Tag: Family

A Day of Simple Things

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Today was an easy day. We didn’t plan or do too much other then spend time with Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Jillian. All of the girls in the family went out and did a bit of shopping. I was hoping to find some of the same bargains that I did last Christmas when we were up but alas… nothing.
Abby and Ellie were content with shopping, playing with their new tablets and playing in the snow again with Grandpa Jerry. It was a day that went by too fast but we enjoyed it so much. We didn’t do anything in particular, but that’s just what we needed!
Enjoying her “reader book” in the window seat of the hotel.
Sitting at Grandma and Grandpa’s kitchen table, doing a bit of coloring. She was playing coy with Grandpa.
Abby the snow bunny
Two little snow bunnies and an almost full moon. 🙂
Trying to make snowballs with snow that was so perfectly cold, it slipped through their hands like sugar.
Taking a walk with Grandpa in the snow.
Giving the sled a try.

A Belated Christmas and Snow!

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After a few days of travel and being stuck in the car, it was time to relax and enjoy our time in Montana. When we woke up the next morning it was time to celebrate a belated Christmas with Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Denise, and Auntie Jillian. The girls had such a fun time opening presents, eating our traditional German Pancakes and laughing a lot with each other. 
Cutest Little Elf in the North Pole!
A special t shirt from Auntie Jillian.
The biggest hit out of everything… A Minnie Mouse hair styling kit.
Unwrapping presents can be serious business.
A little bit of attitude goes a long way.
Don’t worry those aren’t real scissors. I wouldn’t be this calm if they were.
Someone really loved her Christmas present from the Wharton Crew.

After all was said and done and the mess of the day was cleaned up, the girls played with their toys and watched movies with “Auntie JJ”. It was a nice quiet afternoon of relaxation. By early evening the girls were itching to get out into the snow to play. Once they were bundled up and ready we sent them out with Grandpa.

This was Ellie’s first time actually playing in the snow. Last year when we came to visit she was too little and completely uninterested in all of that cold white stuff. She had a good time playing even though it was so cold out that the snow was more like dust. Snow balls and snowmen were impossible to make but Abby and Ellie still managed to throw plenty of it around. 
Finally getting their hands into the snow.
Trying to make snowballs.
Cheesy smiles and a refusal to put her hood on.
Ellie’s Snow Angel
Abby’s Snow Angel

The last bit of fun for the evening were snow angels. Luckily the snow was perfect for this! Abby and Ellie came in cold and wet but with huge smiles on their faces. Nothing like playtime in the snow to make a kid happy. A perfect first day in Montana!

Montana Here We Come!

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Travel Day #1 
The day after Christmas we packed our bags, packed up the car and hit the road. Our destination, Montana of course! This time around we decided to make two stops on the way up to keep the days short and give us from burning out quickly. This meant that our first day would only mean travel from home to Cedar City, Utah. Knowing that this was only about 7 hours with stops we took the morning to finish packing and make sure that we attempted to get a decent amount of sleep.
When all was said and done, we hit the road around 1 pm ready for an adventure. Boy did we get an adventure. After a quick stop in Victorville, we hopped onto I-15 ready to drive at 70+ miles per hour and continue on to Cedar City. About ten miles outside of Barstow traffic came to a grinding halt. It was slow going from there to Baker and then we hit traffic again from the top of the hill down to state line. The trip from home to Primm, Nevada (state line) took us nearly nine hours. For those of you who have never taken this trip, it should only take about four hours to get from our house. We were not happy campers.
Luckily the traffic from Primm to Cedar City was light and we made it to our destination without any other issues. We pulled into the hotel in Cedar City around 12:45am mountain time and quickly headed to bed. The trip, with the time difference, took just under eleven hours. We were hoping this wasn’t a sign of the trip to come.
Packed into the car and ready for an adventure.

All smiles with a new “reader book” to keep her busy in the car.

Both Ellie and the sun became a nuisance to Abby, so she solved the problem by creating a little fort with her blanket and the back of my seat.
Travel Day #2
The following morning we woke up a little late but we were rested and ready to start a new day. Our biggest hope was that we left the travel issues from the previous day behind us. With a more positive attitude we grabbed some breakfast, hit the road, and started the journey to Pocatello, Idaho. For the most part the day was beautiful. We had sunshine a good portion of the morning. In the afternoon the clouds started to roll in and a bit of snow fell, but for the most part the roads were clear and dry. Music to my ears. We made excellent time even with stops in the Salt Lake area for food and a few extra items. I wish I had more to tell for this travel day, but honestly I am glad that I don’t. It means our trip to Pocatello was easy and uneventful.
The snow started to fall during our stop in Filmore. So pretty.

