feelin' smart 'n sad

for all one of you that wanted to be able to enlarge my little collages, i just figured out how to do it...and i'm feelin' pretty awesome.

what's not feelin' awesome is that I had a little Half-Birthday party planned for Abby tomorrow morning--the party that was cancelled back in January because of pink-eye, fevers, coughs, etc--and i just had to postpone it AGAIN! She woke up from her nap with a fever of 101. She's going to be devastated. I haven't told her yet.

She's been healthy since May 15th. We're getting to the bottom of the whole thing with her. I've got a few more Dr. appts/blood tests to be done before we have all the pieces, but basically we've found out so far that she had NO allergies (is she my child?) but she does have an antibody deficiency. Sucks for her. Good to know. Docs say there's nothing that can be done--she'll just always be prone to infection/illness. But, i don't really like that answer, so i have, by no means, given up on this.

Anyway, i've got to go coddle my girl, and make her some Kale and White Bean Soup.

Jared and Kristie

The second week in July we got to have Jared (my one and only lil' bro) and his wife, Kristie stay with us for 6 days! They're on their way to Duke, where Mr. Smarty-pants is getting a Ph.D in Economics. It was soooooooooo great having them here! We haven't seen nearly enough of them lately, and we just soaked up every minute of them being here. They brought their Wii, so every night when the girls went down we'd Wii it up. awesome. We also battled out a few rounds of Settlers of Catan, Wizard, and Sequence. They were here to help out with the 5K, and helped out with our kids every chance they got. It was so great having them here!!!

We spent Monday down in Colorado Springs. We went to Garden of the Gods, and hiked up to the Siamese Twins formations, had a little picnic, let the girls play around a bit, started to get rained on and headed back to the van.

It was only 1-ish by then, so we decided to squeeze in a trip to the Olympic Training Center.

That place is awesome! We saw the toughest chicks in the world lifting one million lbs., a team of swimmers warming up, and shooters using their electronic rifles and targets. And just as the tour ended we got DUMPED on by the worst downfall of rain i've ever seen! It was amazing! This photo, obviously, does it no justice! We're all squinting because our eye-balls were getting pelted by massive raindrops. not because of the sun.

On Tuesday we went and had a picnic up at Red Rocks Amphitheater. I LOVE this place!! The roadies were there setting up for the Snoop Dogg concert that night, and exercise maniacs were running, or jumping up and down all the stairs, and then there were a dozen or so families that were just there for the scenery. I'm thinking that now that Jared has seen this place, he'll make it a higher priority to come next time Rush performs there...am i right??

On wednesday we went swimming here at one of our rec centers, and then chilled at home most of the day. Kristie, who is an amazing hair-stylist, cut Abby's, Grace's, and my hair. I kid you not when I say that i don't go ANYWHERE without people commenting on how cute their hair is! They'd probably comment on mine, too, if i ever had a minute to do it! She's awesome! So, if you live in the Raleigh/Durham area, and need a new stylist, let me know!!

Grace BEFORE:

Grace: AFTER

Abby: BEFORE

Abby: AFTER

It was so much fun having them here for so long!! There is a need in all neices' lives to have the "fun" aunt and uncle come visit. So, thank you guys for coming and staying and helping out and playing and we hope to see you again soon!!

The 5K

Well, I ran the 5K, and it didn't completely kill me!!! AND it was a HUGE success. We had over 80 people show up, and we raised more $$$ than i could have imagined!!!

Einsteins donated, and i kid you not, over 450 bagels!!! The pictures here could not possibly do justice! We gave as many away as we could, froze a ton, fed all the 5k-ers with them, and still had TONS left over!! I don't know if i'll ever look a bagel in the face again! But if I do, it will only be an Einstein's bagel! (I won't mention that Krispy Kreme just throws away all their doughnuts at the end of the day...)

That bag there has probably 1/3 - 1/4 of the bages we received

These awesome ladies helped me get the bagles/watch my kids. Thanks, again!!!

