Month: October 2010

A Little More Pumpkin Picking…

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Ok, I know we went to the pumpkin patch already, but we just had to stop here. Abby was a bit overwhelmed with Underwood Farms so we decided the following day to go to the first place Abby went to pick out pumpkins. We didn’t stay long, but we had fun. Unfortunately Abby was still pretty distracted by other things and pumpkins seemed to be the last thing on her mind. I swear she is an older person trapped in a two year old body. All she wanted to do was go on the carnival rides, bounce house and giant slide. All of which she is still way too young for. She did eventually pay attention to some pumpkins, just as it was time to go. I think I will have to plan things a bit differently next year. Regardless, it was nice to spend time out with my girls and Shaun.




Pumpkin Picking at Underwood Farms

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We decided to take the girls to Underwood Farms to look at pumpkins. I have to confess that there really wasn’t any intention to buy pumpkins while we were there. Ralph’s had large pumpkins for only $5 and small pumpkins for $.99, so I figured we would save some money while the girls were young and don’t really know the difference. In another year or two, the old bait and switch and diversion tactics wont work and we will have two sets of beautiful blue eyes looking up at us, begging for a “real” pumpkin from the patch.

We had a great time though and there was plenty for Abby to look at. Maybe a little too much to look at. We saw all of the pumpkins gigantic to small as well as animals and a lot of interesting people. Abby really enjoyed visiting with the farms chickens, turkeys, donkeys, alpacas, sheep, cows, pigs and goats. The goats at Underwood Farms are very lucky goats. They basically have their own skywalk through their section of the farm. No kidding, hahaha (no pun intended)! I just had to remind myself not to stand underneath them, other wise I might get a special surprise from the sky.


Shaun did buy Abby a small pumpkin that she was pretty attached to but she also managed to come home with a cute little butterfly on a stick. Abby has now deemed it her “kite”. She absolutely loves it and I now find myself having to hide it, you know the whole out of sight out of mind thing, because she would literally take it with her everywhere. I think she liked that butterfly more then anything else at the pumpkin patch, including the pumpkins. That is saying a lot. We had a great time and Ellie managed to stay happy the entire trip, which was also a plus. I cant wait until Ellie is a little bit older and understands more, I know she will love the pumpkin patch as much as her sister does.


Our First Vacation as a Family of Four…

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Our first vacation as a family was a relaxing one. Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary were kind enough to let us use their condo for the weekend, so we headed up to Mammoth. Much of our plan was to plan nothing and that is pretty much what we did.

We hit the road on Thursday night after Shaun came home from work. The girls were all ready for the car ride and dressed in their jammies. We traveled under a bright moon and listened to the radio as the girls slept. We didn’t pull up to the condo until after 2am, but it was a fun drive. Once we had unpacked the car it was off to bed for us.

The next morning we were up late but to a beautiful day in Mammoth. Shaun made us a yummy breakfast and then we were off to explore. We decided to head up to Yosemite National Park to see if the leaves were turning colors up in Tuolumne Meadows. The drive up was beautiful. The moutain sides had patches on red, orange, yellow and green from the groves of Aspens and Dogwoods turning colors. It was beautiful. Unfortunately the trees up in Toulumne had not started to turn yet but we still enjoyed the drive. We even spotted a coyote on our way through. If there had been enough time we would have driven down to the Valley, but it was getting late and we wanted to head home. That night we ate a wonderful dinner and slept well. Must have been that mountain air!

View from the condo.

Autumn Leaves, Gull Lake , October 2010


The next morning we woke up to a yummy pancake breakfast and then headed out to explore again. The day was pretty but cloudy. A big storm was starting to making its way over the moutains. Shaun and I certainly were not complaining. We drove around the lakes, stopping to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. From there we drove up to June and Gull Lakes. We stopped at the Gull Lake Marina where Abby and I took a walk down the boat ramp area. She wanted to see all of the birds swimming out on the lake. As we watched a mama duck came swimming up to us. It was obvious she was hoping to get a hand out or two. She quickly jumped out of the water and onto the ramp. Abby was as happy as a clam and excited to be so close to a duck. Mommy was having fun too, although she was doing her best to keep Abby from getting too close. From there we decided to head back to Mammoth. We drove up to the Canyon Lodge, the Minarets overlook and Reds Lake. After that we headed back for another yummy dinner at the condo and to enjoy a cozy evening. We even had a nice rain storm blow through.

Ducky Kisses


The following morning we woke up and headed home. It was hard to leave but we had to. On our way out we drove up to Convict Lake. It was gloomy but pretty and a nice end to our trip to Mammoth. The drive home gave us some rain and pretty landscapes. All I know is that I hope we are back very soon!

