2019 Year in Review

2019 Year in Review

andrewandlizorton shared an Instagram photo with you

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andrewandlizorton just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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"Ji Dan bing, my ayi made these for me every morning for breakfast when I wasnt at school. #homesick #yummy"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

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Ruby ate a whole container of sweet potatoes! She loved them!

Household update

Thank you blogger for finally updating your software so that I can now blog from my phone. I'm hardly ever on my computer any more. Why get on the computer when I can do everything from my phone?! They've also changed the way you compose your posts now too... weiiirdd..

Anyway, the Orton household is doing great. We love Andrew's new job. We never pay for gas anymore because company pays for it. He likes what he's doing, he likes being at the mine, he likes the people he works with. Pay isn't any better BUT he's home more and he's happy. we're happy.

I love my new job (coaching gymnastics). I got certified in CPR last week as well as coaching certified for safety and risk management... and I've started teaching for 8 hrs a week. It's small $ but I don't have to pay for Abby's gymnastics any more (a blessing), I can bring my kids to work (blessing), it brings in a little extra $ (blessing) and I love it (double blessing). It also gets me out of the house on these hot summer days! And the girls are fun to be around. I also got released from my callings of family history consultant and relief society activity committee (had them for 3 years!!! I still don't know how grandma did nursery for so long!). And am back in a calling I've had at every ward I've been in..... -.-  CTR 5 teacher (I for some reason ALWAYS teach the SAME AGE LEVEL too). ... it's fine i guess. I like to teach the little kids and it's in my attention span range. But they're making me co-teach with another teacher and sometimes there are more teachers than kids.... like last week. I feel like my potential is being wasted in the ward with a class that doesn't need me. They only need 1 teacher, but they're insisting on each class having 2 teachers in the room always. meh. I'm just glad to be out of my old callings! i'll take anything!!!

Ruby's growing up fast! She's teething and was sleeping through the night but is no longer. I thought I wasn't making enough milk so we bought formula to supplement, but it turns out that if I don't run, I have enough. (I was starting to do a couch potato to 5k program. and i liked it a lot. I was running a little over 2 miles 3 times a week. After 2 or 3 weeks of running, I noticed that once I started to run I started to not produce milk for Ruby. I no longer run-- #formulasexpensive) It also turns out that she's not screaming because she's hungry but because she's T-E-E-T-H-I-N-G...  UGGGHHH.... often if we rub her gums she's quiet down. You can't see her teeth though, this is going to be a long teething process.

Abby is always wanting to do something or go somewhere. "Can we make a craft?" (thus the previous post) "Can we make cookies and give them to the neighbors?" (how can you say no to that??) "can we ride our bikes??" (she can now ride her bike with out training wheels. something she could have been doing for the past year but is too scared). "can we fly a kite"-- ahhh something I can absolutely say NO to because we have no wind. She's especially wanting to learn how to read. I've tried teaching her, but I'm not very good at it. She really really really wants to learn though. The school she's going to this fall (Legacy Traditional School  (a charter school)) uses the Spalding phonics program.... so I've been trying with that but I'm no good. I get my chinese pronunciation and my English pronunciation mixed up. fail. the devil of learning 2 languages. Any suggestions on getting her to read would be great. she is just dying to learn, and I'm excited to not have to read to her. #IHATEREADING I'm trying to like it more, but I just can't get my mind to concentrate on what I'm reading. I think about other things and forget that I am reading and what I'm reading.

So that's the update for now. Here's some pictures that my friend Cindy Price from www.lilypstudio.com took the week Ruby had her baby blessing. I love love LOVE <3 them. You might have seen them already on FB but here they are anyway.

Craft for the day

Sun Catchers

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"Abby's been wanting to do a craft the last couple of days, so our craft for the day: butterfly sun catchers. Thanks pinterest for the idea. They look much cooler in person. Picture doesn't do it justice. "
(taken at Liz's house)

Scripture reading time

Scripture study yesterday, Andrew was reading from Matthew in the bible. Jesus was speaking in the chapter and there were 3 "shall be"s said. Abby finally spoke up after the 3rd and said Jesus is talking to us about Shelby!!!!! (our dog that died in dec, which I told Abby was living with Jesus now). :) I tried to explain/correct her but I think it was too early in the morning for her to clue in between shall be and shelby.

At least we know she's listening, even if there's miscommunication. :)

Reason why I have been sleeping so much lately....

From Expecting

15.5 weeks. Due Feb 11, 2012. Andrew and I think it's a boy, Abby thinks it's a girl. We'll find out end of September.

Christmas season

Christmas was busy as usual. It wasn't all I had hoped for, to be honest. We were trying to get over our tenant who was threatening us, one of our loved dogs died--which felt like we'd lost our own child. We were busy from one Christmas thing to another, Andrew sung in a choir for the stake Christmas program. I made a traditional turkey dinner for 60 people for a RS x-mas meeting, pretty much by myself with a few exceptions of having some helpers warm up food and using others ovens for 6 turkeys (however i prepped, seasoned and delivered all the turkeys to be cooked). And on top of that I was trying to get ready for our upcoming LDS Pioneer trek the week after Christmas. AND make sure there were presents under the tree and exposing Abby to all the Christmas traditions I like to do.

