Another First...A Real Family Vacation

Warning: This post is extremely picture heavy. Proceed at your own risk.

Last week we got back from our first 'real' family vacation. I say 'real' because we have taken time away from work and our routines to head up to my in-laws cabin in northern WI, but we have never gone on a vacation to a new place with the kids. Matt and I usually take at least one trip each year just the two of us (highly recommended!!) but we realized we should take a family vacation when we noticed the kids talking fondly about our last trip to Washington. (It was an interview for Matt over 2 years ago and we flew from Columbus, OH to Washington state--took 3 flights-- and it was only 2 days long. The kids and I played in the pool at the hotel and met up with Matt and the other physicians for dinners at night, which were not suited for young kids who were up 3+hrs past their bedtimes due to the time change, but they did great. And the highlight of that trip for them was when we got bumped on our last flight home in Atlanta and had to stay the night in a hotel--a very nice one--and got room service the next morning at 5 am for breakfast before we flew home.) Needless to say, a real vacation was in order!! Matt had a conference in Ft. Lauderdale for a few days, so we decided to go for a full week. Neither of us had ever been and the kids hadn't seen the ocean, so we thought it would be fun. AND some of our good friends were also going to be at the same conference and we scheduled our trips together, staying in the same hotel (that was seriously genius of us Jen!)
I took so many pictures from our trip and believe it or not, these are the narrowed down pics that I just couldn't leave out. There are many more--but I am actually restraining myself here! I was going to do several different posts, but I think I will just put it all together....lots of pictures, lots of stories and even more great memories! No one in our family (including Matt and I) wanted to leave. We had an amazing time! (I do think it helped that we went in to this trip realizing it would be more of a 'trip' for Matt and I than a "vacation".....lowering our expectations and realizing it wouldn't be very relaxing for us but would be lots of fun and we would be making lots of memories certainly helped. And I think as a result, we had an amazing time!)

We flew in on Tuesday and the kids did great on the plane rides...we had a layover in Atlanta which was only about 45 minutes. Blake had a rough time on the second flight, being a child that hates to be confined and was overly tired. But we made it! Wednesday morning we drove to the grocery store to pick up a few things for breakfasts and lunches before Matt headed to his conference. Then the kids met up with the Lundquists...finally! (The kids had been asking when they would see Kael and Elli from the moment our plane landed!)

Our kids' first time at the ocean

As you can tell from this next picture, we had some fears to deal with. I made the mistake of showing the kids what a jellyfish was and making sure they knew not to touch it (I hadn't been warned as a kid and got stung). As a result, the kids were all terrified of being in the sand by the water that first day....Jen was trying to get Elli in the picture and the poor thing was so scared. I tried to reassure the kids that we would probably not see another one on our entire trip.....

so they finally relaxed a bit and enjoyed the beach

Blake's reaction to the ocean, sand and freedom to roam!!!!!

...trouble....

Wyatt and Kael found a piece of bamboo (not sure where it came from!) and pretended to be rowing in the ocean....

..then tried to figure out if they could break it...

(unsuccessfully)

..and then the dads got back from their conference and Drew pointed this out to the kids...

and we were back to square one with reassuring the kids of the safety of the beach!!

This jellyfish was about 5 times as big as the first one I had shown the kids...

but it is quite an amazing creature!

Thursday was my 31st birthday and I couldn't have thought of a better way to spend it!

Drew and Jen had chocolate covered strawberries sent to our room, which everyone in my family thoroughly enjoyed!! Thanks guys!

Thursday ended up being our only rainy day while we were there. Matt skipped out on the conference in the morning to be with us on my birthday, so we all headed down to the pool (the kids were much more comfortable here without the fear of any jellyfish!)

(the pool was so great...heated with a heated lazy river...and the restaurant servers brought food and drinks out to the pool AND beach all day long!!)

