17Mar 2016

Targhee 2016

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

Long story short: Sloan threw my phone in the toilet over a week ago. I hadn’t backed up my phone for over a week, so I lost a bunch of information and photos I had taken. Lesson learned: back your phone up and never leave the toilet seat up for any reason. Als0 – I told the tech at Apple what actually happened (instead of fabricating some ridiculous lie) and he gave me a FREE brand new phone. It pays to be honest, kids. I can’t stay mad at her, though. She’s too sweet to me – she had no idea what she did was devastating and terrible.

Sloan is happiest when she’s outside. It’s a fact. Since the weather has been gorgeous the past few weeks, we’ve been spending a lot of time outside. We’ve been going on a lot of runs on the Legacy Trail also. It’s a win-win for both of us. She gets a solid 30+ minutes outside, with the wind in her hair, and I get a workout in.

I’ve been on an organization kick lately. My bathroom cabinets being my main objective. I’ve cleaned out nearly 18 drawers in various rooms in the house. It’s the weirdest form of stress relief for me. Also, I realized I don’t need to buy shampoo, body wash, or travel sized ANYTHING for…a while.

Saturday I had a bunch of returns to do – and I brought along Zach and Sloan with me down to Fashion Place. We dined at – where else? Hot Dog on a Stick, of course. Sloan went for her broccoli/apple pouch instead. Later that night we had a Date Night at my brother’s house. My family and I are going on a vacation in less than two months and we’ve been doing a lot of planning. My mom organized this big themed dinner and even made us name tags. I guess I am more like her than I thought…?It’s been a good mail week at our house. Sloan’s Easter dress finally made an appearance and my friend at Alder hooked us ALL up. Hats, tanks, even a shirt for Sloan – most of this stuff I designed, which is always fun to see in person. Zach’s stoked about his free hats and I can’t wait until cooler weather again to wear my half-zip jacket.

Speaking of organization, our family room has turned into something I have tried to avoid for the last few months: Toy Central. In an attempt to keep it looking less cluttered – I bought a new toy box, which I am IN LOVE WITH. Who knew they made such gorgeous pieces of furniture for TOYS?Monday we went out to eat with Mark and Jeanene for my [late] birthday. We dined at Market Street and they joined us afterwards at our house. Sloan loves her Mimi and Papa. She also loves halibut, which we discovered at dinner.

Wednesday we drove up to Fruit Heights to see our newest niece: Quinn. Chad and Rachael had her Monday and she is a little TINY piece of heaven. That makes baby number 27 for the Henderson grandchildren. Also, Sloan had her first encounter with a bird. I think they make her as nervous as they do me.

Zach surprised me one afternoon with flowers [I love tulips of any kind] and Cutler’s sugar cookies. I think Sloan enjoyed the flowers even more than I did!

Thursday evening we left to drive up to Targhee for our annual Henderson ski trip. We left at the perfect time. No rush hour and a little after nap time for Sloan. It made the 5 hour drive fly by.

We arrived late and as soon as we hauled the stuff up to our room and put Sloan down for bed – we did the exact same nightly ritual as last year: binge watched the House of Cards on Netflix.

The next morning Sloan was up bright and early, ready to hit the slopes. The bunny hill at Targhee is A LOT steeper than the one she is used to at home. Surprisingly, it didn’t phase her. She loved every second – clapping, high-fiving, and singing to herself as she cruised down the hill.

We even ran into some of her cousins on their way up on the lift. Sloan’s looking at their skis, like “Why do they have TWO snowboards on?”

She was not thrilled when it was time to take her in for a nap. I am telling you, though: snowboarding wears her right out. She logged some serious hours snoozing in her cozy cot. I stayed inside while Zach snowboarded with his family. I finished a book I’ve been working on since our anniversary trip last year and got to eat Mike and Ikes. Another win-win.

In the afternoon we let Sloan hang with her Mimi and Zach and I went out on a few runs together. Every time that I snowboard for the first time of the season, I forget how much I love it. It was so fun skiing all together with Zach’s family and spending some time with Zach.

The next day was the same. This time Mimi and Papa joined us for Sloan’s morning shred sesh. She did even better on this day…but maybe it was because she had a bigger audience?

