Tag: Anniversary

Seven Years Together and Many More to Go…

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Today Shaun and I celebrate our 7th anniversary. Seven years together as a married couple, husband and wife, best friends. Seven years isn’t a long time in the grand view of life, but those years have been packed with a lot of big life events. Plenty of ups and downs, plenty of moments filled with tears (of joy and of pain or upset) and so far we have weathered it all. I think it goes without saying that what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger. At least that is my opinion and with each passing year, we are stronger then ever.

I could say a lot more, but I wont. Sometimes the best things are said with simplicity. So with that, I say Happy 7th Anniversary Shaun! I love you with all my heart and I cannot wait for all of the adventures ahead of us.

Our 6th Anniversary and a Very Happy Father’s Day

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Happy 6th Anniversary…

I cannot believe I am saying 6th anniversary! Then again, I think I say that every year! It feels like only yesterday Shaun and I were married and we had the best party with all of our family and friends, brush fires and all! Our day wasn’t perfect, in the sense that not everything went off without a hitch, but it was perfect to us because we were surrounded by the ones we love. In life, that’s what matter most. 

Not much has changed since then. When the road gets tough and we are faced with challenges, I try to to worry because I know I have Shaun right there with me. He is the cool, calm and level headed person that balances my often emotional and reactive personality. In my mind we are a perfect match and after six years our relationship is better and stronger then it was before.

The year leading up to our 6th Anniversary has been a bit more rocky and challenging than the years past. But the one good thing about all of those challenges is that it has given us some wonderful perspective and allowed us to appreciate the things that we do have, each other. Here is what we were doing leading up to our 6th Anniversary…

  • Abby performed in her very first dance recital. She was adorable and did such a great job! We were all so proud of her and I cannot wait to see what the future brings, assuming she wants to keep dancing. 🙂
  • Celebrated Ellie’s 2nd Birthday and watched her grow even more. She is talking more than we can can keep up with and learning all the time. Ellie is has definitely started to show her stubborn side. Age two is going to be interesting! We also discovered that Ellie has an issue with her vision. She has an astigmatism and is also very nearsighted. To correct the problem and strengthen her eye she will need glasses during her crucial development years, so until about age 10. I was worried at first but she is darn cute in those glasses.
  • Overnight Ellie was potty trained! All it took was a trip to Grandpa and Nana’s, some pull ups, a princess potty and some hot summer days to run around in her birthday suit!
  • In September, Abby started her first year of school at St. Stephens Preschool. Where does the time go? Preschool already? There were a few years from Mommy and Daddy too!
  • Abby, Ellie, Auntie Kelli and myself took a fantastic road trip up to Montana near the beginning of September. WE missed Daddy a lot but a girls road trip was a hoot. I also enjoyed sharing some of my favorite places with Kelli and she enjoyed it too!
  • Unfortunately, at the beginning of October Shaun was laid off from his job at Sony. It was a scary and very startling reality to life. The unknown is scary but we have each other, the support of family and friends and faith in the fact that things will get better soon. For now we will enjoy the time we have with one another.
  • Abby celebrated her 4th Birthday and she has grown by leaps and bounds since. Abby is learning so much at school and at home, it amazes me. She soaks up everything at school, loves to learn, and is making lots of new friends. 
  • On October 31st, my Grandma Taylor passed away. It was unexpected, at least for me. We went to St. George to say goodbye and visit with family. Abby came with us and was such a good girl. She had a lot of questions about her Grandma Tutu, but listened and learned with the poise of an adult. I was so proud of her. It was a difficult time but knowing that she is now with my Grandpa brings me a lot of peace. Miss you Grandma and love you so much!
  • Dance began again and this time Ellie started and had her very first dance class. It took a few tries, but in the end she loved it! She loves Miss Elizabeth and talks about her nonstop! I cannot wait for recital!
  • We enjoyed another trip at Christmas time to Montana. No mishaps with bumpers or Montana drivers this time! Instead we enjoyed time with family, including my cousin Mike and his beautiful fiance Sue. Abby and Ellie didn’t get to see as much snow as they would have liked, but they made the best of it. Grandpa even bust out the sled and we found him dragging them around the neighborhood on several occasions. It was a fun and relaxing trip. We had to pinch our pennies but we found ways of having fun and loving the time we had!
  • The NHL lock out finally came to and end and the hockey season began. Shaun surprised me with tickets to the first home game which meant we had the chance to see the Kings raise their Stanley Cup banner at Staples Center. It was worth every penny and then some!
  • After not having any luck with jobs, Shaun and I decided to take a big leap of faith and made the decision to move to Seattle after the school year ended. We even took a road trip up with Abby to find a place to live. Its scary taking such a risk but I know, as always, we will land on our feet.
So the year has been busy but all of these events occurred in the same city, with the same number of children, in the same house! That is about to change though! What a new and exciting adventure we are about to embark on!
Happy Anniversary Shaun! Here is to another six years and then another hundred after that. I love you so much and I am thankful for all that you have done for me and given to me. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings us, especially in a new city and a new home What an adventure I am sure it will be!