Blake constantly wanted to get in on the boys' games of tossing the football in the pool

Sadie and Elli played 'babies', 'mommies', and 'sisters' constantly while we were in the pool. They were truly in their own little world.

We noticed we were getting a bit wet, but it's hard to tell its raining when you are already in a pool! I believe it was Sadie and Elli who shouted, "It's raining!" and we quickly saw some dark clouds move in and the pool area clear out. We loaded up all 6 kids, 2 strollers and plenty of toys and towels and took cover on the patio at our hotel.

The rain passed in about 10 minutes and the sun emerged again. But just as quickly as we got settled at the pool again and everyone in the water did another rain cloud move in.....at this point, Jen and I made the decision to abandon our plans of a day outside and move to plan B. There was a nearby mall that we had wanted to check out and since Matt and Drew had our rental car, we called a shuttle and loaded up all 6 kids and 2 strollers and headed to the mall.

I'm not quite sure how to sum up our time in the mall other than to say that this mall had possibly never seen 6 kids enter it, let alone all at one time. Wherever we went inside the mall, we got stares and looks from everyone as if to say, "What are those things? And what are they doing here?" I looked to Jen at one point and asked if she was noticing the same thing, to which she she replied, "Well I guess these are all the people who come down here to get away from their own grandchildren, so I'm sure they aren't crazy about our kids." Getting lunch for all 8 of us was quite a scene, not to mention they didn't have highchairs for the little boys. After Jen and I crammed our food in our mouths, we asked a woman in the food court area if there was a kids play area (not expecting there to be one). She directed us to the far back corner of the mall, right next to the bathrooms, where there was a conference-looking room with a small plastic Fisher Price house inside it, a little table, and a TV with cartoons on it. But it was perfect for us---closed off from all the snobby people in the mall who didn't appreciate our children's energy and a safe place for the kids to move around. But before we went it, we took everyone to the bathroom....Blake needed to be changed, Jen needed to make Beckham a bottle (who was quite upset and hungry at this point) and Wyatt, Kael, Sadie and Elli all had to use the restroom. And as soon as we got in there and Jen went to make Beckham's bottle, his formula spilled all over the floor----Jen and I just looked at each other and had to laugh. I'm sure 2 children ago, when we both only had one, we wouldn't have laughed. But at this point, what else could you do. We made it out of there, let the kids move around a bit in the play area, and headed out of that mall as quickly as we could. (When we got outside to wait for our shuttle, we had learned that during our 2 hours in the mall there had been a huge thunderstorm--could you imagine if we had been outside with all 6 kids during that?! )

It seemed like the shuttle was taking a bit long and the kids were all getting tired, so Jen called and found out they had sent our shuttle to the wrong location and didn't have another with car seats, so we just decided to walk back to our hotel. It was a 2 mile walk and the kids did get a bit tired, but we were just thankful the rain held off and we made it back in one piece!!!

(stopping along the way to give the kids' legs a rest and take a pic)

Blake and Beckham took their naps in the strollers during our walk, so once we got back to the hotel we just hung out in the lobby waiting for Matt and Drew. The kids found some games (Chutes and Ladders, Checkers, CandyLand). Blake and Beckham were climbing all over the furniture and on the ground, but it kept them occupied and I scored a free Pina Colada from the bar for my birthday!!)

Once the guys got back from the conference, Jen and I attempted to explain our day but it was no use....we were so 'punchy' and tired and just kept laughing at how comical it really was. But a great adventure!

We walked to dinner than night....all 8 of us...and had a great time for my birthday dinner!

These girls loved being together!

Friday proved to be a much different day....beautiful sun shining, warmth and well-rested kids!

Matt went on a deep-sea fishing trip during the morning with some of his friends/colleagues....

and caught a 55" barracuda!!

