Tomorrow morning Abby and I leave for Montana! Yay! I cannot wait to see my parents, my sister and well… my family! It is a much needed trip and the last big trip I will take until after the Little Marshmallow is born and I have recovered. I am bringing my laptop with me and of course will take lots of pictures, so I will try and stay updated as best I can. Until then I am off to bed!
Tag: Montana
Montana Adventures 2009 Part Three
Well it seems as though it would be hard to top such a lovely trip out to Yellowstone like that, but the rest of my trip was fantastic as well. Sunday June 28th, was my 28th birthday! Yes I turned 28 on the 28th! It was a great day and I received a lot of love and special messsages from many of my friends. I couldn’t have asked for more honestly. When I woke up that morning, my parents hit me with yet another surprise. Because we missed going to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park while we were in Yellowstone, my parents planned to drive down to Jackson on Monday, stay the night and then drive home through Yellowstone again on Tuesday! I was beyond excited… I was going to have one more chance to see my favorite places before I left!
After a wonderful breakfast and some time spent getting ready, my Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and my grandma Prueter came over from Anaconda to go out to dinner with us. Grandma Prueter was very excited to see Abby again and she is looking fantastic. After some time spent hanging out, talking and catching up… we opened presents!! I received some really cute things, but its all too hard to explain here. My big treat was dinner at the Rib and Chop House in Livingston and so after gift opening we took off.
The Rib and Chop House was amazing!! That’s about all I can say. When we arrived Abby had just fallen asleep in the car, so she spent some of the time cuddling up with her grandpa. Grandma Prueter (Great-Grandma to Abby) had her margarita on the rocks with light salt. She might be almost 90, but that little Irish voice inside her still wins when it comes to well made libations! The steaks there were amazing! I don’t eat red meat often, but holy cow! Ruth Chris Steakhouse eat your heart out! Wow! I cannot wait to visit again so that I can take Shaun there. Better yet, I cant wait to take Tommie there!
When dinner was over, we piled back into our cars, pants buttons undone and headed home. After giving our yummy dinners some time to settle, it was time for…. you guessed it…. cake!! And not just any cake, my favorite…. a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Ahhh the little things in life. It was yummy and the whole day was great! I couldn’t have asked for anything better. After Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Grandma left it was time to pack for our trip to Jackson and Yellowstone. Another exciting few days!
If you would like to see a few extra pictures, please click on the following link to see our slideshow! Birthday Dinner
Jackson and Yellowstone or BUST
The morning after my birthday we woke up and hit the road. On the way to Jackson we decided to stop in Anaconda one last time to visit. My Aunt Diane wanted to take me to her favorite store in town called Beyond Necessity. Many of her gifts to Abby have come from this store and I was eager to see what they had. Let me tell you… it was worth the trip! The store was great and I wanted to take everything home with me. Unfortunately I am not made of money and had to leave most of it behind. I did get a few things though. I couldn’t help myself. They have a website you can shop at, but its not quite the same as shopping there. Take a look though at http://www.beyond1989.com/ . After we had lunch with them, it was time to leave. I was sad to say goodbye, but we had a wonderful day ahead of us.
The drive from Anaconda to Jackson took about five hours and was gorgeous. The entire way we chased a thunderstorm, but kept missing it. I was really hoping to have a nice thunderstorm while I was there, but they were always off in the distance. The drive from Driggs Idaho take you along the West side of the Teton Range and still allows you to see the Grand Tetons from a different perspective. It was definitely pretty, especially to see a storm work its way over the peaks. When we arrived in Jackson we unpacked the car at the hotel and headed out to downtown to have dinner at the Bunnery. The Bunnery is a little bakery and restaurant that we have been eating at since I was a little girl. Its tradition and is fantastic! Hey they have survived 28 plus years… there has got to be something to it to last that long! After dinner we walked around and visited some of the shops that were still open before heading back to the hotel. I got Abby a really cute creeper and I promise to take a picture of her in it and post it soon!
The following morning we woke up very early so that we could have breakfast at another Taylor family tradition, Jedidiah’s House of Pancakes. If you haven’t been to Jedidiah’s, they aren’t just any ole pancake, they are sourdough pancakes. Its an acquired taste, but they are great and they fill you up fast! After breakfast we had the chance to take pictures in front of the antler arches, yet another family tradition! This is where I really wish Shaun could have come with us… another time soon I hope!
