The Sorensen Chronicles

Swimming

2011-06-13T20:39:00.004-06:00

We decided Cole needed some extra time with dad and so we put him in swimming lessons. I have an extreme fear of water. Just thinking about it and talking about makes me get anxiety. I worry about my children drowning and watching the news doesn't help my fear. But I don't want my children to grow up with that same fear and want them to have fun and be good swimmers. I am trying to overcome my fear but I know it will take time and thought maybe this would help ease my fear of water a little bit to see my kids having fun in the water. Cole loved every minute of his lessons and always had a big smile on his face. He passed level 1 and we are going to put him in level 2 towards the end of the summer. Teanna is excited his lessons are over so she can have her lessons. I am so glad we decided to do this for them and it was so fun watching Cole and seeing what an awesome little swimmer he his. Watch out Michael Phelps here comes Cole Sorensen!!

St. George

2011-04-28T20:15:00.006-06:00

We were able to go to St. George a few weeks ago with family. It rained the whole time but on the last day the weather was perfect and here are a few pictures!!

Big Boy

2011-04-12T19:52:00.003-06:00

Holden turned one on March 21st and it was so hard for me! I wish he could stay little forever! He has been our best baby ever and I have said if every baby could be like him, I would have a lot more! But for now we will stop with him! He is always so happy and always has the biggest smile on his cute face. I love kissing his chubby cheeks! Since the moment we brought him home from the hospital he has been our little peacemaker! He has such a sweet spirit and brings us so much joy. I couldn't imagine our life without him even though it can be a challenge raising three kids five and under! We love you Holden Keith, thank you for being you and for choosing us as your parents!!

The need to do more

2011-02-12T20:51:00.003-07:00

I have all of a sudden been feeling an urge to do more! Don't I already have enough to do? I really like schedules and sticking to them, so I do the same thing day after day after day. But lately, I have been wanting to do more, for me. Like making things or even reading a book, anything that is out of the ordinary for me and not a part of my daily schedule. Maybe that is why I decided to update my blog! Anyways, I just needed to get that out there, wherever there may be!!

Update

2011-02-12T20:44:00.003-07:00

So, we have been doing a little of this...and a little of that!

Miss 5 Years Old

2010-12-16T14:13:00.002-07:00

I can't belive my baby girl is 5 years old already! It seems just like yesterday that we had her. She came 4 weeks early and we have decided she just couldn't wait to start her earthly mission! She is sassy and major drama and sweet and caring and friendly and outgoing and fashionable and talkative and smart and our princess! We are so glad to have her in our family and so glad that she fought her way to be in our lives. We love you Teanna Jean!!

Oklahoma and Halloween

2010-12-16T13:59:00.005-07:00

In October, just a few days before Halloween, I was able to fly to Oklahoma and see my sister and brother-in-law and their new baby boy, Bridger. It was so much fun! And yes, I left all three kids home with their wonderful dad!! I loved holding him and kissing him and being able to see my sister. It was also pretty enjoyable being on 'vacation' by myself with no kids around! I did miss them a lot and worried about them a lot!! I miss Bridger and wish he could live closer so he could play with his cousins and so his aunt could spoil him!!

I came home on Halloween and was able to go trick-or-treating with the kids and had so much fun even though it was raining! Teanna was Princess Tiana and Holden was her frog and Cole was a broom. I have no idea where he came up with the idea of broom, but that is what he wanted to be! We were actually pretty proud of him for coming up with the idea all by himself and I could tell he was pretty proud as well!

THREE Years Old

2010-10-02T20:24:00.005-06:00

How does this happen and why so fast? Cole was our hardest baby ever!! Luckily, he outgrew that little phase. He is such a sweet boy. He cares so much about people especially his family. He loves to stay home and play games, color and watch "little kid shows". He recently decided he wants to be a broom for Halloween and has also informed me, his mother, that he doesn't want me picking his choices for him! I guess he is getting big!! He loves to play with his sister and bug her and he loves his little brother. He can't wait for him to get big so he can play with him and play boy stuff instead of having his sister boss him around. We are so grateful to have Cole in our family and we especially love his smile!

Last Year of Pre-School

2010-09-20T13:23:00.002-06:00

Holden looks a little terrified!

She loves posing like a princess!

Teanna is finally in her last year of pre-school. Poor thing has been going for three years now, darn those fall birthdays! She has learned so much and the best part is she has been such a good teacher for Cole. He will know so much when he starts pre-school next year. I know it has been hard for Teanna because a lot of her friends have started Kindergarten and she doesn't understand why she has to wait. We are so proud of her and love her so much! Here are some pictures of her rocking school outfit!! Since when did she go from little girl clothes to rocking and sparkly clothes?

Go Utes

2010-09-19T21:03:00.005-06:00

As everyone may know, we are big Ute fans and proud of it! We were so excited to go and get everybody new Ute clothes to wear on game days. Even the kids were excited and always ask if it is football day!

Updates

2010-06-17T14:38:00.006-06:00

These are just some random pictures of our adventures! Hope you all enjoy!!

Cole has been growing so much and seems so grown-up all of a sudden! I hope nobody gets offended of his boxer picture! He has learned to use the potty and has done such a good job doing it! He sure has been giving us trouble lately so I hope when he turns three he calms down just a little bit. He is such a good big brother and we are so proud of him!

Teanna graduated from pre-school again! This was her second year and she will go again this school year. It stinks that she won't be going to Kindergarten but oh well! She has learned so much and we are so proud of her. The other day I was looking at a book where you have to find the Nephite and I had been looking for him forever and Teanna leans over and points right to him! I have a feeling she is going to be smarter than me one day!!

