Happy Father's Day

With Kinsley's arrival in 2005 I joined the ranks of those who had the title of Father. This picture, taken shortly after her birth captures the happiness of my newfound title. There is a difference between those who 'get' the title and those who 'earn' the title. I hope that I can 'earn' that title, but I won't know if I have until my kids start having kids- that's when you can start to tell if you earned the title of father -- or so it seems. These pictures highlight my favorite times as a father... They are simple moments that have fostered not so simple meanings.

Grant in a Photo Booth (actually a swing)

We could not let these pictures just stay in the online archive, hoping that someone might look through all of the folders to see if we have added anything new. These pictures just scream: "Look at me I am a cute kid!"
Grant is developing quite the personality (and appetite). He really is becoming more aware of the world and people around him. He is also making more baby sounds and as these pictures show...he is learning to smile and interact.

Smile!

The first thing Grant will have to learn as the newest member of the Sorensen family is when a camera is out, you need to paint a ridiculously large smile on your face in the event that someone takes a picture. He's young, he will learn, especially if his big sister, Kinsley has anything to say about it.
This week has been a busy one for the us in Washington. We have been looking at houses in the area. You would think with a three bedroom condo it would be easy to fit 4 people, 2 oversized couches, a piano the size of Texas and a lot of kids toys. We will see if it is possible.
Here is a picture of Kinsley when she is really, really, really upset. It is written all over her face. You need to be wary when you see her looking like this, she could strike at any moment, when you least expect.... (attacked by Kinsley and killed by tickles). In all fairness, Kinsley is such a happy girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family. She brightens everyone's life that she comes into contact with. She says 'hi' to everyone in the street, grocery store, chuch, bank, etc.
Kinsley enjoyed our trip to the Edmonds Beach a week or two ago. She loved playing in the sand, walking in the water, seeing two giant starfish and being with her family. We loved getting out (away from homework, housework and work in general) for a few hours of wonderful sunshine and relaxation.

2007 Sock Olympics

Welcome to all those folks around the globe tuning in to see the results of this year's 2007 Sock Olympics. I want to draw your attention to the favorite for this year's competition, Kinsley Kristine Sorensen, weighing in at 27.325lb and at a towering height of 33.5 inches. Kinsley has proved herself a formidable competitor. In an exhibition match last month in grease (scheduled in Greece, but because of passport limitations, she only traveled as far as the kitchen), she really got her hands dirty and showed what she was capable of. Check out her profile below:
Kinsley's warm up routine this year has brought her considerable strength. Last year at this same time she wouldn't have been able to do this, but you can tell her practice has paid off.
Kinsley is known for her fierce competitiveness. Note the opponent that she has subdued (he is underneath her foot). Poor Mr. Potato Head never had a chance. He didn't see it coming (he didn't have eyes in at the time).







When it comes to putting on an intimidating game face, Kinsley has perfected this strategy. One look at her snarling glare makes teddy bears, dolls and ducks in the park tremble (all ferocious competitors).








The best part of Kinsley's performance is her form. Look at how simple she makes throwing socks look. Such grace, such fluidity, such....I think we need to change her diaper.

Fun at the beach

Today it reached 79 degrees and oh was it glorious! Not only did we have the opportunity to soak in some much needed rays, but we got to have Shawn there with us. Once I got done with my dentist apt. (the one downer for the day) we packed the kids up and headed off to Picnic Point, one of our favorite beach spots here. Picnic Point is only 6-7 minutes from our condo and is such a beautiful place. Kinsley was so excited that I finally let her wear the cute Dora the Explorer water shoes I bought a few months back, but elated when she found out why I put them on her. Kinsley was timid at first about wading in the water. But once she got her feet wet, we had to hold onto her hand to make sure she didn't keep on walking. The water here is cold...enough to make your feet numb if you stay in too long. Kinsley could not get enough of the water, beach, rocks and anything else she found. She found a white rock and part of a sea shell that she would not let out of her hands. Kinsley was able to correctly identify a crab, but she kept saying that a piece of drift wood was a hippopotamus.
Grant just chilled (slept mostly) in his car seat with a blanket giving him shade. We enjoyed ourselves and we were pleased with our dosage of vitamin K (comes from sunlight).

The Many Faces of Grant

At 3 weeks old Grant already has a huge personality! He's just too cute and we're loving every minute of it. Typical to the first month of life he spends most of his time sleeping, which we're also enjoying as we try to figure out how to juggle life's demands, and two children. Grant arrived just as Shawn was finishing up his classes and preparing for his finals, and oh boy was it crazy! I'm amazed at all the responsibilities Shawn was able to handle. Just a day before his first final, Shawn developed two bulging zits that looked more like goose eggs on his forehead. I've never seen anything like it, I suppose that's what the stress of a full-time job, law school, a bubbly two year old, hormonal wife, and new baby will do to you. Aside from all that he fared pretty well :) Shawn finished his last final on Thursday evening and has the next two weeks off before he begins his summer semester. I’m thrilled to have him home, even if it is only for two weeks!

