30Nov 2015

Anniversary + Three Rounds of Thanksgiving

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Holidays, Personal Permalink 0

We started Thanksgiving early this year with Zach’s entire Henderson side of the family. We had dinner at the Classic Skating in Sandy. It was Sloan’s first time to the Sandy rink and Zach was begging me to take her into the Blast Zone as soon as we set foot inside. I quickly fed her dinner and then the three of us ventured into the BZ. It was just as I remembered it – a child’s paradise – with the slightest foot odor. Sloan was in HEAVEN. She slide down the giant red slide, watched the foam balls fly around, and slid down the baby slide for a good 45 minutes. It’s probably the happiest I have ever seen her – no lie. Fun Centers are in her blood, I guess.

We ate our dinner and visited with Zach’s extended family. The Hendersons know how to throw a mean family get-together. It was great to see everyone and Zach can hardly wait to bring Sloan back to the Blast Zone next year.

Since we celebrated our anniversary early in Chicago, we weren’t planning on doing much for our actual anniversary. Zach went out of town earlier in the week for a jet convention and when he arrived home he surprised me by booking us two nights at the Montage up at Deer Valley. The planner in me was a little frazzled trying to get myself and Sloan packed up so quickly – but we made it work. And it was wonderful.

We were there a year ago exactly with an 11-day-old Sloan. Except this year was much better because I didn’t have any stitches. You know what I mean…
A sweet man at reception gave Sloan this stuffed fawn when we arrived. She wanted NOTHING to do with it. She wouldn’t look at it or even touch it. I think it scared her for some strange reason. We couldn’t stop laughing about it.

We settled in and then ate our chocolate covered strawberries and sipped on sodas.

We put Sloan to bed in her crib [at the Montage the closets are super spacious – so Sloan got her “own room”] after her bath and watched the Mockingjay Part 1 to get caught up before seeing Part 2.

The next morning we hit the outlets. Sloan was super enthusiastic about it. Afterwards we had lunch and hung out in the hotel lounge. All the wood burning fireplaces were going and Sloan was mesmerized. She loves the ambiance of a good fire.

Then we made our way outside for the s’mores. It’s possibly my favorite part of our stay every time we visit. Sloan refused to keep her coat on, so I had to zip her up in my coat for the mallow roasting. Her first taste – she was a huge fan.

We had some time to kill before our dinner reservation – so Zach and Sloan played pool.

We then made our way up to the St. Regis for dinner. Zach obliged to my request – the J&G Grill. It’s my favorite restaurant in all of Utah. No exaggeration. Sloan may not look like it, but she loved riding up in the funicular.

Zach let me go to the hotel gym the next morning and as soon as I got back and showered all three of us hit up the pool. Sloan could live in the water. All we need to teach her now is not to suck up so much chlorine when she gets excited…

We checked out that afternoon and drove home. Later that night Zach took me out for an Anniversary dinner, just the two of us, before seeing the Mockingjay Part 2 at the new spiffy Sugarhouse Theater.

Even though I wasn’t expecting anything for our anniversary – Zach still managed to surprise me. He is too good to me. I don’t deserve someone THAT thoughtful.

That following Monday we decided to have Family Night at Olive Garden. I think Zach said, “When You’re Here – You’re Family” ten times. Maybe more. I stopped counting. Sloan loves pasta, like her mother, so she obliged.
Who at corporate at the OG decided it was a good idea to give kids stickers in the kid’s menu?? It provided great entertainment for US not SLOAN…Thursday morning we all slept in. Sloan woke up around her usual time but didn’t want to stay awake once I grabbed her out of her crib. So, for the first time since she was very young, she let me hold her and cuddle her for a whole hour. It was a Thanksgiving miracle! The highlight of my day, I’ll be honest…We got all dressed and drove down to South Jordan for our Thanksgiving Lunch at my aunt’s house. Sloan dined via activity center. Give her a roll and she’ll let you do pretty much anything…She didn’t care much for pumpkin pie – but she was all about that whipped cream!We had a relaxing dinner later than night at home, just the three of us. Homemade brownie sundaes and a movie is how we ended our Thanksgiving.

Friday morning we packed up our gear and drove up to Causey for the Hendo thanksgiving at Mark and Jeanene’s cabin. She had it all decorated for Christmas and it looked like a page out of Log and Timer Homes.

