Dinners with Dad

Dad and I - Circa 2012

I'm just getting back to my home office after a quick dinner with my Dad and feel an urge to get this down on paper before I dive into some work related writing.

Dinners with my Dad have grown to be one of my favorite things. And lets not just limit it to dinner, it can be lunch, coffee (where he always gets an Arnold Palmer instead of coffee), or simply going for donuts on Sunday morning.

From the time I can remember, every once in a while my Dad and I would get up early on a Sunday morning and go down to Frank's donuts, just he and I. In fact I don't remember a single time we ever let anyone else come until recently. I've always loved time with just Dad and I and we have great talks. This has turned into lunch and dinner dates more than donuts but that tradition will never go away!

Tonight my Mom is away on business and my hubby is working late so Dad and I planned dinner at Taco Time. Nothing fancy, but that doesn't matter. We sat and talked about nothing but at the same time everything. It is time I cherish and will always remember. If you haven't had dinner with your Dad or even your Mom recently, I highly recommend it and your parents will love it too. Call them up, and plan something, don't over think it and just go. And every once in awhile just make sure it's the two of you. Life gets busy, and when we have families of our own we often only spend time in big groups which can take away from those one on one relationships.

I can't wait to start these dates with our Children and I hope one day they think they're just as important as I do today.

Sunny Weekend Recap

If you live in Washington state, you can agree that this weekend and last were absolutely gorgeous and unlike our normal February weather. It was over 50 degrees both days with loads of sunshine. And seriously, who doesn't get motivated by sunshine?

Saturday morning Scott and I both got up early to start our day. Scott had to go into work for a couple of hours so I met my friend Justine (who's also prego, in fact she's exactly 4 weeks ahead of me) for a 30 minute walk. It was a bit chilly but the fresh, crisp air felt amazing and it was good to get my legs going. I then picked up my Blissfully Organic Co-op (BOCO) Basket. If you live in the Puyallup or Lacey area I highly recommend you check out BOCO. I usually buy a full share every other week and I've yet to be disappointed. I use the veggies and fruit to inspire my weekly meal planning and love being able to get all of my grocery shopping done early on Saturdays!

After picking up my basket I met my friend Ashley who I haven't seen in years for breakfast at the Buttered Biscuit in Sumner. I have to say, it's not really worth the hype. I ordered a breakfast burrito and it was just ok. Ashley got the "Kim Kardashian" which is eggs benedict but includes bacon, ham and sausage. Her meal looked pretty good so I may have to go back and try something different. They give you HUGE portions that are definitely perfect for sharing!

Saturday afternoon Scott and I made a trip to Home Depot to get some bark for the yard and laid it in our front flower beds. I seriously LOVE the look of fresh bark and it makes a world of difference. Oh and I can't forget the awesome new area rug and table lamps I got on clearance at Fred Meyer! I got a $200 rug for only $67, can you say bargain? Love finding new stuff for our home on sale!

We capped off Saturday with a fun dinner at Samurais with our good friends where I ate ridiculous amounts of fried rice, and I don't even feel bad about it.

Sunday morning I woke up bright and early (without an alarm clock) and decided to do some baking. I had some blueberries I needed to use and found this "lightened-up" blueberry coffee cake recipe on Pinterest. It turned out DELICIOUS and our house smelled so good while it was baking!

The rest of the day included some much needed R&R, cleaning up around the house, a walk with our Pup, and the much anticipated Oscar awards!

What did you do this weekend? Did the sunshine make you more productive than you'd normally be?

Soul Sisters Take Seattle

As you may remember, I have 3 friends who I call my Soul Sisters. They are seriously the 3 best friends a girl could have and I absolutely love our time together. Unfortunately only 3 of the 4 of us are local to Washington State since Debbie moved to Iowa, but we still get together quite often for mini-adventures. In fact, we're in the midst of planning our next adventure with all of us.

Presidents Day we were all off work and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get together. We picked Seattle for our meeting point and while it seemed daring to explore Seattle on a February day, we got so lucky and enjoyed a beautifully sunny day. Plus, FREE parking!!

We got pedicures, ate fresh Greek yogurt from Ellenos (a must have while in Seattle), walked around Pike Place and all around the area then finished up with lunch at Etta's. My first Tom Douglas restaurant experience. Needless to say, I'll now have to try them all! I loved that most, if not all of the food is locally sourced and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was awesome. I'll be back for brunch, that's for sure!

