Pioneer Day Weekend 2015

This week was a good one.  I’d say my favorite of the entire summer thus far.  As usual:  we had a plan.  Buuuut our plans lately don’t mean much, because it ended up being completely different than expected.

Monday Zach came home from work and told me that he was taking Sloan to the pool for a daddy / daughter date.  Sloan loves the pool and Zach and I indulge her at least once a week.  But this time, it was just the two of them.IMG_0746IMG_7927

Sloan soaked up every second at the pool with her dad while I ran errands and did a little quality control at Station Park.

We try to beat the heat by taking walks every morning.  We like to get out and about before it hits 90 degrees.  Sloan is a shade dweller, like her mother…
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Later in the week we had a jam session with my mother-in-law and some of my sister-in-laws.  It took us over four hours, but we made some serious headway.  I came home with over a year supply of strawberry freezer jam.  It was just in time, too – we were scraping the bottom of the barrel on our last jar.

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Sloan got her first taste as well.  Her aunt Kristi spoiled her with a few spoonfuls…FullSizeRender-5Friday Zach ended up having to work on the holiday.  Luckily, my friend Whitney and her two boys decided to join Sloan and I on a hike up Mueller Park.  I’ve been wanting to do this hike with Sloan for weeks now, and when Whit asked to hang – I basically conned her into going with us.Processed with VSCOcam with c2 preset

 

 

Sloan didn’t make a peep the entire two hours.  She was enthralled with Maddox and Breaker.  We made it up to the tee pee – and met a doe friend – and turned around to hike back down to the water.Processed with VSCOcam with c2 preset

I’m pretty sure the highlight for the boys was throwing pebbles in the river and then using mud to decorate their appendages.  I adore these boys and their mom SO much.  We loved spending time with them.
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Later that evening Zach got off work and we set off for Ogden.

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We had sushi at Tona [where we randomly ran into my aunt and cousins – what are the odds?] and Sloan enjoyed a good read while we finished up our rolls.IMG_0780

Zach used to work the concessions at the Ogden Rodeo and it is “part of his family’s legacy”.  So he insisted the rodeo become a tradition, for the sake of sentiment.  Sloan rocked her red cowboy boots gifted from her Aunt Kristi and a white cowboy hat (which is actually for her first birthday, but you know we had to wear it).
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I think we got stopped close to 50 times by our fellow spectators.  People couldn’t believe she would willingly keep the giant white cowboy hat on.  Her thighs were red from so many people squeezing them.  She loved all the commotion and attention.  She is a big fan of people watching.  The Ogden Rodeo is PRIME for people watching.

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There was a lot going on, but I am pretty sure that Sloan enjoyed watching the horses and the sparkly attire of the Rodeo promenade the best.IMG_7887-1We didn’t get home until late and we were grateful that Sloan chose to sleep in a bit later the next morning.
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We decided to drive down to Salt Lake to get some lunch and Pizzeria Limone and run some errands down town.  Processed with VSCOcam with c2 preset

We made dinner at home that night with the spoils of our errands – grilled salmon, rice, corn on the cob, and pretzel rolls [which are supposed to be buns – but we aren’t picky around here].  Sloan serenaded us while playing percussion on her red SOLO cup.  Dinner and TWO shows…Processed with VSCOcam with c2 presetAfter dinner while the sun started to go down Zach and Sloan set up a mini firework show in the back yard.  Zach randomly picked up a ton of fireworks on sale in the grocery store parking lot and decided it would be fun to do one last hurrah.

Sloan and I watched from a safe distance on the patio furniture while Zach raced around the yard with a lighter.
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Sunday was a milestone for both of us [we only had to go out in the hall once during sacrament].  I’d say it was a successful sabbath.FullSizeRender

After our lunch we drove down south.  Zach and I have been wanting to see a few “newer” modern homes that have been built down in South Jordan/Herriman and since we were going to a family BBQ down there for dinner anyway, we decided to make a thing of it.  Our own Modern Home Tour if you will.  Sloan appreciated the breaks for diaper changes and to stretch her legs. FullSizeRender-6Later we went to my aunt’s house for hot dogs and hamburgers and to celebrate my grandpa’s birthday.  We took our dessert to go and drove back home to get Sloan to bed at a decent time (for the first time all weekend).

We’re glad the week went like it did.  We loved spending time with family and friends.  I can honestly say that I never tire of summer nights and BBQ’d food.

 

Water, Baby!

