Orts in Montana

2012-01-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Winter has finally arrived! Simon was quite the strong helper this morning shoveling the driveway!

2012-01-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

Just in time before the snow really fell, Kara figured out her bike! She can ride down the driveway but not up it confidently just yet. She was so proud she taught herself. We had worked on it off and on, but this day she took it on without us and HOORAY!

2012-01-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

Simon is a super duper after school snack cook! Here we're making homemade graham crackers! YUMMY!

2012-01-19T10:05:00.001-08:00

During Christmas break, a couple of the Landis girls were able to come hang out for a couple hours. You don't realize how much you miss these sweet camp friends til you get a bit of fun time together! The boys' delivered them a "picnic" lunch to Kara's bed and then wanted to join them on Simon's bed. It was quite cute to hear all the little girl squeals when big boys were around :)!

2012-01-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

Keith's gift to Jacob was an NFL Wii Training Camp game. They have used it lots . . . good workout when he can't get outside to kick or throw ball!

2011-12-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

Fun Daddy/Santa scavenger hunt finds :)!

2011-12-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Fun realization, that PopPop & Kathy's gifts included a completed set of Wii remotes (4 can play at a time, now)! Game ON!

2011-12-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Gram & PopPop for new clothes (which were hurriedly put on) and cool new movies!

2011-12-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Gran, for our new books!!

2011-12-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

After speaking with Santa on Skype yesterday, Jeff and I thought we would truly get to sleep in until 9am :) . . . Well, they all awoke when one baby coughed and one big boy sneezed at 5:15! "Can we wake up, now?" to which Daddy replied, "Wait until 6am." Simon fell back asleep (notice he broke in his new pillow with a bloody nose), but the rest counted down the minutes until 6 :)! EXCITEMENT!

2011-12-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve fun . . . Thanks, Grandmother for the comfy new pjs & pillows! We followed Santa on the Norad sight through Africa & South America... thinking of lots of our friends around the world :) . . . Simon and Kara prepared Santa's feast, complete with special notes!

2011-12-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

We watched the Princess Bride for Kara's birthday. Simon has loved pretending to be the hero, Wesley. Here, he is sword fighting the "6 fingered man", aka Keith. He has also battled the giant, aka Daddy, and the "Rodent of Unusual Size", aka Hazel.

2011-12-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

Kara and some of her birthday "guests" eating birthday cookies they decorated.

2011-12-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

Directing for the "Happy Birthday" song.
Posing with some of her birthday treasures. The doll is a Hearts4Hearts girl. Some of the money goes to World Vision to help their outreaches to kids around the world. "Dell" actually looks lots like Kara. She thinks this might satisfy her desire for a My Twin Doll :). Thank you to grandparents for that treasure, too!

2011-12-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Kara's 7, oh my! After a morning diagnosis of strep for she, Simon, and Ian, we stayed cozy at home for birthday fun. All kids (and mom, today) on antibiotics and hope to be all well by Christmas day!!
Learning to roll her eyes (no, she knows how already) at her silly daddy :)
Pretty new dance outfit from grandparents.

"No, Daddy!" to birthday spankins' (she sounds quite Southern when she says this :). We skipped them b/c she never joins in on her brothers spankins' for their birthday.

2011-12-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

Annual Christmas fun putting together the Charlie Brown puzzle. The same two individuals remained at the table til the end again this year :)!

2011-12-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning at church the younger Ortlings presented some great Christmas music. It was a sweet reminder of the reason we celebrate God's BEST gift ever - JESUS! I haven't figured out how to get good pictures in the lighting at church, but glowing eyes and all - still special!

2011-12-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

FUN time decorating the Christmas tree! Pay careful attention our star this year - Keith made it out of Legos.

2011-12-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

While we got out all the Christmas decorations, Kara and Simon did a little dance number to the blaring Christmas music. The tree skirt doubled as a fancy cape for Simon :)!

2011-12-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

So for the only snowy weather we've had has been one dusting in November (this picture is from that one) & a similar one last night. Shocking to see the words type from my fingers, but I think I'm a bit eager for "real snow" :)! Doesn't really seem like winter around here, and especially Christmas w/out a nice big pile of snow!

2011-11-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Halloween fun :)

2011-11-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Dad!!! Enjoying the fun on the new fort in the backyard!

2011-10-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

Snuggle time while watching the Phillies final game of the season. Simon went to bed that night praying for Ryan Howard's leg to get better and holding the Phanatic tight.

