2008 RECAP FOR THE SORENSEN'S

Season's Greetings and Welcome to Our Holiday Blog!

We love this time of year and the opportunity it affords in more fully focusing and reflecting upon our Savior and the blessings we have received from our loving Father in Heaven throughout the year. AND WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN!!! Pull up a comfy chair, a steaming cup of cocoa, and join us as we recap the incredible year of 2008!

JANUARY

We rang in the New Year with a fabulous NEW YORK NEW YEAR'S EVE party here in Mapleton.

The Spread

Good Friends = Good Times!

E & A

The New York Quiz...notice the lovely taxi tablecloth? :)

Wicked crazy game of SPOONS!!!

Anna sporting the latest NY fashion...

THE BALL DROP! HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Eric and I began a ballroom class together. Eric is an amazing dancer! I'm afraid I slow him down! I also took a "refresher" belly-dancing class.

We celebrated Eric's 27th birthday by having a joint party with our good friends Curtis and Mariah. We spent the day sledding and snowmobiling up Hobble Creek Canyon. We LOVE spending time in the mountains!

E's actual birth date was celebrated with a simple and quiet party at home.

FEBRUARY

We kept busy with work and random projects all month. We enjoyed an early spring and the accompanying warmer weather. Nothing too noteworthy, though I did have a humorous experience with my keys.

I was multitasking, as usual, one morning when something really funny occurred that completely caught me off guard. It was something that "so didn't happen to Alisyn," that I was in a state of shock for at least three seconds. I almost panicked.

I was heading out for the day with a rather unusual inventory: purse, garbage, Netflix envelope, a shopping list, a note with an address, a folder I needed to return to someone, and two Valentine's bags with lotion in them. I opened up Jerky's (my '97 Ford Escort) passenger door and unloaded everything but the Netflix envelope and my purse. I locked the door and proceeded to the driver's side. I put my purse between the seat and door (for safety purposes...) and started my car. I figured Jerky would like a little warm-up before being driven down the street. I then walked across the street to our mailbox where I placed the Netflix envelope. Awesome. I was making good time and looking forward to my Visiting Teaching interview (which was at 10:45). I headed back to my car and lifted the door handle...only to discover that I HAD LOCKED THE DOOR!!!

I am one of those people who locks my door as soon as I enter the car. Actually, I lock the door right after I open it, even before I'm seated in the car...you know, to be safe. Ha! REAL SAFE, AL! YOU CAN'T EVEN GET IN NOW! Here's where the three seconds of shock and almost panic took over. I have NEVER LOCKED MYSELF OUT OF MY CAR! Ever! I thought about calling Eric, but realized my phone was in the car...safe and sound. Then I laughed aloud because of the irrational thinking that was taking over. All I needed to do was go inside the house and get my spare key. BUT my house key was in the car...safe and sound. Then I thought about the amazing and ingenious lock box by our front door. It has a spare house key in it. Then I laughed aloud again. I walked over to the garage and punched in the code. No locked doors, just easy access into the house (and my spare key) once that little code was entered. I ran up the stairs (though how well can a girl RUN up stairs in three inch boots and a skirt?), grabbed my spare key and exited through the garage...making sure the key worked before closing the garage door. Yeah, I'm pretty much brilliant! Ha!

2/3/08

MARCH

March began with a trip to Las Vegas with my sister, Anna. We had a wonderful time with the three nieces, and of course my brother and his wife, who live there.

Eric stayed very busy at work, though he was able to spend some time working out in the garage. His vehicle count at this point was 6.

I planned and implemented our Relief Society birthday Enrichment dinner after being extended a "secondary" calling to serve on the Quarterly Activity Enrichment Board. (A calling I still hold to date.) I was also privileged enough to help with one of my dear friend's baby showers (to which we hand-made 120 invitations!). I also helped a friend with her personal company's display for a bridal fair. Man, weddings are fabulous!

I am totally and completely in love with Eric...


And the story of the Mohawk goes something like this...

Once upon a Friday evening, Eric told his lovely wife Alisyn that it was Eric's time for yet another haircut. He tugged at the tresses and jokingly inquired as to whether or not he should shave his head but leave a Mohawk. Alisyn getting very excited at the prospect of seeing her extremely handsome husband with a Mohawk, told him that he should indeed shave everything but some hairs on the top of his head for a Mohawk. So Eric went upstairs for a while. He once again reappeared downstairs, and to his wife's amazement, he had a two inch long Mohawk on the top of his head. She of course LOVED it and thought he looked VERY SEXY! They enjoyed showing it off to some friends and one of Eric's brothers the next day.

