More from me... this time with pictures!

My life is simple. It's wonderful, and have been immensly blessed by my Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for those months on my mission - they changed the way I look at everything. For one, I am so grateful for my family. They are wonderful people who mean more to me than anything in the world. Included with my husband and his family, and my immediate family, I have 4 wonderful nieces and nephews that mean the world to me.

This is Cessna. She is a beautiful little 5-year old that has the wit of a 12 year old. She has an excellent memory, never letting you forget about what you said to her. She never misses a beat and is too smart for her own good sometimes! She loves princesses - Ariel is her favorite, and she loves being the center of attention... just ask her. :) She is such a blessing in our family.




This is Robby. Oh, Robby. He is such a funny kid. He lives in Florida; he is my sister Holly's kid. He loves letters, numbers, and Elmo, and loves to sing. Recently, he has joined in singing with Holly when she associates the letter "Q" with Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Night." What a character. He knows the entire alphabet and what the letters sound like.... he'll be 2 in April. Smart kid.

This is Lance. Lance... likes to eat. Here he is, burying his face in the bottom of the tray to get the last of that powdered sugar. He is so much fun. He loves his mom, the phone, and helping in the kitchen - whatever mom is doing. He is Cessna's little brother. He is 18 months.

This is little Daytona. She is the newest addition to the Orton family tree, and is quickly becoming a little rascall. You can't leave her unattended for more than a minute, if that. She's all girl, but she likes to get dirty too. She is a doll. She will be one year in March!

So, I know the last blog was kind of boring. I mean, who wants to read a novel on a blog page with no pictures? Not many, I imagine. But thank you, Ali and Holly, for commenting. It makes me feel good that someone is reading the blog. I hope you enjoy the pictures. I certainly do! I will add more about my family later.

A few things have happened lately, and I just wanted to take some time to blog it before it gets to be old news. First of all, Happy New Year! New Years is not my favorite holiday, so I like to keep it low key. It was nice and relaxing, before starting a brand new job. Yes, I have finally kissed 3form goodbye and I'm on to somethign new. I work now at Axiom Design, a graphic design studio in downtown Salt Lake. I am really enjoying it. It is a small company, and things are very laid back there. I mean, it is design - you can only be so laid back, I know. But, everyone is really cool and I feel like it's the right place to be. I am the personal assistant/administrative assistant to the owner of the company. I really enjoy being an assistant. Overwhelming at first of course, but it keeps me on my toes and I'm always busy - which is great for me. They have worked on a ton of stuff in the entertainment industry. The Shrek movies, the Simpsons Movie, Over The Hedge, Charlotte's Web, Napoleon Dynamite, and Nacho Libre are just to name a few. Check them out if you get a chance: http://www.axiomdc.com/

So, new year, new job, and a new semester at school as well. I go to the fabulous Salt Lake Community College, and because of my new work schedule, am only taking one class. I decided a while ago that I wanted to start writing. I am looking into it more now, and the class is a college prep writing class to learn about all of the fundamentals. I am loving it! I really enjoy writing and now I am reading things a bit differently. It may become my major (which, at this rate, I will never graduate.... one class per semester. I know, I am really dedicated). We shall see.

Chris has also started class again, finishing up his 2nd year in his plumbing apprenticeship. He is still deciding if this is what he wants to do for the rest of his life, but it will be a great thing to fall back on if not.

And oh yes, we started teaching the 9 year olds in primary. They are great kids! I was so nervous - but they are not scary. Thank goodness!

So - new year, new job, new classes, new calling.... How about New Year's resolutions? Here are a few of mine:

-Get going on my violin. Chris set up lessons for me for Christmas. I am so excited!

-Attend the temple AT LEAST once every month. I have been slacking in this area.

-Finish the Old Testament by the end of the year

-Get back to the gym. 60 bucks a month and we haven't been in months. What a waste!

-Blog about my life once a week. I figure it can be my journal. :)

-Read one book every month. I finished up the twilight series in December, and now I am picking up where I left off in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book #6. No, I haven't finished them, so please don't spoil it for me!)

What are some of your resoultions? Maybe I can add to my list?