3 for 1

This post is a 3 for 1 deal. 3 separate posts about 3 different holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas) all rolled into one. What a deal! No, seriously, this is a perfect example of how unorganized I still am after becoming a new mommy all over again. I realize this is the longest post I will have ever put together and the longest one any of you readers will have ever had to endure, so if you give up by the tenth picture, I understand. I have to do this though since this serves as our family journal. Okay, here we go...

Ezra at 1 month old. He is sporting an outfit that Mark wore during one of his 1st "photo shoots" :)

I might be a little biased but I think Gracie made an absolutely beautiful flapper! Va va voom! ;)

entire outfit (head to toe) was made by me :) and I was super excited to do it - I love the flapper look!

 

And Ezra was pretty dang cute as a sleeping duck! Quack! Quack!

 

On Halloween day the kiddos weren't allowed to wear their halloween costumes (thank u to all of the busy body whiners out there who killed halloween for the majority of our kids) soooo... Gracie's class celebrated with a whacky hair and socks day. Here Gracie is showing her school spirit!

 

Ezra was showered with love and affection by my auntie Marilyn when she graciously hosted a family baby shower in his honor. Thank you auntie!

 Ezra at 2 months old. What a chunker he is becoming!

Thanksgiving pics... We spent the holiday in Utah with all of Mark's immediate family. Note: 14 hr road trips with a 2 month old are not recomended. The pic to the left is of Gracie sporting her new digs from uncle Vern and the one on the right is of the "princesses" after they had just woken up, at least I think, cause they are still in their PJ's, but ya never know, it could have been 2 o'clock in the afternoon! :)

Gracie with her cousin Dylan.

All of the young ones loaded up and ready to go! But who is going to pull them?

"Mr. Muscles" of course! Good thing Mark pumps that iron, you never know when you're going to have to pull 5 youngsters in a wagon! 

Ezra with his cousin Sora. Would you believe 6 months seperate these two in age? 

Mommy & Gracie   (pic taken by G's cousin Tori)                 Daddy & Ezzie

Temple square, at Christmas time, at night. I had no idea it was so beautiful! I couldn't stop taking pictures!

This years crop of goodies that I made for Arlington's Handmade Holiday. I was able to double my profits from last year so I am well pleased with my efforts. I have been told multiple times (AUDREY!) to increase my prices so that I am not ripping myself off... and I intend to do so next year. 

Wow! Looking at all this stuff I made is reminding me of how tiring it was to do it while taking care of two kids... I am feeling exhausted now just thinking about it. 

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Mark as Joseph, me as Mary and Ezzie as Jesus in a live nativity.

Ezzie did such a GREAT job! The very beginning (of our 1 1/2 hr. stint) was rough as he ripped a big, long fart that we soon discovered was a diaper dumper, but once we changed his drawers he was a very happy baby and I was a proud mama! 

Gracie was our official photographer and she did a EXCELLENT job!

Our Christmas cuties!!!! (Notice Ezzie's tongue? It's a Francis (Parry) thing)

Mrs. Claus and Rudolph. Rudolph was NOT happy!

Gracie performing in her 1st Christmas concert.

Our annual Christmas party - Oh what a fun night!

pickin punkins

Schuh Farms 2012

For those of you who don't know, this kid is too dang funny! She definitely keeps us entertained! :)

"Piggy face"

You're how tall?!

Little Ezzie's first pumpkin farm experience. 

Daddy's favorite pic of "His ladies".

Picking the right pumpkin. Gracie admitted hers was a bit too heavy so she ventured out and...

she found an even bigger one!

Thanks Daddy!

"I am a zombie"

My lil pumpkins

A halloween kitty

Purple blasters

It's official: Gracie is now a 'purple blaster'.

She is playing soccer for the first time and loving it!

She hasn't a clue what she is doing but with time I am confident that she is going to 'bend it like Beckham'.

Her first game was this past saturday.

Here she is with her team mates stretching before the game.

 Waiting her turn at practicing her goal shot.

Game on!

Gracie going up against the black team's secret weapon - a fiesty and incredibly talented soccer player.

 Go Gracie!!

Gracie took her turn at playing goalie. We quickly found out just how green she is at soccer when she let a ball go right into the goal without even attempting to stop it. Prior to that she spent most of her time hanging on the net. She is definitely in a learning phase! :) Look how confused she is...

Water break! 

What a cute soccer player! :)

When the team sat down with the coach to determine what their team name was going to be a lot of names were thrown out there - names like the purple dragons, the purple blasters, the avengers, and the purple cobras. Gracie's idea was "the awesome team" and she was seriously confused when all of the kiddos didn't scream "yes!" with excitement when she proposed it. She still thinks they should be called "the awesome team" and she is not fond of the name 'the purple blasters'.

Overdrive

If the Francis family were a car, and one asked, "How is the Francis family running these days?" the answer would be simple: IN OVERDRIVE!
So many changes and events have stretched us and they have all happened within the last few weeks.

On August 25th my cousin married her sweetheart and invited Gracie to be a part of her big day - it is my biased opinion that Gracie was the most beautiful flower girl I have ever seen.

Gracie with her 2nd cousin, Evan.

"Hold my hand"

Just the girls... waiting for direction.

These boots were made for walking...

As soon as the wedding was over, it was back to work for us - lots of packing and prepping left to do before our big move!  Prior to our move into our new (and much bigger) home we realized that we had 4 additional rooms that we needed to fill. One of the rooms was a formal living area (or the "sitting room" as my father in law refers to it). In our pursuit to fill these new rooms and our need to keep costs low we started hitting thrift shops. I have always loved the rush I feel from taking 'old garbage' and turning it into something new. Because I am sooo pregnant and I can't (well, shouldn't) lift heavy things, I "hired" an accomplice, my helpful and willing husband! In the process we found a new hobby and we look forward to restoring thrift store furniture together in the future (when I am not so pregnant :). We scoured thrift shops for several weeks looking for the right pieces to refinish and in the end we created this room for less than $100 (and bonus: we had fun doing it together:)

Our new home in Stanwood, WA

The front porch. 

I sort of miss my old porch but this one is cute too and I am sure that in time I will find ways to decorate it for the holidays like I did the old one.

We worked our bums off over Labor day weekend unpacking and setting up our rooms, so that Gracie (and mommy) felt relaxed and settled on Gracie's first day of school. 

Here she is excited to meet new friends and learn!

Hello lil miss Kindergartner!

Such a big girl now!!

Her locker that she shares with a classmate who just so happens to be named Grace as well. 

How cool is that!?!

Gracie's at her desk - hard at work! What a cheese ball!

So, with all of the new changes, one would think that the Francis' are due for some idle time - you know, put the car in park and just relax, but there is more change just around the corner! In less than 2 weeks we will have a new member in the family and daddy will start his training for SWAT. I am thinking that from here on out things will never slow down, but that's okay cause I've always had a lead foot anyways! :)