Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday. I had a wonderful Christmas. With three of my sons home and my daughter in law and grandson life couldn't have been better...well, if Matt was home it would have been but I'm glad he's on his mission and I did get to talk to him.
Okay, some reflection on Christmas, the world celebrates Christmas as the day our Savior Jesus Christ was born. I will go ahead and celebrate that glorious time with them even though I know he was not born on this day. I do join with the rest of the world to celebrate a time when the whole world gets together and worships our Savior. When everyone's pockets are a little more generous. Even though we may not know someone we are willing to help more, to smile more, to think of others that are less fortunate than ourselves. As we listen to the Christmas carols to humm a little and hold a door open and say Merry Christmas to our fellow man. Maybe it's just me but I feel like I have so much to be thankful for that little things that usually bother me don't really matter.


Alright, I don't want you to think you're reading Kevin's "Pointless Ramble" page so I'll stop now.
Today at church there was a wonderful talk about setting goals and how to move forward. I thought it was great because the speaker gave us three different points to think about that will help us in moving forward with the Lord's help. 1) Faith 2) Strength and Courage and 3) Focus and Balance. She went further in explaining balance. We need to balance our obligations to our Family, the Lord, ourselves and our employers and we can also throw in a little humor. This week I will think about these things as I try to figure out how I will start out the new year. What changes I want to make in my life and see if I can set some goals for the upcoming year.
What do I want for my family, my relationship with the Lord, for myself and in my job.
Until next week, I hope all of you have a wonderful week as we get ready for a new year. Think about the goals you wish to set and how you will get there.

December 19, 2010

One more week till Christmas. This year has gone by so fast. I'm excited to have three of my sons home with me this week along with my daughter in law and grandson. I'm going to miss Matt but he's on his mission and right now he is where he needs to be.
There are times I sit and feel sorry for myself and wonder why did my life turn out the way it is now? Why am I single and will I ever find someone to love me? Then I look around my home and there are reminders of how much I am loved.
Today the Clark family dropped off a plate of Christmas goodies and then the Farnsworths dropped off a cheese cake and Paul sang, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and it was beautiful. Kevin came to Sacrament meeting with me and then later came over for dinner and then Josh and Caleb both called and both said, I love you and tomorrow I'll get an e-mail from Matt.
I guess I'm so worried that I'll never find that special someone instead of realizing how I have so many special someones in my life already.
This week will be filled with exciting times and more memories will be made so I'm going to remember those many blessings I have in my life and be thankful to my Father in heaven and for his son Jesus Christ and how much they love me too.
Goodnight until next Sunday.

Christmas

I have to share a Christmas story with my family. Two years ago was my first Christmas being single. I was fortunate enough to spend it with my son and daughter in law and her family in Ohio. Last year was my first year spending it at home but I had Kevin, Matt and Josh with me so I wasn't alone. This is where my story begins. It was Christmas Eve and Josh was asleep. Kevin, Matt and I were sitting up watching movies and I was finishing some of my wrapping and getting ready for bed. I looked up and noticed empty stockings. It was after midnight and I was exhausted. I couldn't believe I forgot to stuff the stockings and I didn't know what to do because I was also sure there were no stores open. I began to cry because I felt like I was a horrible mom, first because of the divorce, making the boys spend Christmas with one parent at a time and just not feeling like I could do anything right when all I wanted to do was make things memorable for my sons and then I forget the stockings. Matt and Kevin asked what was wrong and I told them. I also told them I was too tired and hopefully Josh wouldn't notice and I went to bed.
Christmas morning Josh got up and we all sat on the floor around the tree and I tried to avoid the topic of the stockings but Josh remembered we always open our stockings first. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and said Santa didn't do stockings this year Josh. Josh pointed at the stockings and said, yes he did.
I looked at the stockings and they were filled. Tears rolled down my cheeks because I knew I wasn't a failure. Even though I couldn't do everything I wanted to do I knew Kevin and Matt where there to help. I was their mother and I must have taught these wonderful young men what it means to give. In the middle of the night the two of them combined their money and went to a gas station/convenience store and bought candy, toothbrushes and small toys for all of us.
This will not be a Christmas story that books will be written over or pass through generations but it was one of the most memorable Christmas' I have ever had.

Family

This is a picture of my great grandfather, Jack Ditto and my grandma Roseabelle Ditto. I thought this was really neat and wanted to share.

Guest have left, school is over for the semester and final exams are done. Josh and I are having a great time just getting use to having our home to ourselves.

With one week left of school for Josh and Kevin coming home this next weekend I'm looking forward to Christmas. Caleb, Alicia and Carson will also be coming and that warm feeling is coming back when we're all together. We will miss Matthew but he will be home in a couple of years.

Family, that's what matters. That's what makes a home! It doesn't matter where we are as long as we're together.

December 5, 2010

Hello Family,
Like I said earlier I'm going to try to post once a week. What has happened this week? It was Matt's week. Saturday we celebrated his birthday here at the house and had a fun time and then on Sunday we had his open house. There were a lot of people here and we had a good time. Monday we went out for his official birthday. We went to TGIFridays with Me, Josh, Assante and his dad. On Tuesday we went to CanCun before Matt was set apart. We went to President Pratts for Matt to be set apart. It was a wonderful blessing that I couldn't stop the tears from falling.
Then we got back to work and school and we thought about whether or not Matt had any of our e-mail addresses. This is a picture of Matt when we went to the temple in Ohio with Caleb and me. I don't have a picture yet of Elder Orton at the airport but once I do I will add it to the blog.
Well, it's back to studying, I have finals this week. Two more classes and then I'm done for the semester. I wasn't sure if I was going back to school next semester but I might because I'm going to Maryland to present my paper at the National Conference for ASPA.
Until next week. Love you all
Mom

I'm Back

Wow, I haven't posted on this site since November of 2009. A lot has happened since then that I don't even know where to begin.
Let's see, Carson Andrew Orton was born on January 18, 2010
Caleb started working for General Mills
Matthew started working part time for Home Depot, I think he started in January
Kevin did a volunteer/internship with the City Human Resources Department Jan-April and then went back to school at BYU-Idaho
The whole family went to Ohio for Carson's blessing in March 2010 and while we were there we took family pictures and had a great time
I graduated from UCF in May
Josh went to Washington during the summer and was able to visit family
Alicia started teaching at DelMar College
I was accepted into the graduate program at UCF...more school..woo hoo
Matt, Josh and I went to Ohio to visit Caleb, Alicia and Carson
Matt received his mission call to San Jose CA
Grandpa Orton passed away which was a very sad time, Kevin and Matt were able to go to the funeral.
My paper on Sustainability was accepted at the ASPA and I have been invited to present my paper in Baltimore, Maryland in March of 2011 and then the other day I received an application to apply for a scholarship to help pay for the trip with another professor granting his support for the money.
Then on December 1, 2010 Elder Orton left for his mission.
This is a very brief history of 2010 and I will try to write every week to keep everyone posted.