This Is It.

Well here we go. This is my last post for possibly close to a year, unless I borrow someone's computer. We are starting the real road to buying our own ranch. Today, the day after Christmas was spent packing like mad. I didn't want to spoil Christmas by packing and taking things down. In a couple days we will be moved into my parent's house to house sit while they are "snow birding" for about 4 months. Daniel will start the regular selling season the middle of April. He can sell pre-season whenever he wants. Then we will live with my parents for probably 6 weeks while Cailin finishes first grade where she started out the year- where I went to grade school! Then we will be off for the "Summer Vacation" wherever our APX office takes us. After that the kids and I will move back in with my parents in August so Cailin and Colten can both start school. Daniel will finish APX the end of August unless he extends. From there we will re-evaluate our plans based on how the Summer went for Daniel. We are really shooting for a ranch of our own and it will take sacrifice for all of us- including my parents- we may live in their house most of the year. So this is it. When you have a dream you just have to go for it or you'll always wonder "what if". Goodnight from Montana.

Christmas at the Orton's

Christmas Eve PJ's.

Christmas morning. This was the first Christmas that the kids couldn't sleep and got up early to get us up. Even at that they slept pretty good and didn't get out of bed until 6. Cailin's prize posesssion is the jewelry box and a new church dress. (She is ALL girl!)

Colten LOVES farm toys. He plays so hard with his toys all the time that they usually end up breaking from normal boy use. He loves his pop gun, auguer and silo, that really augers rice!

Kiley is at a different stage for Christmas than the other kids were. She wasn't really too excited about anything. Although she likes her new sippy cups. Oh and that's the table saw I got Daniel, for only 59 bucks!

The ward Primary Christmas Nativity. Colten was a shepard.

Cailin was an angel.

Gingerbread House Tradition

So here is our mess. Cailin and Colten are getting old enough to do things by themselves, and they want to. So we almost end up with more of a mess than anything, but they have fun!

This is the front door/ yard. Colten did the door, Cailin did the yard.Colten's side of the roof- I helped with the icing.

Cailin's side of the roof- once again I did the icing- on command...

The back window which Cailin did. Then Daniel had Colten do a garden... I reminded him it was WINTER! :) We had lots of fun while listening to the CD's that Michelle recorded from my mom's old records we used to listen to as kids. Wow, how the memories came back! I used to lay on the floor in front of this old brown wooden record system that had an 8 track too. I'd lay there and look at the ceiling while listening to these songs and think about Christmas! We used to eat these hard candies that had a juicy filling- raspberry. I've never seen them since I was a kid.

Bull Dozer

Look closely, the driver of this thing should be named "Bull Dozer".

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

So we took my dad for a drive up to see an upper pasture and get a tree. We found the best tree and then ended up getting stuck for a good half hour- 45 minutes. We were high centered without a shovel. We did eventually get out!

Kiley was already taking off ornaments before the night was over. We listened to Michael Martin Murphy Christmas and snacked on peanut brittle, crackers and cheese, and summer sausage, while sipping sparkling cider from tall goblets.

A Return Missionary

Dan, Dawn and Dustin Harvey used to be our Home Teachers when we were in Livingston. They were very consistant in driving 1/2 an hour out to see us every month. Dustin just returned home from his mission to Tempe Arizona last week. They stopped by to see us and have Sunday dinner. My parents were here as well. It was a tradition for Daniel and Dustin to have an arm wrestling match. Daniel always beat him, but this time Dustin got him. Looks like being a missionary didn't make him too soft!

The Plan So Far

Well after a good Thanksgiving without a camera, all I can say is that it was a great time. We spent it in Cache Valley with most of Daniel's family. We all pitched in to help with Thanksgiving because Daniel's mom recently had an operation. Kiley woke up early on Friday and went back to sleep, so I decided to sneak out and go shopping while everyone slept. Then the guys went pheasant hunting that afternoon and we had a pheasant bar-b-que that night. We drove home Sunday night after stopping to sign papers with our APX manager.

The loan agency would like to see us have a bigger down payment on the ranch, so we are going to wait until next year. In the mean time we will work for the Millers until the end of the month. They need someone to get here and learn the place before they start calving in January. Daniel is planning on selling pre-season starting the new year. We're going to house sit for my parents while they are in Utah for the Winter. Daniel starts the APX season mid - April. Then when Cailin gets out of school we'll go be with Daniel for the Summer, until the new school year starts. Colten will start school too, (My little boy is growing up!) That fall we hope to get into our OWN PLACE. That's the plan for now, but it usually changes!

Puppies ,Puppies, Puppies! Border Collie, Healer Cross. Reserve yours for Christmas now- only $50. Working mother- good cow dogs!

They are so cute! The white one is female, the brown one male. The rest are some of each!