Sorry for the delay...

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but there is a semi-good reason! My camera is full and we can't find the cable that empties it onto our computer. What's a girl to do? So, for now, I'll just whet your appetite for what will come when that stinkin' cable decides to come out of hiding (actually, it's more for my benefit...Dori on Nemo and I have lots in common when it comes to not being able to remember squat!)!

*Paige and Kamae's Dance Company Audition
*1st Day of 2nd grade, 1st grade and pre-school
*Swiss Days

I'll bet you are all sitting on the edge of your seats in anticipation!

Up for a good laugh?

I am a diligent forward reader. I receive a good share of forwards from a good share of friends. And lucky for me, they are usually worth reading. The funny ones, however, at best only get, what we Andrus' call, a "cartoon laugh"* out of me (*cartoon laugh: the one syllable "huh" laugh...the kind of laugh that kids or maybe even special adults make when they're watching things like the coyote run into the fake scenery wall that the road runner just rolled out onto the street or when Goofy gets all tangled up in his snow skis). But, since I myself am not much of a forwarder, only a select few are forwarded on from me. Well, tonight I read one that my dear friend, Krissy, sent me (I can't thank you enough...it was a perfect way to end a night out for ice cream!). Maybe because it's two minutes to midnight, but more likely because it was so dang funny, I, for the first time in a long time while reading a forward, laughed out loud and even cried because I was laughing so hard! So, I thought this one was so good that I am going to one up the forward and even post this one on my blog! Yep, that's big stuff, people....big stuff. I don't know, maybe you've all read this before and I'm just the forward nerd that is just now catching up with the cool group. But, I'm willing to bet that if you have already read it, it's just as funny, if not funnier, the second time.....I hope you enjoy it as much as I just did!

Dave Barry's Colonoscopy Journal

... I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenteritis, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis . Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!' I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America 's enemies.

I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any
solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.

The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: Have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you
have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those
hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.

Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this, but
then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.

When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was , I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' has to be the least appropriate.

'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, Feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt
excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that it was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

Orton Summer in a Nutshell

Okay, so it's going to be in a really big nutshell. Aside from the most recent post, I realized that it's been awhile since I've posted any pictures. So sorry you've had to put up with those obnoxiously long stories and all of those rantings and ravings. Since you've endured, you are all rewarded with a picture summary of our summer! Lucky you!

I can't believe that school starts in two weeks! This summer has flown by! It always amazes me that as you get older, time goes by faster. Why is that? I think I had more fun as a kid (mainly due to lack of real responsibility)...isn't time supposed to go by faster when you're having fun?
I am definitely ready for school to start, but I also remember not too long ago being anxious for summer to start! Will I ever be content? :)

So, here's a sum up and just some pictures of a few of my favorite things...Paige, Kamae, Spencer and Jack!

**Disclaimer: There are very few pictures of Spencer. The boy can't hold still long enough to have his picture taken and if by some miracle he does, he is making some weird face or his eyes are half closed. One day we'll get a good one of him. I'll put some in just so you know he's still around!

Paige went from early December to late April missing both of her front teeth. A good portion of that time she was also missing the two teeth on either side, leaving quite the gap! If you look closely you can see her right front tooth just starting to poke through! For the record, though, they have now all grown in, and quite nicely, I might add. I'm most appreciative of the non-crookedness...so far, so good!

A snap-shot of Miss Kamae. It was refreshing to get one of her not "posing", as she just loves to do!

Kamae, Paige and one of their best friends, Kelzey. She just lives around the corner and it is so nice to have them so close. They all get along really well and they have some really intense dance-offs in her front room! Highly entertaining...you just can't let them know that you're watching.

Paige's art project. Okay, so this isn't really a summer picture. I think it was actually done in April or May. Anyway, she did this for her school art fair. Since I was the one to help her, we decided that we could bake an art project, since I wouldn't really be able to help her much in any other area. She and I spent several evenings on this project and we had a great time doing it together. She put a lot of thought and planning into this and I think it turned out pretty cute!

Out of the 30 or so pictures of Jack I took this particular morning, this was the only one that turned out!

Jack's first time down a real slide. The kids were all very willing to help him...sometimes to his dismay. He loved it, though, and kept going back for more!

Look at how long her hair was! Prepare yourselves for the next picture!