Marionberry Pie Greek Yogurt from Ellenos

Grilled Cheese w/ Cranberry Jelly and clam chowder. YUM!

Valentines Day

Scott and I are probably two of the cheesiest people you'll ever meet. Those of you who know us well would most definitely agree. We love doing small gestures for each other that can be as small as a sticky note left on the steering wheel, to a surprise dinner out. Or even participating in the cheesy #StarbucksDate campaign. Hey - who can turn down a warmed chocolate chip cookie?!

Usually we go all out for Valentines Day. There are almost always flowers involved, dinner out somewhere and all of that Hallmark holiday pizzazz. This year we changed it up a bit and kept things super low key. It's been a busy year for both of us and this baby-making business is no joke so my energy level has been anything but normal.

Saturday Morning I woke up early and cooked up a surprise breakfast made of fresh berries, a home made chocolate milk mocha and a couple of these delicious and healthy Banana Chocolate Chip pancakes from Skinny Taste. Side note - I need pancake molds because I attempted heart shaped pancakes and that just wasn't pretty...

Seriously if you haven't checked out Gina's blog or purchased her new cookbook I highly recommend it. There was no sugar in the batter so the only sugar used would be in the chocolate chips and syrup should you choose top them. Honestly they didn't need anything because the banana added a sweet taste. I only did peanut butter on top with a small drizzle of syrup but next time I won't top them at all. Scott of course had a pile of syrup and whip cream. Why not?!

In the afternoon we ventured out to Home Depot, Costco and my all time favorite-- Target! Scott sure knows the way to my heart. Plus who on earth has ever been able to go in to Target without coming out having found one or 10 things you love. We found a new kitchen rug (on clearance SCORE), and a lamp shade for my recently busted table lamp (oops). I also tried on my first pair of maternity pants which made me quickly realize how much I really need them and how comfortable they are.

After a fancy dinner from Taco Time we came home to watch Lets Be Cops, indulged in candy and enjoyed these delicious Cupid Floats.

Assemble just as a you would a root beer float then drink using the licorice as a straw. So yummy and the perfect valentines treat!

What's your favorite Valentine's Day tradition? How do you celebrate with your loved ones?

What the First Trimester Taught Me

Ok seriously, how are we already 15 weeks along? It feels like just yesterday we were running to the store to get a test and telling our families. I wished away time for days on end waiting to get past the first trimester and it's now come and gone. I'm going to stop wishing away time because I'm excited to embrace the changes that are going to come as Baby Slusser keeps on growing and we prepare for his or her arrival.

The first trimester was so different than I expected it to be. I suppose I've watched too many reality shows, movies and read too many blogs about what to expect. I was lucky to not have much morning sickness other than a few sick feelings here and there but I did get hit with a mean case of exhaustion.

And I mean EXHAUSTION. Like you have to will yourself out of bed and even the simplest tasks like grocery shopping or unloading the dishwasher seem like a marathon and feel like one when you're done. All of those tired feelings, headaches and changes are so worth it and will be even more so come August.

Everyone is so very excited for Scott and I which almost equates to the excitement we have. Each day it grows more and more so I can only imagine how it is when baby is actually here!

Here's a few things the first trimester has taught me/us:

• Growing a human is a LOT of work. The exhaustion and uneasy tummy makes sense when you read about everything that happens those first few weeks. It's truly a miracle!
• This may be different for everyone, but I became a Mother the moment I heard that little 8 week heartbeat at the doctors office. Seriously the BEST sound ever. It was also fun seeing Scott light up. We even recorded it at our 12 week appointment so we can listen whenever. Absolutely love going on this adventure with him. 
• There is WAY too much stuff to choose from at Baby's-R-Us. Seriously that place is out of control. Who on earth needs 40+ strollers to chose from or a baby swing that you can control from your smart phone? That's just silly. 
• Your emotions are no longer in your control. At all. Just ask Scott! ;)
• You are hungry every two hours, on the dot (assuming it's not one of your sick feeling days). 
• Towards the end your clothes will start to shrink in strange ways. Not like we've all experienced where you maybe over indulged in the chips and salsa or ate three too many slices of pizza. Nope this is different. They all fit different and since no one knows you're pregnant just be prepared to wear lose fitting clothes, they'll be most comfortable!
• You should never start reading those books like What to Expect When You're Expecting right away, or ever. They mostly freak you out in the beginning. I've loved using The Bump App and reading weekly updates within the book but some of the other stuff is just TOO much. Thank goodness for friends who've gone through this, I feel like they're a better resource than any book I can read. 
• Your relationship with your Mom changes. In fact it feels like it's changed a lot but in a great way. It's as if we have a deeper and different connection now and I love that. I'm sure it will grow even deeper when Baby Slusser is here. I'm so thankful to have my Mom close by as I know I'll have a million questions for her over the next 20+ years. 

