Love is in the air...

I love my baby girl. Here she is all dolled up for her class party on valentine's day...

I love our little family. Here we are at the Valentine's Sock Hop (at Gracie's school)...

I love my handsome sweetheart. Here we are at the sock hop - preparing for a "dance off"...

I love fun family adventures. Here we are on the Deception Pass bridge...

 I love good friends. Here Gracie is with her best friends, Gabe and Camille...

I love Washington! Here's a pic from the deception pass bridge - just gorgeous...

I love playing 'peek-a-boo'...

I love exploration...

I love still moments of reflection...

 I love Mark's crazy ideas. Here's a pic of his latest one... (it didn't end well, just ask our friend Brett ;)

I love exhaustion. Not being exhausted, but finding the much needed rest...



four years ago...

Dear Grace,

Four years ago you and I shared the same skin. I was round and glowing and for the most part very happy. Now granted, some days I felt like 1 more hour of being pregnant with you was actually going to kill me, but most of the time I felt like a princess - a plump princess. Your daddy took very good care of me - telling me how beautiful I was, rubbing my belly like a genie lamp, massaging my feet and listening to me moan and complain at the end of the day. He and I would constantly talk about how different our lives were going to be once you arrived - as if we had a clue! :) We discussed what features we hoped you took from each of us and what life lessons we must teach you. We planned and prepared for you the best we could and we felt confident... then the big day came. You were born and our lives truly changed forevermore - just like we had anticipated, yet nothing like we had anticipated. All of the talking and planning and preparing has had it's advantages but in the scheme of things we are flying by the seat of our pants! You were nothing like we imagined... in fact, you have far exceeded our expectations and I couldn't dream up a better little girl. Sure, you have your moments, we all do, but I have seen your fits before - they are the same ones I am prone to throw! I know that when your tongue is hanging out you are in a deep state of concentration - I know this because this is what daddy looks like when he is focused. I know that when you twirl your hair you are tired because I do the same thing to relax myself to sleep at night. And I know that when your eyes are small and glossy that you aren't feeling well because daddy's eyes look the same way when he is ill. I know you well because you are a perfect blend of both daddy and mommy. You are something that only God could create and I am proud of you. As of yet, you are my only child and if that never changes I will be content because you alone are enough to make me happy forever. We celebrate your birth because it was the day a new chapter in our lives opened. On your birthday we thank our Heavenly Father for gifting us you and we celebrate you!

OKAY, mommy is done with the warm fuzzy side of things, let's talk about your party...

The theme was PARTY LIKE A PRINCESS!!! (or a knight)...

(Gabe, Camille, you and Remedy. Connor is shopping in the background :)

Every princess needs a castle...

You and your friends did a great job decorating it!



           The "unveiling" of your gift from mom and dad,

                            a homemade barbie dollhouse!

What's a party without Ariel?

                You were tickled pink!!!

Four years ago you melted my heart.

Today, you still do.

Happy Birthday Princess Grace!

Love,

Mommy



Letting go...

Christmas has come and gone. No more twinkling lights, yummy scents and that overwhelming sense of anticipation. Christmas decorations are slowly finding their nesting home in the garage. Although the Christmas lights are still clinging to our gutters and shingles they had no life in them last night as I regretfully denied them their glow for fear that some might think me crazy. New Year's day I was kindly reminded by a friend that the new year had begun and it was time to "let Christmas go". The tree still stands in our front room but it has met it's final hour as I intend to take it down after I write this. By tomorrow evening I will have removed all traces of Christmas evidence. In this sense I will have done exactly as I was advised - I will have let Christmas go. As I ponder this year's Christmas festivities I can't help but smile. We had such a wonderful time with family this year...

On the 23rd we went to Leavenworth with Mark's family. His brother and sister were in town (with their families) for the holidays and it was such a treat to spend this special time of year with them.

Gracie with her cousins Tori and Dylan. All 3 of them are 1 year apart. Tori is 2, Gracie is 3 and Dylan is 4. 

Despite the age gaps, the kiddos played quite nicely together, as if they see eachother all the time.

On the 24th we celebrated Christmas Eve "Francis Style". They have a long standing tradition of making enough food to feed an army and then going to the movie theater to watch a family movie - this year the food was delicious (as always) and the movie was 'Tangled'. When we got home the kids were hanging around in Grandma Francis' living room waiting for the 'green light' to open a few presents. (Obviously Grandma Francis was not around at this partiular time. :)

Finally, present time!!!...

Just before bedtime, Aunt Bean huddled the kids up and helped them lay cookies and milk out for Santa. Then she helped them write him a letter...

Gracie standing next to Santa's goodies...

On the 25th we woke up at a reasonable 8:30am and opened our gifts.

Gracie was such a good girl this year that Santa granted her request for a "princess bike and helmet".

She was tickled pink!

Later that afternoon we went over to my grandparent's house to eat and socialize. We didn't stay long this year so that we could spend as much time as possible with Mark's family, while they were still in town. I missed spending time with my family but I am fortuntate enough to live close to them so I will make up for it in the near future. Here's Gracie with 'Papa Craig' and her peeping uncle Andrew...