Growing So Fast

2010-06-16T20:47:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Holden is almost three months old! Time sure does fly when you are taking care of three kids. At his two month appointment he weighed in at 11.12 lbs and was 24 inches long. He is growing so fast. He has found his smile and hasn't stopped! He is always happy unless he is hungry or tired. He has been such a good baby that he makes having three kids easy! He does cry when sister and brother are being too loud or if any of us yell at each other. He seems to remind us to use our inside voices and to be nice to each other. Thank you Holden for being so good and making us smile everyday!!

Holden's Blessing

2010-05-02T21:40:00.003-06:00

Today was spent with family and friends as we celebrated Holden in our life and blessed him in church. We are truly grateful for our amazing family and friends who came to be with us and shared some laughter and good times.

It really is an amazing experience for us to be able to bless our children with the power of the priesthood. As a father, nothing has ever been more special in my life than to ponder the mission, life and future of my children and then give them a blessing accordingly. With both Teanna and Cole, I felt very strongly about what needed to be said and what blessings they needed.

With Holden though, I felt very nervous and scared about what the blessing would be. I couldn't figure out why - until I got up this morning and looked at examples in the scriptures where fathers blessed their children and I read an article from the Ensign that talked about it. I realized that for some reason, I had this desire to make Holden's blessing something amazing and different. It was almost that I wanted to be able to bless him with certain things that he didn't necessarily need. Once I realized that, I was able to relax, follow the Spirit and give him the blessing that Heavenly Father wanted to give him.

And I got the glimpse at Holden's mission and spirit, the same way I did with Teanna and Cole. It is an awe inspiring responsibility to hold an infant in your arms and realize that she or he is one of the great and noble ones; one of the spirits the Father has held in reserve specifically to live during these times. It is daunting to think of the challenges my children will face and the responsibility Jen and I have to raise them. But as I realized during the blessing today, it is also comforting to know that these spirits are on the earth for a special reason: to prepare for the second coming of the Son. I am excited to see the role that my children will play in that. And I hope that I can do what is necessary for my part to help them fulfill their missions on earth.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. I love my children. I cannot get enough of them. They are all amazing, enjoyable and I have been so blessed to have them and be their father.

Holden Keith Sorensen

2010-03-23T10:41:00.008-06:00

Teanna and Cole on Sunday morning, getting excited!

At 3:18 on Sunday afternoon, Holden was born with a little push on Jen's belly and a little suction on his head. He came out whole, healthy and cried for about 3 minutes. And other than that, he's been content to just sleep, eat and dirty his diaper. He was 7 lbs, 6.1 oz and measured at 20.5".

It's been really nice. Until today, when the doctor snipped the tip. He came back screaming and for the first time, we didn't know how to comfort him. As his dad, I was incredibly concerned about how much pain he was in. The doctor told us - "He didn't cry when we gave him the numbing shot, or during the procedure. It was after we were done when the nurse decided to suction out his nose that he started screaming."

Now it all make sense! He's a man's man, but just don't touch his nose. He might get mad.

Enjoy the pics:

Prepped and ready. I'd make a great doctor!

Jen's all ready too. I love her shower cap in this picture!

Hello Mommy! I'm heeeeeere!

The nurse kept telling me to get the money shot. Not sure why it's the money shot, but Holden sure ain't shy...

What's amazing is that the doctors are still sewing Jen up and she's smiling!

Our first family picture together.

They both love him. For now. We'll see when we get home!

Our Babies!!

2010-03-15T11:50:00.007-06:00

Teanna Jean Sorensen
November 8, 2005 4lbs 9oz
Cole Jacob Sorensen
September 13, 2007 7lbs 1oz

This week is going to drive me crazy! And it is only Monday! I just need to get to Sunday and all my anxiety can finally go away, I hope. As we prepare to meet Holden, I have been thinking about the births of our other two children. I love looking at their baby pictures and can't believe how grown-up they are. It goes by so fast. We are so excited to see Holden and see who he looks like. I will get pictures up as soon as I can. Until then enjoy our other two beautiful babies!!

So...

2010-02-27T09:27:00.008-07:00

I know it has been a long time since our last post, so here is a shortened version of what has been going on the last few months.
Cole celebrated his 2nd birthday in September. He has grown so much and is the sweetest boy ever. He has such a big smile and a big heart! He loves Spiderman and Elmo and loves to pick on his big sister!
Teanna celebrated her 4th birthday in November and had her first friend party and loved every minute of it! She is still our princess and knows it! She loves anything girly and pink. She worries about everything and everyone and never stops talking!
Christmas was a lot of fun except for the stomach bug stopping by at our house. Teanna got sick on Christmas Eve and mom got sick Christmas night. But we still had a nice and relaxing Christmas and Santa spoiled everyone!
Holden will be joining us on March 21st around 2:30 in the afternoon! We are all very excited for this new adventure and can't wait to see how crazy life will soon get!!

Things Our Son Says

2009-10-21T07:38:00.002-06:00

Cole is in to Spiderman and Elmo. I'm trying to wean him off of Elmo (Who wants their son to be in love with a wussy, girl-talking monster puppet when they can idolize completely fake and unrealistic super heroes? Come on!) and so for his birthday last month, we bought him quite a few Spiderman things, including a little plastic plate set that has silverware, etc. The plate is one of those kiddie plates with the different sections on it.