Before we all ate we took Sloan out for her first sledding experience. We didn’t know at the time, but the poor thing was coming down with a mean cold. So she wasn’t as enthusiastic as we thought she would be. In fact – she barely moved a single muscle the whole time. But we know, deep down inside, that she loved it.

After returning home we had a long, slow weekend. Sloan’s cold was in full force so we all hunkered down and took it easy. My friend Lindsey has me HOOKED on these protein balls – so I made a triple batch during a bunch of our down time.

Saturday Sloan wasn’t feeling like herself at all. She rarely laughed and smiled at all. The poor thing was a motionless blob the entire day. So, in an attempt to lift her spirits, we took her to Christmas In Color in Kearns. It is located right near the Olympic Oval and the best part – you don’t have to leave your warm car! We turned on the coordinating radio station and opened up the sun roofs. Sloan barely made a peep the entire show – but her eyes were as big as quarters. It was totally worth the drive to K-Town.

Our favorite part were the tunnels that were illuminated. It must have taken some serious time and coordination to put this show together.

Sunday I taught Gospel Doctrine and after church we made dinner and did little things around our house all day. Even though the smallest of our group was under the weather, it was the perfect lazy weekend after a whirlwind of family fun. Holidays with a tiny pinch of crazy – that’s the Henderhams for you!

05Oct 2015

Sportsiversary

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Personal, Vacation Permalink 0

We started planning for our anniversary a lot earlier than usual this year. With the holidays and Sloan’s birthday – we didn’t want to be gone at the end of November. So we planned to go on a trip, just the two of us, a few weeks early to celebrate. Chicago it was. Zach wanted to fit in as many sporting events as possible and I wanted to shop and eat 24/7. I nicknamed the trip our “Sportsiversary”. Three games in three days.

Before we left, I was a hot mess. So excited to have some alone time with Zach, but a total basket case about leaving my baby. That’s another thing I said I would never do – be a freak about leaving my kids on vacation. Maybe it gets easier the more you have? Or maybe for some it never gets easier. Either way – it was much harder than I expected. We dropped Sloan off at my mom’s house Thursday and then hustled to the airport. Zach caught me looking at photos of Sloan on my phone – 28 minutes into our trip…

The flight was a breeze and went by really quick. By the time we got in we were starving. We ditched our bags at our hotel and walked on over to Gino’s East for some deep dish pizza. It was Zach’s one request [food wise] of the trip.

Friday we slept in, I went for a run on Michigan Ave, and we had an early lunch at the Velvet Taco. If you ever go – get the tater tots. With the egg. Afterwards we shopped. For hours. Zach didn’t complain once. We went in and out of stores all up and down the Magnificent Mile and Rush Street. Then we stopped at Sprinkles to refuel, obviously.
We walked back to our hotel so we could change for dinner at Joe’s.

They found out we were celebrating our anniversary and sent us two glasses of champagne to our table. To spare an awkward conversation – we gave our glasses to the couple in the booth next to us to toast. For dinner we shared an order of the Alaskan King Crab. I am not a big Crab [or shellfish fan in general] but this crab is beyond amazing. And they make eating it enjoyable – they cut it and crack it for you at the table.

After dinner we changed our clothes and made our way over to U.S. Cellular Field for our first Sox game. Our last visit to Chicago we went to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs – so it was only fitting that we saw the Sox this trip.

Besides – I got to channel my inner Ice Cube and get a Sox hat [much classier than a Raiders hat, in my opinion]. It hasn’t really felt like fall to me quite yet in Salt Lake – but on that crisp evening at the ball park it got me all kinds of excited for the season. At the end of the seventh inning there was even a romantic moment with Southpaw, their mascot. The real mystery that Zach and I couldn’t figure out is why the poor guy is green??

The next morning we slept in, I went for a run by Navy Pier, and we got ready to go out and about. It just so happened that Zach’s brother Sean, who is currently living in Ohio, was taking his boards in Chicago. He was staying in a hotel right across the street from a Shake Shack – so meet up for lunch with him was a no brainer.

We spent the next few hours catching up with Sean and then sent him on his way with good luck wishes.

Even though we were cutting it close, I dragged Zach into a few more stores before we had to make our way over to our dinner reservation at Bandera.

We had been there before when the Hendo girls visited for our Girl’s Trip a few years ago. I decided to take Zach back to try it and we both left agreeing it was one of our favorite meals of the trip. Their cornbread is out of this world. We’re going to order it next time for dessert instead of an appetizer…

After dinner we took a cab over to the United Center for the ice hockey game. We took a risk and decided to wait to get tickets until 45 minutes before the game started. There weren’t any seats we liked for the price – so we kept waiting. Thanks to Zach’s perseverance, he bought great tickets while we were at dinner [on the 12th row!] and I convinced the concierge at a nearby hotel to print them off for us.