“Mommy please let me out of the car!!”

“Please mommy, when will we get there!”

Travel Day #3

Today its Bozeman or Bust! Thank goodness for early arrivals because it allows for a good nights sleep and sleep we did. When we woke up it was off to breakfast and then we packed up the car. Before leaving Pocatello, we stopped in to visit Grandma Pat. We had a fun time and I could tell she really enjoyed our visit. We sat and talked and Grandma Pat opened a few presents from the family. We also flipped through photo albums and looked at old pictures. Boy did we find some good ones! To protect the innocent, I promise I wont post them here. You’re welcome Grandpa Pat!

As always visits like this are too short and I know Grandma Pat was sad to see us leave, but we had to push on. We would finally arrive in Bozeman today and we wanted to have enough time in the evening to visit with  the family. We had another wonderful travel day with some snow but clear roads. Our stop in Dubois, Idaho proved to be a fun one. The temperature outside was cold but perfect. So much so that when it began to snow the flakes that were falling were perfectly shaped. The perfect snowflake if you will. I had a nice moment sitting outside of the car, watching the snow fall.

Ellie gets a snuggle and a smile with Grandma Pat

Snuggles and smiles with Grandma Pat and Abby

Shaun and Grandma Pat

The snow was falling and it was cold, so cold that the snowflakes falling from the sky were perfectly shaped.

The sun came out but there was a bit of blowing snow over Monida Pass. Finally made it to Montana!

We continued on and made great time. After traveling over Monida Pass, which had the most snow we had seen this whole trip, we crossed over into Montana. We were all very excited. Grandma and Grandpas house was now about an hour and a half away!

In a flash we were in Bozeman.  After checking into our hotel we headed over to Grandma and Grandpas house for some much needed visiting time and of course, some dinner. It sure feels great to finally be in Bozeman. I know we cant wait to have some fun!

Merry Christmas! Christmas Day 2012

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Merry Christmas everyone! Abby and Ellie took their job of falling asleep very serious last night. They slept hard and when they woke up this morning both of them discovered that Santa had come to visit and he left a lot of fun things for them.  I think Abby and Ellie were pretty surprised with what they saw when they came down the stairs this morning.

In true Abby fashion the presents were noticed first but then she quickly discovered that Santa had enjoyed a snack of milk and cookies. He even left a messy little trail of crumbs from the plate to the door. For those who don’t know, we do not have a fireplace in our house so we hang a magical key on our door for Santa so that he can find his way in. When he came to visit, he used the key to enter the house but must have forgotten about it because he left it sitting on the cookie plate. It also looked as though the reindeer had enjoyed a few tasty treats as well.

Soon after this discovery Abby and Ellie were back to presents and could barely wait to open them. They were very lucky girls this year. On top of the giant stuffed animals they received a few new outfits, movies, a few games and some new toys. Ellie discovered that Santa brought her a princess castle of her very own and Abby had a new Cinderella doll complete with carriage that changes back and forth to a pumpkin. From mommy and daddy, the girls were each given a tablet made just for kids. Now we can have our Kindles back!

After presents, we had some breakfast and cleaned up the mess of paper and boxes. In the afternoon, Grandma Zoe joined the fun. After a full morning of presents, you would have thought that maybe the girls were burnt out but they certainly proved us wrong. The girls ripped through more presents with the same excitement they had in the morning. Abby and Ellie received quite a few new outfits that were adorable but like most children moved on the minute they saw what they were. They also received new bedding which has been personalized for each of them and some adorable toys by Melissa and Doug (a fire truck set and a school bus set). Abby and Ellie also had fun with stockings full of fun treats and toys. Grandma Zoe certainly gave them lots to enjoy.

After presents with Grandma we enjoyed a lovely dinner from the Pizza Cookery, one of our favorites. By that point I had to move on from Christmas and get back into packing mode. Packing mode, you say? Yes, tomorrow we leave for Montana and there was plenty left to pack. I hated to move on so quickly from what was a wonderful day but in order to leave at a decent time tomorrow I needed to move forward.
So with that I must say goodnight and continue on with my packing. Merry Christmas one and all! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with family, friends and plenty of special memories. All the best from the Wharton Family!

