Our other anniversary!

Happy anniversary to my eternal buddy Mike! It was one year ago today that we were sealed in the Mesa Temple! Great day.... great memories... This was us last year (it was a sunny day... we're kinda squinting)This is Mike this morning having a yummy breakfast on eternal colored dishes (white milk glass that I collect and gold silverware)

Food TV...

On Saturday, I had the rare opportunity to have the Food channel on the TV most of the day while I was cleaning and doing the Saturday chore stuff. The men were all out doing their manly things... so I watched and watched.... I don't know who half of the cooks were cuz I haven't watched in a while, but I did get some new recipes. I tried one today... Paula (stick of butter lady) Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. These are easy and VERY rich. So I will share this recipe:

1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter (make sure it's REAL butter), at room temperature

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (ya can't rush this step.. I tried and my cookies were a little flat... chill at least this long if not longer!)to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Here's a pic of mine...

So there ya have it. Enjoy!

Mason's Birthday

Tonight, (yes, tonight... I'm right on top of this bloggin stuff now!) we celebrated Mason's 4th birthday. He wanted to swim and have sandwiches at our house. He knows what a good time is already! We had lots of yummy food and fun and Mason got LOTS of presents! Note the RARE occasion that I allowed myself to be in a picture and I actually let myself put me on MY BLOG!!! (It's right above... look now, cuz I may change my mind at any moment and take it off!)

BUT... everyone else is adorable and I will keep their pictures on all the time... just look at them...

Day trippin...

Mike and I went on a little day trip yesterday to Snowflake. We had a great time (we always do) and we went to a session in the Snowflake temple. It was beautiful, but VERY tiny! Some sessions require reservations and I see why now. Seats fill up quickly! It rained a little as we were leaving, but I was hoping for more before we came back to the heat. We finished our day trippin off with a great dinner at Anzio's Landing.

Snowflake Temple

Mike in front of the waterfalls

View from the parking lot

Good eats...

There is always plenty of home cooking, gourmet food (well, I use that term loosely) and good eats at our house (Please view We like to eat slide show at the bottom of the BLOG) and last night was no exception. Since Mike was out of town (boy, did HE miss out!) I made something that I haven't made for a LONG time... gravy toast... that's what we call it... AKA chipped beef and/or... well... old service men have another choice name for it... but MINE is good and my kids grew up on it. It was accompanied by Jaron's YUMMY salad. Good ol comfort food. Luckily I made lots and I'm gonna have leftovers today!

My baby's first day of school... AAAAAAAAAA...

....AAAAAAAALLELUIA Alleluia A l l e u i a !!!!!!! I can't believe it!.... Trent (my baby) started his first day of his senior year!! And just look at his smiling face! Doesn't he look excited?!? I did a little calculating and Erin started preschool in 1980...... Sooooooo... do the math... I've had someone in school ever since. And after the wonderful (and scarey) open house last night (all the parents and teachers USED to look so much older than me and now they look like kids themselves) I think this is a welcome time! And so I sing on... Aaaaaleeeeeeluuuuuiiiiiaaaaa!!! (just imagine the Tabernacle choir singing!) applause applause!

We're back...

Yep.... we are back from yet another adventure! We spent a few days in green green Kentucky, visiting Dustin and the fam. (please read this next line with a southern accent...)Well, I just have to tell y'all that we had a great time just chillin and doin some things like wrasslin, stump choppin, vine swingin, eatin some gooood vittles, attending our Sunday meetins and playin with the chilluns! Just watch the slideshow for some good pics of our trip and check out Kristin's blog too.

August is birthday month for Teresa and Mason! Happy happy to you both!