Now, to the point of this post. The other night we were eating corn for dinner. Cole loves corn. He also pronounces it "porn". So, as he cleared out the little section of his plate that had corn on it, revealing the Spiderman logo on his plate, he said, "More porn please."

Which of course caused a smirk and a chuckle from Jen and I. And then to top it off, he pointed to where it said Spiderman and said, "More Spiderman porn please." I lost it. It was hilarious. Of course, I had to ask him to repeat himself (I know, I know, I'm a horrible father, laughing at my son's speech impediments) which caused more laughter (mostly from me - Jen's way better than this).

So, that begs the question. Do I really want my son getting into Spiderman if that's what he's asking for?

It's a...

2009-10-16T20:12:00.003-06:00

Well, we are having another boy! We are very surprised! I have said boy from the beginning but everyone else was thinking girl. Luckily, Teanna is okay with this and she is excited. I'm sure when we bring him home and she realizes that it really is a boy she might have different feelings! We are so excited and can't wait to welcome our new little guy!!

What?

2009-08-20T20:05:00.003-06:00

Today was our first doctor appointment, which is always very exciting. So, we were able to have an ultrasound and my Dr. informs me that I am not 9 weeks, which we thought, but that I am only 7 weeks, he thinks! What? I don't want to go back two weeks! So my new due date is April 8. Jake informed me that we would still have the baby around my original due date. So I guess that is okay! We will have another ultrasound next time and will know for sure. Teanna decided she wanted to go with us. Cole was sick and we didn't trust him, so he stayed home with Grandma. She asked so many questions and was so excited to hear the heartbeat. It is so fun to see how much she loves this baby already. She understands a lot more than when we were expecting Cole. She is such a good big sister. Cole gets so excited when he sees a baby and always makes sure to point them out to me and then inform me that there is a baby in mama's belly!

Are We Crazy?

2009-08-08T19:01:00.004-06:00

I know it has been awhile. I haven't figured out how to put the pictures from my camera to my computer yet. I am really lame when it comes to stuff like that, so I am waiting for Jake to show me how.
Anyways, we are expecting baby #3! I am due March 24, but will go 2 weeks early thanks to scheduled c-sections. We are very excited! Teanna only wants a girl no boys! Cole is learning that he isn't the baby anymore and that he is a big boy! I am still shocked that we will have three kids but I am very excited. I took three pregnancy tests throughout the month that were negative and I decided to try one more time and to my surprise it was positive! The third pregnancy seems to be a lot different for me because I haven't been as worried or scared as I was with the others. We are very excited for this new chapter in our lives and feel very blessed.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T08:26:00.003-06:00

I can finally do the blog thing all by myself without Jake's help! So, I wanted to tell him Happy Father's Day! He is such a good dad and does so much for our family. He had to be both parents when I broke my wrist and he was so good to us. We love you so much. Thank you for everything you do for us and being such a good dad and husband!

Graduation!!

2009-06-15T15:13:00.006-06:00

Well, Teanna had her first pre-school graduation! Even though we will have two more, it was pretty exciting. Mom cried through the whole thing!! Her class had a program to show us what they learned throughout the year and it was so cute!! We are so proud of Teanna and everything she has learned this school year. She has grown so much and we love her lots!!

San Diego Day #3

2009-06-08T15:30:00.006-06:00

I think day 3 was, by consensus, the best day we had. We drove up to the San Diego Wild Animal Park in Escondido. For those of you ever considering a trip to San Diego, I highly recommend the Wild Animal Park - before the Zoo or Sea World. It was fun. You can take a safari ride, you get to see more animals, and I didn't feel like it was as crowded. And the drive through beautiful Escondido valley is amazing. I loved every part of it.

Here's some memories from that day:

Cole in a giant fake nest. It took us a while to convince him to come out.

Cheetah in repose. We got to get pretty close to these guys. They were awesome.

This lioness was kind enough to pose right next to the exhibit glass. You don't fully appreciate how large and how scary these animals are until you see one up close.

After we spent a couple more hours on the beach.

Cole's got all the poses and coy looks of a supermodel. I wonder if there's ever been a red-headed one.

Yup. Those guns are real. So's the farmer's tan. This was while we waited to grab a quick bite to eat at Jack-in-the-Box. Not recommended. Ever. Even if it's the last fast food joint on the planet. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Really. I didn't look near this dashing after we ate.

San Diego Day #2

2009-06-08T15:12:00.004-06:00

It's only a couple weeks late, but here's some highlights from our day at the San Diego Zoo. (I'd give it 2-3 stars out of 5. It wasn't my fave. I think our kids were still a little too young and it was pricey beyond belief. But still a good time.)

This is really like one of two shots I have of Cole. This is right after he pooped for the first time on vacation. Finally! He was so relieved that he subsequently fell asleep and then slept most the day. Until we took the bus tour and he kicked me in the sweet spot the whole time...

Which could lead to this expression, except that we took this picture and the one of Jen below earlier in the day. I think I make a pretty good howler monkey. I've got the physique.

Jen's just way too cute to be a howler monkey. She does give the monkey a nice hair-do though.

Here's Jen's parents struggling to climb on the gorilla statue's back. I kept waiting for some little kid to walk by and say (you must read this in an innocent little kid voice - like the Simpson's neighbors - for the full effect), "Mommy, what are those two monkeys doing?"

Sibling love. Isn't it beautiful? This is right after I changed Cole and before he fell asleep.