After Sloan woke up from her nap – Zach and I went out again while Sloan stayed with Mimi. We are so lucky to have Jeanene. She is so sweet with Sloan – and Sloan LOVES spending time with her.

After we got back we showered up and went out to dinner at the lodge. It was an adults only dinner [except baby Max and Sloan] and the food was great.

The next morning we woke up to snow – lots of it! This awesome company, Broko Bindings, sent all three of us a pair of binding plates that rotate. It’s a super cool concept. Sloan and Zach got to do another test run up at Targhee. Even in a snow storm, she’s as happy as ever to be on her snowboard.

Afterwards we went inside so we could get some lunch and Sloan could take a nap.

Lori and I were assigned dinner that night – so we cooked up some grub while Max zonked out in one of Mimi and Papa’s spare bedrooms.

The next day, when we packed up to leave, we woke up to some serious snow. We were grateful the storm didn’t come until the day we left, it would have been a white-out on the mountain! Driving home was gorgeous – the trees covered in powder is something I will never tire of. I love Targhee and the Tetons, it is all so beautiful.

As soon as we drove out of the snow storm, Sloan zonked out. She looks too much like me when she sleeps, poor thing [double chin, mouth ajar]…

We made it home safe and sound – and in record time. With only one bathroom break/lunch break/diaper change, we’d say that’s our best journey home from Targhee to date.

Thank you Hendersons for another fun family ski trip. We love spending time together on the slopes!

15Feb 2016

Mexico 2016

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

I’ll be totally honest: I have not had the best experiences in Mexico. When Zach and I talked about going somewhere for my birthday this year, my only request was to go somewhere warm. Since my birthday is at the beginning of Feb, we decided to forgo getting each other Valentine’s gifts and just take a family trip. When Zach suggested Mexico I was skeptical [Don’t all my stories start out with me being skeptical? Geez, I am a total jerk.] but I’ve always trusted Zach. And how could I dislike Mexico so much when my husband thinks it is one of the greatest locations on the planet? So he found a resort, that was kid friendly, and as soon as I saw the photos of the joint, he had won me over. We were going to Mexico, all three of us.

Zach planned the flights perfectly so that Sloan would take a nap on the way there AND back. She slept for a portion of the flight and we were both relieved. 4+ hours on a flight with a newly walking baby is not for the faint of heart.

We arrived late afternoon. Zach had arranged a car service to pick the three of us up from the airport [and they even brought a brand new car seat] and I couldn’t have been more grateful. Our driver picked us up in a brand new blacked out SUV. From the second we arrived in Mexico this resort had won me over. It was a 30 minute drive to the resort from the airport and Sloan couldn’t hang. She fell asleep within the first couple of minutes of the drive.

When we arrived at the resort I about died. Not only was it beautiful, but the service from the moment we arrived was incredible. While I checked us in, Zach and Sloan roamed the lobby.

The first views of our room were pretty jaw dropping. Zach got us a swim-up junior suite so we had access to a pool and our very own hammock 24/7.We changed our clothes and made our way down to dinner. It didn’t take me long to realize my beef with Mexico. It was the dining experiences I had had in the past. I have stayed at all inclusive resorts before…and frankly the food was less than average. Eating at a buffet three meals a day can be wearing on a person. But Zach convinced me that this place was far different. Not only did it have a 24 hour Marketplace Restaurant, but it had 6 different restaurants [and room service included] to chose from. We ate at the Mexican place the first night and it did not disappoint. Sloan could have eaten her own shrimp taco and quesadilla by herself.

At night our room looked even more dreamy. The shared lap pool lit up with colored lights – we couldn’t wait to test out the waters in the morning.

The first night [and every night, really] Sloan slept like a champ. I scooped her out of her crib and took her out on our deck in my robe.

Just me, my babe, and a Coca Light to start out the day.

We had breakfast, I hit up the gorgeous hotel gym, and then we geared up for the pool. Sloan enjoyed relaxing in the hammock for a lot longer than I guessed she would.

We splashed and played all morning – until it was time for her to go down for a nap.

The best thing we packed was Sloan’s baby monitor. We put her down for a nap, closed our sliding glass door and blackout shades, and relaxed on our little patio while she napped. I laid in the hammock with bottle of Coca Light until she awoke. It was the most relaxed I have felt in months.

