Tag: Abby

Some of April… Where Did it Go?

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April… we are a little more then half way through… where has it gone! Boy has that month flown by and its mainly because we have been so busy. What have the Wharton’s been up to? Well lets see…

On the first of April Ellie turned 9 months old. My how she is growing. She crawls like a pro and is standing up whenever she gets the chance. I personally think that by mid-May she will be taking her first steps and then I will never hear the end of it. Ellie chatters like crazy and thanks to her big sister, she has learned how to scream like a banshee! And that scream could shatter glass too!

Ellie also saw Dr. Calig for her 9 Month check up and she is doing very well. Healthy as can be! Her scream is so ear piercing you would have never known she was down with Whooping Cough at 6 weeks old. She has grown a lot in weight and length since her last appointment. Can’t she just stay a tiny little peanut forever!?

Ellie’s 9 Month Stats
Weight: 21 Pounds 9 Ounces
Height: 28 1/2 Inches





All of April has pretty crazy for us. Between prepping and making some major changes in our lives (more to come on that later), we did find the time to sneak a few moments of fun into the month. On the 19th, Shaun surprised me with tickets to my very first Stanley Cup playoffs game. We had the chance to go to the first home game (Game 3, Round 1) and support our Kings. The game didnt end the way we had hoped for, but it was still fun nonetheless. Maybe next year we will be watching the Kings in the finals?





Despite the loss, Shaun and I had a great time. We even had the chance to see Marty McSorley during the rally before the game began. The energy during a playoff game is so intense but everyone was in a great mood and ready for a fun night. I can only hope to go again next year! Now that the fun is over, its back to reality and to lots of work ahead of us.

Cool Day at the Field

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We had another great afternoon at the Pierce College baseball field watching Uncle James play baseball. Today it was cool, with clouds rolling in bringing what is supposed to be one heck of a storm. Despite the clouds and the threat of rain, the girls had a great time playing with Grandpa and Nana. Abby climbed trees with Grandpas help and showed us all of her lovely faces, including one with a smile. Ellie stayed pretty quiet and snuggled with Nana; watching James play. Fun, fun, fun!





Sisterly Love…

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On the day Ellie was born, Abby came with Shaun to the hospital to meet her new sister. We didn’t know how Abby would react to this new baby taking up mommy and daddy’s time, but it seems as though they have a bond that no one but the two of them can understand.

Just a few days ago, Ellie and I had the chance to spend the day together. Just the two of us. After dropping Abby off we headed out to run some errands and during that car ride, Ellie fell asleep. She continued to sleep through most of our first stop, waking up just I was about to pay for the items I needed. When we got into the car, Ellie kept looking around the handle of her car seat as though she was trying to find something. She looked and looked and then finally turned to me, her bottom lip turned out, on the verge of tears. It was then I realized that she was looking for Abby, her sister and best buddy. She was upset that Abby was not there to ride in the car with her; to make her laugh and keep her company.

It was at this moment that I realized just how close they are, despite the fact that there are two years that separate them and Ellie isn’t even a year old. It is obvious that their relationship as sisters and best friends is limitless. All that time I spent worrying about how they would handle each other now seems so silly. Yes, as time goes on they will have their fights, someone will hit the other, and someone else will complain that the other is bugging her but from what I can see those are small fleeting moments that will not break the bond they have. It makes my heart soar and even puts tears in my eyes each time they make each other laugh, giggle or just chatter back and forth with one another in a language none of us can understand. What a blessing I have been given. What a blessing they have been given.

Baseball Saturday

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Today was the perfect day for a baseball game. The sun was shining bright, it was a nice warm day and a great ocean breeze was blowing. So, with all things looking great The Wharton’s headed on over to the Pierce College baseball field to watch “Uncle James” play in one of the first games of the season.

Abby, while excited to see Uncles James, had a better time running around and enjoying all that the baseball field had to offer. She met a new friend, Emma the Dog, and did her best song and dance for all to see. With the help of Grandpa, Abby climbed some trees, chased down stray baseballs, and played in the dirt looking for bugs with a few new friends. Shaun even tried to show her some tennis moves on the empty courts nearby. She loved it so much that when it came time to vacate the court for a few serious tennis players, Abby let most of the people within a mile or two know that she was not happy to leave.

Ellie, on the other hand, was happy to sit with Nana Fiona and Sammy and enjoy the sun. After a bottle and some attention from some of the ladies sitting nearby, Ellie finally passed out and caught a few “ZZZZ’s”. Can you blame her? Cuddled up in a thin blanket, the warmth of the sun and a cool breeze blowing… its perfect napping weather!

