The Orchard Team Huddle

Many noteworthy things have happened in our family in the last few weeks but I just don't seem to find the time to jot them down. Here is a recap: Pinewood Derby - Not Russell's favorite father/son bonding activity. I rejected his idea to pull out a previously used car of Douglas' and he and Stockton got to work on Stockton's first car. He chose the body style, designed the paint job and had a great time the night of the race. He had a good middle of the pack car and got an award for the fastest looking (clearly, LOOKING is the key word here!). Report Card Dinner - Both of the boys did a super great job last term so we took them to Chilies to celebrate. We ordered two of the 2 for $20 meals so each of them got to choose an appetizer and a dessert. Although it was a fun family night activity, Russell and I remembered why we really look forward to our Friday night dinners out. Mason is just not the most enjoyable little guy at a restaurant. Practice makes perfect, right? ...

I seem to be at a loss for words lately. Just a quick update on what we've been up to. Russell was able to go and get our car from St. George. I was glad to get rid of that stale-cigarette-smoke scented Elantra . I was grateful for the temporary wheels but really do like my big SUV better. It's running like a charm and I am looking forward to 3 years of worry-free transmission! It seems everything is breaking at the same time. I was paying bills the other day and my adding machine died. My Kitchenaid is currently dead and the boys tell me the Playstation is acting up. I guess we will tackle these items one at a time as our money tree has lost all of it's leaves. And did I mention that at some point I need to get braces for Douglas and I just paid for 2 boys to play Jr. Jazz at $57 a pop. Sheesh ! I know it is just going to get worse! Life has slowed drastically from a hectic and exhausting whirlwind to a more relaxed TV watching, cocoa sipping, dark too early pace. I am g...

Treat: Helping with Stockton's school party. I can't imagine not being there. My assignment-nachos and a pumpkin toss game. Mason ran around the gym and was MORE than helpful! Trick: I was so busy entertaining Mason and 34 fourth graders that I didn't take a single picture of Stockton's costume. He dressed as a Dallas Cowboy fan with a jersey and some shorts. His face was painted half blue and half white with stars. I figured I would get a picture on Halloween night but he changed costumes on me. Treat: Friday off of school. We jumped in the car late Thursday afternoon and headed to St. George for the last baseball games of the year. Our friend Jake accompanied us. Trick: We left after Mason's nap but not to fear...we had our Teletubbie DVD. As soon as the moment was right we turned it on. Mason said "no" and didn't watch any of it. He chose to scream the last half hour of the trip instead. Thursday night was not filled with peaceful slumber. Maso...

It seems to me I have spent the past year and a half running faster than I have had the strength. Life is busy, babies are hard, baseball is fun but VERY time consuming, and it has taken a toll on me, our home and ultimately, our family. I have been saying to myself, "It will get easier when Mason is a little older." Well, now he climbs up bar stools , turns on water faucets, makes MONSTER messes. Some things are easier but many are much harder. "It will slow down when baseball season is over." It seems baseball season is never over and basketball follows baseball and Young Men's are on Thursday nights and Cub Scouts are on Friday afternoons. Piano is on Thursday and homework is every day of the week. I have had my epiphany and realize that this is just normal life at this time and I had better conquer it rather than letting it get the best of me. As I have pondered what I need to do to be a better Mom , Wife , Homemaker , Friend and Daughter of God I ...

We are HUGE Disneyland fans. We like to get there twice a year but usually get there at least once. It had been 18 months since the last time we went and I was pregnant at that so even longer since I could really enjoy all of the rides. We were MORE than excited to go. I knew it would be tough with Mason. He is not a good sleeper outside his crib. He doesn't sit still for long and he is all over the place. Nevertheless, I was prepared to have the time of our lives and for the most part we did! The week started off with a short little plane ride from SLC to John Wayne Airport. We usually do LAX since it is cheaper but we opted for SNA this time. I loved it. The rental car was right at the airport. No shuttle, no hassle. It was wonderful. Mason was wiggly and didn't nap as he should have but still okay. The older boys are pros by now and the whole thing was really not too stressful. Just a few minutes after leaving the airport we were to our hotel but it was too soon to check in....

Although I am sitting in a hotel room at the "happiest place on earth" I couldn't let the birthday of my sweet little Lincoln (click here to read the whole story) pass without acknowleding the blessing I feel I received 7 years ago. It was such a hard and wonderful experience Russell and I had with this little boy but I will forever be grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me so much that he sent a perfect little spirit to our family. He filled my heart with peace when it was aching and he gave me a small little glimpse of heaven. My life is forever changed and I am so grateful for the gospel knowledge I have. Happy birthday my little Lincoln.

School kind of snuck up on us this year. It seems like we lost a month of summer with that cold June we started with. We just got rolling and it was time to go back. We broke a collar bone, had surgery, took in 4 new boys, played the World Series and started school all at the same time so we were a little unprepared. How fitting that I would just be getting around to writing about it 4 weeks after the fact! I have a confession. These pictures are not from the first day of school. They were taken 2 weeks later. The morning the kids started back was a nightmare! We had a late game the night before and got to bed at 1 am. We were all in a daze when we woke up at 7:00 am, 30 minutes later than Douglas needed to. He tore through the house in a panic, took a poptart out the door with him and that was it. No time for pictures, no proud tears from mom, just sheer chaos. I felt really bad for the start Douglas got. 8 th grade Douglas' Schedule: 1. UNITED STATES HIST I - HONOR...