Tag: Family

A Quiet Saturday Evening…

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Today was a pretty uneventful Saturday… which is always nice. We get so busy during the week that its nice to not do much other then hang out together. This evening we went over to visit with Grandpa and Nana. Abby had the chance to play outside for a while and of course visit with Tommy the Turtle. After some time outside, we sat down for a lovely dinner which of course ended up all over Abby and then we sat down to watch the Kings game. Lucky for us the Kings won, so no one got hurt! Just Kidding!

Abby, as always, had a wonderful time playing with her big bear, sleeping bag and new Minnie Mouse toy. The Minnie Mouse toy was actually one that belonged to her Aunt Brittany and she loves it. Nana Fiona also picked out some books that belonged to Uncle James and Aunt Brittany and they had a fun time sitting together and reading. Don’t worry though, Abby still enjoyed the hockey game too and it appeared as though she wanted to join in a few times. You will see what mean! All in all it was a nice, quiet Saturday.





Saturday Drive

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Yesterday Shaun and I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful day and decided to go for a drive. Instead of our usual drive up the coast, we decided to do something different and head up to Big Bear. It was cloudy and gloomy as we hit San Bernadino, but as we started to head up the mountain things began to clear. Before we knew it, this was what we saw…


The day was cool and crisp and so relaxing. As we started to climb in elevation, relaxation set in and Abby passed out for a little cat nap. She woke up just as we started to head into Big Bear and well… was a tad out of it. She still looks cute though!


As Abby woke up, Shaun decided to show me a family favorite, the Grizzly Manor. He went there often as a kid and the Wharton family still goes when they are up there. If I remember correctly Auntie Brittany just went not too long ago with friends! After we stopped for a picture, we continued on our way and drove around the lake and started to make our way back home. Abby was just a tad cranky but some string cheese seemed to due the trick. Just don’t bother her while she is eating!



Before actually heading home, we wanted to stop and find a spot where Abby could play in the snow. We stopped at a small trail head and got Abby out of the car ready to play. She was a little wary about the white stuff, at first, but she adjusted quickly. After picking up and thrwing some snow and maiking her first attempts at walking in it, Abby soon found that playing with the dirt all around us was even more fun then the snow. Before I could do anything, she was picking up handfuls and throwing them around. Most of the time though she just let it slide out of her hand as though she was testing the direction of the wind. After some good play time, it as time to pack up and go. Abby wasn’t too filthy, but a bath was definitely on the agenda when we got home!




The drive home was beautiful! Low clouds began to come in and made for a beautiful yet eerie sunset. I loved it and so did Abby. She seemed to love everything and it kept her awake and chatting the whole trip home. Yup, from Big Bear to the San Fernando Valley, sans the last 15 minutes of the drive, Abby chattered, laughed and acted like a little goofball! Mommy and daddy were tired just listening to her. All in all, it was a wonderful Saturday and a great drive! Nothing better then spending some quality time with my two favorite people!

Lazy Day at the L.A. Zoo

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Shaun and I decided to take Abby to the L.A. Zoo yesterday. We usually go to the Santa Barbara Zoo but since this was a bit of an after thought, we didn’t have the time to drive all of the way up to Santa Barbara.

I haven’t been to the L.A. Zoo in years. It is still a work in progress thats for sure and many of the enclosures for the animals dont allow for kids in strollers to see the animals. I have to say thats where the San Diego Zoo has changed a lot. Hopefully we can go there soon! Abby still had fun and she definitly noticed more of the animals on her own now. She found Reggie the Alligator on her own and was very excited to see him. We also saw Meerkats, Flamingos, Lions, Tigers and Bears… Oh my! As well as some Hippos, Snow Leopards, Koalas, Kangaroos and of course we cannot forget the Giraffes!

It was a lovely day and afterward we drove around through Griffith Park, drove Sunset (where we saw Barney the Dinosaur and he waved at us… no joke!) and then took PCH home. It was a lovely impromptu Saturday out and I loved it!


I posted a few snapshots from the day, but you can check out the slideshow below for more photos!

This Should Be…

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So this should be the post where I share our wonderful trip to San Francisco for a week of fun and relaxation, but that trip never happened. THANK YOU STUPID STOMACH FLU!

Yes the Wharton house was plagued with the stomach flu, which started with our poor little girl. On Christmas day in the evening, after acting a little under the weather Abby began to throw up. Unfortunately the first round was all over Grandma Zoe.

