Morris Management Picnic

We went to John's office picnic this year. It was so much fun! I honestly don't know why we haven't gone before. There was tons of great food, wonderful people, and a vicious game of volleyball!

The boss, provided hula hoops for all the kids, a squirt gun fight, a raffle and croquet.  

 Shilo is the hula master and won  a beach set, coloered bubbles and stickers in the raffle.

 These two are best friends!

 John trying not to be competitive. Haha.

 True found out there was an endless box of dumdums and couldn't help but have a few!

{he too, won colored bubbles!}

 Jordan was the smallest "grownup" playing volleyball. She won an itunes gift card and new ear buds.

 Such a poser...

 I love Chastins face! He's not competitive at all...cough cough! 

{nothing like his father}

Chastin won a foam plane that True promptly broke.. Poor older brother.

John and I won a cheesecake factory gift card and a croquet set. Bruce is always so thoughtful and generous.

It was a fun filled day, and we were blessed with beautiful weather. And that John works for a company that cares so much for it's employees. Lucky us!

Dinner Date

We won El Goucho gift cards at John's office party for the last few years running. I had to save them up so we could actually EAT there, otherwise we could have ordered water and salad.

It was amazing! The building is somewhat unassuming, and I never would have noticed it had John not been there before. {for business, none the less. {my business never takes me out to fancy food... :) }

When I had to use the restroom, a waiter came over and walked me there! The food was divine, and although I may never eat there again, I think everyone should have the experience at least once. First they bring out home cooked bread with whipped butter, then your dinner, which you have to order a la cart, but anyhow, my steak was giant and tender. I got the mac n cheese as one of my sides, split a wedge with john, had asparagus and John got a baked potato. Now normally I would make fun of him for choosing something so plain at such a fancy place, but this time, it came prepared table side with fresh chives, a cheese sauce {not just shredded cheese} and more whipped butter! I stole that right from him! By the time all the food was there I had it placed in a semi circle around my steak plate...sorry John. I was also pretty sure that I was going to need a change of clothes for the ride home because there was no way I was leaving in the fitted clothes I came in. {some of which I borrowed from Jordan}The waiter brought a dessert menu, not quite sure where I was supposed to fit that, so I passed. Sadly. Because dessert at an upscale restaurant is never disappointing.

So at the end of this divine meal the waiter delivers a cake platter stuffed with nuts and a nut cracker, purple grapes, 2 whole apples of varying kinds, 2 whole oranges of different varieties, and a beautiful bright green pear right smack in the middle! Along side the fruit platter comes a silver platter with some strong type of bleu cheese, homemade slices of toasted bread, and dates!! My oh my! At the end of the night we rolled out the doors to our valet and requested they drive us home...

The night was wonderful!

Menchies & my BFF

Me and Bridget at my new favorite place.

Menchies frozen yogurt bar.

14 marvelous flavors every day!

Been there 3 times this week!!

This could become a problem...

btw~{we look like sisters}

Pioneer Woman

Cinnamon Rolls are high on Johns list of favorite foods, so this was the first recipe of Pioneer Woman's that I ever made. I received a pan of these from my friend Wendy for Christmas, and I graciously allowed each one of my kids a bite before I all but devoured the warm gooey pan of heaven myself. And I called Wendy right up, told her I simply could not live my life without this recipe and she turned me on to the Pioneer woman.  From there I was sucked into the talent of this woman { she also made me want to fall in love with a cowboy, but that's a whole other post!}

So as of late, I have been making a ton of new dishes! Recently John bought me the Pioneer woman cook book and I was so inspired that I decided to try to cook my way through it. I know, it's been done before, but not by me. And if I have something new to look forward to eating at the end of a long work day, and that's what pushes me to cook for my large brood, so be it.

French Breakfast Puffs were a HUGE hit in this house.

I made them for the daycare kids one Friday morning and when the rest of the family came home they tried them and requested that I make more for them for the weekend. Success! 

 Then I made her Buttermilk Biscuits  to go  with our dinner one night and I couldn't believe how buttery and delicious they were! I was in cooking heaven! If she could make something so simple as a biscuit so fantastic what else could she dream up for me to eat?

Next I tackled her Meatloaf recipe.

O.K, well, it didn't go as well as I had imagined. I thought that my meatloaf was going to come out of the oven with crispy bacon and a tender meatloaf underneath a tangy sauce. Unfortunately that's not how it turned out. My kids liked it, the bacon was kind of on the limp side for John and I so I resorted to putting it under the broiler, but that just chard my sauce and turned the meatloaf black.. I was bummed. But that kind of thing happens sometimes when you try new things, you never know if your taste buds and the authors are going to be the same. So needless to say, this amateur chef would be fine putting this recipe on the self and not trying again, but my kids liked it and therefor I will be making this again.

Moms 'n Muffins

Moms 'n muffins

Every year we go, this year Shilo was sick and had to miss out though.

It's fun to get to have breakfast with the kids and their friends and other moms.

{ and I kinda like that John stays home and receives kids for me in the am, gives him an opportunity to see how my days run everyday. And he's happy to do it! Sweet guy.}

Chastin and I got done and walked around to visit a little, it was a pleasant way to start our day!

Mothers day 2011

the kids put together a

picture collage for me

we all wore black and white to church
{very sleek, if i do say so myself}


i love these guys!

Black Buck

So Much FUN! They were great!
Can't wait till we get to see them play again.

Warming up

Rockin' out

love how Rob is such a rock star that he

had to wear his glasses on stage~in the dark:)

Chad was so funny about sweating~ he made light of it by saying

"can we get a mop up here?" maybe he should do a little stand up on the side!

They were so loud I had to steal ear plugs from Kelly... guess I'm getting old..

It is so fun to see dads rocking out and having so much fun!

I should have gotten a group picture of Robs groupies.. oh well.

Oh, and one of the best parts of the night was that I was carded as I went in the door of the bar/club! For a Mormon girl who never buys anything to get carded for it was pretty exciting! He said I didn't look old enough to be 21!

whoot! whoot!