Category: Mason

We have been running down the trail marked out for the Bear Cub this week. I hate to admit it, but I haven’t been helping Mason much in the scout department since he turned nine. I’m blaming it on JT.

Anyway, this has been a great week of checking some acheivements off the list. It is fun to see that Lex and Lily would like to participate as well. One of the acheivement that Mason had was to talk to his grandparents about what is was like when they grew up. His favorite question was, “What kind of games did you play.” Well, Grandma told him all about playing marbles and even bought him some of his own. They found a set of rules and now Mason has a new obsession. He has been sad to find that playing marbles are hard to come by, but has been happy to play with his grandparents. I’ve heard that Grandpa is a sharp shooter.

Mason also taught us about the rules of hiking, according to his Bear Book. Grandpa even provided whistles and help make the trail mix! Mason was diligent about making sure there were cashews in the mix. We attempted to go explore the Mt. Timpinogas Cave, but found that there is a waiting list and it would have been complicated. We decided to go to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. It was basically a stroll on a paved walk way but very beautiful and fun. Mason and I tried to climb as high as we could next to the water fall, but I bailed on him when it got too steep. He was sorely disappointed and was deflated claiming that this wasn’t a real hike, but Grandpa Baldwin has a trick up his sleeve and offered to take us to climb the “Y”.

About 20 steps on the “Y” trail he spotted a giant lizard and his eyes lit up as big as ever. He dropped his trail mix quickly so he could have two hands for catching, but that lizard was too fast. We also heard that a few snakes we slithering around, so Mason was happy the whole way and didn’t even notice how steep of a climb it was. He is truly Stephen’s son, because he was “pushing us too hard” according to Alexis when he wanted to hike to the top of the “Y” and not just the bottom.

Needless to say, it ended up being a great day for the Bear Cub!

Comments:

michelle said…

looks like a great hike! It’s so pretty up there! I’m not sure I would like the snake sounds!
Sunday, June 15, 2008 8:38:41 PM

Grandma and grandpa Parker said…

We were excited to see your frolicing in the mountains. By the way, we saw a rattlesnake on the trail up to the Y one time.
Monday, June 16, 2008 12:12:39 AM

Stacie said…

We play marbles with our Grandma & pa miller! Grandpa Miller was the marble champ. back in the day! Let’s play!
Monday, June 16, 2008 8:56:29 AM

Mzb said…

Mtn. Timp hike would be fun for the reunion
Monday, June 23, 2008 12:39:36 PM

Yuck = worms!Here are just a few of the fun things I found tonight in Mason’s backpack after he went to bed. I might add, some of them were more fun to see than others! It’s a good thing there wasn’t a mouse in there! One of the questions I am planning to ask are, “What are the worms for?” (Stephen wouldn’t let me get rid of them, but they are waiting outside in their natural habitat) Other question, “Just what are your plans for all of those rubber bands?” A side note, it took Mason forever to walk home from the bus today. I asked Lily and Lex where he was and they said he was trying to catch monarch butterflies. You’ve gotta love that fella!

Last week Mason was given a challenge by his dad. At breakfast on Thursday, Stephen told Mason if he passed all of his times tables off before the end of school on Friday they would go to the new Indiana Jones movie. Well he came home from school THAT DAY and told us he had passed all 5 sets that he needed. Apparently he works well when he is given the right incentive! We went to the movie, yes I invited myself, on Monday with Grandma Baldwin. It was great and Mason said it was well worth getting all of those times tables passed off. Another thing, we went to Sam’s Club Monday morning. Stephen surprised us by putting a bag of Swedish fish in the cart. In the car everyone was given a serving size. A few minutes later, Mason called from the back seat. I turned around to see a dog manufactured from Swedish fish. I was impressed by his creativity, and it really did look like a dog. Too bad I didn’t have a camera.

On Sunday, Mason gave a great talk in Primary. He was hesitant like usual and he really didn’t want to do it. He says it is scary to give talks in front of all of the people. Stephen told him to think that all of the people were in their underwear (remember the Brady Bunch, when Marsha had to give her speech?) I was extra proud as he stood up and spoke loud and clear and taught his friends about honesty. He is a missionary in training and looked very handsome in his suit coat and tie. He proved he can do hard things.

