Babies grow too fast.

Nay the one year old.

I have been scrolling through Naomi's life in pictures...

Naomi turns 4 years.

This is our Nay girl.

She turned 4.

A letter to our Nay: I want to tell you what your 4 year old self is like.

Most call you Nay or Naomi.

Little kids call you Nemo.

Your baby bro calls you Mi Mi. 

Your daddy has always and still calls you Nana.

 Pink is your true love.

Everything is "So cute!" In your little tiny voice.

You ask for your nails to be painted daily.

Then you chew them off immediately.

Confident no doubt.

Free spirit. Completely.

 Dresses and skirts or naked are the only thing acceptable.

You flit about  doing whatever you please.

Singing, dancing and talking to imaginary friends as you go.

Always in tow, is a purse, box, tupperware or arms FULL of little horsies and people or rocks.

You refer to them as your "family."

You are carefree and happy.

You haven't developed any fears yet.

This makes me feel like we've created a safe happy home for you.

You have many imaginary friends named: Hala, sinka, Hoodoo, Ginga, etc. You tell stories about them.  Sometimes you see them at the park, except the girls at the park are real girls. You just name them Hala or Ginga and call them that.  And for some reason they go along with it.

You LOVE all other little girls. 

You  identify your Grandparents by their pets names.

Animal lover through and through, just like your Grandma Jersey (Orton)

You are avid about learning to read.  

Teach me or I will teach myself.

Sweet and naturally very girly and proud of it.

You also can play really rough and wrestle and jump off high things and you like gross things like bugs and mice.

 For you birthday you wanted a pink cake with sprinkles AND a bloody eyeball on top.

Also we had a mouse in the house. We had it trapped, you and I.  I was scccreaming and jumping as the mouse tried to crawl through our legs. It ran over your feet and YOU giggled:

"Oh da mouse tickles my feet!"

Then told me how cute it was.

You have a steady personality. Never a bad day or moody.
(Don't get me wrong you can throw a tantrum with the best of em.)

You are just fun!

You like everyone you meet.

But if a brother crosses you...

Watch out boys.

You let them HAVE it. They are usually in tears.

Mangoes, pineapple and oranges=favorite food.

Most of the day you spend talking to me about Hawaii and one time when you were married and you make absolutely no sense.
You write with your Right hand and Eat only with the left.
???

I know you Naomi. I know your heart and it is so good.

I know your little spirit well and get to see more glimpses of who are are all the time.
 It is so so precious to me.

 We love you with all of OUR hearts.

 

You are going to be a GREAT 4 year old.

 Now to your Partay!

 Grandma Colette made your cake.

 Then she asked if we could serve hot dogs too. I said, NO. Keep it simple.  Just cake.

She said okay and that turned into a big chile feed and inviting all the family and everyone that called the house or said hello in the street. :)

 That's what she does. :)
She loves and includes all and wants everyone to come and be fed and happy and loved and comfortable.

She is amazing.

I sprinkled the cake just for you Nay.

You did your own decorations.

You chose your own poses.

 Sweet Birthday for our sweet Nay.

Round- Up 2012

It has been many a year since coming home for Round-Up!

This was officially the first Orton family Round-up.

We decided to make it Naomi's birthday trip since it fell on her birthday AND she is our little horse lover.  I looove Round-up.  Since there is no school the week of round-up, and all my family either goes to school or works at a school... it was perfect hanging out conditions.

Westward Ho parade.

Birthday girl.

This parade is unique because there are no motors allowed in it. Just horses and wagons and cowboys.

The kids loved it.  

This sweet old man with a cane across the street,  stood up for from his chair (with GREAT struggle) for every single American flag that came by in the parade, removed his cowboy hat and put it on his heart.

It was neat the first time we saw it, impressive the second and downright humbling to us to tears the 20 something time he stood.

Many(not all!) from Pendleton get just as excited for Round-up as they do for Christmas.

Lots of tradition.  

It is like a high school reunion. Lots of people even fly in from all over the country for the week. I saw soooo many people I knew from growing up. I forgot what it is like being from a small town.

Although I do prefer being anonymous at least the grocery store, it is a great thing.

Darla was out chasing loose steers around on her horse in the arena but she is such a sweet friend and came and found me in between events.  Love my darling Darla!

