Tag: Abby

Tall Ships and Lots of Fun

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As we were leaving Abby and Ellie’s dance class today, Shaun received a call from our friend JT about coming up to Ventura Harbor. He and his fiance’ Mellissa were going to be there to see two tall ships docked there for a short time. These tall ships were historic and used in the filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Having nothing to do that day we decided to head on up and take a look.

When we arrived we knew JT and Mellissa were close by as we could see his car. You cant miss it. Its the one covered in chalkboard paint with a box of sidewalk chalk sitting on the back, inviting people to leave their artistic mark. So before we set out to look for the two of them, we did a bit of drawing.

When we met up with them we took the time to enjoy the ships. Shaun and I thought it would be fun to tour them but the cost was a little more then we had wanted to spend. Instead we walked around the harbor, stopping at the arcade area to ride the carousel there. After that we headed over to the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center. Every afternoon the ships take passengers out to sea for a mock battle. JT and Mellissa knew that if we went to the second floor of the visitor center we could watch them sail out and that’s where we went. It was a pretty sight to see on a beautiful afternoon.

Shaun and Abby help to decorate JT’s fun car.
Its a moving piece of art, quite literally.
Pretty Tall Ships
Ellie and Daddy are all smiles at the carousel.
Gathered around the tide pools.
What the heck is that mommy?
Sailing out to sea
Not doing much, just riding a dolphin.
“Cheese, Im on a Sea Lion!”
One last addition to the car before we have to go. Abby did a great job with her name on the car.

After the ships sailed out we headed back to our car. Abby and Ellie left a few more drawings for JT and then we made our way out. We had planned to head home but got the itch to head up to Santa Barbara for a quick trip to the zoo to surprise the girls.

The newest residents of the Santa Barbara Zoo. So beautiful!
Hanging out with the penguins hoping to catch a free bite.
You cant leave without seeing the penguins!

Our plan to surprise the girls back fired a bit, with stops to use the potty and some traffic slowing us down. By the time we arrived we only had about 45 minutes before the zoo closed. But, we decided to enjoy it anyway and headed off to see our favorite animals. Two new animals have joined the zoo family and we wanted to see them as well. Two female lions were added the male and female already making the zoo a home. It was just our luck to see them out and about. They are young but so big and beautiful. The lack of time at the zoo was worth it to see the newest residents. And with that we headed home to close out yet another random Wharton adventure.

Disneyland Time!

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Abby and Ellie woke up this morning as if it were any other morning. They headed off into the play room to play, pulling out their princess dresses for dress up. At that moment we pulled them into our room to tell them about the special day they were going to have. Today we were going to Disneyland and Grandma Zoe was going with us! With a lot of energy and excitement we packed up and headed on our way!
We’re going to Disneyland today!

After an hour or so we had made it to Disneyland and we were walking through the gates of California Adventure. Abby and Ellie received a lot of attention from many of the Disneyland cast members while they were dressed as Merrida and Rapunzel. One of the Buena Vista Street page’s stopped on her bicycle and made a big deal about being in the presence of “royalty”. The girls got a huge kick out of it and she had them grinning from ear to ear.

The whole gang and Abby who was not thrilled about being in the picture.
“I know something you don’t know”
Abby and Grandma Zoe on Luigi’s Flying Tires
Churro Sugar Coma

Our time in California Adventure was a blast. We all rode Luigi’s Flying Tires for the very first time and Shaun and I had the chance to test out Radiator Spings Racers. We had to go as single riders to save time but it was worth it. I can see why the line is so stinking long! We tried to get Abby to go one but she didnt want to. Next time, she said. 

From there we made sure Ellie got her chance on the Little Mermaid, a favorite and then headed over to Monster’s Inc. for one last ride in California Adventure. On our way over we ran into Miss Judith! What a coincidence! She went with us on Monster’s and then headed on her way as she only had a little time to herself that day.
Over at Disneyland the girls ahd a lot of fun. They had the chance to meet Minnie Mouse and the Mad Hatter, who wanted to play a game with them but Abby just wasn’t up for it. We made it to all of the favorites: Buzz Light Year, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, and Abby and Grandma went on , Casey Jr., Snow White and Pinocchio together while Ellie slept. 

