Family Party

This last weekend we went to Fayette to say good by to my little brother Andy who leaves for Costa Rica on Wednesday to serve a full time mission. We also took advantage of all us kids being there to take a family photo, and have our family Christmas party. Even Santa came to our party. It was a lot of fun. These are just some crazy pictures of us kids. I sure do love my family!! As you can see. The boys are a bit more wild than the girls.

Los Ortega

Finally!! Honestly, I have tried to post before today, but I have had some technical difficulties. But after playing around on my computer today, I think I've got it figured out. Blogger doesn't like .bmp files. It likes .jpg files. So I had to go through and convert some files over. So I should have several posts go up in the next couple of days.

This is a picture of a couple I met while serving a mission in Spain. I went to a mission reunion in October, and they showed up. What a surprise. I love them so much!! They are great people. He was the ward mission leader in Lerida. I served there for six months, (the longest area of my mission) so I got to know them pretty well. It was a great day. If only all of my friends from Spain could have been there. That would have made a great reunion even better!

Las Hermanas

It's been a while since this picture was taken, but it is so cute, I just had to post it. This was taken the day that Susan's new baby was blessed. In September I think. Anyway, this picture is of my sisters and I. Before my mission, I was never told that I look like my sisters, but as you can see in the picture, we are looking more and more alike as we get older. I can't complain though, I have CUTE sisters. I don' t mind looking like them. The little girl on my lap is my neice, Heather, and the little baby on Susan's lap, is baby Jacob.

Hace tiempo que sacamos este foto, pero es tan hermosa que tuve que ponerla. La sacamos el día en que bedicimos el nuevo bebé de mi hermana. Creo que fue septiembre. Estamos mis hermanas y yo. Antes de mi mision, nunca nos dijeron que nos parecemos, pero ahora, como ves en la foto, nos parecemos más y más cada día. Pero no puedo quejarme. Tengo hermanas BIEN GUAPAS!! No me molesta parecer como ellas. La niña conmigo es mi sobrina, Heather, y el bebé con mi hermana Susan, es bebé Jacob.

Who would have thought / Quien lo pensaria?

I traveled once again to the distant land of Provo last weekend. I had a mission reunion in Salt Lake, so I decided to go the extra half-hour to Provo to hang with my friends there. I ended up one evening in Kate Kelly's house. (Kate is one of my companions from the mission.) It's always great fun there! She took me to her room and showed me the newest addition. It is a classic as you can tell from the photo. Everyone should have an Elvis lamp in their bedroom!!! The other photo is just Kate and I hanging out in CC's bedroom.

Viajé a Provo otravez este fin de semana. Tuve una reunión de la mision en Salt Lake, por eso decidí viajar media hora mas para ver a mis amigos en Provo. Fui a la casa de Kate Kelly, una de mis compañeras de la mision. Siempre es divertido en su casa. Fuimos a su cuarto para ver una lámpara que le dio su madre. Es genial!! Todos deben tener una lámpara de Elvis en su cuarto! La otra foto es de Kate y yo en el cuarto de mi otra amiga, CC.

Miracles Happen

So I don't have a picture for this post (I'm still waiting to have them developed). However, I do want to share a really amazing story. Here at Brigham Young University - Idaho a lot of changes are happening. Last year our president, President Bednar, was called to be one of the twelve apostles. We had an interim president for a while, but this Tuesday our new president, President Kim B. Clark, will be inaugurated. This is a huge event. All of the first presidency will be there along with half of the 12 apostles and various other general authorities.
As always when something this big happens, it is going to be difficult to obtain tickets to get into the actual room where the event is happening. There were very few tickets being offered to students. They were to be available online on Thursday at 7:00 a.m. I really wanted a ticket, so I made sure I was logged in on time. However, the tickets were not posted. I tried for forty min. to find them, with no luck. I was very sad and disappointed at this time, but I had to go to work. I was going to call the ticket office at nine-thirty when they opened, but I got busy at work, and forgot. When I was leaving work to go to class, I remembered and decided to give it a try even though I was sure the tickets were gone by then. And sure enough, I was right. They told me they were sorry for my troubles, but that they were all out of tickets. Then the lady said "Why don't you give me your ID number, and if by chance a ticket comes through, you can have it. Don't tell anyone though, or you will lessen your chance of getting one. Don't plan on it happening, because chances are you won't get one. "
I hung up the phone disappointed again because I really wanted to go. I was depressed and bitter all day long because the tickets weren't posted when they were supposed to be. I just kept praying that somehow, somewhere a ticket would surface. When I got home and I checked my email there was an email from the ticket office saying that they had found another ticket, and they had it reserved under my name in the ticket office. I am so happy!!
I went and picked up my ticket today and thanked the people there for saving me that ticket. It could have been saved for anyone, but they chose me. This just shows once again that my Heavenly Father loves me. He knew that I really wanted to go to the inauguration and He made it possible. I am very blessed.