The guides on the boat said it was the biggest barracuda anyone had caught on their boat in 8-10 years! And our friend John (who was on the boat also) later told me that Matt resisted some serious peer pressure from everyone on the boat to get that thing mounted. They told him it would cost about $1200 to get it mounted and came all the way down to $800, but thankfully Matt still declined. I mean, it's really awesome, but where in the world would we put that thing? Over our fireplace? I think not.

Meanwhile back at the hotel....

John's wife Jamie and his daughter Paxton (3 days younger than Blake) joined us one the beach while the guys were fishing. And Blake and Paxton enjoyed playing together...

although I think Paxton wondered why Blake was eating so much sand. Don't worry Paxton, we wondered the same thing!

Matt and John came and joined us for lunch before heading back to meetings in the afternoon.

And yes, John and Matt ended up finding yet another jellyfish!

...chasing waves...

These girls are so giggly together and they found the boys to be so silly!

We couldn't get Wyatt and Kael to stop for a picture, but these two are always up for it!

Isn't that view spectacular? Just building some sandcastles...

Notice Blake's arms....he discovered he could pick up a handful of sand and then drop it and feel it on his head and shoulders...thankfully none got in his eyes!

..keeping his hat on was a serious struggle as well...

Lazy River Fun

And a Goodyear Blimp sighting! Apparently there was a PGA tournament in Miami, just 30 miles down the beach

and forgive me, but there are several pics of the sky, sunrise and sunsets

I just couldn't get over the beauty from our Creator's hands

(and all the views like this were taken from our balcony)

A typical morning...enjoying some time on the balcony

Our hotel was perfect for us.

Blake wasn't the least bit intimidated by the waves. He often walked straight into the ocean and we had to run after him. He would get knocked back a bit by the waves, but often times wouldn't even get knocked down! While all the other kids were running away from the waves, he was running head on into them!

Football with the Dads

..naps...

..some body-surfing by Drew and Matt...

(Matt's hands:)

..couldn't resist those sand-covered bottoms!!

..escaping before the waves got them...

Drew and Matt took turns taking each of the kids into the ocean, despite some serious hesitation (to put it mildly).

One of my favorite pictures from our trip....

you can see the excitement and shock on Sadie's face, as well as being able to see each drop of water splashing all around them!

...digging holes...

(because that's what boys do...they dig!)

Our hotel also had an "Ice Cream Emporium" conveniently located between the lobby and the elevators. So we frequented the place several nights after dinner. Unfortunately this is the only picture we have of the girls enjoying their 'scream'. But it was a huge hit, not only with the kids, but also the adults!

Breakfast on the patio at our hotel

A nice old lady offered to take our family picture...not the best, but it's all I've got!

(standing on the stairs of our hotel that lead down to the beach)

(facing the ocean with our hotel behind us)

On our last day there, we went on the water taxi through the canal system in Ft. Lauderdale. Thankfully Jen and Drew had gone a few days earlier with their kids and gave us a few tips on how to make it more kid-friendly, so we took their advice.

Blake roamed the boat, making friends (our enemies!) with everyone.

Sadie was very protective and didn't want Blake to fall in

The water taxis basically give you a different view of Ft. Lauderdale, showing you all the mansions and yachts of famous/wealthy people. It was fun, but we were glad we didn't do it all day!

The kids loved the helicopter on top of this yacht (gives you an idea of just how ridiculously massive these things were)

This was one house!! Apparently owned by the lady who started Sunglass Hut--who knew?!

Steven Spielberg's yacht.....notice the boat inside it in the lower right corner...

I can't even tell you all the costs they shared with us, but the slip alone costs $50,000/month! Not to mention the staff on board the ship and the gas!

We ate lunch on Las Olas Blvd., a well-known shopping and eating area that we ate several dinners at. This lunch place was AmAzInG!! We had wood-fired pizzas and the best bruschetta I think we have ever had!

Wyatt took a turn with the camera.....

..he was most proud of this one...

("Mommy, don't those blue glasses look amazing?")

