Happy New Year's Eve!

Anyone out there going to be doing a little bit of this tonight? Who were the big puzzle putter-together-ers in our family? Abraham, I remember. Brigham? Gabrielle? Definitely Rosalynde. Definitely not me.

Mother and child

Merry Christmas Eve to my beloved family, here and everywhere.

Sunday Club

No photo documentation of the actual planning meetings, but this is evidence that they took place! Rosalynde, you were such a good ring-leader for this magical time of year. How long did Sunday Clubs remain a tradition for planning the Christmas program?

One, two, three--open!

These must be our Christmas Eve pajamas, huh? I loved those flannel night-gowns--they are a big incentive for me to learn how to actually operate a sewing machine!

Santa Babies

Mama and Daddy, do you remember who may have been hiding under that long beard? Or what Rosalynde and Gabrielle may have been wishing for that year?

Success!!!

Now this is what I'm talking about... Two hours driving + two hours choosing + numerous arguments in the car + numerous arguments in the lot = the perfect tree.

O Tannenbaum

I'm guessing we didn't cut this tree down, did we? When was the last time we all piled into the van and went to a U-Cut lot, singing Christmas songs all the way down and eating candy canes all the way back? The trees we buy pre-cut are beautiful, but I also have fond memories of that drive that seemed like it lasted forever (and wasn't the lot down by Magic Mountain? So it did kind of last forever...)

Christmas babies

What a good little shepherd... And will Eva be debuting as a sheep, or is her role simply to look adorable? Apropos of nothing, I'm thinking that I see some similarities between my little Cici and Eva at that age. I hope I'm right!

Mary and the Young Child

Methinks this baby Jesus is a little too big for his manger...

Christmas of the Twins

What a brilliant idea--if you have two toddling mischief-makers, just raise the tree off the ground! We would have saved several ornaments if Dave and I had wised onto this idea sooner...

Ward Party?

Now to which holiday event would Mama be wearing that smokin' hot red? Married women with young children don't have permission to look so good (at least, that's my excuse these days :).

Mary Mild

I have to say, this might be the sweetest, most angelic looking Mary to grace our family nativity scenes...

A Christmas Princess

And yet another transformation of Rachel... The Frandsen Rose Princess was so good that the Nordstrom's Santa came a little early that year with a bag full of new outfits which she got to wear over and over and over again for months straight :).

A Christmas... Clown?

Okay, Gabrielle, you're holding the face-paint in this picture. Do you remember the story of how Rachel harangued you into transforming her into a Christmas clown?

Say cheese!!!

I have vivid memories of this Christmas outfit that Mama made for all of her little girls. I loved the pink sash, the tights, the little rosebuds on the blue fabric. Mama, how in the world did you have time to sew with so many children underfoot?

Two Little Stockings

It's funny to look at those two little stockings, knowing how many more would be coming over the years! Mama, when did you make all of those homemade stockings? Did you make them all at once or piece-meal as the babies arrived?

Merry Christmas, Brigham!

I bet Brigham was glad to get toys that were a little more geared toward his gender :). Looks like Grandpa Hansen was eager to get his hands on it, too!

Christmas Smiles

Look at these adorable boys... All innocence--no thought of raiding the caramel side of the three-flavor  popcorn bucket behind them, right?

The Nativity Cast

So this is where the Nativity cast started. I remember Gabrielle being the angel for many years--is that right? Was it her beautiful long hair or the fact that she's the only one that could properly drape the tinsel :)?

Name that Baby Jesus

Shouldn't be too hard, given our Mary and Joseph of that year :). On an entirely different note, that was the year of The Perm for me. What do you think? Should I adopt curly hair? And on another note, isn't Abraham adorable?

Setting up for Christmas

Now we know what Mama and Daddy were up to in the music room while we were all upstairs behaving ourselves over a congenial game of Clue :).

 But they certainly did a good job of putting on a magical Christmas morning, didn't they?

A North Carolina Christmas

So what elements of this Christmas still exist today? Do you recognize anything from these pictures? (besides the beautiful mother and the now-grown baby?)

Sacred Christmas

On this first Sunday of the Advent Season, this is a picture of one of the most sacred parts of Christmas for me. I wish I could take my girls to go lay a wreath on Jacob's and Isaac's graves this Christmas, too.

Christmas Nightgowns

I'd love to start the tradition of giving my girls a new nightgown every Christmas Eve. Maybe this means that it's time to learn how to sew... I love this glimpse of Christmas in the old old house!