As a mom I felt horrible because there isnt much I can do for our sick little girl and she still cant tell me what hurts and how she feels. It rips your heart out, but then you also have to keep on going and do what you know to make her feel comfortable. Not more then a day and a half later, Shaun is down with the same thing. Now I am taking care of not one but two sickies. At this point we bumped our trip by a day as he seemed to get better as time went on and so did Abby. But that was futile as well. Just as Shaun’s fever broke, I began what I now can say was the most miserable 24 hours EVER! And I labored for 23 hours with Abby before having a C-Section. My getting sick sealed our fate and at this point we knew our little vacation would not happen.

Luckily, with my doctors help, I was feeling better withing 48 hours and on the road to recovery. It took all of us at least a week to get back to feeling 100%, but I am glad its behind us. What a way to start 2010!

Sick and snuggled up in Mommy and Daddy’s bed.

Finally feeling better and playing with her toys from Christmas!
Our little AbbyClaus feeling better and getting into the Christmas spirit!

Christmas Time 2009

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I have to say that Christmas is my most favorite time of year. It has nothing to do with the presents although I love to give them, its more then that. I love the lights, decorations and the general feel of holiday time. Despite the cranky shoppers I love shopping and enjoying the holiday foods. Because of this love I was very excited to actually get into the Christmas spirit this year for the first time since Shaun and I have been married. The Christmas following the wedding, we were just moving into our house in Seattle and instead of a tree we were surrounded by boxes to unpack. Last Christmas most of our decorations were in storage and the apartment we were in was too small to put a tree up.

This year was different! Boy oh boy was it different and in a very wonderful way. The weekend following Thanksgiving we went over to Grandpa Patrick and Nana Fiona’s house to help decorate their Christmas Tree. Abby was a bit overwhelmed at first but got right into the spirit of tree decorating moments later. She definitely helped put a few ornaments on the tree, but then decided to help and remove them too. Oh well, she had a blast and Shaun and I enjoyed watching her. I am sure we snickered a bit as our beautiful little girl helped to be a somewhat counter-productive.

Nana and Abby taking out ornaments to put on the tree.

Decorating the tree.

That same weekend, we also went out on got our Christmas Tree. After two years of not having a tree at all I insisted that we have a real, live tree for us to enjoy and decorate. We found it quickly and before we knew it, it was in our house ready to decorate. Unfortunatly, this decorating venture would not include Abby as she needed and nap and was too cranky to enjoy it. I am sure she didn’t miss a thing though and there will be plenty of Christmas’ to come to enjoy tree decorating time with her. So, Shaun and I spent a little quiet time together listening to Christmas music and decorating our tree. It certainly turned out beautiful.


The weeks following flew by and as always the holiday season passed quickly. Before we knew it, Christmas Eve was upon us and we were off to Mary and Tom’s for their annual Christmas Eve party. Abby had on her beautiful Christmas dress and a very special coat from Great Grandma Prueter and I swear she looked like a little Shirley Temple. Unfortunately we arrived late and all of the commotion had Abby a little out of sorts, so we could not stay long, but we had a wonderful time none the less. Afterward, we went over to Grandpa Patrick and Nana Fionas to open presents and enjoy the remaining hours of Christmas Eve and the first few of Christmas Day. Abby had a wonderful time and boy was she one lucky girl, so many lovely presents. Although in typical toddler fashion, the paper and boxes were more fun to play with then the toys. Despite that, her favorite was a Winnie the Pooh bath toy which she hugged to pieces. Auntie Brittany gave Grandpa Patrick a new digital video camera, so the rest of the night was spent having fun with that and recording all of Abby’s adorable moves. As the night went on, Abby wore out and it was off to bed. Time to wait for Santa to come!

Abby all dressed up in her finest Christmas wear.

Abby looks like a cute little tea cup.

Sharing some Christmas cookies with Nana Fiona… YUMMY!

Abby loves her new Winnie the Pooh bath toy! Fresh out of the box and she is already snuggling with him.

Yay for wrapping paper! It’s what makes for the best Christmas ever when you are a toddler!

On Christmas morning, we woke up at the normal hour… around 9am. Luckily Abby is still crib bound and doesn’t get excited over Christmas yet and that means mommy and daddy can still sleep in! Trust me, we plan to enjoy this while we can. With our help, Abby made her way out into the living room to see what Santa left for us. She was very excited to look at all of the presents and get into them, but when it came to actually opening them… she lost her interest. Abby did love the toys and clothes that she got from Santa, Mommy and Daddy and her grandparents but it was the two of us that opened most of it for her. (One toy after another seemed to distract her from the task at hand.)

