By the way...pack an overnight bag

I knew Chad had made dinner reservations and arrangements for the kids to stay at my mom's on Friday night. I was looking forward to a quiet night at a clean home (it doesn't stay clean for more than 10 min at a time) after dinner and a movie. However, Chad had made different plans. As we were discussing the plans to get the kids to my mom's house, he casually said, "You might want to pack an overnight bag." Well okay! I was totally surprised and couldn't wait to hear about what he had planned.

We had dinner reservations at Tiburon in Sandy. It was delicious. I had the lamb and Chad had the roasted chicken. We will definitely go back sometime. Next we headed to the Grand America dowtown. Have you ever stayed here? This was my first time and wow, it is amazing. Our room was just beautiful. It had a sitting area, huge bathroom and a gorgeous view of the east side of Salt Lake. After check-in we headed to the Gateway for to see the movie, "Salt." After the movie, we enjoyed an evening walk throught some of the gardens at the hotel. When we returned to our room, we found our bed turned down with a robe, chocolates and music softly playing. In the morning, we had breakfast on the patio next to the beautiful grounds.  As if this wasn't enough, Chad made spa appointments for us at Sego Lily Spa. We both had 90 min treatments. What an indulgence! This was such a relaxing fun weekend with Chad. I can't thank him enough for going out of his way to surprise and pamper me.

16 years

You think we look a little young when we got married? Yea, I'm pretty sure they checked my birth certificate at the temple. Sheesh, I look like I'm 14! It is so fun to look at these photos and remember how we felt when we were dating and when we first got married. It was wonderful. But, you know what? I wouldn't trade it  for what we have now. Last week Chad sent me this email:

I was just looking at our blog. Sometimes I need to pinch myself that you chose me. I am proud to be best friends with you and can’t believe it has been 16 years. I feel like we have always been together and couldn’t picture myself with anyone else. We have beautiful children. I feel privileged that I get to be their father. Just wanted you to know that.

Love you! Have a great day!

And to think he wonders why I chose him...I can't believe he chose me. 

Don't you just love the old school posing on the photos and wow! what great '90's attire!

Time well spent...

Megan and Cameron asked to take Josh and Andrew camping with them. They don't have kids of their own yet so this is either good practice or good birth control. Well, actually, for the later, I need to give them one of my younger kids. I digress. After picking up some much needed supplies (Pop Tarts), they headed for the hills of Timpanogos and the waters of Cascade Springs. Megan and Cameron didn't take it easy on the boys...they backpacked in for about a mile. As you can see, they found a beautiful spot to set up camp. This was Andrew's first official camp-out and I know he a great time. Thank you Megan and Cameron!

Celebrating the Otterstrom in us

My mom had a strong feeling that she should pull together the "Otterstroms" for an impromptu reunion with her sisters and some of the cousins. In attendance were: my cousins Rick and Ron Otterstrom (My Uncle Tom died young of melanoma) along with their spouses and children, Marylin and Gary with Jen, Becky and Kenny, Aunt Sue, Pat Thiriot (G'ma Ruth's sister) and Carly Thiriot (mom's cousin).  We missed seeing Tom and his family as well as all the Williams cousins. It was wonderful to see them and see how their families have grown. I am so glad that my mom thought it important enough to bring many of us together to remember our Otterstrom roots.