Monkey Says…

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There is a new show on Sprout called Monkey See Monkey Do and Abby LOVES it. She loves to follow the directions as best she can and really just have fun. Because of that show, Shaun has now started to play “Monkey Says” with her and she has a blast. I caught some video of her doing this just after bath time and I couldn’t stop filming, it was too funny. Its longer then most of our video clips but its cute. She is such a funny and silly little girl. I think we have found a really good way to get her to listen and follow directions when we ask her to do something!

Will Be back to the Blog Very Soon

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Friends and Family…

I promise that I will be back to blogging very shortly. I was all ready to post lots of good things when my laptop bit the dust. I had backed up all of my photos from 2009 and earlier, but this years photos where still on it. Sunday morning when I went to turn it on and realized there was a big problem, I was devastated.I spent all of Sunday and Monday practically in tears every time I thought of the pictures I had on there and what I had lost. Today I spent time with my dear friend Kelli, taking my mind off of things.

Luckily when Shaun came home with our beautiful new 500GB external hard drive with potentially all of my information from my now dead laptop, all of the files were intact and working. So many lessons learned here but I am so grateful that everything turned out ok. I know they are only pictures but pictures hold a lot of meaning in my life. They are my memories, my art and a big piece of my heart. I am very protective of my photography and now I have had a huge lesson in being even more careful with it. Thank goodness it all turned out alright.

More fun stuff coming your way!

Kings Hockey Officially Begins!

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Today was the first game of the season for the Los Angeles Kings. Since we decided not to go to the game, we thought it would be fun to have a small get together with our friends Byron, Erika and Harrison to watch the game. If you didn’t already know, they are Kings fans too! We got all dressed up in our T-Shirts and Jerseys, had some pizza, salad, plenty of game time junk food and watched the Kings play the Vancouver Canucks. Erika even made some yummy Kings themed cupcakes and they were super delicious.


The game really didn’t get exciting until the end. In the third period the Kings tied it up 1-1, took it to overtime and then a shoot-out. The Kings won in a shoot-out and we were all very happy campers. During the down time in the game we all had the chance to talk and watch the kids play. Abby kept stealing all of the toys from Harrison, who really just wanted to escape from this aggressive little girl and play on his own. Shaun and I were constantly telling Abby to share with Harrison and to give back the Buzz Lightyear toy that he chose to play with. AH two year olds. The concept of sharing is nearly impossible to teach. But, by the end of the night they were playing together… chasing each other around our house. It was a great night and a great win! We need to do these parties more often!




More Milestones and Updates

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Today we took both Abby and Ellie in for their check-ups (2 Year and 3 Month). Abby hasn’t been since she was 18 months, but she seemed to remember it pretty well and better yet, didn’t seem too apprehensive about it. As we sat in the Well Child Waiting Room, Abby met a friend and they played and chattered as we waited. And we waited for quite some time. Unfortunately I made the appointment for a Monday and it was a zoo! Monday walk-in hours are miserable, even if you are one of the lucky ones waiting for an appointment.

When we were finally called in Abby was still happy and calm. Shaun and I were both very proud. Dr. Calig took a look at Ellie first. Once again she received a clean bill of health and her chest and lungs still sound clear. Always good news!

We then placed Abby up on the table to be looked over. Dr. Calig checked her heart, her ears, her throat and more. Abby sat still for all of it and even giggled a few times. She too recieved a clean bill of health from Dr. Calig. Then came the part that I was truly dreading, her vaccinations. She received 4 of them today and I was super worried that she would flip out as she does with so many little things these days. I had talked with her about them and didn’t hide the fact that she was getting some shots today, not that she really knew what that meant. But when it came down to it, Abby was amazing! She didn’t even flinch and there wasn’t a single tear shed! I couldn’t have been more proud of her and more relieved all at the same time. What I thought would be a rough day at the doctors office turned out great! Shaun and I are so blessed to have two healthy little girls.

Since they are both growing so fast, here are some of their stats!

Ellie’s Three Month Stats
Weight: 12 Pounds 13 Ounces
Length: 24 and 1/4 Inches

Ellie has gained nearly a pound in one month and grown a quarter of an inch. It doesnt seem like a lot but for an infant that is, in both respects. Abby and Ellie are such different babies. At 3 months Abby was 13 pounds 9 ounces and 23 1/2 inches, so now Ellie is slowing on her weight gain a bit but still measures longer then Abby did. Ellie is now smiling, cooing, and chattering with us a lot. She has on several occasions rolled from her tummy to her back and is lifting her head very well in all situations, including tummy time. She is growing and changing all of the time, its so hard to believe! I am sure there will be a lot more to tell in just a months time!

