Six Years in the Making

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This week was extra long – probably because I have been counting down the days until Friday for…a while now.

Tuesday was Italian Night at our house – we had homemade Baked Ziti, one of our favorite Italian dishes.  I used this recipe and it was really good.  Maybe a little less spinach next time, but other than that is it being saved in the archives.

Wednesday we packed for our weekend.  Please observed my bag and Zach’s pile.  He would pack all of his stuff in a garbage sack if I didn’t make him use his luggage.

Thursday night was the first Ute football game – we have season tickets again this year, and are really excited for this season.  I had a Relief Society activity that night, so I was with my sistas…but Zach took his friend Joel and enjoyed the first game with him.  I don’t feel too bad considering I have many games to come in my fall future. 

We had a lemonade bar at the activity and a forum about communication – very interesting and even more informative that I would have imagined.  I love the sisters in my ward – they are truly some of the greatest women I know.

Then came today, Friday.  We had our weekly lunch date – again at the Park Cafe, we sat outside because the weather was amazing.

 Almost six years ago, almost this time of year…it was Zach’s birthday.  We were dating.  I loved him, even though I had not told him.

He was turning 21 and I made him this stupid cake with playing cards all over it…you know, because he was finally 21.  I also gave him a birthday gift.  Zach had dreamt for years that he wanted to snowboard at Mt. Hood.  It is the only resort that is open in the summer for snowboarding.  The mountain maintains snow almost entirely year round.  He had told me about it several times over the length of our courtship.  So, trying to be a thoughtful girlfriend, I bought him a gift card to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood.  An expensive gift card…probably too nice of a gift considering we were just dating.  Anyways…we continued dating – got engaged – were married – and then moved into the Belvedere downtown.  All these years I have been asking Zach when he was going to go to Mt. Hood and use this gift card I got him.  When we moved out of the Bel and moved into our home…I finally got it out of him that he had LOST the gift card.  Obviously I was disappointed, but there was nothing we could do.

Well it’s that time of year again, Zach’s birthday.  He is turning 27.  And conveniently for his birthday, he wanted to go to Mt. Hood in Portland.  We booked the flights, purchased our hotel (at Timberline Lodge, the same place I got the gift card to) and were all ready for the trip.  Then…we found that freaking gift card.  What are the odds?  We called the Lodge, and after an hour + long process we discovered that even though the gift card that we have is an older gift card and doesn’t show up in their system anymore, they would still honor the value!  Talk about a stroke of luck.  We are finally able to enjoy a trip together that has been almost SIX years in the making.

[That giant tower of mountain is Mt. Hood in the distance.]

We leave today, spend two nights on the mountain, and are going to finish up the trip with a couple of days in the city of Portland.  It is the perfect way to celebrate Zach’s birthday – and I am more than grateful that I get Labor Day off to be with him!

The Second-To-Last [#26][#30]

Summer is near over.  Some might say this is the last official week of summer, but I am banking on one more week – at least until Labor Day!  So the second-to-last week of summa went down like this…

Monday night was our niece’s first birthday.  All of Charlie’s friends and family met at Classic Waterslides in Ogden to celebrate.  There was pizza, cake, and tons of fun on the slides.

I joke that Charlie is my baby because I know this is exactly what my babies will look like – blonde hair, blue eyes [or green maybe], and fair skin.  The Hendersons have VERY dominate genes.  They will be clones of my  husband – at least that is what they look like in my dreams.  Yes, I dream about my future children.  It is creepy.

Tuesday we decided to grill up some dinner.  Zach is obsessed with the grill lately.  We made chicken kabobs and rice pilaf.  Zach is becoming quite the Grillmaster.

Later that night we went for a run outside.  We usually take this loop around our neighborhood and then return back home on Legacy Parkway Trail.   We both had a gut feeling to turn around once we got to the bridge, but both kept going.  Our gut…was warning us about the mosquitos.  We got DESTROYED by them.  I had twelve total bites, mostly on my legs – and Zach had even more.  We did a little research and discovered that if you peel a banana and press the inside of the peel against your skin and rub the mosquito bite, it is supposed to relieve the redness, itch, and bite itself.  It did work…but not as quickly as we had hoped.  We were rubbing peels all over our bodies.

 This last week was Lola’s Birthday – and my sister-in-law gave her the gift I helped her make, the custom skateboard!  She loved it.  She even took a nap with it.  So glad that Operation Skateboard was a success.

Thursday night Zach and I decided to go out to dinner after work.  It was my turn to choose, and I picked Caffe Molise.  It is one of my favorites, and right across from City Creek.  So we dined and then stopped over at the mall for a quick look-around.