Lost and Found

   Occasionally, our cat, Jewel, likes to go outside. I wish she would just stay inside, but it's hard to deny her of her natural instincts to explore the outdoors. She's wandered off a bit, but has always quickly returned...until last Sunday.
   By the time church started at 1:00 the kids were worried. Unprovoked, Sarah took the initiative to have it announced in primary. I really thought she'd be on our doorstep when we got home. When she wasn't, I was a little worried. We printed up a little flyer with her photo to take with us on our Sunday walk. As we approached the first person we saw, Sarah began telling her about our cat. She could barely get a few words out before she was overcome with tears. That night, we put food and water on the front and back porch just in case she came back in the middle of the night.
   When we woke up in the morning and there was still no Jewel, I knew something had happened. Either she was "gone" or someone had taken her in. It broke my heart when I found Sarah wrapped in her blanket on the front porch calling for Jewel (I snapped the picture from the window). I felt our best hope of getting her back was to take quick action. I posted an ad on KSL and we then printed up some signs and made small flyers. We posted the signs at each entrance of our neighborhood and few beyond. We then taped the flyers on the doors of our neighborhood. By the time we had gotten home, someone had called. They had Jewel! The morning before a family had found her meowing on the back porch and they let her in. The gal that found her said they weren't "cat people," but they thought Jewel was the sweetest cat...even her husband was smitten with her.She said they were going to walk the neighborhood to see if they could find her owners, but who knows if they would have found their way to us. I'm so glad we put out the flyers so we could have her home sooner than later.
   As soon as we got her home, we went straight out and bought her a tag with her name and phone number on it. Lesson learned. Later, we made cookies to take to the family who took such good care of her until we could get her back. We are so thankful to have her home and we are all keeping a closer eye on her...with a few extra loves of course!

It's always fun when...

...friends come to town! What a special treat to have Karen and Diane in town at the same time. We meet at Chili's for dinner where when enjoyed chips and salsa (of course!) and lots of laughing. After dinner, we did some quick shopping. By the time we were done shopping, we were ready for dessert, so where did we go for dessert?? Chili's, of course. It was great seeing our earlier waitress do a double take as we returned for molten lava cake! Even though it was quick, it was wonderful to have a night to reminisce and reconnect.

Been practicing...

Last Christmas, Chad got me a camera. He bought Heather's old Nikon D70. I've been having a lot of fun learning how to use it. However, the more I use it, it's clear there is a lot more I need to learn! There are a few things I've learned so far; good color is hard to get and group shots are much harder than individuals. I have also found (by way of Heather's much needed and wanted constructive criticism) that I tend to shoot really light. Clearly, I need to work on getting a better understanding of my settings. Heather will start spouting off some photog speak and much of it still sounds like a foreign language to me. I have had fun practicing on anyone that will let me. I've about used all the patience and smiles from my own kids and am now resorting to friends! Anyway, here are some fun shots I've gotten over the last two months. This has been a fun, new challenge and I'm looking forward to learning much more.

Happy 3rd(?!) of July

With the 4th falling on a Sunday this year, the celebrations for the fourth were scattered all throughout the weekend...what fun...a three day celebration! We enjoyed most of festitivites on the the 3rd. We headed up to Kaysville for the chuck wagon breakfast and parade. The breakfast is always a great place to see a few old friends. The jets doing a fly-by, the veterans and the firetrucks are always my favorite part of the parade. After the parade, we headed to Dan and JaNel's for swimming and BBQ. That evening, we headed to Sandy for the celebrations there. They have a great event with a parade, live music and booths. Sarah had a great time being front and center dancing in front of the stage. She got to meet the cute, up and coming country singer, Paisley. Sunday included a 3hr walk through neighborhood and we even saw a few fireworks at the end of that long walk (don't you just love summer when all the neighbors come out?) and on Monday, we enjoyed swimming in Provo with Chad's parents. What a fun weekend!

Something that needs to happen far more often that it does: getting all the neighbors out!! Thank you to the Means and Goodners for organizing this. It was so great to see so many of us out there. All were welcome...many came...maybe even more will come next year. Yay, for neighbors!

39 and holding....

Chad just celebrated his 39th birthday and he handeled it like a pro. One more year until.....well, until he's not quite as young as this year. Aren't we both still 25? Weird how time flies...we are all headed in the same direction and fast, too! He had a nice quiet celebration this year. Chad's parents took us to Flemings for a very delicious (and pricey) steak dinner. After dinner, we enjoyed some decadant cupcakes with the kids. There is no one else in the world I'd rather have next to me to grow old with. Love you, Chap!

Sun Valley 2010...a quick trip

 

Youth Conference

Talk about a fast start to a calling! Being put it at the beginning of the summer (ie. the most busy time for youth activities!) was a bit overwhelming. However, I know it was also an invaluable opportunity for me and the other new leaders to get to know the youth quickly. Another challenge was coming in when things were already partially planned. In spite of my worries, everything went well and the kids had a great time. I think I've just experienced a quick baptism into the calling. No easing in for me!

