Sorensen Family Get-Together, 2011 ETC

The pictures are in very random order, and I'm not going to take the time to change them around. It takes me long enough to just load the things! About a minute apiece, I figure. So, Aunt Tuny, when you wonder WHY I don't blog very often, that is why. It's too time consuming for me and my computer-challenged self. Above is Gail explaining to Lexi and Ella how to play "Boggle." We are huge boggle buffs at this house. Huge. As is the dictionary that we use while playing Boggle. Ella did a good job writing letters she knows. She's 4. This is NOT at the Sorensen family get-together, but it was on Dec 22 in Cedar City at my house.
Later that evening, we read "The Night Before Christmas" together before Tandy headed back to California with her kids the next morning. They came up here on Monday the 19th and stayed till the 23rd. The kids went with Mike, Nick and Seth and delivered our neighbor gifts in the bitter cold night air the night of the 22nd. Ella about got frostbite. But they SANG at every door, "We wish you a merry Christmas..." How fun! I appreciated the help, too.
This (below) is my Christmas tree. Eric and I strung popcorn garlands. Talk about time-consuming! Yikes. Those strands took a long time to do. But they do look cute. We have something of an old-fashioned tree this year. There are lots of wooden ornaments and such on it.
OK, now to the family get-togeher at Suzie's house. Again, totally random order. AFTER we visited and ate dinner, Tandy set up her chocolate fountain. It was a huge hit!
Mike played cards with a few of his kids. Eric, Damian, Mike and Gail.
And it is SO HARD to get a decent picture of these silly guys. I just wanted them so stand behind their Dad. So they left their sunglasses. I don't think I've included the silliest ones, but there were PLENTY of silly faces to go around.
There was outdoor play, as well. Suzie and Kirk's dog, Hailey, is VERY well-behaved, but Ella is not very fond of dogs. Especially big ones. So she was hiding out in the play house in the back yard if the dog was around. Logan, Kara and Corey's little boy who is two, just loved Hailey.
Another shot of the chocolate fountain. There were all kinds of dippers, and we all had our fill, that's for sure! This is Devin and Avery and Lexi with Mike's mom in the background.
Below. Aunt Maureen and Berenice. Berenice enjoys attending family gatherings of all kinds.
Below. This is a typical shot of Tandy. She's the one pointing the camera at us. Steven is seated on the loveseat, Damian, Tandy, Suz in light blue, Aunt Jean back in the kitchen, Eric with plaid shirt.
Back at Tandy's house earlier on that Saturday. They always have a lot of music in their home. We just missed the piano recital this year. I think Tandy has about 7 students (some of whom are her own kids) and they all performed. We forgot to watch the video of it while we were there! But the kids did do their pieces for us.
Damian's residency hours exhaust him. We were really grateful that his schedule was such that he was actually home on Friday night when we got there and all day Saturday. He did have to go to work in the wee hours of Sunday morning, but we got to see him in the later afternoon on Sunday before we headed home to Cedar.
The other outdoor activity at Suz's house was jumping on the trampoline. This shot (below) is of Braeden, Caroline and Lexi. Jill also spent time on it, along with Gina and all of Suz's kids. I think that's all the kids there are. Oh, and Jonathan was there, too.
Back at Tandy's house (we really did not travel back and forth, back and forth--random order of pictures, remember). Saturday morning while we were just sittin' around waiting for the party, the kids and I played blocks.
I forgot to take a picture of Damian and Tandy's pretty Christmas tree in their living room, but I'm sure you'll be able to see it on her Blog when she gets Christmas pictures posted. But this little one (below) with the train track around it was in the family room. It's the Kids' Tree and Jonathan had a great time playing with the train. Sorry it's blurry. Choo, Choo!
They really had a houseful on Friday and Saturday night. Lexi and Caroline slept out on an air mattress in the family room. I found them reading together on Saturday morning. Grandma L. slept in Braeden's bed, Mike and I had the "Grandma room", Eric and Braeden were on the hide-a-bed in the office. Gail and Jonathan had the girls' room and Ella was camping in her toy tent in the master bedroom with her parents. Amazing. We were not even crowded at all. Thanks for being such a great hostess, Tandy!
We had lovely meals while there, watched her work her magic making treats for her neighbors and kids delivered them on Saturday. It was a really fun time. I hope Suzie posts the group picture that was taken at the get-together. It was a nice crowd and I had a great time visiting and chatting with everyone. And eating the wonderful food, too, of course.
And now, skipping back to Cedar city. Above is the NON flash version of the living room here at my house. We arrived back home in Cedar on Sunday night right around midnight. I dropped into bed at 1 a.m. Mike drove all the way there and all the way back. I don't know how he does it.
And one final shot of playing with the grand kids on Saturday at Tandy's house.