This week was different than we originally had planned, but it ended up being really great.  Monday I woke up and couldn’t help but gawk at my baby and think that she really isn’t a baby at all anymore.  She’s much more toddleresque these days.  I mean, she’s still a tiny thing…but she looks like she is going off to college or something.
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Tuesday I went to a combined RS Activity that a friend of mine was speaking at.  If you haven’t read Jentrie’s blog, you need to.  She was in our ward briefly and I fell in like with her very quickly.  She’s really, really hard not to like, actually.  She was diagnosed with cancer last year and is a mother of three young children.  Her positive attitude is contagious and I am so grateful Zach watched Sloan so I could attend and hear what she had to say.  It uplifted my whole week.Screen Shot 2015-07-19 at 9.41.29 PM

Zach and I originally planned to go to Lake Powell with his family, but decided not to go last minute.  Lake Powell with a baby (even though she’s going off to college) is a different ball game.  So we ended up staying home this week.  We were sad to miss out on one of our [ok – it’s mine, it’s MY favorite family vacation, alright?] favorite Hendo trips.  We drowned our sorrows in take out from the Cheesecake Factory and had a carpet picnic.IMG_7604

Sloan and I spent a good amount of time outside this week in between naps and errands.  She can rock a crop top better than I ever will.FullSizeRenderIMG_7562Thursday the three of us hit up the new pool for our very first time.  We played in the shallow end for over an hour and had the place almost all to ourselves.  The depth is perfect for Sloan – she just doesn’t weigh enough to plant herself completely underwater.
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She loves the water.  I hated taking her out – I could tell she was totally bummed it was time to go home.  We are going to make the new pool more of a regular thing from now on.

Friday we decided to join my family for part of the weekend in Bear Lake.  I am sure there were many visitors that were disappointed that the weather wasn’t sunny – but we enjoyed the cooler temps.  I went running with my brother and Cam before our big breakfast and I ended up finishing up my route on the beach.  It was really refreshing.  Later, we took a walk on the beach all together while my brother and Cam made a pretty spectacular sandcastle.  FullSizeRender-1castle

It did get sunny for a short time later on so we all hopped on the boat for a quick ride.  We didn’t last long – I got a little dehydrated after sitting in the heat and nursing Sloan under a towel – so the three of us went back to the cabin to relax for a bit.  Sloan didn’t mind, though.  She loves wearing her wetsuit outside and inside.  IMG_7586-1

The rest of our time was spent visiting and enjoying the scenery.  Sometimes going against your plan is actually really relaxing.  IMG_7589IMG_7594-1

We made the drive back home – with a diaper change / stretch break – through Logan.  Distraction is always the best solution for a smooth road trip…IMG_7598-1We missed being in Powell with the Hendersons, but had an enjoyable week spent home with our little family.  We are excited to share a few traditions with Sloan for her first 24th of July.  The rodeo is in her blood, after all…

 

Work It Out

I have had some exciting stuff happening with work.  Progress is always so exciting for me to watch.  I am kind of all over the map these days in terms of what type of projects I am doing, but that’s what makes it so exciting!

All the custom light fixtures I had designed for the Alder Headquarters were installed this week.  Sloan and I drove down to Orem Monday to get a status update on all the new things happening down there.

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Processed with VSCOcam with hb2 presetWe stayed a little longer than we had planned at the site – so instead of rushing home in time for nap time I thought Sloan and I would hit up the Traverse Outlets.  We grabbed a vanilla cone from McDonald’s and made our rounds.  We scored at the Nike Outlet and the Carter’s Outlet wasn’t too bad either.  It rained a little bit, but it didn’t phase us one bit.

This last week Badger and Rue launched their kid’s clothing line.  I did some graphic work for them – in particular I helped with their legging designs.  It’s been so fun to see these kinds of projects come to fruition.Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 9.45.32 PM

 

I have also been working with a few local bloggers to create graphic content for their websites.  I have been doing a lot of printables lately for holidays and such.  If you see any graphic art of print media on Let’s Mingle Blog – chances are I helped Ashley out!  Her blog is so much fun and I love to see how she uses the printables I create for her.

Cinco de May printables:Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 9.04.58 AMScreen Shot 2015-07-13 at 9.04.41 AMFather’s Day printables:Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 9.03.40 AM For National Donut Day, of course…Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 9.04.13 AM

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I have also been lucky to have completed six new logos / branding projects over the past two months.  Some of the companies haven’t launched yet – while others are getting up and running.

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The Rogue Crew:Screen Shot 2015-07-13 at 9.16.56 AMBranding and signage for the Photo Booth Bus:

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I have also been collaborating with a Utah fashion blogger for a line of new t-shirts, helping with a few different food blogger’s to create files for new products, creating new packing for some more products for Warrior Fuel Supplements, annnnnd a few wedding invitations here and there.  Things are so busy for me right now, but I really am so lucky.  I tell myself that every single day.  I am so lucky to be able to work from home.  I am more grateful for this opportunity now than ever.

Sloan’s been working really hard, too.  Working on crawling…

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…mastering her pouty look…
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Trying to steal scraps of food from her parents every chance she gets… (This was at our pizza party this week – Zach calls every night we have pizza a pizza party, by the way.)
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…and getting better and better at standing on her own.IMG_7495

She also is babbling like crazy and has managed to learn “dada” and can repeat after us if we prod her enough.  I was heartbroken at the beginning that her first word wasn’t “mama” – more proof that Zach is the favorite parent already.