It just keeps getting better...

Chad and I just did our second Wasatch Back and it was pretty awesome! We had a great time with our team...no surprise there...we pretty much have the coolest team! ;) It was so great watching Chad run this year...injury free. His last run was a killer and he pushed through like a pro. As for me, I was a bit faster this year which always feels good. I felt like a rockstar on my 2nd run...the best I've felt on a run. It was really nice for a change. Lest you think I'm getting cocky, dont worry, my level of rockstar is still far below most. This year we were in van 1. This means we get a better sleeping time, which consisted of  3 1/2 hours in a church parking lot in who-knows-where. The sprinklers went off and Chad didn't wake up...he got soaked. Good times. I think I am already looking forward to next year. However, I'd better not get too happy about it or our team captain just might up grade my runs. I am perfectly happy with having the easiest legs in each van! :)

A day for DAD!

A simple breakfast in bed, 3 handmade cards and one totally rockin' dad playing a licorice guitar (made by Sarah), and lots of love for the one we call the best dad in the whole world. We are blessed to be family. We are blessed to have Chad as the head of our little family. He loves us, he takes care of us, he honors his priesthood. Yes, he really is the best dad in the world.

Puffs of miracle and Wasatch Back year 2

I can't believe it's been a whole year since last year's Wasatch Back race. I can remember the sleepless induced nausea like it was yesterday. Other than the lack of sleep part, I'm actually looking forward to it. Did I just say that?? Don't worry, you won't be seeing me run any marathons, but my love (ok, love is much too strong of a word here) of running has increased ever so slightly. What might you asked has changed? THIS.....

Let's just call this miracle puffs in a tiny little can. Did you know I had asthma? Yea, I know...I didn't either. When I posted about my 1/2 marathon I did not fully convey how miserable that was for me. I didn't want to sound like a baby. I cried when I got home. It really sucked. After all my training, I was so disappointed with my performance and it felt really awful (just ask Alison). I thought the way I felt physically when I ran was due to a) I'm just not a natural runner and b) the air this winter was really, really bad. Both are true, but there was more to it. In the weeks following the race, I expected to feel better when I was indoors at the gym. Nothing improved. After talking with the doctor, we concluded I had developed EIA (exercise induced asthma). I didn't know there was such a thing, I didn't know it was so common and I certainly didn't know I had it. From the first time I used the inhaler, I couldn't believe the difference. I can still remember my first run using this...I actually had a smile (a smile!!!) on my face. Who knew how good air in your lungs could feel. Go figure. Would you believe my pace has improved well over a minute from my 1/2 marathon pace?? Believe me, I am still considered a slow runner, but can I tell you how good it feels to see some improvement. It was so frustrating last year to be working so hard with no improvement...and even decline. Now, I can feel so much better about my (slow) pace....because it feels better and it is better than it was before. So, if you ask me if I am excited for the Ragnar, Wasatch Back this weekend I'd have to say yes. I'm looking forward to the crazy misery that comes with this type of race...all while breathing a little easier. 

Just coming right out and saying it

I got a new calling. I was initially stunned and it took a couple of weeks for my eyes to return to normal from the deer in the headlights look. I thought I was going in for one calling and was shocked to receive another. I have been called to serve as the Young Women's president.

I've served as a counselor a couple different times...just enough to know I'm always glad I'm not the one in charge. We all take turns being stretched in one calling or another and apparently it is my time to stretch. I am accustomed to taking on my assigned responsibilities; not giving out the responsibilities, knowing all the answers, making the decisions and doing my own assigned responsibilities all while meeting the needs of 30 young women. Luckily, I have wonderful counselors and advisors in which I have confidence and trust (and gratitude, lots of gratitude).

This should be interesting! I am taking consolation in the fact that I can take it one day at a time. However, I will also have to accept that I won't always have the answers, I won't always meet every need and not everyone will love me.

