Lunch at the Farm

A couple weeks ago, I was reading one my ol' high school friend's blog. She had a post on this cute restaurant that looked so fun. Her kids were running around playing outside at the restaurant. I thought to myself, "That is the kind of restaurant that I need for my kids."
Well, this weekend Lance was gone snowboarding with the deacons and teachers from church. On Sat., Todd and I were out running errands with the three younger ones. I remembered her post and that the restaurant was out where we were going. And, so my easy-going, spontaneous husband said, "Let's go there for lunch today." As we drove up to it, I realized that I had noticed it once before a long time ago, but I don't usually drive down Ray. It's the cutest restaurant made out of an old farm house....with cute picnic tables outside. And, to make it even better, we loved the food. Well, not Sierra. She had a hot dog. Apparently, they use "natural casing" hot dogs that she thought had a too chewy of a outside. (Todd tells me later it's cause it's the intestine? hit my gagger)

Anyways. We had a great time. Todd had some pesto burger and I had the same thing but in chicken. Yum! The kids loved being outside. There was this HUGE, old tree that we had to get a photo by. Isn't it neat the way it splits off into 3? But, they do have signs up saying no climbing...talking about torturing a kid:)

Zane is having fun taking pictures lately and so he took this one of the rest of us by a citrus tree.

Oh, and how can I forget?!!! My son's got talent, so I need to share! Here at the restaurant, he doesn't have a straw for some reason, so he proceeds to show me how he can make his very own homemade straw...with his own tongue! Way to go Zane! Always entertaining!

Thanks Jennifer for the great tip to eat at Joe's Farm Grill:)

How Well Do You Know Your Husband?

**This is a tag from Facebook, I thought I'd add to my blog so I have it when I print it off.


Wed 8:11am
Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward . . . shoot, you know what to do. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Discovery Channel
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch and Italian off to the side
3. What's one food he doesn't like? French Toast, or embryo covered soggy bread as he calls it
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Water or Diet Coke
5. Where did he go to high school? Westwood High School
6. What size shoe does he wear? 11
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Cycles or quads?
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? roast beef, steak, or tuna
9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Steak
10. What is his favorite cereal? Shredded Mini Wheats
11. What would he never wear? A bra. :)
12. What is his favorite sports team? Home team
13. Who did he vote for? Same as me
14. Who is his best friend? Me...better be
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? turn the lights off as I walk out of the room....even if he is still in it.
16. What is his heritage? He is a mutt! English, German, ...
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? ....not a big cake eater, but he'd love the chocolate one from Black Angus with Ice Cream and hot fudge
18. Did he play sports in high school? track and was starting football, but blew out his knee
19. What could he spend hours doing? riding his quad or cycle, reading a good book, or watching tv, staying active....doing something!
20. What is one unique talent he has? He's a hard worker!

Valentine's Day

So, this is Todd and I bonding on Valentine's Day:)...yes, with toothpicks and lifesavers. I told you Todd wasn't really romantic. hee hee. Seriously, I can only blame myself for my non-romantic night since I made our plans.

With several other couples, we went out for a yummy dinner and came back to our house for some fun and games. We had a blast. We've got some great, fun friends that were soooo entertaining. We all agreed to do it again next year!

Sam and Lani - seeing how well they work together.

Brett and Nicki won this game - opening the pkg with no hands AND eating the treat inside the fastest...still without hands. Brett should have also been given a prize that night for the best one-liners. We all thought he was "on something" that night:).

Kevin and Julie getting up after a game meanwhile sharing some good laughs.

Of course, some games just brought out too much competitiveness in the men. Megan is quickly escaping her man, Jason:)

Cindy and Bobby getting ready.

Jason and Kelly trying to win....but they didn't. Although they still gave us some pretty good entertainment. My house was so full of laughter that night. It was a blast.

Shala and B.C. won on this one. They were oh so good together. ...and who wouldda thought.....they have been married the least amount of time:).

We also played the not-so-newleywed game where the "longest" married couples jumped ahead. And then we ended with a white elephant gift exchange. It was a lot of fun. We've got some great friends! Looking forward to 2010!

He Really is a "little" Romantic!

So, everyone knows I love my husband despite the fact that he really isn't too romantic. Really. But a couple weeks ago, when he left for an overnighter up to Roosevelt Lake to help his brother out, he left me this note under the decorative pillows, but on top of the sleeping pillows. So, I found it as I went to bed that night. Isn't he sweet?! Made my night. (maybe if I put this on the blog, I'll get more romance from him:0....probably not.)