Gracie with Grandma Jack. (Yes, I've been told I look like my mom:)

On the 27th we invited Mark's family to our home for dinner and games. The kids had one last night to play together and they definitely didn't waste a second. Gracie and Tori are enjoying a "horsie ride" together. Tori is smaller than average and Gracie is bigger than average so when the two of them get together we see a 'David and Goliath' thing happening. :)

Creating this post was such an eye opener. Browsing through all of these photos I couldn't help but feel love in my heart and Christmas came alive for me all over again. I think Christmas is difficult to let go of because it isn't meant to be experienced only once a year and it shouldn't be tucked away in boxes. The true meaning of Christmas - love - should be shared every day. Yes, the decorations need to come down - but I refuse to let Christmas go. It is my New Year's wish to love like Jesus loves me.

Christmas festivities

On Friday night we met up with Lynn and Suzanne (Mark's parents) and ventured over to a church near Gracie's school where her Preschool Christmas Program was held. We ate dinner and then enjoyed hearing Gracie and her friends sing a few christmas songs. The songs were kind of hard to memorize despite our attempts to practice at home so Gracie just danced most of the time...

(Gracie is the 2nd one from the left - back row.)

Gracie went home with Grandma and Pop that night so Mark and I could get ready for our annual x-mas party the following evening... thank you Mom and Dad!

IT'S A FRANCY CHRISTMAS 2010...

The GUYS (Mean GREEN fighting machines)

The GIRLS (RED hot mamas)

The whole gang

Candy cane game

We're still friends :)

Christmas cards

This year we didn't do so well with the christmas card photos... very few photos turned out; most were blurry and/or too dark - what a bummer. Although our family ones weren't terrific we did get some pretty funny ones of Gracie as she told us a story about a "christmas monster"...

"Okay goofball, give us your world famous smile..."

* Heart melting *

"Okay mom, I'm done now."

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Halloweekend

Well, this weekend can be summed up in one word: HALLOWEEN! I'll prove it...

                                       FRIDAY
We started things off by going to a kiddy halloween party hosted by one of my friends...

 Gracie with her friend, Ryder.

 Gracie the pirate and mommy the witch. We had to use old costumes because both of ours were still dirty from our halloween party. Since our costumes need to be handwashed and I was completely useless this past week due to my wisdom teeth being pulled, they remain dirty as I write this.

Gracie decorating her cookie for daddy. Such a sweet little gem. As she was frosting her own cookie she asked if she could frost one for Mark and take it home to him. "Of course!" I said. "How nice". She frosted it, taking extra special care in chosing the sprinkles and I was really impressed and proud of how thoughtful she was. THEN, as were driving home I looked back at her and she was licking the frosting off of daddy's cookie! I said, "Gracie, that was supposed to be for daddy!" She said, "It is. He can have the cookie. I like the frosting! " Okay, so Mark ended up getting a slobbery wet sugar cookie, but it's the thought that counts!

Friday night we ventured down south to a halloween carnival/trunk or treat at my in-law's ward...

Gracie had fun fishing for a prize,

and getting her face painted, but there was one game in particular that she really wanted to play... 

bean bag toss!

Unfortunately it was closed due to the fact that the person who had volunteered to run it was a no show. Gracie kept eyeing the game and Pop came to her rescue! He hunted for some prizes and then 'set up shop'. Gracie played the first round and then for the rest of the night she was perfectly content being pop's little helper - she gave the bean bags to the kids and when they were finished playing she handed them their treat. She was very sweet and 'professional' - I'd hire her any day!

After the carnival festivities, we went outside and "trunk-or-treated". Gracie and Grandma became a candy team - Gracie handed candy to the kids while Grandma held the bowl up high and safe guarded it from older kids who might try to steal an extra peice or two. Once again, Gracie's favorite part was helping. When one of the first 'customers' approached our car he said, "Trick or treat" and Gracie replied, "Show me a trick." Pop had whispered in her ear to say that...it was pretty funny coming out of Gracie's mouth. Pop's pretty tricky himself!

SATURDAY

We went to the annual Halloween parade in town...

We met up with our good friends, The Skiles. Gracie is in yet another costume, the unicorn.

Gracie with her best boy buddy Gabe. She sure does love him - him and his sister Camille are in Gracie's prayers EVERY night. (Thank you for my friends Gabe and Camille).

Saturday evening we went to Clear Lake Elementary (Gracie's school) for their annual halloween carnival...

Gracie and Maddy outside the school.

Mark and Grace doing the cake walk. They were up there for nearly 20 minutes before Gracie finally won. Around and around we go!

Gracie with her best girl buddy Camille.

SUNDAY

Halloween!! We went trick or treating...

My family came over to celebrate Halloween as well as my birthday. When they showed up they had put together costumes from items they had at home. As the host and hostess of the party Mark and I couldn't be the only ones not dressed up so we followed their lead and put together some home-made costumes as well. Mark is a Pilot and I'm a Pirate. Apparently Gracie is sick of taking pictures. :)

Gracie the unicorn and Maddy the Mad Hatter.

Mark and Parker. Parker is in 'time out'. He lunged after a teenage boy and scared him so bad that he dropped his bag of candy and screamed. They don't call it "Trick" or treating for nothing! ;)

After trick-or-treating we came home, dimmed the lights and sang 'Happy Birthday'. Mark made me delicious cupcakes and placed atop of them two candles: 3 & 0. Yep, that's right, I'm the big 3-0!

Parker was feeling a little underdressed so Mark took care of that. What a stud - too cool for school.

So there you have it - a Halloween Weekend!