It's a good thing I had a couple of weeks to accept this. I was torn between running for the hills and wishing the Second Coming would happen. When I knew neither would happen and it was not appropriate for me to even wish they would, I decided I had no choice but to suck it up and dig in.

I survived my first activity night and my first presidency meeting...I haven't been fired yet! Here's to a new adventure and lots of prayers that I will accomplish what my Heavenly Father wants me to. I will also be offering prayers of patience and love and support from the girls and ward.
Deep breaths...deep breaths.

What have I been doing

I think sometimes stress can manifest itself in different ways...like the previous post. ;) The last couple weeks have felt really busy. Giving two baby showers, decorating chairperson for the stake women's conference(decorating 30+ tables on a tight budget), birthdays, race training, scouting (Good job Andrew on your Arrow of Light), 3rd grade art show (Good job Sarah on having your work choosen for display), reupholstering my couch (with help I might add) and a "rockin" ward talent show (go Chad!). Here are just few pictures to illustrate.

Amazing

Yesterday morning, I had my recommend renewal appointment with a counselor in the stake presidency. After a little chatting, we began the formal interview with a prayer. After the prayer, he paused and said, "I have the impression to tell you that you are a great mom." Given my recent feelings (as noted in the last post), this was an amazing tender mercy from my Heavenly Father.  This was an incredible confirmation that He knows me personally and loves me. This unexpected affirmation of love is one I know I will heavily rely on in the coming months and for that I am so grateful.

A grand experience...

Grandma Chris wanted to do something special with Sarah for her 9th birthday. She made reservations for High Tea at the Grand America hotel. We were seated in a beautifully decorated lobby complete with crystal chandeliers and a harpist. The hors d'oeuvres and specialty hot chocolates were delicious. However, it was the "tea flower" that stole the show. Upon our arrival, our waitress placed a small bundle in a tall, stemmed glass. After a few minutes, we saw the hot water do it's magic. It opened up revealing a beautiful flower. It was so fun to watch. After our "tea" we wandered around the hotel enjoying the paintings, antiques and beautiful furniture. Sarah even got to watch a bride in the courtyard. What a special and indulegent afternoon indeed...thank you Grandma Chris!

Feeling incompetent. Feeling stressed. Feeling blessed.

So I haven't been blogging much lately...not sure that anyone has noticed. Sometimes my mind gets much too jumbled with all the things I have to do, all the things I should do and all the things I want to do. I hate feeling this way and when I do, my weaknesses really seem to look me right in the face. Lately, I've been feeling the pressures of motherhood wearing me down.

I worry that I my preschooler won't willingly tell me letters, let alone be reading by the time kindergarten starts. Why are so many other kids reading when they reach kindergarten?? I worry that I haven't found the perfect childhood hobby for my kids. Since when did our children need a childhood career? Seriously, sometimes I feel like if you haven't found your child's "chosen hobby" by the time they are eight, it's too late. Things are getting way too intense and competitive if you ask me. I worry that my older kids don't know all the Articles of Faith and that my youngest doesn't like to pray. I worry that my house isn't as clean and organized as it should be. I worry that I don't scrapbook anymore and my youngest one wonders where all her pictures are. I worry that I'm not enjoying motherhood enough and this time really is going to be over before I know it.

And then I take a deep breath.

I feel blessed.

I know everything will work itself out. It has to. I wasn't reading when I started kindergarten and somehow I managed to graduate from college. I trust that my kids will find something they are passionate about...even if they aren't on a competitive team or the most coordinated one in dance class. I know my kids are absorbing more of the gospel than I ever did at their age and I even passed off my Articles of Faith. Somedays I get my house clean and the laundry done...a lot of days I don't. I know my kids know I love them...regardless of the number of scrapbook pages each of them have (or don't have). I know this mothering part of life will be over before I know it, but I know that motherhood never ends. However, I am trying harder to hug them a little more, look into their eyes more deeply and listen more intently and get angry a little less. And I when I fail, I just try again.

Is a 5yr old still considered a toddler?