Upon getting ready for bed Saturday night, Eric asked Alisyn if he should shave off the Mohawk before church on Sunday. "Absolutely not!" was Alisyn's reply. "You HAVE to go to church like that! It's awesome!" Though Eric was somewhat uncertain about the appropriateness of his hairdo and Sunday worship, he followed his wife's advice and kept the hairdo. His outfit of choice for Sunday, of course, was his blue suit...for what is a man with a Mohawk without a blue suit?


Little did Eric know of the powerful combination he was creating that Sunday morning as he prepared himself for church. All eyes were upon him as he entered the chapel...including the bishop's. Eric gave a tentative grin, the bishop smiled wide. Everyone who googled upon Eric smiled wide, it was as though the suit held magical powers capable of making people happy. And as a wife, Alisyn noticed how envious all of the men looked when they gazed upon Eric's hair. This made Alisyn smile wide.

The true power of the suit and Mohawk were manifest in Primary during Sharing Time, however. Eric and Alisyn's CTR 8 class were in charge of Sharing Time, so they explained their activity and explained to the children that only reverent examples would be called upon as helpers. The time went by quickly and the lesson smoothly. They bore testimony and sat down. After the church meetings, several comments were made to the Sorensen's concerning their Sharing Time. "That was the most amazing Sharing Time we have ever had!" "I can't believe how reverent everyone was!" "It was SO quiet in there!" "Talk about spiritual and actually being able to feel the Spirit!" These things were ponderous to the Sorensens. And as they were thus, a fellow Primary teacher came up to them and said, "Our Primary has never been that reverent. But you wanna know why I think they were so good? Because of your suit and hair Brother Sorensen! They were too enthralled to make a noise!"

The moral of the story is: Don't be afraid to be yourself! :)

APRIL

Eric had regional Porsche training in Las Vegas at the beginning of the month. We drove down to Vegas in this...

...'08 Porsche Cayman

As good looking and sporty as this car may be, it is not a good "road tripping" car for tall people. But we survived. :)

I celebrated my 24th birthday with...PANTS! It all started the day before my birthday...

My brother, Steven, and his five adorable children came over to play with us Monday afternoon. We colored, we made helping hands and flowers (to put in a pot as a Mother's Day gift), we ironed decals on T-shirts (and put glitter glue and sequins on them), we played horseshoes and drew with sidewalk chalk, we ate popsicles, and we laughed a lot. We also had a little birthday celebration to which I got to open a present from Steve and his family. Melanie had joined us at this point (she had gone to lunch with a friend) and made a small disclaimer that she was not with Steve when he got the present. Kimberly (the oldest, 8 years of age) made a similar disclaimer. Come to find out, Steve did the birthday shopping with Ben (7), Liz (4), and Em (almost 3).

The amazing Hansen 7 gave me four new pairs of pants and a skirt! (All to which fit perfectly and were very stylin'!) The little girls chanted, "Fashion show! Fashion show!" So I have pics of all the "outfits."

A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY BEINGS WITH WONDERFUL SLEEP.
-Debra Fotheringham 4/15/08

Tuesday morning (around 6:00 a.m.) I was greeted by my lover with a soft kiss and birthday wishes. He is the best! He also told me to sleep in as long as I wanted and to take my time because "this was my day." I love this man!!! But I actually got out of bed before 7:30 a.m. and began my journey downstairs. I was greeted by Anna (birthday song and hug included!) and this lovely decoration:


After cleaning up some random things around the house and getting ready for the day, Anna and I went to lunch with Deb to Thai Ruby. The waiter was typical zoobie and at one, point he tried "a move" on me. He saw my wedding ring and said, "Oh, are you engaged or do you just wear that to ward off the crazies?" "No, I have been happily married for two years." He didn't talk to me for the duration of our lunch. Psycho boy. Why do they instantly go for the married women?

We stopped by K-Mart on our way home and then "kicked it" until Eric got home...and man what a surprise he brought with him! GORGEOUS BIRTHDAY BOUQUET! That boy won himself some major bonus points with this one! :)

(The Flowers...note the calla lilies, which are my fav)

I was starting to feel really ill at this point (stupid cold!), so we decided to forgo the original plan of Color Me Mine and Lemon Passion Cake and made birthday crepes for dinner and snuggled up to one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. Before we ate, however, I got to open all of my presents...and this is where my birthday got really exciting. My sister-in-law, Michelle, coordinated a Clandestine Operation: TRAVELING PANTS with all of my siblings and parents. They each sent me a pair of crazy pants for my birthday! Michelle read my blog concerning my need for new pants...so she thought it would be fun to help make my blog wish come true! :) It was awesome! And it was a completely surprise! Steve's present on Monday went completely past me...I didn't get it until I opened the first package on Tuesday! It was awesome and very hilarious!

