Generations...

I absolutely love family. I have a strong testimony of forever families and am so grateful for mine. I have some great examples before me. I hope to follow in their footsteps, teaching my family what they have taught me.

I first of all think of my Grandma Lorita McNeill. I remember making some great memories with her. She was always cooking/baking and I remember making bread with her. She even had mini bread pans for me to make my own bread. She also was a very talented writer. She would write poems for special events and always wrote in her journal. I hope to use this blog as a type of journal documenting my life and the things that are dear to me. Growing up, I also remember going around with my Grandpa Newt McNeill while he worked on the Webb dairy. He is such a hard worker. No matter the benefit to himself, he is always working and serving others. He also loves to take "short-cuts". They weren't short, but they always made for some great adventures. Grandpa Newt is very talented at wood work. He is famous for making his rocking horse, in which he has shared it with many. He has also shown me his latest project, where he is making Porter a barn for Christmas. I am very excited!

My Great-Grandma Fern Lloyd is another grandma dear to me. I have been able to spend a lot of time with her. She lived right by the elementary school in Grace while I was growing up. I would go to her house every week to hang out while waiting for piano lessons. We would play Skip-Bo, watch Wheel of Fortune or the Lawrence Welk show, and she would let me read to her. I loved spending this time with her and believe that she is the reason I am so short. She is now 101 and doing awesome. I also got to know my Great-Grandma Ethel for some time before she passed. She lived to be almost 103. I remember her yummy coffee cake and the stories she used to tell of "way back when". My favorites were about the Indians coming down the mountain out in Turner to get food from her house which was just across the road where I grew up. Also I love the one about her going to Preston to get married to Floyd Sorensen in a Model-T open topped Ford car. They got stopped by 2 men wearing masks by gun point who wanted their money. Grandma Ethel didn't want them to take her wedding ring so she put it in her mouth. Come to find out they were buddies of Grandpa Floyds trying to be funny. Granma Ethel was scared to death and when she found out who they were she was mad.

My Grandpa Glenn and Grandma Gwenda Sorensen lived close to my home on the farm. I remember pedaling my bike the mile and a half to their home. Carolann and I would visit and eat Oreos then race back to our house. I also remember playing in their yard during potato harvest and going to their house every Christmas Eve for dinner and opening one present (Christmas pajamas).

I am very blessed to have gotten to know these wonderful people and am grateful that some of them get to be a part of my children's lives. I am also grateful for the memories they are making with mine and Spencer's parents.

Grandpa Lloyd Sorensen, Porter, Shalise, Brystol, and Great-great Grandman Fern Lloyd
Missing Great Grandma Gwenda Sorensen

Shalise, Brystol, Great Granpa Newt McNeill, and Grandma Kaye Sorensen

Happy Easter 2013

This year for Easter, we enjoyed spending time with family and remembering Christ. We colored eggs with Mitch's family and Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen and hung out at Grandpa and Grandma's with the Webb's. Porter got a new balance bike. Which he loves but has to figure it out. We are so grateful for our Savior and his sacrifice for us. We are grateful for this time to reflect on Him. 

 

Boston, Grandma Kaye, Hazel, Porter, and Brystol

 

 

Brystol's Blessing

Brystol was blessed on April 13, 2014. It was a beautiful, cold day. The Hughes family stayed at our house the night before. There was not one empty spot in the entire house with air mattresses, blankets, and pillows were everywhere. I sure enjoyed having a full house. It reminded me of the family events I had growing up with cousins everywhere.
The blessing was beautiful. When the counselor in the bishopric announced the blessing, he said "Byron" Rose Hughes will be blessed. We were all trying hard not to giggle. Brystol was sound asleep when I passed her to Spencer, but throughout the blessing, Spencer said she was smiling the whole time. So precious. What a beautiful angel. She has really blessed our home. We love you Brystol!