Christmas Eve 2012

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Christmas Eve certainly snuck up on us this year. One minute it’s Thanksgiving and the next thing you know, it’s Christmas already! Christmas Eve was fun this year. Our morning was pretty simple, with pancakes for breakfast and Christmas cartoons to enjoy as we gobbled them up. After eating I pulled out the mixer, my recipes and every decorating item I own to prep for cookie making. We had to make sure that Santa had a yummy treat when he came to visit the house!

Once the dough was chilled, the cookies were cut and baked and they had time to cool, cooking decorating commenced. Abby and Ellie had many colors of frosting to choose from as well as different types of sprinkles, confetti and more. They used anything and everything that they could get their little hands on. Once every single cookie had been used as a painter’s canvas, we cleaned up and headed over to Grandpa and Nana’s house to visit and have a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. 

Dinner was wonderful. As always Nana cooked some yummy food which included ham, green bean casserole, cauliflower and cheese and her yummy potatoes. I tried not to eat like a pig but it was hard. Ellie dug in and cleared most of her plate, which isn’t her typical way of handling dinner time. I don’t think either Shaun or I were complaining. After dinner we watched some TV and a few of the holiday classics. Then it was on to presents!  Abby and Ellie received Barbies galore as well as games and some fun stocking stuffers too. Grandpa even gave each of them a huge tub of cotton candy!

Pretty soon it was time to go home, set out the cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and head to bed so that Santa could come and visit. Abby left a note for Santa too, asking him a few questions. It was very cute. I think that she was hoping that if she left a nice note that Santa would stop by and leave lots of goodies! As you can see below, “Santa” was pretty nice this year. I think she will be very happy with what she sees tomorrow morning. Until then, an early Merry Christmas!

Decorating the Tree

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Due to my surgery and recovery, decorating the house and the tree for Christmas came a bit late this year. I had done some of the house beforehand but quickly ran out of time. So, we completed some of these things a bit late. The last thing on our list to do was the tree. Because we intend to travel up to Montana to see my family after Christmas, we were once again stuck to using our artificial tree. I completely understand why we use our artificial tree when we travel after the holiday, but I can’t say I am a fan. I grew up enjoying a beautiful, fresh tree that fills the house with the lovely scent of pine so not having one can be a tough pill to swallow. I know there are things in life that are far worse than not having a real tree but I had to complain for just a moment. But I digress…

This was the first time that Abby and Ellie really had the chance to join in and do some decorating on their own (under the supervision of Shaun and myself of course). Both of the girls caught on pretty fast and were decorating pros in no time. I am very proud to report that not a single ornament was broken this year during the decorating process. Although based on the curiosity I saw this evening, there might be a few broken ones in our very near future. Oh well, that’s why the special ones are out of reach. Despite all of the chaos at times we had a blast and enjoyed some family time together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
I hope the day finds you doing well and enjoying lots of turkey and yummy goods with family and friends. Our day was a simple and relaxing one, so much so that I don’t think I took a single picture this year!
Grandma Zoe came over for a yummy turkey feast that Shaun and I cooked. Well, it was mostly Shaun and I made some of the appetizers. Abby and Ellie played outside on what was a beautiful California afternoon. Grandma kept them busy with walks around the block, sidewalk chalk and much more. When dinner was ready we sat down to eat although there were some at the table who were uninterested in eating. The girls hadn’t been the best nappers that day so dinner was interrupted a bit so that we could put Ellie to bed. Aside from that we enjoyed all of the turkey we could and a bit of pie afterward.
Once dinner was done and both Abby and Ellie were in bed, Shaun and I headed out for some Black Friday fun. We didn’t have any deals in mind but its always fun to see the rush of people and the madness created by holiday deals that in the end aren’t all that great. We found a few and got a bit of shopping out of the way. For the most part the fun of the evening was watching everyone else! It was another fun Thanksgiving for the history books!

Remembering Uncle Bob

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During our trip to Montana in September we received news that Shaun’s Uncle Bob had passed away. His passing was quite unexpected and caught the family off guard. This weekend we were able to gather the family together to remember Uncle Bob and his remarkable life. Matt and Erica were able to fly out from Colorado to be there. The memorial was simple with mostly family and some of Bob’s oldest friends. It was great to spend the time with the Wharton crew and even though it was a sad occasion everyone was able to smile, laugh and remember all the wonderful moments of Bob’s life. There is often happiness even during the saddest occasions.

Saying Goodbye

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This past weekend we traveled to St. George, Utah. We said our goodbyes to Grandma Tutu (Grandma Taylor to me). It was a tough weekend but even though I had to say goodbye to Grandma it was so nice to see all of my family in once place. We cried together but we also had the chance to talk, share memories and laugh at all of the wonderful times we had been blessed with.