Abby’s Two Year Stats
Weight: 31 Pounds
Height: 34 and 3/4 Inches

Abby is growing so fast as well. I swear she gets taller and taller each day. She is such a happy a cuddly little girl. We have our terrible two moments, but its nothing we cant handle and certainly something she will eventually grow out of. Abby loves to sing and has a remarkable ability to remember songs, mainly the tune of a song. The words still come and go but she knows the tune. She loves to sing her ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Fruit Salad by the Wiggles, Rock A Bye Your Bear by the Wiggles and quite a few more. Abby can also count to 10 and loves to show her knowledge of animal sounds and body parts. Currently she likes to show off her belly button to strangers when we are out shopping and I think sometimes those strangers think they are being flashed by a two year old if they don’t pay attention to what Abby is saying.

Boy do they change a lot in such a short time and learn so much. Thats why this age is so bittersweet. You can see them changing and learning and gaining even more of a personality but it all happens so fast. Before I know it, both girls will be off to college! Until then I will enjoy each and every moment that I have with them!

Tigger Dance at The Happiest Place on Earth

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Today we took Abby to Disneyland for her birthday. We have not been since February which is actually a long time for us! What a difference a few months can make when it comes to a child of this age. She is so much more aware of her surroundings, characters and the excitement that comes from being a child at Disneyland.

Over the last week or so I have been talking with Abby about how she is going to Disneyland. Each time we talk she gets really excited. When you ask her “Who are we going to see?” she immediately says, “Mickey Mouse!” Its a good thing I caught it on video because the way she says Mickey Mouse just melts my heart.

After dropping Ellie off with Grandpa and Nana we made our way to Disneyland. I had hoped Abby would fall asleep for a bit on the way, especially after such a busy day yesterday, but that did not happen. She chattered and sang to her Ariel doll the entire way. When we finally reached the parking garage, you could tell that Abby seemed to know we were there. There was a bit of prompting from Shaun and myself, but she was genuinely excited. She even said hello to the parking attendants as we drove by.

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After getting settled in with a stop at the lockers and more we headed for our first ride. It was a warm and humid day so it didn’t take long for Abby’s energy to be zapped. Shaun and I decided to get onto Nemo’s Submarine Voyage first before the lines grew. It was probably the longest wait of the day at about 30 minutes. That may not seem too long, but with a cranky 2 year old it seems like forever. There were a few bouts of tears because Abby didn’t quite get the concept of waiting in line, but there were also moments of happiness. Once we were on the ride, Abby was completely in awe! Even just the bubbles in the water made her happy. Those 30 difficult minutes in line, in the heat, were well worth it when we saw how excited she was to see Nemo.

Enjoying the Matterhorn and watching the waterfalls.

Loving Nemo and all of the bubbles as our submarine “dove” into the deep!

After Nemo we headed over to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Abby had fun watching Buzz and the little aliens, but didn’t quite understand the whole lazer gun thing. Oh well… baby steps! When we finished we started walking towards the entrance to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and Fantasyland. On our way we noticed the Pearl Band walking towards the castle. I knew what was going to happen so we quickly followed them and sure enough the show started. It was the Mary Poppins show and before we knew it, Mary and Bert were out in the crowd performing some of Abby’s favorite songs. What a treat! Bert even waved and winked at her!

After that excitement we decided to find a cool place to sit down and have some lunch. We headed over to the Hungry Bear and sat near the edge of the restaurant. From our seats we could watch the Sailing Ship Columbia and Mark Twain Steamboat pass by as well as the Disneyland Train. Abby got a big kick out of that. After lunch and a bit of walking around Abby finally fell asleep in her stroller. Shaun and I took the opportunity to sit down and relax in a nice shady spot over near Big Thunder Ranch.

When Abby woke up we decided to pop on in to Big Thunder Ranch so that Abby could see the farm animals. She saw the turkey that was saved from Thanksgiving dinner by the president, goats, sheep and the Disneyland cow Maggie. As we were petting the goats, Shaun and I looked up and saw the best thing on earth walk into the ranch… Jessie! I never thought I would be one of those parents that flips out but I did. Shaun and I snatched Abby up and booked it over to Jessie. I have to say it was worth looking like an idiot for. Abby was wearing her Jessie T-Shirt and Jessie kept pointing at it and kissing Abby. It was the sweetest thing ever and Abby was so excited. Made the whole trip worth it. I think if we had gone home right then and there, Abby would not have cared. She was on cloud nine. Mommy and Daddy were too!

Jessie gives Abby hugs and kisses. That is one happy little girl!

From there with big smiles we went on Winnie the Pooh, which of course Abby loved. When we exited the ride Shaun took us over to the line to see some of the Pooh Bear characters. When we walked up Tigger and Rabbit were out but had to leave. Lucky for us Tigger came back and along with him came Pooh Bear! Another excitement for Abby. This time around I didnt even have to hold her. She went running right up to Pooh Bear. He knelt down for her and she talked to him in her gibberish. Abby played with his nose and then we posed for a picture. This little girl was in heaven!

