The Orchard Team Huddle

Carving the massive pumpkins we grow is just about the worst idea ever!  The shell is too thick and so hard that it is rather difficult to complete the task. For some reason, we keep doing this EVERY year!  Note to self:  Next year grow your giant pumpkins as usual but invest in some smaller ones for carving!  I hate to include the picture of a naked Douglas going to town on his pumpkin but it is the only one I have that has anyone but Mason in it.  Please pardon the nudeness!  I assure you he had shorts on.  You just can't see them:).     Mason and I had no school...no class parties...no costume parades.  So, we visited Grandma Lee at work.  And, Grandma Orchard at home. Then we met up with our cousin, Parker (we already had Sarah) and passed some time at McDonald's. I thought Mason would LOVE trick or treating.  I took him myself so I could watch his excitement.  Unfortunately, he was so worried t...

On Mother's Day each grandchild receives a giant pumpkin plant to nurture and care for throughout the summer.   On the first Sunday in October we have our annual pumpkin weigh in.  The Orchard pumpkins were looking good! Grandpa's.....not so good. The pumpkins were so big this year we had to add a harness so they could more easily be picked up.  Cameron was designated the one to lift and weigh them all.       And the results: 7th place:  Wilson  11.8 lbs 6th place:  Jordan  26.6 lbs 5th place:  Parker  30.6 lbs. 4th place:  Doug  39.8 lbs. 3rd place:  Mason  54.4 lbs. 2nd place:  Stockton  79.4 lbs. 1st place:  Payson 130.2 lbs. So, Dallas blew us all out of the water.  There is no way Payson (age 7 months at the time of the weigh in!) did anything to help with her pumpkin but we were all gracious!  Dallas even had a second pumpkin that weighed in ...

The dreaded family pictures!!  I love to have them...hate to take them.       I am too cheap to hire a photographer so I convinced Kelly to take them.  We got some good ones.           And some not so good ones.      Glad to have that done! 

Douglas  Junior Year of High School (11th grade)   Stockton Off to Jr. High (7th grade) Mason 2nd Year of Preschool

Happy 12th birthday to this handsome boy!     Since June is full of baseball games we had Stockton's birthday dinner the night before his birthday at The Olive Garden.  Stockton has the very same tastes as his mother so we were able to share a Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. He spent his birthday with Chandler at Seven Peaks Salt Lake.  The park was SO, SO crowded since it was the first day of summer and one of the first really warm days to swim.  It was a lot of fun but the crowds and lines made it somewhat stressful for this mom and I failed to take any swimming pictures:(. In fact, I was kind of a loser picture taker this birthday.  The only other shot I got was this pic of Stockton blowing out his candle.  His favorite dessert is Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory but a close second is this Black Tie Mousse cake from The Olive Garden.   If you look closely at the TV screen in the background you will see L...

A few of the dad's from Douglas' team took some pictures of the baseball boys during the season.  They presented each family with a disk full of pics at the season-end banquet.  I really can't think of a more wonderful gift to receive.  I was excited to get some great shots of Douglas in action, which I did, but I was SUPER excited to have these ADORABLE glimpses of Mason.  I can't look at them without smiling.  You see, they tell a story.  A story of a little boy who goes to game after game after game.  He high fives the players, he knows their numbers, he cheers for them when they get up to bat.  And when the game is over, he runs onto the field to help them with their chores and to taunt them just a bit! I seriously love the playfulness, colors and sun kissed cheeks in these shots.  They capture the essence of Mason! These pictures were taken about a month before his fourth birthday and a we...