Finally we were on the road and headed to Grand Teton National Park. It was a gorgeous day, bright skies and even though there were storms headed our way, you could see the peaks of Teton without any problem. I took plenty of pictures and had the chance to take some great shots of yet another thunderstorm rolling over the mountains. As a note…. we missed that one too by about an hour. We stopped at the new Visitor Center at Moose Junction which was beautiful and then at Colter Bay for a few snacks. All in all we spent about 5 hours driving around through Teton, discovering a few dirt roads that took us to a few spectacular views. We finally had to move on and get to Yellowstone so that we could grab some lunch and enjoy the park before we had to head home. It was quick, but I am sure glad that we had the chance to make it through Jackson and Grand Teton.
We stopped for lunch in Yellowstone at Grants Village, which is on the lake near West Thumb. It had been a while since I had stopped there and eaten at the cafeteria and explored the gift shop. Some things had changed, but not much. It was nice to stop somewhere we hadn’t been in a while. After lunch we headed up the road along the lake to Canyon. At Lake Village we stopped to take a look at The Lake Inn. Its not a well known inn but it is beautiful. I don’t think I have ever been there before and I hope one day to stay there. It was built back in the 1930’s as a luxury hotel in the park and it certainly appears that way even now. It even appeals to Jillian as well as several locations within the hotel are supposed to be haunted. Very cool!
After our visit there, we headed through Hayden Valley hoping to catch another glimpse of our Grizzly. We didn’t… but it was worth a shot. We stopped at Canyon for a quick break and a look around the Visitor Center one last time, and then decided to head up and over Washburn and make a quick trip out to Lamar again. Ov the other side of Washburn people were stopped and we had just missed a Grizzly. They said he was headed up and over a particular ridge. Well luck would have it that he was headed up and over to an area that had vehicle access for the public. So we turned around and headed up that road. When reached the top there was no sign of the bear. We waited a while, walking along looking at the flowers and the lone bison up there with us. Yet, nothing… but its ok. He could have been over a hill or two, but none of us wanted to see him that much. Oh well… we had seen some pretty spectacular things so it wasn’t a bust.
Once we left, we decided to head down to Tower Junction and out to Lamar for one last look. The drive was beautiful as another thunderstorm was rolling in and we were quickly approaching sunset. On the way out to Lamar, we did spot a male black bear up on a hillside, staying far from the road. At the same spot as our first trip, there was a wolf feeding on the same bison carcass, but he or she was quite a distance away. Feeling a little disappointed we turned around and started our journey back to my parents house. But on the way back the male Grizzly had moved all the way down the hill, to a meadow near the road! He walked around, not oblivious to us, but seemingly indifferent to the fact that all of us were there.
The little black bear moved along in the meadow, pushing weeds and plants around with his nose, eating the bugs he could fine. But after a few moves down the road in our car, hopping out to snap photos when we could, the black bear was no more then 10-20 feet from the road side. All I can say is wow, for several reasons… seeing a bear that close in the wild and because of the amount of ignorance and stupidity out there. I will tell you the rest and rant about it later in another blog. Eventually our little black bear crossed the road and headed toward the Yellowstone Picnic Area and Trailhead. Three young guys had their propane grill going, cooking dinner. We had to drive up and warn them that they had a bear heading their way. Luckily they packed up and got into their truck because sure enough, not more then 5 minutes later that black bear came over a rise and down into the picnic area. After he crossed the picnic area and headed into a meadow, we could no longer see him. It was yet another amazing experience.
After watching him and following for nearly an hour, we had to get into the car and go. It was getting dark and late and everyone was hungry. Luckily we had a nice thunder and lightening storm roll through on our drive home. The lightning lit up the sky all over the valley in multiple directions. Its storms like that that make me want to live in the mountains even more!The following day was spent relaxing and packing to go home. It was a bittersweet day, but a good one none the less. Jillian, Abby and myself had the chance to grab some Subway sandwiches and drive up through Hyalite Canyon. It was a wonderful end to a perfect trip!
To see a complete slide show of our trip through Jackson, Teton and Yellowstone please click the following link… Jackson,Teton and Yellowstone
There is more to tell I am sure! Hope you enjoyed the play by play of our trip!
Montana Adventures 2009 Part Two
Well we are back where technology is available, so as promised I will fill you in on the last few days. All I can say is that the time spent in Yellowstone was amazing and it once again confirmed to me why Yellowstone is one of my happy places. Here is what happened over our three days in Yellowstone. (Its long, but its a fun read!)
