The last few weeks...

...have been VERY busy. I'll try to fill you in and keep things brief.
My dad's only brother, Steve, passed away on May 29th after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. It was a very sad occasion and he will be dearly missed. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, coworker, and friend to so many. I haven't been to many funerals in my lifetime, and I'm very grateful I could attend this one. As hard as it is, I think it is very healing to be surrounded by family, friends and loved ones during such times. Steve's parents, siblings, children and grandkids were there, as well as my parents and all my siblings. the funeral service in Utah was beautiful, as was the graveside service in Idaho.
Steven Ray Sorensen was born Oct. 18, 1949, in Mesa, AZ, to Bert and Raeola Sorensen. His early years were spent at the P.Z. Ranch near Winkelman, AZ. By age five, his family had located to Phoenix, AZ; and at age 14 to Winslow, AZ, where Steve graduated from Winslow High School in 1967.Steve began college at Northern Arizona University on a music scholarship. He interrupted his education to serve as an LDS missionary in the Kentucky/ Tennessee mission. After his mission, he continued his education at Ricks College in Rexburg, ID, and later at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where he earned a B.S. in history and a M.S. in library science.Steve's greatest loves were his family, LDS church history and fishing a dry fly. In 1974, Steve married Mareen Peterson in the LDS temple in Provo. In 1980, he began a distinguished career as an archivist for the church, serving many years as the Director of Church Archives, a stimulating job that took him to many areas of the world. Steve's significant contributions to the preservation of the church's history were acknowledged by many, including the Mormon History Association, which awarded him its highest distinction in 2006. At the time of his death, he was an editor of the Joseph Smith Papers.Steve's earthly life ended May 29, 2009, at the Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA, where he had been a lung-transplant recipient following a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He slipped quietly away surrounded by his wife and seven children.Steve is survived by his wife Mareen; seven children, Dane (Cassandra), Kirsten (Jason) Carson, Andrew (Merilee), Ernest (Melanie), Jon, Annikka (Jason) Fluckiger, Curtis (Emily); 11 grandchildren; five siblings Douglas, Susan Bryson, Andrea Rhoton, Gwen Higginson, Jean Zufelt; and his parents.Steve's family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at the Stanford University Medical Center, including the Heart and Lung Transplant team, as well as Dr. Tracy Hill in Provo, UT, who worked tirelessly to allow Steve to spend more precious time with his family and loved ones.

Engagement pic of Steve and Mareen.

Steve with his Dad when they returned from their mission to the Philippines.

Steve and my Dad on one of their MANY trips together.

There are countless pics of Steve with his grandchildren- he Loved spending time with them.

The Cabin in Idaho

The Grand Tetons in Idaho.

I flew to Utah Thursday morning to attend the funeral that morning. I stayed at my sister's house and spend thursday and friday with her and lola and the rest of my family. Saturday morning we drove to Idaho for the burial in Ashton, and then drove back to utah late Sat afternoon, so we could get up Sunday morn and drive back to Arizona. It was a lot of driving, but I'm so glad I was able to attend. It gave me more a sense of the wonderful family I'm a part of and I'm so proud of the heritage I have.

This was the Last pic I took with my camera on my trip before the battery died :( Just Lola and I brushing our teeth together. She loved to come in the bathroom while I was getting ready and play along. I wish I had a pic when she put eye shadow all over her face!!

A picture from one of the Many stops I made with Dan and my Parents on our drive home from Utah. It was a Long drive, but quality time with my family. This pic is from when we stopped at Lee's Ferry. We got out and wandered over to Lonely Dell while my dad gave us history of the area and the people who settled it. It is an area that he had visited with his brother, Steve, so I felt like we got more information than the average traveller. Steve was a Historian for the Church, and Exceptionally knowledgeable about the early history of the church in Utah and Arizona.