Friday night was a Girls Night with my aunts and cousins.  We ate chocolate covered strawberries, chips and dip, and played several rounds of BUNCO.  I am horrible at this game, but managed to win the Hostess Choice gift.  We conquered this Ladies Night – we had such a blast!

After I left the ladies I met up with Zach at Jordan Landing to go and see the Nitro Circus 3D Movie.  It’s not our typical flick, but Zach begged me to go with him and see it because one of Classic’s helicopters did some of the filming on location while they came to Utah.  Sure enough, there were some great Heli shots.

I must admit – the movie was really good.  I couldn’t stop laughing.  We had a great time!

Saturday Zach was asked to play with some of my family members in a golf tournament and he spent the majority of the day there.  I ran errands; went grocery shopping, cleaned the house, washed my car, and all that other Saturday stuff.  Later that night we showered up and went out to dinner.  It was a fancy dinner.  It also was on our summer list:  #26 – Go out to a fancy dinner.  We decided to go to Zy downtown.  Zach got the pork shoulder, I got the salmon.  We loved the meal!

Later that night we stopped at Harmon’s to gear up for our family Sunday dinner.  The City Creek Harmon’s is our favorite.

Sunday after church we went to the Fotheringham’s for dinner.  We planned to make personal pizzas – on the grill!  I had never made grilled pizza myself, and we’ve been wanting to try it for a while.  It was also on the list – #30 – Make grilled pizzas.  The crust was a little thick for my taste, but the flavor was really amazing.  We are definitely going to make it a summer tradition.

 Spending time with family was the perfect finale for this week – because that’s how we started it!  We are excited for Labor Day coming up [a day off – hollllllla!] and ready for another week…

Double Take Bear Lake [#29][#6]

Even though we have made the journey to Bear Lake several times this year, we have been looking forward to this particular weekend since the spring.  But as usual, there were some pretty fun things before the weekend began…

Monday I got to tag along with my mom, aunts, and cousins for some back to school shopping.  My darling cousins are going back to high school and needed some new duds.  We ate dinner at the Corner Bakery and then made a route in Fashion Place Mall.  After too long in H&M we moved onto the South Towne Mall.  We stayed until they closed – we were basically forced to leave.  It was such a blast, and made me secretly wish I was going back to my high school days – things were so simple back then!

Work has been hectic [I bet everyone is sick of hearing me say that – I apologize, but I only speak the truth] and have been eating lunch at my desk lately.  So I promised myself that I would get out at least every other day, go off campus, and eat lunch anywhere BUT my desk.  I found this perfect spot next to my lunch joint and ate my grub near this random stream.  It felt good to accomplish #29 – Eat lunch outside!  I loved every second and totally lost track of time.

I loaded all my junk from my old laptop onto my new MacBook Pro – which means I have to say goodbye to my outdated “vintage” model.  I miss it already.  It was so hard to log off…forever.  You get attached to something that you use EVERY SINGLE DAY.  [Just like people get attached to cars…and houses, I guess?]

Wednesday night Zach and I got to attend our friend Cam’s Rehearsal Dinner.  He is marrying a complete sweetheart – we are so very happy for him.  We dined at the Ivy House in Salt Lake.  They had this whole theme of Lovers’ Bridge in Paris where you lock your “love” together on this bridge that crosses over the Seine River [you may remember this if you watch the Bachelorette].  It made me miss Paris, I am dying to go back one day.  It was such a fun night and we loved seeing all of Zach’s Sigma Chi brothers and their darling wives.

Speaking of wishing I was back in high school…we inherited some red mannequins from Puma and they have been magically “appearing” all over the office.  Particularly in my office at my desk while I am away on my lunch break.  I guess that’s what I get for having lunch AWAY from my desk.  My boss thinks he is really funny…I have named her Ruby.

Thursday night we got to attend Cam and Caroline’s wedding reception at the Salt Lake Country Club.  It was great to visit with more of Zach’s friends and catch up.  We also loved the complimentary Cokes and Diet Cokes. 

We were so busy chatting with friends that we left the beautiful reception without even having any of the delicious food!  So…at 10:00 pm…we went and got a $5 Pizza.  I know, not my proudest wife moment.  I promise I do cook…

Friday was our weekly lunch date – we decided to go to Noodles and Co. in Sugarhouse.  As we were leaving, Zach eyed the GIANT rice crispy treat and asked me if he could buy one [like it matters if he asks me].  He HAD to have it, the way a child obsesses over something.  On our drive back to my office he ate TWO bites and then instantly got a stomach ache.  Two bites.  I laugh because…who needs children when I am raising my own man child for a husband?

