Happy Independence Day!

Wow, what a difference a year makes, huh? I'm so happy to say that Indie has made it a whole year with out another seizure and I sure hope things stay this way.

It was a year ago today when she had a bad stomach virus with a fever and ended up seizing for over an hour. She was life-flighted to Mercy Hospital after doctors and nurses couldn't get her to come out of it. Five days later, her little brother, Michael was born. Needless to say, it was a very stressful time in our lives and I try not to let this event consume me but it's something I struggle with every, single day. I always say, I hope this was the scariest day of our lives! But deep down I know that nothing is ever guaranteed and I try to love and appreciate all of my loved ones every chance I get; especially my children.

I thought I'd share a picture of her on July 4th, 2014 (left) and today, July 4th, 2015 (right). I actually didn't know this picture of her in the hospital existed. I didn't have any myself and of course in a time of crisis, I didn't even think to grab my phone that day. I also didn't ever want to see her that way again, so I never took any pictures. A few months later I remember telling my husband, "I don't have any pictures of Indie in the hospital," to which he showed me this. It still sends chills through my body and is hard for me to look at, but then I see how far she has come, and she makes me so proud! She finally got to enjoy a 4th of July parade, today. Ironically, for being named Independence, she had always been sick on this holiday and wasn't able to enjoy it.

Independence on July 4, 2014 (left) & July 4, 2015 (right).

 I also wanted to take this time to say thank you to everyone who has prayed for our family; people we don't even know. The power of prayer is amazing and we appreciate you more than you will ever imagine. Please continue to pray for us! Also, thank you to my very close friends and family; we wouldn't have made it with out you.

I hope we can keep taking steps forward into the right direction. Next, we get to start planing our little man's FIRST Birthday Party! :)

God Bless and we hope you all have a fun and safe Fourth Of July weekend! And of course, THANK YOU Veterans, past and present for our freedoms we enjoy!

The Sorensens

Faith, Hope, Love

Everyone has seen the “hand picture” that a family often takes, especially when a new little one comes along. The family puts their hands together and it’s neat to see such an itty-bitty baby hand next to the full-grown adult hand.

Well, I had to snap this shot for our family, because it represents so much to us. It’s not perfect, in fact it’s far from it and that’s what I love about it. It shows so much strength and unity for us and reminds me of the realities in life; scary and bad things happen and there’s not a damn thing we can do about them. But we usually don’t have to go through it alone, we have our loved ones that are right there with us and that is actually the miracle of life.

Now I preach this but it’s something I’m struggling with daily. I’m still terrified about the fact that my daughter seized for an hour. I’m angry that I don’t really know why it happened or if it will happen again. All I know is that I can only choose happiness and to enjoy and love my family each and every day. To be thankful for all that we’re given and to embrace those moments that we often look past, me included.

In this picture you will see my hand with a hospital bracelet from giving birth to our son, Michael and his little hand with a bracelet as well. You’ll also see my husband’s hand for being the father and oh my, does he earn that title completely. He’s always there for us and making sure we have everything we need. He’s made every doctor appointment for our daughter since this whole scary ordeal and did a lot of running back in forth between taking care of her while still being there for Michael and I as I was in labor. And then you will also see our two-year-old daughter, Independence’s hand in her father's. She has a hospital bracelet due to the fact that she had to have an EEG two days after I gave birth, and five days earlier she was taken by life flight and hospitalized.

So you see, I’m going to print and frame this picture rather than just another dressed up photo of us forcing smiles as we beg our kids to look at the camera. It’s not the prettiest photo and it was very stressful and inconvenient at the time but it’s so genuine. I will hold this picture close to my heart and remember it as a scary time yes, but also a time of faith and belief in trusting the Lord. A time when I was shown true love from the ones who mean most to me and a time of when I had no other choice but to take one day at a time. I hope this picture will serve as a daily reminder to us that life is so precious, that anything can happen at any time and that the most important thing is our family, next to God.

"Always kiss your children goodnight, even if they are already asleep." 

The 2014 Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour Kickoff & New Beginnings

Well, it's certainly that time of year again! I am super excited to begin the 2nd year of the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. This year we kicked off the tour in Audubon County | Kimballton, Iowa.

Bubba had to fight some extreme weather (which usually happens with the first county or two...after all it's IOWA!) so we don't yet have completed pictures as a tent was around him the entire time. But once we get those I'll definitely post them.

I do however have some "in action" photos of Bubba completing the Audubon County rock and our daughter "helping" him out.

Here's another shot of Bubba painting; I'm just always so amazed to watch him work. I love his facial expression and the way it seems so calming and peaceful while the artwork flows from his brush. I certainly wish I had the patience to paint, but for now I'll just be my "click crazy" self with the camera!