Todd and I went to see the musical last night for the first time. I loved it. Well, a couple songs could have been left out:). But, the puppets and costumes were amazing. Todd and I agreed that although the lady that played Rafiki was a beautiful singer, we liked that character better in the movie with a male's voice. It was a great show though. I wish that I had brought my kids to see it, too. I think even the younger boys would have loved all those animals, but that might be asking too much of them as far as sitting still. I think Todd enjoyed it too even though musicals really aren't his thing. He went with me ....cause he loves me:) Isn't that true love for ya? When one will go do something for the other... just cause the other one enjoys it?! Now, I just gotta get him scrapbooking. jk ha ha

Fun Video Clips from Up North

Our little desert dwellers don't know what to do in this below freezing temperature!

Way to fly Sierra! What a crazy, fun lovin' girl.

Lance and Todd racing down the hill!

Poor Wes does not get a good taste for sledding. I love how Sierra came to his rescue.

Here's what I meant about the men in our family never growing up. too fun. Hey, my man got 2nd! And I think Caleb (the 1st place guy) might have jumped the gun a bit anyways. :)

The snowball fight in the Pizza Hut parking lot. love it. How can a Mom not love any male bonding time that occurs between her husband and her boys?!

Awesome Date Night

Last Thursday night, we had a good ol' fashioned date night. It was a blast! Five couples headed out to South Mountain for some horseback riding and dinner. It was a full moon and so we rode by moonlight up in the mountains, seeing some beautiful views of the city lights as we went along.

We rode to the Tbone Steakhouse where we enjoyed a delicious cowboy dinner while the horses were tied up to hitching posts in the back. When we finished, we got back up into our saddles and headed home. It was so fun and there was such a beautiful view. Plus, we had great company. :)

Jason, Megan, Randy, and Arloa (with horse Baylee).

Todd, Catherine, and horse Trigger.

Cindy, Bobby, and horse Roxie. Cindy was our entertainment....singing some Christmas songs until she got them stuck in my head for the entire ride!

And Dusty the horse, Tammi, Clay the horse, and Greg.

We had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it again!

Just Like We Were Kids Again

Every year, my kids ask me to dress up for Halloween. "What are you going to be, Mom?" I nicely let them know that Halloween is for kids. Kids dress up. period. Meet our friends, Cindy and Bobby, who made me look like a liar to my kids. They put on a Halloween party for adults....and we were told that we HAD to wear a costume in order to attend. And, so the fun began. I haven't worn a costume in a good 25 years!
Kevin and Julie won first place for best costumes for couples. Jim and Jenni below were a close runner up though. I won't say what Kevin had in his pocket to really "play the part"...which is probably what insured his winning.

Everyone agreed. We now think even MORE highly of Jim for wearing this costume. It takes a special man to wear a costume like that.

Todd and I had a great time. Good Food. Good Friends. Shoot, I have to admit even the dressing up was fun.

I suddenly became much more of a baseball fan:) Love this guy!

They had a pumpkin carving activity also. Todd carved the one on the left with the green nose!

It was just like we were kids again. Kids with a bit more weight and wrinkles on top of it:)

Todd Goes Deep Sea Fishing

A beautiful sunrise taken from the boat.

For Labor Day weekend, Todd took his employees, Devon, Greg, and Jordan, on a dish sea fishing trip. They headed out of CA and went down south into the waters off of Mexico. There, they fished for dorado (sp?) and albacore tuna! It sounds like it was a great "guys trip."

Here, Todd is with one he caught. He is insisting that Jordan (who took the pic and emailed it to him) must have photoshopped...and shrank....his fish:). Sure, Todd, we believe you if that makes you feel better! I think he caught a total of three (or 2?) fishes. They all had a great time.
Jason decided to also come along with the Mow Power group and caught some of his own fish!

Then, Jason and his family came over for dinner last night and we all had some very tasty fish to eat! Thanks, Jason and Todd! It was delicious!!

Pucker Up, Dad

So, Lance hands Todd a piece of Warhead candy ...with no warning of course. (yea, Lance is a lot like Todd is his own conniving, trickster way). Todd, expecting a sweet piece of candy, gets caught off guard....just a little:). It was soooo funny. I missed the first minute or so (the best part -i.e. the best facial expressions) cause I wasn't expecting this kind of reaction. I couldn't get the camera out fast enough.
Todd actually took the candy out and was going to toss it cause he couldn't handle it. But, I told him that I'd try one if he could be man enough to finish his candy.

I guess I got a milder flavor - cause mine wasn't that bad. Or I'm just that tough:).

So, we had to have a rematch. And, I got lemon. WOWEE!!! Whoever could keep it together with wa straight face was declared the winner.

Lance took the picture - hence the nice cropping job.

Happy Birthday Todd!

Last Tuesday, Todd turned 38. WOOHOO. That's 38 years of being wonderful:)

I married a wonderful man. A man that treats me respecfully. A man that loves to hang out with me. A man that loves me. I'm so glad he's mine.

