We’re Back!

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Ive taken a few breaks from blogging, but then I realized just how much I love having a place outside of Facebook and other social media to share our journey with family and friends. I also wanted to create the blog so that our kids have a great way to look back on their childhoods and read the stories they might not remember or have limited details on. Its also a great way to give them unlimited access to pictures and stories that might otherwise be sitting in a photo album on a shelf that they wont always have access to as they get older and start families of their own.

I have A LOT of catching up to do. A LOT… but I will also add to it from this point on. So keep an eye out for new posts and posts from the past! Yay!

Pool Time!

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While Shaun has to work all week, the girls and I did some hanging out at the hotel and visiting with some of my friends. Today was a lazy breakfast, tidying up our hotel room and a late morning into afternoon swim. The fishies just had to have more time in the water! Because it was a weekday, the hotel pool was empty and the girls and I had the whole place to ourselves. A nice lady from Texas swam with us for a bit and played with the girls but for the most part, it was empty pool bliss!

Our little water babies!
Abby found a pool noodle that someone left behind. Score!

Rest and Beach Day

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Today was set to be the hottest day of the heat wave. With temps reaching close to 116 I knew that there wasnt much we could do. Shaun was working in the Santa Monica offices, so that left us with some time on our own. 
We slept in a bit and then headed for some breakfast at the hotel. Then it was off to find places that we could enjoy but also had air conditioning. So it meant some shopping at Target and then some lunch at Islands. After lunch I didnt have the energy to walk around a mall and deal with crowds. Luckily I packed our bathing suits and beach toys, so it was off to our favorite spot near Pt. Mugu.
“Mom, take the picture before you blind us!”
A pelican fly-by.
Ellie had figuered out the perfect system to make her castles turn out. Before I knew it, we were surrounded!
Who knew that Jerry’s Deli could make such amazing noodle bowls!

The weather was a good 30 degrees cooler at the beach which led to us hanging out there for the rest of the afternoon. The girls built large sand castles, splashed in the waves, and we enjoyed doing very little. As it should be. After the beach it was a drive along the coast, through Topanga Canyon and back to the hotel for showers, dinner and bed. A perfect vacation day… although I felt guilty knowing that Shaun was working while we were being lazy in the sun.

Father’s Day, Heat Waves and Evening Fun

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The day after the reunion was Fathers Day! In the end the day wasn’t too busy or crazy, but thats because the long anticipated heatwave was moving in and it was hot! The mercury hit 110 in the San Fernando Valley ad it was not fun.

In the early afternoon we met with my parents and sister as well as Grantie Fran at Pizza Cookery for lunch. Not only did we get to see Fran but we had the chance to eat at one of our favorite places. Boy, do I miss their salad and ranch dressing. Yummy! Lunch was a great time catching up. My parents and sister have not seen Fran since we moved away, so I know they enjoyed the time spent with her.

After lunch we tried to take a drive around the valley but after about 30 minutes it was becoming very apparent that it was too hot, even for our cars AC. So we headed back to the hotel room and took naps and hung out until it cooled off and we could go over to visit Grandpa and Uncle James.

Selfies and staying cool in our hotel room.
Playing Minecraft and passing through the heat of the day.
What mom?
Pretty girl was a little wary of all the people in her yard.
Ellie, I think that tryke is just a little too small for you!
Picking apples from Grandpa’s tree.
Dancing, singing and posing.
Wharton gathering…
Relaxing… and if I remember correctly, someone tooted too. I wonder who?

The evening at Grandpa Pats was pretty relaxed and fun. The girls had the chance to run around in the backyard and play with Nonnie, as well has hang out with Uncle James. They picked apples off of Grandpa’s apple tree and attempted to ride tricycles that are now way too small for them. It was great to slow down and visit. I think we were all in need of some relaxation. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay late because Shaun had to work down in Santa Monica the next day, but we’d be back soon!

Taylor Family Reunion

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Our trip to California was a trip that would serve several purposes. One was for Shaun to come down to LA and work with his team at the offices in Santa Monica for a week.  Another was to attend our Taylor Family Reunion (my fathers side of the family) and see family that we haven’t connected with since the passing of my grandmother back in 2012. Unfortunately not everyone could make it to the first reunion, but I am sure there will be more!

The reunion was held up at Rincon State Beach in Ventura County and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. A pending heat wave threatened to make the day too hot, but it wasn’t. It was perfect. The beach was busy but not swamped and there was plenty of space to walk, play and enjoy a beautiful Southern California day.

We spent the day talking and catching up with everyone. Abby and Ellie had the chance to meet their cousin Bella who is their age and they hit it off right away. We listened to music, ate amazing food (courtesy of my cousin Joseph and his excellent BBQ skills) and welcomed some new members of the family (spouses and girlfriends).

Sarah walking the beach with Abby, Ellie and Bella
A beautiful day along the Southern California coast.

A rare photo with my hubby!!
Abby loved getting into the water and feeling the sand in her toes.
Ellie was surprised by a wave… and loving it.
Sisters and best friends
Ellie and Bella had the exact same bathing suit!
Eric and his girlfriend Michelle! It was so nice to meet you!
Talking and eating! I tend to get a lot of pictures of people eating but thats because they are standing still!
Laurie, John and Matt having a great chat.
Chatting, laughing and posing.
Back from the beach! Now they are pretending to be mountain lions on the rock. I think.
The ladies catching up! Looking wonderful Aunt Dena!
The photographers of the family are taking notes and sharing stories.
Jillian… always ready with a pose.
The day comes to a close and we start saying our goodbyes! Until next time Taylor Family!
Perfect sunsets for a perfect end to that day.