People donated all sorts of yummy goods for the Bake Sale. We had some AWESOME honey whole-wheat mini-loaves, delicious rice-krispy treats, to-die-for cookies, and other things i can't remember right now. King Soopers donated $25 worth of bottled water! (I won't mention that Safeway wouldn't) and Party America donated a dozen balloons! Michaels gave me 50% off everything i purchased. I was amazed at how many companies were so willing to help out for a cause. It felt like Christmas everywhere I went. It was great!

The 5K itself was a really challenging course. Reid, the girls and I went with my lil' bro Jared, and his wife Kristie the night before to chalk the path. We did all these cute arrows, encouraging phrases, etc, etc, only to arrive home and see clouds roll in and rain-away all our hard work. So, my awesome hubby woke up early the next morning and RE-marked the whole trail!!! So, he ran his 5k and marked the trail and STILL did it in less than 30 minutes!!! something like 27...i think. Anyway, he's awesome. I love him!!

Jared and Kristie stayed here that morning with our little ones (thanks again!!!) It was so nice not to have to worry about my kids while we were setting up the table and getting people registered!. I sent the runners on their way in three separate groups--the runners, the joggers and the walkers. Three of my awesome friends waited for me to get everyone else off and we ran in our own little group. It was so much fun....until the hills came. And then I started cursing the blasted course and had no one to blame but myself!! There were probably a total of 100 yards on flat ground. Other than that we were killing our knees running downhill or killing our lungs running uphill! But, when it was all said and done, it did feel really rewarding to finish my first (and last?) race. (Merathon and Liz--you ladies rock my world. Dunno how you do it. And I never want to find out!)

There was too much going on before the race for me to get a picture of all the runners, so these after pics will have to do. I wish I would have had somebody take one before, but what can ya do??

It was so fun counting all the money at the end. People were SOOOOO generous! I'm realizing more and more that everybody loves to help friends, and friends' friends out. But they just need a way to do it. I can't tell you how many times people said something along the lines of "I've been wanting to help them out, but just didn't know how." And that, my friends, is what this 5K was all about.

Because of the extreme generousity of so many people, miracles have been happening. The Ortons had, combined, about $40,000 in medical bills. Miraculously enough, the hospitals were able to help them out a lot thru different charity programs. But the bills they had left were still totalling almost 4x the amount we raised. So, we needed some serious $$ stretching. And that, my friends, is what I do best. I've spoken with over 15 billing managers/assistants, and told them that the Ortons have some friends who've gathered some funds to help them out. And miracles have happened. It's amazing what a lot of cash can do!! Dr's have been willing to take off as much as 75% of the bill. Hospitals have lowered bills that "could not possibly go any lower." And I've completely mastered the "Is there any way you could go lower than that?" technique. Mastered it, i tell you!! Ask my friend, Kristin--she witnessed me not taking no for an answer. There are still a couple bills we're working on, and I've still got a little bit of the $$ left to work with. But....I'm really hoping that in a few days the Orton family will be medical-debt free!!! Isn't that amazing!?!?!?

I can't say Thank You enough to everyone who helped out with this little fundraiser! Every person I know offered to help out in one way or another, and that is why it went so well! so, once again, THANK YOU!!!

4th of July or Happy 31st to me!!

I've said it a million times, but i LOVE having my birthday on the 4th of July!! It's always such a fun day--there's never school, most offices are closed that day--it's just awesome! This year we walked over to the parade and then up to our towncenter's little carnival. the girls bounced in a little bouncy house thing, we had a Jamba Juice, walked around a bit and came home.


We had a (rained-out) BBQ at Amber's house that afternoon. Dave had some awesome (and loud, thus Abby and Izzy covering their ears) fireworks that he set off. The kids loved and hated them. And when Abby got really freaked out, the only person she'd let comfort her was Dana. Dana really is the nicest person in the world, so I can't say I blame her! Dave also had sparklers for them all. Grace and Abby had never had sparklers--they LOVED them!


We bribed Grace into taking a nap that afternoon so that she could stay up for fireworks. Abby naps about 50-60% of the time and on the days she does, she's up really late--so it worked out great!! It was a little breezy and chilly as we sat there on the driveway, but we got all bundled up and enjoyed a fantastic show. (I love that we have such a great view from our house!!) The girls still talk about the fireworks to this day. It was the perfect end to a perfect b-day.