And, as one can see in the picture above, the kids adore him as well. Sierra took a clay class at the Mesa Arts Center this summer. She knew her Dad's bday was coming up and so she made him a couple of clay pieces. We are getting quite the collection over here at our house with all the different clay classes that the children have taken over the years. And the pieces are all priceless, of course:).

When Zane found out it was going to be his Dad's bday, he immediately went to work - to our craft drawers. And, this is what he made for Todd. I think the color looks good on him, don't you? Too cute! Our Dad is numero uno!

We can't forget the cute note on the underside of the visor. Way to pay attention to detail, Zane.

Todd's feelin' the love!!!

Then, this wasn't a bday gift, but I thought I'd include it in this post since it was made for Todd also. By whom you ask? Lance. That's what makes it even more special. This summer the kids were making things with those plastic beads that you melt together with the iron. They make these cool designs and patterns. Sierra and Zane started making their names, etc. So, then Lance joins in and makes this one for his Dad. He gave it to Todd "just cause." Now, that's a tear jerker. When a 13 year old tells you your number one "just cause". Kudos to Todd for being the best dad around.

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Oh, What do you do in the Summertime Todd and Catherine?

I went out with the Pitts women last night to celebrate Debbie's birthday. So, Todd was home with the kids. And, what does Todd do (in the summertime:)? He takes Wes out on a scooter ride(vespa-kind) around the neighborhood. Of course, this time of year, there is a familiar buzz in the trees. Next thing you know, Todd and Wes were cicada/locust hunting. Yea, that 's what Todd does in the summertime (besides slaving away in a hot, unair-conditioned lawnmower shop:). **I found out later that he also helped Zane build a wooden tank from a kit that I had picked up at Michael's. What a good dad!

Me? I ride. Horses, that is. I got up at 3:40 am this morning to feed them so they wouldn't be grumpy on the ride. Then, I tried unsuccessfully to go back to sleep, but I was too worried about sleeping in. So, at 5:00 am we head out to Lower Bulldog - by the Salt River. We climbed some hills, loped through the riverbed, and ended up back at the Salt River. Last year, we had swam with the horses....but I was in a vinyl saddle. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to get my new leather saddle all wet. Jennifer, a 16 year old neighbor, tells me that we just do it bareback in order to "save" the saddles. What?! Never. I have never sat on a horse bareback. Okay, let's try. I wanna be a cowgirl. I take off my saddle and my socks and my boots, and very UNGRACEFULLY jump back onto my horse. (I don't think I should even call it "jumping" maybe throwing myself up onto him) And so, we went swimming on our horses bareback. LOVED IT! Cherokee is a natural in the water. Pepper, Sierra's pony, needed a little bit of coaxing, but then got in. You should have seen the smile on Sierra's face....probably just as big and cheesy as mine. I almost fell off in the water once, but luckily I pulled myself back up by the mane. It was soooo much fun. And, darn it, I didn't have a camera with me. I guess we'll just have to go back next week and do it all over again with my trusty camera in my cantle bag:). Woohoo!!!

Happy 16th Anniversary!

Friday was our 16th anniversary! Since we were out as a family with our friends that night, we celebrated Saturday night instead. We went out to McGrath's Fish House and had king crab legs! Yum.

Here are 16 reasons why I love Todd (one for each of the 16 years).

16. The silliest/worldliest reason- he bought me my horse:) (I guess I should say the diamond, but that's just not me....although, don't get me wrong. I love my ring for what it stands for...he's mine and I'm his!)

15. Makes the best biscuits n gravy almost every Sunday morning for our family

14. He lets me beat him at games....sometimes...well, most of the time at "sets" :) but that's the only game I have a higher chance at winning.

13. He so fun to hang out with....just good company....always ready to go out and play.

12. He's a hard worker - does a great job supporting our family

11. He calls me from work to share good/bad news - makes me think he cares about my opinion

10. He still likes to hold my hands after 16 years of marriage and even more of dating.

9. He takes me out for date nights and trips together....just he and I

8. He looks HOT in a suit

7. He looks even HOTTER in his cycle riding gear

6. Which leads me to....I love him for his shoulders and arms....that I love to be wrapped up in

5. And, his eyes that tell me how much they love me when he looks at me

4. If I have a "honey-do" list, it's done that week. (thanks, Todd)

3. He's a good man with a good heart

2. He gave me four children that I love so dearly and that he fathers so well.

1. He still makes my hear flutter....just like he did for the first time when I saw him in the old church parking lot....wearing that yellow polo and plaid shorts with all the guys playing around with the go-cart...yea, he was cute! Hard to believe that was about 24 years ago!

I look forward to many more years with my man! I love you Todd!