Hats!

School is going great! I am keeping really busy. (Especially since I took on a second job.) I know, I'm crazy, but one of my professors begged me to come and work for her. So I did. It will look good on my resume.
For one of my classes, we have to design and set up a display for the university library. While packing up our department's building for remodeling, they found some really OLD hats. They are so neat, that we want everyone to see them. So we are doing our display case on hats. We have gone around campus and taken pictures of random students wearing our hats. It's a shame hats are no longer in style. Some of the people actually looked really good in the hats. We even got a picture of the new university president, Pres. Clark, and his wife to take a picture with us in some of our hats.
This picture is a picture of my class. Each of us is sporting one of our favorite hats. Aren't they cute?? If any of you are in the area during the month of October, you should come and see our display. It's going to be really cute!!

One HOT Mamma!

By Popular demand, here's a picture of me wearing a shirt I found in my sister's closet. It's a pretty hot shirt. She says she thinks she should wear it to bed one night just to see her husband's reaction. I think she should!!

Utah

About two weeks ago I decided to take a last min. trip to Utah. I wasn't going to go at first, but I decided that it would be fun. I didn't want to drive down by myself, so I made Katie come with me. It was a lot of fun. We had some sister bonding time. We stayed at my sister, Rose's house. Susan was also there with her kids, so we were only missing MaryAnn. We got up on Saturday and all did pilates together. Four of us on Rose's living room floor plus baby Luke, who couldn't figure out what all these strange girls were doing. It was kind of crowded, but fun. Then we decided to dye our hair. Susan and Rose had never done it before but I talked them into it. They put a little tint of red into their hair and I went a darker brown. It was only a 6 day coloring job, but it was fun for a few days. Katie chickened out and wouldn't dye her hair.

House Dress

Well, it's been a while since I have posted anything on my blog. Pure laziness is my only excuse. We blew up the volcano, and it was awesome. However, my photographer, Katie, didn't show up so I don't have any pictures. However Darren was there with his camera, so if you want to see pictures of our volcano you can see them here.

Now to explain this picture! I dedicate this posting to my friend Kate, who was also one of my companions from the mission. Almost all of the women in Spain have house dresses, and they wear them everywhere. Well, Kate loved them so much, she just had to have one. We searched all over for one, and found out they were pretty expensive. However she found one that was worth the price. I have also found one worth the $3 I paid for it at DI. It is so great! Notice the ribbin bow, and the huge pockets. I feel like a true Spainard when I wear it. (Even though I am ridiculed by my Sister and brother-in-law everytime I do) They don't like it for some reason. I personally think they are just jelous they don't have one. :)

Babysitting Part II

In addition to making a volcano, we also ran through the sprinkler. We didn't plan this activity. My friend Katie, who was joining us for our party, started it all. This was Kevin's idea of Running through the sprinkler. Ethan on the other hand doesn't like to get wet and dirty, so he didn't want to run through. I'm a mean aunt though and drug him through the sprinkler. It was so funny. He didn't like it very much at first, but he grew to like it in the end. We had a good time that night. When Susan and Darren returned home, we showed them the pictures of our fun night. They were sad they missed it!

Babysitting

The other night, I stayed home to babysit while Darren and Susan went out on the town. So what do you do when mom and dad are out of town?? You have a party! It was a fun night. We started off the evening by making a volcano. It turned out pretty cool. Kevin knows a lot about volcanos. More than what I would think a six year old would know. He was very meticulas about the shape and bumps on the volcano. Ethan wasn't much help. He just wanted to get the cookie cutters out. He thought we were just playing in play dough.

The finished product is still waiting to dry before we can make it explode. Notice the little bumps and holes in the volcano. That was all Kevin's idea, "because that's what volcanos have because the hot lava does that to them." Kevin asks me every day if it's dry enough to explode. It'll still be a couple more days. I'll be sure and post pictures when we do.