After an hour or so or running around and a few extra innings, the game was over and we took off for what ended up to be a nice drive on a Saturday afternoon. Abby and Ellie both passed out in the car, so Shaun and I drove as they slept. A simple but perfect Saturday afternoon!




Sunday Dinner

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Tonight we had dinner over at Grandma Zoe’s house. It was a nice, quiet and casual dinner and as always, the girls had a good time playing and getting themselves into trouble. We had a lovely dinner of tacos, beans and rice and I think Abby ate maybe a few of those things. She has become my little eater without an appetite. Its common at this age!

In a environment other then home, I get to watch our girls play and enjoy themselves. Tonight I could see just how much Abby and Ellie have grown and changed. Ellie is on the move discovering new things and Abby is always finding something new to play with and listening hard to the adults for new things to say. I love these little faces with all my heart and I don’t think I could take enough pictures of them.





To Salt Lake City or Bust!

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As a Valentine’s weekend treat Shaun, myself and the girls packed up the car for a short trip to Salt Lake City. Meeting us there would be my mom and dad (Grandpa and Grandma Taylor to the girls).

The drive there was eventful. We stopped in Vegas to break up the trip and let me tell you, that night of sleep wasn’t sleep at all. Abby, who had to sleep in a big girl bed, wouldn’t sleep! It wasn’t that she wanted to out, she just didn’t want to sleep. The following morning, as I am sure Shaun would agree, we were awake but hadn’t felt that sleep deprived since Ellie was first born.



After leaving Vegas several hours later then we had planned due to sleep deprivation, we made it to Salt Lake City, unpacked the car and headed out with my parents to a childhood favorite of mine, The Spaghetti Factory! This was the first one I had ever been too and now, almost 25 plus years later, we are returning to enjoy it! This would also be Ellie’s first trip to a Spaghetti Factory too!

The following day we decided to take a drive with my parents and do a bit of sight seeing before the concert. Time was limited but we packed a lot of things into the day. The first stop was driving by the first house I ever lived in on Ottawa in West Valley. I was happy to see it, but it had fallen into disrepair. I think the house numbers spray painted onto the front step made that pretty clear. Gone were my dads beautiful rose bushes and flower beds, the paint had been changed, and the trees out front had been hacked up. I cant even imagine what the backyard and inside look like now. Not sure that I want to. It was a nice memory, but now I need to get pictures from my parents to have those beautiful memories on hand. It was fun though, to show Abby were Mommy lived when she was Abby’s age.



After the trip down memory lane, we decided to take a drive up to Snow Bird and Alta. Not that we had plans to ski, but it was a pretty drive and it gave Abby the chance to play in the snow. It was a gorgeous day, clear skies, sunny and about 55 degrees. Abby was able to play in the snow without a jacket and this time she was able to make snowballs to throw at Daddy! When it was time to go, Abby was less then thrilled to leave.


After our stop in the mountains we headed back into the city and over to the University of Utah campus and my dads Alma Matter. We stopped by the bookstore to check a few things out and left with outfits for Abby, Ellie and myself thanks to Grandpa and Grandma. Abby also got a mini football to play with as well. I hadn’t been on the UofU campus in some time, so it pretty neat to see some of the changes that occurred for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Because of such an honored event, the University now has a beautiful new stadium that I just had to get a picture of. Go Utes!


We then moved forward to our last stop of the day, Temple Square. My father and many of my family members on his side of the family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While I am not, I still embrace my fathers beliefs and love to learn what I can about the Mormon church and their teachings, so it was a special treat to walk through Temple Square. I have not done this since I was junior high age but I certainly remember a lot.

Even though preparations were underway for Sunday services, we were still able to go inside the Tabernacle with help of two lovely sisters, one from the United States and one from Taiwan. As I remembered the Tabernacle was gorgeous and the acoustics, which the Tabernacle is known for, were amazing. I hope one day to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing, especially at Christmas time. After we were shown the nail drop demonstration, we had to leave and take in what we could of Temple Square before we had to head back to our hotel.

Before heading back to the car, I was able to grab a few shots of the beautiful Salt Lake City Temple in the afternoon light. It was stunning. I did move on however, as a large wedding party began to gather outside waiting for a newly married couple.