2011-10-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Jammin' out to the newest library CD favorite - "Party like a Preschooler". This was a performance of "Do Your Ears Hang Low"! So funny!! They all needed costumes, and I love how their personalities SO match their parts - Keith and Kara lead singers; Simon and Jacob background guys on drums and guitar :)!

2011-10-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

2011-09-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

For quite awhile, Kara has LONGED to take a dance class. Last spring, some friends invited her to come to their recital. She and I were quite impressed, yet I was a bit teary as I watched her on the edge of her seat knowing it was something a bit beyond what the family budget could ever offer her. Well, thanks to the sweet ladies at the Academy of the Performing Arts, we were able to barter cleaning the studio every other week for two classes! SO EXCITING!! She chose to take tap and ballet and is a very quick learner. Simon had fun going to pick her out a dance outfit for her class while she was at school. He wrapped it and gave it to her because he "loved her". We have some sweet little and big gentlemen about our house! Her friend, Fiona, wanted to give her a "dance" bag, and it's nice that she's such a little peanut b/c her friend, Adiryn's outgrown tap shoes fit her :). Woohoo for sweet friends!

2011-08-27T14:28:00.001-07:00

On our hike in Glacier, we encountered lots of neat wildlife. Kara's favorite were the wildflowers which are so hard to catch on film. We also saw 2 marmots, many ground squirrels, and at least 6 mountain goats. Simon and Kara were super hikers, and Keith and Jacob showed us some of their skills they learned from their backpacking trip with camp this summer. Ever "boot or shoe skii"?? You'll have to come for them to give you a lesson. The bigger kids ran ahead a bit and met us at the bottom of the trail. Notice the "wild/exhausted" one we found at the Information Center :)!!

2011-08-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

2011-08-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

There was only a week and a half between the end of camp and the start of school this year, so we tried to make sure we crammed in some family fun! After lunch and milkshakes at Norm's News, we journeyed to Glacier. We drove up Logan's Pass and hiked to the Hidden Lake overlook. SO FUN! We even hiked on top of lots of snow!!! The kids had to reach down and feel the frigid water pouring down the mountain. We live in such a beautiful place! Ian slept most of the hike but woke up a few times to tough out the wind :)!

2011-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

After our fun busy-ness of camp, we had a big "Way to go Ortlings!" party at the Lighthouse Christian Home. They each invited a few friends to enjoy the fun package of goodies we won at the Camp and Lighthouse silent auctions. We were able to use Lighthouses' amazing yard and kitchen, enjoy the visiting carriage horses, bounce til we couldn't bounce anymore (I didn't even get a picture of Jacob who spent most of his day in the big kid bounce castle which kept falling in on itself - which actually made it quite fun :), hang out and play bean bag toss with the Lighthouse residents, and fill ourselves up with yummy summertime food!

2011-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

With scary faces & colorful attire, "Pinky" and his minnians (sp?) prepare to chase campers in a thrill inducing game! Keith and Jacob are now too big to be allowed to "catch" campers (they use to be allowed to tap a camper with a pool noodle but are now as fast or faster than most campers). You'll just have to come to camp and see just how fun this game can be :)!

2011-08-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Just one of the gazillion beautiful views we got to enjoy this summer at camp. This shot was taken at sunset in the side yard outside our cabin.

2011-08-27T13:52:00.001-07:00

This summer was grand with Gran around! The day she left we stopped by the camp sign for some pictures with everyone in their new Camp Promise shirts from Mrs. Wendy.

2011-08-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

On July 28th, our little man, Simon, turned 4! WOW! He woke up being VERY proud of how big this meant he was. He informed us that he could now buckle himself in the car, play soccer and baseball by himself, and various other big boy things he was now able to do "by himself"! He helped decorate his cake with all his How to Train Your Dragon figurines. There was quite a battle going on at the table.

2011-07-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

Latest family photo taken the end of June.

2011-07-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I raided the refreshing supply of the Ortlings' of Go-gurts. As I ate, I looked down and thought I saw "Ort"! I did see Ort! This was the trivia fact on the side. Don't know what your answer would be but the answer was . . . a table scrap :)!