We had lunch at the Marketplace – which exceeded my expectations. I had fresh grilled salmon and grouper every. single. day. After we our food had settled we put Sloan in her rash guard for the beach. This was Sloan’s second time at the beach, but she acted like it rocked her world. Maybe walking on her own with her toes in the sand sent her over the edge – because she refused to leave when it was time for dinner.
We spent our evenings watching the sun go down from our little shady spot on our patio.

Zach hit up the Sweet Corner [unlimited ice cream and baked goods] every afternoon…mostly for strawberry ice cream.

The second night we ate at the Lobster restaurant. The meal was out of this world – and Sloan ate more than Zach and I combined. I don’t know if it was the ambiance or what…but our girl played hard and fueled hard.

The next morning was slow and relaxing. I went to the gym while Zach and Sloan ordered room service. By the time I got back and showered – we were all ready to hit the pool for our second round.

Sloan discovered she liked floating atop a mat rather than actually being in the water. Apparently the view was better.

During Sloan’s nap – well, every nap she took – Zach would swim over to the swim-up bar and get himself not one, but TWO tropical drinks. He goes hard while on vacation.

I enjoyed the endless amounts of tropical fruit goodies the resort had to offer.

When Sloan woke up we made our way over to Sombrero Land. I have no clue if that’s what it is actually called…but I deemed it so. Sloan had such a great time, she probably swallowed more water in that span of time than the entire trip. Her wide smile was so big she nearly drained the pool.
The slides and activities were a little more intense than I imagined, but Sloan couldn’t get enough. She’s fearless.

Sombrero Land wore her right out. She went down for her afternoon nap and slept deep into the evening. Zach and I enjoyed our patio. My main form of entertainment was watching Zach vs. the hammock. The hammock won 4 times in a row…

Saturday morning I hit the gym for the last time and Zach took Sloan to breakfast at the Marketplace. Afterwards Sloan met a new friend, who was a huge hit! (That poor human was probably roasting in that getup.)
Afterwards we hit up the pool for our last full day. We were going out with a splash.

Sloan took another extra long nap – and I even took a nap myself in the hammock. I didn’t move a muscle for over 1.5 hours…well, except to turn over.

Then we went for round two at the beach. Sloan was all smiles and tried to dive head first into the water repeatedly.

As I was taking photos of Zach and Sloan walking along the beach I snapped this photo of Sloan’s baby footprints in the sand. It made me extremely grateful to have been blessed with the family that I have.

After we managed to remove all the sand from all of our crevices, we made our way over to dinner at Brass, the resort’s steakhouse. It was one of my favorite meals of the trip. Surprise, surprise. Grilled fish.

Sloan ate like a Queen the entire vacation, it’s probably another reason she slept so well.

On the weekend nights of our trip they had a new theme each night. The first night was the “White Party”, “Casino Night”, and Saturday night was “Cantina Night”. There was live music, hoards of food, and activities for all ages.

The next morning we woke up and had our last meal at the resort. I already miss the unlimited fresh juice bar.

We made our way to the airport, had dinner once we made our way through security, and boarded our flight.

Sloan slept for the first THREE HOURS of the flight home. I kept pinching myself. As if she couldn’t have been any better, she decided to one-up herself. She was only awake for the last hour and 45 minutes of the flight home. Just when I thought I couldn’t love and appreciate her more…

A lot of people gave us flack about taking Sloan to Mexico. Fact: taking a baby on a vacation is double the work. Fact #2: going on a family vacation is money well spent. It’s different, traveling with someone who still craps their pants and eats freeze-dried yogurt melts. But this is one of the best trips we’ve been on together to date, and I wouldn’t have changed one thing. Even though we were traveling on actual Valentine’s Day, I think I’ve convinced to make this our new family tradition. I can’t think of a better Valentine’s present to each other. Besides, I feel like we made money on this trip if you count all the Coca Lights and tropical drinks we consumed. We hit the beverage lottery. And also…the baby lottery. Because no other baby would sleep and eat BETTER on vacation than she would at home.

