Just found this picture below on an old camera card. 

 Cache took it of us on Valentine's day.

I laughed when I saw this picture because little did I know in this pic that  

somethin was a brrrrewin. 

Brewin in the belly... :)

we found out that evening.

{20 weeks}

We were and are feeling: excited,thankful,nervous,anxious and very surprised.

Babies don't come easy peasy as planned for me, so we were hoping, but it didn't happen and the time came that we realized the timing would be very stressful and complicated to have one directly after graduation.  So I began to have a new dream. One that involved me with just my two children that I'm in love with.  A couple more years of good night's rests, running a trail-running race and maybe a trip to Disney world...

Yes I could be very happy without another baby. So we changed our hopes and aspirations for the next couple years.

But then I was reminded as I am quite frequently these days,

I am not in charge.

In the end I am always so thankful that things

didn't go according to MY plan.

In the END i said.

We were in disbelief. No really, even after several positive tests Devin

 hugged me, not to celebrate but more to console me, and kindly reassure me that other factors medications etc. 

caused a false positive test. :)

I think more than anything we were afraid to both

be terribly disappointed if it weren't true.

But then we saw that little person waving it's arms at us

at my very first appointment.  Almost to say: Hey! SEE me? I'm HERE!

Devin finally gave me the congratulations hug after the doctor left, and 

took me out to lunch.

At about the same time all of our loved one's and friend's lives 

began falling apart.  All at once.  I have never felt so much

heart ache for one person let alone four different loved ones.

Never. Not even for myself.

So we were too scared to even accept or speak our little 

happiness, for fear it would be taken away.

So we said nothing to anyone(really, my mom found out like last week!)

 and at each doc appointment

I prepared myself for the worst.

Why should I be so extra blessed at the same time others 

blessings were being taken?

But I'm coming to terms and feel that Heavenly Father loves us all the

same. He takes care of all his children and will always in his

own special, perfect way.

So I now can be more open with my thankfulness.

Plus I can't hide it anymore. 

The future of our little family is so up in the air right now

and the baby just adds to the party in our minds

as we try look at all the puzzle pieces floating in the air that need 

to land, connect and make a pretty picture...

Where will we live?

What state will this baby be born in?

Who and when will buy our home?

Will this baby ever uncross it's legs so we can tell what it is?!

Will I find a doctor so late in my pregnancy?

Will the baby be okay?

Will Devin work for someone or start his own practice?

How do you start your own practice?

What is that weird smell in our house this week?

on and on and on...

But  I am THRILLED to meet this new little one. 

I can't even imagine what this new one will be like.  

After all who could ever imagined a personality like 

this one:

Or really even this one:

(Cache's was a pilot last week. A new character.)

Or what they would be like together!

I guess we'll just WAIT and see. 

Liiike everything ELSE in life right now. 

What do you do when you feel a little out of control of your very own life?

Well we...

Spend our eating out money at the beginning of the tri-mester via Red Robin.

And always order the California chicken burger; "hold the bacon, but add roasted pineapple please...."        Every. time.

Devin always like to sit on the same side of the booth as me.

Leaving the little ones on the other.

very unpractical.

That's why I love him.

Cuz he loves me.

{I love these blurry pics because I can hear Cache's crazy

giggle as he snapped over 20 of these before we could take 

the camera away.}

We also go to a different

park just about every day.

Something about being outside just makes

everything happy.

Of course Devin... he is always happy.

He is DA BEST!

And Missouri has the best parks. 

We  go rain or shine.

Rain is sometimes the best. That is when the worms and froggies come out,

Cache is allowed to finally use the umbrella 

and everyone else stays home...

OH and I get to wear my rain boots... every girl should have a pair. :)

Then we go home and drink warm chocolate.(hot is a bad word according to my kids)

Only pictures of the sunshine day though... I don't bring my camera in the rain.

And all the parks here have the tire flooring so no muddy playgrounds. So cool.

Yep. Thaaaat's what we do.

For the record:  Yesterday Naomi finally addressed Cache by name.    Up to this point she can say over 50
 words and repeat most things and even try to tell a good Knock Knock joke but refuses to acknowledge her bro by name.
Yesterday though she needed him to kiss her baby and ran after him Yelling:

"Honey! Honey!  Back!" (Honey come back)

Albeit it was not HIS name.

It's still a step further in my hope that they can be good friends like

  my older brother and I.

Cache however responded: "Nay, I'm only mom's honey!"   :)

Love these li'l ones.

5.07.10

So I've been transferring files to Devin's new graduation present from very generous parents... 

A new i-mac (yeah I cried) Our parents (both sets) are so very generous it makes me feel guilty.  But more than anything it makes me hopeful I can be generous with others too.