Anniversary and Ghost Hunt on the Queen Mary

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In the time that we have been married, Shaun and I have never officially celebrated an anniversary.  On our first anniversary we were in the middle of moving back to Los Angeles from Seattle. Our second anniversary fell during recital so I was busy working. For our third Shaun was stuck at E3 and I was too pregnant and uncomfortable to care. Last year was pretty low key as well. So we decided to live it up a little for our fifth and Shaun decided to surprise me with a night away.
This time around he was successful with his surprise and I had no idea where we were going until we hopped onto the 710 into Long Beach and I started seeing all of the signs for… THE QUEEN MARY! I have always wanted to stay on the Queen Mary so my excitement was evident. To top it all off our friends Jay and Mellissa had come down for the night and we were planning to do a bit of celebrating and exploring the ship with them.
Once we arrived and settled into the room, we headed to the Chowder House for a bite to eat. After a lovely dinner with conversation that was interrupted only by our waiter, we met up with Jay and Mellissa for a few drinks and some lovely 70’s lounge music. We had fun and enjoyed the smooth voice of the entertainer for the evening and his renditions of several Karen Carpenter songs. After some laughs and a few drinks we went to bed, only to wake up at 3am to investigate some of the Queen Mary’s paranormal history. We didn’t find much that night, but it was a lot of fun roaming around on board in the middle of the night with no one to bother us. I do want to come back again soon and take the ghost tour that will allow us to go inside the first class pool area. Its said the spirit of a young girl named Jackie haunts this area and many people have had unexplained experiences here. We wanted to do this on our own, but the area if closed to the general public. When all was said and done and the sun started to rise… we headed to bed.

We had a slow start the next morning, waking up and checking out of our room just in the nick of time. We had lunch with Jay and Mellissa and then decided to take a look at the parts of the ship that are not open at night, mainly the engine room and the museum in the lower parts of the ship.  It was kind of a strange place but very interesting. From there we left and headed home. It was a quick trip and something I hope to do again soon but it was a wonderful little getaway for our fifth anniversary!
The hallway on M deck just outside of our room.

While exploring down on the A Deck we came across the third class nursery. The doors were locked and it looks as though people do not come in and out of these doors often, if at all. Another abandoned part of the boat.

One of many closed off elevator shafts throughout the ship.

Room B340, which is now unmarked as such, is said to be the most  haunted spots on the ship. It has not been used as  a guest room for nearly 30 years and most of the rooms around this spot are rarely used and if so are given to guests if asked.

B Deck hallway at nearly 4am. Quiet, empty and a little eerie feeling.

One of many beautiful stair cases within the ship.

The unsused elevators right next to the first class pool that I want to come back and take the tour so that I can see it!

The view from our room that night. Not too shabby!

Gorgeous map and mural inside the dining room.

Outside promenade deck. I can only imagine what it must have been like to cross the Atlantic and enjoy the views from this deck.

The location of our anniversary dinner the night before.

Carnival ship Splendor arrived that morning in the port next to us. I have never been on a cruise, but the idea is becoming a bit more enticing now.

This was only one of four which was displayed for the public.  The picture does not show just how big it is!

Beauty salon on board the ship from the 1950’s and 1960’s

Third class rooms…

First Class Dining room set up.

Second Class dining room set up.

Third Class dining room set up.

Second Class rooms.

First Class State Room, this was just the sitting area of the suite.