Day #1-Wednesday June 24th
On Wednesday morning we left for Yellowstone, with the car stuffed full of bags, food and well…. us! Us being my mom, dad, Jillian, myself and Abby. We took a long drive through the Gallatin Gateway, through Big Sky down to West Yellowstone. It was a perfect day! Once we arrived in the park we drove from West Yellowstone in search of the perfect picnic site. After passing by some sites because that were too crowded, we finally stopped at the Virginia Cascades picnic area. We enjoyed a nice lunch and took in the open meadows of Virginia Cascades, a place that I have loved since I was a kid. After some turkey sandwiches, cookies that Jillian baked and drinks we packed up and moved on to see the park.
On Wednesday morning we left for Yellowstone, with the car stuffed full of bags, food and well…. us! Us being my mom, dad, Jillian, myself and Abby. We took a long drive through the Gallatin Gateway, through Big Sky down to West Yellowstone. It was a perfect day! Once we arrived in the park we drove from West Yellowstone in search of the perfect picnic site. After passing by some sites because that were too crowded, we finally stopped at the Virginia Cascades picnic area. We enjoyed a nice lunch and took in the open meadows of Virginia Cascades, a place that I have loved since I was a kid. After some turkey sandwiches, cookies that Jillian baked and drinks we packed up and moved on to see the park.
After lunch we made our way to the hotel in Gardner Montana at the North Entrance, going over Mt. Washburn to Tower Junction, up to Mammoth and out to Gardner. We wanted to drop off all of our bags so that we could move around the park freely. On the way through the canyon near Gardner, you could see Big Horn Sheep all along the mountain sides and out on a few rock ledges. There were several females watching over their new lambs. We had the opportunity to take some amazing pictures as several of them were right along the roadside. One little lamb seemed to be very young, maybe a few weeks old and did not want to cross the road with her mom.
Once we arrived at the hotel we unloaded, rested for a few moments and then made our way back into the park. Our plan that afternoon was to drive out to Lamar Valley to see what we might be able to find. (Wolves, bears, foxes, etc.). On our way out to Lamar Valley, between Mammoth and Tower Junction, Jillian spotted something she has never had the opportunity to see in Yellowstone. Off in the fields near Blacktail Lakes, was a beautiful Gray Wolf! My parents and myself have seen wolves up close in the park before, but Jillian had not so this was quite a treat. No one else was around when she spotted him either, so that made for a very special moment. We watched and snapped pictures as the lone wolf crossed the road and made his way towards the plateaus on the other side of the road. It was quite an amazing experience! As a note, for those that may not know, I have been obsessed with wolves for a very long time so to see them roaming in the wild is amazing and very special to me.
After that experience we turned back and headed towards the hotel again, all of us on cloud nine. It was an excellent start to the trip in Yellowstone! If you would like to see a complete slide show of our first day in the park, please click here…. Day One.
Day #2-Thursday June 25th
The next day we woke early and headed out the door ready to see some more amazing things. After the afternoon we had the day before, it was hard to imagine that we could see anything more spectacular, but we would eventually be proven wrong. Our plan that day was to Tower Junction, over Mt. Washburn to Canyon and then out the South Entrance. My mom and dad wanted to take me out to Grand Teton and Jackson Hole for lunch. It would be a long drive, but completely worth it.
As we entered the park, we found that the canyon out at Gardner had some new friends that wanted to be seen. Some Canadian Geese and their little ones were searching for bugs and such in the tall grass. They made for some wonderful pictures and were cute to watch as well. After stopping to admire them, we made a quick trip out to Lamar before heading over Mt. Washburn. At the Lamar Valley trail head it seemed as though people had their sites set on something, or a few things to be exact. Off in the distance, there was a female Grizzly with her two cubs. She was hard to see, even with a spotting scope. In a tree line across the river someone had also spotted a nest. Through the spotting scope you could see that it was a Bald Eagle’s nest and it was occupied. It looked as though one of the parents was in the nest with the babies at that time. Unfortunately the nest was too far away to take any pictures, but it was a wonderful memory to say the least.
After enjoying the eagles and the grizzlies from a great distance we made our way out to Tower Junction and over Mt. Washburn. Mt. Washburn is a wonderful place to see Grizzlies and wolves, but the morning turned out to be a bit disappointing. There wasn’t much that we could see at that moment, but we still moved forward, hoping to see more. As we made our way down through Canyon and out to Hayden Valley, we wondered if we would see the usual bison and elk. We did, and so much more!