Here Comes the Bride

This last weekend I went down to Utah once again to my friend, Becki's, wedding. It was so fun, but sad at the same time. I am so happy for her. The guy she's marrying, Chris, is perfect for her. Although it's sad to lose another friend to marriage. :)

This is a bunch of us the night before the wedding at a BBQ. Our final farewell before she said "I Do" Holly, Kortney, Mary Ann, Sheri, Becki, Tracie, Brandi, CC.

This was our final goodby, before she left on her honeymoon. I love this picture. I think she looks so beautiful. She looked really good, very happy. Go Becki!!!

Baby Jacob

This is the newest addition to my slew of nephews...Jacob Keith Clark. He is such a cute baby. He was born on July 14th. His due date was July 10th. I told Susan that if he was born on July 10th, she had to name him after me. She told me no.
I love holding him and snuggling with him. He is soooo little. His legs and feet look like chicken feet because they are so skinny. He's cute though. Check out the hair!!

I Once Was Little

This is an updated picture of us "little" girls. Sheri had to leave early, so she was unable to be in the picture. Brandi is the one on the top left. Becki (The beautiful Bride), Me, and down on the bottom is Mary Ann. It was fun to all be together again. Lots of memories!!!


I thought this would be fun for you to see. Can you pick me out of the croud? This is a picture of me with my childhood friends and my little sister. Every Christmas we would run over to each other's house to see what Santa had brought them. This particular Christmas Santa brought us all dolls. We must have been good girls....but then again..when wasn't I a good girl?? :)

Swimming Hole

This weekend we had quite a few visitors. My sister, Susan, who lets me live with her, just had a new baby on July 14th, so everyone wanted to come see the little tike. You can only do so much at home with several people in one small house so we took an excursion to a hot spring to swim. There was also a cold pool (Thank Goodness). It was a lot of fun. It is always fun when family and friends come to visit. This is a picture of my nephew Ethan and I coming out of the cold pool, on our way to the hot pool. Isn't he adorable!!?? He's pretty spoiled by his Aunt Tracie. I hope I have kids this cute!!

Farmer Wanna-beeeeees

This is me with my friend C.C. After years of promising me she would come visit me in Idaho, she has finally made it. This is us sitting in the middle of a field here in Rexburg. I am sporting my brother Ben's cool hat.

C.C. is also a great friend to me. She always gives a listening ear, and great advice. I give her a hard time a lot, but what are friends for??? :) I am very blessed in the friend department.

Katie Grinder

If it weren't for my friend Katie Grinder, I think I would go nuts. We have a lot of fun together. She is a great friend. She definitely deserves a spot on my blog. We serve together in the Relief Society Presidency, and we work out everyday together, and we hang out all the time...so I'm around her enough to be able to say she is WONDERFUL!! This is us just hanging out. (She has a digital camera!) Most of the pictures I have are because of her and her camera.
This picture is a picture of Katie at our last Enrichment night. We had a service auction, and she did and Excelent job as the auctioneer. (I'm not sure how to spell that.)

Swimming Pro

So...along with not eating sugar, my friend Katie and I have taken up working out every night . Our latest craze is swimming. We started out flopping around in the water. (Can you just picture it??) And believe it or not...now I can swim in a straight line. Even with a short arm!! I've been praticing a lot!!!

Anyway, we're practically pros now, so It's time I learned to dress the part. So here you have it! Me....a professional swimmer! (With a Wal-Mart Swimming cap....compliments of Katie)

Birthday Bash

On July 10th, I turned 25. I'm getting old! :) I had a great day with family and friends. We had a BBQ and ate lots of good food. I haven't eaten sugar (as in cookies, candybars, cake, etc.) for a couple of months now. This a picture of me enjoying my birthday cake. Chocolate cake with mint frosting. (Compliments of my sister Susan) It sure was tasty!!! The cute girl in the background was my trainer from the mission field, Flor Alvarado. She's super cute. She's also here at BYU-Idaho studying. It's fun to have her around and have someone to practice my spanish with.

let's see

Isn't he cute?? This is my nephew Ethan. His new thing is picking his nose. He always has a finger up his nose.
Don't touch the Cheetos, they're HIS! And he's not afraid to tell you either!!

Joe's Valley

My brother-in-law is trying to talk me into buying a digital camera so I can post more pictures. Although it would be fun to have a digital camera, I think he wants me to buy one just so he has a new toy to play with.
This is one of my best friends from Snow College, Becca. And the butterfly emerges from the cocoon. (Inside Joke dedicated to CC!)

We went camping Memorial weekend.....after four years of not seeing her family. It was a lot of fun. They are a wonderful family!