Elementary Choral Festival

Kat has been in the early morning choir this semester. She enjoys it, but Papa and I sure struggle to get her there some mornings!

I have these two pictures and then four videos. youtube is not working tonight, so I will have to wait to upload the videos. Kat is in a yellow sash, second row from the bottom, off center to the left.

Each one the 50 million schools sang their own song (and it has been pointed out to me already that I might have a tendency to exaggerate) and then they all sang together. All 50 million schools did a great job. We had a very nice evening.

Check back for the videos :)

Dragon and the Knight

Mass Confusion

The Seagull

The Loveliest Flower

Pinewood Derby Wrap-up

We had such a great time at our first pinewood derby. Look at that smile. As you will see shortly, Ali helped take pictures and I think we have more of her than of Luke. But, I thought they were pretty cool.

Princess?

Today at work, I got to see a delightful little girl. She was about 4-years-old. That is one of my all time favorite ages. They are so precious and innocent still. Then come 5, 6, 7, well, you get the picture. The older they get, the less innocent they become.

This little girl kept playing with the ruffles on the sleeve of my shirt. Her mom kept telling her to stop. I finally told the mom that if it was ok with her, it didn't bother me to have her play with my shirt.

I leaned over to the little girl and told her that I got up this morning and felt like a princess. So I put on my lacy, ruffly shirt and put my hair on top of my head. She played with my ruffles a little longer and then looked up and me and said, "You are not a princess." Maybe she is not so innocent after all, I thought. "I'm not a princess?" "No, you are a queen."

I love kids. Well, unless I hate them which is quite often when they are mean to my own sweet innocent children :)

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Tomorrow is Luke's first Pinewood Derby. The pesky little block of wood now looks like this: We would like to thank Josh, Dana and Papa!
I remembered that the cars need to weigh a certain amount and bought weights. But, I had no idea how much weight we would need to add. Enter: 2 half dollars. Because you know, Luke is the Money Man :)
We are so excited for tomorrow's race. And win or loss, we had a great time getting to this point. Check back for a follow-up of the actual race. Watch out you other boy scouts :)

Laundry Fairy, Returns

This morning Oliver was scheduled for a bath. He tought he could hide in the clothes washer, but we found him. He is a good boy for his baths, another reason we think he thinks he is a dog!

Provo Tabernacle

Kat is singing in the Primary Choir at Stake Conference tomorrow. She has worked very hard and is excited. Today they had their final practice in the Provo Tabernacle. It is such a beautiful building.

Swinging

Today when I picked up Luke and Kat from school, I decided to swing. I haven't swung since last year. So, I thought it would be fun.

Well, I think these swings are a little bigger than I have swung on in a while. It was fun, at first. I was touching the clouds and everything. And then, suddenly, I was going too high. And I started screaming like a girl.

From the ground I hear Kat yell, "Stop screaming, Mom. It isn't like you are going off to war or something."

Well, good to know, Kat :)

Spring

I am the mother of a teenager...

This week has been my week to drive car pool. We drive past the school marquee each morning. Yesterday and this morning I had mentally been wondering what the Torch Corn was and what they were doing Thursday at 7 pm.

This morning, as we drove past the marquee there was some snickering coming from the back seat. All names will be keep private to protect the guilty. I asked them what was so funny about the Torch Corn. They then informed me that before they changed it it actually announced the orchestra concert Thursday at 7:00 pm.

Through my laughter, I told them they probably shouldn't have done that. They told me if the school wanted it to say orchestra concert they could change it.

Laundry Fairy

I recently asked for a laundry fairy and this is what I got---Oliver!

Let me try one more time...I need someone who can actually HELP with the laundry not impede it :)

Happy Birthday Tanner!

Our dear friend, Tanner, turned 19 yesterday. Happy Birthday!!!

I have know Tanner since before he was born. Now he is 6'5"! Holy cow. Not our little boy any more.

Grandma Nancy came to town to celebrate and took us to Outback. Thanx, Grandma! It was yummy and we all had a great time.

Wasted Education

OK. I have another Sunday dinner story. Those of you who have taken a meal with us, know they are a little on the crazy side. This conversation actually happen inside of the bucket list story.

My dad picked up a roll, put butter on it and then poured honey butter on top of the butter.

The dietitian in me being appalled announced, "You can NOT do that."

To which my dad announced, "Sure I can. You take a roll, put butter on it and pour the honey butter on top." And did it again.

"You do realize I am a dietitian, right?"

My mom reassured me with, "We know you are dear, we are so proud."

Then my brother added that he eats bread with butter, peanut butter and then honey.