Back in Arizona, I had only ONE WEEK left at my current job. It flew by so fast! I have been working at Physiotherapy Associates in Tempe, AZ since September. While I have enjoyed working there and learned a lot, I have felt strongly for a while that it is time for a change. I'm not looking for a change in job, but more a change in Career. I have been working as an Athletic Trainer since I graduated 4 years ago. I enjoy my work, but I am totally burned out on the hours and having work dominate my life. So after a couple vacations, I'm looking to get back into school and maybe get my teacher certification. Still weighing my options :)

These are pics from my last day of work. The little package i'm holding is actually my Gigantic Purse- graciously saran-wrapped and compacted by a few of my co-workers. Thanks a lot guys :)

One of the therapists I work with was also leaving Physio- so we had a big get-together at Majerle's in chandler. I didn't take any pics that night, so I had to steal some from other people.
Bethann and Austin.

My favorite girls I spent the last 10 months working with! Nicole, Megan, and Katsy.

The last thing I need to blog about is my trip to Texas this last weekend. I had not been planning to go back to Texas anytime soon- I was just barely there 5 weeks ago. However, I was talking to Marcy on the phone Thursday night and he informed me that he was planning to get baptized on Saturday evening. I knew that Marcy had started attending church and meeting with the missionaries, but he hadn't mentioned much about how things were going, and I'm not one to push. Then with everything that was happening with my family and the funeral and travelling, he didn't feel appropriate bringing it up. I am So glad he told me when he did! Thanks to helpful parents and a VERY generous family friend, I was able to arrange a flight out Saturday morning and make it in time for the baptism! SO- after a 12 hour work day friday and a party at Majerle's, i made it home late friday night to make hotel arrangements, rental car, and cancel/reschedule everything i had planned for the weekend. I got it all pulled off, and surprised Marcy at his house Saturday afternoon about an hour before the baptism!!

The baptism was a Beautiful service. His parents and sister came and were Very supportive. There were also a lot of ward members there. I'm excited for him and it comforts me to know that he has so much support from friends and members of the ward.

This is outside the church after the baptism.

The rest of the weekend was a lot of fun!!! It was one of the Only trips I've had to texas that I wasn't on a tight schedule and just had time to relax and enjoy myself. Marcy and i were able to spend a lot of time together, talking and learning and connecting- it was just Really good!

Sunday afternoon we got to spend a few hours with good friends and their new baby. I felt so at home there and enjoyed catching up with people that were like family to me while I lived in Texas. We got to have dinner Sunday evening with Marcy's family. I love hanging out with them and they always make me feel like part of their family. This is a pic of Marcy's parents- they are Awesome!!

Monday was a nice day that Marcy and I got to spend together- and we kept ourselves busy. We went to lunch, and bowling, and swimming at the hotel, and dinner, and went and hit golfballs at the driving range! It was just a Fun day!!

We bowled 3 games- and the scores of the last game were pathetic- but i'd like you to notice the Overall Scores of the 3 games. I Finally found something I can beat Marcy at!!

So I was in Texas from Saturday to Tuesday. I had a great time and I'm SO glad I got to go and be a part of such a special event in Marcy's life and hope that I can be a continued support for him as he continues to learn and grow in the gospel.

As for me- I'm back in Phoenix and working on a plan for my life. I'm headed to San Diego next week for a vacation with Julie. and Then up to Utah for a few days. Eventually I'll come up with a plan and start acting like a responsible adult again. For now I'm enjoying vacations and trying to figure things out :)

no more posts

i lost the charger to my camera battery. and the battery is dead. so my camera is useless, and THEREFORE there won't be anymore blog posts til i can find my camera charger. i hope it's soon. because i don't want to disappoint the hundreds of people who check my blog daily waiting for insights and updates about my ever exciting life!!
and while i'm at it, i'll remind all of you that tomorrow is my LAST DAY at my current job! time for VACATION!! :)