 So the rodeo is 5-6 hours long.  It goes by in a snap to me, but Nay needed a walk or two.   She insisted the Brahma bulls were buffalo.   She also stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the Indian princesses.  They were beautiful and Naomi was stunned.  She refused to talk or have her picture with them but followed them around staring.  Also, a man was standing on a step that Naomi felt she would like to stand, so unknown to us she starts kicking and kicking this guys leg with her boot!  Finally the man began roaring with laughter as she kept kicking.  Then he moved and she moved into place.

OH dear.

 We saw the Tee pees in the Indian village where all the Indians move there families too for the week.  

I can't wait to have my own tee pee someday. :)

Cache and Grandpa Calvin.

 In the evenings, kids went to bed. Devin and I headed back in for the dance and more food and friends.

Darla invited us to cowboy camp.  We were loving it so much that we just stayed most the night.

All the cowboys that competed that day just sitting around the campfire taking turns singing their made up songs and telling stories. Darla and her sis and Dad would accompany them on the fiddle or play their own piece. Oh loved it. 

Saturday we took Nay to Main street.

Totally her idea to ride this bull. She begged.

Here I caught her smile that lasted like 2 seconds, then she flipped!

We walked over to the carnival and she wanted to go on all the big rides.

We let her go on a few and she smiled and whooped and hollered. 

Here she is on the giant slide she climbed by herself to the top carrying her own little carpet.

She  plopped her little carpet up on the slide, and climbed on, but the slide was so slippery and her carpet took off before she was settled.  Her two little boots went flying up to her head as she flew down the slide and then her dress went over her head and there it stayed the whole way down.

We laughed and laughed but were so worried that she would be upset. She got to the bottom and just layed there with her dress still over her head.  Finally she sat up with the BIGGEST smile.

We love our girl and that is for sure.

We had her party that night. I'll post that later.

The biggest success of the whole weekend is that Devin loved Round-up!

The other day I even heard him say: "Man I shoulda been a cowboy."

Ha. Then I sang him the song by Toby Kieth..."I shoulda been a cowboy." 

He left the room... :)!  On the way home he stated that Round-up will be a yearly tradition now.

Fine by me.

Let er' Buck!

Cache pulling the sled.

Devin is pretty proud of this video.  I thought I would post it to make sure it's documented and not lost.
He and Cache were at Axiom gym making a commercial for his start up company:
offthefield.com
I guess they left him unattended while they did their stuff and looked over to find Cache doing this.
That is 100 lbs on that sled some other athletes were using to train with.

It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, but I am told I am wrong. I guess Cache attracted quite the audience.

Birthday's Galore

It may be only the season of fall everywhere else, but here in the Orton house it is season of Birthdays!

Naomi turned 4 last weekend and TODAY Gage is a big 2 years.

***

Two years ago yesterday I woke up on a much sunnier morning and thought I had had an accident. 

24 hours later we were holding Gage in our arms 3 weeks early.  That was riiight about.. NOW. 

It really was an amazing moment meeting him for the first time.  I remember that warm incredible feeling every time we drive by the hospital downtown and have to smile.

Last night I was putting on his beloved Spiderman Jammies.  He calls spider man BONDOON.

As I was dressing him I excitedly said: "Look BoonDeen!" (accidently prounouncing it wrong.)

He made his double chin put his eyebrows together and looking up at me, corrected me: "BONDOON."

:) 

Let the Birthday day begin!

The weekend in instagram

 This is just a regular occurrence with me in the kitchen.

Devin wasn't even phased by it when I showed him. (That is melted plastic not squid.)

 This night was special though. Two fires in one meal cooking.

Gold star for me.

 Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.

All of us kids are still REELING at the craziness of this purchase.

Now the lawn will only take 2 hours to mow.

Dad is turning to mush in his old age I guess.

Probably shouldn't have blogged that one.  

Need to fully get out my immatureness before I leave my 20's.

Anyway...

 We rode in circles from 10pm till 11pm one night. It was romantic.

Devin sharing chocolate popcorn with neighbors.

 Food is very very important to him.

 Free fun at the park!

Naomi insisted on doing THIS and waited an hour in line for it.

This bike race of Cache's was so funny. 

Booger wars! 

 We had a busy weekend. Business makes me cranky.