Off with her hair!
It turned out really cute, but over the next week or so, I definitely had "cutter's remorse". She looks so dang cute with it short, but there are still times that I miss her long locks! She cut off about 8", just a couple of inches shy of being able to donate it to Locks of Love. Had we gone short enough to donate, I think we would have had to go short enough to shave her neck...I just couldn't do it, but now I feel a bit guilty. Maybe next time.

Jack's first real haircut. Austin gave him his first, but this was his first time in the chair. As you can see, he didn't mind it one bit!

I love it when babies are old enough to eat whatever we're eating...no more bottles or special baby food! Jack is thoroughly enjoying this piece of pizza! He gnawed on it for a good half hour and then wanted more.
We went to a Rader family reunion (my mom's side) in June up in McCall, ID. It was gorgeous and we all had a great time. There was so much to do and so many friends to be with that the kids didn't ever get bored! There were canoes and paddle boats in a big pond, fishing, frog catching, horse back riding, 4 wheeling, games, activities, yummy food, talent shows and on and on! Thanks Rader Family for a great week! Aunt Kristen and Uncle Craig were so good about keeping the kiddos entertained...thanks so much!
Where did this frog-catching, bug-loving girl come from? She surely can't be mine!



I got the biggest kick out of seeing just Jack's eyes peering over and just his cute feet sticking out from under this table!
Give this boy a ball and he is one happy camper!

Kamae on her way out for a ride.
Last time she rode a horse (she was about 2) the horse got spooked and she fell off and got a big goose-egg on her forehead. She claims to still remember it, so I was glad that that didn't stop her from trying again.
Paige ready to go!Paige and Spencer.
This was the coolest thing! Up in the mountains where we were, there was a beach! A slow moving river comes winding down and there is actual sand! We all took a trip to the beach and this is how the majority of the people got there...in a big flatbed trailer being pulled by a 4-wheeler. It's just a funny sight, if you ask me!

Paige has collected rocks since she could walk. Most little girls would go pick flowers...not her. If I let her actually keep all of the rocks that she has collected over the years, our house would be chock full! I thought it was a phase....apparently it's a really long one!:) It cracks me up because her enthusiasm over each one is unwaivering!Okay, so the water was a bit cold. It was fresh mountain run-off. But look at the skin and bones of this kid...according to our Wii Fit, he's a bit (or a lot) underweight! Those swim shorts are a 2T (he'll be 4 next month) and you can see they're about to fall off! I am constantly telling him to pull up his pants.

I knew the water would be cold, so I hadn't intended on Jack going in. My dad said he was willing to take him out and give it a try, so we just stripped him down. He actually didn't mind it too much and once he got used to it, he was in heaven!Thankfully someone there had an extra swim diaper for him to borrow, well...have. He just loved scooping up the sand and chucking it! Half of the time, it just ended back on himself!


I'll tell you...this ranch is a kid's dream! They have this really long rope swing and Austin would grab the end, run up the hill as far as he could and throw them down with all of his might. These kids would fly through the air! They loved it, but it about gave me a heart attack! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of them at the highest peak, but trust me, they were way up there!


Our ward primary participated in the Steel Days Children's Parade. They all wore red, white and blue and decorated their bikes. They had a blast!

This was Spencer's first primary activity. He was so excited to be able to go and actually get to do something his big sisters got to do! Notice the eyes on his bike...that was his favorite part!
The next morning, the girls got to dance in the big Steel Days parade with their dance company. The parade route is almost 2 miles and it was hotter than Haiti! They thoroughly enjoyed it as they have for the past several years, but were so hot and tired by the end!

All lined up and waiting to go. Little did they know that they'd have to wait for nearly an hour...they were #67 in the line-up!Then, right after the parade, their group volunteered to perform at a fund-raiser fair for the Down's Syndrome community in our area. Once they got on stage and started performing, we could tell something wasn't quite right. Their formations were all off and it seemed like they didn't really know what they were doing. They've been doing these dances for months now, and we couldn't figure out what was going on. When the dance was over, they told us that the stage was burning their feet (the stage had been sitting in direct sunlight for hours)! They kept right on dancing, but they kept trying to back up so they could dance in the shade! Poor girls! It ended up being a long, hot, exhausting day, but lots of fun!

I still have some pictures to post of Kamae's birthday party, but my camera died mid-party, so my mom and my friend Robyn have most of those pictures. Once I get them, I'll tell you all about it! Other than that, that is pretty much our summer! I hope you have all had a great summer and are as excited as I am for school to start!