2011-07-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

I sit @ the end of July full of joy over a full summer so far of seeing God @ work - family times, camp times, ...! So full, in fact that I'm going way back to mid June to catch up on posting pictures. Before heading down to camp for Camp Promise, we received a package from our dear Mrs. Wendy from PA. She had made each of us shirts with Camp Promise iron-ons. The boys were thrilled with their Phillies Ps inside the letters of Camp Promise and Kara and Danielle loved the poofy skirts that matched their shirts. Gran, Jeff, and I and little Ian had shirts, too and Hazel even had a bandana (she didn't care for that too much, though :).
Ready for CAMP!! YIPPEE!

2011-06-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

First day out of school . . . indoor picnic lunch . . . Dad working on the play fort . . . cheerleading practice :). I love the HUGE smile I caught on Simon's face many times yesterday! We are thrilled to have all our "big kids" home with us for the summer! Off to set up our summer house at camp today.

2011-06-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

For several months, Kara has been wanting to donate her hair to Locks of Love. After school on the last day, we headed over to see Mrs. Chandra, and Kara shared her hair and got a very big girl haircut - ready for summer & 1st grade :)!!

2011-06-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

After Keith's graduation, I quickly snuck over to the other end of the building for Kara's kindergarten graduation. She was BEAMING as they sang a few songs and received their diplomas from Mrs. G who was one of two teachers her class enjoyed. Mrs. Bain and Mrs. G both have young kiddos at home (Mrs. Bain, even, had a baby a couple of weeks ago), so they split the week all year long loving on Kara's class. She wanted her picture taken with a few friends, too. She is super excited to be a 1st grader next year!

2011-06-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Jacob had an awards ceremony on Wednesday. He received the Math Whiz award :)! He enjoyed perusing his report card and admiring his ADV (advanced) marks all the way down the Math column. He found out he and are best bud, Garrett, will both have the same teacher next year, Mrs. Wakefield. This is the teacher Keith had this year.

2011-06-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

Keith is now, OFFICIALLY, a middle schooler!!! Thursday afternoon he graduated from 5th grade. I haven't figured out how to get good pictures in gymnasiums, but he did a great job giving a little speech! He received two certificates. One for doing his "job" which was playing with kindergarteners every Thursday, and the other, his diploma! Yippee!

2011-06-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

Caught a few shots of this sweet little character, Danielle :)! She and Simon and Kara found 2 batman masks around the house the other day and can be found wearing them for all kinds of activities. Danielle prefers to put hers on backwards, hanging on her ponytail or across her forehead. When she puts it on, she says, "Mom, ca see" (i.e. - "Mom, come see") because that's what Simon and Kara yell whenever they have something cool to show me. She also enjoys wearing the doctor glasses from the doctor kit (why are those included??? Do all doctors wear glasses???). The middle pictures include some of ours, and Danielle's, favorite friends, Mr. Jeff & Mrs. Lori! Danielle doesn't much like to share her Mr. Jeff, but didn't seem to mind Ian taking up part of his lap while sleeping (didn't demand Mr. Jeff's attention that way). Poor Rosie (the Cormier's dog) often runs to Lori for protection from the "love" of Danielle. Lori, though, graciously accepts Danielle lovin' (even at her knees while doing dishes :)! SUPER FRIENDS!!!

2011-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

Look at me, I'm FREE!! My doctor said I could be finished with my oxygen today!! Yippee! I've gotten lots of kisses all over my face this afternoon! I need to wear one of my monitors for a couple of more weeks, but we're praying I'll be "alarm" free so I can be safe to be done with all my cords! Oh, and I was hiding my smiles from the camera, but I started smiling this week too! - Ian

2011-05-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

The little growing lady, Danielle, has caught on to the desire to see the picture behind the camera more than posing. So those smiles have been hard to catch (plus my hands have been a little full lately). She is becoming quite adept at all kinds of puzzles and is talking up a storm! She can say all the kids' names (but likes to say Ja-COB best :). Her word of the day was "coop" (for scoop) - this was the word I used to explain how to get baked beans on her spoon. She's loving getting outside now that it's sunny.

2011-05-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun, sweet silliness occurs at our house! We are so grateful to see so many smiling faces and to hear so many laughs! Danielle has one of those little infectious laughs, too.

2011-05-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

"Big Bear" has been a long time friend of Jacob's. He's resurfaced from the comfy bean bag video game area in Keith & Jacob's room in preparations for him to move to camp (for use in a review game for Camp Promise). After wrestling Simon & Jacob and "reading" to Danielle, Big Bear held Ian for one of his naps :)!