Jumbo-tron

I have no pictures. No evidence. So you're just gonna have to take my word for it. On July 3rd, my friend Lindsay and I were obnoxious enough to get 5+ seconds on the Jumbo-tron at the Rockies game! I'm pretty sure it wasn't my first time on the big screen, what with my days as the Timpview mascot and all.... We danced around, and looked like 30 year-old moms who still think it's awesome to get the camera guy to notice us!! and we loved every second of it!! Lindsay and I were both that obnoxious kid growing up who did all sorts of crazy things and loved the attention. And I dare say we both still have a little bit of that in us. Lindsay has toned hers down quite nicely. :) You should see us on the bowling ally dance floor, though!! what's that? you didn't know that bowling alleys have dance floors? my point exactly... :) thanks, lindsay, for being my fellow ham!!

Moab

I've let myself get too far behind!!! I've been feeling a bit blogged-down by the thought of catching up. And, since i have such lofty plans of printing this blog out someday as my version of a scrapbook/photo album/journal, i don't want to post things out of order.....so, instead, i just put it off until i've got about 20 posts, and I can't remember any of the really great details about each experience. When will I learn?!?! I'm thinking never... So, here's the first of many "catching up" posts...

We spent four days in the middle of June with my family in Moab, UT. Two of my siblings couldn't make it--Jared and Cynthia. And one nephew got really sick, so he stayed home with his dad--but other than that--we were all there! This was the first time in i-don't-know-how-long that my family got together anywhere besides my parents' house. And it was AWESOME!! We all just kept wondering why it'd taken us so long to do it! There's something magical about vacationing with your family, but not being at your parents house. There is NOTHING to do besides be together, plan together, go new places together, play games together, visit with each other, and it was just awesome!!! I'm sure many have figured this out already. But nobody ever told ME!!! So, now i'm telling you--your family NEEDS this!

The condos we stayed in were absolutely beautiful!! And we had amazing views of the Moab Rim.

The girls were so excited to get out of the car and see Grandma and Grandpa! They even almost posed for a picture!!

The place had everything we could possibly need, and we really felt right at home. (If you ever stay there, let me know and i'll give you the info!) I was proud to introduce people in my family to the concept of Vacation Rentals. Far superior to hotels in EVERY WAY! Our two condos were right next door, and felt like one big house, which was great. And since cooking ain't no small thang in my family, so it was really nice to have fully stocked kitchens with everything we needed. We had some serious dietary restrictions to work with (from low-carb to meat-haters) and we somehow managed to find meals that worked for everyone!

We stayed up late every night gabbing, going out for ice cream, coming home and eating more ice cream, gabbing some more, thoroughly enjoying our time together, and of course, playing Pete & Kate Land, .

The weather was amazing. It should have been in the high 90's, but it was about 75 the whole time--amazing! We picked a couple of the warmer afternoons to head to the pool. The girls had so much fun swimming with Reid. Eliza wasn't a big fan of the water, so she and I basked in the sunlight....and she fell asleep in my arms!! Not a huge surprise given that naps didn't happen the whole trip, but still--it'd been over 6 months since she'd done that!

The first day there we headed to Arches--to see Double Arch and the Windows. No matter how many times I see those red rock formations, I am always amazed by their beauty. And no matter how many scientific explanations I hear, I remain convinced that God dropped those arches there just like they are. Erosion Smerosion! It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and we all just LOVED hiking, walking, and driving to all of the arches.

The girls had such a great time at Double Arch. I tried really hard to not be that mom--the overly-cautious really loud one. But i failed. All i could keep imagining was Grace losing her footing and rolling down the steep rock, only to land on more steep rock. Or Abby thinking that Grandpa was looking and jumping into his arms, only to send them both tumbling down. But after enough "be careful!!!"s and after Reid took the girls up to the highest part of the arch--freaking out even my two older brothers I just forced myself to shut up. I noticed that my sister, Julia, was equally as worried as I was. And seeing how ridiculous she looked helped me calm down a bit, and I finally joined them in all the climbing and got some good pics :)

That tiny little dot in the middle of the arch is my husband with my child!!!!!