I'm feeling much more energetic now, although I still have days where I'm not sure I'll make it to dinner time. I've been trying to drag my tired self to the gym which has helped a lot so I'm hoping to keep up that habit. Super excited for the second trimester! From what I hear I'll have way more energy which sounds great because I have a big "before baby to-do list" to start knocking out!

We find out the gender in a few weeks and can't wait to have our family together for a gender reveal party!

And Then There Were 3

Yep you read that right. And then there were 3... WE'RE PREGNANT!!!! We truly got the BEST Christmas present this year!

It still seems crazy to type that and to say it out loud but Scott and I couldn't be any more excited to grow our family by two little feet and one little heart. Both of us have wanted to be parents as long as we can remember and this is such a blessing to our family.

Baby Slusser is due August 9th, 2015 which puts as at 13 weeks! Earlier this week we got to hear baby's heartbeat through the Doppler machine and it was pumping away at 160bpm. I swear that had to be the best sound I have ever heard. We even recorded it so we can listen whenever we want to! ;)

We will get to find out the gender on March 18th but we will wait to be surprised with our family at a gender reveal party soon after. As you cab guess, there are already bets going around on what Baby Slusser. My Dad swears it's a girl, Scott's Mom is putting her money on a boy, I have a feeling it's a girl and a few other family members are saying boy. Gunnar would prefer a boy and said that if it's a girl his Mommy will have to hold baby but if it's a boy he will hold him and share his toys.

While I thought I would have a preference (and maybe I will as we get further along), I just want a healthy baby no matter what gender!

So now the fun begins, we're officially out of the first trimester and have already started reading books, blogs, websites and magazines galore. There is more information out there than we'll ever be able to read but I want to soak it all in and make sure that I know the big "must know" items before baby comes. If you have a favorite Mommy or new parent blog please comment below, I'm always looking for the best ones to read!

I'm excited for all that is still to come but also nervous for parenthood because I still haven't found the guide or "how to". Everyone says you "figure it out" but if you know me you know I like to prepare and plan so that's hard to accepts. Luckily I had great parents and have great in-laws so we should be ready no matter what!

Here's a few more pictures my Mom took for us, thanks Mom!!!

Five Years

Grandma let my Mom and Aunts do her hair crazy during one of her many stays at the hospital.

Five whole years. It has been five years, or 1,826 days, or 43,824 hours since we last saw each other. Five years of milestone events. Five years of small moments I wish I could share. Five years without driving to your house for Thursday night gatherings. Five years holidays without you. Five years of not being able to call and hear your voice or see how you're doing today. We've welcomed a couple of new babies, I've gotten married, started a new career, we've all grown older and most of us have grown wiser and I can't help but think you've missed it. Or have you?

Perhaps you've missed it in person, but saw it coming all along. Perhaps you knew well before we all did, that Gunnar would be born two years after your passing as a way to help us make this day not just one of sadness but also one of celebration. Perhaps you knew all along that I would meet the man of my dreams and while I was bummed you didn't get to meet him, I think you knew about him well before I did.

To say you are missed wouldn't do it justice. "Missing" you just doesn't seem like enough for how much my heart hurts thinking about you, wishing I could share exciting news with you, wishing we could have ice cream together, wishing I could have your soup again, or wishing I could ask you for advice because you always had the best wisdom to share. You were our family core, our rock and my best friend so it wasn't easy saying goodbye and it's not easy realizing you've been gone five entire years.

Some days it feels like a lifetime and sometimes I remember the week of your passing like it was yesterday. To be expected, we're all "missing" you a bit more than usual today. Hope you're celebrating up there with Grandpa and proud of us for holding it together another year.