The Orchard Team Huddle

We have some Thanksgiving traditions that I would dare say may surprise some of you. The Sproul's have their own way of doing things and they are anything but traditional! The morning starts at 7:00 am with the guys heading off for rabbit hunting. In years past they have gotten a few rabbits but it seems the last few years have left them high and dry. They still enjoy shooting skeets and riding Uncle Dallas' 4-wheeler. The women and baby stay home to prepare the food. We each make our dishes at home and meet up for the finishing touches but next year we are going to get together to do the food. We have the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, yams, fruit salad, homemade rolls, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, relish tray and the works. We also have a great appetizer of cream cheese, chili sauce, mini shrimp and Ritz crackers. Mason got a bite of yams. He wasn't so sure about the texure. He really enjoyed his processed sweet potatoes later o...

There is as magical feeling going on inside of me today.  It is one that I imagine others are experiencing as well.  It's that anticipation, that excitement, that love that you feel around the holidays more so than any other time of year.  As I prepare my home for Thursday and the month to follow I can't help but have a spring in my step, a smile on my face and a little extra love in my heart. I hope you are feeling it too!

It is tough for the off-spring when you take two completely creatively challenged people and procreate. Art is just not a family thing. We can't even draw good stick figures! But, give the boys a ball and they can come up with some great ideas! Here is Stockton's latest game: All you need is a hoop, a ball, and some great landscaping rocks. This game can be played alone but it is a lot more fun with a friend! The object of the game is to stand on each rock and make a shot. You start to the left and advance a rock every time you make it. By the time you get to the last few rocks the shots become pretty challenging. Just be careful not to throw the ball so hard that your momentum carries you to face plant the back of the swing. It really hurts! As soon as you make a shot from each of the 13 rocks you start all over. This is not a competition between two players but a goal to do your personal best. Each time you play, that last-rock shot gets a little easier. It is rather enjo...

Today we were in Heber to welcome home our nephew Josh from his mission.  After the meeting our family gathered for lunch at the Town Hall.  The boys got right to playing basketball and it was fun to watch a bunch of white shirts run around the gym.  Since I am the oldest, Douglas is the oldest grandchild on my side of the family.  Since Russell is the youngest, our kids are almost the youngest on his side.  We have had 3 returned missionaries and one currently out.  I love the example these older cousins set for my boys and I love how great they get along when they get together.  We've got 5 Payne boys, 2 Orchard boys, 3 Earley boys and our 4 Orchard boys making a total of 14 boys to 1 Payne girl, one Orchard girl and 2 Wilcox girls...an outnumbered 4.  And, I'm talking about the boys when I say you have never seen more eyelashes and freckles in one room!  Now you know where my boys get it from. ORCHARD BOYS MINUS A FEW

I don't know if you have seen it or not but I feel a lot like the people in those Arctic Circle commercials.  They tell you about a simple thing they accomplished like being on time for work and how they are going to treat themselves for doing it so well.  Well, I want to toot my horn a bit. Today I got a whole lot accomplished which doesn't happen often these days.  I did vacuuming, dusting, mopping, bathrooms, washed my rugs, held an Activity Day activity, cooked a 350 calorie dinner that not only was good for me but tasted good as well and took care of my little one through all of that.  He didn't even take a long nap to give me extra time.  I was on a roll today and it felt so good to get something done! So, I think I will treat myself by sitting on the couch in my clean family room, sip some hot chocolate and watch the CMA awards.  Here's to good days!

I try to be positive and happy most of the time but just to keep it real I've got a few things to get off my chest. 1.  Mason was sleeping quite well at night.  I thought we had jumped a hurdle.  Then he started fussing and waking up again.  To make matters worse, we went off of daylight savings.  You know, "Spring Ahead, Fall Back".  An extra hour of sleep.  I really don't see where that benefited me. Now instead of waking at 6 ish , he's been waking at 5 ish and he is still stirring at night.  I could have done without that extra hour. 2.  I am getting really tired of dust and clutter and piles and bathrooms that need cleaning.  I sit in this house really wanting to make it spic and span but barely finding time to get the necessities done. 3.  I got a little frustrated with Mason's lack of daytime napping and him always waking up screaming when he did sleep.  Finally, Thursday night when he was screaming again I...

Today I had a once in a lifetime amazing experience that I just had to share. It started out as a very bad snowstorm and a drive in rush hour traffic downtown. It was a little nerve racking and slightly inconvenient but it was worth every minute. My sister-in-law, Riza , was sworn in as a US citizen today. My brother, Dallas, met her on his mission and fell in love with her. He spent more than a year trying to get her to this country and we met her for the first time 4 years ago this month. As soon as her visa was in place she got on a plane, by herself, and left her native country of the Philippines . She had one modest suitcase of stuff with her and that is how she started her new life in America. I remember thinking how brave she was and how hard it must have been to leave her family and friends behind knowing she wouldn't be with them often, if ever. Her and my brother were married just days after she was here and my sisters and I broke her into our family by taking h...