Because Jenna, really, really still seems like a baby to me! Today Jenna turned FIVE. My baby is five years old. I could go on and on about how it doesn't seem possible, but I won't. This was a fun birthday for Jenna...it's the first year that she has really anticpated her birthday (for about 3 weeks now!). She woke up this morning to the traditional signs on the door and a waffle breakfast served on the "special" plate. I decided to spend the day savoring this time with my "baby." We read books, did puzzles and baked her cake together. She is really into puzzles and helping my bake right now...I love that. Later, she had her gymnastics class and today was family day. The g'parents met us at the gym to watch her show off her stuff. After, we headed home for dinner, presents and cake. I'd say all in all, Jenna had a wonderful day!

Moving up the ranks...

 Andrew just received his Arrow of Light. In spite of not being the most "scoutly" of families, it has been wonderful to see him working hard on his scouting requirements. It seems like just yesterday I was buying Josh's first little blue Cub Scout shirt  and now, Andrew is wearing the more mature khaki shirt of the Boy Scouts. There was a wonderful ceremony for the boys receiving their Arrow of Light. Scouts dressed in full Indian dress conducted the ceremony. It was really fun for all the scouts to watch. At the end of the program, he was given a ceremonial arrow as a keepsake to remember his achievements. Well done Andrew....congratulations!!

Earth Day...an accidental celebration

On a whim, my mom called and asked if we could me them at The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. After some quick shuffling of afternoon schedules, we headed over. It just so happened to be Earth Day as well...what a happy coincidence and a great way to celebrate our earth. We've been to this little aquarium a couple of times and we love it. We are in Utah so  you must keep your expectations accordingly. That being said, I couldn't think of a better use of an old grocery store (or was it a Robert's? lol) It really is a wonderful little place to visit and we couldn't wait for a return visit since they added the penguins. The kids had a great time running around with G'ma and G'pa. As always, the jellyfish, little "Nemo's" and stingrays are a big hit. We also loved seeing the Octopus and all her eggs dangling to the side of the tank. It was bittersweet to observe the circle of life there...knowing she will soon die after laying her eggs. By far, the highlight was the penguins. They really put on a show for us and we could have watched them all day. It was so fun watching them chase each other under the water...they are fast! And have you ever noticed how a penguin gets out of the water...very cool and cute. This was particularly fun for Andrew to see, who has had a love of penguins since he got "Ping Ping" when he was a toddler. We are so glad G'ma and G'pa called and we could spend the afternoon with them...what a great day!

Spring Break: the non-food part

On the way down, we thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of what our own state has to offer. We made a day trip to Bryce Canyon. Although the bad weather arrived just in time for Utah's spring break, we still enjoyed our stop. It was windy and cold and it snowed off and on the whole time we were there. We pretty much drove to each lookout, ran to edge, ohh'd and ahh'd for a minute, snapped a picture and ran back for the car. We were able to do a quick hike outside of the park that was really fun for the kids. For Jenna, it was all about being able to touch the red rocks. The kids were happy to take a dip in the indoor hot tub and pool after such a cold afternoon. We are looking forward to making another trip so we can enjoy more hiking and scenery. 

While in Phoenix, we made a return trip to the the Arizona Science Center. We went last year and loved it so much, we wanted to go back. The kids love all the interactive exhibits. This year the climate exhibit (complete with wind and rain) was a big hit as well as Chad studying the inner workings of a toilet (ahem...I wonder why). 

We stayed at the the Scottsdale Resort . We were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was for the price we paid. Of course the kids enjoyed the pool. They also enjoyed the fire pit at night, making there own hot chocolate in the morning, riding the bikes provided by the resort, a little hide and seek and attending the Easter petting zoo the hotel put on. The grounds were just beautiful and I couldn't get enough of the fragrant orange blossoms. I would highly recommend this place. I'm not sure if rates are always as cheap as what we got, but it's certainly worth checking out. My sister got even a cheaper rate than we did with her AAA card (we booked on hotels.com) While out and about, Ryan drove us by Frank Lloyd Wright's last house he designed. He died before it was completed, the home was in the family until his kids recently died. It's on the market...do you think we can afford it? I'm ashamed to admit that I've yet to visit FLW's desert compound, Taliesin West, where he finished his career. Next trip for sure.