Escaping the city

I’m beginning to notice that most of my posts have a theme about how great it is to get OUT of phoenix and… this one is no different!! Alison and I took a quick drive up past payson on Saturday to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. It’s only open for the next few weekends and then closed for the rest of the summer. I’ve been trying to get out there for the last few weekends and finally got a chance. It was PERFECT!! It sprinkled on and off and we got a little hail, but it was cool and breezy and red rocks and green trees and it was GREAT!!
If you’ve never been up there before, it’s an easy hike down to this giant natural bridge and then you can climb around on the rocks and boulders to your hearts content!! Just make sure you’re wearing good shoes! Alison was the adventrurous one and pushed us to follow the ½ mile trail along the creek and out the other end! It was PERFECT!! This on is right at the base of the bridge/cave looking back out! it is GIGANTIC!

You have to notice the People to appreciate the size of this place!

that's alison in the red sweatshirt on top of that rock!

Alison taking pics from behind.... right beffore i climbed up that boulder. Long arms and legs were very helpful down there!!

Good thing that my hat and my shoes apparently have glow in the dark strips on them :)

Creeks and pools... too bad they don't let you get in the water :(

It was so green and pretty! i LOVE arizona!!

Alison hiked up some more when we reached the end of the trail- she had more energy than i did!

After the hike we were STARVED (well, i was anyway) and KFC hit the spot!! and had to take a pic with the colonel :)

memorial day weekend :)

This has been such an AWESOME break from work!!! i got off work on Friday at 12:30 and don't have to be back til Wednesday Morning!! I haven't really had a day off since i started back in September, so it's also a Much Needed break :) And an added bonus is that my sister and her family got here on Thursday and i've been able to spend the weekend with her- and some of my other nephews and niece! Just a few pics of me getting to play with Lola and Dacie

Other than playing with kids, i haven't been able to find much to do :( i have spent HOURS looking for some kind of project or something to keep me busy. i finally found a sewing project i liked and did it this afternoon. Kept me busy for a few hours.

i found it in this book of silly creatures. This one is a "Hexapus"- like an Octopus but it only has 6 legs. Not the best project i ever did, but it still turned out cute :) and my Lola likes it, so that's all that really matters!

can you call it art?

i came home this afternoon and this is what i found... we might make it permanent. maybe pot some plants in it?
my parents are remodeling the master bath and the toilet was replaced today... but i'm really not sure the contractor or plumber meant to leave that there...

While i was outside taking pictures, i snapped one of the flower bed. In case you remember, i planted all new flowers in march during spring break. and they still look awesome!! Except a few of the petunias, they have all grown and blossomed and are still doing really good! we'll see how much longer they last in the summer heat of phoenix...

I wasn't Born in Texas...

...but i got there as fast as i could!!
Most of you know that i spent 2 years living in Texas- Mission, TX to be exact- down in the Rio Grande Valley. I Loved my time there! i made great friends and learned and grew so much! And i love having an excuse to go back and visit!
I took 2 days off last weekend and made a trip down for 4 wonderful days! i knew they would be busy, but i fit in as much stuff as i could!! I flew into San Antonio and my amazing boyfriend drove up from Mcallen to pick me up at the airport. We went to lunch and wandered around the mall for a few hours before we had to get going.
My roommate, Sandra, that lived with me for about 6 months before moving back to utah, was getting Married!! The wedding was at the San Antonio Temple and it was Beautiful!! Sandra is one of the best people i've ever known. She is so kind, and compassionate, and loving, and works so hard!! She taught me SO MUCH the 6 months we lived together and i just love her to death!! i'm so happy for her that she met such an amazing man and i'm SO happy that i was able to be there and celebrate with her!! Sandra and Alfredo.

Sandra with her family- that i came to know and love while i lived down there!! i was so glad they made the trip up to san antonio! her nieces and nephew are so cute and so much FUN!!

LOVE this girl!!

After the wedding, Marc and I drove back to Mcallen that night. we didn't get home til after midnight and we were EXHAUSTED!! Luckily Friday was gonna be a little slower day!