Bubba painting the Audubon County | Kimballton Freedom Rock®

       

The beginning of this year also brought a big change for our business, Sorensen Studios. First of all, we are no longer offering photography services at this time. Because of the popularity of the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour, we have decided to focus fully on this project. With booking over half of the state of Iowa for a "Freedom Rock®" and scheduling into the 2019 year, we really want to concentrate on finishing the Tour and being available to our clients. I'm sure we will always "keep our feet wet" in photography, but for now I guess it will just be a hobby.

Another big change for us is our location. Since 2008 we have been located and operating at the intersection of highways 92 and 25 in Greenfield, Iowa. We have recently moved from this location. The Freedom Rock® Tour has us traveling a lot and we are unable to be at the studio for over half of the year. I guess you could say Bubba' studio is actually across the great state of Iowa! 

It was definitely a bitter sweet change for us as we first opened our doors at this location and have been there for the last six years but we know it's best for us and our business. 

I stumbled across some old pictures from when we first purchased the building and began remodeling what was once an old gas station. We have a lot of memories there that we'll never forget but we are very hopeful for the future of Sorensen Studios. Thank you to everyone who ever stopped by and supported us along the way!

Please remember that you can still contact us at our same number and email:

641.343.7110 | sorensenstudios@yahoo.com

Sorensen Studios | 2008

Sorensen Studios | 2014

Mural at the VA Clinic in Carroll, Iowa

Bubba recently completed a mural at the VA Clinic in Carroll, Iowa. Here is a before and after picture along with his explanation of the whole process:

I was approached a couple years ago to paint a #mural in the VA Clinic in Carroll, Iowa and we were finally able to make it a reality. There was funding in part from the Ralph Neppel (Medal of Honor recipient) family and he is the focus of the mural. I attached a before/after pic and you can listen to a description of the thought process on the mural at the link below...

http://www.1380kcim.com/War-Hero-Honored-with-Mural-at-V-A--Clinic-in-Carr/17576380

On a personal note, I wanted to share a few pictures I snapped at the mural dedication. Indie and I were able to attend and see it in person; very beautiful! Bubba pointed out our "hidden love notes" in the painting and it was funny to see so many people notice it as well. We are two blessed girls to have him in our life and are very proud of him. Thanks, babe!

Bubba and Indie in front of the Carroll VA Clinic mural.

Indie & I's hidden love note in the mural. 

Sac City (Sac County) Freedom Rock®

Well, it's official-the first year of The Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour is complete! What an incredible spring and summer we had. We met a ton of amazing people, traveled around our beautiful state and accomplished something that was only a dream last year. THANK YOU to everyone who supported us and we can't wait to get back on the road again in the spring of 2014!

So where was the last stop? Sac City (Sac County), Iowa. Indie and I were able to join Bubba for a few days and we spent some time in this lovely community. We stayed at "The Guest House" with its famous phrase being "A Home Away From Home." And I gotta say-that is exactly what it felt like. It was a pleasant change from the regular hotel room we were getting used to. Here is a shot of Bubba and Indie in front of it. It's a quaint home with everything you need and was even updated very nicely. Thanks again, Denise for making this happen for us. If you would like more information about lodging at this facility, click here: The Guest House.

We also had the pleasure of enjoying a delicious dinner and lattes at "Tea with Lillian". Please check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/TeaWithLillian/info. I really enjoyed not only the goodies they had to offer, but the atmosphere was out of this world-awesome job!

What was also great about staying at "The Guest House" was the giant yard Indie had to play in. I snapped a few pictures of her exploring the new territory. I love the simplicity of this shot:

Bubba and I have always said how wonderful it was to be able to grow up in small town Iowa. Well, it's almost like Indie gets to enjoy not only our little town, but all of Iowa's awesome communities combined, along with the people who make it that way. It's been so inspiring to meet such hardworking people who devote so much time to their towns, communities, towns and/or state. And we are honored that you think The Freedom Rock® Tour will be an asset to your communities.

And here is the beautiful Sac County Freedom Rock itself along with Bubba's explanation:

The final rock painting of the year in Sac City, Iowa (Sac County). They really wanted to involve local Veterans stories while saying thank you to all Veterans. The road facing side portrays a medic, tunnel rat, and soldiers silhouette. The west side of the rock says thank you to our women in service. The back side a soldier from Sac County being rescued by a couple Navajo Code Talkers and a P-38 surveillance plane. All with relation to Sac County Veterans. The POW/MIA on the east side of the rock is for those who'll never be forgotten.

On the top of the rock are two different Veteran's ashes mixed into the paint in the stars...making it the final resting place these Veterans.

Hope you all enjoy and stayed tuned as I have many projects throughout the winter months. Thanks for your support and thank you to all our veterans for serving our country.

We were also able to recently attend their dedication. We snapped a few photos of the event which was very moving:

A little update on The Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour, to date, we are scheduled into the 2018 year and we have booked 57 out of the 99 counties in Iowa. Again, we cannot express how extremely excited we are about this statewide project and the support we have had in making it a reality. Thanks again, everyone!

