and be together! I was a little nervous about traveling with the kids but they did such a great job.

Claire LOVED the water. All she wanted to do was just sit on that boogy board.

Actually, so did Isaac.

Eliza and Smith had fun just hanging out on the sand.

Smith

I thought I'd share this exchange I had with Smith today.

Smith: Mom, you don't look like a mom

Me: What do I look like

Smith: An oooold lady

Yep, that's my Smith. This happened right after I told him to get off the computer. Even though he said it in such a sweet voice I know he meant it as a jab. Especially since he walked away looking a little smug. I couldn't help but laugh. Love that he's only 4 and not 14. He really is such a sweet little boy. I will be so sad when he is not my "little" boy anymore.

Yearly Update

Yes, I know we are terrible at blogging and keeping up to date. I thought that there would be time to post updates in the summer, but there never seemed to be enough time. Now Isaac, Eliza, and Smith are in school and things have just gotten busier. Claire is growing so fast and has been a blessing for our family. All of the kids love her sooo much! They always want to hold her and play with her. Hope you enjoy some pictures of our summer!!!


Eliza and Sam on the ferris wheel at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.


Eliza and Smith on the whale ride at the Boardwalk.


Family outing to the San Jose Giants baseball game.





Fishing in Manti, UT.





The Fourth of July in Idaho.



Eliza at her dance class!!







Hopefully I can update our blog with some additional pictures of everything else that is going on.

New Addition!

Baby Claire as she is known in our house finally arrived. On Feburary 21st, I woke up with some small contractions. I asked Sam to stay home from work because I thought that this might be the day. We decided that I should head over to the hospital to pre-register so we didn't have to be in such a rush when I checked in. I had an idea that we wouldn't be home that day, so I decided to take my bag of prepared things along.

We finished registering at the hospital at around 10:30 AM. The contractions were pretty close together so we just decided to go for a walk outside. Sam finally convinced me to head back into the hospital and check in just after 11 AM. By the time we got up into Labor & Delivery, got dressed and layed down, it was about 11:20 AM. Claire didn't waste any more time and decided that she wanted to join the family. She made her grand entrance at 11:30 AM, weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 19.5 inches.

The kids came by the hospital at around 2 and they were so excited. Eliza's face was so precious. She was so excited that she was almost crying. Isaac just wanted to hold her, kiss her, and make sure that she was okay. We thought Smith would be a little indifferent to his new sister, but to our surprise he wanted in on the kissing and holding action.

Since I couldn't get any rest at the hospital and would rather be in my own bed. I was home by Tuesday afternoon getting rest. It was so nice to be home and in my own bed.

Claire has been such a good baby and just sleeps and eats. The kids always run to her when she starts to make any noise. It has been so fun to see how much they love her. I don't think that there is any other baby that gets more kisses than Claire.

Without further delay:

What Matters Most

Tonight I finally sit down to prepare a lesson for the young women in my church when after only a few minutes I hear Smith coming down the hall. It's after ten and I am done dealing with him. If he takes a nap during the day we pay for it at night!

So I am on the LDS webiste searching for a talk when he sees a picture of Jesus and starts to talk about Him, I just ignore him. It sounds horrible but I know Smith and he has a plan. He'll try and talk to me in a sweet voice and act interested in what I'm doing just trying to prolong his time out of his room. I'm tired and don't want to get up again so I figure I'll put him back in a few minutes.

So I keep searching, he keeps talking, and I keep ignoring. Out of the corner of my eye I see his little fingers wiggling and notice that he's been telling me the same story over and over. I see the desperate look in his eye for me to listen to him - so I listen. He is telling me about Joseph Smith and the first vision. He starts by saying, "Smith, Joseph, like me Smith". Then those same little fingers I saw wiggling earlier represent that there were "too many churches" that he "didn't know which church" so he went to "the grass and prayed" and that "Jesus came". He went on to talk about the Book of Mormon and "the true church, my church". I couldn't believe my little two year old (almost 3) understood the first vision let alone could repeat the story.

I was instantly humbled as I listened to him. I was reminded that even when we are doing "good" things we can sometimes let them get in the way of what matters most. In this case it was my little boy sharing with me his budding testimony of the first vision. I would of preferred to have had this experience like 2 hours earlier but it never seems to work out that way.

My Friday

When I went to pick up Eliza and Isaac from school on Friday my usual parking space was taken. I will usually wait till they leave but I was late and decided to park in the second lot that is farther away.

I go to Eliza's class and pick her up then Isaac's and get him and another little boy that I take home. As we are standing outside the door I have the two older boys hold hands with the younger ones. Isaac's teacher looks at me and compliments me on how well I handle "all these little kids". And yes, inside I'm thinking the same thing, "I am doing such a great job" & "I am a such a good mom". Smith must have heard my thoughts.

We got all the way down to the end of the first parking lot and then it happened. Smith takes off to the fields behind the school to chase after some birds. I decide not to run after him I figure the other kids will follow and we'll never get out of there. So I just let him run and try and talk him back. Pointless and stupid.

After a while the kids all start straying and now I am threatening everyone to stay put. For a moment I just stood there not knowing what to do. Finally I decide to do the "Bye I'm leaving" trick while Isaac is yelling at me telling me that I'm not a good mom if I leave him. I tell him I am just pretending and he tells me I'm lying.

It worked. Smith followed and we got to the car. All I did was take out my keys from my purse and look up to find Smith running towards the street. He's standing right on the edge of the sidewalk and I know if I chase after him he will run into the street. So I tell him to look at the plane and while he looks up I sprint towards him.

I didn't realize that while I was going after Smith Eliza had followed me. A teacher saw Eliza in the middle of the parking lot and ran over to get her. I come back with a screaming Smith and see Eliza crying and the teacher wide eyed and full of disapproval.

I tell her thank you and then start to get everyone in the car. Eliza and Smith are doing a screaming/crying combo, Isaac is very upset on the verge of tears at all the chaos and his friend looks fearful. The teacher just stood there for a moment and then walked back to her car and sat there staring at me until I drove away. I wanted to cry but forced a smile for her instead.

I've always thought so negatively about people with kids on leashes but after a day like that they are looking pretty good!


I just don't know that I could really do it though. I'll be honest when I think of kids on leashes I tend to picture this instead.


Enough said. Definitely some good times for the Sorensen family. I just wish I didn't have to see that teacher ever again!