(Sailor Pants from Mom & Dad)

(Juicy from Mike & Co.)

(Adidas from Steve & Co.)

(Camo from Anna)

(Bejeweled A heart E from Erik & Co.)

My niece Jessica told me, "Well, just be careful what you wish for on your blog. We like to make those wishes come true!" :) It was an amazing day THANKS TO ALL OF YOU INCREDIBLE PEOPLE!!!

On April 21, Eric and I celebrated the BEST TWO YEARS EVER!

In honor of our SECOND ANNIVERSARY, I filled out this little "husband tag" survey. It's special, but hopefully it helps Eric know just how much I love and appreciate him! These past two years have been some kind of wonderful! I am more in love than ever before. He is the man of my dreams and so much more!

What is his name? Eric Brent Sorensen

How long have you been married? Two years and a few hours!

Who eats more? Eric, but he has a bigger tank to fill. (I probably eat more junk food than him though…)

Who said "I love you" first? Me! But Eric exchanged his love right after. That was on November 13, 2005.

Who is taller? Eric, unless I’m wearing really crazy tall shoes.

Who sings better? I think we would both say the other partner sings better…I like Eric’s voice. We have good “filler voices,” not so much soloists.

Who is smarter? When it comes to intellect, we create one really really smart person when we work together. We have been blessed with very different strengths: Eric is extremely mechanical, logical, has a very good memory, good at math, solving puzzles, very street smart etc. I love writing and reading, artistic expression, I too enjoy solving puzzles and organizing. I am detail-oriented and book smart.

Whose temper is worse? Our tempers are different. Eric expresses his in the moment and then gets over it. I suppress my feelings and let them fester until I blow at some random, very unrelated moment (I’m working on it).

Who does the laundry? I do it for the most part, but not because Eric isn’t willing to help out. He does it when needed. He is always willing and ready to help around the house.

Who does the dishes? Anna. It is a rare occasion that we get a turn! Our general rule is one makes the dinner, the other does the dishes (though we usually help with both).

What is a little thing or two you love about him? There are so many things I love about Eric! Lately I have really loved and appreciated his ability to keep me laughing and having fun during stressful moments. He doesn’t let life bog him down, nor does he take unimportant things too seriously…and I need that sort of influence in my life. I also love his patience and gentle ways with me. He is a true gentleman and amazing lover.

Who pays the bills? Eric makes all the play dough and we both take part in paying the bills. He does all the online ones and tithing. I take care of writing out checks…the “mail-ins.”

Who mows the lawn? Eric is SO nice and lets me share in this responsibility! He does it most of the time, but I get a turn when I want (and my allergies aren’t haywire).

Who cooks dinner? We both LOVE to cook. Generally, weekdays = me and weekends = Eric. Eric always cooks when we go camping, which is an excellent arrangement!

Who drives when you are together? Almost always Eric, which is sometimes hard since I love driving so much, but I’m getting used to it.

Who is more stubborn? Hmm, depends on the situation. Perhaps me.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Eric is the most patient, understanding, and forgiving man I have ever met, so he probably gets the credit for this one.

Who proposed? It was more of a discussion rather than an actual proposal back in November 2005…but Eric did get down on one knee and pop the question three weeks before we got married. Good thing I said yes, eh!? (Those custom rings take some time, though, so I’m not complaining!)

Who has more friends? I’m more social.

What attracted you to him? His quiet and calm demeanor, his big strong muscular body, his ability to fix anything with virtually anything…MacGyver!, his testimony of the Gospel, his support and thoughtfulness toward my sister, his laugh and ability to have TONS OF FUN, his loyalty and respect toward me.

Who wears the pants? We believe in teamwork! But Eric is good at wearing pants!

MAY

I attended Women's Conference with my mother-in-law and some of my sisters-in-law at the beginning of the month. Talk about your picker-upper! Good stuff! Though the thought of spending two days with thousands of women, all of whom want your parking spot, is rather daunting, the overall spirit and messages of peace were well worth the stress and heightened estrogen levels. Here are some of the highlights of the conference for me:

SISTER SHERI DEW
*AWAKE to who you are. ARISE to make ours the ministry. (What would change if you thought of your life as a ministry?) COME unto Christ and walk out of the world.
*We rarely understand how the Lord uses us. Satan has lulled us to sleep. WE ARE SLEEPING GIANTS! We have more influence and power than we think.
*WE ARE HERE TO INFLUENCE THE WORLD, NOT TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE WORLD!
*Pray about who the Lord needs you to be.
*Take a little more time to become a little more holy.