Being a student has taught us some invaluable lessons that I feel blessed to have:  ( I will just go ahead and bullet point them for ya  mmmkay ;)

• How to be crazy frugal (and what happens when your not. eeks!) 
•  How much you really CAN do without and sometimes and still be happy.
• If WE can stay out of credit card debt with no income... we will never have an excuse EVER to fall into that trap.  I will  die knowing I've never paid a penny in interest to any credit card company.  So Thankful.
•  If you are truly grateful for your blessings, you can be really happy and never envy others that seem to have much more than you do presently, because we feel equally as blessed.  You can have genuine joy for others.  
• Sometimes lack of money can bring your closer to your spouse, because every decision has to be a JOINT decision. 
• Gifts given with sacrifice increases your love for that person. In our present situation, if one person gets something they really want, that means the other is sacrificing something that they want at the moment...  Whether it's me passing up those purses every time I go to the mall so that I can hopefully buy Devin a ____ for his graduation present ;)   Or us as parents giving up spending money on any dates for several months so we can buy the kids Easter candy and a few Easter presents.  Gifts are so fun and meaningful.
• How to work as a team with your husband to  be able to afford things that you really need or want. (We even had to save and adjust our budget to see Avatar :)  
• The law of tithing works.     
• I love being American. We feel INCREDIBLY blessed and lucky everyday.   And along with being American comes hope. We know that the harder we work  we can continue to better our situation and know that it will.  We are only filled with determination and excitement at the thought of our future.  I love America.
• And more than anything the generosity of parents, grandparents and others has taught me so much. I am so grateful for each gift that I can't WAIT to be able to do that for others.  When Devin and I DREAM and plan our future goals the first thing we plan for after paying all our expenses is hopefully being able to pay for other people's houses or college.  And yes we have a list of who's house we would pay off and in what order... Chances are we  won't be able to  get to that point financially.  But shoot for the stars right?

So before I went on THAT tangent (sorry) I was transferring pics and found a bunch from this spring...

Looking through pictures is One thing that makes me realize my blessing when I'm having a less than thankful day. 

Do you want to see pictures of my blessings? 

Okay sure.  Here there are.  

Good neighbors gathering in our yard most warm afternoons, is a blessing.

Having a daughter. 

a beautiful Blessing.

Living with Captain Moroni, Batman, Superman, and Indiana Jones. Is a blessing.

Warm sunny weather...

My lovely friend April and McKay.  We were at BYU together and now Logan together, were
baby less together,  prayed and hoped together,  HAD baby's together.
 (well, with our husbands but you know,)
 We like each other so much we will be moving to Boise together!  

Friends are blessings. I think you would all agree.

Knowing baby girls like this one. ;)
Addie is just a blessing to see. 

It will make your day just to see her little run.

Plus she is one of the rare one year olds that sports
(and keeps on)

sunglasses!

She belongs to Jer and Ashley :)

Sunday mornings this year... Church starts and ends BEFORE naptime.  Sweet mama, Blessing!

Wednesday Walks with friends is a definite blessing.

Children that are learning to like one another...even

 if it is only during times that they are working

 together behind my back to go against the rules. 

(Sneek Naomi out of Nap time by piling couch cushions in the crib so she can crawl out.)

warm Spring evening with outside with 

friends...blessing!

First swimming party of the season

(equipped with giant bowl of watermelon)and that 

Naomi LOVES wearing her sun hat. 

YA. 

Blessing.

The fact that I have a 

dumpster diving daughter......

NOT a blessing.

 BUT having a camera to take pics like these....

Blessing!

The End.


Okay honestly that was just my weird attempt to try and relate all the pictures I haven't posted yet, but don't want to forget about this spring.

Sometimes you two are TOO much alike.
  You battle it out around here and get Daddy and I both a bit frazzled.

you both are competitive

You are FAST

Never stop moving

Never stop EATING

you love your friends

 love social gatherings

 LOVE having fun.

you are both really playful

 both love football!
you both love a blankie(or three)
you love your daddy
you both have crazy-funny laughs
you both have the cutest li'l toosh that looks extra cute in baby  GAP jammies (my fav)


you both LOVE dogs
you both run like line backers (except Nay's one girly hand out to side)
you both have rosey cheeks


you both can have a "don't mess with me" with attitude.
you both  like going head first down the biggest slides.


you both wear me out. 
 you both make me happier than I ever imagined. 


You both are my favorites ever.

When Cache was a babe, he had a bath every night and was most always presentable.
  Now I only have ONE more and sometimes bathe 2 times/day
but I find myself in public places all the time and
 look down at my children and think :  

"How did you get so dirty?" 
Or
"Who dressed you?"

OH well they are happy.

We'll keep working on the clean.

SIDE NOTE: Nay's most common used phrases these days are amusing to us and I think adequately reflect being a product of this particular Orton house hold:

I Hungee.

Knock. Knock!

Pocky. (popcorn)

 As she drags the popper around the house trying to find

 someone to pop some popcorn for her.