Comments:

Steph said…

Matt and Mason have a thing with rubber bands. I haven’t found worms in his backpack though, that would put me over the top. Save some symphony bar for me.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 11:45:04 PM

Grandpa Parker said…

The developmet of great youn men is an interesting process. It looks like it’s going well with Mason. I know what I used to do with rubber bands. They are very useful things to have. (I won’t say what I did with them. The list is too long but mostly good.)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:20:54 AM

Pablo said…

I like the daily spanish book. That is pretty cool!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:46:50 PM

Uncle John said…

Let’s go fishing with those worms. We could shoot down some monarch’s with the rubberbands and enjoy some chocolate as we do it. Keep up the fish molding. (It is a creative way to get more candy.) I have used that one before. You looked sharp in the suit. Maybe you will be a seminary teacher someday.

Thursday, May 29, 2008 7:39:16 AM

aunt Jana said…

He reminds me a little bit of Hannah she has brought home 2 or 3 backpacks full of random items that she has collected thru out the school year. That kid is special he is always thinking and taking time to enjoy life! Thanks Mason for being a great kid!
Thursday, May 29, 2008 8:19:59 AM

michelle said…

Mason-you are such a cool kid! Your family is lucky to have you around! Thanks for being such a good example for Zach!
Thursday, May 29, 2008 4:11:51 PM

Magan said…

Hilarious treasures!
Friday, May 30, 2008 7:36:41 PM

he may think he can’t cook the perfect mellow but he is honest…mellow looks good to me though.Last night while we were at Wal-Mart Mason showed something that would have been hard for me to do the same. He was standing in line to ask the cashier the price of a Lego kit, when he noticed a $5 dollar bill on the ground. Without even thinking he picked it up and handed it to the cashier. I think the cashier thought he was paying for his Lego kit, but he quickly said, “someone lost this” it would have been so easy for him to keep just pay for the toy with it and have a free toy. He taught me that honesty is not negotioable. Way to be Mason.

Comments:

Aunt Jana said…

That is cool that you didn’t even hesitate 5 dollars is a lot of money to find! way to go!
Sunday, May 18, 2008 4:37:08 PM

Grandma and Grandpa Parker said…

Mason, you are a good boy and good boys become good men, Keep up the good work. We sure love and respect you for your righteous actions. Ask your dad what “righteous reflexes are.

Sunday, May 18, 2008 11:51:19 PM

Aunt Susan said…

Mason, I did the same thing with a penny the other day and the clerk looked at me as if I was crazy. Mayabe I carried my righteous reflex a little far? I’m soo very proud of you. You have been taught well by truly great parents. Love you,
Monday, May 19, 2008 7:41:09 AM

Steph said…

Nice going Mason! I am proud of you, money can do crazy things, I am glad you weren’t even tempted to keep it. You ROCK MAN!
Monday, May 19, 2008 1:54:03 PM

Mason was bringing quite the crowd tonight at Grandpa and Grandma Baldwin’s house in Orem. I call it the snow ball affect, he started to jump his $1 bike off the curbs, and before you know it we were hunting for some plywood to make things a little more exciting. There were cars and neighbors stopping and cheering. He bought this bike last year at a garage sale in their neighborhood.

Mom and Grandma are a little nervous		The Cheer Leaders

Comments:

Uncle John said…

Go Mason. We need to go riding sometime. You look like a natural. Remember, “If you have done it before, you can do it again”. (That was our slogan to help us get confidence when jumping bikes.
Saturday, May 03, 2008 8:51:18 AM

Grandpa and Grandma Parker said…

Sometimes you can really get a good deal for $1.00. Good job Mason.
Sunday, May 04, 2008 9:44:38 AM

Aunt Anne said…

Wow, Mason you look like you got the skill! Just don’t land on anyone! Keep having fun.
Sunday, May 04, 2008 8:16:32 PM

sami said…

sounds like fun…
Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:18:01 PM

Uncle Lance said…

Nice air Mason! You’re dad and I used to make some pretty big jumps back in the day. We need to plan a Moab trip one day with the boys when you boys get a little older lots of good jumps there. Take care
Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:29:06 PM

Stephanie said…

Matt can’t wait to jump bikes with you. Way to go Mas. The tool box is a great leverage for the perfect jump.
Monday, May 05, 2008 10:07:28 AM

One of the stories you can read about from Kids National Geographic.This morning I got off the treadmill at 7:10 and walked past Mason’s bedroom noticing that he was still in bed. I instantly was on the prowl wondering why he was still asleep, the bus comes at 7:30! Alexis walked past and said, “Mom, don’t wake him up – he was up until midnight reading.” I asked Mason what he was reading that was so good, (when I put him to bed last night he was hiding under his covers and mad at all of us because we made him sit still while we were watching American Idol) he looked at me confused and said, “I don’t know”. I am thinking how could you not know? Alexis claims she heard his pages turning and his light was on. Huh? I wonder what really happened…As a side note, he has loved reading his Kids National Geographic Magazine that Grandpa Baldwin subscribed for him! He reads it at least 3 nights a week for at least an hour at a time. The kid loves to learn and always has questions – just don’t make him watch a “stupid” television show and be quiet!