31Oct 2015

Fall in New Englad – Part 2

By K + Z 0 Family, Vacation Permalink 0

There were a lot of things I was looking forward to on this trip – but one of the highlights for me was touring the mansions in Newport. We arrived later in town and had time to do some shopping and then have dinner at a nearby pub. The next morning was all business: mansions all day. As many as we could possibly tour.

Our first was the Elms. Built by the Berwinds [who made their fortune in coal]. We toured the house ourselves and then got a private tour of the servants’ headquarters afterwards. Walking through the front gate gave me chills. I had learned about all these architects and designers in my design program so it was surreal walking through the actual houses they had worked on.

We had some time to walk around the grounds for a bit before heading off to lunch at The Shop. I’d say the Elms was my third favorite of all the mansions we toured. Then, off to the next estate: the Breakers. I was looking forward to this property the very most and it did not dissapoint.

What WAS disappointing is that I couldn’t take photographs inside (or inside any of the mansions, for that matter). But pictures wouldn’t have done justice. Oh, the Vanderbilts [who made their fortune in the railroads] they really knew how to spend some serious coin. I think the part that floored me the absolute most was the fact that these were not just homes. These mansions were deemed “summer cottages”. They were not the families SECOND homes, but their fifth and sixth vacation homes. I would die to see what place they all called their permanent home actually looked like.

After the Breakers (which turned out to be my second favorite) we went down to the water to take a sunset sail on the bay.

It was chilly, but luckily they provided us with blankets (and Siri shared her spare pair of gloves with me) so we stayed pretty warm. Behind us [the brown structure] was Jackie O’s childhood home. The views were incredible and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

And, like a 10-year-old, I requested to drive the boat “all by myself” and was surprised the captain agreed to it. He didn’t go far…obviously… I felt like a legit Kennedy or something, with the American Flag blowing in the wind behind me.

We pulled back to the pier with an incredible view of the moon on the water.

We warmed up for dinner at a nearby chowder house where I had my very first lobster roll. No better place than in Newport!

The next morning was our second round of mansion tours. First, was Rosecliff – where part of the Great Gatsby was filmed. It had more owners than any other estate, but has one of the best views, in my opinion.

Then, on to Chateau Sur Mer. Considered one of the first stone mansions in the Newport area. It was incredible, but kind of creeped me out. It felt more medieval than it did palacial. The ground were amazing, though. The trees alone are hundreds of years older than anything that we have here in Utah.

Last, we toured Marble House. My absolute favorite. Saved the best for last, I suppose. Another one of the Vanderbilt family estates, it didn’t feel like it belonged in America at all. In fact, each new room I went into reminded me more and more of Versailles in France. The homage to King Louis was evident – if you didn’t get that from the giant bust of him in the staircase landing. I couldn’t decide which part perturbed me more: the fact that these people were TRYING to be royal or the fact that they had enough money to act like they actually were. The entire estate was marble. The walls, the ceiling – nearly every square inch. All the furniture and ornamentation was Louis XVI style which was completely over the top but wonderful. My favorite was the lilac bedroom (which reminded me of Marie Antoinette – thank you glorious internet)…

…and the fact that each different room had a Christmas tree decorated in the style of that particular room. I snuck a few pictures here and there, but again, they don’t do it justice.

Afterwards we had time to do a little shopping and then have dinner at 22 Bowen’s [my favorite meal of the entire trip] on the pier. We had delicious sea food and Lori and Rachael braved eating an entire lobster (that we later learned could have possibly been pregnant). So there’s that…

We popped in and out of shops until they all started to close and we made our way back to our hotel.

The next morning some of us had planned to walk/run the Cliff Walk. It is a designated path along the edge of the water. The ocean on one side, and all the mansions we had toured on the other. Gina and I dropped the members of our troop off at one end and we drove to the other, planning to run back. Waves were crashing along our way – we even got sea sprayed a few times! It was my favorite run of the trip.

We passed Marble House and all the other mansions up to the Breakers and then ran back to our hotel.

It was a great way to end the trip. We showered up, packed our bags, and had lunch at our hotel before we left for the airport.

It was hard to leave – but the thought of coming home to my baby and my baby daddy after 5 days made it easier. We had a fantastic time. Good laughs, great people. Not to mention all of that with a beautiful backdrop.