This is what happens when you have a blonde haired, blue eyed, glass wearing cutie dressed in her princess costumes. This group loved her and was so kind, asking to take a picture. She is famous already!
Yay! Its Minnie Mouse!
The Mad Hatter wanted us to join his game but Abby wasn’t keen on it.
Abby was so excited to see Pluto at Goofy’s Kitchen
Our last ride of the evening was on the Monorail over to the Disneyland Hotel. Grandma Zoe treated all of us to dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen and even though they were exhausted the girls had a wonderful time. They saw Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Aladdin, Cinderella and of course Minnie Mouse! Dinner was yummy and the time with the characters was a blast. It was the perfect end to a great night!

Date Day with Abby

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The girls do a wonderful job playing together and having fun with the occasional fight or two. But sometimes it becomes apparent that they need some one one one time with me or Shaun. So today Abby and I headed out for a date day! We headed to the library to read and pick out some books, including Charlotte’s Web which I am very excited to read to Abby. After the library we had lunch at Abby’s favorite place… Red Robin and then some play time at her favorite play place. 
It was so nice to have this time with Abby. To talk, giggle and bond. It amazes me how much she has grown since September, what a change. The conversations we have and the imagination she has just blows me away. I am so happy that I can have these moments with her and I cannot wait for another date day!

At the Beach

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A stop at the beach always seems to make for some great photos. Today didn’t disappoint. Its amazing how much children come to life when they step into the sand. How little grains of worn down rock and earth can bring such joy. I love watching Abby and Ellie play in the sand and run along the water. So pure. To me our girls are beautiful and so special.

Heading Home

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Our final day in Bozeman was very low key. Most of the time was spent doing laundry and packing up all of the goodies we collected from our trip and Christmas. We ran a few errands and packed up the car. That night we enjoyed dinner from Santa Fe Reds (yummy) and some last moments with the family. As always it was hard to say goodbye and our hearts were heavy when we left that night. Leaving Montana is never easy for me, but I know we will be back soon and I am pretty certain that everyone will be down to visit soon!
In the morning we left early and grabbed breakfast. There was a storm front moving in across the mountain areas of Idaho and Utah so we wanted to get ahead of it as best we could, and we did. We actually made such amazing time that we continued past our original stop in Pocatello and stayed in Salt Lake City that first night.  From there we stopped in Vegas and then home! 
While I hate to come home from any vacation, once you have started the process of doing so you almost feel like you are in a hurry to get back. We couldn’t get home soon enough! So when we finally arrived and walked through the door it felt so great to finally be home. I actually looked forward to unpacking and sleeping in my own bed sounded like heaven to me. I am sure Shaun felt the same way!
In the car, stopping for gas and heading our on our way!
This is the “dont bother me I am busy in the car” look.

Museum Time!

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After a relaxing New Year celebration, we thought it would be nice to get out of the house and do something for Abby and Ellie. While playing in the snow would keep them happy for hours, they have also continuously  asked to go to the Museum of the Rockies. Since Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Jillian all had the afternoon off we headed for one of their favorite spots.
On the way there we did stop for lunch at Rosie’s pizza. I just had to mention that because it was our first time eating there and boy was it yummy! It was there that Abby discovered the yummy goodness of Parmesan cheese on her Pizza.
Time at the museum was pretty simple. We headed up to the play area first so that the girls had the chance to run out some of their craziness and we wanted to make sure that we didn’t miss it. We might not hear the end of it if we did.
Doing a little bit of fishing…
I caught one! Grandpa Jerry and Grandpa Pat would be proud!
Taking a break from cooking and other fun things.
I’m an Eagle!
I am Abby the Eagle!

After the play area we headed out to see some of the new exhibits. The first was all about building and engineering. At the front of the exhibit was a low table covered in wood building pieces. Museum patrons were invited to add on to the structures already created by others or start one of their own. Abby, Ellie, Daddy and Auntie Jillian did just that and had a blast doing so. Shaun’s structure looked pretty cool by the time he was finished with it.

A Family that builds together… well… has fun together!

After construction was completed we moved on to the next exhibit. This one showcased Montana artists and their furniture and woodworking. What beautiful and amazing pieces of work. I found myself saying that if I had a big beautiful cabin in Montana somewhere, I would want everything on display. From dining room tables and clocks to drafting tables and wet bars that looked like a train caboose, I wanted them all. I also wished that I had a skill like that that I was good at, but that’s another story.