A beautiful day and a wonderful overnight stay at the Queen Mary. We cannot wait to come back again!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

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Happy 5th Anniversary…

I cannot believe I am saying 5th anniversary! It feels like only yesterday Shaun and I were married. This is a special year not just because its our 5th but also because it falls on the exact day of our wedding. At this time five years ago I was getting up and enjoying the calm with my sister, Sarita, and Tommie. I was packing up my bags making sure that some made it to Shaun’s room, which was our suite and the rest went with me. We left around 11am and headed to the salon to get our hair and makeup done. Unbeknownst to me, a large brush fire had started causing traffic and road closures. Everyone was worried about telling me but when they did, they were shocked to see a still calm and unaffected bride. I was getting married and as long as Shaun was there waiting for me, nothing else mattered. I weathered the storm and kept myself focused on what mattered most, my soon to be husband.

Not much has changed since then. When the road gets tough and we are faced with challenges, I try to to worry because I know I have Shaun right there with me. He is the cool, calm and level headed person that balances my often emotional and reactive personality. In my mind we are a perfect match and after five years our relationship is better and stronger then it was before.

Luckily the year leading up to our 5th Anniversary has been a bit more tame then it has in the past. Since we celebrated our fourth anniversary we have…

  • Celebrated Ellie’s 1st Birthday and watched her grow. In that year she has learned to talk, speak in sentences, count, learned a few colors and teach us a lot about patience. Yes, she is our go getter and our tester. She loves to test us and can cause some frustration but her smile, hugs and her love of cuddling with mommy makes it all worth it and then some.
  • My dear friends Mackenzie and Jeff were married on July 17th, 2011.  I was a bridesmaid but even more importantly Abby was a flower girl! This was her first time being a flower girl and she loved every moment of it. She still talks about it and asks when she can see handsome Grady again!
  • Abby enjoyed her very first Broadway show… Mary Poppins. We took Grandma Zoe for her birthday and Abby had a blast. She watched every minute of it and was such a little lady. She even sang along to all the songs that she knew!
  • Our house on Hatillo Avenue finally sold. It was sad to say goodbye since I loved that house (just wished it was in a different location) but I know we will be on to bigger things soon!
  • Abby celebrated her 3rd Birthday and she has grown by leaps and bounds since. Abby is learning so much it amazes me. While she is still just learning to write she has memorized all of her alphabet and is now working on numbers. She loves to sing and she loves music. Listening to her sing a long to Adele’s “21” album always makes me smile and giggle.
  • Abby and Ellie went Trick or Treating for the very first time and loved it! We only did a small portion of the Auntie Jen’s neighborhood but that made them completely happy.
  • Abby began her first year of dance classes! Mommy is very proud and it looks like Ellie is taking a liking to it as well! We will have to start her next year though because she is still too little.
  • We enjoyed another trip at Christmas time trip to Montana.This time we came home with a messed up bumper thanks to a nutty old lady in Dillon Montana. Abby and Ellie didn’t get to see as much snow as they would have liked, but we still had the chance to walk around on Main Street, enjoy the Museum of the Rockies and Shaun and I had several days to ourselves. One of which found us in Yellowstone!
  • Abby had her first bee sting! Happy to report that she is not allergic!
  • Shaun and I took our first extended trip without the girls and headed to San Francisco. We missed them very much but it was wonderful to get away and enjoy the time together and I had the chance to see my best friend. I haven’t seen her since Abby’s baby shower in 2008! It had been far too long!
  • Shaun and I had the chance (twice actually) to greet the LA Kings as they came home from series wins, the first time after completing Round 1 of the playoffs and the second after the Kings won the Western Conference!
  • We took Abby for her very first haircut! I shed a few tears but it was worth it!
  • And last but not least… as an early anniversary present… THE KINGS WON THE STANLEY CUP!!!! Best present ever!
So the year has been busy but all of these events occurred in the same city, with the same number of children, in the same house! I have a feeling the year leading up to our sixth will be eventful, maybe even more so then this past year, but I am ready for it! 
Happy Anniversary Shaun! Here is to another five years and then another hundred after that. I love you so much and I am thankful for all that you have done for me and given to me. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings us. What an adventure I am sure it will be!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Us!