While the details of the weekend aren’t fuzzy, its not something that I want to describe in great detail. Some things need to remain sacred to me and this is one of those moments  Grandma’s services were beautiful and my Dad gave a wonderful eulogy. Very befitting of my Grandma’s personality and the things that she loved the most. His words allowed me to think about the person, woman, wife, mother and grandmother that she was. So instead of writing about the weekend, I would like to write about Grandma.
Grandma Taylor (Grace Leila) like all of my grandparents, holds a very special place in my heart. My childhood memories are full of special moments with her. Driving up to Provo to spend a few weeks of the summer at her house. She would let me help her take care of her little canary Peetie and keep her little dog Penny busy and very entertained. Countless hours were spent out in her backyard playing. It was almost a given that we would end up playing in the water or with the clown water toy that she had. I would always help her in her garden too. We would have dinners and BBQ’s out back and at night we would hunt for night crawlers to use for fishing trips up at Deer Creek or along Provo River. In later years she moved to St. George but the memories continued on as we grew older.

If there is one thing that is consistent with those memories its family. Grandma loves her family very much and having them all in one house made her very happy. If someone was coming to visit she did her best to make sure others would come too. There were several Thanksgiving celebrations in which the entire Taylor family was together. Now for those that don’t know, my dad is one of six children. With each of those children having their own children (my cousins) there were a lot of bodies in one house. On several occasions Thanksgiving dinner (which we generally celebrated on Friday not Thursday to make sure everyone made it) involved close to thirty people, maybe more. It may have been chaos but it made Grandma’s heart soar. The table in the basement was huge and the childrens’ table was crowded with a lot of little hands. If the kids weren’t eating they were putting on plays and shows for the adults. Not too long after, great-grandchildren were added to the mix and the family expanded further. Family was a core part of Grandma’s life and she certainly had a lot of family to share her love with.

Another core piece of Grandma’s life was her faith. She is Mormon and very proud of it. While I am not, as a child she would teach me small things that a little one could understand. One thing I treasured was a tape and book of children’s hymns. I remember some of them to this day. As I grew up she would talk to me more about the church. I know at certain points, Grandma was misunderstood when it came to her faith and her passion to share it with others and I know when I was a young teen I misinterpreted her intentions. While I never joined the church as she would have hoped and I often found it hard to tell her that I was happy with the faith that I belonged to, I grew to appreciate all that she told me and did for me.

The last time I stayed and visited with her we talked late into the night. She shared with me the moment when my Grandpa, who had suffered a stroke and passed several years after his stroke, told her that he wanted to be baptized into the church and that he wanted to be sealed with my Grandma for all eternity. I think this was something she had been waiting to hear for so long. When she told me this story, she told it with tears in her eyes but they were not tears of sadness but of joy. It was one of the only times I had ever seen her cry. It was a moment that brought her so much joy and I think it gave her peace to know that when her time came, she would see him again. After talking I finished getting ready for bed and as I settled in I could hear Grandma saying her prayers. She prayed for her family and prayed for me and the girls as we traveled home. She prayed for Shaun and I and for the happiness that she could see between us to continue on for eternity. I could hear the love and comfort in her voice. Not just for me but for her faith, for God and for her family. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for my Grandma, but that night it grew even more and on top of that I finally understood exactly who she was, where her love and patience came from, and in that moment I don’t think I could have loved her more.

I feel blessed to have had a moment like that with her and to have had her as such an important part of my life. Saying goodbye hasn’t been easy and I miss her so much that my heart aches. Today would have been Grandma and Grandpa’s Anniversary and I had to stop myself from picking up the phone and calling her. Even though it brings me to tears I know that she finally gets to celebrate and enjoy another anniversary with the man she loved so much. She is at peace now and I am sure will be watching over all of us. I know she would want me to grieve but then pick myself up and be happy. She would want me to move forward and always remember that she is there with me either in spirit or through happy memories. Now is the time for saying goodbye but I know we will see one another again, someday.

Happy Halloween!