2011-05-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

Our WONDERFUL Ortling helpers!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Meet little Ian :)! He's come to join the Ort house for a time. All the Ortlings have been a good help & even the big boys have been spending their free time staring at him, comparing finger sizes, etc. Simon was relieved that Ian was bigger than a peanut (his initial impression when I said Ian was "little")! Even Danielle has been careful around all Ian's equipment - he'll need to be on oxygen for a little while. He came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon, but none of the kids had held him until today. Kara was the first to ask. She quickly said he was "heavy", but look at the sweet way he's looking up at her! SO ADORABLE!

2011-05-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Jacob is 10!!!

2011-05-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

2011-05-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Mid April weather in Montana. Gropple - foreign substance to this Southern girl . . . cool stuff! Looks lovely in my wooden tulip (sweet bouquet from my hubby)! Glad the real ones weren't open yet!

2011-04-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Peek-a-boo! This week little Chloe may go stay with her grandma. If so, we have all so enjoyed her sweet smiles and cuddly moments. We hope to be able to be a resource and encouragement for her grandma. We do pray for the best for each of these kids God brings into our home for a time. I continue to be blessed to watch the Ortlings in action sharing their parents, their home, their toys, . . . their love :)!

2011-04-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Simon's loving the big brother role! Here he was entertaining girls as we got ready to go to camp to help the Williams load their moving truck. It was fun to put on our play clothes and get ready to head to camp with the girls. Danielle was entertained (for awhile :) by all the camp dogs playing. The big boys played chase and other fun stuff outside. Kara and Tessa had lots of fun skirting around the action being together. I think all the strong help and kitchen working ladies got things loaded in 3 hours or so. We'll miss this fun family but are SO grateful for the time God allowed us to work and play with them!

2011-04-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

This past week was spring break with a few days of "warmth" and several rainy days (even snow this morning). We had lots of fun hanging out together. Although we didn't make it on our planned trip to Glacier, we did have a picnic in the living room while watching home movies, exercise and fun at the gym (even "mtn climbing" up & down the stairs under the little coach, Kara), great packing day with our friends the Williams who are moving to Iowa (with lots of boys' running outside), challenges on the Wii (Simon - boxing champ :), and many moments picking up yarn for finger knitting. Kara had learned this skill last year, and Keith and Jacob have enjoyed picking up the skill, as well :) . . . This is just a few of their completed projects. Jacob even figured out how to weave two different skeins together! I love my family!! It was wonderful to have some concentrated time together!

2011-04-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is a mess I've decided I don't mind helping little hands to clean up multiple times a day, as it happens round here :)!

2011-03-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Kara's been giving Danielle cheerleading lessons! She's a quick learner!

2011-03-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

We've been catching lots of sweet smiles and laughs!

2011-03-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

Snuggly moments abound these days at our house :)!

2011-02-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Kara had cheerleading camp! They practiced all morning & performed a halftime routine at the high school girls basketball game. "Future Bravettes"! Kyley was her special helper. She had a super time. Jeff even found her a cheerleading book at the thrift store this week (with cheerleading moves & all). She asked me if I played cheerleading when I was in school to which I explained the sports I had played. She then told me that she could teach me some cheerleading things since she had been to camp and had a book. Hope I'll be a good student :)!

2011-02-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

Collin and his Mom and big brother came over for pizza and swimming at the Summit. It was so much rowdy fun! He looked like such a little man - new haircut, lots of new words, and seemed taller than the new toddler at our house, Danielle. He was sweet checking our baby Chloe.

2011-02-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sweet little "chats" with Chloe :)! She has the sweetest little smiles & often has lots to jabber about.

2011-02-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

The long awaited combination grand birthday & Christmas present has arrived and been assembled! Thank you to all the grandparents who helped make this dream come true :)! What a sweet lesson in waiting for something great she grasped through this. She knew she was getting it in December, but it was out of stock until last week! She would like you all to notice the elevator (her favorite part). Her brothers have even enjoyed playing with her. Of course, their favorite piece is the toilet :)! She also gained a new roommate as friends delivered a loaner baby crib for Chloe. In order to fit this grand dollhouse, Kara's doing the "day bed" thing with another God provision of a small mattress which slides under the crib during the day and slides out at night.

2011-01-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

More snowy fun while we visited the ice-fishermen.