Comments:

Stephen said…

It pays off though, he got a 240 on his ISAT last week.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 11:26:40 AM

Grandma and Grandpa Parker said…

We have a hard time watching American Idol too.
I used to love to read my “Weekly Reader” I got in school each week. Keep up the good work Mason, but get some good sleep too.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:07:03 PM

Paulo said…

That is great.I love the National Geographic. I used to read Grandpa’s old ones and now I have kind of inherited them and use them in my classroom. They have great pictures and are interesting. I am thinking of subscribing to the magazine it would be nice to have some current articles.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 5:07:03 PM

Aunt Susan said…

Mason, I used to read under my covers, about a book a night until great-grandma told me I was ruining my eyes, so I haven’t read many books since. (I think the real reason I had to stop reading at night was because the light bulb burned a little hole in the top sheet and —-well , I got the razor strap. Love you,
Friday, May 02, 2008 12:16:53 PM

Here are some of the fruits of the Video Project that Tara is working on.
Tara the Movie Star

Comments:

Grandpa and Grandma Parker said…

Go Tara, you look good as a movie star!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:04:03 AM

Stacie said…

That is fun! Brother Hicks is the assistant scout master with Rick! He is as good as they come!
Friday, May 02, 2008 8:56:04 AM

My Mom and Dad made me an Optimus Prime cakeLucky for Mason it was day light savings today…He woke up at 5 am wanting to celebrate, we told him he couldn’t open up presents until 8. When our alarm clock said 7:00 I remembered that I hadn’t set it forward! So I went and found Mason and told him to go wake up Stephen – much to Stephen’s dismay (he wanted to sleep in and picked the wrong day to do it) Mason was excited to be the recipient of 3 new transformers and the Transformer Movie.

We all know that Mason loves STRAWBERRIES! He chose to have crepes and strawberries for breakfast. Stephen is getting really good at crepe making by the way! Lex even whipped up some real cream! Very tasty. He also loves scrambled eggs and bacon, so we made them too.

As you can see by the photos, Stephen designed and crafted a Transformer (optimus prime) cake out of rice crispies. In the end we were more happy with the appearance than the taste of this cool cake. Stacie’s and Jana’s families came over to watch Mason blow out candles. Also participating via skype at Brad and Amy’s house were Grandpa and Grandma Baldwin, Brad’s family and Michelle’s Family. Pretty cool! We all sang happy birthday to Mason. He thought it was great.

Another fun fact about this year’s birthday is that it was the ninth of March and Mason turned 9 – kind of fun! We love Mason and his curiosity, honesty, energy, creativity, willingness to help out, and handsome SMILE! We can’t believe how fast nine years can go by. Happy Birthday Mason!

		I love my strawberry crepes

Comments:

Grandma and Grandpa Parker said…

That Mason is a fine young man. Happy birthday!
Monday, March 10, 2008 2:24:07 AM

Matt said…

I wish I could have been there!!!
Monday, March 10, 2008 9:17:26 AM

Aunt Anne said…

Mason you are SOOO lucky, not everyone has parents who will make a cool cake like that! We wish we could have been there to help you celebrate. Happy birthday! Keep smiling!
Monday, March 10, 2008 11:10:03 AM

Uncle John said…

Those are two great looking cakes and a fine looking nine year old. You keep on being a great little man.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 7:09:37 PM

Aunt Jana said…

Mason glad you are a part of our big family… you make me smile and Carson thinks your really cool too. Thanks for being a good kid!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:37:36 PM

Stacie said…

You know that was what they call a golden birthday! When you turn the age of the number of the month. I was 3 so I don’t remember! Always stay good mason! Quinn watches you close! Thanks for letting me come to you party!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:37:58 PM

Amy said…

Brian made a funny comment that people are easily entertained by watching other people on their computer screens. We all just sat and watched you guys in your kitchen. It was pretty funny.
Thursday, March 27, 2008 6:58:26 PM

sami said…

happy birthday!!! i am so glad to be your cousin…
Sunday, March 30, 2008 7:48:44 PM