Jen spent half the day taking pictures of the plants. I thought this shot was pretty cool. Who knows, she may grow up to be a wildlife photographer. She captured the picture of the two monkeys earlier and then this...

I have no idea what exhibit Teanna is in front of, but I'm pretty sure it's monkeys. That's almost all there is to see at the San Diego Zoo. Birds and monkeys.

San Diego Day #1

2009-05-23T20:28:00.007-06:00

While everyone takes turns showering off the sand from Mission Beach, I thought I'd throw up some pictures from our day in the sun. We started out by driving down to the pier. We were lucky enough to walk onto the USS Midway for free (usually about $20 per person) because there was a special Memorial Day ceremony. So we walked around the decommissioned aircraft carrier, took some pictures and looked at all the cool airplanes.

Jen and the kids in front of a jet.

A really cool jet. Just amazing to me that something so big can fly, especially off a ship!

Then we took a ferry across the bay to Coronado island. Teanna and Cole loved being on the boat and seeing the sea lions on the buoy. We walked around and enjoyed the beauty of Coronado for a couple hours, went back to the mainland, and then walked up and down the pier, looking at the amazing ships - including the Star of India which has circumnavigated the globe an amazing 21 times since 1863, the oldest active ship in the world.

Teanna and Cole on the ferry.

Me and Jen on Coronado. This place makes us look good. At least me. Jen always does.

After that both the kids fell asleep while we drove up to the San Diego temple and took a few moments to relax and shoot some pictures. We drove back down to Seaport Village had dinner and rode a 100 year old carousel.

I love this temple. It is so incredibly beautiful, like a castle. You just drive down the freeway and BAM, you're hit with a does of Mormon beauty. It's hard not to notice. Great missionary tool...

This is my attempt to be artistic with our new camera. You know, take a shot of something with something else in the foreground. Not sure it worked out exactly, but hey, I still think I'm pretty cool.

We finished the day by going to Mission Beach - didn't realize the beach didn't have changing places, so only the kids changed into their swimsuits - and watched Teanna love the water and Cole love the sand.

I buried Cole in the sand 3 different times. We left the swim diapers back at the hotel, so the poor kid had sand everywhere...you know.

Teanna loved the water. Cole, not so much. She kept running away from the waves.

Hopefully I'll have time to update day #2 tomorrow.

Family Fun Time

2009-05-15T19:42:00.008-06:00

We're trying to give our kids some fun experiences during the summer since I don't work on Fridays. So far, we've been to St. George (really it was in March, but it still counts), the dentist (Teanna wishes she could go back every day. Whenever we drive past the dentist's office, she asks if we can go in. She'll learn.), Thanksgiving Point and down to the Manti temple. Teanna was so disappointed she couldn't go into the temple, but both kids loved being there and talking about the special place by the rocks where dad asked mom the "most important question ever"! (It was, "Hey, how you doin'?" with an eyebrow raise and a hip nod. Just kidding. "Will you marry me?")

Enjoy the pictures.

This is how Cole slept on the way home from St. George. I think he was a little bugged by his sister at this point.

Teanna the movie star (love those sun glasses they let you wear) getting her teeth cleaned.

"I love the dentist! My teeth are so clean!"

Teanna only rode the horses once. Not much of a cowgirl this year.

Cole, however, rode them 3 times! And he loved it.

Me and the kids. Cole started saying "cheese" when we took these pictures. It was awesome.

Jen and the kids. Still as beautiful as the day we trudged through the snow for our wedding pictures.

Jen and Teanna. I couldn't help but think about how important Jen is for our kids, holding their hands and helping them step by step on their journey through life.

Two beautiful kids. Best of friends. As we left the temple, Teanna said she wants to marry Cole in the Manti temple. (We're still working on that one...)

Really, we're alive

2009-03-06T20:49:00.004-07:00

Hey! Happy New Year!

I mean really, how hard is it to post some entries on a blog. Really?

Well, I've finally got Jen loving snowmobiling and going to the cabin in the winter. Here's some pics of my family in their snow clothes at the cabin. It's the greatest thing to have grown up snowmobiling and sledding and now watching my kids sit inside and play with my old Star Wars toys...

Both Teanna and Cole would rather drive the snowmobiles than go sledding. Or play with my Star Wars toys. I guess I should be happy either way! Enjoy.

Mom and Teanna at the bottom of the hill!

Good thing Teanna can still stand like a Princess in snow clothes.

Don't let Cole fool you. He's having a great time.

Santa's Helpers

2008-12-26T20:34:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope everyone had the best Christmas ever. We enjoyed our snowy days here in West Jordan. And we are as grateful as ever for the true meaning of Christmas. May the spirit of the Savior be in all your lives year round.

Also, Santa came to our house and we dressed up to help him. Check out our pics below!

Jaker Claus

Jenner Claus

Teanna Claus

Cole Claus

Seven

2008-12-18T08:41:00.003-07:00

It's been seven years since Jen and I got married. Seven years, two kids, two houses, three apartments, six years of school (sorry babe), a lot of laughter and a lot of tears later, here we are. I know it sounds cliche, but I love Jen now more than ever. Over the last three years since Teanna came into our lives, I've watched her grown and change as a mother and become an even better companion and someone I'm more than willing to spend the rest of my life and eternity with.

Since I'm writing this blog without her approval, I feel like I have carte blanche to to tell our story with as many liberties as I want!

According to my dad, our marriage goes back to before Jen and I even met. He served as a Stake Missionary in Copperton right around the time I graduated from high school and started attending Snow College. He loves to tell the completely false story that a little blonde-haired, blued-eyed girl would come up to him and say, "Someday I'm going to be your daughter-in-law." Talk about revisionist history...While that's not true, the rest of this is. Kind of.