We did some grocery shopping because we were gonna make dinner for his mom on mothers day. there was a small argument about mushrooms :) but we worked through it. Marcy let me go by the school for a little while to visit with coaches, kids, and coworkers. i Love seeing everybody! the RGV was home to me for 2 years- and i think it will always feel like home to me! the people there are Awesome!! We spent the rest of the day going to lunch, hanging out with marcy's dad, looking at apartments and even managed to squeeze in a nap! Friday night we went to Sandra and Alfredo's wedding reception in Mcallen. Again- just fun for me to see and visit with people :)

SATURDAY we got to spend at the BEACH!!!! i LOVE going to south padre island!! i LOVE that it's so close! We took a walk on the beach in the morning, went to the Sea Turtle Rescue Center (which marc has never done before! it's so cool!!), and ended up laying out by the pool instead of the beach cuz it was super windy!

This is at marcy's parents trailer. they have a lot out by the beach for the whole summer!! Sweet!!

i tried to load this picture 3 times, and it keeps loading sideways. but i guess it doesn't really matter. this is one of the turtles at the rescue center. you can't really tell- but they're pretty big! and so close! but don't stick your hands in- they'll bite your fingers right off!!

Can't get enough of this guy!!!

You know your boyfriend is awesome when he'll put up with you making him take pictures like this!!

Marc about to feed one of the turtles. apparently they love romaine lettuce?

Laying out by the pool- trying to get rid of some hideous tan lines!!

We had to head home from the beach saturday afternoon because we had a big night planned!!Marcy did the most AMAZING thing ever and bought us tickets to go see GEORGE STRAIT!!! any of you that know me, know how much i LOVE country music and i have been wanting to see George for YEARS!! i was totally Ecstatic and had to believe it was more than coincidence that he happened to be in concert in the RGV the weekend i was gonna be there! I was so giddy and excited! and George lived up to every expectation!! he was Amazing!!! i LOVE when i have a chance to get dressed up and wear my hat! my boots and belt are regulars in my wardrobe- but the hat is for special occasions :)

LOVE this guy! he is the BEST!!

Sunday was we busy trying to get dinner and dessert started before we went to church at 11. then we only stayed for the first hour because we were going to marcy's parents house to eat at 1:30. we made lasagna and salad and garlic bread- nothing too difficult but it was Really good!! and at least his mom got a break from cooking on mother's day! (although... i'm pretty sure she ended up doing the dishes? oops...)

My flight left mcallen around 6 and i made it home around 11PM- only to get up at 5 and start the week over again! i was totally exhausted- but it's always worth the trip. and i hope i have a reason to go back again soon!

In other news- in case you were interested- i turned in 30 days notice at my job this week. i'm gonna take a nice vacation this summer and then figure out what i'm doing with my life- for REALS this time. it's time to swith careers or something- maybe go back to school. we'll see what i come up with. i'm planning on getting some quality thinking time in idaho and utah this summer.

getting out of town

i was really needing to escape from life this week- so i took off wednesday afternoon and thursday and spent a couple days with my brother and his awesome family in cottonwood! i have 3 nephews and a niece up there and i LOVE that i live close enough to see them- but i definitely don't make it up there as often as i should!
i got to hang out at their house with them wed afternoon and then take all the kids to the park while colton had baseball practice. Then i stopped and bought them all candy on the way home- i'm not the favorite aunt for nothing!! The kids are great- i can't believe how old they're getting and how fast they grow up it seems!! and i LOVE spending time with my sis-in-law Alicia. she is amazing has been such a great counselor, confidant, and friend over the last year. what a Huge blessing in my life!!
These pics are from quality Dacie and Aunt Kerri time on thursday morning. The boys were at school, and alicia had some errands to run, so we got to hang out, just the 2 of us. These were sitting on the porch swing in the morning. SO nice outside!