Tara Thornock (Stephen’s cousin, who is going to BYU-I) called a few weeks ago and asked me if Mason would help her with a project she was doing for school. This project involved being in a movie that would be shown to all of the second graders in our community. It is a movie to help children feel comfortable with the hospital and going there. When I asked Mason if he was up for it, he was full of reservations – he didn’t know what to expect. Lily and Alexis were anxious to take his place, but I said they needed a little boy. We eventually talked Mason into it and according to Stephen and Tara, he did great! He got to pretend he broke his arm and ride in an ambulance – he even had some speaking parts! Can’t wait to see the final production, Tara said she would get us a copy when it is all finished. Here are some photos of his debut …Just a side note for my personal journaling – Mason has been so excited for his birthday coming up this Sunday. He makes up songs to sing about how many days are left and he is constantly trying to get Lily to tell him what his presents are. He makes us smile! Of course he is in a deep obsession with transformers and that is at the top of his birthday list. When Grandpa and Grandma Baldwin came they gave him a Scout Bear Book for scouts! He was so excited – he loves being a cub scout. Check back Sunday for a birthday update.

Comments:

Aunt Steph said…

Mason you are a star!

I love being the Bear Den Leader, you will have a ton of fun passing off your requirements. This week we are making tool boxes. I hope you have a great leader if not you have Grandpa Baldwin and your Dad to teach you. I don’t let a Wolf become a Bear until he shows me how to growl like one; better practice I will call you Sunday and check on your progress.
Thursday, March 06, 2008 1:00:07 AM

Grandma and Grandpa Parker said…

I can’t wait to see the movie starring Mason. I think to be a good leader you just have to be a good example and then be nice.
Thursday, March 06, 2008 2:52:52 AM

Uncle John said…

Keep on riding for pretend. We don’t want any real broken arms. We have had enough of those. You are the man. We hope to see you in the movies.
Thursday, March 06, 2008 3:30:57 PM

I am trying to save up some money to buy Optimus Prime and so I am selling my old Bionicles, free shipping to my family so please take a look it is a great deal.

Click here to see the auction

Comments:

Aunt Anne said…

I will have to show Will, how much you asking?
Sunday, February 24, 2008 5:10:43 PM

Grandpa & Grandma Parker said…

Sorry we can’t buy any right now, we’d just have to pack them. Nice to see you recycling.
Monday, February 25, 2008 3:53:20 PM

Stacie said…

do they come apart? You’ll have to talk to Quinn about them! I haven’t ever bought him any he is kind of into power rangers! But maybe you could change his mind.
Monday, February 25, 2008 9:32:48 PM

mason said…

they are just like lego’s you have to build them so they come apart and you can build great big ones too by combining all the pieces.
Monday, February 25, 2008 10:09:32 PM

Aunt Amy said…

Mason, you and Jed are definitely related! Jed is always looking for something to sell so that he can buy something new… :-).
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 11:04:39 PM

I went to the dedication of the Rexburg Temple at my Stake Center. We had to get there early or else we would not get to go inside. There were lots of cars so we had to park far away and walk…I fell down on my bum. When we got inside we able to get front row seats! We got to see the prophet, President Monson. It was cool and I had a good feeling. I got to take my handkerchief that I got for Christmas from Primary. We waved it back and forth saying words. I am glad I got to go. It makes me want to go back to the temple someday.

Comments:

Haley said…

That’s so cool!!! Especially the hankerchief part!
Sunday, February 10, 2008 2:58:43 PM

Grandpa Baldwin said…

Mason, It would have been awesome to have been there with you to waive a while handkerchief. I’m glad that you want to return to the temple and that you had a good feeling about your experience. I’m sure we will get to go with you when you are getting ready for your mission in a few short years.
Sunday, February 10, 2008 6:05:27 PM

Uncle John said…

Great Job Mason. Bummer about the Bum. I hope you never forget the day you had today.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 9:23:14 PM

Amy said…

That is really cool Mason. I haven’t even seen President Monson in person. You have and you’re younger than me!
Sunday, February 10, 2008 10:51:02 PM

steph said…

I still have my handkerchief from the Timpanogos Temple dedication, what a great feeling.
Monday, February 11, 2008 12:31:42 AM

Aunt Anne said…

Wow…I wish I could have been there with you! I got to go to the San Diego temple dedication and it was the first time I felt the spirit so strong. I am grateful that I can go to the temple with Uncle Lance and feel that spirit often. I know you will enjoy it too when you go to the temple.
Monday, February 11, 2008 10:13:29 AM

Grandma and Grandpa Parker said…

Mason, I’m glad you got to go to the dedication. That great feeling is one you always want to remember so you’ll be able to go back to the temple someday for even more special feelings. We’re proud of you, and the great young man you are becoming. Keep helping your mom and dad too.
Monday, February 11, 2008 4:01:37 PM

Riley said…

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 7:07:12 PM