Julia, Nate, Reid, Kevin and my dad all hiked up to the windows and saw this in the sky. I have no idea what this phenomenon is called. They heard someone call it a Sun Dog, but we looked that up, and that's not it. The best we can come up with is Rainbow Cloud. Either way, isn't it gorgeous!??!?!

We spent Sunday about an hour south of Moab in Blanding, UT. My mom was born there, and, although her parents moved before she can remember, they went back to visit just about EVERY summer growing up. She has always talked so much about Blanding and her experiences there. And it was absolutely wonderful being there with her. We went to church in the very chapel she attended as a child. We drove by her grandma's place (which didn't look anything like it used to), and drove around the town a bit trying to find as many things that she could remember as possible. Julia and I got to be in the car with Mom while she gave us a tour. I think it's fair to say that Julia and I are the most "sentimental" of all our siblings, so we were thrilled to hear her reminisce her youth and share her memories. We also visited Grandma "Darby's" grave--my Eliza's namesake--Mary Eliza Rowley Stevens. It was so neat to be at the graveside of this woman that I've heard about my whole life. And I know it meant the world to my mom to have most of her children there with her in this little town that holds such a special place in her heart. While we were down there, we drove to Natural Bridges National Monument. I'd never even heard of this place, but it was really awesome! The rocks weren't red, so it was a very different kind of beauty, but the bridges were amazing!

(yes, i wish that Eliza had been happy in this photo and that we'd cleaned off the grave...maybe i really should figure out photoshop...)

On Monday morning we headed to my all-time favorite arch--Sand Dune Arch. It was probably my girls' favorite of all the arches, too. We all had so much fun trying to run downhill in the sand, climbing all over the rocks, chillin' in the shade and soaking in the beauty. This was one of the only places where Eliza could get down, and she LOVED the sand! We could have stayed there for hours. Wait, we did.

That photo in the middle is the only one we got with the whole gang

After Sand Dune Arch, we drove over to Delicate Arch. My dad, Nate, Julia, Melanie and her kids all did the un-kid-friendly hike right up to the arch. Because of timing and kids Reid, Kevin, and I opted for the shorter hike. we literally ran to the lookout point while my mom sat in the car with my kids. It was breathtaking. If I'd ever seen that arch before, i had no recollection of it. It's unique in so many ways--but mostly just that it's standing ALL ALONE with nothing else around it!! Erosion? i think not. God playing with red clay play-doh? Obviously.

My mom, dad, Kevin and Nathan left Monday afternoon, which left Julia, Melanie and kids and us for the last night. After dinner we walked around downtown Moab. We got some ice cream at the Moab Creamery, decided that wasn't enough, went to the store and bought MORE ice cream, came home and nearly finished off 2 half gallons of ice cream, played games, talked, ate more ice cream, stayed up too late, and tried to make the vacation never end!!

The next morning we packed our things and drove up US-128 along the Green River, just north of Moab. We parked at a little sandy beach area where the kids got out and played in the water. Benjamin built sand castles and canyons, Grace and Abby got soaking wet in the freezing water, and we all enjoyed our last moments together in the most beautiful canyon I've ever seen. And Reid and I were lucky enough to get to drive the rest of the canyon on our way home. (If you are ever in Moab coming towards CO, don't miss out on this scenic long-cut. It is absolutely beautiful!!!)

I don't remember the last time I enjoyed both the company and the vacation spot so much. It was SOOO much fun being with family, and it was such a beautiful place to be. I'm pretty sure I speak for all who were there when I say that Moab '09 will go down in the books as one of the all-time best vacations ever!!

catching up

I've got about one million posts that i'm almost ready to post. But my computer is freaking out on me, and won't allow me to do anything with the photos. So, the second I can get my hands on Reid....'s computer I'll fill you all in on all the oh-so-exciting events of the past month+ of our lives!! Meanwhile, i keep accidentally hitting "Publish post" so, all of you with readers are probably getting half written posts showing up. Sorry!! just think of those as little teasers. :) or just little obnoxious half written posts....

more soon!!