After work on Friday my Mom and brother drove up to our house so we could all drive up together to Bear Lake.  My parents’ friends and their families join us every year at the Fotheringham Cabin every summer – the Caywoods, Swensons, Storms,  and Websters.  My dad and several families were already waiting for us – so we made the journey up to the lake with our travel treats and lots of conversation.  Blake also HAD to stop at Chick Fila for dinner.

We finally arrived around that night around 10 pm and visited with everyone before retiring to bed.

The next morning was an early breakfast and an early session on the lake.  Even though our families have both been boating a handful of times this summer, this was Zach and I’s first time on the boat.  It was #8 – Boating on our summer list.  We wakeboarded and I even slalomed for a while.  The water was freezing, but so refreshing and clear.

After everyone took a turn, we even convinced London [3 years old] to try wake boarding.  She wasn’t too excited at first, but as she clutched onto her dad and they started cruising around, she loved it!  We even got a few waves out of her – when she was willing to break away from her dad for a millisecond.  She is the bravest little chick that I know!  The poor kids in our family and the families close to us don’t really have a choice – they are basically forced to participate in water sports from a very young age.

Later that afternoon the young kiddies in our crew had a fun idea that they wanted to make bow and arrows before dinner.  I was asked to make bows for the three minis.  They collected sticks from the area around the cabin and I fashioned some rubber bands from the junk drawer.  After their bows were completed, my mom decided they needed satchels to hold their “arrows” [plastic knives] and made them slings of shoe laces and plastic cups.  She is going to be the best grandma EVER!  They were entertained all night long.  Even the adults tried their skills with the makeshift bows and plastic knives.

That night for dinner we grilled coconut chicken – with jasmine rice and grilled pineapple.  We totally stuffed ourselves and then Gavin and Jessica made chocolate fondue for dessert.

As the sun set and the temperatures dropped, we all enjoyed the views from the porch and balcony of the lake.  All the fires in the Utah/Idaho area have resulted in a blood red sunset.  It was incredible!

The next morning we packed up our stuff, did some chores around the cabin, and make the trip back home.  The trip was as expected – great conversation, late nights, hours on the lake, and way too much food.  We love our family friends!

We love this trip – but when it’s over it only means one thing…summer is coming to a close.  We plan to take advantage of the next few weeks before summer is officially over.

 

 

 

 

 

Robots, Skateboards + Disgusting Bread [#28][#8]

This week was as normal – random, HOT [as in temperature, not as in sexiness], and strange.  So as usual, this post…will be random…and strange.

On a side note:  I caught my THIRD summer cold.  Three times in three months.  I’m hoping that this means that I won’t get sick in the winter months, but a girl can only dream.  To deal with my sickness and the fact that my workplace doesn’t have a fully functioning air conditioning system [only the conference room and lobby area have cold air flow] I have been buying frozen water jugs from the nearby Chevron.  This means I have become real buddy buddy with the illegal immigrants that hang out in front of Home Depot waiting for work.  They have the same strategy to stay cool.  We’re all friends, no biggie.  64 ounces of frozen friendship, right there…

I got my hair did.  Whit hooked me up – not only with a much needed trim, but with a whole basket full of vegetables from her garden.  Zucchinis, cucumbers, and yellow squash.

My niece, Lola, has a birthday coming up and she asked her parents for a skateboard.  My sister-in-law asked me to design a skateboard for her with three requirements –  a picture of her, the color blue, and her latest obsession:  spiders.  Here is what Zach and I came up with…we hope she likes it!  I’ve never designed a skate deck before…

Speaking of something I have never done before.  I was asked to design a robot at work for a client.  Totally out of my comfort zone, but it’s forcing me to be super creative.  All of his parts and pieces are supposed to be out of recycled objects [for example his eyes are camera lenses and his biceps are made of car mufflers] and he is going to teach kids about recycling.  We’ll see how this goes.

I met Zach for our weekly lunch date – this time at 9th Delicatessen.  They are now serving black and white cookies, for all you NYC fanatics.

We had an awesome date night – sushi and a movie at the Broadway Theater.

Please notice Zach’s new pants – turquoise skinny jeans…yes we officially have the same pants now.  It’s was tripping me out the whole night.  And yes, he may weigh more than me…but he still has skinnier legs.  I’m so freaking jealous of his skinny legs.

Some girls in our neighborhood threw a shower for a friend.  Tiffany is having TWIN girls.  We did an Anthropologie theme with fruit parfaits.  I had fun making the invites and signage.

