Bike Ride

Brigham has always been the soul of caution...

When plaid was a crime...

Wipe that smile off your face, you young hooligan! Law students aren't supposed to wear pants like that!

The Cutest Little Girl That Ever Was, Part 2

For our soon-to-be graduate. You've come a long way, baby!

Happy Memorial Day!

Favorite memories of Memorial Day:

• riding on the firetruck in the parade
• seeing the Shriners riding around in their little cars
• pancake breakfasts up by Switzer Falls
• (occasionally) getting candy from the real estate agents camped out on the parade route

Yours?

A Picture for Sunday

Don't these little boys just make you joyful?

Big Sister

Oh Rosalynde, your departure for college was like an 8.0 earthquake epicentered right in the middle of our family. Phone calls and returns home from you were the long-anticipated highlights for your little brothers and sisters!

TGIF

I hope there's a little of this in store for your upcoming weekend!

Have your cake and eat it too, Abraham!

Here's to getting close to the end of your first full week as an intelligence operative, Abraham! We expect to hear absolutely nothing about what the NSA is having you do.

Beethoven and Rosalynde

Who looks more intent about music in this picture--Beethoven or Rosalynde?

The Cutest Little Girl That Ever Was

Eva, you had a look all of your own. I like to think that Cici has a little of that same look--inquiring, curious, but also somewhat introspective. You will always be imprinted on my psyche as the epitome of cute baby, since that's what you were when I left home 16 years ago!

Occupy Monday

If this picture can't kick-start your week, I don't know what can. Daddy, you're just cool. That's all there is to it.

Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful dreamer,
Wake unto me
Starlight and dewdrops
Are awaiting thee

Sounds of the rude world
Heard in the day
Led by the moonlight
Have all passed away

Beautiful dreamer,
King of my song
List' while I woo thee
With soft melody

Gone are the cares of
Life's busy throng
Beautiful dreamer
Awake unto me
Beautiful dreamer,
Awake unto me.

The Last Dance

In honor of Eva's Prom Night, here are a couple of gems from the Frandsen Archives of Romance (or something like that).

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Hansen!!!!

Look at these two cool dudes. Grandpa, you are one of a kind. Thank you for being a magical, wild, unpredictable, fun, instructive, essential part of my childhood (and my whole life!).

Sweet Bedfellows

I wonder if there was any room for Mama and Daddy in this bed? I remember going up to Mama and Daddy's room a few afternoons to just watch Jacob and Abraham. I still remember the feeling in that room. It was thick with something intense and pure and timeless.

Grandma's Medicine

I'm guessing that Grandma Hansen had some special gifts in coaxing food down her little grandson. I treasure those memories of Grandma spending so much time in our home. Remember the bean burros fried in oil? Yum...

Afternoon Nap

I love this picture of Gabrielle and Jacob. It may be one of my favorite finds in this entire process. The perspective is a little tricky--Daddy must be taking the picture from the back side of the couch. I'm guessing this is an afternoon nap, after a long day of school when Gabrielle was spending the entire day thinking about getting home to her little brother. Gabrielle, your heart is as wide as eternity.

Happy Anniversary, Ben and Shayla!!!

Let's be honest--Shayla is FAR too vivacious and clever and spunky to be a trophy wife. But even so, of all the trophies that Ben has won in his most illustrious life, winning Shayla's heart far surpasses them all. Welcome to the family--we love having you as a Frandsen! Happy Anniversary, you two lovebirds.

Happy Mother's Day, from her stripling warrior

How could I forget sweet baby Ben! I'm so sorry that you got lost yesterday, Benjamin. You are probably the most conscientious, diligent, and least-likely to forget Mother's Day, so my omission is very ironic...

Mother's Day 2012

Happy Mother's Day from baby Isaac...



...from baby Christian...


...from baby Eva...


...and from baby Abraham.

And now some trivial pursuit (or not so trivial, since it's profoundly impacted each of us!)

• How many total years of her life was Mama pregnant?
• How many total years of her life was Mama nursing?
• How many uninterrupted nights of sleep did Mama get between 1974-1996?
• How much money did Dr. Leake make off of Mama?
• How many diapers did Mama change?
• How many accidents did she have to clean up during potty-training?
• How many lunches did she make while her kids were/are in school?
• How many hours (or days? weeks?) of piano recitals did Mama sit through?
• How many school projects did Mama stay up until 1 am finishing?
• How many hours did Mama spend combing, brushing, and doing her girls' hair?
• How much money has Mama saved her family by cutting her boys' hair?
• How, how, how, how did she do it? And how is she still doing it, just as capably and tenderly as she always has?
  

Dear Mother, All Flowers Remind Me of You

The order of these pictures didn't come out as intended... But here's to a Happy Mother's Day from Baby Gabrielle...




...from baby Naomi...



...from baby Brigham...



...from babies Rachel and Jacob....


...from baby Rosalynde...

(to be continued...)

Yum, yum--mustard and mayo! Once my children are old enough, I may need to introduce warmed-up ice cream, green jello, mustard and mayo sandwiches, and blueberry muffins as the food of choice on May 2nd. Am I missing any of Jacob's favorite foods, Mama?

Also, I don't think I see a single grey hair on Mama's head there. Not, not, not, not fair. Mama, you are such a beautiful woman.

Walden

I think we might need to do a little chronological cleaning-up of these folders. This picture pretty obviously isn't in the proper sequence, since that's an awful lot of hair to grow in the course of a month. But I do love this picture of Jacob out in nature. I remember being out with him in the very back there. Mama, is Jacob the one who asked to go out there, or did you come up with the idea of letting him spend some time in the relative quiet and shade of the back yard?

The Gaping Pit

I could be wrong--the picture is a little dark, after all--but I think maybe Daddy posed us hovering over a big, gaping pit?

Hugging Twins

Could there be anything more adorable than Rachel's behind-the-back hug of Jacob? Also, I'm loving Uncle Mark's Grandpa Hansen-esque glasses...

Backyard Fun (and Happy Birthday, Dave!!!)

Let's count all of the great things about this picture:
1. Brigham's soccer shorts
2. Benjamin's blast-off stance
3. Jacob's tucked-in sweatshirt
4. Rachel's Hello Kitty cart

And to my wonderful husband--I've been waiting for you for my whole life. I love you, draga.

Storytime with Rosalynde

The picture is a bit dark, but Rachel's smile isn't. Big sister Rosalynde must be taking a break from homework to make her little siblings' afternoon.

Sunday Presents

I'm thinking this is Mother's Day--right? I love Brigham and Jacob's coordinating sweaters. Was that intentional, Mama?

Mother and Son

This is a little boy who loves his mother. Where was this picture taken, Mama? Also, I love that red sweatshirt--what is the story of it? Who gave it to Jacob?

Father and Son

Master ice cream-maker and his prodigious apprentice. What a treat that homemade ice cream was. Let's pull it out for the family reunion this summer.

Game-Changer

Look at that grin on Jacob's face. What do you think--is he giving me some under-the-table tips on how to beat Rosalynde's plan to dominate at Candyland?

4 West

Look at how Jacob lights up everything around him, no matter where he is. We love you and miss you, our darling brother.

Pictures for May

May is a special month for me. May 2nd has been a sacred day for 23 years now. May 8th is Dave's birthday. May 12th is the day that Dave proposed to me. May is Mother's Day month. And then, of course, May is beautiful! We're going to go back to pictures of Rachel and Jacob for this month. Here's one that should look very familiar--ten points to the first person who names the room! Mama, how did you keep your little kids well behaved for so many piano recitals?