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Happy Halloween Everyone! 
Today was a wonderful day with the girls. We enjoyed some Halloween movies at home (like Spooky Buddies and The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown) took naps and then got up and ready for our night of family, friends and Trick Or Treating. Once the girls were dressed and ready they were forced to pose for pictures. Sorry girls, but as long as you love Halloween and dress up to Trick Or Treat there will be an obligatory photo op before festivities commence. 
This year Abby dressed up as Merida from Brave and Ellie was Dorothy. They looked adorable and I think the girls actually enjoyed the photographs a bit. Once we were done it was into the car and on our way over to Grandma Zoe’s house for the first stop of the night. At Grandma Zoe’s the girls took pictures and showed off their beautiful costumes. She gave them cute Halloween baskets with some very yummy (and parent friendly) Halloween treats. After some singing, dancing and parading around in their costumes we had to leave and head out for the big event, Trick Or Treating!

For the Trick Or Treating Festivities we headed to Auntie Jen’s house. I could kick myself for not getting a picture of Bixby and Felicity. They looked adorable! Bixby headed back home with his daddy after a round of Trick or Treating. Felicity and Jen stayed and did another round with us. Abby and Ellie had a wonderful time. This year Abby was noticing a lot of things which made her a bit uneasy. She still enjoyed herself but with a bit of caution. Ellie, on the other hand, couldn’t get enough. After the first few houses she had the idea. “Knock on the door, when the person answers be cute, say Trick Or Treat and they put a handful of candy into my basket.” Before we knew it she was saying “Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat give me something good to eat!” We have no idea where she learned that from but she had everyone laughing. In the end I think she had more in her basket then Abby. Not that its a competition. 🙂

After a trip around Jen’s neighborhood the girls were losing steam and getting hungry. I think they were mad at mommy too because I wouldn’t let them dive into their candy. Oh well… soon enough! Because the night was still early we had enough time to stop by and see Grandpa, Nana, Aunt Brittany and Uncle James. When we arrived we headed straight for Papa Ralph’s house. Ralph and his family have been doing an elaborate setup on Halloween for as long as Shaun can remember. This year was no exception and the girls loved it! They were given an extra helping of candy too! After visiting Papa Ralph we headed back to Grandpa and Nana’s for a bit. The girls received a few goodies and talked about Trick Or Treating. Shaun and I had a moment to relax and enjoy the remainder of the night. When the girls came down from their sudden sugar high we headed home and put the girls and ourselves to bed.

Despite the events in the early hours of the morning, Halloween was very nice this year. I have a feeling it was because there was an extra angel watching over us and she was happy. Happy that we still enjoyed our day with family and friends just as she loved to do. I know she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Heaven Has One More Angel

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This morning the phone rang, far too early to be a normal phone call. When I sat up and realized that the room was still dark, I knew that whatever news waited for one of us on the other end was not good news. Unfortunately I was right. Shaun handed the phone to me and when I picked up it was my dad. From that point on most of the conversation was a blur but the words I focused on and continued to repeat in my head were that Grandma Taylor had passed away. She passed away in her sleep in the early hours of the morning and had gone to be with God.

Of course the only reaction I could have had in the time were tears. Tears for the loss of my dads Mother, my Grandmother and the girls Grandma Tutu. While she had some health issues that were now being addressed in assisted living, I never thought that she would leave this world so soon. After I hung up the phone with my dad, I cried in Shaun’s arms for a good hour until I fell back to sleep.

Today is going to be a tough day being that its Halloween and a special day for the girls. So that they enjoy a day that they have been waiting for, I will have to pick myself up, be strong and put a smile on my face. I know Grandma would want me to do that anyway. I miss her so very much already. Heaven has been blessed with a wonderful angel today.

A Big Brave Birthday Party!

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Now that Abby has turned four, its time to celebrate! This year Abby chose Brave as a party theme, although I will note that it was between Star Wars and Brave. Brave beat out Star Wars but only by a slim margin. Abby started to waiver on the theme but at that point the invitations were out and the decorations had been purchased. As you can see below, she was pretty happy with her choice.
Her day was pretty simple but so much fun. Her best friends Harrison and Emily were there to celebrate and play, while the adults remained content talking with one another and watching the kids. Everyone ate yummy food, listened to music and just enjoyed the time we had with one another. It was so nice to catch up with everyone.

When it came time to cut the cake, we were able to connect with Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Denise and Auntie Jillian through Skype. One of the wonderful things about technology is being able to connect and be part of special moments even if you are hundreds of miles away. They were able to watch Abby blow the candles, cut the cake and then watch her open presents. The day had been great and having my parents and sister there, even if through Skype, topped it all off. Abby opened and loved all of her presents too. We even had to stop and take a break because she was so distracted by each thing she opened. What a very blessed little girl Abby is. What a wonderful day and a great birthday party!