Thank you, Hendo ladies! And New England: I am coming back for you. But until then, a few of my favorite things about you to hold me over…

stone fences
pumpkins on every doorstep
the seafood
apple stands
american flags everywhere
cobblestone streets
sea spray
the local’s accents
stone churches
apple cider
blankets of leaves

30Oct 2015

Fall in New England – Part I

By K + Z 1 Family, Vacation Permalink 0

I had been anxiously awaiting this Hendo Girl’s Trip since we started discussing it months ago. It’s been a dream of mine to do a “Fall Foliage Tour” of New England for almost 5 years, but Zach and I just never seemed to make it work with our schedules. The leaves change within a very specific time frame, and you have to be ready for it. So when the girls started planning – it couldn’t have come fast enough.

We left Salt Lake for Boston early Friday morning. The four hour flight went by very quickly for me – thanks to Mindy Kaling’s new book. As soon as we stepped outside the doors of the airport we noticed the weather was a lot chillier than at home. I couldn’t have been more excited about it.

Siri – who met us from Ohio – picked us all up in our rental car (a giant black Suburban). Instead of staying in Boston, we started our trip off with a drive to Rhode Island. It took us a while to get there because we left at prime time rush hour, but we took a detour for dinner along the way at Seina. Our next stop was at the Pumpkin Walk at Roger Williams Park. It’s the largest display of real carved pumpkins in the United States. The entire zoo was covered with an insane amount of Jack-O-Lanterns.

Even the trees were adorned with teeny tiny little guys, all lit up.

Not only was the sheer number impressive – but the detail. The larger pumpkins were carved with entire scenes from movies or portraits of different characters and everywhere you walked had a theme – sometimes corresponding music.

I would have loved to see how they hung and displayed the pumpkins in the daylight, but I am sure it would have ruined the magic of it.

After we left the Pumpkin Walk we drove back to our home for the next few days. Gina rented us a stone house in Waterford, Connecticut. It was late when we arrived and the streets were too dark to appreciate fully how incredible this place was.

The next morning when I woke up I almost peed my pants when I looked out the windows. The owner had placed mini pumpkins all along the stone fence around the property…

I couldn’t get over how picturesque the place was. Like it was picked right out of a film or a painting…

That first morning we set off on our first little road trip. We drove through several dreamy little towns and made a pit stop at a local apple stand.

They had pumpkins in a wooden trailer, for crying out loud!

We made it to Putnam, Connecticut for lunch at a quaint little place called Jessica Tuesday’s and to walk around town for their Fall Festival. There were booths set up all over and live music. Every street corner, every planter was decorated…

Some of us bought maple flavored cotton candy, others bought knit hats with pom poms, and some (Gina) danced along with the live band.

Then, to Massachusetts again. We visited Old Sturbridge Village, an actual community that dates back to the late 1800’s. We stopped for ghost stories at the barn, learned how these people lived, and watched them work.

We even asked a pair of gentlemen what they were doing and they informed us they were building a fence, and they legitimately were! I watched them haul wood down the dirt road. Women were baking over a real fire – some were sewing and doing other chores.

My favorite part of the village was the covered bridge with a view of the pond.

After Sturbridge we had dinner in Mystic, Connecticut before driving back to Waterford for the night.

The next morning Gina and I went for a run around our neighborhood. I wish it was our real neighborhood. But even temporarily, I was grateful to be there. The sidewalks were absolutely covered in bright leaves and the houses along the streets were just as beautiful. I kept thinking to myself, “How does one find themselves in Waterford, Connecticut?” I could definitely call this place home.

Then we were off to Essex, where we had tickets to ride the Fall Foliage Train. When we arrived I was impressed how legit this train was. It was the real deal – with a conductor and everything.

Some of us were lucky enough to ride in first class where we each had our own little swivel chair placed right in front of the windows. It was just us – and a bunch of leaf peepers.

We even had the cabin all to ourselves for a brief moment before they loaded up on the return trip.

It was very relaxing to roll by and see all the leaves and the view of the river. After our train ride we walked around Essex for a while. Quite possibly the most charming of all the little towns we visited.

The old houses we all spiffed up for Halloween. It reminded me of my favorite – Hocus Pocus.

