Jared, Crystal, Garrison and Tori

Tori's 1st Birthday!

2011-06-07T14:25:00.003-06:00

Tori attempting to dig into her cake! Not very successful, she had double ear infections on her birthday:(

Opening presents... she wasn't really into it. Still too young, but still so cute.

One of her new presents from nana:) She loved her new picnic basket.

Fire Station

2011-06-07T14:14:00.003-06:00

A good friend of mine planned a trip for a bunch of us to take a tour of the fire station about a month or so ago. The boys had a great time as you can imagine. Garrison loved to sit in the drivers seat. The Fire Fighters were really nice and let all the kids play all over the fire engines, slide down the poles and they loved it. A fun time was had by all and it was great to catch up with so many good friends:)

Day at the Park

2011-06-07T14:06:00.002-06:00

We have had some fun days at the park lately and Tori just loves her hat:)

Garrison has been loving throwing the balls with dad. They play "baseball". He loves it and it gets all his energy out:)

My adorable little baby girl! I absolutely love her personality and she just makes me so happy.

My super cute Kiddos!

2011-01-14T23:36:00.002-07:00

I have always known that my kids were stink'n cute, but lately they been developing so fast and doing so many new things--they just become cuter and cuter everyday. I have some recent and random shots of the kids that I thought were just too cute not to share:)

Christmas!

2011-01-14T23:21:00.004-07:00

I am a little late in posting pictures from Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Garrison was so cute opening all his presents. Tori didn't really care, but Garrison helped her open her presents which he loved. We spent Christmas morning with just us and then later that day we spent time with my family as well as some of Jared's family. We had such a fun time visiting with our families. We have the best families ever! The kids made Christmas special this year, we are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Changes!

2010-11-26T22:05:00.005-07:00

We have had lots of changes happen in our family recently. Jared found out back in Sept. that he was going to get laid off. The good news is that Jared got a new job working for Ericsson as a Field Technician fixing cell sites and really seems to like it a lot. They gave him a brand new truck, a laptop and 3 cell phones!!! There are many ways to get a hold of him now... he he. Plus he is outside all the time and even gets to off road occasionally for work. He hates that a lot. j/k!

On a sadder note, Gavin will be leaving us and going to preschool beginning the first of the year. I have been taking care of Gavin since he was 7 months old and he is almost 3. I have really grown to love him like my own son and will be sad to see him go. I know it is for the best, so it is a bitter sweet feeling.

Our kids are wonderful!!! Garrison is talking up a storm and is developing so well. It is so much fun to see him change into a little boy. The things that entertain him are hilarious and we have such a good time hearing him laugh:) Tori is my sweet little social butterfly. If she is left alone she is just quiet or a little grunty, but the second you look at her or pay attention to her she just lights up. It is the sweetest thing in the world. She is starting to sit up on her own now, she is eating solids from a spoon FINALLY and we are loving every minute of it.

Today we had a family photo shoot and yes it was cold. We braved through it and thawed out the kiddos later. We had so many good pics that turned out and I will pick some of my favs to share on this blog. Enjoy!

Day at the pool

2010-08-13T21:31:00.002-06:00

We went to the pool today and had a great time! Garrison loves playing in the water and would do it all day if I let him. I didn't think we were going to be there for very long so I didn't put any sunscreen on. OOPS!!! Got a little sunburned:) Had a great time though and enjoyed the sun!

3 months!

2010-08-13T21:21:00.002-06:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 3 months old already! My how time flies. Everyday I say how I don't think she can get any cuter and she keeps proving me wrong! She is laughing now and that is so much fun. She has a smile that can light up anyone's day. She lights up mine everyday! Garrison really likes her now which is good because the first two weeks, he really DIDN'T! He asks for her every morning when he wakes up. " Where's Tori?" I'll tell him she's still sleeping and he says. "Oh no!" He is so frick'n cute. I love my kiddos so much and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

Slacker!!!!!!!