At one of the pull outs along Hayden Valley and the Yellowstone River, a group of people began to form. I pulled out the binoculars and began to scan the areas that people were looking. Sure enough, along the banks of the Yellowstone River there were two gray wolves, a black and a grey to be exact. They were hunting and had chased about four or five female elk and their young into the river. It was amazing to see! As Jillian and I started to talk with some of the people standing around, there was a more detailed story to what was going on. The elk in the river had not been chased there by the wolves, but instead by large male grizzly that seems to be on the hunt. As he was trying to take down an elk, several wolves appeared and began to take over the hunt. The grizzly was now out of sight, but close by and the wolves continued to try and hunt. Unfortunately a few groups of people allowed their curiosity to get the best of them and they took off out into the field looking for the missing grizzly and to get a closer look at the wolves. Luckily a ranger appeared and backed them off just in time. As people were focused on the wolves, the grizzly appeared over the hill and looked as though he was going to cross the road… and he did.
After he crossed the road, the grizzly made a casual B-line for the bison that were grazing. There was a large heard of males, females and their young and at first it didn’t seem as though they noticed the grizzly. The grizzly moved along, stopping to sniff and eat bugs in the grass, but he had one thing in his mind… bison. Once he was close enough, he charged a group and that was it. The male bison began to push the females and young away from the grizzly and move them across the road. As the females and young got out of harms way, the males began to form a line in front of the grizzly, making it known that he was not at all welcome in the area. After several attempts the grizzly finally gave up and moved on, the males had successfully pushed him out.
IT WAS AMAZING to stand there and watch all of this unfold. It was Yellowstone’s ecosystem at its best being played out right in front of us. Its hard to describe it, but it was truly amazing.
Because the stop in Hayden lasted nearly an hour and a half, we lost time and ended up not going to Jackson for lunch. I was sad that we couldn’t go, but it gave us more time in the park. Instead, we headed over to Old Faithful for some lunch and then decided to drive back towards Mammoth. On the way we took several small drives along Firehole Lake and Nez Perce. We also got out and hiked a small trail out to Artists Paint Pots. This was a new trail for myself and my family, and it was worth exploring. The hot springs and the boiling mud pots were strange but beautiful. We also had the chance to try out the “baby backpack” and Abby seemed to enjoy it quite a bit!
As the sun started to set, we decided to make our way back to Gardner to get some dinner and get to bed. Along the way we stopped for a few pictures and took the Upper Terrace Drive in Mammoth. Its amazing to see how things have changed. Several springs along the terrace have come back to life again since I was there last.
The day ended in our room after a fun dinner of Pizza from Outlaw’s (which is super yummy) and a big bath for Abby. The excitement of the day had worn all of us out, but that was definitely a good thing.
To see more pictures from our second day in Yellowstone, click the following link… Day Two.
Day #3-Friday June 26th
The next morning we awoke to a nice cloudy and somewhat rainy day. While most people would be upset by this, we were thrilled. Gloomy days often brings the animals out and allow them to stay out in the open later in the day. Because of this, we thought our first stop would be out to Lamar Valley.
Throughout the drive from Mammoth to Lamar, the bison could be seen everywhere. All of the females seemed to be busy with their young. Luckily I was able to snap some great pictures of the bison with their babies. Too cute!
As we approached the stop for the Lamar Valley trail head, we noticed that something out by the river had the attention of a few people. Through our spotting scope we could see what appeared to be a black Gray Wolf feeding on a bison carcass. It was incredible! I know, most people wouldn’t find the idea of watching an animal eat incredible, but I do. After watching for a while, we were told by a few passing travelers that several wolves had been spotted up the road at Soda Butte. So we took off to see what we could, and sure enough they were right. Several gray and black colored Gray Wolves were up on a bluff keeping watch. Closer to us was a female, who seemed to be trying to cross the river and the road. Apparently on the other side of the road, up in the mountains behind us, this particular pack had a den. We feel that the female was probably trying to get to it, but unfortunately stupid people kept her from doing so. They kept hiking out to where she was, hoping to get a close picture which in turn scared her back towards the bluff. Oh well, I was able to get some great shots of her before those people scared her off.
After we watched her join the rest of the pack on the hill, we turned around and headed back toward Tower Junction. On our way back we drove out to the Slough Creek campground, which was a gorgeous drive. This area is the origin of the Slough Creek wolf pack and we definitely knew they were out there somewhere. At one point we had to stop to change and feed Abby, so we decided to do that at a pullout along the gravel road to the campground. As we took care of things and took some pictures, we started to hear howling off in the hills in front of us. It was incredible! We sat and listened to them talking for a good forty five minutes or so.
We eventually had to leave and move on. We drove over Mt. Washburn down to canyon and decided to take a drive along the canyon rim. We only had the chance to stop at a few of the look outs and after catching a glimpse of Artists Point from the other side of the canyon, we realized it was far too busy to get a view of the Lower Falls. Oh well, next time I suppose.
