Tag: Ellie

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 Cupcake Eleanor

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Ellie, our happy-go-lucky baby, I am so thankful for you and everything about you. There is a lot we still have to learn about you but over the last few months your personality has really begun to show. You are our tester and our curious one who cannot let a single button go unpressed or a drawer or cabinet unopened. You love your sister and watch her every move, trying to to do whatever she does. At the same time you are independent and strong. At six weeks old we found ourselves in a tough spot as parents, worrying that we might lose you. What I am most thankful for is that 15 months later, we are watching you grow. I am so thankful that we have been able to enjoy so many milestones with so many more to come. You reminded us to be thankful for every moment we have and we are.

Happy 16 Months Ellie!

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Ellie is 16 months today! Its hard to believe that its been 4 months already since she turned a year old, but time marches on. We didn’t have a doctors appointment this month but I can tell she has grown since the last. Boy is she getting tall!

Ellie has been learning to much. She watches Abby like a hawk and tries to do everything that she does. Most of the time Abby seems to enjoy it, but like most sisters it does cause some trouble. Ellie is our little spitfire though and has no problem causing trouble on her own. She has to test out everything she sees, from drawers and cabinets to every button she can push. She tests everything and has developed some adorable yet stubborn looks. Her vocbulary has also expanded, she can now say the following…

Mama
Dada
Shoes
Down
Dog
Jack
She can Meow like a kitty
Nana (like the fruit and like Nana Fiona)
Cheese
Up
Drink
Bye, Bye
Hi
Moon
Coco (which we think means color)

So much has changed in a month, I cant wait to see what lies in store for us in the next month. Cant wait and because this time of year seems to blow by fast, Im sure next month will come in no time. Until the next!

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.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

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Yesterday we headed over to the Pumpkin Patch. Unfortunately I was not thinking and did not charge the battery for my good camera. So I was forced to use our smaller Kodak. While I love this camera, it doesn’t take the best pictures in low light and the flash always washes faces out. Oh, well. That is life. The girls still had a blast and that’s what truly matters.

The girls had a lot of fun playing in the pumpkins. Daddy even took Abby into the petting zoo to see the goats, sheep, pigs and chickens. One of the little goats was young and jumping everywhere, which made Abby and Ellie giggle quite a bit. After poking around and taking a ride in the wagon, both of the girls found the perfect pumpkins to take home. Cant wait to see them all carved!




Boo at the Zoo… Or Something Like That

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Shaun and had planned to take the girl to Boo at the Zoo at the Santa Barbara Zoo, but did not do something crucial… Buy the tickets. We called the Santa Barbara Zoo and they told us that we could buy tickets at the gate, but they sell fast and there were a limited amount. So instead of rushing to get there, Shaun suggested we do something else. And what is the next best place to Boo at the Zoo… DISNEYLAND!

This time, however, we decided to surprise the girls. And by surprising the girls I mean we decided to surprise Abby. So when they woke up from their nap, we got them dressed and ready to go, but we told them we just needed to head to Target instead. Thank goodness Abby does not have a sense of time yet because she bought it, even when we passed by about 4 on the way. As we approached the off ramp, we finally fessed up as to where we were really going. Abby, as always, was excited but you couldn’t tell. She always stays as cool as a cucumber.

The evening at Disneyland was pretty casual. We rode the train around the entire park, which Abby had a great time doing. We also had the chance to catch the Fireworks and Fantasmic which thrilled Abby to no end. Ellie loved Fantasmic the most because she could see Mickey, whom she is a major fan of. We walked around and enjoyed all of the Halloween sights and then as the night got late we headed home. I have to say, we are very blessed to be able to enjoy such a wonderful place when we want to and to share it with our little girls. I don’t think I will ever take it for granted.

Ellie worked on some of her pilates and yoga from her stroller as we waited in line to get in.

As you can see, Abby is very excited to be on the train!

Ellie was having lots of fun too!

Even though Tinkerbell had “gone to bed” for the night, we still took a picture in front of her teapot house.

Not the best picture in the world, but no matter how old I am I still love the castle at night.

St. George and Back in Two and a Half Days

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I have never actually run a marathon, not even close, but we are no strangers to marathon road trips. This road trip was to St. George and back, leaving Friday night after Shaun came home from work and heading back on Sunday afternoon. It was a marathon, but I am not complaining. It gave us the chance to see some of my family and spend a bit of time with them, even if it was short. Most importantly, it allowed us to spend time with my Grandma Taylor (Great Grandma Tutu to the girls). She has had some health issues as of late so even though it was a shirt trip, we felt it was an important one to help cheer her up.

The drive in was uneventful, getting us in at nearly 2AM mountain time. Not too bad considering we didnt leave the San Fernando Valley until after 5:30PM. The following day was pretty mellow. We spent time at Grandma’s house, visiting with my parents and sister as well as my Uncle David, Uncle Kevin and Aunt Carolyn. Everyone had decided to have a BBQ over at my Uncles David’s house, so Shaun and I made a run to Costco with my dad which gave us time to talk and catch up as well. The BBQ was very casual and gave everyone more time to talk and visit with one another. We had some yummy food with pumpkin pie for desert and then we all say down to watch Rango together, which was a very nice close to the evening.

The following morning we got up and packed the car. Its hard to leave so soon. Had this not been one of the busiest times for Shaun, we probably would have stayed a little longer but such is life. We met with my parents and sister for brunch at Cracker Barrel, yum! After a very yummy and slightly filling breakfast we headed over to Tonaquint Cemetery to say a quick hello to Grandpa Taylor. I miss him very much but it always makes me feel better when we can stop in a say “hello”. After the visit with Grandpa we headed back to Grandma’s house to say goodbye to everyone. We stayed for about an hour and let the girls play. Grandma was in wonderful spirits although I could tell she was sad to see us go too. Its always hard to leave family, but we finally had to pack up the car and say goodbye. Aside from some traffic outside of Baker and Barstow the ride home was pretty smooth. Until next time St. George!