2010-06-12T10:11:00.002-06:00

So I am such a slacker and have not blogged in such a long time. Having two kids definitely takes up more time and it has been an adjustment for sure. Things are finally starting to settle down and so I am trying to catch up on blogging.

Last night we had some friends over and Garrison was helping me cook. He is such a big helper and is just getting so big and growing so fast. His little mind is like a sponge and he is talking more and more everyday. He repeats everything we say and it is so funny.

Victoria Anneli Orton

2010-06-12T10:04:00.002-06:00

Tori was born on May 10th at 5:20 pm. weighing 7lbs. 13oz. and 20 in long. She is beautiful and healthy and we are so blessed to have her. Garrison wasn't too fond of her at first but is such a good big brother now. She is sleeping great, eating great and is just the sweetest baby. Having a little girl is so much fun. I am a total girly girl and so I dress her up like a doll all the time:)

ALMOST 36 weeks!

2010-04-18T13:28:00.003-06:00

So I finally took a preggo pic since we now have a camera. I am almost 36 weeks and cannot wait to have her out. The last month is always the worst and my tummy feels like it is stretched to the max! I am trying to be patient since I want her to be "well cooked" and healthy but it is so hard. Anyway, I am so excited to meet her and feel very blessed for the healthy pregnancy I have had.

Cuttest boy in the world!

2010-04-18T13:21:00.003-06:00

Garrison is just so much fun! He is talking up a storm and just has the cutest personality. I love him to pieces and it amazes me how much he learns everyday. His mind is like a sponge right now and he will say things that just make me laugh. The other day we were watching Ellen and he looked at the TV and said "oh Gosh". Where did he get that from? Jared has trained him to cheer for the Rockies so every time we watch a game, Garrison shouts "Go Rockies!". It is so cute:)

Finally did it...

2010-03-29T13:11:00.006-06:00

Well, we finally got a new camera. Garrison broke our other one a couple of months ago and things have been hectic and crazy and we just haven't gotten around to getting another one. With the new baby coming soon and Garrison growing up so fast, we realized we really needed to bite the bullet and buy one. So, my blogging should pick up again since I now have pics to post.

The baby is due in about 6 weeks and I am eager to get her out of my belly! I will have to be patient though because she still has some cooking to do before she can come see us. Anyway, Garrison is super cute and getting so big. He is talking up a storm and we are loving every minute with him.

playing catch up

2010-01-29T19:37:00.002-07:00

So I have been a total slacker lately as far as blogging goes and the only excuse I have is that our camera broke and it's usually the pictures that make me want to blog. However, I love reading others blogs religiously and when they go too long without posting I usually say to myself "Slacker" so I guess I am a hypocrite... lol. With all that said I do have something fun to blog about...

I have been feeling the baby move for quite a few weeks now but they have been very soft kicks and nothing that I have been able to see when I look at my stomach. However, today she was kicking up a storm and I loved every bit of it:) Jared was actually able to feel her move for the first time today and I was grateful for that. She is getting bigger and growing everyday and I am getting super excited for her arrival. I know I still have 14 weeks but I also know how fast that is going to go and it is crazy! I have a lot to do still but in the meantime I am just going to enjoy my little girl kicking and moving around inside me.

East Coast Blizzard!

2009-12-19T20:18:00.002-07:00

So Jared and Garrison and I flew out to D.C. yesterday and just missed the blizzard by a couple of hours. We are now snowed in with 20+ inches of snow! Crazy! So far we have managed not to kill each other, but are enjoying our time with family. Church has been canceled for tomorrow so it looks like another day inside. They have closed all local public schools till Wednesday.

Jared and I are supposed to go to NYC on Monday but are unsure at this point because of this crazy storm. We will play it by ear I guess. For now, we are just enjoying our time with family and trying to enjoy the storm.

It's a GIRL:)

2009-12-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

Had an ultrasound done today and we are having a baby GIRL!!! I am so excited. I will post more later but wanted to let everyone know the good news!

17 weeks!