After our visit to Temple Square we went back to the hotel and got ready for our evening ahead. Abby and Ellie stayed the Grandpa and Grandma Taylor while we headed to see Stacey Kent, an amazing Jazz singer who put on one heck of a show that night. Performing live, she sounded just the same if not better then she does on her CD’s. It was a very relaxing show and night. After the concert we headed out in search for dinner, finding the Red Rock Brewery where I had the chance to eat some of the best Fish N Chips I have ever had. Large Halibut steaks in a thick breading, with amazing fries, and a homemade tartar sauce with fresh dill. Its not a dinner I will forget. Our appetizer of fresh tomato and mozzarella wrapped in prescuitto with a lemon dill sauce… incredible!

After a great night we came back to ouor hotel room to find my dad relaxing in a chair, Ellie snuggled on his chest and Abby passed out on her bed. She had not napped all day, so when my parents bathed her and set her in bed to watch cartoons, they literally watched her fade into a deep sleep and literally fall over. My dad caught a picture of her… what an angel.


The following morning we woke up, said the goodbyes I hated to say to my parents and hit the road. We would not be stopping over anywhere for the night, we were headed straight home. Even though it was a quick weekend it was a wonderful one. As always it was hard to say goodbye to my parents, but I will see them soon. At least they did get some time with the girls and to share a city that they started their family in, with us.

Sunday Funday

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After running a few crucial errands and deciding to procrastinate with the rest, we took off for a drive to Santa Barbara. What could we say, the sun was shining, the sky was clear and it was warm with a lovely ocean breeze. Who would want to run errands all Sunday on a day like that? So we drove the coast!

The drive up was a nice paced one without traffic and by the time we reached Santa Barbara, we realized that we had few hours before the zoo closed. So we were off without a single complaint from Abby… who loves the zoo too!



The new Otters, Bob and Jillian had given birth to new pups. This was the first weekend that anyone had the chance to see them in their open habitat to the public. They were super cute, playing with one another, biting, fighting and chasing. I could sit and watch the otters forever.


Because the zoo was pretty quiet, Abby also had the chance to get out of her stroller and walk on her own. She tested our limits, as any two year old might do, but she also had a great time and loved her “independence” from Mommy and Daddy.


Ellie however, was content and happy to be in her stroller. Now that she can sit in it like a big girl, she is happy to sit back, relax and watch the amazing world that surrounds her. And she did all of that with an adorable smile on her face.


And of course we had to see the giraffes! Abby wouldnt have it any other way. Only two were out today and they were very busy eating. The other female of the group was tucked away with her brand new baby who was a surprise to guests and zoo staff alike. The new baby should be out and about in the next month or so and I know we will be there to see him or her when that time comes.


After the giraffes, Abby and Daddy walked and talked about monkeys and more. I think that is because Abby is a monkey herself! Like the sign says, “Its all in the family”.


Another beautiful and random day in Southern California. Who would have thought that errands would have turned into an afternoon in Santa Barbara. I guess that’s a perk of being spontaneous!

Summer In January?

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Well its January, and in true California fashion… it feels like its Summer! The last week has brought 80 degree weather and of course the Santa Ana winds from time to time. I had to do a bit of digging to find some outfits that were cool enough for Abby to wear. Luckily many of the baby clothes I had for Abby at 6 months of age were summer type clothes, so Ellie has plenty to wear.

There is nothing like wearing shorts and dresses, eating Popsicles because its actually warm and watching hockey while roasting away at home. Gotta love Southern California and its January heat waves!





Christmas In Montana Part Five

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It had to happen, leaving that is. Our hotel room was emptied, the girls were packed up and now it was time to hit the road. First we had to stop at my parents house to pack up and give Abby some of the time we promised for her to play in the snow.





Abby has played in the snow before, but at that time the snow was melting away and could only be found in smaller patches. This time she was surrounded by that lovely white stuff. Abby was loving every minute she had in the snow and of course looked adorable all snuggled up in her snow gear. At first she touched it slowly but then began to dig in. Because it had been so cold, the snow was grainy and very difficult to pick up. I tried to help her make a snowball but to no avail. It was so cold that it would not stick together. It didn’t matter though, she was enjoying it. That us, until, she realized mommy and daddy had gone inside the house and left her out with Auntie Jillian and Grandpa.

During the trip Abby had become a bit needy of us, especially Shaun so when she discovered that we were no longer by her side, she was not a happy camper. I know that I shouldn’t giggle but the look on her face was priceless. Am I a bad mom for wanting to laugh and then take a picture of our little girls upset? I know, I am mean, but just look at that face! You have to get a picture for posterity. Trust me, one day I will use this along with many other pictures to embarrass her the first time she brings a boy home (which will be at age 40, just kidding).