With Grandpa Newt and Grandma Julia

Brystol's Baby Story

Working 32 hours a week and chasing a two year old really made me tired of being large and pregnant. I loved feeling the little movements but I was running out of room and was anxious to meet my little girl. I had my OB appointment on February 3 where Dr. Housley stripped my membranes. I thought for sure I would have my little girl that day because when I had my membranes stripped with Porter, I had him later that night. I was uncomfortable all day and would sometimes think that I was having contractions but could hardly tell. They would be regular then they would go away. I felt as though I had no idea what was going on with my body. Obviously each pregnancy is different and wandering thoughts left me doubting. The next day as I was concentrating on contractions, bouncing on a ball, and walking on mom's elliptical I thought I was in early labor and missed work thinking I would be in shortly to have my baby. I was surely disappointed, I even went in later that night to see if I was just imagining my contractions for they were 5 minutes apart; I was just not in pain. I was reassured by Tammie Hoff RN that I was having contractions about every 5-7 minutes apart but they were weak and signs of early labor. I went home feeling a little better. The same thing went on all the next day till later that night (February 5th). They were happening regularly as before, but they were getting stronger. When they were strong enough that I would have to stop and breath till they relaxed, I called Spencer off of his midnight shift and told him that I thought that it was going to be tonight. I got ready to go the hospital and called my parents. By the time they got to my house it was about 1 AM. Spencer and I went in with the idea that I would call mom when I knew we were closer to having our baby and dad would stay at the house with Porter.
We got into the hospital and Pam Shuler, RN was my nurse. She got me in my gown and put me on the monitors. It showed that I was having very strong contractions and I was dilated to a 6. I was still feeling pretty good and was up and walking. She called the Dr. to inform him of my progress. My mom came in stating that she could not sleep because she was too excited and wanted to be there. I got my epidural at about 6:30 which really made me feel weird. My blood pressure was going down due to the anesthesia and I had be given meds to keep it up which made my heart race. I could no longer feel that contractions till about 9 AM and I was hurting in one spot in my back with every contraction. It continued to get worse and I was getting closer to having my baby. I was having to breath through contractions and when finally dilated to a 10, I was having some really bad back labor. I only had to push for 15 minutes and my baby girl was born at 10:37.
It is amazing how beautiful it is to bring a little one into the world. I treasure the moment when I got to see her for the first time and seeing the proud look on Spencer's face and the tears running down my mom's face. She was perfect in every way.
After all the clean up, Porter came in and to see his baby sister. He immediately began to call her baby sis and wanted to hold her. Although his attention was short and moved on to other things, I could tell he loved her. When on of the nurses came in to check her vital signs, Porter was yelling at her, "BABY TO MOM! MOM, BABY!" He didn't want her to take the baby from me. He knew she belonged to us. So cute!
Spencer and I had a moment to ourselves to decide what her name should be. She was born on her Grandma Rosy's birthday, so we named her Brystol Rose. It was not a name that was on our list but it just fit. Brystol was so beautiful and we were happy!

6 lbs 10 oz, 19 in

Dr. Housley

Pam Shuler, RN

Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen

cousins Macy and Brytten

with Aunt Tara and Paige

Introducing Brystol Rose...

Introducing our beautiful

Brystol Rose...

 

Born 2/6/14 @ 10:37 AM

6 lbs 10 oz

19 in

2013 in review

 2013 was an amazing year! We had watched Porter grow from a toddler to a little boy and announced that we would be adding a little girl to our family. We were both working in Soda Springs and enjoying our jobs. Life has been good and we have been blessed!

18 months



Natalie and Jessica came to visit and we made cookies.



Happy Valentines Day!

 



Easter Egg Hunt

Happy Easter!





At Grandma Kaye's (Brytten, Paige, Grant, Boston, Macy, and Porter)

In Ogden UT, we went to the Treehouse Museum, to lunch, and to the movie, Epic. Fun outing!
Hayley, Hazel, Paige, Cali, Grandma Kaye, Boston, Grant, Tara
Brytten, Pat, Meg, Porter, Shalise
Macy, Kendra, & Kasen

Announced that we were expecting. Due in February 2014
Nichole, Meghan, Shalise, Jessica, Natalie, Mia

Porter eating his birthday cake with his toes! 2 years old.

Announced we were having a girl! The Hughes family got to be there when we found out at the ultrasound. Then surprised Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen with our pink stuffed animal.

Jessica came and went hunting with Grandpa Jim and Spencer.

 

Our little boxer. Happy Halloween!

Went to Hardware Ranch to go on a sleigh ride and see the elk.
Bubba (Nathan), Claire, Porter, Spencer, Shalise

Sorensen Christmas Party

Mitch, Hayley, Brytten, Macy, Jared
Spencer, Josh, Meg, Grandpa Lloyd, Paige, Grandma Kaye, Rawlin, Cali, Pat
Shalise, Tara, Hazel, Boston, Grant, Porter, Carolann, Weston

 

Merry Christmas!