Tag: Abby

Christmas Time Is Here

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Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is in the air! This week I pulled out the Christmas bins and decorated the house. Today Shaun pulled out our tree (yes its fake and no I am not thrilled about it) and set it up to decorate. The girls were very excited about the tree, especially Abby. I have to say I am very excited this year because Abby is now at that age where she is starting to understand the idea of Christmas and of course, Santa! She asks all the time about Santa and now every morning when she wakes up she asks if its Christmas. Its cute now, but lets hope it doesn’t wear out its cute factor too soon. I love that she is so excited and even though Ellie doesnt understand yet, the excitement is infectious. Ellie squealed when she saw the tree and all the lights.
I have to say, Christmas is even better with small children around. I love seeing their faces light up when they see things or you talk about Santa and Christmas day. I truly enjoy experiencing the magic of the season through the eyes, of my children. What a blessing it has been! So in that spirit Welcome to the Christmas Season and enjoy the beauty this time of year brings!

Thanksgiving 2011

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There isn’t much I can say about Thanksgiving that cant be told by our pictures. We had a wonderful relaxed day. This year we decided to do the traditional feast instead of the BBQ we did last year. Shaun’s turkey came out amazing! It was extremely tasty and very moist. No dry turkey in our house! Grandma Zoe came over and spent a few days with us, hanging out and watching the girls. After dinner we decided to brave the crowds and do a little Black Friday shopping at midnight. Don’t worry, it wasn’t us involved in the crazy pepper spraying at the Wal-Mart just down the street from us. Our patience and casual approach to our Black Friday shopping paid off. We were able to go out and find some great deals, like my Dirt Devil Stick Vac for only $10! We also have a new LED HD TV downstairs that we love so far. It was a steal too but I will keep the price of that to myself. 🙂 Happy early Christmas to us!







A Little Bit of Dance

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After the first day of dance fiasco, Abby returned and is loving every minute of it! Her class is small, with only three other girls in it. Today two of the girls were absent so she had the chance to do a semi private lesson with Bobbie. Today was a great class and Abby had a lot of fun. I just thought I would share a little clip from class today. Too cute if you ask me!

Mommy and Abby Date Day at Disneyland!

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Yesterday was a wonderful day! Abby and I had a date day, just the two of us! Abby was excited just to have some time with mommy, but what excited her the most was the fact that our date day was going to be at… DISNEYLAND! I don’t know a kid in the world who would pass up a day all about them at Disneyland.

Disneyland was not open as late as it usually is, seeing as it was the middle of the week but Abby and I accomplished a lot in our time there. Just after walking through the gates and on to Main Street, we ran into Pluto and Goofy! Abby had the chance to meet both of them and snag a few pictures as well.


From there we made our way up Main Street and headed to Fantasyland. The last few trips we made to Disneyland, Abby begged us to see Rapunzel but we always ran out of time. So, I promised her that we would stand in line to see her, even if it was the only thing we did that day. On our way we found Sleeping Beauty hiding out on one of the sides of the castle. Abby was so excited to meet her!

After our little meet and greet with Sleeping Beauty we hopped in line to see Rapunzel. Lucky for us the wait was less then 20 minutes, which was the fastest wait we have seen so far. When it came time to walk inside and meet Rapunzel and Flynn, Abby all of a sudden became scared of them and wanted to hide. She hid behind my legs and would not get near Flynn or Rapunzel. As we started to leave, Flynn started to talk with Abby at her level and before I knew it she was out from behind me and giving Rapunzel a hug. Then, without prompting, she gave Flynn a hug too! Luckily, what could have been 20 minutes spent in line for nothing, became a picture with a big smile. Honestly, I think it was a little overwhelming at first for Abby to meet her most favorite princess.
After we said goodbye to Rapunzel and Flynn, we headed out for a bit of lunch and then we hopped on to some rides. Dumbo for Auntie Kenzie, Alice in Wonderland for Auntie Jillian and so much more! Within a few hours we had gone on almost every single ride in Fantasyland! I think it was a record if you ask me. Abby had a few firsts that day, one being the King Arthur Carousel and the other being Mr. Toads WIld Ride. She had a blast on both and has said she cannot wait to go back on them.


As the sun went down, Abby and I headed for some food and found a small spot for us to stand and see the parade. Abby watched from my shoulders and soaked in every moment, especially when Santa came by. When the parade ended we headed to see Winnie the Pooh and then enjoyed the fireworks and snow in front of Sleep Beauty’s Castle, which is now decorated for the Christmas season.