Beautiful wood carved clock. Love the wolf on it!
Beautiful carved table top with the Teton range. Love this one!
When we were done wishing we had everything in the exhibit, we moved on to Abby’s favorite place… The Dinosaurs! Abby sat with daddy and watched a video about how birds are related to dinosaurs, which had Abby completely fascinated. We saw the “living” Triceratops as well as all the fossils of triceratops at different stages in life. This time around, Ellie seemed even more excited and interested in the dinosaurs. I love the enthusiasm she shows now!
Abby and Daddy watching a video about birds and their connections to dinosaurs.
Sunset at Museum of the Rockies

After our walk through the dinosaurs it was time to go. We really didn’t want to leave, but it was getting late and the museum was closing. As always we had a blast and the girls learned a lot. All Abby could talk about the rest of the day were the building blocks and of course, the dinosaurs. You know you have had a good day when all your kiddos can talk about are the things they did!

Celebrating the New Year

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New Years Eve
New Years Eve was another quiet and relaxing day. Shaun and I slept in as best we could, although the girls pretty much keep to a schedule which means being up by 7 (even in another time zone). We did some more shopping and outings around town. In the evening we picked up our traditional Chinese food dinner and enjoyed every bite of it. After dinner we played games with the girls, had long conversations and passed the time until we rang in the New Year. Almost all of us made it to midnight, except Ellie. She was the smart one and passed out cold on cozy blankets in front of the fire.
We hope that everyone had a safe and fun New Year. We hope that 2013 brings happiness, prosperity and wonderful things for you and your family. Enjoy the year and don’t let it slip by too fast! I know we plan to try and make it last for as long as we can.
Happy New Year from dream land!
Happy New Year from Abby! Dont worry, its only Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider in her cup
Auntie Jillian enjoys a bit of the bubbly to ring in the New Year.

New Years Day

New Years Day was once again full of tradition. We slept in a bit and then headed back over to Grandpa and Grandma’s house for our traditional Eggs Benedict brunch. We were lucky the weather was beautiful too. This allowed for Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Grandma Prueter to come over and join us for brunch. As always, brunch was wonderful and I was amazed to watch Ellie, my picky eater, shovel down nearly two helpings of poached eggs, ham, olives and English muffin. Kudos to you Grandpa Jerry!

After brunch we sat down for another belated Christmas and opened presents from Grandpa Prueter and the gang. The girls loved their presents! They each received a tie-dyed stuffed moose and new pillow cases and a doll that keeps the monsters out from under the bed. However, in true child fashion, the hit of the day were their cards from Diane and Barry. Nothing beats a card that sings and dances! I think those will be hidden in a box on the way home.

A little snuggle time before having some yummy food.
Opening presents with Great Grandma Laura. Sorry about the game on TV Shaun.  Just pretend the score isn’t visible.
Great Grandma Laura opening up her present from the girls.
Ellie really loves her moose!
Their Christmas cards were the hit of the day… As you can tell.
Opening presents with Auntie Diane.
When all was said and done, Abby was back to her “Reader Book”

The remainder of the day was occupied with family and football. We enjoyed one anothers company and spent time catching up. Once again it was a simple day but it was nice to do simple things with family. I know we were sad to see Barry, Diane and Grandma leave but the good news is that we will be having dinner with them in just a few days! Better yet, my awesome cousin Mike and his fiance’ will be there too! So much to look forward to.

Merry Christmas! Christmas Day 2012

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Merry Christmas everyone! Abby and Ellie took their job of falling asleep very serious last night. They slept hard and when they woke up this morning both of them discovered that Santa had come to visit and he left a lot of fun things for them.  I think Abby and Ellie were pretty surprised with what they saw when they came down the stairs this morning.

In true Abby fashion the presents were noticed first but then she quickly discovered that Santa had enjoyed a snack of milk and cookies. He even left a messy little trail of crumbs from the plate to the door. For those who don’t know, we do not have a fireplace in our house so we hang a magical key on our door for Santa so that he can find his way in. When he came to visit, he used the key to enter the house but must have forgotten about it because he left it sitting on the cookie plate. It also looked as though the reindeer had enjoyed a few tasty treats as well.

Soon after this discovery Abby and Ellie were back to presents and could barely wait to open them. They were very lucky girls this year. On top of the giant stuffed animals they received a few new outfits, movies, a few games and some new toys. Ellie discovered that Santa brought her a princess castle of her very own and Abby had a new Cinderella doll complete with carriage that changes back and forth to a pumpkin. From mommy and daddy, the girls were each given a tablet made just for kids. Now we can have our Kindles back!