2011-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Jacob's class had their 4th grade ice-fishing outing today. They were using camp's lake, so it's always fun to enjoy it in such a frozen season! It was an intensely foggy day. As we neared camp on the highway, however, it cleared enough to see the gorgeous mountain range! It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. Jeff was up skiing with the Lighthouse crew, so I ventured down with the 2 little girls and Simon. We were there to make a very quick appearance. I was SO grateful that our good friend, Jeff, was there to help Simon down the slippery slope down to the lakefront while I encouraged the very independent, Danielle :)! Jacob was a bit uncertain, at first, at baiting the hook with the maggots, but hopefully, after I left he got braver. He reported catching 3 "dead fish". We're a bit uncertain about that, but maybe they had been caught and thrown back, then floated toward his hole?? He seemed to really enjoy the special camera they were able to look through to see the fish under the ice.

2011-01-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

Our new "helpers" at Friday Night Out did a great job staying entertained while we all helped others :)! We are grateful for Karlina's stopping in just in time to feed Chloe her bottle and for the fun Cormier family who keep our kids and our F.N.O friends smiling!

2011-01-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

One of the first days the girls were with us, Kara brought out a doll to share with Danielle. She didn't seem to grasp how to play with the baby doll. Kara and I talked about how this could be her special task to teach Danielle how to play. Well, she picked it up quick :)! I was almost crying as I clicked the camera watching her play. SO sweet!

2011-01-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe our Keith turned 11 this past week! We spread the fun out over a few days . . . cheesecake, presents, and then dinner out at IHOP! Thanks, Uncle Scott, for the heads up that they now serve cheesecake pancakes! We are so proud of the kind man Keith is growing to be!

2011-01-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

We continue to have some sweet happy moments with Chloe and Danielle. Simon and the little girls and I went to a playgroup at the Child Development Center (this is who Jeff works through when he meets one on one with guys with disabilities). Danielle is receiving services from them, and we're all encouraged already by all the things she's picking up SO quickly! She's like a little sponge :)! Today, she was putting on a big happy face with a twinkle in her eye to repeat, "HI!", whenever anyone else said that to her! The theme at playgroup that day was SNOW. Simon and Danielle loved the pool filled with "snow" (packing peanuts) and the snow songs. Jacob and Keith are quite taken by these little gals. Jacob even had a dancing session with Chloe. As expected, Kara is enjoying being a little mommy. She does feel sad when Chloe cries, but we're explaining to she and Simon that this is how babies talk and tell us what they need. Hard concepts for young minds.

2011-01-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hard to catch the sweet new cuties that have joined our family :)! They are often on the move or being cuddled or Mom's hands are busy doing something other than holding a camera, but here's a few shots we took this week. Danielle and Chloe came to add girl power to the Ort home last Wednesday. Danielle is 18 months old and Chloe is 3 months old. They are so very content and are loving all the big kid entertainment and attention. I'm fairly certain they have even melted the already sweet soft hearts of the oldest Ortling boys. Friends swooped in fast to provide us with all kinds of baby supplies and girl clothes to which we are SO thankful!! Kara and I had been praying God would bring a girl for us to care for and he gave us TWO :)! Several folks have already noted we're like the Brady's now. Kara likes to point out that if you count our dog, Hazel, there are now MORE girls than boys. After their arrival on Wednesday, I came down with a full case of strep throat. It was recognized early, though, so antibiotics worked fast! I'm praising the Lord that no one else has caught it yet! Jeff was SUPER dad on those first few days the girls were here (well, he is everyday, of course, but was working overtime then :). They are really adjusting great and sleeping wonderfully! Well, normally sleeping wonderfully, one's awake now. Blog time is done :)!

2011-01-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

There was quite a theme in boy gifts this year - LEGO! Even Simon is getting initiated into the fun with his new Lego race car game. Yesterday, everyone worked hard to take down Christmas decore, and during breaks finished building on some very cool projects. We now have a lovely new centerpiece!

2011-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Every year Jeff (I mean, Santa) puts together a scavenger hunt for the Ortlings (sometimes Mommy, too) to find a final special gift on Christmas day. This year each hint went like this, "If the Ortlings will all perform said task , they will receive further instructions." A few of their tasks were - ice skate around the kitchen island, sing a Christmas carol in the living room, make a snowball (more an iceball) & throw it at the house, go to Kara's room and pose for a photo for their Mom, beg their father for further instructions (then, not good enough, try again :), sit at the table and thank God for sending Jesus as our Savior, give their Mom a kiss and tell her how she rocks, . . . It is always sweet and entertaining :)! At the end of their hunt, they each found something great. You can see Kara's sweet response to what she will get in a few weeks - a combo birthday & Christmas gift - a big dollhouse (they were out of stock, so her final gift was a hint to look on the computer). We are blessed by our kids and their grateful hearts and for the many loving family members and supporters who encourage us through even providing for those "wants" on our lists!

