Mark Quayle Smiley Boy Sorensen

Ava's new name for her brother.

Who got a hold of the camera?

Just flipping though my camera, Mike, did you take these??? Let's just say it's a good thing that Ava got her own camera for Christmas!

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, "Oh crap, she's up!"

Christmas Quotes

Ava (after opening up a necklace from her brother Ez, and while giving him the hug of a lifetime): You are the best brother....EVER!

Ez (while opening a present): It's a box... FOR ME!!!

Ava (thoughtfully, while looking around at our 11 Sorensen family guests): This house is full, but there's still room in our inn.

“We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer ‘Tomorrow,’ his name is today.”

Gabriela Mistral, Chilean Poet

Just Because

Babies change so fast, so of course we need to add a few more images.
Ava giving sweet cuddles to her new baby brotherLia snapped a few great shots when she came over for a postpartum visit. Such a great doula, would totally recommend!
Our little stylista is still up to her fashion tricks.
Grandpa Mark, Baby Mark. Love you Dad!
Just because Ezra is so cute!
Mark meets his siblings for the first time.
We caught it on camera!

Mark has arrived!

Mark, pulling himself out of the scale just after birth. Strong little guy!

On November 23rd Mark arrived. He made it one day early! Mark's birth went perfectly. Every detail went even better than could be planned or hoped for. I wanted my mom to be in town, but also didn't want to be in the hospital when my dad arrived for Thanksgiving a few days later. My mom arrived on Friday, I began labor Sunday evening and delivered Monday morning. I was out of the hospital Wednesday afternoon, home before my dad's evening flight arrived.

I wanted to deliver naturally arriving at the hospital jut in time to give birth. With the help of my mom, Mike and my doula, Lia we stayed at home all through the night. The kids miraculously slept in until 8 (Ezra is our 6:45 alarm clock) just in time to shovel them out the door and get to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 9:28. Mark arrived at 10:02. It was a calm and peaceful birth.

Most importantly, Mark is a perfectly healthy baby. He is by far our biggest at 7 pounds 9 ounces (Ez was #2 at 6 lbs., 14 oz.), and just keeps gaining. Mark is a sweet little guy who is rarely fussy, loves to cuddle, and smells like vanilla cake. Totally scrumptious. His hair is dark with caramel colored highlights and curls up into soft ringlets when freshly cleaned. Our little piece of heaven!

Proof that I was Pregnant

I realize that there aren't a lot of pictures show casing the belly. I don't even have a ticker counting down days until delivery. Can she really be pregnant? Here you go. Thirteen days before delivery. Here's the proof.

Walden Pond

Mike is lucky enough to have Fridays off, and we try to get out when we can to see some of the sights only the Boston area can offer. A few weeks ago we decided to visit Walden Pond. It was beautiful and peaceful. The kids loved hiking around the pond and climbing on tree stumps. They also loved playing in the little replica house with the ashy stove.

Happy Halloween

Before we get to Halloween, here is a picture of my grandparents who were kind enough to stop by for a visit early October. We loved having visitors and spent the whole day catching up. Grandma brought me an afghan for the new baby and lots of pictures of our ancestors to use for a project I'm working on. We love you guys!

For Halloween, we tromped down south to spend time with old friends in Philadelphia. Mike ran from city to suburb visiting old school friends and I hung out with the Vance's and got to see many of my old friends at ward parties and a girls breakfast out. Ava had a Scooby-Doo costume she wore to the Boson events, but decided to get girlie on us for the real deal. She is a fairy princess (you can't see her wings). Ez is superman in case you can't tell.

Cranberry Harvest

Sergi Farm

One of the things I love the very most about living back east are how many of these you can find around. I love farms!!! I love their yummy fresh produce. Farmer's Market food is ten times more delicious than grocery store produce. My tummy gets happy just thinking about it.

This particular farm is only five minutes away. The whole family went with Ava's Joy School group on a field trip. Ava got to gather an egg from the hen house, we all got to pick beans from the field and go pumpkin picking! I kept telling Mike how much fun I had and how I wish we'd chosen to be farmers instead of students. :o) He just laughed and said he'd give me one full day of work and I'd change my mind. I'm sure he's probably right.

Sweet Ava in the coup.

Child labor...but they all seem to be enjoying it. Ezra started eating them raw. I'll admit I had a taste and loved it. Even Mike thought that off the vine from Sergi Farm was better than anything I could do in my kitchen with grocery store beans.