And I had to agree....I thought the blue glasses against the white tablecloths were brilliant. I am so thankful our kids have picked up on our desire to see beauty everywhere, even on a simple table setting!

Getting some gelato...

My boys on the water taxi ride back to our hotel...

..attempting to entertain this one...

And I couldn't resist a picture of this handsome guy! How am I so blessed?

...Our final sunrise from our room...

The trip home...Blake slept on both flights, which was unbelievable! He was in this position for over an hour...I think people thought we drugged him! But the week was finally catching up with him!

We had such an amazing time in Florida and the kids are already asking when we can go back. We had some great family time without any distractions and also some great time with friends. The kids loved calling each other's hotel rooms and talking on the phone in the morning about what we were going to do that day. They also loved being able to see each other right before bed at night and first thing in the morning. Sadie keeps asking when she can see Elli again and thankfully we only live about an hour and a half apart, or else I think she would go through serious withdrawal. It certainly wasn't a very restful vacation for Matt and I, but it was so much fun. Blake decided to wake up around 6am the last few days, so Matt and I took turns going for runs/walks with him until about 7:30 when everyone else woke up. And having a 15 mos. old presented a few challenges, but all in all it was a lot of fun. Thankfully for us, Matt and Drew often attend the same conferences, so hopefully there will be many more Sorensen/Lundquist vacations to come!

A first I thought I'd never experience

No faster than I had written my last post about the sickness in our house and revealing that we were expecting, did we learn that I had had a miscarriage. It’s weird sometimes, how we can be so sure of one thing and then have that very same thing taken before we even realized what was happening. It seems that is what has happened to us. Several weeks ago we were talking about being done with having kids only to have an ER doctor tell us that we were expecting. (I had gone in for some abdominal pain, not even thinking I could be pregnant. They never did figure out what the pain was from.)

So as we sat in that hospital room with the news of our 4^th child, Matt and I just looked at each other and said, “Well, I guess the Lord answered our prayers about whether or not we should have another.” And there wasn’t a doubt in our minds that this was the Lord’s will for us as we had tried our best to prevent it. Clearly, though, the Lord was reminding us of who is in control and who knows what is best for us.

As the next few weeks went by, we became excited about having four kids and how wonderful it was that the decision had been ‘made’ for us! I went in for another ultrasound and was able to see the baby’s heartbeat and even listen to it, getting more and more excited about all that lay ahead of us as a family. We told our family and close friends, and then with all the sickness in our household, we were forced to tell even more people to try and make sure I didn’t get sick. And by this point I was nearing 10 weeks, so based on my previous pregnancy history (no miscarriages), this being my 4^th pregnancy, and also having seen the heartbeat, we decided to tell the kids. And let me tell you, they were so excited. Especially Sadie….she nearly cried when we told her she was so overjoyed as she said to us, “I have been praying that God would give us a baby!” She immediately began talking about her little sister and how she could take care of her, hold her and most importantly get to come see the baby in the hospital (as she wasn’t able to come see Blake in the hospital because of the H1N1 virus).

Not even 2 days later did I go in to my OB’s office for an ultrasound as there had been come concerning things going on. As soon as the ultrasound showed up on the screen overhead, I knew it didn’t look right. There was no heartbeat and the baby didn’t seem like it had grown much in the past 3 weeks. And the doctor came in and confirmed what I had seen….the baby had stopped growing several weeks earlier and we were just now seeing signs of that. And as quickly as we found out we were expecting, we learned we were not.

It’s weird….everyone deals with news like this so differently. And for me, I just moved into practical mode immediately. What can I expect? What should I do? How will we tell the kids? What will Matt’s reaction be? Can we still leave for our vacation to FL the following week? I don’t remember a lot of what the doctor told me, but I do remember her saying something about how difficult it is to have the ‘exact right environment for life to begin’. And that has stuck with me. Everytime I have given birth I am amazed at the true miracle of it all….that a human life can actually start within my body and be born into this world completely healthy.