2010-12-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

We arose Christmas morning at 6:50am (the Ortlings must be growing up :) . . . they slept in a bit :)!! Stockings were a big hit to entertain until we could get Daddy out of bed!! Keith and Jacob looked like they would spend all day sorting their various football and baseball cards (but once presents begun to be opened they were distracted for a time). Kara had fun dressing her Barbies in new clothes, and Simon played a game of pick up sticks, his own way. Thanks Grandmother Betty for the cozy new jammies!! They all slept snug at their sleepover in the living room after tracking Santa's trek on the internet and touring the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights!

2010-12-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

After dinner provided everyone with super powers, presents provided Jaiden with weaponry, there ensued a most incredible Christmas Eve Nerf battle. Jaiden was nice enough to share some of his new guns, Keith pulled out the mega blaster from our Nerf armory, and there was a serious battle!

2010-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

2010-12-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve, Collin, his mom, and his big "bubby", Jaiden came to have dinner with us! It was a wonderful treat! Collin had multiple helpers unwrapping his gifts from us and Gran and PopPop & Kathy (thanks!). We also hope to have them join us for a few times swimming at the local gym (a membership was a grandparent Christmas gift to us - THANKS :).

2010-12-25T12:25:00.000-08:00

Kara had lots of sweet hugs to share on her birthday! Kim was also visiting from Colorado and was able to come have a sleepover and go out to eat and swimming with us! We had a wonderful special couple of days celebrating!

2010-12-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

Our Kara Lin is 6! We just can't believe it! She decorated her own cake with every sprinkle we had in the baking cupboard! Yummy!

2010-12-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

Birthday Girl! She's been dreaming of having a baby girl sleeping at the end of her bed :)... this will have to do for now.

2010-12-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Simon has been super puzzle man lately, so when it came time to put together our annual family Christmas puzzle (such a treasure - graduated pieces - hard little pieces on one side gradually growing to larger pieces on the opposite side), he was thrilled! Jacob, by far, had the longest attention span, so he and Simon helped Jeff put the last pieces in! It now sits under our table's center piece (sometimes panicking Mom at the threat of drinks spilling :). Doesn't it make you want to do the Charlie Brown dance? (doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo . . . doo, doo, doo, doo . . .)

2010-12-21T06:06:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Ort clan spent days taking turns being sick. During this spell, "Santa G" and "Santa Jeff" (the Cormier boys) surprised us by leaving a Christmas tree outside our front door! They're SUPER! After recovering from our mysterious virus, we had fun decorating! Keith and Jacob even dressed in their Uncle Scott shirt pjs for the occassion :)! Now, Jeff's able to play endless rounds of the kids favorite Christmas game - Christmas tree I Spy! It is amazing how long this game keeps them entertained :)!

2010-12-21T05:54:00.000-08:00

Sweet little Collin will return to live with his mom, today. We are excited for the opportunity God gave us to love on this little guy for awhile and for the opportunity he now has to be reunited with his mom! It makes us smile to see the interest he's developed in one of our favorite hobbies, reading :)! He even made an attempt to enjoy Jeff and I's favorite drink, coffee :), but got intercepted before he figured out how to unscrew the lid! We do hope to have ongoing contact with Collin and his sweet mom. Simon will miss his roommate, Keith and Jacob will miss their new wrestling recruit, Kara will miss her other follower . . . we will miss you, sweet man, but are so grateful for God's work in all the details of life for you!!

2010-11-18T13:53:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, the Ortlings decided to form a garage band. Keith and Jacob have begun their "Techie" after school program with Mrs. Sinclair, again, and last week, Keith had done some work on a computer program where you create your own "garage band" songs. Kara wanted to do a REAL life garage band, and her brothers thought that was a fantastic plan. Jacob helped Simon create some "drums" and Keith and Kara worked on supporting her "stage". As you can tell, they are very skilled musicians . . . very enthusiastic, anyway!
Good thing they are in gear with such indoor fun since the snow has hit! We expect 4 or more inches in the next few days!! Good fun outside for a little while, but then you've got to come in and warm up! Grateful for a heated garage, so the new formed band can continue to rehearse.