After our walkabout we left Essex and drove back to Waterford for the last time. We packed our bags, loaded up the car, and made our way from Connecticut to Rhode Island. I’ve never been so sad to leave a rental home. Until we meet again, stone house. You were an absolute dream. Don’t change a thing!

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!

01Oct 2015

St. George + Vegas / Girls Weekend

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

One of my family’s favorite movies used to be Sister Act. When my aunt heard it was playing down at Tuachan she bought all of us girls (myself, my mom, my sister-in-law, my two cousins, and herself) tickets to see it together. She planned a weekend down in St. George for the six of us. We left thursday afternoon. We decided to rent a mini van – rather than driving two cars down – to save on gas. Since I was the farthest north, I picked up the van along with everyone else on my way down south. Last minute we decided to do a one night stay in Las Vegas – the only way to swing it would be to do it the first night. So after all of us – and our luggage – was crammed into the mini van, we set off for Vegas. Our van had a DVD player, so Pitch Perfect 2 was a highlight on the journey down. The drive down went really quickly. I surprised the group by booking a suite at the Vdara for the night. Since we didn’t get in until after midnight, we really only had time to try on the complimentary robes and get ourselves into bed.

The next morning we checked out of the hotel and set off for the New York New York for lunch. Half of us grubbed at Shake Shack and the other half at Tom’s Urban. Luckily, Tom’s didn’t mind that we brought our to-go bags of Shake Shack inside the restaurant.

After lunch we ventured over to the Fashion Show Mall. We hit up a few stores and my mom was bound and determined to get all of us a matching piece of jewelry to commemorate our trip.

After the mall we drove over to the Venetian. We walked around the Grand Canal shops, stopped and got macarons at Bouchon, and then had dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe. Cassidy had the brilliant idea to try the zipline over at the Rio. So after our dinner we drove off the strip as the sun was going down.

The whole escapade still makes my stomach ache from laughing. Once we arrived and signed ourselves in, we rode the elevator to the top of the building. On the deck we waited in line for our turn to ride. I was paired with my paranoid mother. Cass and Britt went first and didn’t die. Then my mom and I. We stepped on up, got strapped in, and my mom was already squealing. Once they released us, she screamed so loud I am confident the entire strip – maybe the entire state – heard her. Not to mention my hand had lost all blood flow due to her lockdown on it.

I think that attraction photos are a waste of money – but when I saw this one come through on the screen, it was a must-have. The best purchase of my entire trip.

After Tammy and Lindsy had their fun on the ride as well, we made our way back down and to our car. My mom requested Sprinkles on our way out of town, so Sprinkles it was!

We ate our cupcakes on our drive back to St. George. We didn’t make our way into town until after 1 AM. Once we arrived at our hotel we found out there was a complication with our reservation. We ended up at a different hotel and there was only one family suite available – so all six of us shared the room. It was actually pretty hilarious and surprisingly my best sleep of the entire trip.

The next morning we slept in and checked out of our shared suite. We decided to do a little more shopping and have lunch. While everyone finished up, Britt and I drove over to The Sugar Cookie for a half dozen to share. Afterwards we drove back to our new hotel, checked in, and got settled. We got ready for dinner and the play.

We dined at Anasazi Steakhouse – where you cook your steak on a hot rock. Our family loves red meat, so I figured it would be a hit when I made the reservation.

After our meals [smelling like steak] we drove over to Tuachan. Even though musicals are definitely not my thing – the show was darling and the cast was really talented. Mad props to all those performers who dance and sing in full costume in 80 degree weather.

And because we hadn’t had enough garbage for the weekend – we stopped at Village Inn to get ourselves some pie. We backed da van in next to two Corvettes…cause we had to.

I have always joked that I would never own a mini van, but this trip has softened my sharp edges on the subject. Also, what am I always the one who gets conned into driving the mini van?!

The next morning we checked out, had breakfast on the go, and drove home. The weekend went by really fast. It was fun to spend time with the girl’s in my family – we really don’t do things like this often enough. We now have fun plans for next year and I am already excited. Even though we had a great time – I was more than anxious to get home to Zach and Sloan. The look on her face when she saw me when I got home Sunday was worth every second of missing her.

Here’s to the first of many girl’s trips to come!

Category Vacation