Small Obsession.......BYU football

I have a small confession to make. I am obsessed with BYU football. Not like some people I know, but I do love the game and BYU. Ever since I was little, I can remember BYU football. LaVell Edwards was the Bishop of my mom and dad's ward when they attended BYU. Every year for Spring Break we went to Utah to visit family and would ALWAYS stop at BYU to see LaVell, the BYU bookstore, eat in the CougarEat and see Kristin and Kraig who were attending there. I remember going to the blue/white game in the now Practice Fields. I even met Ty Detmer in the Football offices. He autographed his Heisman photo for me. I still have it somewhere and had a Heisman poster of Ty and his trophy in my room. My dad would wake us (at least me) up to the Cougar Fight Song: "Rise and shout the Cougars are out....." (go ahead and sing along) I remember watching Bowl games at the Cartwrights (family friends - we would share holiday meals together and Twin Lakes) because we didn't have cable and cheering on the blue and white. Of my immediate family, there are a LOT of BYU grads - my mom and dad, 3 siblings and their spouses, Jeff and I and my nephew will attend BYU-I this fall. Of my siblings and spouses (including parents) 10 of 16 graduated from BYU.
 
I am however, not as obsessed as say my husband Jeff. His family is insanely crazy fans - well a few of them - Nathan, Jeff, a few cousins and uncles and Grandma Risenmay (Jeff's grandma). Also there are few friends of ours that are how do you say: well I'm not sure words can express the bizarre behavior exhibited by such friends during games.........ahem......Scott, Pete, John, Jake and a few others I know......but all in good fun right!? Well whatever, I won't get into how up and down they are when they watch a game......that would fill an entire book!


In honor of BYU, I have made a few items to show our loyalty (and really so Jeff will indulge my creative outlets...) - aside from buying season tickets while living in Provo, driving for games, and buying "fan" t-shirts after we moved to AZ. I've put together a few BYU items of our own. Enjoy and if you're a Ute fan.....well - we can still be friends. Just don't tell Jeff - that may be another story. :)

  This is in Lucas' room - made this when he was littler and painted his room before Abbey was born. It was a proud day for Jeff when I called him at work and Lucas (who was barely 2 at the time) was chanting "B-Y-U, B-Y-U, Gooooooo, Cougars!" Awwww........ :)

This is hanging outside our front door and was inspired by "JOY" signs we made at last year's Super Saturday.


My latest was this: I took our old lame mouse pad to a computer that we no longer use. This mouse pad is 8 1/2 years old - we got it when we were first married and bought our first computer which has since been replaced this year as well.  

 And turned it into a Masterpiece.....sort of. :) Fun huh!!?

First day of 1st grade

This was back on Aug 3rd and it has been a roller coaster ever since. I thought I would love it, and I do and Lea does, but it's an adjustment...again. After being gone for a month and having barely any structure, we got home the night before school started and structure began with a vengeance. Anywho, here's some pictures of my big first grader! :) Her teacher is Mrs. Noyes and has a few of the same kids from last year. Max and Charity are from our ward and Sarah Lish from Capitol Ward.

Jeff was able to stay home a little later to send Lea off to her first big day. She starts at 9 am.

Not a great picture, but true to form of what quality photos I can get with 3 little ones. The other picture was worse..... :)Lea at her desk with Alyssa behind her - from Kindergarten. Awwww, so precious and even has a "school" bow for the first day. Her hair is a lot of fun - we do lots of fun things to be a little different in the uniforms - which I LOVE!!!!

Ha ha! Lucas is hilarious!

Today I was putting Lucas down for a nap and he was wearing his new Superman shirt. (He loves this his super-hero clothes!).

I told him: "Lucas I love your superman shirt. Do you love it?"

"yeah! Do you have a superman shirt mama?"

"No I don't - I wish I did."

"You should get a bigger shirt and daddy should get a bigger, bigger, bigger, BIGGER one."

He was so proud of himself! :) The boy loves his daddy!

Feeling crafty?!?

So I caught the craft bug and thanks to Shawna, I found 2 of my favorite creative and useful craft blogs. One is Shawna's My Inner Martha - can be found on the list of fav blogs and the other is Make it and Love it- logo found on the right of the blog.

I wanted to make something that was simple and didn't cost a lot, so at Make it and Love it, I found this (a belt out of ribbon) and I made my own. 2 for Lea, 2 for her friend for her birthday and 2 for next week's party she's going too. Also going to make one for Lucas with football ribbon. One spool of ribbon made 1 - 36"belt and 1 of these - a sippy cup leash. We'll use it on the side of the stroller for walks and even discovered it will be good for the carseat since Abbey is a pro at dropping EVERYTHING on the far side of her carseat - out of easy reach for anyone.


Also saw an idea like this hair things, but not exactly - so simple and way cute! Cute button and one elastic. I cut some to see what it was like and then sewed the other ones on. Very quick!


This was not found on the crafty blogs, but I was inspired to make this for Lea, hoping that her meltdowns are a result of boredom and a need to do something good. While Jeff was taking her for a 2 1/2 mile walk, I sat down to get to work on this. To which she was happy to have and has taken it on - now Lucas wants to have a job and I'll be making him a chart when I can find my craft table after the above projects are finished! I found some cute posterboard at Walmart - some with a girlie pattern and a plain blue to match Lucas' room. Lea's is on a folder, but I'm going to transfer it to the cute posterboard - hopefully without ruining it!