Pooh Bear’s nose is very interesting and Abby had a lot of interesting things to tell Pooh Bear too.

After visiting with Pooh Bear we made our way over to Tigger. Abby walked over on her own and was even more excited to see him. She started doing her Abby dance, which is basically bending and straightening her legs. Bobbing up and down so to speak. Before we knew it Tigger was following her movements and then Abby was following Tigger. It was adorable! She even had most of the people in line laughing. We didn’t catch all of it, but here is a little video of what we now call the Tigger dance…

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After her dance with Tigger, Abby snuggled up with him and we got what is probably the cutest picture to date of Abby. Pure excitement and joy to see some of her favorite characters. What a day to remember as parents. From there we headed over to California Adventure to see Beasts Library and the Monsters Inc. ride. Abby loved both. We had wanted to go on Toy Story Mania but unfortunately that had been closed for refurbishment. After Monsters we packed up and headed home. Even though the day started off rocky, it ended with some wonderful moments! What a great birthday for Abby. Happy Birthday little girl!

Snuggling up with Tigger for an adorable picture. What a lucky little girl.

Party Like Its Abby’s 2nd Birthday

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What a wonderful birthday for our little girl. Today Abby celebrated her birthday with family and a few friends. Shaun and I decided that instead of having a huge party for her we would do something small and take her to Disneyland the next day.

Abby had a great time hanging out with Grandpa and Nana and her Grandma Zoe as well as her Uncle James and his girlfriend Sammy. The Guerreros joined us as well and Abby had a fun time playing with Harrison. Harrison on the other hand was smitten with Sammy and wouldn’t leave her side. He was heart broken when it was time to go home. I hated to see him so sad but his crush on Sammy was very cute.

Stealing from Harrison’s plate… Im not sure that Harrison knew what to do with this aggressive little girl.

The food was yummy, and the cake even yummier! I made it myself and it was certainly fun trying to do that. I have learned a thing or two for next time but I think in the end her cake turned out great. Her plates and decorations matched it… kind of. This year Abby had a great time blowing out candles and laughed hysterically as people sang Happy Birthday to her. She loved the attention understood it a little bit more. On her first birthday she seemed a little creeped out by the fact that everyone was standing around her, staring and singing. What a difference a year makes! Although her process of consuming her cake was pretty similar to last year. What a messy little girl.

Abby’s Birthday Cake made by yours truly… No she is not 4 I just wanted Abby to have fun blowing out candles.

MMMMMM… CAKE! Not much has changed in a year has it?

Grandma and Grandpa Taylor and her Auntie J had the chance to watch her blow out her candles via web cam, which I know made their day. Even though they are not close to us they still had the chance to be a part of Abby’s special day.

After cake, Abby opened up her birthday presents. She opened her cards, kind of and then tore through her gifts. The clothing she received was given an “OHHH CUTE!” as she opened them and of course her attention was lost on toys, wrapping paper, boxes and more. Abby is a very lucky girl and will be well dressed for that matter. What a great birthday!

Being a good girl and opening her cards first… kind of.

Surrounded by wrapping paper and the remnants of some great birthday presents, now strewn about our deck.

Happy 2nd Birthday Abby!

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Today Abby turns 2. Is it really possible that its been 2 years since our little girl was born? Well it has and it certainly has been an amazing two years. Abby has grown and changed so much. She is such a happy and adorable little girl, even with the new addition of scream at a pitch nearly audible to dogs alone. So much happens in one year at this age, its an amazing process to see. Since her first birthday Abby has learned to walk and run, talk, speak in sentences, imaginative play with her toys, sing, dance, jump, climb and much much more. Her personality is amazing and she makes us laugh every day. She has developed likes and dislikes like most people and I am sure that will change a lot over the next little bit. At the moment Abby’s favorites are:

1. Favorite Movies:
Mary Poppins, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo

2. Favorite Characters:
Jessie, Woody, Bulls Eye, Buzz, Pooh Bear, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Bert, Nemo, Squirt, Beast, Belle, Ariel and Tinker Bell

3. Favorite Foods:
Bananas, Broccoli, Cheese, Apples, Chicken Strips

4. Favorite Friends:
Blanky, Doggy, Jessie, Woody, Tigger and Pooh

5. Favorite TV Shows
Caillou, Sesame Street, Olivia, The Wiggles

I am sure those favorites will change over the year, but thats what being a kid is all about. Shaun and I look forward to the years ahead and all of the changes that come with it. Abby, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we cannot wait to see what the future brings.

Happy 2nd Birthday Pumpkin!