2009-12-10T08:26:00.001-07:00

I had my 17 week check up at the doctor yesterday and it went really well:) Baby is doing great and I am doing much better too. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. I think it's because I have Garrison to distract me! I find out the sex on Dec. 17th and I am so excited. We leave for VA the very next day for Christmas with Jared's family. I am really looking forward to it. I will miss my family but we will celebrate Christmas with them right before we leave. YEAH for TWO Christmas's:)

November Snow!

2009-11-15T09:50:00.002-07:00

Today we have already had about 9 inches of snow. Church was cancelled and so we decided to let Garrison go out and play in the snow. He was so adorable and the poor guy could barely move because we had his so bundled up.

10 weeks!

2009-10-22T19:14:00.001-06:00

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday for my 10 week check up and everything is going great! I got to see the baby again because my doctor is the coolest and it's amazing how much it already looks like a baby. Arms, hands, legs, feet, eyes... it's crazy to think how small it is, yet is already looking so much like a little baby instead of an alien. I am still nauseous but am hoping that will end soon since I am nearing the end of my first trimester. Crazy to think that I am already a fourth of the way through the pregnancy!

Baby #2:)

2009-09-24T22:01:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to announce that baby #2 will be arriving May 20, 2010! I had an ultrasound today and saw the little heartbeat! I am only 6 weeks but we are so excited and just can't hold it in any longer. Garrison will be such a cute big brother. We told him today, but he has absolutely no clue what we're talking about! He will once mommy starts getting a big belly:)

Friends wedding

2009-09-12T20:45:00.003-06:00

Some friends of ours got married last weekend and it was a beautiful wedding. It was held at Hudson Gardens and it was absolutely gorgeous. My parents came as well and we had a great time. It was such a fun day and the reception was an absolute blast. Garrison was a huge hit as always. He was dancing on the dance floor and just being so adorable. I just love our little boy so much!!

Zoo Trip

2009-09-12T20:34:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago my sister in law and I went to the zoo with the kids. It was was fun but I have never seen so many strollers in all my life. I loved everything except the BEE'S. Oh my gosh, I hate bee's. I have a huge fear of them and I have never been stung so I don't know why I'm so afraid but I am. I run like a baby and do a crazy dance and look like a total moron. I can't seem to sand still. I HATE IT! Anyway, there were tons of bee's and I couldn't wait to get away from them. The little boy sitting next to Garrison in the stroller is Gavin who I take care of everyday. Garrison and Gavin are like brothers. They have so much fun together.

B & B!!!

2009-08-09T21:17:00.002-06:00

Jared's birthday was on June 19th and originally for his birthday I got us a night away at a Bed & Breakfast in Colorado Springs. Well, as many of you know... he was in the hospital from June 15 - June 18! Needless to say he was in no condition to be going away for the weekend. I called the B & B and rescheduled it for the first weekend in August which also turned out to be our Anniversary. YEAH!!! It worked out perfectly. On Friday afternoon we headed down to the Springs and checked in at the B & B. After that we went to dinner at Red Hot & Blue. SO YUMMY!!! When we got back to our room we watched our engagement video as well as our Wedding Reception. It was so much fun to look back at all the good times. We absolutely loved the B & B, it was just what we needed. You will see in the pictures that it was an Old Victorian house from 1902. On Saturday morning we received the "Romantic breakfast in bed". What a delicious treat this was. We couldn't have imagined a better breakfast:)

After getting ready for the day we decided to head to the mall and look around. Ummm.... it was the most pitiful thing we had ever seen. Ya, it was sad. Anyway, on the way to the mall we stumbled across the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. It was AMAZING!!! What a touching experience it was. Jared was in his element. I read a poem that was posted on one of the granite walls and I was in tears. So touching. After all was said and done we went home earlier that day than planned because we missed our little Garrison!

Rocky Mountain National Park

2009-08-09T21:08:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday we decided to go to the mountains and we agreed on Rocky Mountain National Park. It was BEAUTIFUL. I wouldn't recommend going in August on a weekend though. Here is why... it is peak season and there are THOUSANDS of people there!!! There was nowhere to park and it was so crowded we ended up driving around for a couple of hours. We were able to get some pictures though. Garrison loved being outside once we got there. He wasn't too fond of being in the car for so long but he was a champ. We packed our lunches and loved being there and just enjoying time together as a family.