Today we're just enjoying a relaxing Sunday, which also happens to be mothers day. I must say I feel truly privileged to be a mother. Having a family is the greatest joy in my life. Shawn gave a great talk in church today about honoring motherhood and it totally made me cry. I shouldn't be too embarrassed however, as Shawn cried far more than I did. When his emotions caught the best of him, he jokingly told the congregation that he was grateful for the things his mother had taught him, even how to cry.

Anyway we're surviving and enjoying (except at 3:00am) this exciting time in our lives.

Happy Birthday Kinsley!

Kinsley Kristine turned 2 on May 10th. We celebrated her birthday late on Friday May 11th. We had a simple party, as we didn't want too many people in the house while Grant is still so little. We enjoyed cake and ice cream and opened a few presents. Her favorite gift was her Mr. Potato head. She's been playing with it ever since. Kinsley had a great time and gloried in all the attention she was getting. Kinsley loves the spotlight and after she finished opening her presents she began performing for all her party guests. Fortunately we were able to catch it all on video. In the past whenever Kinsley decided to bust out in the song the second we would bring out the camera she'd stop. Anyway it was fun to be able to capture the moment. Kinsley has a way of keeping us on our toes and I have a feeling she'll be doing things that way for a really long time!

Happy Birthday Kinsley!

To see more pictures of her party visit our web album http://picasaweb.google.com/thesorensenfam/KinsleyS2ndBirthday

Grant's Birth

Its 2:00am when Shawn is startled by a mysterious noise. Cautiously, he cracks one eyelid open in the direction of the sound, and groggily listens for any additional clue as to what woke him up.
“For the thousandth time, get up Shawn, I’m in labor,” Andrea pleads.
Adrenaline kicks in and the heaviness of sleep disappears as Shawn leaps from bed and dresses in mid-air. As his feet touch the ground the multi-tasking is already well under way. Calls are placed to the hospital and to a Relief Society President (who will watch Kinsley), the garbage is taken out, the house is cleaned, and the bags are packed all while trying to time how long between contractions and how long the contractions are.
And this is exactly how it happened…unless you ask Andrea.
[Andrea speaking] Let me just set a few things straight. First of all, I did a lot of preparation before hand, so that when the time came we did not have to run around crazy-like. I also prepared the house well in advance, Shawn said I was OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder) about keeping the house clean, but I just wanted to come home and have things in order. Lastly, Shawn sleeps so deeply that it is a miracle that I actually got him up. Anyway we arrived at the hospital shortly after 3:30am. I was in a lot of pain while on the drive there and shared with Shawn my fear that I might not be able to go “natural.” However, when the doctor checked me, I was dilated to an 8 [At this point an epidural would take effect after our baby’s birth]. Good thing I had a natural birth already in mind, because it was going to happen that way whether I liked it or not. My labor was only 3 1/2 hours from start to finish (a serious blessing!). The doctor was amazing and Shawn a fabulous couch, he cried a lot less this time around and was able to help me keep my focus (I'm sure he appreciated me sharing that with all of you!)Grant Stephen Sorensen was born April 20, 2007 at 5:22am. His birth weight was 8 lb. 2 oz. and he was 20.5 inches long. In the end we were blessed with a handsome baby boy and a really beautiful experience.

To view more photos of Grant Stephen visit our web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/thesorensenfam

DUE DATE...

What a beautiful day it is in Washington. The sun is out, the birds are out, the flowers are out, almost everything is out…except our little boy. He is definitely in.
This week we have gone on many walks at the mall, around the neighborhood, and up and down our stairs. We have even fed Andrea spicy food (the midwife suggested Thai food, but we opted for Mexican). Andrea did have 4 hours of contractions (as close as 5 minutes apart) on Saturday morning, but when she woke Shawn up at 4:30am, the contractions
subsided and as we have already let you know, no baby...yet.
The first picture was taken on Wednesday while we went on walk #47 for the week. We chose the scenic St. Andrew's Drive because Kinsley always requests to "see ocean water."
The second picture was taken yesterday. Enough said. We love you all and hope that you enjoy our postings....Love, Shawn, Andrea, Kinsley and the little boy as soon as he comes out.