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June 16th, 2007… I cant believe it has been three years since we were married and nearly seven since we first met. I feel like I have known Shaun my whole life but at the same time I am enjoying learning more about each other, growing together as a couple and growing as our family grows. At times it seems we have been married longer then 3 years and that is not meant to sound like an insult. Our life has been crazy since the day we got back from our honeymoon and really, it hasn’t stopped since. Just to get my point across I thought I would share a time line of our life since the big day!

  • June 16th, 2007 – Shaun and I were married and partied down with our friends and family
  • July 9th, 2007 – Arrived home from our Honeymoon road trip which included a rental car that died on us and a huge storm through Washington and Canada that knocked out power and caused us to ride into a small Canadian border town with only enough gas to go about 5 miles. Looking back it was a ton of fun with some funny stories to tell!
  • September 15th, 2007 – Packed the moving trucks and our cars and drove to Kent, Washington, our temporary home until we found a house.
  • November 23rd, 2007 – Escrow closed and we moved into our new house in Bothell Washington
  • February 2, 2008 – Shaun and I discover that I am pregnant with our first.
  • June 14th, 2008 – Shaun and I pack up the moving trucks, again and head back to California to our apartment in Simi Valley.
  • October 1st, 2008 – Abigail Denise Wharton is born!
  • March 26th, 2009 – Escrow closes on our house in San Fernando and we start moving in despite major kitchen renovations. Abby and I eventually go crazy and head to Montana until the work is nearly complete.
  • October 1, 2009 – We celebrate Abby’s First Birthday.
  • October 24th, 2009 – Shaun and I discover that I am pregnant with our second!
  • July 1st, 2010 – Our second little ones possible date of birth, assuming I don’t go into labor before then!

There has been so much that has gone on in our lives, but all of it has been wonderful and amazing! I feel blessed to call this man my best friend and husband and to share these wonderful adventures with him. I look forward to the many years to come and the adventures ahead of us!

Engagement Photos, October 2006

Last Disneyland Trip before the wedding, June 2007

Grand Tradition, our beautiful wedding location.
It was a day that couldn’t have been more perfect!
June 16th, 2007
A picture perfect wedding day that was better then a fairytale.
Shaun and I after the “I-Do’s”
June 16th, 2007

Happy 2 Year Anniversary!

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Well today Shaun and I celebrated our anniversary and I honestly cannot believe that it has been two years! Where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday, at this hour we were leaving our reception and heading back to the hotel as Mr and Mrs Shaun Wharton. Time certainly flies! Here are a few pictures looking back on that wonderful day…

So much has happened within the last two years that has kept us busy. When you sit down and think about it, we have done a lot and the fun continues! Here is a look back at everything we have done…

  • June 16th, 2007 – Shaun and I were married in front of our family and friends on a beautiful day!
  • June into July 2007 – enjoyed our 3 week honeymoon road trip that gave us a few good stories to tell!
  • September 2007 – Packed up and moved to Seattle Washington, stayed in Kent until we found a house
  • November 2007 – Bought a house in Bothell, Washington
  • February 2, 2008 – Super Bowl Sunday – discovered that I was pregnant!
  • March 2007 – Shaun and I decide its time to move back to California.
  • April 7, 2008 – My Grandpa Prueter passes away 😦
  • June 2008 – Move back to California and settle temporarily in Simi Valley until we find a home
  • August 2008 – House in Bothell is sold.
  • October 1, 2008 – Abigail is born!
  • December 2008 – A white Christmas in Montana, Abby’s first Christmas!
  • March 2009 – Buy a house in the San Fernando Valley and move in, living through renovations and more!
  • June 2009 – Abby starts crawling, standing, clapping and learning to wave goodbye… too cute!

Well that seems to be the list of all of the major events over the last 2 years. Its been a roller coaster but we have survived! Today was pretty uneventful though. Shaun and I both had to work, but that’s OK! We will celebrate soon! I do have to say… Shaun gave me the best “Anniversabirthday” gift ever! Just in time for my trip to Montana, Shaun gave me a new Nikon camera and I love it!! Lots of pictures to take… as if I don’t take enough! Now its on to recital hell starting tomorrow. Only three days until it is over! I will let you all know if I survive!