For Family Night we ran some errands down in Salt Lake. We dined at Noodles and Company – where Sloan had her first kid’s meal. To be fair, she really only had the strawberries and apple sauce, but she was acting like it was Thanksgiving Dinner. 
The week marked a month before Sloan’s First Birthday. I suddenly realized how far behind I was on party planning and kind of went into fast forward [panic mode] during her nap times. We got her party favors…
…table centerpieces…
…and other random stuff done for the party. 
Sloan’s obsession with avocado has reached new heights. I have to buy them by the bag to fulfill her addiction. It’s been fun to try new meals with it, however. This white cheese macaroni and avocado is a serious game changer…
Speaking of meals – Thursday my mom’s side of the family all met down in Provo to go on a “Halloween Cruise”. We stopped to eat at Cubby’s (at my request) because I’ve been dying to try it. The line was out the door – no joke – and we had to rush to finish eating in time for our cruise ride. The tri-tip salad was out of this world.
Sloan was totally spoiled as well with a million new people to watch during dinner and being spoon-fed by her aunt Brittany. She was thrilled, despite her expression…
When we arrived the place was packed. So packed, that we didn’t make it on the boat for our time slot [7:00] and the next available time was 8:30. We hung around the place and anxiously awaited our turn.
I’ll be honest – the word “cruise” was misleading. If I could rename the event it would be the Halloween Float. Zach was disappointed you couldn’t buy drinks or snacks on the boat. Sloan was having the time of her life…
It was the latest she had ever been out. Ever. We didn’t get home until far after 10:00. Her ride home was all zzzz’s.
Friday night Zach and Sloan had a Triple D [that’s what Zach calls a Daddy Daughter Date] and I got to eat dinner and have a box party with my friends. Kristina’s parents are moving, and obviously mine are in the process, so we all brought boxes of old photographs, notes, and other memories from our Junior High / High School days. I’ve been friends with these girls for 17 years. It makes me feel ancient, but laughing with them makes me feel like I’m back at BJH. 
Saturday the three of us spent all day together. We went to lunch down town where Sloan ate her weight in black beans. 
We also stopped at Trader Joe’s for some pumpkin supplies [mostly their pumpkin butter] and left with the cutest little festive succulent.
That night Zach and I had a babysitter for the Utah game. We went out to eat for sushi at Naked Fish and the weather turned cold and rainy really quickly. I am a fair weather fan – so Zach invited his friend Joel to join him. I mean, I love Zach…but sitting in the pouring rain for football is where I draw the line. After our meal we went our separate ways. The baby sitter was planning to stay until 10:00, so I hit up Swig and Target before they closed. Just me and my date of a DDDC.
The Utes came out with a win and I didn’t have to sit in the pouring rain – so I’d call it another successful Date Night.
The next morning was church. The schedule has been switched for our meetings and Sloan basically thinks it is just the worst. It wasn’t our finest block to date, but we did our best. At least she was kind of smiling.
After church we drove up to Layton for the annual Henderson pumpkin carving extravaganza. Sloan had her very first interaction with a pumpkin and she was a huge fan. She would have swallowed it whole if I would have let her. 
We let her paint her pumpkin in her birthday suit. Her handprints didn’t turn out like I would have expected.
I’d say it was as quality as can be expected for a “baby’s first pumpkin”.
She spent the rest of the night cruising around with Dad – and she couldn’t have been happier.
I’ve never been more excited for a holiday than I have been for this upcoming Halloween. Sloan will not remember a moment of it, but I will. Holidays are so much more fun [planning and experiencing] with a little one in the house.