I left that day feeling sad that we wouldn’t meet our 4^th child on this side of eternity but also with such peace that clearly the Lord now had our child in His presence (a much better place than this world) and that we would someday see that child. And also SO thankful for the blessing of having 3 beautiful, healthy kids. And it has really been the Lord’s peace that has stayed with me through all of this.

The hardest part of it all was actually telling the kids. And they both did really well with the news, but it was still hard. Sadie said, “But I still want a baby” and I told her she just needs to keep praying to the Lord to give her one. But I do think the Lord has used the kids to remind us of some great things….

Wyatt said to me, “Mommy, will you still want to go on our family trip since our baby died?” and I was able to explain to him that of course we will. We (Matt and I) are so thankful for our family and still want to spend time together.

Sadie said to us at dinner a few nights later, “Our baby is in heaven with Grandma Sorensen. Remember how much she loves babies? Now she can take care of our baby!” I was so thankful for the words I believe God gave us through our children and their perspective on things.

We are doing well in the Sorensen household….as I write this we are sitting in Florida enjoying the warmth, beach, pool and sun with good friends. This vacation couldn’t have come at a better time and we are not looking forward to returning to ‘real’ life.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, cards, encouraging words and support. We are so thankful for our friends and family and especially the family the Lord has blessed us with.

Our princess

The week before the illness overcome our household, Sadie was the princess of her dance class. Basically, being the princess entitles you to wearing a special crown and being able to lead the class in one dance, even getting to pick out the song as well. It's a pretty big deal to all of the girls in Sadie's dance class and it was finally her turn. (Actually, I think her teachers forgot to have her be the princess earlier in the year. Each week at the end of class, the girl who would be princess the following week would get a slip of paper that explained what being the princess was all about. And each week Sadie anxiously waited to see if she would get the paper. And each week I could tell that she was a bit disappointed but also waited SO patiently, knowing that her turn would come. And I wasn't really paying much attention, but a few weeks ago Sadie said to me, "Mommy, when will I get to be princess?" and I realized that there were some girls who were getting their second turn. So I mentioned it to Sadie's teachers one week and at the end of class, she came to me with a piece of paper and a HUGE smile on her face. I say all this to point out just how patient Sadie is and how bad I felt for her!)

But once it was finally her turn, she was so excited. She slept in sponge rollers overnight to have extra curly hair and wore a special tutu that Nani and Pops had gotten her. This girl was beyond thrilled....until she got up in front of the class and had a rare moment of shyness..

...which lasted all of about 15 seconds...

..and quickly dissipated! She loved it every minute of it.

After they perform their routines and before their 'large muscle' activities, each girl sits by her cubby with her sign and waits patiently to receive their sticker for the week. And each week, Sadie sits and stares at herself in the mirror....sometimes she's a bit too entertained by it, but it's mostly cute. Don't you just love the expression on her face here? So innocent

Listening attentively....Sadie is very talkative and is always thinking, but she is also an incredible listener and hangs on every single word people say. She does such a great job listening carefully and then actually following her teachers' instructions. She pays such close attention and doesn't forget a single word they say (this also goes for her Sunday School teachers, BSF teachers and Matt's 'Bobby and Jim' stories he tells the kids at night.)

Sadie was the best princess and I was so proud of how she patiently waited until mid-February to have her turn and never complained. And I think she would definitely say it was worth the wait!!

Healthy again!

Praise the Lord....we are all well!!!! It felt like we might not ever make it through last week, but everyone slept a lot and with the assistance of some antibiotics, everyone is healthy this week. I am, however, being extra careful and using LOTS of hand sanitizer as I know our immune systems are extremely low (despite everyone feeling great) and really want to make sure we are all healthy for our trip to Florida next week. And speaking of warmer places, we are supposed to be getting another major snowstorm on the day we are planning on flying out. So as long as we get out of here, I will be fine!!!