Thursday night Zach and I went out on a date and my mom and dad watched Sloan for the night.  Since I am still nursing, date night also means I can wear clothes that don’t have to be Sloan accessible.  I thought “I’ll wear my jumpsuit, since I won’t be feeding Sloan”.  Do you want to know what nobody tells you about jumpsuits?  You have to get pretty much completely naked to pee.  So there’s that.  8 moWe ate at the Copper Onion and elected to sit at the Chef’s table.  You smell terrible when you get home, but it’s worth all the action that you get to witness.

IMG_7432Saturday we went to dinner with Zach’s parents at Market Street.  Sloan managed to destroy a couple of menus, but other than that she was a total champ.

Sunday after church we had my brother and sister-in-law over for dinner and my parents joined us later.  Blake and Britt brought a bubble gun for Sloan and she was in heaven for almost an hour on the front porch.

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We grilled salmon and asparagus and I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I realize it’s not fall – but it’s always the right time (at least in the mind of a Fotheringham) for some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

We put Sloan down for bed and the six of us stayed up planning an upcoming family trip.  We rarely get to spend time together with all six of us – just because of work schedules, church callings, and such – so it was nice to talk and be together for a while.

 

Oh, Say Can You Sweat?

This week was hot.  Maybe it’s because we were comparing to the recent Vancouver temps of 70 degrees.  Sloan and I were on a daily mission to keep our flesh from melting off.  We went on early morning walks before the temps reached above 90 degrees and took every opportunity to beat the heat.  Zach’s brother Sean and his family are in town from Ohio.  Sean just finished residency and we had a get together to celebrate on Tuesday at Mark and Jeanene’s with a pool party.  Their family is now going to finish up a fellowship in Ohio before moving somewhere permanently.  It’s so fun to have them here, even if it is temporary.IMG_7140 Sloan got to explore Papa’s new stream in his backyard and cool off a bit.  He had it made especially for the smaller grandkids and Sloan [even though her face is perplexed] was completely entertained.IMG_7202She also learned the ins and outs of putting with her dad on Papa’s putting green.  I think it was the highlight of her night.IMG_7204Since it was in the triple digits we visited the splash pad near our house almost every night this week.  Wednesday Zach and Sloan had a daddy daughter date there – just the two of them.  I wasn’t invited.  My only job was applying sunscreen pre-visit.

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IMG_7162Thursday my mom spent the afternoon with Sloan and I.  So naturally…we went to the splash pad.  Sloan showed her grandma around and was totally zoned in on the older kids sprinting here and there.IMG_7167FullSizeRender-4  Sloan also loves her post-sunscreen hair style.

IMG_7173-1On Friday we met my dad and mom for lunch at Ledger’s down the street from our house.

IMG_7181Sloan loves all the attention from her grandparents – especially when grandma shared her ice water.IMG_7184Afterwards we dropped by Zach’s work and Sloan got to see her dad in his element.  IMG_7195-1Zach showed Sloan around the hangar.  She wasn’t very thrilled when it was time to leave.IMG_7201Saturday our 4th festivities began when we met up with all the Fotheringhams in South Jordan for a family BBQ.  We had quite the crew – including my uncle and aunt from Las Vegas.  Sloan got to hang with my cousin’s baby girl, Parley.  Parley is 3 months younger than Sloan, by the way…
IMG_6439They played soccer [USA vs Switzerland] until Parley forfeited due to a stubbed toe.  IMG_6446Later that afternoon we met up with the Hendersons in Sandy for our second round of BBQ.
IMG_7210 IMG_7225Since the weather was iffy with showers we decided to forgo fireworks and have our own pyrotechnics at home.  Sloan was entertained the entire ride back with some glow sticks her aunt Wendy gave her.  She had her own little rave in her car seat.

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We tried a few simple fireworks but the sparklers were her favorite – from a safe distance, of course.  IMG_7300Sloan was so exhausted by the end of the night.  I could barely keep her awake for her last feeding.  All the festivities wore her right out.

IMG_7345Once she was off in dreamland Zach and I decided to climb out on our roof and watch the fireworks.  Our neighbors put on quite the show.  We could also see the Kaysville fireworks, which was a bonus.

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It sounds simple, but this was my favorite part of the whole weekend.  Just the two of us, with some cold beverages, on our roof.  Part of me felt like I was 16 again.  It’s stupid moments like this with Zach that make me fall in love with him all over again.
IMG_7310We stayed out there until all the shows had died off.  I think we’re going to make it a new tradition.

Sunday was a slow day.  After church I made dinner for the three of us at home.  Asparagus chicken penne for Zach and I, an apple/squash melody for Sloan.  We ate it while watching the USA vs. Japan Women’s World Cup match.

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After Sloan went to sleep Zach and I made hot fudge sundaes and caught up on a few of our shows.

Even though this year was a scorcher, this holiday will always be one of my favorites.  We loved spending time with our families.  We ate way too much.  We all stayed up way too late.  It really was fantastic.