Despite the promptings and proddings of friends (in particular one Tony Dowse), I hadn't dated since I got home from my mission. I just hadn't met someone that I felt was worth spending time and money on. I was somewhat confused about who or what type of person I really was looking for anyways to be perfectly honest.

And so it was on a fateful Sunday morning in July of 2001 that Jen and I met. I had been assigned to be a companion speaker with Dad (now on the High Council in the Stake) and our assignment was to speak in Copperton that day. Little did Jen know that the person she couldn't take her eyes off as he shared humorous, touching and spiritual experiences about his mission would be her future husband. I swear, she stared at me the whole time. It made me really nervous.

Dad introduced me to Jen and her parents. During his time as a Stake Missionary, he had developed a strong relationship with Jen's family (another story for another day) and made sure that I met them. For me, it was infatuation at first sight. All during the next week, Jen was the only thing I thought of. Tony finally convinced me to organize a date and I immediately decided to call Jen and ask her out.

Little did I realize that Jen had just graduated from high school, just turned 18, and that I'd be completely robbing the cradle. But at the time, none of that mattered to me. All I could think about was blonde hair and killer blue eyes. She of course said yes. (How could she decline?) I scared her half to death by taking her to Park City and running the Alpine Slide. Of course, I didn't even realize then that she was scared to death of heights, roller coasters, and all things adventurous and fast. But she was a good sport. We finished off the night by going to the cabin and cooking some shish-kabobs (sp? Does anyone really know how to spell that?). I won't say what time we got home because I think her dad is still in the dark about that one. I don't want to ruin my good standing...

Looking back, I'm really glad that first date didn't scare her off. Jen and I are complete opposites in a lot of ways. She's very creative, sensitive, patient, full of charity for others, non-musical (at least singing wise), doesn't really like camping, and all the things I mentioned above. On the other hand, I'm not very creative, or sensitive, or patient, or full of charity, I love music and being involved in it, love camping and adventure and all sorts of dangerous and fast things. I'm really lucky she didn't just walk away and never return my calls.

I did go on a date shortly thereafter with a good friend from high school, Kristy Sanderson. Unfortunately for Kristy, all I talked about was this Jen girl that had captured my imagination and focus (Sorry, Kristy). I still don't think that Jen realizes how much she occupied every waking moment of my life right after we met. In fact, I turned down other opportunities to go on dates because I was already pretty certain that Jen was the only girl for me.

To be perfectly honest, I probably had our wedding set before the second date. Which by the way, was a trip to Jordan Commons to watch "Princess Diaries" a couple weeks later. A chick flick. Yup. I really, really, really, really (should I keep going?) wanted to hold her hand. But she was smart - she employed every feminine trick for keeping her hands out of reach for the entire movie. I was amazed. Didn't she get it? I mean, my left hand had sat on either my leg or the armrest in wide open position the entire time. I couldn't decide if my mojo was out of wack (of course, seven years ago, I'm not sure "mojo" even existed) or maybe tactics had seriously changed since my dating days before the mission. Either way, I was one frustrated hombre until after the movie, as we walked out, Jen made the mistake of letting her hands down to her sides. I seized the moment (and her hand) and never let go.

Okay, that was overly cheezy. Sorry. Now, contrary to my prior dating experiences, I wasn't interested in moving too quickly. Holding hands and a nice hug were the extent of what I had planned this early in our relationship. Jen will seriously deny the next part of the story, but I swear it's true. I took her home and gave her a hug on the front porch. As we released the hug, I pulled back to tell her thank you for a great time.

The next thing I knew, I had been kissed, she had said goodnight and she was in the house. I hadn't even caught my breath. Come to think of it, I hadn't even really felt the kiss. To this day, Jen denies that she has super powers, but I honestly haven't seen anyone move that fast in my entire life. Honestly. I'm not sure if she was embarrassed, scared, or if I had the ultimate case of nasty popcorn breath...

That said, we spent part of the next Sunday discussing the fact that we didn't want to move to fast. I still felt burned by my pre-mission relationship and Jen had just barely written a "Dear John" letter to a missionary. Of course, as we walked around Copperton, she still didn't give me a chance to hold her hand again. Stupid feminine hand hiding techniques.

That talk didn't really change much. All it took was some flowers when she had her wisdom teeth out, a couple dates to weddings of friends when she was still drugged up from getting her wisdom teeth out, and a Peter Breinholt concert and she was mine.

Of course, we conveniently were both planning on moving down to the navel of Utah, Ephraim, to attend Snow College. That helped quite a bit. Jen also conveniently left her pillow at home when she moved down there. So I had to go up to her house and pick it up, which gave her mom a chance to really evaluate my son-in-law potential. Not long after that, the next weekend I think, we drove up to American Fork to the wedding of my dear mission companion, Jacob Wright. On the way home, talk turned to our thoughts and desires for our relationship and not too long after that, we were planning our wedding.

Some may say that it all happened too fast. That Jen was way too young. That I was too much of a missionary geek still to fully appreciate the dating scene. But we don't think so. Seven years ago, we were both as nervous as could be in the Manti Temple, waiting for our ceremony to start. It didn't help that the temple worker helping me get ready mentioned that just the week before, a poor young man had been left at the altar...

And here we are seven years later. We woke up this morning with Teanna in our bed, proclaiming that it was daytime and time to get up. A lot has happened since that fateful kiss and run in early August of 2001, but at the same time, not a lot has changed.