The facility was incredible. I mean, I know Jordan won a billion championships and the Blackhawks have had their Stanley Cup victories…but I didn’t expect the place to be that nice.

The fans were in a league of their own, as well. I think hockey fans are some of my absolute favorite when it comes to sporting events.

The place was absolutely packed – and the game did not disappoint. Patrick Kane was so fun to watch! It’s alway more fun to leave the home team with a win.

Sunday morning we slept in until they almost physically kicked us out of our hotel. We checked out and stowed our bags so we could catch a cab over to Soldier Field. The crowds were crazy. This trip made me realize how devoted and true Chicagoans are to their teams. It was so packed that we rode a bike taxi to the entrance of the stadium. We got ourselves some warm fan gear [and Sloan a stuffed bear] and settled into our seats. With popcorn and pretzel in hand, we witnessed all the gore (and glory) that comes with being a Raiders fan. We got amazing seats (again, to my husband who manages to finagle his way into a win-win situation always) on the second row. They were located on one of the end zones and it felt like we were surrounded by Raiders fans. Luckily, we made some fast friends…

After the game we had very little time to grab our bags and head over to the airport. The weekend went by very quickly. Although we were both in our own little world – sleeping in, staying up late talking for hours, shopping, eating at fancy restaurants, and just spending time together – we both missed Sloan beyond our expectations. The flight from Midway to Salt Lake seemed like it took 12 hours instead of 3. I am so grateful to my parents who watched Sloan and gave her the weekend of her life while we were away. It’s hard enough to leave your baby behind – but to know she was well taken care of was the greatest relief.

Even though it’s an early celebration – seven years with my best friend feels like a blink. Time flies when you’re having fun!

20Jul 2015

Water, Baby!

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Personal, Sloan Permalink 0

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.

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.

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.

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.Thursday 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.

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.

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.

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

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…We 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…

31May 2015

Pretty Perfect

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Personal, Sloan Permalink 0

This week was kind of a blur. I think because Monday was the holiday that it kind of threw me off. I remember that I cleaned my house. There was an activity for Activity Days on Wednesday, but other than that the days kind of melted together. My work projects are tapping out my free time, but I can’t complain. Being busy is a blessing, and I will never complain about being busy. Our weekend, however, I do remember. And it was pretty perfect.

We have been spending a lot of time in “Zachland”. It is Sloan’s equivalent of Christmas morning. Although I despise the look of this contraption, it brings her so much joy. How can I refuse?

Friday I had a dreaded dentist appointment. Turns out pregnancy / giving birth can do a number on your teeth. And my Diet Coke intake doesn’t help either, I am sure. I had two small cavities [6 years strong cavity free until this fiasco] and my dentist wanted to take care of them ASAP. So I asked my mom to meet us Friday morning and we drove down together to Dr. Wright’s office. He is located right across from Temple Square. So while I got drilled and filled – my Mom and Sloan walked around Temple Square. Afterwards we decided to get some lunch at Plates and Palates in Bountiful – where Sloan tried her hand at a restaurant high chair for the first time.

Then we hit up Swig, did a little shoe shopping, and hit up Station Park. I had intended to find a dress for my aunt and uncle’s temple sealing coming up…but ended up buying Sloan a bunch of nonsense attire.

I’ve decided it’s a good thing I don’t do crack, because I can barely keep myself away from drinking soda and from buying baby clothes. I have too much of an addictive personality.

Friday evening when Zach got home from work we drove down to Jordan Landing to stop at the Nike Outlet store.

Zach took a bunch of my shorts to his “man weekend” in Cabo because he claims he has none of his own. Side note: as I type this I am looking at two pairs of his basketball shorts…so…

We had some sushi afterwards where Sloan accidentally had her first taste of miso soup. Her little fingers are too fast for me these days. Processed with VSCOcam with a5 preset

Saturday was another one for the books. I decided after Sloan was born that I was going to wait until she was 6 months old to do any long runs. I have been nervous about my milk supply suffering due to heavy exercise, so I haven’t let myself run over 3 miles. Once she hit her 6 month mark, I decided to get back into running and hit it hard. I have some races I want to participate in, so I had better get my bum in gear. I have a new routine where I put Sloan down to bed at 8:00 and then go for a long run on Monday, Wednesdays, and whenever I can on Saturdays. Friday night Sloan slept like a champ and we woke up with big plans. We ventured to the Gateway for some lunch and some shopping. Sloan sported her first pair of shorties. Honestly, I kind of get down in the dumps when we visit the Gateway. That place is a ghost town. We pretty much had the place to ourselves…besides Build a Bear. Build a Bear is where it’s at, apparently.