After we stopped at the Canyon Visitor Center and gift stores to do a little bit of shopping, we took off for Old Faithful. We had dinner reservations at the Inn and had to book it to get there. At that point, all that could keep us from getting there on time, kept us from getting there on time. A large storm started to make its way over the mountains which left us stuck in a huge downpour. We also found all of the slow drivers who couldn’t seem to get up to speeds over 20 mph. We also got stuck in a “buffalo jam” for a good 30 minutes. The bison were walking down the middle of the road, which happens all the time, but people were just dumb. When they were able to pass them, they didn’t and everyone had to have a picture! Ugh, oh well… we did eventually make it and because I had called to let them know what was going on, they were nice about us being late.
Dinner at Old Faithful was amazing, as always and it certainly made my day. Once we were finished we took off and headed back towards Hayden Valley, hoping to get a glimpse of that Grizzly again. On the way we stopped at Kepler Cascades, a spot that I love and have the best picture and memories of from past vacations.
The drive through Hayden was beautiful at sunset with a storm building again in the distance. We saw our Grizzly off on some hills in the distance, but that was OK. We had the chance to see him up close the day before. We drove back to the hotel in the fading light and it was gorgeous and at times a little eerie. The cold rain hitting the hot pavement created low hanging fog, which looked a little creepy at times. It was definitely a ride to remember.
To view a slide show of more pictures from our third day in the park, please click the following link Day Three .
Day #4-Saturday June 27th
Our 4th day was our final day in the park and a short one as well. My parents had a wedding that afternoon and needed to be back in time to change and get ready. We got up early and packed the car and took one last drive out to Lamar Valley. Again the bison were out enjoying the warm sun after a night of cool rain. At the same spot as the day before, several animals could been seen feeding on the bison carcass. With a closer look through our spotting scope we could see that several wolves and a grizzly bear were fighting over the bison. Eventually the wolves chased the grizzly off. Once again it was incredible to see all of this unfold before our eyes. Unfortunatly they were too far off to take decent pictures.
As we left Lamar and headed towards the North Entrance to head home, my dad spotted something along one of the hillsides near Tower Junction. Once we stopped for a better look, we discovered that it was a mama black bear and her two cubs. They were sooooo cute! We watched them play and move around for quite some time. Because they were not too visible from the road, we tried to keep our find a secret from passing drivers. Everytime someone drove by we would pretend to take pictures of the wild flowers or other things. Evetunally they moved close enough to be seen by passers by, but thats fine… we started our very own “bear jam”! It was sad to say goodbye to Yellowstone when we did but after talking in the car my parents decided that we should take one more day before I left to come back and I didnt have any problems with that, at all!
While my parents were at the wedding, Jillian and I just hung out at home. We eventually went to the mall to shop a bit and to have some of the best peach/vanilla swirl frozen yogurt Ive ever had and then ran to Target! Yes, even on vacation I cant resist a trip to Target. AFter that I took Jillian to dinner which was so nice. We had the chance to talk about things and catch up, which we dont always get the chance to do. Later that night it was apparent that Abby was very tired and missing her daddy very much. Abby finally fell asleep cuddled up with her Grandpa Taylor and Doggie and it was one of the most precious moments I have seen.
If you would like to view the slide show from our fourth day in Yellowstone, please click here… Day Four
Montana Adventures 2009 Part One *UPDATED*
Hello From Montana! Abby and I made another trip on our own to visit with my parents. We certainly wish that Shaun could be here, but its hard to pull away from work at the moment. Next time I suppose!
Abby and I left on Monday June 22nd and drove all the way from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. A lot of people out there would think that is nuts, but I am pretty used to it. We took our time, stopping often for diaper changes, food and a chance to stretch our legs and all in all it was a very uneventful trip. That is always a good thing if you ask me! The scenery wasn’t too bad either! The desert wasn’t too hot and central Utah was green and you could still see snow on some of the mountain tops. Our stay in Salt Lake City was nice as well and Abby cooperated! After a nice long bath and a big bottle, she went right to sleep and did not wake up until I was ready to leave in the morning. I finally had the chance to get some much needed sleep and pack up our belongings.
Today (well based on the time its now Wednesday but we will pretend its still Tuesday the 23rd), Abby and I drove from Salt Lake City to Bozeman where my family lives. Once again the drive was pretty uneventful and absolutely beautiful. Driving from Rexburg, Idaho up into the mountains was green and everything seemed to be in bloom. The day was so clear that you could see the Tetons, which had quite a bit of snow on them still. Its not often that I get to see them from the western perspective.