It seems like only yesterday that we met and fell in love. And I look forward to each tomorrow that we have to fall in love even more.

Jen, I love you. More than anything. Thank you for choosing me and blessing my life with your amazing and profound influence and two beautiful children. Happy Anniversary!

Jake

For the first time, just like advertised.

2008-12-18T08:32:00.002-07:00

On Monday, I had the chance to go to lunch at a place called The Counter. This place specializes in burgers. Your menu consists of a checklist upon which you indicate your choices for the burger you want to stuff your face with. Choices include type of burger (beef, veggie or chicken), size (1/3, 2/3 or 1 pounders), etc. I'm not brave enough or stupid enough to try to gorge myself on anything other than the 1/3 pounder, but when I received my burger, I just had to snap a picture and post it on the blog. And yes, I actually ate the whole thing.

What happened to the fall?

2008-12-15T15:46:00.009-07:00

A couple of posts ago I intended to end with the killer continuation phrase: TO BE CONTINUED...

Then I never did. And I never continued. So, here it is. The thing that got me thinking about this was the fact that Christmas is really only 10 days away. What happened to the fall? Where did it go? We had so many plans and so many things to do...

I think it can all be summed up in one picture:

On September 27, the life we lived changed so drastically because of Jen's arm. Let me start at the beginning.

On Wednesday or Thursday of that week, I received a call from Utah Sports Properties telling me that I had been selected to catch punts during halftime of the upcoming Utah vs. Weber State football game. I was ecstatic. This was a chance to win $1000. Jen had entered both of us just the week before for a chance to win and now here I was, poised to show off my killer receiving skills and sheer athleticism to a stadium of 40,000+ rabid Ute fans.

The next three days, all my thoughts were tied up in the dream of catching the punts and winning the grand. Of course, being the natural athlete that I am I couldn't help but think: "Why did I give up on sports? I could have been earning millions in the NFL or something like that. I hope Coach Whittingham gets his eyes on me, cause I still got eligibility baby!"

Of course, those of you who know me will catch the sarcasm. (NOTE: the author of this post has proven that he has severely limited athletic ability. In the words of my dad, "You sure tried hard.")

That Saturday, we'd arranged to go to the game with my dad and brother - Spencer. I returned from a morning meeting to find the family out in the front yard enjoying a nice September Saturday. Out of the blue, Jen decides to put on her rollerblades and skate around the driveway. The next thing I know, she's laying on the ground awkwardly. She didn't even scream. As I helped her up, I noticed the weird configuration of her arm in the picture above and suddenly realized that - gasp! - I wouldn't be catching punts that evening.

Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that was the first thought that went through my mind. "What about tonight? I'm supposed to win $1000!" Of course I couldn't let Jen know this was my first concern, so I didn't say anything. I packed her into the car, called her mom to watch the kiddos and took off to the hospital. As I called my dad to let him know I wouldn't be going to the game, the first words that Jen has spoken coherently come out: "You're still going. Now you need to pay for the medical bills." Talk about pressure...

(Side note: I can only imagine what my family thought upon hearing the conversation between my dad and I.

Me: Hey dad. We won't be going tonight. Jen fell and broke her arm.

Dad: Are you sure it's broken?

At this point everyone who heard my dad groaned. Jake broke something. Of course. We knew the klutz wouldn't actually make it. I even think that my siblings had placed bets on whether or not I would break something before or during the punt catching.)

After several hours in the emergency room, many debates and some cajoling on the part of Jen, I ended up going to the game. Dave, my other brother, took Jen's ticket. We rolled in during the first quarter, enjoyed the game for a bit and then it was my turn to be in the spotlight.

As I got down there, the people running the contest told me I'd have two chances to catch some practice punts. I got pretty pysched standing on the sidelines with all the football players. The trainer dude even gave me some killer Powerade - because we all know that no one can perform properly on the field without all the proper nutrition. Halftime rolled around and we walked to the sideline. Right as the dude helping me said, "Only one practice punt man," a ball landed on the field. I looked at him and said, "Was that it?"

"Yup. You're on."

I'd like to say I was amazing. But I sucked. Missed the first two pretty badly. But, I caught the third. For $500. I was amazed. For a split second I thought about running down the field and trying to slamdunk the ball on the goalposts like football players always do. I actually think my legs started moving, but reality grabbed hold and I realized that making a bigger fool of myself wasn't that important. So I proceeded to spike the ball and scream like a banshee.

And that sums up where our fall went. When Jen broke her arm it was like being thrown into a high-speed washing machine. We've been spinning ever since. Between trying to work, go to school, and take care of her and the kids, the last two and a half months have just flown by. Life is starting to get back to normal and here we are. 10 days away from Christmas.

And yes, I had to wrap all the presents.

Happy Birthday Teanna!

2008-12-06T12:56:00.004-07:00

Well, keeping a blog up to date is a little like writing in my journal. I feel guilty forever before I actually get something in there. It's now almost a month since Teanna turned 3 and I haven't even taken the time to congratulate her or post some pictures. Some dad, eh? At least I didn't say that I haven't "had time." I'm admittedly a procrastinator extreme.

Okay. Teanna Jean Sorensen was born on November 8, 2005. Just because many of you may not be familiar with her story, I'll tell it here. To be perfectly honest, the one or two of you who read my blog probably know, but just in case...