For breakfast Shaun made several types of egg souffles which were yummy and we enjoyed quite a bit. Luckily he made enough for plenty leftovers through out the day. In the afternoon, Grandma Zoe came over with her presents and to spend Christmas dinner with us. Around that time I started not to feel very well, but it appeared to be morning sickness. We had a great time opening gifts though and dinner was pretty darn tasty. Gotta love Honey Baked Ham!

Abby loves her flower from Daddy!

OOOHHHH… lots of presents to open!

OOOOOOHHHHHH!!! I love this one!

Abby really loves her new Ernie friend, its just like the one Uncle James has and lets her play with!

Turkey Day… Gobble Gobble

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Our Turkey day was a pretty low key day. We cooked and had our dinner here and Grandma Zoe came over for a while to enjoy the evening with us. All in all it was a wonderful day and Shaun cooked a great dinner, with a little help from me too.

Shaun woke up early to start the turkey and wow… it was quite the process. Not because it was a large turkey or because it was a complicated recipe. Shaun chronicled the entire process through Facebook. It was one sexy turkey, as Shaun put it. Usually the smells of all of the food cooking on Thanksgiving get me hungry and super excited for dinner, but this year was a little bit different. Morning sickness and extreme food aversions made the smells a tad unbearable, but in the end I was able to eat a bit and enjoy some of it. Pregnancy certainly can do a number on your favorite holiday foods!

All in all it was a wonderful day and there were plenty of laughs to be had. Abby enjoyed her first real Thanksgiving dinner. She seemed to enjoy her mashed potatoes the most!

That is one yummy looking turkey if you ask me!

Shaun enjoying the aromas of a perfectly cooked turkey. He is a bit of a goof! Can you tell?

Our Thanksgiving table. It certainly wasn’t fancy but it was full of lots of yummy food!

Abby is enjoying her mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing. I think Daddy is helping her out a bit and Abby doesn’t appear to be thrilled about taking the picture. Ah family!

Most of November… In a Quick Nutshell

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November, just like most other months, flew by too fast. At the same time we had a lot of fun. We were busy as usual and excited for the yummy holiday season to begin (Turkey Day and then Christmas of course). Several of our weekends were spent out and about, finally able to enjoy some time together as a family.

The second weekend of November we were given the opportunity to go to the “Meet the Kings” party at Hollywood Park. This is generally a family event, so we were able to take Abby with us and enjoy the day. Shaun and I had the opportunity to meet some of our favorite Kings players and get their autographs as well as pictures with them. Some of the players you see us with in pictures are Dustin Brown, Sean O’Donnell, Michal Handzus, Jarett Stoll and Jack Johnson. Abby was certainly a hit with most of the players… What a Flirt!! She was even the one who put that huge smile on Michal Handzus’ face, and let me tell you he doesn’t smile often. We had a wonderful time and hope to participate again soon.

The following weekend we decided to take Abby to Disneyland. All of the lovely holiday decorations were close to being completed and the castle looked absolutely beautiful. I have to say that the holidays at Disneyland is probably my most favorite time of year. The night was fun and Abby seemed to be very entertained by all of the lights and decorations. Abby and I took our picture with Santa, whom Abby seemed a tad wary of but also interested in. We even had the chance to see the park bench that Walt Disney would sit on every Sunday when he took his daughters to the carousel and playgraound. As he sat on this bench he would think and dream up ideas of what is now Disneyland. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Updates

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Plenty of updates coming your way! The last several weeks have been super busy and some of the issues that come in the first trimester of pregnancy have left me feeling a bit under the weather. All is well and updates will come soon!

Happy 22nd Birthday Jillian!

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“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Dear Jillian! Happy Birthday to you!”

I just want to wish my wonderful sister a Happy 22nd Birthday! I cannot believe that its been 22 years! In that time she has become an amazingly beautiful and amazing woman who has so much ahead of her. As her sister I am so proud of her and I am with her every step of the way! Love you Jillian and Happy Birthday!

1…2…3… plus 1 More Equals 4.

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Yup, you read it correctly! I am pregnant. Shaun and I just found out a few days ago and we couldn’t be more excited! I still need to get in to see my OB but there isn’t much they can do at the moment, other then confirm that I am pregnant.