When we arrived in Bozeman, I unpacked the car and just relaxed for a bit. One of my fathers coworkers, Della, bought a few items for Abby. One of them was a cute farm toy that Abby took to instantly. Now grandma and grandpa have a few toys for their house when Abby comes to visit! Then after running a few errands with Abby, Jillian and my mom, we sat down for a nice dinner and then began talking about the next few days… yup you guessed it… in Yellowstone! I am beyond excited and cannot wait to get away to one of my favorite places.
Here are a few pictures from our trip up. If you would like to see more, Click here! for a slide show!
Growing Older, Wonderful Memories and New Beginnings!
Ok so I am back! There has been so much going on that it was nearly impossible to keep up with it all. But I will catch up with everything as best I can!
Abby at 5 months… look at those big baby blues! On April 2nd, 2009 Abby went in for her 6 month check up. We are always blessed to hear the words… “she looks perfect” and that was exactly what Dr. Calig said again! Abby was 26 inches long and weighed 18 pounds 15 ounces at the time. I am sure she has grown more since. Abby is changing so fast and is doing a lot in regards to development. She has just finished eating her first round of veggies and is now on to fruits. Luckily, she is not a picky eater and peas were her only issue. While she makes faces of distaste for them, she still eats them. Abby is rolling all over the place and I am sure will be crawling soon. If she had it her way, she would be walking instead of crawling but Shaun and I dont want her to miss that important step in development. We shall see what happens in the next little bit!
Abby at 6 months… Smiling away like the little cutie she is!
Since my last post and I happy to say that we have found a house! Yes, we finally found a home that we absolutely love! We put an offer in and now we have a wonderful home in the San Fernando Valley. We closed escrow close to the end of March and moved in not too long after. We have done some work on the house which has slowed our ability to unpack boxes, but we are finally settled and hope to stop living out of boxes soon! Once the work is finished I will post some before and after pictures for everyone to look at. It is a beautiful home and I am so happy to live here!
One drawback to the house was that the kitchen hadnt been touched since the house was built back in the 40’s. So Shaun decided that it was the first thing that needed to be fixed and right away. Work began completely gutting the kitchen before we moved in. I think we hoped that a bulk of the work would be done before time came to move, but alas it wasnt meant to be. The kitchen renovation has taken care longer then expected and still has not been completed. Shaun knew it was driving me batty as it meant that we couldnt really even unpack everything from the move, so I spent spring break with my parents and sister up in Montana. Abby came with me, but unfortunatly Shaun had to stay and work. I already had the time off. I had a wonderul trip and it was great to get away. Even though my parents still had to work because of the late notice, I still had lots of time to visit and relax. Abby and I had the chance to see where Aunt Jillian works ( both Bath and Body works and Tanya’s Dance Company), meet one of my dad’s coworkers, meet my moms coworkers and we had the chance to visit Yellowstone National Park. It was Abby’s first trip! We also had the chance to see Jillian dance at the Montana State Games in Billings. All in all it was a wonderful trip and as a plus I came home to a kitchen that was almost done, minus a few important details.
Its early in the morning but Abby smiles for mommy just before hitting the road for Montana.
Abby and Auntie Jillian had the chance to hang out quite a bit and Abby took everything Jillian had to say very serious…. I love this picture!
Abby seems to think she is Grace Kelly! She is sporting her glasses on her first morning out to Yellowstone…
Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park. This area of the park is home to several of Yellowstones largest wolf packs, the Druid Pack and the Slough Creek Pack.
Mommy and Abby in Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park. Can you see Abby’s adorable bunny slippers? They were a gift from Great Grandma Prueter, Aunt Diane and Uncle Barry and they looked absolutly adorable on her tiny little feet!Other then that, we have been settling in and trying to get everything unpacked. Abby’s room is still the area were we have our boxes stored, but Shaun emptied a lot while we were away! Hopefully we will have it cleared and can set up Abby’s own room soon. It will be nice once Abby can have an official nursery of her her own!
Catching Up After the New Year!
Greetings and Happy New Year!
Well I said I would get everyone caught up on what has happened since I last posted and that is what I plan to do. I think I have basically left everything out from Thanksgiving until now. So here I go!
Thanksgiving in the Wharton house was quiet, fairly uneventful and wasnt even spent at home! I think after moving, adding Abigail to the family and not being completely settled yet made us want some quiet time away from it all. So there wasn’t too much to report there. It was nice to have some quiet time with Abigail and Shaun and just forget the stress we have been under.