I tried one more time, "You all realize people pay me MONEY to help keep them healthy?"

Well, no one at that house hold seems to need my services. And, we are out of honey butter.

Bucket List

Ok, over the weekend a friend asked me if I had a "bucket list." That question made me realize a couple of things. The first was, "Me? What do I want?" I haven't really thought about what I want, outside of my children's happiness, in 13 years, 7 months and 13 days. I did the math for you from when my oldest was born :) The other thing I realized was that I didn't really even know what kinds of things are on a bucket list.

So, yesterday at Sunday dinner I decided to try to figure out what a bucket list is and what one would put on such a list. I started with, "Has anyone see the movie Bucket List?"

Here are the responses.

Mom, "Yeah, I saw that movie. But, I don't think anyone else at this table would like it."

Josh, "That movie looks so stupid. Bunch of old guys."

Dana, "Josh, we did see that movie, well part of it. We didn't like it."

Dad, "Lisp? Why is the bucket lisping?"

Me, "List, dad, not lisp."

Dad, "I don't see why there is a movie about a lisping bucket." (People, my dad isn't even old, yet he sounded 80 in this conversation."

Me, "List, Dad, list. L-I-S-T."

Dad, "Oh, what is on the list."

Seriously. They were of no help. My mom told me it is just a list of things I want to see and do before I die. So, am I dying? Do I need the list in place soon?

OK, here it goes: These are in no particular order.

1. Raise healthy, well adjusted children. I will know this is completed when I can take them out to dinner without them fighting with each other.
2. Go to the temple with each child.
3. Each child is accepted to college and they are excited to go.
4. Go to the Panama temple.
5. Learn to cook and bake at a much higher level the ground beef and macaroni :) That will take...
6. Find more time and money to accomplish # 5.
7. Get a master's degree.
8. Figure out what I want a master's degree in.
9. Write a children's book.
10. Go to the Eiffel Tower. I have a friend that got engaged at the Eiffel Tower. How cool is that?
11. Go to Disneyland every year. Well, maybe twice. Once with kids, once without. I might grow out of my love of Disneyland, but probably not. I have yet to go without kids, but am thinking that would be pretty fun.
12. Get really nice camera equipment.
13. Learn to develop my own pictures.
14. Learn to frame my own pictures.
15. Get a house to hang my pictures up in :)
16. Live somewhere I could mow the lawn whenever I want. Just kidding. But, I do enjoy helping with the yard work.
17. Own 5000 books, or somewhere around there.
18. Visit London and the birthplace of Shakespeare.
19. Real fish 'n chips in London.
20. Find someone to all this with!

Well, that should keep me busy for a while. I guess it is kind of fun to think about what I would like to accomplish with the rest of my life.

Mad Libs Anyone?

So, I guess I have been missing out, big time. I had no idea, or didn't remember, that Mad Libs exist. So, Dana bought me a calander of Mad Libs. I thought she was really nice until we did the first one...

New Year's Resolution

I, Sunni, will dance every day at the gym for at least 25 minutes. I will watch only beautiful TV shows. I will admit that I have a horrible personality.

Great, thanx Dana. Horrible personality?!?!? Too funny, we are having a great time with them.

Sisters

I just read my sister, Sara's, blog about our Grandma.  I love my sister.  Her post about Grandma  brought tears to my eyes.  I am so thankful we both have strong testimonies of the gospel and the eternities.

Sara came to us from....heaven originally.  I wasn't so keen on her.  She looked like a dead bird.  Well, I do believe I have gone TOO far back.

Sara came to visit from Indy for Grandma's funeral.  I am so thankful Sara loves Indy, but I love her and I miss her.  I hate Indy for keeping her.  We had a great visit together.  She is such an amazingly talented person.  She has no idea how much I love her or admire her, so I thought I would just blog it!

Sara, I love you!  You are an inspiring wife, mother, sister and daughter.  Thank you for coming and leaving your life for a few days.  Come back soon, with the girls, this time!!  And, Joe, too.  We love that grey haired man!

Funeral Funny

Grandma has been gone almost 2 weeks.  I can't believe it.  I had forgotten this funeral story until a couple of days ago....

At the viewing before the funeral, we were lucky enough to see loved ones from Grandma's life.  Many were familiar, some I was sure I had met them at some point in time.  One very nice couple came up and told me how sorry they were about Grandma's passing.  Then they shared an experience about passing through Rexburg with Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen and they staying at our home when I was a teenager.  I would bet money it was MY room :)  As the conversation wound down, they told me how great I looked and that I didn't look like I had aged a day.  (Really, I didn't pay them or anything.)  I said thank you and we walked towards the chapel.  