Ellie and Auntie Jillian have a snuggle as we wait for dinner.

A few snuggles and some play time with Grandpa Taylor. I’m sure grandpa cant resist those baby blues!

Sometimes a girl just needs to sit in the closet and eat her snacks before breakfast. That, or Ellie just did not want to leave. Can’t say I blame her.

Abby is trying to be like her Auntie Jillian and play with the golf tee game at Cracker Barrel. She kind of had the hang of it.
Ellie is showing off her Rockette moves to Grandpa Taylor.

That’s a big game of checkers!

Saying “hello” to Grandpa Taylor. Miss you very much!

Jillian finally helped me find Grandpa’s name on the memorial wall. Thanks!

Oh those teary baby blues! Ellie didn’t like the fact that Grandpa wanted to rest his arms, she wanted to keep flying up in the air instead!
Like this!

Smiles with Grandma Taylor. I can see where those blues might have come from.

Chewee, such a sweet old boy. Sixteen years old and still going strong. One can only wish for a happy, loving and faithful dog like this.

Road trip snacks made it not just to her mouth but all over her face!

Ellie is loving her pretzels and showing off her cute little feet all at once. These girls are so easy going in the car. Boy are we blessed!

Zoo Time!

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Ah the Santa Barbara Zoo. One of my favorite places to go. Yes, its a small zoo but that’s whats so great about it. You can see all of the animals they have within a few hours, play, have a picnic and it doesnt take all day. Dont get me wrong, I love going to the San Diego Zoo and I cant wait to take the girls, but that involves some extra planning and time.

So, Shaun and I took the girls to the zoo and it was a perfect day. A little warm in Santa Barbara but nothing compared to the 105 degree heat of the Valley. FIrst stop was,as usual, the otters. Bob and Jillian had another litter of about six making the otter clan at the Santa Barbara Zoo about 12 strong. But when we go there they were not out. Apparently the zoo has a new wild friend frequenting the area. A young bald eagle, who is so young his white feathers have not even grown in yet, has taken a liking to the Santa Barbara Zoo. While many of you might think, wow a Bald Eagle in Santa Barbara that’s weird, its not. Bald Eagles used to be abundant all over the United States, including southern California and its coastline. Over time and as the human population grew their number decreased to the point that it was hard to see them even in the Sierras or Southern Cascades. The fact that this eagle has made it to the zoo means the efforts to revitalize the bald eagle populations in National Parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and many others may be working. Because of his presence, many of the smaller animals such as the otters and meerkats were being kept inside where they would be safe. So we continued on.

We passed by the capybaras who were taking a mud bath and the snow leopard who was actually out and within view. She was close enough that you could hear her very loud purring. From there we headed over to see the Gibbons… monkeys to Abby.


Then it was off to check out some of the reptiles (*gets the creepy shivers*) and watch the penguins swim. There weren’t a lot of them in the water but as we headed to the top part of the tank, we figured out why. It was time to eat!


After the penguins we said hello to the elephants, but they were busy at the time. They were being filmed, most likely for a promotional video for the zoo. So we headed over to the California Nature trail section of the zoo to check out the condors, fox, bald eagles and also to see if the new resident bald eagle was hanging out at the zoo today. We didn’t see him though.



After a trip to see the gorillas, who were busy eating and napping, we made our way over to see the giraffes. There was a surprise new addition to the giraffe family this year. Apparently the zoo had no idea one of their females was pregnant. They closed up one night and came back the following morning to find a brand new baby giraffe. It was like the Santa Barbara Zoos own episode of “I Didnt Know I Was Pregnant”. He He… ok, I guess that was only funny to me. So anyway, we finally had the chance to see the new baby Daniel. I didn’t get a lot of great pictures because as usual we got there was it was time for them to eat. Oh well, he was still very cute. TO make up for it, the lions (Gingerbread and Chadwick) were close by and very easy to see. Usually they are in the far corner of the habitat.

After visiting the lions we took the girls on the small train that runs around the zoo. Its not much but its still fun and Abby really enjoyed it. Ellie didn’t seem to care much, that is, until we reached the lion habitat where we could see them easily. She definitely could see them and kept pointing at them saying something in her Ellie gibberish. All I know was the it excited her a lot.



Once we had finished with the train ride and Abby took a safari with a few friends we headed back to see the elephants before we left. This time we had the chance to watch them eat, get their feet washed and help the keepers pick up their habitat. No kidding, the elephants were helping to pick up, empty out and hand their black rubber water troughs to the keepers. We had a fun time watching them. Oh, and here is a picture for you Auntie Kenzi!

We then said goodbye to the elephants and made our way back to the car. Before we left Abby and I stopped in at the gift shop where I bought Abby and Ellie a little treat. Both of them were Flamingo themed. Once in the car the girls quieted down fast and before we knew it they were asleep. You know its been a fun day when you look like this on the way home…

I really am a nice mommy, but you know darn well this will be used for blackmail when she is older. Hey, it was done to us now its time for a little bit of payback! 🙂 Just kidding, sort of. I really just thought she looked too precious to let it pass. It was a sure sign of a fun day!

Pigtails!

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Ellie is rocking a new and very first hair do! Yep, that hair of hers is finally long enough to put into pigtails! Its not something I plan to do a lot with her, since she doesn’t like to sit still long enough to put them in but it was fun while it lasted. Im not sure I am ready to see Ellie look more like a toddler then a baby. Ugh, they grow too fast!