Afterwards I made Zach stop at Cutler’s for a sugar cookie, we ate dinner at Zach’s favorite – Applebee’s – and then we returned home. Then I went on a long run as the sun set. It feels good to be back doing a little more strenuous exercise. Zach and I finished off our Saturday night with a Redbox, just the two of us, after Sloan zonked out.

Sunday Sloan I managed to make it through all three meetings of church. I spent a good percentage in the Mother’s Room…but we freaking made it. I honestly walked out of there feeling like I deserved a gold medal or something. I settled for a cold one. A Diet Coke, of course. Sloan celebrated by taking a solid nap as soon as we got home.

After church we drove up to Ogden to eat dinner at the Hendo’s. Frankie, Sloan’s adorable cousin, doted on her for over an hour. She put Sloan in a stroller made for a doll and fed her “school lunch” AKA plastic food from Mimi’s toy room. Sloan was in heaven. I don’t know if it was because she finally was riding in a stroller her size or if it was the plastic sandwich components. Either way, it made her whole day. She needs a sibling in a bad way. NOT R I G H T AWAY…but eventually. We had the best dinner outside on Mimi and Papa’s deck. Salmon, chicken kabobs, rice, fruit, a summer salad, corn on the cob. It felt like summer and I didn’t want it to end. We discovered Sloan is a little bit more like her mother when it comes to heat. She is a fair weather fan. I get sweaty and flushed too, baby girl. I do too…I wish every weekend could be just like this one.

25May 2015

Our Mexi Memorial Weekend

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Holidays, Personal Permalink 0

Monday my parents and my brother came over for family night to our house. Since Zach was still traveling home from Cabo, they decided to keep Sloan and I company. We ordered pizza and Sloan was entertained by my brother and a red SOLO cup for a few hours.Tuesday was Sloan’s 6 month appointment. She crushed it.

She is hitting all of her milestones and my doctor is pleased with her weight gain. She is still teensy, but growing nonetheless. The girl is finally starting to get some rolls to stick around…We were so glad to have Zach back from Mexico. He came bearing gifts – a particularly lovely one for Sloan…At this age you never know how much babies retain or remember. It was so sweet to see her love on her dad. Her chubby little hand wouldn’t leave his face the entire time they were cuddled together. All felt right in our little world again.

Sloan and I made our weekly trip down to Orem to observe all the progress on the Alder HQ mid week. The cafeteria is complete – all that needs to be installed are all the major appliances, which will be delivered next week. When Sloan and I arrived home, Zach was waiting for us with a Dollar Store score. Sloan got to experience bubbles for the first time. She was mesmerized for a whole 30 minutes. I cringed when Family Dollar moved in a few blocks away, but I can’t hate on some cheap entertainment.

Meal prep went so well the last week I decided to try it again – which meant an intense grocery store run. Sloan LOVES the grocery store. She babbles at every single person that passes by. Even the elderly man in the scooter cart who won’t give her the time of day. Just when I think she is nothing like me – she goes and does something like this…

Maybe she is my baby. You can’t stop her from socializing in a public place.

When the weekend came we didn’t have any plans other than spending time with family. Friday, just the three of us went down town, did a little shopping, and ate at Taqueria 27. The fish tacos were good, but the chips and guac won my vote. Sloan drooled over everything, and nearly snatched a homemade churro from my hand for dessert.

Sunday we made dinner at home – chicken tacos like from Cafe Rio. Zach said it had to be legit – so he added the scrap of chicken on top to seal the deal. We do it and we do it right.Zach also took Sloan out for a Sunday walk that evening. He kept going on and on about how comfortable his shorts were. It wasn’t until he was walking out the door in this gorgeous ensemble that I realized they were MY cut-off shorts. Mine. He didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Monday was glorious. Sloan decided to sleep in until 9:00 am. I fed her when she woke up and Zach let me go on a long run on Legacy Trail. I haven’t ran outside for a while since the weather has been gloomy, and I didn’t want to take Sloan out in the rain. It was the perfect temperature and much needed.