1, 2, 3, Smile!!!

This picture is dated 1994--the biggest our family got before we started adding in-laws and grandchildren. We're a pretty handsome bunch!

Big Smiles from the Big Kids

A good Christmas morning haul in 2002! Brigham and Benjamin look like they're ready to hop on some motorcycles and cause some mayhem.

Christmas in the New House!!!

I think this must have been our first or second Christmas here in the new house. It was truly a magical Christmas for me--one of my very most memorable. Thank you, thank you, Mama and Daddy, for the amazing gift of musical instruments and a musical education! It continues to bless my life in every way.

 And because there are just so many great Christmas pictures... Here's the Christmas program bow from this same year, 1987. Anyone remember what play we put on?

Christmas in Centerfield

I love this picture--click on it so you can see Grandpa Frandsen's expression and the Christmas decorations in the background. Daddy, I'm guessing you were taking the picture here, right?

Kicking off the Christmas Season

So around the Sloan household, Dave makes me promise to hold off on Christmas music till Dec. 1st--or, as it will be this year, till we put the Christmas tree up (which will be tomorrow--Thanksgiving came early this year!). But I made no promises about this blog, so let the Christmas season begin! This would have been one of our largest Christmas Nativities. Can anyone name that year? And check out that fearsome angel--I can see why the shepherds might have been trembling!

Catching Up on Christian

Shame on me for missing the rest of Christian's birthday week! Here are a few more pictures of our wonderful missionary to finish off his seven-day celebration.

 How many Frandsen boys has this little blue outfit gone through? I love it!

 I'm quite certain this is Christian--the date on the folder suggests it is. But man, this picture sure looks like the spitting image of Miles.

 I'm pretty sure this is when Christian received the priesthood. I wasn't there--the only one who wasn't. How did I miss a Thanksgiving in Benson with my family?! I'm mad at myself that I didn't go when I was single and rich!

I love any picture I can find of our grandparents...

Christian, the Winner!!!

Happy Birthday, amazing Elder Frandsen! You have always been and will always be a winner in our family.

Easter Eggs Popping on the Apricot Tree

Okay, so ignoring my double chin, isn't Christian a darling little Easter Egg hunter? Hope his birthday delicacies in France rival the robin's eggs and peeps awaiting him in his Easter basket here...

Cutest Little Clothes Horse Ever

This has been one of the easiest weeks of pictures to put up, because every picture of Christian is cute! He can even make a fitted sheet look like a sheik's head-dress!

Christian and His Mommies

This little boy has always been adored by the many females in his life, starting with his mother (and, as I've always thought, namesake--am I correct in remembering that Daddy talked about Christian being sort of named after you, Mama, in his baby blessing?) and closely followed by Rosalynde, who was basically a second mother to him.

Happy Birthday Week, Elder Frandsen!!!

There are so many adorable pictures of Christian. This is going to be a fun week :). Let's get started with a common sight around the Frandsen household for many, many years: a cute, be-diapered toddler contemplating mischief!

Grateful for Easter Pictures

Look at what a beautiful family we are! Rosalynde, that pink dress and hat were the epitome of graceful beauty for me during a certain stage of my life, circa 1990.

Grateful for a Father Who...

...is one of the best Christians I know. I wish I could be at the Miller Eccles group tonight, Daddy. I'm proud that you are one of the many people striving to bring understanding, compassion, tolerance, and light to an often-fraught issue that can so very much affect our families and wards and communities. On another note, what were you so dressed up for? This would have been Decemberish 2002...

Grateful for a Sister Who...

...is such an inspired and inspiring writer. What treatise do you think Rosalynde is working out here?

Grateful for Babies Who...

...allow their big sisters to dress them up (or, perhaps, who don't know enough to protest!). Can anyone name this baby? Can anyone name the offending big sister?

Grateful for Baby Backpacks

Gabrielle gave me her purple baby backpack when Polly was born, and that one piece of baby paraphernalia has been used more consistently and over a longer period of time than about anything else besides the crib. It's how I do grocery shopping, how I get dinner fixed when Cici is fussy, how we go on outings, how I take walks when I'm babysitting other kids... So I'm grateful for baby backpacks, grateful to Gabrielle for giving me hers, and grateful to Mama and Daddy who modeled the use of it originally!

Grateful for a Brother Who...

...appreciates those little sugar cake decorations as much as I do! Happy Birthday Month, Christian!!! I have adored you since the day you were born!