Happy Easter (a week late)

We hope that you checked our blog last week and were completely let down that there wasn't a new posting. We had all the right intentions, and even started writing the post, but computer problems caused us to lose what we had worked so hard on to publish. After that, one thing led to another, and here we are a week after Easter, finally posting what should have been done last Sunday.
The weather on Easter started out beautifully, despite the predictions of wind and rain from our local weather man. The sunshine was brillant and the temperature warm, so we decided to walk to church. Three hours later when we embarked on our walk home, the clouds were a little gray but not to concerning. Within five minutes of being outside the wind began to howl and the "rains came tumbling down" (a line from one of Kinsley's favorite songs). It was a very soggy trip indeed! We had every intention of taking a cute family picture in our Easter best, but we thought we'd spare you the wet dog look we were graced with after battling the storm. So instead of a proper family portrait we have this little character shot of Kinsley from right before we left. She recently discovered her ability to make faces and has made it a favorite past-time.
We heard that a few of you (Shawns family) have been video conferencing. This something that we are very interested in and Shawn is currently looking for the camera cords to see if he can hook up the video camera to the computer so we can participate. And I am sure that y'all will be wanting to see our new baby boy when he shows up (which we hope is sooner than later). We promise out next posting will be all about our little Mr. Sorensen. Until then......

"This is Too Tasty" and other quotes by Kinsley

Everyday is a new word, phrase, or expression for this loquacious 22 month old. Not only is it impossible for this blog to capture her cuteness, but our minds are not photographic enough (or at all) to remember all of the things that she has said or done, but we're going to try.

This little girl loves strawberries (actually both of these girls love them), and yesterday when Andrea offered some to Kinsley she said: "No, no, no...they are too tasty." We tried to figure out what she meant by that, but she just continued to respond to all of our inquiries that they were too tasty and refused to eat them. Apparently things that are "too tasty" should not be eaten.

Kinsley enjoys finishing our sentences when she thinks she knows what we are talking about. We knelt down for family prayer the other night in her room. We started the prayer and she tried to finish it for us. She did very well and blessed Mommy, Daddy and then she peaked over at her stuffed toys and said, "and bless Dopey".

If you ask Kinsley how old she is she will respond: "almost two," as she tries to figure out how to get just two of her fingers up. To your question of where she lives, Kinsley will let you know that it is "Mukilteo". We're pretty impressed by that one, as many adults around here can't even say Mukilteo. If you are lucky and ask her when her birthday is, she will let you know that it is "May tenth".

Kinsley loves babies and will be a great 'big sister' to her brother when he comes. She is quick to point out any other babies that she sees at church, the store or as we drive by. The other day we were driving around when we passed a house with a garden gnome, Kinsley, confused by the beard pointed to him and said "Baby Jesus". She thinks almost anyone with a beard is Jesus and since this gnome was tiny and had a beard it made perfect sense that he would be "baby Jesus".

We are so blessed to have her and we love all of the cute things that she does each day. We took these pics this morning before church and thought they were just to cute to not share. We miss you all and hope you enjoy this blog. Just an FYI, you can find all our family photo albums at http://picasaweb.google.com/thesorensenfam

Game Nights

We have an avid game player in our ward and we have been fortunate enough to have become great friends with his family. The Davis's are always hosting themed game nights. We've been over for spy night, egyptian night, medieval night, beach night, and more. So call us dorks, we don't care! Game nights are super fun for our family!
To view more game night photos check out this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/thesorensenfam/GameNights

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2006

Here are some great pics from our latest trip to Utah over Christmas. We had such an awesome time with our family and friends. I left Washington on December 11th while Shawn stayed behind to finish work and finals. I kicked off the trip in Las Vegas where I stayed with the Jensen family. The Jensen’s used to live in our ward here in Mukilteo but have since moved to Las Vegas. While they lived here we were great friends with their family of seven kids. I was two of their daughters YW leader for two years. We sure miss them! One day later I left Las Vegas and headed off to St. George where I spent a few days with the Greens (my pseudo family originally from Kearns). I had a wonderful time seeing their new place and shopping with Suzanne. After a few days I rented a car and drove Kinsley and myself up to Lehi, where we spent the remainder of our vacation. Shawn arrived the next day and it was so nice to finally have him all to myself! No work or school for the next two weeks, and it was glorious! We spent the rest of our time visiting with his family, my family, the Pextons, and the rest of our buddies in Utah.

On the 23rd of December I attended my girlfriends annual Christmas party. Andree Mecham has hosted the party at her home and has since 2000. I only see most of them once a year at this party, but within a few minutes it’s as if we haven’t spent any time apart at all. I am so fortunate to have such a great group of girlfriends that have been there for me so many years.
I celebrated my 24th birthday while in Utah. In the afternoon I headed up to Salt Lake with Jullian where we later met up with my mom, grandma and younger sister Madison and had lunch at my favorite ice cream parlor, Leatherby’s. Shawn later surprised me with a fun shopping trip for maternity clothes, followed by a romantic dinner at Otavios. It was a fabulous Italian restaurant right in Lehi and the food was amazing! That evening we had “pig-picking cake” and ice cream with Shawn’s family and the Pextons. It was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had! After my big day we spent the rest of the time relaxing and enjoying the little time we had left. We were sad to head back to Washington but really enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with the people we love.
To see all the pics from this trip visit this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/thesorensenfam/TripToUtahChristmas06?pli=1