Kat suddenly piped in with, "Well, he is a liar!"

"Katelyn Blyth Olson!!"  Oh, where did I go wrong??

"Mom, I have seen the pictures and you look way better now than you did 20 years ago."  

Do you punish her or hug her?  I hugged her.  

2nd Concert

Liberty Bell

Nettleton

Rock Creek Canyon Overture

Band Concert #1

Tonight there was a combined elementary school, middle school and high school band concert. so, my two beautiful daughters were in it. Ali has been in many a concerts, but this was Kat's first. And what a great first experience. We celebrated by going to the Creamery on 9th. We thought of all of you living far away from BYU that would have liked to have been with us! First, we started at the counter. Then, all the sudden we looked at each other and realized we couldn't talk to each other! So, we picked up our food and ran to a table. It was much easier to fight, i mean talk, at the table.

First, the three elementary schools played four songs. Then the middle school played theirs, and you guessed it, then the high school. But, the grand finale was all of those wonderful band students on stage together playing Ode to Joy. It was amazing.

During the concert, I was reminded of my band days. I was captain of the color guard for 3 years. In the off season of marching band, I played the string bass and percussion. I loved band, maybe because of the trumpet players :)

I have uploaded their songs onto YouTube for each of you to enjoy!!!

You might wonder why the title is band concert #1. Ali has another concert Thursday evening. So, I will have more, then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dCPUqpizXA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuNVdpy0Ykw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfbkmGiInq4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dALk-0njlUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MHEb9ZnYhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuZuRQbDvJI

Family Scripture Time

Each evening, the kids and I gather together to read from the Book of Mormon. They are actually very good about it and pay very close attention and ask very in-depth questions :) I am just envisioning the celestial kingdom. But, we do read almost all evenings.

Tonight we were reading from Mosiah 29. It is the last chapter in the book of Mosiah. Mosiah was teaching his people why having a king, or man, rule over you is not a wise choice. So, I stopped and asked the kiddos who would be a better choice for a leader. Without batting an eye, and with no sense of mischief, Ali responded, "a woman."

The end of Mosiah is always sad for me. I seem to cry each time someone dies in the Book of Mormon and Mosiah and Alma both die at the end. I love that book.

Funeral Moments

The past few weeks have been physically, emotionally and spiritually draining. We buried the matriarch of our family today.

I am posting just a few moments of the past 24 hours. Really, it has only been 24 hours?

This is a practice with the great-grand kids at the viewing. We were practicing Families Can be Together Forever. I had a hard time not crying each time we sang it.

Yes, I took my camera out in the chapel. I wanted to capture all the beautiful great-grand kids :)

These next few are the pall bearers bringing grandma to her final resting place.

Rodger Sorensen, my dad, dedicating the grave.

My dad had a sister die shortly after she was born. This is her grave. Grandma and Grandpa are buried right beside her.

At Grandpa Sorensen's funeral, my cousin Bob's wife and I were pregnant with baby girls. We delivered within days of each other and both named our daughters the same name. Aliyssa Lamoreaux is on the left and my Alyssa Olson is on the right. We try to take their picture each time they are together.

When every thing was all said and done, we stayed to watch them lower grandma into the ground. Luke was very interested in the whole process. Isn't he cute standing there with a purple flower?
These are some of the pictures I took on the temple grounds. This really is an amazing structure. But, I am rather fond of all temples. But, this one is near and dear to the Sorensen's hearts.

Grandma's Obituary

This morning Grandma Sorensen's obituary was in the paper. Ali was reading through it and found out that grandma was born in a log cabin. Then she asked me were I was born. I told her I, too, was born in a log cabin. I told her I was born in the Mid-west in a little place I like to call "Little House on the Prairie."

Our Grandma Great

This picture was taken Thursday, February 24, 2009. Grandma was released from the hospital this very afternoon. We had great conversations with her and she was very coherent. It is amazing that 72 hours later she left us. This was the last night we could converse with her. She loved my kids so much and I love her dearly for that. Yes, Ali is missing. She was at the junior high basketball game.

The '80s Rock!!

It was Girl's Week at Centennial Middle School last week. What that really means is we got to stress every night and every morning about what costume we would wear each day. It almost killed me! One day she did '80s. She looked just like me :)

I got to drive carpool that week and I LOVED it! I should have taken pictures each day. I loved the fairy dust left in my car on fairy day. Those sparkles made me happy all week.

Sunday Afternoon Photo Shoot

Ali took some pictures of us a couple of Sundays ago. Yes, they are also on facebook :)