Happy Birthday, Gabrielle!!!

Gabrielle, I set out to find a beautiful picture of you for your birthday post, and the task was both ridiculously easy and ridiculously hard. I could open any folder and find what I was looking for--but then the agonizing decision of which to choose! Happy birthday to my beautiful older sister who has been my first best friend and my forever role model and teacher and sounding board and example and encourager and problem-solver and... the list goes on. I love you, Gabrielle!

...And Mama deserves her own birthday post.

Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful, smart, hard-working, ambitious, inspiring, talented, and, of course, studious mother. We all call your name blessed!

Catching Up on Birthdays

Okay, we have quite a few birthdays that we've missed over the past six weeks of blog inactivity! Let's backtrack...

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law!!! 

Happy Birthday to the amazing Grandma Frandsen!!!

Happy Birthday to beautiful Bonnie!!!

 Happy Birthday to the brilliant and funny Elijah!!!

 Oh, and look at this--I had a birthday too!!!

 And happy, happy birthday to the athletic and fun-loving Jack. Think you could beat your mom at a foot race?

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Here's to beautiful little Eva, starting classes tomorrow! (tomorrow, right?) We love you, little sister!

Happy Birthday to two Brighams and a Joseph!

Brigham the Elder, you were such an adorable baby. I'm sure that's one of the reasons that your kids are so cute, too. Anyway, in place of that golden-haired, sailor-suited little toddler, we now have an extraordinary son, brother, husband, father, professor, and all around good human being. The hair might not be golden anymore and I'm guessing it's been years since you wore a sailor suit, but thank you for everything you've given the world during these past 32 years!

And, of course, happy birthday to Brigham and Joseph Turner! You'll see some pictures of your mom when she was 11 years old, too. Aren't you glad that she doesn't make you wear curlers in your hair at night? :) We love you so much and are so, so happy that you're a part of our family!

Welcome home, Elder Frandsen

The first Elder Frandsen had a homecoming never to be forgotten by all who tried to keep up with him on the bike. I probably have the date wrong, but I think it was around this time of year that we trekked from Orange County back up to La Canada...

Goodbye, California; Hello, College!!!

Not to tug Mama's and Daddy's heartstrings too much, but in honor of Eva's imminent departure to the ivy-covered halls of BYU, here are a couple of dorm-room departures. Mama, I love your tradition of making the first bed of all of your college students. Wouldn't mind a continuation of that tradition in my current home, now that I think about it :).

Happy Birthday, Rosalynde!!!

Of all the many true things I could say about my oldest sister that would amaze, impress, inspire, enlighten, and enhearten, I will say what is probably one of the shallowest but nevertheless one of the oldest of my impressions of Rosalynde: from her gorgeous lavender Preludes (?) gown and lace wrist gloves to her white sailor shirt and black recital dress that I always stole in 8th grade, from her feathered bangs to her eyeliner that I assiduously tried to imitate, Rosalynde has always defined beauty and style and coolness to me. I love you, Rosalynde! Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in St. Louis!