She came a month early, which I blame on her over-anxiety to get here and get her life started. The weekend before she came, Jen started to feel a little sick. We thought at first that she had some sort of stomach virus, so we didn't worry too much about it. There was still a baby shower to be had and things to get ready as we anticipated Teanna coming to us on December 4 - her due date. I got home from a late class on Monday evening and Jen was feeling even worse than she had over the weekend. She wasn't sleeping well and decided to take a bath. Early Tuesday morning - like 3 or 4 early - she woke me up and told me she had to go the hospital. Nothing had made her feel better and she was worried.

A few phone calls later we had spoken with a nurse and both sets of parents and were on our way to the hospital. The nurse had made it sound fairly urgent, so we got there as quick as possible. Within minutes, they had determined that Jen was in an advanced stage of hypertension (high blood pressure) and had developed toxemia. Our first thought was that she might be on bed rest for the next month and taking it easy. We asked the nurse what this would entail for her and she responded that the only way to make Jen feel better would be to deliver the baby.

As time went on and more doctors came in to see Jen, we finally found out she had developed HELLP syndrome, which means she had anemia, liver and platelet problems. In other words, the hypertension had gotten so bad, her liver was starting to shut down, they were worried about her ability to stop bleeding and she was completely anemic. So, in stead of waiting for normal labor and delivery, they scheduled an emergency c-section that morning.

In order to save mom's life, Teanna was born later on at a meager 4 lbs and 9 oz. As she was born, the doctor discovered that the placenta was almost completely depleted and dry (the umbilical cord fell off in an amazing 2 days because it was already so dehyrdated) and he guessed that it had actually shut down when Jen started getting sick and Teanna had survived for who knows how long on her own stores of fat.

It was love at first sight. At least for me. Jen doesn't remember the first time they met because she was still under so much medication. Teanna spent almost the next 3 weeks in an incubator to help her stay warm as she learned to eat - she couldn't suck and instead was fed through a nose tube - and we were finally able to bring her home after she had gained some weight, eaten a few millileters by herself and was pronounced healthy. That was the weekend before Thanksgiving (and also the weekend of the Utah-BYU game, which got me in trouble because I was watching it instead of listening to the nurse's discharge instructions), which made us incredibly grateful to have our small family at home and together for that holiday.

The doctor felt that had we waited any longer, both Jen and Teanna might not have made it. Over the years I have reflected a lot on the fact that Jen felt so strongly that the right thing to do was to go to the hospital. We hadn't discussed it at all until early that morning and she knew it had to happen. I'm extremely grateful to her for listening to the Spirit and following those promptings, because it means I still have both my beautiful girls to love and learn from.

Much has changed for us in the 3 years since that horribly beautiful day in November. Teanna has grown into a beautiful little girl that brings us laughter, tears, frustration and pure parental joy. Happy Birthday little miracle baby. Thanks for choosing us.

Dad & Mom

Happy Birthday Cole!

2008-10-12T18:55:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, September 13, we celebrated Cole's first birthday. It's hard to believe that we have gone a whole year with him in our life. Looking back, time has gone by so fast, and yet, it is really easy to see how much things have changed with him around.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that his sleeping habits are entirely different than Teanna's. We struggled a lot more with him at night. And until the last two months or so, we've spent time up with him almost 3-4 times per week. In fact for a while there, we were taking turns sleeping on the couch with him, because that was the only way he'd fall asleep. Ahhhh, the good old days...

Then of course, there is the obvious boy/girl differences between him and Teanna. He likes to bang toys, hit things, jump on things, run around and so on and so forth. Stuff we were never prepared for.

He thinks differently too. He can figure out how to operate almost any toy and he really doesn't like books. Whereas his sister was exactly the opposite. In fact, I think she still can't figure out some of the toys that Cole plays with.

He's mister smiley and we love him. His presence in our house has been purely joyful for the last year. Our life has changed a lot since we had him - new basement, then a new house, Teanna starting school, Dad trying to finish school, Mom breaking her arm (more on that later) - and we can hardly wait to continue watching him grow and learn.

Happy Birthday Coley-o. We love you. Enjoy the slideshow of Cole's first year with us.

Teanna's Back to School

2008-10-12T18:43:00.003-06:00

It's rather belated, but late is better than never. I have a lot to catch up on, so we'll start with Teanna. She has started preschool. She loves it. Every day she doesn't want to tell us what she learned or what she did at school, but inevitably, she starts to sing new songs and let slip something that she learned.

Each Thursday she brings home some homework - I know! Already!? - which we help her do over the weekend. She is getting really good at writing her name. And although she is the youngest in her class, her teacher - Miss Joey - says she is doing very well. In fact, she said that all the girls are way into school. The boys just want to wrestle. I'm not so sure I'll be paying money to send Cole to wrestling school...

Here's pics from Teanna's first day of school. We love her and are so proud of her. She is a joy to be around and is learning so much, we can barely keep up with her.

This is her back to school outfit. She was so excited!

What am I thinking?

2008-08-26T06:38:00.005-06:00

Well, today is the day. You know, the same day that happened for kids all over the place yesterday or last week or next week. That's right. The dreaded day of - gasp! - "BACK TO SCHOOL!"

The only problem is that I'm 28! What in the world am I doing being back in school? I've thought long and hard about this and I've realized that since I was 4 and going to preschool in our neighborhood in South Jordan, I've been a student with only two real breaks - when I went on my mission 1999-2001 (which could be argued as a different type of schooling) and when I graduated with my undergraduate degree in 2004 until I started working on my MBA in 2006.