We will try to continue to stay updated as we have a lot of cool projects scheduled for the winter that we can't wait to share with you when the time comes. To learn more information about The Freedom Rock® Tour and how you can become a part of it, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com.

Lake Park (Dickinson County) Freedom Rock®

Wow, OK so this next rock...er rocks I should say, I cannot WAIT to see in person! What an amazing project this county pulled together and completed.
As you can see, Bubba painted not one Freedom Rock® for this county, but six! Everything right down to the brick work is amazing. Here is a shot before Bubba actually began painting:

Photo courtesy of county.

They also commissioned Bubba to hand paint their signage for their Veterans Memorial when visitors come to town:

Photo courtesy of county.

Photo courtesy of county.

And here are pictures of the completed mural(s) along with Bubba's explanation:

Photos courtesy of county.

"The Lake Park Freedom Rock in Dickinson County Iowa is painted. They are still working on landscaping but hope to be done soon. Speaking of the landscaping, that alone is a sight to see. They've artfully placed pavers around each rock...there are 6 (The big one, then one for each branch of the military). The pictures don't do it justice, this is one you'll definitely have to visit to soak it all in. Most of this is self explanatory but to explain the side with the faces and star- they are 2 KIAs, 2POWs, and a Nurse who cared for recovered POWs...all from Dickinson County.

Make sure you check the website: thefreedomrock.com in order to see where each Official Freedom Rock® is located.

Thanks again to all those who've supported us in The Freedom Rock Tour and we'll see you at the next stop."             -Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II

                                                 

Pretty moving, huh? One last thing I wanted to share really quick was how well this county embraced being a part of the official Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. When you hire artist, Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II, you not only hire a professional, world-renowned artist, but also The Freedom Rock® name and brand. The Freedom Rock® is a registered name and trademark and can only be used with the artist's permission. Which means you're able to use a trusted name that is recognizable world wide. The Freedom Rock® brand represents honoring our service men and women and has proudly for the last 15 years; which is what it's known for.
Below is a wonderful example of how this county used not only The Freedom Rock® name but also Bubba's artwork to the best of their abilities. Our goal with The Freedom Rock® Iowa Tour is to show that Iowa wants to make sure our military men and women, past and present are never forgotten but also to encourage Iowa tourism and all this great state has to offer!

Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®

Bubba & Independence in Centerville, Iowa.

I was lucky enough to spend a little extra time in this particular county on the Tour, due to the fact my mom has family from Centerville, Iowa. Family that I do not often get to see...so this trip was pretty special to me. Usually there is not enough time to really relax and enjoy ourselves, but we made an exception this time and it was so worth it!

I took a few extra pictures and like I said took a few personal days to visit with family and enjoy what Centerville has to offer...which by the way is a lot. It was so cute and full of life. It felt like small town Iowa but with big city charm!

My mom and my aunt (pictured below) accompanied us on this trip. Here they are out to eat with us. 

Aunt Sheri & Mom at A & G's in Centerville, Iowa.

We all stayed at the Continental Hotel and it was also as interesting as the town. This place had so much history and was so unique. We really enjoyed our stay there. Here are a few pictures of it.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

I kept making the comment that I felt like I was sitting in a little restaurant somewhere in the middle of Europe, but nope-we've got it all right here in small town Iowa people. At night the top of every building is lit with white lights. What beautiful scenery!

Also, this hotel features its own restaurant which is just delish! Here is a funny picture of my mother and daughter being goofy at dinner:

Mom & Indie at the Continental Restaurant in Centerville, Iowa.

Here is a picture of us enjoying a little family down time and pestering our favorite artist... :)

If you're in the area you should definitely check out The Gypsy Quarter. There are so many amazing things to look at in there from home decor, jewelry and much more. I'm so disappointed I didn't have more time to do so!

And of course, being the coffee addict that I am, I immediately scouted out a little cafe...and it did not disappoint! I got an iced caramel latte from Tangleberries. I had to take a picture of it because I love how cute the cup is and also this gives you an idea of how unique the town square is. 

And finally, here is the finished Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®. Outstanding as always:

Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®

"The Freedom Rock for Appanoose County is complete. I stayed at very nice hotel called the Continental Hotel on the beautiful Centerville, Iowa square. This was convenient because the rock sits just across the street on the courthouse lawn. The road facing side of the rock features Francis Drake (Drake University/Governor of Iowa and from Centerville) as a Union Army brigadier general. Behind him is the first USS Iowa which was the first ship commissioned in honor of Iowa and saw substantial action in the Spanish–American War. On the back side of the rock I featured a father hugging his daughter after returning from service. In the background is the Centerville square. Over the top of the rock is the American Flag as if it was laid over the top twisted by the breeze. At the end of the flag is a gold star in honor of those we've lost and around the star are the seals of each branch. Hope the residents of Appanoose County enjoy their Freedom Rock."  -Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II.

Thanks for having us, Centerville, Iowa. We truly enjoyed ourselves. Looking forward to coming back in the future for sure!