After presents, we had some breakfast and cleaned up the mess of paper and boxes. In the afternoon, Grandma Zoe joined the fun. After a full morning of presents, you would have thought that maybe the girls were burnt out but they certainly proved us wrong. The girls ripped through more presents with the same excitement they had in the morning. Abby and Ellie received quite a few new outfits that were adorable but like most children moved on the minute they saw what they were. They also received new bedding which has been personalized for each of them and some adorable toys by Melissa and Doug (a fire truck set and a school bus set). Abby and Ellie also had fun with stockings full of fun treats and toys. Grandma Zoe certainly gave them lots to enjoy.

After presents with Grandma we enjoyed a lovely dinner from the Pizza Cookery, one of our favorites. By that point I had to move on from Christmas and get back into packing mode. Packing mode, you say? Yes, tomorrow we leave for Montana and there was plenty left to pack. I hated to move on so quickly from what was a wonderful day but in order to leave at a decent time tomorrow I needed to move forward.
So with that I must say goodnight and continue on with my packing. Merry Christmas one and all! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with family, friends and plenty of special memories. All the best from the Wharton Family!

Christmas Eve 2012

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Christmas Eve certainly snuck up on us this year. One minute it’s Thanksgiving and the next thing you know, it’s Christmas already! Christmas Eve was fun this year. Our morning was pretty simple, with pancakes for breakfast and Christmas cartoons to enjoy as we gobbled them up. After eating I pulled out the mixer, my recipes and every decorating item I own to prep for cookie making. We had to make sure that Santa had a yummy treat when he came to visit the house!

Once the dough was chilled, the cookies were cut and baked and they had time to cool, cooking decorating commenced. Abby and Ellie had many colors of frosting to choose from as well as different types of sprinkles, confetti and more. They used anything and everything that they could get their little hands on. Once every single cookie had been used as a painter’s canvas, we cleaned up and headed over to Grandpa and Nana’s house to visit and have a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. 

Dinner was wonderful. As always Nana cooked some yummy food which included ham, green bean casserole, cauliflower and cheese and her yummy potatoes. I tried not to eat like a pig but it was hard. Ellie dug in and cleared most of her plate, which isn’t her typical way of handling dinner time. I don’t think either Shaun or I were complaining. After dinner we watched some TV and a few of the holiday classics. Then it was on to presents!  Abby and Ellie received Barbies galore as well as games and some fun stocking stuffers too. Grandpa even gave each of them a huge tub of cotton candy!

Pretty soon it was time to go home, set out the cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and head to bed so that Santa could come and visit. Abby left a note for Santa too, asking him a few questions. It was very cute. I think that she was hoping that if she left a nice note that Santa would stop by and leave lots of goodies! As you can see below, “Santa” was pretty nice this year. I think she will be very happy with what she sees tomorrow morning. Until then, an early Merry Christmas!

Decorating the Tree

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Due to my surgery and recovery, decorating the house and the tree for Christmas came a bit late this year. I had done some of the house beforehand but quickly ran out of time. So, we completed some of these things a bit late. The last thing on our list to do was the tree. Because we intend to travel up to Montana to see my family after Christmas, we were once again stuck to using our artificial tree. I completely understand why we use our artificial tree when we travel after the holiday, but I can’t say I am a fan. I grew up enjoying a beautiful, fresh tree that fills the house with the lovely scent of pine so not having one can be a tough pill to swallow. I know there are things in life that are far worse than not having a real tree but I had to complain for just a moment. But I digress…

This was the first time that Abby and Ellie really had the chance to join in and do some decorating on their own (under the supervision of Shaun and myself of course). Both of the girls caught on pretty fast and were decorating pros in no time. I am very proud to report that not a single ornament was broken this year during the decorating process. Although based on the curiosity I saw this evening, there might be a few broken ones in our very near future. Oh well, that’s why the special ones are out of reach. Despite all of the chaos at times we had a blast and enjoyed some family time together.

Abby’s Preschool Christmas Party

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Just a few days ago Shaun, Ellie and I went to Abby’s preschool for a small party to celebrate Christmas and the last day of school before the break.  We all had the chance to enjoy some treats, take a peek at all of the work Abby has done in school this year and talk with the teachers and parents. It was a short party, only lasted through the remaining half hour of class but we had a lot of fun. As a special treat and surprise, the kids did a small performance for us. They sang six different holiday songs that Miss Betsie and Miss Sheryl have been working on for the last month or so. It was so cute to see Abby perform. Her first ever school performance (aside from dance)! Thank goodness I remembered to bring my camera to the party so that I could capture the whole show! Such a fun day for all of us and it was nice to see all of the progress that Abby has made.