After fireworks, we headed back to the car and then home. It was a wonderful day and I am so thrilled I had the chance to spend some one on one time with Abby. I cannot wait until Ellie is old enough to do the same and appreciate it. I am sure that time will be here faster then I would like it to be, so I wont rush it. Until then I will cherish the memories I have of spending a day at Disneyland with my little pumpkin Abby.

Bridal Shower and Hockey… Huh?

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Today was a busy day but a fun one! This afternoon I attended a bridal shower for my dear friend Jackie Wessely. Her shower was a wonderful tea party theme and Cameo (another dear friend of mine) did an amazing job as host and planner. She did it all eight months pregnant too! I had a lovely time and it was great to catch up with friends and meet a few new people too!

After the shower I rushed home and got myself and the house ready for the Kings game. Our friends Erika, Byron and Harrison were coming over to watch with us, which really means they came over to talk and have fun while the kids played and the game would be the background. It was! Abby had a special date to the mall with Daddy while I was at the shower which meant she came home with a few new things. Abby was nice and decided Harrison needed something too, so she gave him a cool Lightening McQueen car. They had a blast playing it! Also, lots of credit to Byron for finding the smallest piece on a toy I have ever seen that is crucial to keeping a tire on. How you found it I will never know!

Abby, Harrison and Ellie had a great time playing, having snacks, and occasionally watching the game. Shaun and I had a wonderful time cathing up with our good friends and enjoying the company of other adults. To top it all off the Kings won too! A perfect night and fun was had by all!
Erika’s cupcakes were very yummy… as always!

Taking a small break to watch the game. Chasing a boy around the house is tiring work!

This is what happens when it gets too quiet in the other room. It’s veggies dip art!

Abby’s First Ballet Class!!

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Today was Abby’s first day at dance! She has been asking us for a few months now about taking ballet. I swear I had nothing to do with this! I think its the Angelina Ballerina cartoons she watches. Abby was so excited to get dressed in her leotard and ballet skirt. I couldn’t contain her excitement.




Based on the pictures you would think the day was perfect! But unfortunately during the first five minutes of class, the music came on very loud and it scared Abby. New place, new activity, new people and then the music startling her took all that excited energy and before I knew it she was a bawling mess in my lap. For the rest of class Abby sat in my lap upset and stubborn as a mule. Not sure where she gets that from, but I am sure by next week it will pass. Despite all of that, she sure looked cute in her ballet outfit. Here is to a new week!

Dinner with Fran = Yummy Food and Lots of Fun!

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Tonight we had a lovely dinner with Aunt Fran… or Auntie Auntie Fran to the girls. We have not seen her in a while so it was nice to have to time to spend together. Dinner was very relaxed and extremely yummy. Actually, I am not sure extremely yummy even describes it. It was out of this world!

After dinner and dessert we spent time talking and enjoying each others company. Fran adopted a new dachshund puppy named Lily and for the girls she was the hit of the night. Unfortunately Lily wasn’t as thrilled about all of the company. For a good portion of the night she hid in her little burrow and the rest of the time she sat with Fran, keeping a very sharp eye on the two small people who were capable of making high pitched sounds. Luckily Dexter, who is Fran’s other little Dachshund, was happy to hang out and play with the girls which thrilled Abby to no end. The night was wonderful. Nothing beats family, good food and great memories.










Giving Thanks: Sisters

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A Sister is…

a best friend
a partner in crime
a keeper of secrets
a cheerleader when you need encouragement
a role model
a generous person and an amazing human being

She…

drives you crazy but you cant live without her
reminds you that even when things are bad you always have each other
is always there when you need her the most
makes you laugh and definitely knows how to make you cry (in a good way)
will always have a very special place in your heart.

I am thankful for my sister and all that has done and all that she will do. She is an amazing aunt and role model to my children. While six and a half years separate us, we only get closer as we get older. She knows how to make me laugh, push my buttons, and what really means the most to me. I am so proud of all that she has accomplished and I feel so blessed to call her my sister. I can only hope that our girls can have the same relationship that we do. But I have a feeling that if we set the right example, they will. Thank you Jillian for being the best sister a girl could ever have!