 

To counteract a few of the calories we consumed, we planned a family hike to one of Ryan and Jodi's favorite spots. We hiked a trail in the Superstition Mountains that led to a waterfall surrounded by petroglyphs. Ryan claimed it was an easy one mile in and one mile out hike. Glad he played a trick on us cause I'm not sure the kids would have lasted had they known we did over four miles. It was so cool to get up close to these Indian petroglyphs that are hundreds of years old. More and more, I'm coming to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the desert landscape. (of course, we were there in spring) The flowers and vegetation were just beautiful (even the "female" cactus I just had to take a picture of...I know, I know I'm 12yrs old).  The weather couldn't have been more perfect (it hovered at 75-80 degrees the whole trip).

We really need to thank Ryan and Jodi for showing us such a wonderful time. We loved spending time with them and are looking forward to our next visit with them!

Spring Break 2010: food in Phoenix

We rolled home last night a few pounds heavier than when we left. Am I ready to eat at home for awhile now, maybe. Do I need to get to the gym? For sure. Was it worth it? Oh yea.
When we let Ryan and Jodi know we would be headed their way for Spring Break, we told Ryan we wanted a serious food emphasis on our itinerary. Chad and I are novice Food Network fans and one of our favorite shows often features Phoenix area restaurants. We've been looking forward to sinking our teeth into some of these menus. I'm not sure what it is, but there seems to be an abundance of good restaurants in Phoenix. We ate out almost every meal and didn't even scratch the surface. I will admit, by the last day, we were feeling a little sluggish and ready for some water and a workout. We did manage to get in some physical and mental activities, but food was definitely at the top of our list this trip. Here is a run-down of where and what we ate:

Joe's Farm Grill: This was a total trip. An old family home and farm turned organic, fifties-ish burger stand, farmer's market and coffee stand (Agritopia as they call it). Urban and old school combined. Known for it's burgers, pizza and salad, this was a fun place especially for families.I had a delicious burger with pesto. After dinner, you can enjoy the gardens.

Over Easy: Next was eating at Over Easy. Our first choice was Matt's, but the wait was too long and the place was way too small (not enough room w/ kids), so we happily headed over to another well known spot. This breakfast spot was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and we couldn't wait to try it out. I had the banana caramel pecan french toast, it was very good. Chad had the chicken fried steak...the gravy was fabulous. We really wanted to go back and get the jalapeno biscuits and gravy. We really liked the gravy. Maybe next trip.

Next, we had a "taco challenge." Yes, a head to head comparison of two different taco stops...two lunches in one day:

La Condesa:This new addition to the authentic Mexican taco scene in the area was just discovered by Ryan. They had a very cool selection of salsas...loved the creamed cilantro (kind of like the Cafe Rio dressing). We had a delicious dogfish shark taco and an incredible conchinita pibil taco (with just enough sweetness). Loved how this place was decorated; lots of Day of the Dead, Frida and lucha libre art (check out picture of Josh by the bathroom).

America's Taco: It was hard to compare these two places...both are very good. This one might win because the menu is broader and they carry Coke products (for me, that is crucial). They tout themselves as having the best carne asada in Phoenix and mmm....it was really, really good, it had just the right amount of char on the meat. The day we were there, they happened to have fresh civche as a special...very, very good. The kids loved having there own bottles of soda and I was pleased they had Coke products.

Humble Pie: Pizzaria Bianco in downtown seems to be the place to be (thanks in part to Oprah), but with a 1-2 hour wait and dinner only hours, we wanted a close 2nd. Since I haven't frequented many pizza joints in the area, I had to trust my brother on this. I love pizza from Costco to Estee;  NY style, thin crust or deep dish, I pretty much love it all. This was good stuff....really, really good stuff. It had a nice thin crust with little burnt edges from the brick fire oven. I went with a traditional Margherita, nice and simple. Loved it. Chad had the SOP (sausage, onions and peppers...w/ ricotta). This was seriously amazing. The sausage was the standout and it is locally made. My brother got one w/ a fried egg on it, very good, too.  Did I mention we really, really liked this pizza?