After play time in the snow, packing the car and saying our goodbyes we were on the road again. I was definitely sad when we left, but I had to tell myself that we would see them soon. Our trip that day was a short one. Our stop that night would be in Pocatello, Idaho which would allow us some time to see Grandma Pat (Great Grandma Pat to the girls).

We stopped at her place for a few hours, visiting and catching up with her. She invited us for dinner, making sloppy joes for us. Abby loved them! After dinner we sat and talked, watching the girls play on the floor. Grandma Pat then offered Abby some ice cream, which we all know she couldn’t resist. Abby was even more thrilled to see that she got to eat it out of her very own cone! It was messy but Abby did well and I know enjoyed every minute of it.





After some pictures, snuggles and laughs it was time to go. We headed to the hotel for some much needed rest. In the morning we headed out on the road again, our destination… Las Vegas. We thought it would be nice to spend our last night of our vacation in a lovely room in a fun city. That night we stayed at the Lion’s House as Abby called it (the Signature at the MGM Grand). We had some very yummy room service which was worth every penny, watched some TV and Abby had the best bath ever. Our room had a huge jacuzzi tub and where there are jets, there are huge amounts of bubbles. Abby had a blast being surrounded by bubbles and on several occasions I thought I almost lost her in them.



Our stay in Vegas was the perfect ending to a perfect trip. My heart was still a little heavy but I had a lot of wonderful memories to look back on. Shaun could not have given me a better Christmas gift. I can honestly say that I am one very lucky person and blessed to have the family and husband that I do.

Christmas In Montana Part Four

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Happy New Year Everyone!

Well the New Year began yesterday, but I still had to say it! For the New Year my Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Grandma Prueter (Great Grandma Prueter to the girls) came over from Anaconda to enjoy a family tradition, Eggs Benedict. Eggs Benedict on New Years Day has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Its been a few years since I have had the chance to be a part of this tradition, so I enjoyed it immensely and probably had more then I should have.

The rest of our day was spent visiting with family and enjoying each others company. I was so excited that we were there and my Grandma Prueter had the chance to meet her second great grandchild. Something I hope my Grandma Taylor will get the chance to do as well before she is in college. 🙂 At this point I knew our time in Montana was ticking away quickly, but I was trying very hard not to think about it. Instead my plan was to suck up every moment I possibly could.






Grandma Prueter, Aunt Diane and Uncle Barry had to leave in the early afternoon to ensure they would be home in good weather conditions. Abby was happy to spend time upstairs with her Auntie Jillian, watching movies and napping on the big air mattress Auntie had put up. Abby loves the air mattress. When Jillian came out to California with my parents to help me out just after Ellie’s birth, she stayed in our office on an air mattress. Abby loved playing on that mattress so Jillian, being the cool Aunt that she is, put their mattress up for Abby to play and nap on. At this point I am thinking that packing the toys that I did was a complete waste of time and space. Between the air mattress and Grandma’s holiday place mats, Abby was happy and content.

Today was our last full day in Bozeman. Even though I tried not to think about it, I did. Leaving my parents and sister is always a hard thing to do and sometimes putting it out of my head just isn’t possible. I did, however, enjoy the time we did have. After spending some time over at the house we all decided to take a drive. I wanted to enjoy one last treat before heading home; a cinnamon roll from Wheat Montana. The best ever! We decided to take a longer drive to get their, following my parents. We took frontage roads, driving along the Gallatin River. We stopped at one point to that the frigid weather had created an ice jam where the river had become frozen over. It was pretty impressive to see, especially since the water had backed up and flooded quite a bit only to freeze over on its own. The other nice thing about stopping to see this jam was the sunset. It was spectacular that night. Very appropriate for our last night in Montana.



After our lovely drive, we finally came to Wheat Montana where we enjoyed a very yummy snack. I was good though and shared the cinnamon roll with my mom. Abby was completely taken by all of the honey containers being sold in their gift shop. They were the typical homey containers shaped like bears. She was very sad that mommy and daddy wouldn’t buy one, even though we already have one at home.

After our stop, we hit the road and headed back to my parents house. After what was a lovely dinner and a movie we packed up and headed to the hotel. We will head back in the morning to get all of our items that we left at the house and say goodbye before hitting the road. Abby will also have the chance to play in the snow like she has wanted to do since we arrived. Tomorrow should be a great deal warmer and much more conducive for playing in the snow.