SISTER JULIE BECK
*Faith: with our challenges, comes our opportunities!
*Sometimes we complicate the gospel to such a length, we forget what it's really about (testifying of truths and living by them)
*We fought for HALF THE RESPONSIBILITY, we better live up to it because we are accountable for it!
*Always build on the shoulders of some giant.
*There is so much work to be done, it isn't fancy, it doesn't center around holidays, it just needs to be done. Arise and go forth. There is part of this work for YOU.
*We don't apologize for what we have and we make no excuses.

BROTHER JOHN BYTHEWAY
*FEAR = False Expectations Appearing Real, faith and fear cannot co-exist.
*The only thing we have to fear EVER is sin, but not even then because Christ has conquered it all.
*Our religion is not a crutch, it's a sword, it's power.
*We should be too busy to fear.

BROTHER GREG OLSEN
*President Packer told Brother Olsen to portray Christ as "manly and simply ordinary."
*The Savior is our window--to give us a glimpse of us and our potential (He has made Himself available, do we follow through?)
*Remember Him. Find time each day TO BE STILL.

PRESIDENT THOMAS MONSON
*Don't let the important things pass you by (ENJOY LIFE NOW!)
*There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today
*Everyday in your life is a special occasion
*NEVER LET A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN A PERSON TO BE LOVED!
*Shall I falter or shall I finish?
*Pause occasionally and think of all you have done (rather than what you should do)
*It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts)
*Your love and service are the gold threads that run through the tapestry of life, thank you, sweet sisters, for all that you do.

My brother Steve and his family were in town for awhile, so Steve and I conspired and came up with a brilliant surprise for Mel's Mothers Day. Anna and I "borrowed" the kids for the afternoon and had a photo shoot! They were amazing models! Here are a few of my absolute favorites of the baby...



It was fun to discover that our kitchen makes for a great studio. :)

Mid-May we headed down to Arizona for "THE BOYS ANNUAL CENTRAL AZ LOOP RIDE." Eric's dad and three of his brothers (the forth one doesn't ride) like to get together at least once a year for one BIG dirt bike ride. We left May 7th...spent the night in St. George, then headed out early Thursday morning. We pulled into the in-laws drive in Mesa sometime mid-afternoon, freshened up and met everyone for dinner. I headed to bed around 10:30 p.m., Eric crawled in sometime around 1:00 a.m. We woke up at 5:20 a.m. Friday morning, made sure the boys had everything, and drove the trucks to their "drop off" point. As the boys sped into the sunrise I thought to myself, "Man, I really need to pee, I'm exhausted, I hope Eric is careful, and I wonder what's for breakfast." :)

I rode "chase" with my sister-in-law, Kari. We met the boys in Sedona, where we enjoyed tales about their journey thus far (they had only experienced one flat tire at that point), ate some delicious gourmet pizza, and got what precious sleep we could. We then repeated the same glorious process all over again Saturday morning...only not quite as early! Kari and I enjoyed the quaint shops of downtown Sedona and then began our journey back South. Her truck experienced some overheating issues, however, so our trip wasn't without adventure! We figured things out (thanks to those Sorensen boys, us wives sure know our way around vehicles!) and made it safely back to Mesa. We dropped all of the boys' gear off to their respective homes, enjoyed a snack at our mother-in-law's, and then drove back to our meeting place. The boys pulled in around 9:00 p.m. covered in dirt, looking absolutely exhausted, and as happy as ever.

They covered 500 miles in two days. INSANE. But there's something about ridin' for these fellows... A good release of energy for them. And like I said, there were very few incidents (just a few flat tires and one spill, but nothing too serious...thanks to the prayers of wives and mother!!!) and great memories made. It was a great trip!

JUNE

June was by far one of our most favorite months EVER because we traveled to Europe (and spent 14 days) with some of Eric's family and a niece from "my side." WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!!

But before that, I was privileged with hosting one of my dear friend's (we met in junior high) bridal shower. It was a very happy and festive occasion...and my gift to her since our trip to Europe caused me to miss her wedding. Very unfortunate, though I heard it was a smashing event! :)

Our trip encompassed Switzerland, Germany, Austria (for about ten minutes!), and France. I could spend weeks describing all the exciting things we experienced...and I will, if you call me. :) But for now, a few representative pictures will have to do.