Giving Thanks: My Pumpkin Abigail

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Even though you are screaming at daddy from your room about how you don’t want to go to bed, I am thankful and love everything about you my little Abby. From the first day I held you in my arms I knew my life was about to change. I knew that you would give me a run for my money but would bring so much joy to my life. I am thankful for your smiles, your tears, your drama, and your laughs. I am thankful for your brave and tough exterior and your sensitive and loving interior. I am thankful for the small moments in life, like driving along in the car listening to you sing in the back seat and the joy that comes across your face when you see your favorite Disney characters. No matter what I will always be thankful for the blessing that is you. I love you pumpkin.

This is Halloween!

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“This is Halloween, This is Halloween!”

Well its that time of year again when the pumpkins come out and the costumes are put on. This is the first year we decided to go trick or treating and of course it was a hit! After we took pictures in costumes, we headed on over to my friend Jen’s house to visit with them, see the twins all dressed up and to walk their neighborhood which was pretty busy. But busy neighborhoods mean good candy and lots of it. That was the truth too! Lots of candy for the girls (well enough to last them a while) and we only had to walk half of the block. Abby got the hang of things pretty quick and Ellie just stuck her basket out and because she is so cute people put lots of candy in her bucket. The only thing we had to do was remind Abby to say Trick or Treat after someone opened the door.

Picture attempt #1…

Picture attempt #2…

Picture attempt #3… Not once could I get both of them looking at the camera and smiling at the same time.

“Why am I in this bunny costume? Now I know how Ralphie must have felt.”

After visiting with Jen, Rod, Bixby and Felicity we grabbed some dinner and took a drive to look at all of the Halloween lights and decorations. This always makes Abby happy. After a few stops we went home and the girls passed out for the night. Having fun can be tough sometimes.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

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Tonight was pumpkin carving time! Despite everyone starting to come down with a bit of the sniffles, we had a great time. I remember carving pumpkins with my family as a kid and it was something I always looked forward to at Halloween time. My hope is that in the future Abby and Ellie will look forward to these things as well. I also hope we can start a few Halloween family traditions of our own now that Abby is really learning what these holidays are. Now I cant wait until Ellie is old enough too. But lets not rush it.

Abby has her pumpkin and she is ready to start creating. She has been learning on a Disney Preschool show called “Special Agent Oso” about all the steps needed to create a Jack O’ Lantern.

The face has been drawn and now its time to cut the top off and scoop out all of the “pumpkin guts”.
The pumpkin tops are off and not its time to scoop out the “guts”. Ellie had a lot of fun doing this, even if it was a teaspoon at a time.
Having lots of fun!

Abby’s pumpkin is all done. Thank you daddy for helping create a wonderful Jack O’ Lantern face!

Ellie is done too! Mommy helped to make the face for Ellie’s Jack O’ Lantern, with two little buck teeth and all. Just like Ellie!

Disneyland… A Repeat Story But with a Few Tweaks

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Yup I know it, its another trip to Disneyland! But I love it and so did Abby and Ellie. This time it was just mommy, Abby and Ellie. Ok well it wasn’t just us but Daddy definitely didn’t get to come with us being that it was a work day and all. This time we met up with Judith, Diane, Auntie Kelli and Char for a day of fun. It was a gloomy day, but that didn’t stop us. If anything it made the the park a little less crowded and quite a bit more enjoyable.

Ellie made a new best friend out of Oscar, the chef at the Carnation restaurant. He was smitten with her and she with him.

Abby was so excited to meet Ariel!
Just taking a break a break in front of King Arthur’s Carousel.

For Ellie this is just a break to cause more trouble! Although I am sure it felt good to stretch those legs.
Trying to pull the sword from the stone.

Catching a ride with Kelli. These two look incredibly happy to be at Disneyland.

Ellie is giving poor ghost Mickey a little bit of “Mouth to Mouse Resuscitation”

We were able to snag some great seats for the parade. Abby had the chance to see Mary Poppins up close. She even waved at Abby!

A beautiful evening at the happiest place on Earth!

The day spent with friends was wonderful. Because of the kindness and generosity of Judith and friends I even had the chance to get on a few grown up rides like Matterhorn and Space Mountain. Disneyland closed early that night to prepare for Mickey’s Halloween but it gave us the chance to jump on to a few rides over at California Adventure and then stop for dinner before heading home. You could tell Abby had more fun then she even knew what to do with. She fell asleep on Judith’s arm as we were eating dinner. Once again it was a great day at the Magic Kingdom.