I'm also in charge of a project for Super Saturday, not because I came up with the idea, but because my sister-in-law Rozann made one for me and a good friend of mine is on the enrichment committee and saw it. Now I get to make my own and help others too - should be interesting.... :) I would post a picture of the project, but it's currently at the church ready to display with all the other Super Saturday projects.

Lea's birthday - photos

A few snapshots of Lea's life here on earth. She's very photogenic and has always been adorable! Can't believe she's so grown up!

Daddy's baby girl - Jeff looks really young huh?

Blessing Day - Provo, UT

Christmas 2003, Richland Wa - cousin Paige Sorensen

Jeff's graduation from BYU. My parents had Lea and while they were waiting for us, some very nice lady gave Lea this lei because she was so cute and the lei matched her dress. Very sweet.

Mostly notice the date - this is actually in AZ the winter after we moved to Phoenix and Jeff went to the snow (that's what we AZ folk call snow and we "went" because well it doesn't snow where we live so we have to drive to it....if you can call it snow) with my sisters fam, brothers fam and parents. Lea is 1 1/2 and well it's good I wasn't there to see this.....

Lea - age 2 1/2

Halloween 2005 - Hunt family bunny costume

Hannah Webb and Lea - Easter in Vegas 2006

Lea and her bud Ethan - Fall 2006

Her first hair cut - so cute and all the curls are gone. I loved her curly hair, but it's so cute without them too. 2007 (yes she was 4!)

Lea and Brisa - sweet friends even though they don't see each other very much. 2009

Lea's Rock Star party with her ROCK STAR friends: Brisa, Brynn, Sara, Lea, Halle, Laura and Rachael - rockin' out to Hannah Montana movie soundtrack. Fun party!

Our "short" hike (thought it was 3 and it was actually 5 1/2 miles!!!) at the Oregon Coast. This is the view from the turn around point - yikes! Lea, G-ma Judy, Anna, Nathan (Jeff's older brother), Jase.

Sorensen family reunion - Logan, UT 2009. The birthday kids! Brendan turned 18 on Aug 1st and Lea's birthday is July 29th. Brendan is off to his first year at BYU-I and Lea to first grade.

I love to see the Temple

This is for my benefit - maybe yours, but mostly a journal entry and something I need to remember.


Satudary morning our ward Relief Society went on a Temple Trip to the Mesa, AZ Temple. We met at our church building at 5:30 am and drove 45 minutes to the temple. My friend Erin emailed me early in the week and suggested I go with her. Knowing full well I am NOT a morning person - she went out on a limb and said I needed to go along. I agreed and decided 5:30 am would be the best time as it wouldn't be too much time away from the family.


Friday night we hosted our babysitting co-op (15 kids for about 4 hours - until 10 pm) after which I stayed up to clean up and went to bed at 12:30 am. Usually when I have to get up early for something, I don't get much sleep - too nervous I'm going to miss it. Up at 4:30 am and I was actually ready to go when Erin came to get me.


So I was pretty tired, but suprisingly awake for me at that time of morning. I (shhhhh!) slept through most of the session, but was alert enough to know what was going on around me. It was a wonderful experience being there with sisters from my ward and to know what a great "family" I have away from my family. I'd never been to the Temple during daylight hours - we usually go at night and the Celestial room was very bright at this early time.


Many of you know, we've had a few melt downs with Lea this past week, Erin has struggled with her boy the same age and our friend Sharree is in the same boat - something about the start of school, end of free time, and completely exhausted - our kids have all revolted to any sort of parenting - in which case, there is much yelling, screaming, crying and tears. Not always by the child - at least in our house. All in all, a bad mom week for me.

As I stood in the Celestial room, taking in all the architectual detail, I decided to just let my mind go - to stop looking for inspiration on how to deal with Lea when she's melting and just listen. I thought of my parents all the way in Norway - so far from us, unable to visit AZ for 18 months. I thought of our past months travel to see family. My family means more to me than anything in the world. We are very close - even at the extended family level - we are bonded together and I love it! Then my mind cleared and I had a distinct impression of three things to do with Lea: Patience, talk with her calmly and listen. What? and the same impression was there again. My shoulders felt lighter and I relaxed as I was able to fully appreciate the guidance I had just received. I've never had one of those "Ah-ha" moments before - at least not like that. It was truly amazing and I wished so badly for my parents sisters or brothers to be there with me, but I knew I had friends to help out and a loving Heavnly Father who would help me along the way as I try to be a good mom. Yes it's not easy being a parent and He already knows that - how often have I been the difficult child for Him and my own parents..... don't answer that. :)

One more thing I remember is the overwhelming feeling that I was doing a good job, I'm a good mom, but I can do more. I can be better and to be patient. It was a tender mercy for me and I am so grateful.

The rest of the day was pretty fantastic as well. I usually wait for everything to fall apart after visiting the Temple and being on a spiritual high, but today was just about perfect for me. Jeff was home for once on a Saturday with no work obligations hanging over his head. Free from a work laptop and a cell phone that was constantly buzzing with new emails, texts and phone calls. For once in a very, VERY, VERY long time, our Saturday was a family day and I loved every minute of it.