The Ava/Eva's get a ride from Ben. THANKS BEN!

The perfect find. It tasted delicious last night.

It looks old, but it runs for real, so watch out, 'cuz Ez is behind the wheel.

Laughs

Wednesday I was trying to rush Ava out the door for Joy School. We needed to stop at the grocery store for a potato on the way. Her class was making veggie soup, and I was too tired by the time Mike got home the night before to do my planned grocery trip post kid-bedtime. Ava had been saying cute things all morning, but I had been so focused on dressing, eating, socks and shoes, that I hadn't given her much attention.

As we are sitting by the door, her shoes in my hands trying to make it to her feet, Ava asks, "Mom, what do I need to say to make you laugh?"

I laughed right away. "Is that what you've been trying to do all morning?"

"Yeah, and you've been bossing me around all day!" She said smiling.

Just a reminder of how sweet our kids are, how attune they are to our moods, how they feel responsible to help us relax amidst the crazy day-to-day stresses. I am so lucky to have my Ava girl!!! She reminds me to live in and enjoy the moment.

Speaking of good laughs, Mike and I were in the kitchen cleaning up the dinner mess. Ava was talking to us; Ezra walks in. "Sweetie, it's time to go on a date!" He says to Ava. Ava stops mid sentence and tromps off with Ez. What a funny couple of kids I have! What a funny boy! Ava sure is training him for one lucky woman!

Enjoying Boston

We've been here three weeks now. My big body did great unpacking and getting the house put together in mostly a week! I'm still working on all the office-details of moving and a new school year, there's always an address change I seemed to overlook, finding a library for the kids, organizing dance classes for Ava Tumble Time for Ez, Joy School prep for Ava, insurance and doctors for everyone... But we are happy! Here are some peeks into our life in Boston so far.


LABOR DAY- We headed into the city for an introduction to Public Garden and Boston Common. The kids loved running around all the fountains, and I loved remembering my study abroad in London and all the beautiful parks they have there!


Poor Ava was a little grumpy on the swan ride. As soon as we hopped on she needed an emergency bathroom break, but mean mom made her wait until she got off. I distracted her by looking at all the ducks we were passing diving into the water, or swimmig around with their tails in the air looking for food.


After only a few days here, we needed an outing, so we had a family field trip down to daddy's school to look around. We even took the bus, just like daddy does every day. I think that has been Ezra's favorite Boston event. He keeps asking to see the picture with him and daddy on the bus.


This is what my California kids think cold Boston rain is for- an opportunity to get in your swim gear and get wet! It didn't last as long as they thought it would. A little colder than our last climate.

Beach Week 2009

We love Beach week!!! Spending time with family is the best, and no matter where you go during beach week, there they are! Here are some of our favorite pics from our family reunion


Ezra LOVED being buried in the sand. I don't know why we didn't think to do it until the last day.
Jess and Danny let Ava and Ez go for a little boat ride in the ocean's waves. Ava loved it. Ezra loved it until the first wave and then wanted me to hold him. He hasn't got his sea legs yet.



Almost all of the attending Christensen Great-Grandchildren. Aren't they a cute bunch?


Thanks for letting me copy you Bek! Gotta love modest swim suits from hapari!


Of course we built (well, mostly I didn't build, but tried to keep my children from destroying) a magnificent sand castle. These pits helped keep the waves off the castle, and because of them, the castle survived over night!

Jess was such a great help with my babies! Mike had to work most of the week, and I couldn't have done beach week without her!


Av and Jess playing baseball. Ava actually hit a few all by herself!


Got to love that look of determination. She's too cute!


Grandma Paula with attending grandchildren. We missed you Koch kids! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the wonderful week!

Uncle Mark is one of Ezra's favorite people. Whenever we'd go to Bekah's this summer, he'd ask, "Where's Uncle Mark?" Mark's such a good uncle and father.

Ava wearing a birthday dress, and Ezra thrilled to be included with the girls. He took a good liking to Ellie, but whenever Ava mentions Ellie, Ezra always follows up with, "...and Meg!"


Settlers for the adults!


True love!

Grandpa and Grandma brought back a Flamenco dress for Ava. She loved it and wore it to the church for FHE Sunday night. Too cute!


Ezra was so sweet with Grant. Everytime he wanted to hold the baby, he'd rock back and forth. My little boy is so sweet!

One of Ava's birthday gifts-she wears them in the tub everytime we take baths. She sure misses our LA pool!