So for 20 years of my existence, I've been in school. Some of it was natural and inevitable. There was no way, no matter how hard I tried, that I'd talk my way out of elementary through high school. Although I'm sure I tried. And sometimes I didn't try to talk my way out of it, I just sluffed. (Yes my wonderful children and nieces and nephew - I did. Don't do it. Or else.)

But since 1998 when I started my freshman year at Snow College, I've CHOSEN to go to school!! What is wrong with me? I've honestly chosen to burden myself with homework, term papers, research, dreaded group work and trying to get a grade!?

And so, here I sit this morning, contemplating the fact that in 45 minutes, I'll be starting a class that I CHOSE to take. Somehow, I've got to learn to make better choices. I'm also contemplating the fact that my beautiful daughter who is almost 3 will be starting preschool next week. That's kind of ironic, eh? Here I am lamenting the fact that I have been in school for 20 years of my meager existence, and she's at home, probably dreaming about going to school (I wonder what that is like in the imagination of an almost 3 year old), her lunchbox - which sadly to say she was broken-hearted to learn that she doesn't get to eat lunch at school and use a lunchbox - and the new outfit she gets to wear.

I hate to say I'm having one of those "life has come full circle" moments, but I think I am. So, today I offer a little advice to Teanna after 20 years of schooling experience:

1) Don't sniff the glue. It may sound fun at first, but trust me, the after effects are certainly not worth it.

2) Don't pull the chair out from under the person you like when you're in 1st grade. He'll never treat you the same.

3) Be yourself and forget about what other people think about you. What's important is how you feel about yourself. Always know that somewhere, people love you for who you are and who you can become, not for who they want you to be.

4) Be the class clown. Within reason. Don't think that your uncle Spencer dressing like a girl was a worthy example to follow...

5) Be the class bookworm. Your mom and I think you're the smartest kid in the world. Don't fail us. Just kidding. But it doesn't hurt to also be as studious as you can.

6) Don't fall in love before you graduate and experience life after high school. Trust me. It's totally not worth it. I know you might not have problems with this, but I feel bad for all those little boys whose hearts you'll be breaking for the next 20 years. That's the curse of inheriting your mother's beauty.

7) Stand up for what is right, the picked on, the loners and be a friend to everyone. I may not remember much of first grade math, but I remember who my friends were and weren't.

8) And finally, remember to enjoy your time in school. It won't last forever - only another 20 odd years or so!

I love you,

Dad

Construction Finalized

2008-08-24T20:32:00.008-06:00

It's a bit late in posting, but we've finally move into our new house in West Jordan and I think we've about settled in. Jen's back is sore from unpacking and my shoulders hurt from painting, but we feel it was all worth it. We're excited to be here and spend the rest of our lives making this house our home. Enjoy the pictures:

View From the Street

Family Gathering Spot (Hooray! We have satellite again!!!)

Cole's room - Hot Wheel's Colors

Teanna's Fancy Nancy Room
New Spacious Kitchen (Soon to be Ute Red. I mean Italian kitchen style red.)

The best part is that when Jen and I talked about our plans for the backyard the other day and how we could smooth out the hills and make room for a swingset, Teanna said, "Oh that's perfect. That makes enough room for my pony!" We had no idea that buying the house we'd be buying a pony as well. But, I guess that's life. Maybe we can convince her there's an imaginary pony in the backyard. Like her imaginary puppy inside the house!

Walking On

2008-07-17T11:35:00.003-06:00

Since Cole has recently started walking, I thought it might be a good time to give an update to our blog. It's really fun to watch your kids start to figure things out. Cole's been pretty impatient on the walking front. I think if he could have figured it out at 6 months, he would have been a lot happier.

He's been using a little walker to go up and down the hall of our apartment. Each time he reaches a dead end, he turns to someone for help turning it around and then he takes of the opposite way.

However, his favorite place to walk is by far on the couch. He goes back and forth across the couch. I think he loves the fact that if he falls, he kind of bounces off the cushions. Of course, it's always scary watching him go back and forth. We're always scared he'll fall, but I guess that's part of learning and growing.

The funnest part of watching him figure everything out is that he inevitably ends up walking to his mom. He has turned into the biggest mama's boy I've ever seen. Even if someone else has their arms wide open, he finds Mom. I don't think she minds too much...

First Post

2008-06-16T09:52:00.001-06:00

This feels like a first journal entry. Or that journal entry you start to make after months of negligence. You know, where you start to list everything you've done since you stopped writing and now you feel guilty so you're trying to make up for lost time. I almost feel like I should detail my life up to this point, but somehow I just don't feel that is worth it for anyone else unlucky enough (or crazy enough) to actually read this. Instead, I'd like to introduce my family.

I'm Jake, the husband and dad, employee of the University of Utah (Go Utes!), and current MBA student (part-time and yes, totally insane).

Jen is the wife and full-time mom, beneficiary of my paychecks (we argue all the time about how much she gets "paid"), and incredibly amazing caregiver to our kids.

Which brings us to:

Our amazingly beautiful 2 year old, Teanna Jean. Smart, hilarious, tempestuous, and a joy to be around, she really keeps us on our toes. She has recently discovered spitting, nose picking, and fit throwing. I'll keep you posted.

And our always happy 9 month old, Cole Jacob. He's a typical infant. Smiles easily, laughs easily, and always enjoyable to be with, except the last week when he cut his first two teeth. He's in love with his mom and any other female in general. He has recently discovered crawling, standing up to things, and trying to walk on his own.

So that's us. Enjoy the crazy life we lead.