2 years ago today!

2009-08-04T07:12:00.002-06:00

I can't believe 2 years ago today we got married. Happy Anniversary Honey! I love you. It was such a great day and I can't believe how fast time has gone. We have so many memories together already and I think we might just have to watch our wedding video today... corny I know but it's a must! It's fun to look back at what a fun and blessed day it was.

Garrison's 1st birthday

2009-07-20T20:41:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it's been a month since Garrison turned 1 and I'm just now posting the pics from his birthday, but they are worth the wait. He was so adorable digging into his yellow birthday cake. At first he didn't know what to think of it but then he got into it and there was cake in his hair, all over his face/hands and his chest. As far as opening the presents... he did ok. He wasn't too sure what to do, he would get fascinated with one toy and not care about opening the next one. He has the best personality and is always so happy. It was great fun celebrating with our family... Garrison has got to be the cutest baby EVER!

Orton 5K

2009-06-30T11:06:00.002-06:00

Many of you know that Jared has been super sick and was recently in the hospital. We don't have insurance and a super good friend of mine is putting together a 5K to help. Check out the blog at: orton5k.blogspot.com for details. I have the greatest friends ever!!! Thanks Emily:)

Fun in the sun

2009-06-29T17:47:00.003-06:00

Garrison's cute little pruned feet.
Family pic!

Mommy and little G!
Garrison just chillin
Daddy and little G!

Last saturday we went to my brother and sister in laws house to hang out and we ended up going swimming at their community pool. We had such a good time and it was nice to enjoy the wonderful hot Colorado sun.
Garrison just turned 1 and I am planning on posting pics of his 1 year birthday when I get them back. He was such a mess digging into his cake and it was so adorable. He is such a good little boy and we are having so much fun with him.

FEVER!

2009-05-21T08:41:00.003-06:00

So Garrison has been cutting his 1 year molars and therefore running a fever. Poor guy has been so hot that I have been having him run around in just his diaper. He looks so darn cute! Hopefully this passes soon because he has been so miserable and hasn't been napping well either. I can tell he doesn't feel good because he has been cuddling with me and that only happens when he doesn't feel well.

Birthday present!

2009-05-13T21:11:00.002-06:00

So my birthday was a couple of weeks ago and I got the greatest present... my in-laws were sweet enough to send me money for a cut and color. I haven't had my hair done since our wedding and I was itching to get something done but we just never had the money for it. Jared was behind the scenes of course and let them know that I had wanted this for a long time but we just couldn't afford it. I went to my favorite hair stylist in the world, my friend Crystal (who I absolutely adore) and she hooked me up. I have been going to her for the last 7 years. Jared heard me mention her name once or twice and one day when I was in the other room he grabbed my phone and got her number without me knowing. I had no clue, but he called her up and set up a hair appointment for me. What a wonderful birthday surprise. Thanks Jared:)

Getting into EVERYTHING!

2009-05-13T21:03:00.003-06:00

He is such a happy little guy. He is always laughing and smiling:)
So handsome. I can't believe he's mine. I just adore that little face!
Guess who got into mommy's purse...
I was putting groceries away and before I knew it he was in the fridge trying to eat an orange:)

So Garrison will be 11 months old on Friday and he is getting into everything. As you will see in the pictures, he likes to play with anything that isn't a toy. He has a million toys but would rather play with everything else instead. I can't believe he will be a year next month. OH MY GOSH time flies.

Goodbye 20's!

2009-04-24T08:44:00.002-06:00

So today is the last day of my 20's. That's right, tomorrow I turn 30! I can't believe how fast time goes. I can remember when I thought 30 was SO OLD and I don't feel that different than I did when I turned 22. When my older sisters turned 30, they cried. I can honestly say that I'm not depressed to be turning 30. I'm actually kind of excited. The 20's were great don't get me wrong, they had their ups and downs but I am looking forward to my 30's! BRING IT ON:)

St. Parick's Day Parade!