Afterwards we did a bunch of chores, relaxed, and took a journey to Buy Buy Baby. Zach has been saying since he got home that he wanted to buy a new toy for Sloan. He said his requirements were, “it had to spin, light-up, and make noise.” He picked it out, but let Sloan make the final decision. Then we met my parents for an early dinner. We planned to go to Lonestar for some fish tacos [because obviously two meals of Mexican food wasn’t enough?] but it turned out that Mexicans recognize Memorial Day, too…because they were closed. So we went to the nearby Pizzeria Limone – it was my parents’ first time.

Sloan enjoyed ripping 135 napkins to shreds. Not the most environmentally conscious activity, but she loves it.

After dinner we stopped at The Store to get some more supplies for meal prep. Also, a new discovery, The Store sells Cutler’s sugar cookies…so…that happened.

When we returned home Zach had his mind set on putting up Sloan’s toy. We tried to get it up and running before her bedtime, but 36 pieces takes a little more time than we all anticipated. 8:00 came too soon and we had to put Sloan down to slumber. Looks like first thing Tuesday morning, Zach’s Sloan Fun Zone will be open for rides. Turns out this toy [more like an activity center] met all his requirements. I am so grateful Zach came back safely to us. It was fun to have some one on one girl time with Sloan, and I love having full reign over the Apple TV remote at night, but we were so ready for him to come home. I wasn’t sure how Sloan would react to seeing her dad again after being apart for five days, but I’d say she missed him as much as I did.

Our Mexi Memorial Day was exactly what we needed. Just time together. I’d say that’s always pretty memorable.

02Feb 2015

Super Sloan Sunday

By K + Z 0 Family, Food, Friends, Sloan Permalink 0

This week we (Sloan and I) spent the majority of our time running errands for her blessing day. We decided – after switching the date 2 times – to bless her on February 1st. Seemed fitting on my birthday and Super Bowl Sunday. We deemed it Super Sloan Sunday.

I wore the poor girl out checking off our to-do list each day. These two are peas in a pod – identical twins, I am telling you. I asked Zach to watch her while I brushed my teeth and they were both out before I finished.

She slept like a champion all week. My pediatrician is finally happy with her weight gain, so he gave me the go-ahead to let her sleep 6 hours at night. She took full advantage.

Evenings, Sloan and I have been winding down while watching Downton Abbey. I got a season pass on Apple TV. She loves sitting up like a big girl.

I did some finishing touches for her blessing outfit. Her headband arrived and fit her perfectly.

Turns out every pair of tights I bought her were too big – and they don’t sell ivory premie tights. We even resulted to try American Girl Doll tights. I am serious. They fit her scrawny legs perfect…but weren’t long enough.

Mid week I found out our maternity photos were featured on one of my favorite blogs – Grey Likes Baby! You can see the post here – Maternity Photos.

A new development in our routine around here has been Sloan’s love of books. She coos and babbles back at the pictures. Her current favorite is Sammy the Shredder.

Saturday I enlisted Zach’s help in running the rest of the errands before the Blessing. We had to fill up the giant balloons. Transporting them was harder than we thought. Logistics is everything…

A flower centerpiece was also delivered Saturday night. My friends Richelle and Becca did such an amazing job, it is exactly what I was picturing.

Sunday morning came and we were busy pretty early setting up at our neighborhood clubhouse. We rushed off to get ready and then head off to church. Getting Sloan dressed was so sweet, she was all smiles.

Zach gave Sloan the sweetest blessing, I thought my heart might explode. I have such a strong testimony of the power of priesthood blessings. She was a little angel as well, and slept the remainder of the meeting. We were so grateful to all our friends and family members who came.

After the meeting we made our way over to our clubhouse for the brunch. Sloan got passed around and had some grub of her own.

The french toast sticks were a hit – thanks to my mom who always puts up with my crazy ideas!

After everyone left and we cleaned up, Zach and I went home to spend the rest of the day together. Zach surprised me with a cake and he and Sloan sang me happy birthday.

The cake was a Super Bowl theme, obviously…

He also somehow found this pair of shoes for me that I have been wanting, they have been sold out for weeks! I was completely shocked because he already got me my birthday gift a few weeks ago. He said he wanted me to have something to open on my birthday.

So our remainder of the evening was spent eating treats and lounging in our comfies while we watched the game.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate her blessing and my 28th birthday than being with everyone we love.

Category Food