It was stressful, and as much as I tried to NOT make it stressful it just became more stressful. I'm glad that it's all over.

Christmas eve, we got to spend with our good friends the Lawton's. We played games, ate dinner, and read Christmas books. Then on the drive home we read the scriptures of Jesus' birth. Once we arrived back in Maricopa (the lawton's live a good hour and a half + away), we delivered cookies to friend's doors at midnight Christmas eve. That was kind of fun, I think I liked delivering cookies that way at that time.

Christmas day was nice and sort of relaxing (minus the stress of the Trek). The house was picked up, we opened presents. I enjoyed watching my 3 year old learn the surprises and traditions of Christmas Day. My cousin, John Lawrence's family sent us a Christmas card with a picture of Santa by the tree with all the presents underneath it. Abby carried that picture around all December, continually asking me if this was going to happen to her (having Santa come and presents and what not) I told her yes, it would happen. Christmas day came around and she pulled out the card that she'd carried all around. She looked at the card then looked at the tree and the presents and said.... "MOM, IT'S JUST LIKE THE CARD!" phew! mission complete! :) That night we had friends come over and eat some delicious ham with us for dinner. And called it a night.

Here's a few pics of Abby with Santa. I don't know where all the other Christmas pictures went ? maybe I didn't take any-- which is hard to believe. I've been having picture problems lately :(

Andrew's birthday.

Oct 1, was Andrew's birthday. I know, this should have been two posts before the last two but oh well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

He's now TWENTY-SEVEN! He's getting so old! ;)

He's:

1. sweet 
2. kind
3. handsome
4. sexy
5. fun
6. goofball
7. loving
8. helpful
9. smart
10. forward thinker
11. giving
12. bold
13. strong 
14. talented
15. good kisser ;)
16. faithful
17. spiritual
18. forgiving
19. patient
20. understanding
21. open minded
22. always trying to improve things
23. instinctive
24. charming
25. intuitive
26. logical
27. friendly

Happy birthday babe! We love you!

For his birthday abby insisted that he needed PINK balls to play with.... i don't know where that idea came from. I think the git was more for herself than dad, but that's what she wanted to give him.


Here's some pictures of him opening his presents. 

November...

So in November, we got to go to San Diego and relax from a stressful two and a half months of having tenants living in our house. They chose to leave during our vacation to SD. We used our vacation, as a time to enjoy, Grandma Cowles, A. Eileen, Daniel's family and the Robertson's. As well as, unload the frustration, stress and to get away from the disappointment in our tenants.

As always, we love to see family and it seems like it's never long enough. I'm not sure if I have any pictures from the visit, but thank you family for welcoming us.

We had a turkey dinner at the Robertson's the Sunday before Thanksgiving which was pretty much or thanksgiving. We sort of had a Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day but Andrew had to work so it was really low key. We had a little bit of turkey, mainly because it was so cheap and I bottled the meat that evening... That was about it.

For the month of November though, I wanted to write down something I was thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. Here are 25 things I am thankful for:

1. My family, who love me, understand me, tolerate me, and help me though life. 
2. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the strength, help,courage and knowledge it gives me each day. 
3. My house, a shelter from the outside world. A place where I can find peace and happiness and decorate it however I want. :)
4. Cars that run and get me from place to place so that I can live where I live and go where the world takes me. 
5. My puppies, who keep me happy and entertained.
6. My friends who keep me on my toes and show me that you do need to clean out your fridge and dust and go to the park every once and a while. :)
7. My garden and green thumb husband who makes sure my citrus trees don't die and leave with beautiful flowers and trees to use and look at. 
8. Programs (Blogs, Face book, Twitter) that allows me to communicate to family and friends without having to hold a pen. :) 
9. Computers/internet that keep me thinking, learning, and up to date on life. 
10. My cats that warm me when I'm sick or cold. 
11. My testimony of Jesus Christ. 
12. The warm weather and the fact that I don't have to drive in the snow! thanks goodness!
13. My husband, I know I said family, but he gets a special one. I sure do love him!
14. Abby's little thoughts she shares with me as she learns and grows 
15. My health and my family's health. I'm thankful that I am able to get up and walk and do that things I need to do each day. 
16. The temple and the peace, love, happiness and knowledge it gives to me. 
17. A job, that Andrew can work and bring home income and put the food on the table. 
18. a great church ward family that uplifts and makes me feel the Saviour's love.
19. a wonderful, entertaining childhood I was given, with great examples to try and follow. 
20. a knowledge that there is a world outside of the united states.. and how how i miss it!
21. good food, and the fact that i can cook it! I hate having bland same thing each day food, I'm so glad I can cook and switch it up!
22. Having a house to myself and my family and not having to share it with any one else!
23. having the convenience of quick fast water, food and electricity. 
24. Having a grandparent that my daugther can meet and love
25. Reese's chocolate. :)