Matt's Big Breakfast: This is another breakfast joint featured on Food Network. We had tried unsuccessfully the day before to eat here and to make sure we didn't miss out, we woke up at 6:30am to beat the morning rush (and we left the kids behind). I love how you simply write your name on a note pad as you arrive. After a small wait, we were seated at our tiny two-top in the front window. This place was charming to the max. Very small and intimate and very diner-esque but, in a cool, non-cheesy way. We were told to get the Chick and chop (pesto crusted pork chop with eggs), the waffles and the orange juice. Simple, yet amazing. I don't know how they did it. A waffle is just a waffle, right? Holy cow, somehow, this really was the best waffle I've ever had. There was nothing fancy about it either. Also, the pepper crusted bacon that came with it....I think it was the best bacon I've ever had. The orange juice? I've had good freshly squeezed OJ, but once again, somehow, this was a step above. The pork chop was really good but, to be honest a bit dry. What I loved about this place is that you can tell it is as equally loved and frequented by the locals as it is by tourists. The people were so friendly even though they could easily be overwhelmed by the crowd.


Queen Creek Olive Mill: Ryan claimed this place had olive oil cupcakes better than Sprinkles so naturally, we had to try it out. They make their own olive oils and in a huge range of flavors, too.You can take a tour (we didn't) and eat (which we did). They mostly do breakfast, sandwiches, salads and gelato. I got the Manzi panini...it was delicious, but I felt a little small. The cupcakes were super moist and good, but I still put Sprinkles on top (the frosting was definitely lacking). I thought this place was very good, but was disappointed by how pricey it was; $46 for lunch w/ the family seemed a bit steep especially considering this is a casual order and sit down place.


Culinary Dropout: Just by the name alone you have to be intrigued. This trendy restaurant is in the center of the posh Scottsdale shopping area. Yes, Chad and I proudly had our van valet parked. Walking into the restaurant felt like walking into a very hip and funky design magazine. We were a little freaked out by the staff. They all appeared to be acting and modeling drop outs; all with a very strict age limit of twenty-something and dress code of whatever is most designer(no consistent dress code what so ever). We joked that they must be filming their own reality show while working there. Loved funky mix of wing chairs, leather sofas, side chairs and dining tables. The place was very dimly lit by super cook green crystal chandeliers. I think it's obvious by now, that at this place, the style upstaged the food. And the food was quite good, too.


Roaring Fork: Another trendy Scottsdale spot. We went to take advantage of  happy hour pricing (I don't think servers love us non-drinkers, but oh well). My fish tacos were quite good and we all loved the kettle of green chili pork.


Sprinkles Cupcakes: What can I say? I don't know if I can think of many cupcakes that are as good these. By far, Red Velvet is the best. Love the lemon and carrot, too. Vanilla and chocolate leave much to be desired in my opinion...maybe because they lack cream cheese frosting? These babies are pricey, but worth it. I think I ate 6 over the course of the weekend.

The Soda Pop Shop: Fun for the kids....endless choices of soda flavors from blueberry, apple, strawberry to Mexican Coke and apple beer. They claim to sodas from around the world. Just be sure to brush your teeth when you are done...they sugar content is over the top. We were also hoping to make it to the The Sugar Bowl with the kids for ice cream...maybe next time. 

A word about restaurant bathrooms. It's long been known that you can tell a good restaurant by how clean it's bathrooms are. But, what about by how cool? Several of these restaurants had uber cool bathrooms. Joe's Farm Grill is partially outside and so are the bathrooms. They have frosted glass walls (lots of natural light), are unisex (I was a little freaked out by the urinal) and cool Barbie and Ken dolls cased in glass in the walls. At Culinary Dropout, the funkiness of the restaurant carried into the bathrooms with dark wood paneling (hello 70's), antique warehouse light fixtures and a troff sink so cool that I had to take a picture of it. La Condessa featured a life size lucha libre wrestler on the door.  I love that they didn't stop their vibe in the dining rooms...talk about a complete dining experience.