When the day came to an end it was hard to say goodbye to everyone. But we will see one another soon! All I know is that our first family reunion was a big success and grandma and grandpa would have been so very proud of their family. They may not have been there in body but they were there in spirit and I know they were both smiling down on us today.

And We’re Off! Maybe…

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Before children, taking off for a trip was easy and we had very few hiccups. Then we hit parenthood and it seemed as though things that could do wrong, did. It has nothing to do with the children really. Just our luck I think.

Well this trip was no different I guess. After Ellie’s graduation from Kindergarten, we sped home and collected the last of our things and hit the road. Our destination, Redding California. We knew it would be a long drive and that we would be in after midnight. I even planned an extra hour for traffic!  Well, I guess the traffic Gods were angry because that extra hour turned in to five. Yes, you read that right. Five. It took us over five hours to get from our house to Olympia Washington. If you are familiar with the area that drive should take about an hour and a half tops!

This was not a good start to our trip and we weren’t even that far from home. With the traffic out of Seattle and Tacoma and then a stop on the grade down in to Yreka due to a jack-knifed semi, we didn’t roll into Redding until almost 6am. Yeah, it was a long night.

Thunderheads… at least we have something fun to look forward to.
Driving through Portland at sunset. We should have seen this with more light in the sky… much more.

We slept for a few hours… 4 to be exact and then set off again in hopes to make it to our destination without any hiccups. We achieved that and had the chance to check in to our hotel before the sun even started to set! It was a miracle. It was probably the longest 36 hours of travel in our life, but we made it and it gave us the chance to actually sleep before our activities the following day!

Ellie Graduates Kindergarten

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Today Ellie graduated from Kindergarten… Kindergarten!! When did this happen?  It feels like just yesterday we were moving back to Seattle and Ellie was starting her very first day of preschool. Now she is graduating from Kindergarten and will start First Grade in the Fall. 
Ellie’s school doesn’t do a huge graduation ceremony like most but they so a celebration in each class. The class sang songs, we watched a slide show of all of their accomplishments and then enjoyed  some snacks and treats with all of the students and their parents.
Ellie has worked so hard this year and the change is impressive. She started off the year not being able to read or write. Her guided reading level was an A, if that. She could count to ten and do some basic addition. She ended the year at a guided reading level of an H (First Grade Level), she can write her own sentences and spell phonetically. She can add and subtract, she’s learned a lot about animals and science and her confidence has grown immensly. She loves to read and draw. Her teacher has been amazing for Ellie and I couldnt have been happier. Shaun and I are so proud of Ellie and all that she has accomplished!
Now its on to First Grade!
Singing Songs for the parents!
Ellie’s shares how she has bloomed this year in Kindergarten.
Ellie receives her Kindergarten certificate and the “key to the future”.
Ellie and Miss Polly… shes officially a First Grader! *Mommy cries inside*

Back to Blogging

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When I originally started our blog, it wasn’t to attract a crowd or following outside of family and friends. Instead my plan was to document our adventures as a family so that my children could hopefully look back on them and read about everything that we have done together.

Over time, life became busy and I fell behind. I wanted to stop and try to catch up (which I have been doing slowly) but then I realized that all of the current things we were doing were being neglected. So I then fell further behind. So starting from the beginning of 2016, I will update with our most recent adventures as well as catch up where we left off. So our blog is back! I hope we haven’t lost too many family and friends but please come back and check in. Our new posts and posts from the past that I have updated!

Its going to be a great year with a lot of adventures!

Abby’s Shark Tooth

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So Abby has shark teeth. I know crazy claim but let me explain. Abby has only had one tooth, so far, that has grown in properly. By that I mean her adult tooth grew in underneath her baby tooth and naturally pushed it out. All others have grown in behind her baby teeth, making it difficult for the baby tooth to come out. Her first tooth came out on its own and then she had to have two pulled by the dentist. She had one remaining on top that they did not pull so that it didnt cost me a fortune and because it was close to coming out on its own.

So for weeks, Abby fiddled with and twisted her tooth. She wouldnt let Shaun or I pull it mainly because everyone but Abby has pulled her teeth thus far. So it dragged on, for weeks, until this morning. We were on our way to school and Abby was finishing the last of her breakfast (another story for another time). As she went to put a piece of bread into her mouth, we hit a speed bump and she bumped her tooth. Hard. It was barely hanging on and at that point, Abby pulled it from her mouth.

We arrived at school, mouth bloodied from the missing tooth but luckily not a drop landed on her clothes.We got her cleaned up, took a picture of course, and then on her way to school she went. Never a dull moment with these girls and this was just another piece of evidence to prove it. Yay for Abby and hopefully the tooth fairy comes tonight!

The tooth that wouldn’t leave… finally left!
Cleaned up most of the mess but the tooth is finally out. Now the adult tooth can move forward and take its place where it belongs!

Snow for the New Year

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The first few days of the New Year brought snow here in Seattle! The girls were thrilled. As usual we hit the road for some lunch and a drive, assuming that it would be a light and less than worrisome snowstorm. However, the weather had other plans. Within 10 minuutes of our drive the snowing was coming down heavy and fast, causing us to head back home due to slick roads. The snow lasted a few hours and then started to melt, but it was fun while it lasted! 
A fun start to the New Year!