JULY

After returning from our grand adventure and "regrouping," we began some serious construction down in our basement. We made a deal with our landlord - we would finish the basement for discounted rent. There was a finished bedroom already in existence down there, but we added a bathroom, storage room (which could later be used for a craft room), and big open family room.

Eric continued his hectic schedule at work...adding more and more hours to his work day (anywhere from 10 - 14), which was hard for everyone involved (his sweet wife tried so hard to be supportive and not complain...). :) Thankfully that "issue" was mostly resolved several months later. :)

Life continued to be joyous and productive.

AUGUST

My sister Anna got engaged to her good friend, Mr. Frank. Anna and I had most of the themes/ideas/plans hashed out within two weeks. By mid-August we were questioning if November would ever come!!!


Eric and I discovered another of E's MANY talents - that of hairstylist. I asked him to cut my hair into a short version of an A-line...he read some instructions online and PRESTO!

SEPTEMBER

Eric and I were seriously slacking in the camping department this year, so we decided it was high time to pack up and get away Labor Day weekend. We traveled the fifteen minutes up Hobble Creek Canyon to one of our most favorite camping spots (very secluded and beautiful). We enjoyed gorgeous weather (a few sprinkles here and there and then a torrential downpour late Sunday night), amazing food, wicked wilderness golf, napping, chainsaw whittling, and the company of hilarious friends.

We had to pack up camp late Sunday night due to the rainstorm, but even that was an enjoyable adventure. E and I relished a laid back Monday morning and early afternoon (the torrential rain followed us back down the canyon) by snuggling in our queen size sleeping bag and watching a movie. That afternoon, after the rain stopped and the sun began to blaze, we cleaned up all of our camping gear which was soaking wet and caked with mud. Good times!

We spent a short weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate the baptism of a niece with Anna and Mr. Frank in tow. We enjoyed a fabulous luncheon celebration at Olive Garden and a crazy-fun swim party later that afternoon.

We hosted a smashing Storytelling Festival for Anna's birthday. Our friends were kind enough to dress up (per request) and share one of their favorite children's stories. GOOD TIMES!

Wedding plans continued.

We spent another short weekend in Colorado toward the end of the month. The Boys enjoyed an evening of Endurocross racing and The Girls had a craft night (which was AWESOME)!

OCTOBER

Eric and I thoroughly enjoyed General Conference weekend...always a joy and uplifting pleasure! We LOVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we feel so blessed to have its purity and fulness in our lives.

We started a "home buying search" and found a couple of prospects that were quite exciting. (Though now we feel it is best to wait to buy until Spring 2009.) It is a crazy thing to think about buying a home...forces you to feel all adult-esque and whatnot. :)

We helped our Primary kids prepare for the Primary Program in church...WOW! that was fun. It was C-H-A-O-S, but much to my surprise and appreciation, our class was actually pretty well-behaved. I only had to confiscate four pencils, help a little guy hold his arms by holding them in place for him, and say, "BE QUIET! SING! SIT DOWN! STOP!" about 57 times. That earned them some M&Ms (compliments of the Primary Presidency). It is very comical what kids will do for a piece of candy. Ridiculous, actually.

NOVEMBER

The wedding month finally came! :) And what a smashing event it was too!

And instead of taking things easy, we decided to cram as much into November as we possibly could! After the wedding, we spent a week in Arizona for some much needed R&R, a surprise joint birthday party for E's parents, and some training for E's work. We came home, I did some laundry, then I packed up and headed out to St. George with Anna. We spent the first part of the week cleaning the house, planning menus, and grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. Our amazing husbands, some family, and a few friends joined us Wednesday evening. It was an awesome holiday!

DECEMBER

This month has been busy with hosting family, a short trip to Inkom, Idaho to visit an ailing aunt, playing with friends, preparing for Christmas, etc.


We were able to visit Temple Square last week with Anna & Mr. Frank and some good friends of ours.






We have enjoyed a huge dumping of snow. We are looking forward to our white Christmas, especially since we will be continuing our tradition of going sledding on Christmas Day. Me, E, and a couple of our good friends tried out the hill we're planning on using...WHAT A BLAST! We are excited to go back!

So, as you can see (or have read...), LIFE IS GOOD! We are in love with living it! Thanks to each of you for being a part of this grand adventure called life and for offering your continual love and support of us. We wouldn't be who we are nor could we do it all without incredible people like YOU! We love you so very much and we hope you enjoy the most splendid of holiday season's! Merry Christmas and enjoy your New Year!

With Love,

Eric & Alisyn