Abigail seemed to enjoy her time, although she slept a lot. We helped her celebrate her First Thanksgiving by dressing her in her cute little turkey “onsie”. Hehe… our little butterball!
Before we knew it Thanksgiving quickly slipped by and all of a sudden Christmas was upon us. This year Christmas felt a little detached for me, as we were still in housing limbo, my parents were far away and it was the first without my Grandpa Prueter. It hit me hard and for the first time in my life, I actually had the blues at Christmas. I was determined, however, to keep the blues from getting the best of me. I continuously reminded myself that this was Abigails’s First Christmas and it would be a joyous occasion. Which it was.
Christmas Eve was spent at Mary and Tom’s (Shaun’s Aunt and Uncle, mine too now!). It was wonderful to visit with family and see all of the Oliver’s and Wharton’s together. After the party we came home and I stayed up way too late packing and getting ready for our getaway(more about that later!). It was our plan to leave early in the morning the day after Christmas and I knew Christmas day would be a busy one. I also had to throw in some holiday baking and try out the recipe that Patrick gave me for Molasses Cookies. They came out great and made some wonderful snacks on the road. Thank you Patrick and thank you Grandma Pat.
Abigail, dressed completely in red and looking a lot like Santa’s little helper in her red Santa boots, gets ready to leave her first of many Christmas Eve parties at Mary and Toms. By the time we got home she was passed out and ready for Santa to come!
Christmas day started off at a decent hour. Give it a few more years and I am sure that wont be the case! We opened presents at home and enjoyed our version of a Christmas tree. We opened gifts from my side of the family and all I have to say is that Abigail beat both Shaun and I in regards to the gifts under the tree, not that there was a competition! Daddy also gave her a very special gift from Tiffany’s. The first piece of jewelry a little girl receives should always come from her daddy. Now she has something very special to wear when she gets older. It was so wonderful to spend this time with Abigail and I know we will cherish her first Christmas always! Jack even enjoyed the day too and got a stocking full of toys from Grandma Taylor as well.
Its hard to see it among the presents but there is a little tiny tree in there somewhere.
Even though Abigail is far too young to remember or understand Christmas, it certainly looks as though she had a lot of fun! It was all of the bright colored wrapping paper.
After opening presents at home, we headed over to Patrick and Fiona’s house to celebrate. We had a wonderful breakfast complete with sausage, bacon, danishes, and Fiona’s famous egg souffle. Abigail received several books and outfits from the family and an absolutely adorable dress from her Aunt Brittany. James and his girlfriend Samantha were there as well and spent plenty of time holding and playing with Abigail. Although it seems that James always makes her cry!! (Just Kidding..its a bit of an inside joke.) I think Abigail is loved by all and I know as she grows older and understands it more, she will appreciate it and love every moment of it.
Uncle James certainly loves his niece! Its show in the amount of time he likes to spend with her and hold her. He also seems to like to share things with her like Grandpa’s new hat! She’s too cute!
The Wharton’s together at Christmas! Unfortunately Brittany was unable to be in the picture, that’s OK though, well get one of all of us soon!
After we had brunch with everyone, we made our way to the final house of the day. Around 4pm we arrived at Zoe’s house ready to make a tasty and simple Christmas dinner. Shaun and I worked in the kitchen making the stuffing and mashed potatoes while Grandma Zoe had the chance to spend some time with Abigail. We ate a lovely dinner and then opened gifts afterward. Abigail received a handsome amount of clothing, books and toys from Grandma Zoe. She’s set for quite some time! More importantly though is the amount of love that she is given. That is truly what makes Christmas special. That night we spent time together until about 9 or 10pm and then had to head home. Shaun had planned a getaway to Park City Utah for us and we needed to finish packing.
Grandma Zoe and Abigail… look they match!
Not sure what this was all about… but I think it has something to do with the shirt…
Grandma Zoe and Abigail… look they match!
The next morning, Shaun and I jumped into the car with Abigail in tow and headed toward Park City. It was a bittersweet trip as I was excited to go but I also knew that even though we wouldn’t be far from Montana, we wouldn’t have the chance to visit with my parents due to their schedules and the fact that this trip was planned at the last minute. The drive through California and Nevada was nice, just a little bit of snow on the ground. Just outside of Las Vegas we stopped for a break and it started to hail and snow for a little while.
Across the California desert… the moutains appear to be getting a bit of snow!
Crossing over into Nevada… this is the first time that Abigail has been out of state! Only 3 months old and a national traveler!