2010-11-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Last week, Kara got to check out and bring home her very first school library book! She was SO very proud! It was a fun one, too, because all the pictures had been taken at Vero Beach where Uncle Dennis & Aunt Maricia live (along with baby Andrew & Derek, Michael, & Amanda) and near Mema & Art. We've played at that beach several times!

2010-11-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun time at the Cormier's Halloween Party. Simon and Jacob started off the family costume idea by saying they both wanted to be football players. Collin's mom had sent one for him to wear, too, and Kara and Keith decided they both wanted to be cheerleaders. Kara already had a costume and made her own matching pom-poms. Keith wanted to be a GIRL cheerleader, so we invented his outfit - jersey skirt of Kara's, tank with CHEER ironed on, blond haired headband, and tube socks :). Jeff and I felt we could join the group easily as the refs, so our neighbor loaned us 2 of her white pre-tiedyed shirts and Jeff spent over an hour detailing them with electrical tape :)!

2010-11-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

During their day off, the kids also all got involved in playing "The Bachelorette". First of all, I'm still a bit confused by how they knew what this was, but Keith and Garrett dressed and prepared Kara and Simon for this "show". They even brought them to the kitchen for a "date". I then followed them (I gave myself the job of photographer) outside where the big boys coached Simon on how to propose while the neighbor girl helped Kara make a bouquet and put flowers in her hair! Simon did great, Kara looked lovely, and then they all enjoyed blaring music from the garage for the party and wedding celebration! I must say, I was VERY entertained!

2010-11-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

The other day the kids had a couple of days off of school for teacher training. I always prayed my house would be the place the neighborhood kids would want to hang out . . . God answered that prayer and everyone had a super time! You should have seen my lovely driveway chalk decore! Garrett also joined the crowd and had prepared everyone that it was "Picture Day", like they'd just had at school. Hope you're not disappointed, but I chose not to include Jeff and I's photos :)!

2010-11-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Soccer, football . . . even fantasy football has been the fun things to follow lately. The boys (esp. Keith and Jacob) are having fun filling Mom in on all the plays, rules, etc. they've learned from watching with Dad :)! Jacob even invented his own "fantasy football" league with his football cards.

2010-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

The fourth grade utilizes a neat program all year long, called Hooked on Fishing. Jacob's class spent the afternoon on Friday at Echo Lake, a good size lake attached to camp's Peterson Lake by channels. Jacob didn't catch any this time, but several of his classmates did. Simon and Collin were there to experience the fun, but we had to leave for home a bit early . . . 2 toddler boys attempting to make many splashes with rocks + 40 or so 4th graders who are attempting to fish = diminished chances of surprising the fish! You may remember Keith and I ice fishing last winter with this program. More fishing adventures to come for Jacob (the little guys may have to wait a while :)!

2010-10-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

2010-10-03T20:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago our plum tree ripened and chores had to include a bit of plum picking! YUMMY!

2010-09-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon, we received a special gift. Collin joined the fun at the Ort house (for an undetermined amount of days :)! Everyone was beside themselves loving on him, and he has had lots of fun being entertained by the crew! He is, as I blog, being entertained by Jeff putting a shoe on his head! His sweet little smiles and laughs make us all grin! On Saturday, all the "big kids" had plans (Kim to a youth event & Keith to Garrett's b'day party), so the little ones stayed home for a quiet night. Baths and lotion and snuggly pjs...so nice and oh how CUTE :)!

2010-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight, as the kids got ready for bed, Simon slipped on a recently unearthed pair of his brothers "gorilla slippers". He then chose a tiny camping coffee mug to get water to wash down his vitamin. Each of us who caught a glimpse of him had to snicker. Then, big brother, Keith, thought he looked like a Dad and needed a robe. This, as you can tell, required a photo! He even posed taking a sip in the side of his mouth so he could still see the camera! I love heading to bed with a good laugh :)! It is such fun to watch my kids' humor develop!

2010-08-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

Kara and Simon, realizing their days together, just the two of them, are drawing to a close, played and played today! One adventure involved playing football. We tried to encourage Simon to make the "tough guy" face, but it looks like his favorite cheerleader understood better how to intimidate the opponent. Kara even enlisted his "muscles" to help her move her mat like she saw the cheerleaders do in FL at cousin Derek's game. We plan on attending the local high school football game tomorrow night! It was 95 degrees today, here, and is suppose to be 66 tomorrow (cool football weather, sounds like :)!