Christmas In Montana Part Three

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After what was an extremely restful night of sleep, we woke up to frigid temperatures but very blue skies. It was one of those mornings that was just a tad deceiving. The clear blue sky and sun shining down made it look like it was warm, but when we stepped out of the hotel room… it was far from it. The temperature in Gardiner that morning was around -3 degrees and we knew that climbing into the park it wouldn’t be any warmer.

After packing up the car and having a lovely breakfast, we decided to take one last drive through the park before heading back to my parents house. I was sad to go but very excited to see the girls again. The morning was perfect and as we made the turn back towards the gate a large group of cow bison and their yearlings started to make their way from a small field outside of the gate through the historical arch. I think the only thing that defines Yellowstone more then this, is a bison standing in front of Old Faithful as it erupts. Needless to say, it was picture perfect.


On the drive up to Mammoth it was apparent that it had snowed again the night before. The roads were snow packed but it didn’t seem as icy as it had been the day before. Mammoth looked gorgeous in the morning sun. The steam from the thermal areas could be seen from Gardiner. After stopping a brief moment for some pictures we continued on back out to Lamar Valley in search of wolves and to enjoy Yellowstone in Winter.


The drive to Lamar was quiet in regards to animals, mostly bison off in the distance and people stopped along the roadsides waiting for the wolves to appear. Aside from the crazy drivers rushing to and from Cook City, the roads were deserted which allowed us to stop and casually take pictures. Sometimes this meant stopping in the middle of the road, which generally is frowned upon during the peak season in the park.


As we turned off at the junction and headed out to Lamar we noticed a large group of people stopped at the Slough Creek campground entrance. Now, generally you see people stopped like this all of the time and they have spotting scopes set up but nothing is going on. This time people were intently watching something off in the distance along one of the many open areas of the mountain sides. One of the men offered us a look through the spotting scope he had set up. We could see a pack of about six to seven wolves playing and casually eying a small heard of bull elk. While it didnt look like it the pack was on the hunt and playing it cool, trying to lull the bull elk into a sense of false comfort. Because someone was so kind to let us watch through his scope we had to step away and move on.

We drove out to Lamar but once again did not see anything aside from your usual bison, elk and deer. We turned around at our usual spot and headed back to Mammoth. On the way back we were greeted with a large bull bison once again using the road to travel to his next location. This guy let us pass by slowly without a care in the world. As we passed by the Slough Creek area again, people still had their eyes trained on the mountainside. We did not stop but we could see things from where we were. It looked as though the wolf pack was now chasing and attempting to disrupt the bull elk. From what we could tell, the elk were able to seek refuge amoungst the lodge pole pine. I have seen a lot is Yellowstone and been only a few 100 yards from my favorite animal in the world, so the next thing I would love to see is a wolf pack take down their intended prey. I know to many that sounds odd and maybe a little demented to some, but the pack mentality and the ability to watch several wolves who are only about 180 pounds each take down a bison or bull elk who are 3 times their weight or more, fascinates me. I felt like we were close to seeing that, but unfortunately that was not the case.



Our drive back to Mammoth was once again a quiet one but I enjoyed it immensely. The sun was shining and even though the high for the day was -11 degrees, it was a gorgeous day. One last stop in Mammoth near the terraces had me intrigued by an elk cow who was busy eating. It was so cold that you could see her breath everytime she exhaled. The sun behind her lit everything up… the perfect photo opportunity.


After that last moment it was time to leave. Shaun and I hit the road and headed back to Bozeman. I hated to leave but I know I will be back to Yellowstone soon. Now we had the chance to get back to my parents house and see the girls who I missed dearly. It was also New Years Eve, so I wanted to be home in time to enjoy the evening and ring in the New Year with family as well.

When we got back to the house, Abby and Ellie were very happy to see us. That feeling was extremely mutual. Nothing beats seeing that little face of Abby’s light up as we walk through the door and then of course our hearts melt as she screams “Mommy! Daddy!”. Ellie was also very happy; bouncing around in Grandpa Taylor’s arms when she saw us. It melts my heart to know that she recognizes us.

To celebrate the New Year, we had our usual Chinese Food and then hung around talking, playing games and watching movies that Abby picked out. Surprisingly, the girls stayed up long enough to ring in the New Year. It wasn’t pretty though. The picture to prove it is posted below.



Despite the near meltdown that occurred when mommy asked for a family picture, the night was great. Yet another wonderful memory for the books. Happy New Year everyone! Here is to a great 2011!