Just outside of Mesquite Nevada, Shaun let me open a pressent he had placed under the tree with a note attached, banning me from opening it until we arrived in Park City. It was a little purple box, beautifully wrapped I might add. When I opened it I found a little scroll inside and the message the scroll contained blew me away. Shaun had written a note, letting me know that we werent going to Park City at all. We were actually on our way to Montana to see my parents!! He got me good!! Apparently everyone else knew about this, except for me! Unfortunatly we were driving when it happened so he was unable to take pictures or video of my reaction, but lets just say that I was at a loss for words, aside from saying “really??”, over and over again. Yes I cried… but most of you already knew that. It was the best Christmas gift ever! That night we stayed in Salt Lake City and the next day Shaun planned to drive from Salt Lake City to Bozeman.
The trip to see my parents was incredible! The weather going up was a bit crazy at times, but we survived. We arrived in Bozeman late Saturday night and the next morning we were over at their house with bells on. Even though it was a few days late, we had the traditional Christmas breakfast of German Pancakes and enjoyed each others company. Mom, Dad, and Jillian had the entire day to cuddle, hold and play with Abigail. They even had the chance to babysit Abby while Shaun and I took a drive. We ended up in Trident, which is the headwaters of the Missouri River. The Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison Rivers come together to form the beautiful Missouri river. This time we had the chance to see it completely frozen over! Seeing them spend the holidays with Abby, especially her first, made my heart soar. Shaun is the best husband in the world for giving such a gift.
Interstate 15, North of Tremonton… trust me it was worse then this, but I wasnt thinking about my camera or pictures at that point!
Stopping to get a bite to eat in Pocatello… in the Jack in the Box parking lot. Hey when you need to eat, you need to eat!
All bundled up and warm.. which is good considering its only abut 10 degrees out! Her cozy sleeper was a Christmas present from daddy! He did a great job picking something out for her! She’s adorable!
All bundled up and warm.. which is good considering its only abut 10 degrees out! Her cozy sleeper was a Christmas present from daddy! He did a great job picking something out for her! She’s adorable!
The Headwaters of the Missouri River… completely frozen over.
Me… 
Shaun…
The next day, Grandma Prueter, Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Mike (who was visiting for the holidays as well) came over from Anaconda to visit and have lunch. We went over to the Baxter Hotel in downtown Bozeman to Ted’s (Ted Turner’s restaurant). We had a lovely lunch and enjoyed each others company. Abigail did a wonderful job and was a little lady when it came to sitting in the restaurant. Grandma Prueter was very proud and extremely happy to get the chance to see Abigail again.
Great Grandma Prueter getting the chance to spend some time with Abigail… such a special moment!
Aunt Diane (Great Aunt Diane to Abigail if you want to get technical) spends a little quality time with Abigail.
Shaun and Abigail laughing it up. What a cute smile! She is growing so fast, its hard to believe it!
Mike, Jillian and Shaun at Ted’s in the old Baxter Hotel.
The rest of the trip was spent hanging out and enjoying family. We didnt really do too much, but that was all I could ask for. We had talked about driving out to the road through Yellowstone that goes out to Cook City, but the weather stopped usfrom doing so. One night Shaun and I ran to Target while the Taylor’s spent more time with the little one. We went into the store with chilly but nice weather. When we left, you could barely see out through the front doors. Within a half an hour a major storm blew through causing a blizzard. It was a fun ride back to my parents house!
My parents street after only about 45 minutes of the blizzard… it was lots of fun!
Abigail sitting with her Grandpa Taylor, doing one of two things… 1. attempting to eat the cupcake on her shirt or 2. staring at her little toes and trying to figure out how to reach them. She’s only 3 months old, what do you think she is actually doing?
On New Years Eve, we jumped into the car (me with tears in my eyes) and headed home. Our intent was to stay in Jackson Hole that night, but unfortunately the weather prevented that as well. Pesky snow! Instead we stayed in Pocatello, Idaho. This did work out though, as it allowed us to stop in and visit with Grandma Pat, who was absolutely thrilled to visit with us and meet her great granddaughter for the first time. That night we stayed in Las Vegas and ended up there for two nights due to holiday traffic.
Abigail and Great Grandma Pat meet for the first time. Grandma Pat looked so happy to have us there. Put a smile on my face!
Coming home was bittersweet but I felt blessed that I have a husband who was so thoughtful. It truly made my 2008 end with a bang and start off my 2009 with nothing but love and a smile on my face. Happy NewYear!!
The Wharton Adventures 