2010-08-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the first day of school for Keith and Jacob. They were all set and have enjoyed getting into the groove of their new teachers. Kara had an open house to meet her teachers and will go Friday for her first full day (they alternate half the class every other day until September 3rd). Kim started school today and loved filling her binder with all her supplies and filling in her planner. The high school is just a block from Keith, Jacob, and Kara's, so she'll walk to the playground to meet them after school.
And girl prep for first day of school - TONS different than boy prep. Kim and Kara picked "pretty" outfits (Kara even wanted her Easter dress :), requested multiple french braids, organized all their things . . . Keith and Jacob threw on clothes, partly combed their new haircuts, ate breakfast (which spilled on one pair of shorts Mom had put out to wear which were then replaced by the athletic fare preferred by 9 yr old boys :) and headed out the door.
Oh, what fun!

2010-08-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, we took a little field trip to the school playground after a busy day of cleaning the garage, shed, and breezeway. We had fun "practicing" playing at the little ones' school. I caught Jacob in a rare moment of stillness to capture a picture for Kim. Most of the time, he and Jeff played some elaborate dodgeball game! Kara posed for a picture. You can see her classroom windows behind her (first group beside the blue doors). Her teacher and her family even visited the playground toward the end of our play time. They just live a couple of blocks away.

2010-08-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Super Sunday track . . . We're getting back into the routine of relaxin' on Sunday afternoon :)! Daddy and Simon (and a few other random helpers) had fun putting all this together. He enjoyed a new lumber station, especially (thanks Garrett)! It's always much more fun when Dad can help build . . . all the tracks actually connect!

2010-08-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last night the long awaited backyard campout occurred at the Ort house! We made our dinner and smores on the fire pit. Asa, our neighbor, came over to enjoy dessert with us. The kids (minus Simon who came inside for his "campout") slept super in the tent in the backyard. This morning they had breakfast outside and are planning on playing all day in the tent. We'll take a little break to go hike a nearby mountain, but they want to come home and change back into pjs and play more in the tent :). They are all going by their middle names today as part of their fun.. Christina, Lin, Lawrence, Corbitt, and Jeffrey are having loads of fun :)!

2010-08-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

We've now moved back home from camp and are enjoying getting back into the swing of home routines. Hopefully, I'll be back into "blogging" as I set up my fall schedule :)!
Simon had a sport themed birthday party the week after his birthday (July 28th :). Jacob went to bed the night before the party saying it felt like Christmas he was so excited! They woke up and helped set up game stations in the yard - basketball, soccer, football, baseball - all kinds of fun. Each of the big kids led one of these stations. Simon had been asking for weeks for a "rainbow" cake like Boden's, so Mrs. Jesica slaved over the mixing bowls and delivered 2 cakes with colorful layers iced white. We had fun turning them into balls - it turned out cool that the baseball had red, orange, and yellow layers and the blue soccer ball had blue, green, and gray layers . . . They matched without us even knowing what colors were hiding inside! He's had fun playing with all his birthday gifts - lots of sports gear, instruments, Woody/Buzz notebook, sprinkler, flashlight, craft sets, learning robot, . . .!

2010-07-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Keith and Jacob, along with some of their good buddies, were campers at Big Sky this past week. They enjoyed lots of field games (few favorites - sharks & minnows, capture the flag, Pinky's Revenge, Dodge Ball City), the high ropes course, archery, martial arts (Keith's practicing with a girl - she slapped out real quick he said :), swimming, and tons more - even a Jello Toss! Jacob had told us before the week began that his goal was to win the plaque for the Bible drill finals. We were so proud that he made it to the finals. He didn't win the plaque, but did GREAT! Keith came away very pumped (you can see Keith "pumped" can't you) about keeping a prayer journal and about a Christian band, Newsboys, which his counselor played for them in the mornings as they got ready. "It's fun to be a camper, but it's also fun to be back with your family!" stated Keith as we loaded up to head home for laundry and such.
We're still living out at camp most days. This coming week will hold the special day of Simon's third birthday. Sure he'll be sung to for at least one meal that day in the dining hall, and we plan to have a party on Saturday for him. Kim headed down to Denver today for a visit of a week or so with her former foster family. She's super excited to be with them there, but a bit nervous about flying (her first time). She's been hanging out with them for a couple of weeks while they were visiting family in Kalispell. Kara's especially looking forward to her return.
The coming weeks have lots of appointments - eye dr, dentist, etc. - for all the kids before school starts. Pray that as we smoosh all these things in with more camp and final days of free time before school that we'd all feel "rested and ready" for the different busy of school and such!