If my calculations are correct, I am due around June 25th. Sorry Judith! Looks like another June baby for the Taylor/Prueter family. Boy oh boy! I am only about 4 weeks along, so this is really early for us, especially to tell everyone. But we couldn’t help it! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers to make sure that this baby is just as happy and healthy as Abby is. I will make sure to keep you as up to date as possible through this wonderful and amazing journey! More fantastic adventures to come!

Fun Filled But Relaxing Weekend….

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This past weekend was fun and packed with plenty to do, but relaxing all at the same time. Is that actually possible? Or is it just that it wasn’t quite as busy as the last few months so it seemed relaxing? Who knows, but it was fun and certainly enjoyable. I know that despite still having a bit of a cold, Abby had fun as well!


On Saturday the three of us headed to Chase’s First Birthday Party. I cant believe he is one! The party was a fun Pirates theme and the weather that day certainly gave us the feeling of a tropical island. Unfortunately it was about 89 degrees in Camarillo and just as humid! Because Abby was still recovering from the sniffles we couldn’t stay long as the heat was bothering her too much. We did have the chance however, to watch Chase enjoy his birthday cake and watch a very cute slide show that Stephanie, Chase’s Aunt and my friend, had made. Boy oh boy do they grow fast. I think the one thing that Abby enjoyed most about the party was the watermelon… Yummy! Its no surprise considering that the one thing I craved the most when I was pregnant with her.


When we left the party, Shaun and I decided to head out to Ventura where it was definitely cooler and enjoy some time at the Harvest Festival. Abby had the chance to nap a bit, Shaun and I had the chance to eat and we certainly found some great things to take home with us. I have to say most of it was food related! Dips, Jerky, Tea and Cocoa mix. And its all very yummy too! We had a great time, cooled off and enjoyed the nice ocean breeze. It was also nice to enjoy something that I used to do every year with my parents and sister when I was younger.


After leaving the Harvest Festival, Shaun decided it would be nice to take a drive along the coast up to Santa Barbara and then head home. Abby passed out the minute we started driving and the sun was close to setting. What a beautiful drive! Its the scenes like that one below that remind me why we moved back to California. It was a perfect sunset and a wonderful drive. It didnt hurt to stop at Fosters Freeze for some ice cream and then Ottavio’s in Camarillo for dinner. A perfect end to a lovely day!


Sunday was relaxed and time was spent visiting. Grandma Pat had been in town since Abby’s party and we wanted to see her before she had to head back to Pocatello, Idaho. After shopping for Abby’s Halloween Costume (thats a secret until Halloween) we went to Mary and Tom’s to visit with Great-Grandma Pat, Mary, Tom, Grandpa, Nana, Uncle James and his girlfriend Samantha. Time was spent chatting away and just enjoying each others company. Abby tried her hand at walking… but it didnt quite happen. She was however, fascinated by Grandpa and his ability to blow bubbles with his gum.

Another great weekend! Busy but enjoyable… I am sure I look forward to the week ahead!

Our last day with Grandma and Grandpa Taylor…

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As with all vacations, they eventually must come to my end. My parents included. Yesterday was our last day together before they had to head back to Montana. Jillian was already back home because of work and school. We spent the day just enjoying each others company and running some errands. Nothing super special. As much as we tried not to be, I think we were all sad that such a wonderful trip had to come to an end. After picking up some items at Trader Joe’s and attempting to find some good shoelaces for my dad, we stopped by Barbara and Mike’s house to visit. Barbara is my mom’s closest friend. It was a lovely visit and we certainly had a great time. Abby had some fun as well and certainly surprised the heck out of us too! Makes me smile. As always Abby was a very happy and well behaved little girl and she certainly enjoyed Barbara’s teddy bear!



After visiting we met up with Shaun and had a nice simple dinner. The rest of the evening was spent just talking and avoiding the inevitable. Abby was being a little goofball. I thought I would share a video clip, mainly because I just love to hear her giggle and chatter.

As it grew late, we had to say our goodbyes so that my parents could get back to their place and rest up for the trip home. I cant say I didnt get emotional or cry when they finally did leave, because I did. I felt like a kid being dropped off at preschool or the sitters for the first time and didnt want mom and dad to leave. When I was younger I never thought being a part from my parents would be so hard. In fact once you hit about high school you almost want to be away from them. Oh how that changes, especially once you are married and have children. Now my heart aches every time I see them and then have to leave. I dont think that will ever change. I do feel very blessed that we do get to see one another and I enjoy every moment I have with them. Until next time mom and dad… AKA Grandma and Grandpa Taylor!