Zach and I are planning a trip over Labor Day coming up.  Zach has been wanting to go to this location for almost five years – we’re counting it as his birthday trip because his birthday is in September.  We are both really excited, and have both never been here.  One requirement is ski clothing, and I was desperately in need of some new gear.  We spent Saturday shopping for ski goggles and other winter accessories for our journey.

We also stopped at the gateway to run a few errands.  We can’t go to the gateway without Zach getting one or two cheese sticks from Hot Dog on a Stick.  The joy that this man child gets from fried cheese…

That night we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at Market Street.  Sitting two tables away from us was my boss.  What are the odds?  I seem to be unable to escape work.

After dinner we stopped at our favorite grocery store – the downtown Harmon’s.  We stocked up on essentials and bought supplies for Sunday Dinner the next day.  I also really wanted to try out a new recipe for “healthy zucchini bread”.  Besides, one of the items on our summer list was #28 – Make something with ingredients from the garden.  We were originally planning on making salsa, but this idea prevailed.  When we got home and unloaded our groceries we got to baking.  This recipe called for coconut oil, whole wheat flour, and honey as a sweetener.  It sounded great – and smelt better than expected while baking in the oven.  I pulled it from the oven, let it cool, and then cut two generous slices for the two of us.  We both took a bite at the same time.  It was HORRIBLE.  By far the worst thing I had ever baked.  We both were laughing until we had tears streaming down our faces.  I made a vow to myself that I would kill that recipe for life – it is now permanently retired.  All well, we had a good laugh and a reality check – not ALL healthy food is tolerable.  I am going to stick to white sugar when baking from now on.

After church and my Relief Society visits we made our long awaited tin foil dinners.  #8 – Tin foil dinners.  We call them “Hobo Dinners” in the Fotheringham household.  Fires are still prohibited in most of the canyons, so we improvised and a made them at home.  I have to say, there were zero complaints.  Just as good as up Millcreek Canyon.  We used the zucchini and yellow squash as well – Thanks Whit!  And because we were still scarred from the night before, we made a delicious batch of box mix brownies…the kind with regular old vegetable oil.  They were divine.

And on that note…our week couldn’t have been better.

A Gold Medal [#33]

If Zach and I had any chance of winning a gold medal, it would be for the amount of time we are spending day to day watching the olympics.  A gold medal in olympic event watching.  Just a quick highlight of the week [since most of it was dominated by the Olympics]…

Zach returned from his boys’ trip.  I was greeted at home after work with this…

What more could a girl ask for?  [Yes, I am back on the DC – I went much longer than I expected to be honest.]

Tuesday my whole family came to Zach’s hockey game.  My cousins, my aunt and uncle, my brother and his girlfriend, and even some random friends.  Meet Zach and Dan’s biggest fans:  Cooper, Andrew, and Carter…

They loved cheering the boys on.  We even went to dinner after [all 16 of us] and had some desserts from the Sweet Tooth Fairy across the street.

Wednesday my boss returned from working overseas and we celebrated with fish tacos at the Red Iguana for lunch.

Like I stated previously, we’ve been obsessed with the olympics – we watched the events together nearly every night this week.  And what we couldn’t watch, we recorded and watched at a later time.  I am going to be really sad when it’s all over.

Friday we had our weekly lunch date – this time in Sugarhouse at Sampan.  I look forward to lunch with Zach all week long.

Later, after work, we decided to complete #33 – Go to a Bees Game!  The weather was really nice – not too hot and we even got blessed with some shady seats.  All the more comfortable to enjoy our cheese fries [with liquid cheese, GAG] and sodas.

Saturday was insane, literally the most productive day we have had all week.  I spent almost all day with Zach – we did all the laundry, went to the bank, went grocery shopping, had a great gym session, had a lunch date at Barbacoa, went to a matinee movie, washed and put away all the dishes, cleaned the entire house top to bottom…and then ended the night with watching more Olympic events.  Well, Zach ended the night at a friend’s bachelor party [the usual routine for these boys – Chuckarama for dinner and a night in Wendover].

Sunday after church we went to my Grandma’s house for Sunday dinner.  Two of my aunt and uncle’s families came along too!  It was great to visit with them all and the food was fantastic.  Actually, it was the best meal we had all week, in my opinion.  Also, you never leave Grandma’s empty handed.  Zach and I left with a giant ziploc full of fresh fruit and a huge zucchini.

I love zucchini bread – and have big dreams for this sweet fella.

I hate to seem predictable, but I believe there will be even more olympics in our future…but only time will tell.