The Orchard Team Huddle

There is nothing "magical" about being an adult and having a birthday.  I am not one of those that gets sad or depressed because I am getting so old.  I do not count the days down to the dreaded milestones.  I didn't cry when I was 30 and I doubt I will lose sleep over being 40.  But, I do miss the butterflies I used to get when I was a kid.  I miss the anticipation of a party or what surprises my parents had in store.  Then there was the hope that my friends would decorate my locker even though I threatened them if they did.  There was the much anticipated 16 th when I got my drivers license and the okay to date.  18 brought with it that no-longer-a-kid title and 21, what's not to love?  I could legally drink and gamble (not much of a perk!) but more importantly, official adulthood.  What exactly does 37 get you?  It's really just another random number. I have always loved having a spring birthday.  The clothes are cute, the weather is turning, the spring flower...

For having a nice camera, I really don't have very good shots of our trip. I must admit, I haven't spent any time reading the owners manual. I need to figure out how to get better pictures than this. Nonetheless, these are the only pics I have of our really great vacation. Highlights: *Lots and lots of sunshine and warm weather. *No schedule, no phone calls in, nowhere to be. *Endless chips and guacamole, pina coladas , limes and Pepsi Light. *Attending church in a quaint little building. The church is true and the spirit is there no matter where you are in the world! *Walking the beach instead of the treadmill. *Beautiful sunsets. *Cozy oceanside lounge chairs with grass umbrellas. Perfect reading conditions. *Watching the crabs on the rocks. *The giant jacuzzi tub in our room. *Service with a smile. The staff at the resort really wants you to feel special. They are the friendliest people and it was so nice to be pampered. Not-so-Highlights: *Too scheduled of sleeper...

Isn't the internet amazing! I sit in a hotel room in Puerto Vallarta while my husband is setting off on a 2 hour sailboat adventure. I am the the last partner anyone would want for The Amazing Race. I am happy to have my feet on the ground. I have no need to bungie jump, skydive or repel . My biggest adventure this trip has been watching a lady get stung by a mana ray, reconfirming my decision to be a spectator of the ocean, not a participator. The mana ray got Russell thinking as well but I know he will not be able to go the entire trip without boogie boarding! I have been aware of a few little quirks that pop up when us Orchards travel that I thought I would jot down. Maybe you will find some of them interesting or even entertaining. 1. Have a plan. I am not a good stand-by flyer or fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants vacationer. I really like to know what is coming next. It is not necessary to have all of the details planned out but a rough draft always helps. It could be as sim...

We are 4 days out from leaving on our much anticipated trip to Mexico and the anxiety is starting to set in.  I am not a huge fan of flying.  I cringe as we take off.  That first huge turn always gets me and then I settle once I am in the air at a nice cruising altitude.  Upon landing, I hold my breath when we touch down and breathe a huge sigh of relief when the plane slows to a nice leisurely taxi to the destination gate.  I thoroughly enjoy myself while I am gone and then go through the process all over again for the return flight home.  (Did I mention we always end up with some really stupid movie on our flights?  Not really the point but worth mentioning nonetheless.)  I REALLY hate flying anywhere without my kids.  It is that fear of something happening and them being left orphans with only 25 possible extended family members to care for them.  I KNOW they would be fine but I want to be the mom.  I want to watch them grow.  I want to finish what I started. This is the first time...

I love it when I walk out my front door and find this! The tulips and daffodils are pushing up and the crocuses are in full bloom. These first signs of spring get me through those long last weeks of winter. It won't be long until we have warm days like today everyday:).

It has been two blissful weeks since Mason learned to crawl. At first he was content to crawl from toy to toy, stop and play and move on to the next toy. I could close my bedroom door, put some toys down, dust the blinds, take a shower and have a happy baby the whole time. This time was short lived! Mason now insists on climbing up to everything! It started out with a little stool. I quickly put that stool away so he wouldn't get any ideas. The next day it was the couch. We were watching Idol when I looked down and there he stood. It took a minute for my brain to register that he had to get to that standing position somehow and I hadn't helped him! Then it was his bed after his nap. I walked into the room and he stood right up. He is no longer content to crawl around and play with his toys. He wants to stand. He will try to pull himself up to anything, office chairs with wheels, small little nesting tables not sturdy enough to hold a wobbly little boy. He even t...