The Orchard Team Huddle

Nine years ago my dad got this super fun idea to have a giant pumpkin growing contest with all of the grandkids.  In the spring each child gets to choose a plant to take home and nurture.  On the first Sunday of October we haul our pumpkins to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the official weigh in.  The first year we managed to grow a 70 pound pumpkin. 2003 Some years are better than others.  We have tried several spots in the yard but have settled in on the northwest corner where they have the most space to branch out.  There is always a cash prize for the winner as well as smaller cash prizes for the 8 runner's up.  It seems like different kids win each year so that has been fun. 2007  This year our pumpkins started off great. Sometime mid-summer the vines all died and we were left with the pumpkins we had to that point.  Mason didn't even have a pumpkin but he didn't really care.  He thought they all belonged to him and he got what ...

We did some fun things over the past few months. DAYS OF 47 RODEO Mason was mesmerized.  He pretty much sat in this position the entire night! LAGOON  One Friday morning my parents called and said they were paying for all of the grand kids to go to Lagoon.  We packed up the cooler and met up with Emily, Kelly and Mom and Dad.  It was such a fun day being with the cousins and Grandma and Grandpa! Wilson and Stockton Mason and Jordan Don't Stockton and Wilson looked scared to death?  They should be! The fountains were a big hit! I thought this was a cool pic!  I love the expression on Mason's face. This picture pretty much sums up Mason's enthusiasm for Lagoon.  He loved it! I only had my phone camera with me.  Not the best pic but left to right, Andrew, Grandpa Murry, Parker, Jordan, Grandma Lee with Sarah on her lap, Emily with Bridger on her lap. My train car was a little less crowded!  Mason picking h...

I have to admit I shed a tear or two on the first day of school.  Douglas is off to Cottonwood High School and I feel like he might as well pack his stuff, leave for his mission and move away to college.  Time is just flying by and I am realizing that in no time at all that is exactly what he will be doing.  Nevertheless,  I still have a little over 3 great years that I don't want to waste so here are handsome  Sophomore pics of Douglas. And his schedule... 1A. SPANISH 3 - (034300-01)  S. COCHRAN-ALEJO  2A. WORLD HISTORY - ADV PLACEMENT - (075150-02)  L. SCHWEN  3A. INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA - (052400-03)  M. BAUMANN  4A. COMPETITIVE ATHLETICS - (061704-14)  T. RICHARDS     1B. ENGLISH 10 HONORS - (041110-05)  L. STRONG     2B. PHYSICS 1-2 - HONORS - (058800-06)  T. SHARPE  3B. RELEASED TIME - (008201-17)  S. STAF...

The last two posts I wrote were about my two birthday boys.  Douglas does not have a birthday in June but has still been very busy! I would like to say that he finished 9th grade with perfect marks but that is not the case.  He still maintained a decent GPA for "most kids his age" as I was often told but parents have a tough time lumping their kids into the "most kid" category.  I know he will excel in 10th grade.  WOW!  I have a kid headed to high school.  It is so weird.  I was so old and so mature and so sure I was practically a responsible adult when I went to high school.  I know Douglas feels the same way but it is CRAZY being on the parent side. Douglas pretty much lives at the baseball field.  He played summer ball where he had practice/lifting/conditioning/field clean-up every morning and games every night.  When he wasn't at the field he was usually napping.  Sometimes he couldn't even make it up to his room before he ...