2009-03-14T15:00:00.003-06:00

He loved being on our shoulders.
Family pic:)
Jonathan Jardine and his son Creed. Jared and our son Garrison

Today we went to the St. Parick's Day parade with our friends the Jardines and had a great time. The boys loved all the floats and music. We borrowed my sister-in-laws mini van so we could all go together. We were there past the boys nap time so as you can imagine they crashed on the way home.

Just plain cute:)

2009-02-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

We went over to my parents house the other night and put Garrison in a jacket because it was cold outside. He looked so freak'n cute I just couldn't resist taking a picture of him:) Check out those teeth... SO CUTE!!!

Garrison's first swim!!!

2009-02-28T12:58:00.002-07:00

Garrison and Daddy!
Garrison and mommy!

This morning we took Garrison to the Rec center for his first swim. We hung out in the lazy river and had such a good time. We put him completely under the water a couple of times and he didn't mind at all. I was expecting a cry but he took it like a champ. The pictures are a little blurry since we were constantly moving in the water but you can kind of get the idea:)

I think he'll become a dentist:)

2009-02-15T19:33:00.002-07:00

So Jared and Garrison were on the floor tonight playing and Garrison starting grabbing at his mouth and it looked like he was a dentist:) It was so cute and Jared was so good to let him play with his face so much. At one point, Garrison put his fingers up Jared's nose and gripped it so hard. I was laughing and just had to take pictures and share this hilarious sight.

My little boy!!!

2009-02-15T19:27:00.002-07:00

Garrison is getting so big. My sister in law gave me some clothes since he is wearing 12 month clothes now and I loved this little blue sweater on him. It makes his eyes pop out since they are blue as well. I can't believe he is 8 months old today and wearing 12 month clothes already.

Crazy!!!

2009-02-13T20:44:00.003-07:00

Garrison loves his high chair...
He is crawling backwards but not forwards... weird kid.
Gavin and Garrison Playing together.
I can't believe how fast he is growing.
Cutest boy EVER:)

So I just realized that it's been a month today since I last posted... shame on me:( Life has been so busy lately and I have been meaning to post for weeks now and haven't been able to fit it in. I am doing in home daycare and I have 2 babies besides Garrison. Gavin just turned 1 year and Maggie is 5 days younger than Garrison, they are both 8 months old! Ya, I'm crazy I know... I feel like I have triplets. Garrison and Gavin love to play together and often leave Maggie out but I don't think she minds. She actually gets mad if one of the boys invade her space:) It's really funny, she starts to scream at them if they get to close to her.

Cool Dude!!

2009-01-13T12:18:00.001-07:00

Garrison has been sitting up on his own now for about a month and he loves to chew on EVERYTHING. The other day I put his sunglasses on thinking he would hate them but he didn't mind them at all. They looked so darn cute I just had to share.

Olympic Training Center!

2009-01-09T10:53:00.004-07:00

On Tuesday we went down to Colorado Springs and toured the Olympic Training Center. We had such a good time and so did Garrison! We also took Gavin who is a boy I do daycare for. We saw the pool where Michael Phelps trained and the gymnastics area where other olympians train. In the main lobby area they had a bob sled where you could take pictures and we took full advantage of the opportunity:)

Bath Time!

2008-12-24T07:01:00.004-07:00

So Garrison loves bath time and I think he looks so cute in his little towel that has a built in hood. I keep a diaper very close by of course because he is a BOY and you know what happens with baby boys when they get naked and the air hits their you know what... yep, I have been sprayed many times:) It has taken me six months and hopefully I have finally learned my lesson about keeping him covered at all times!

We Finally Have A Blog :)

2008-12-17T20:48:00.004-07:00

Well it has taken us quite some time but we are finally going to start a family blog:) Since it is Christmas time I thought I would share a picture of Garrison in his Santa hat... yes, he is dressed for the occasion:)