Happy Monday!

Remember when the World Cup came to Pasadena? I only now appreciate what a huge, huge deal that was. Daddy, how old was your love affair with soccer at that point?

Sunday Girls

It's Sunday on Harmony Place. Mama could still make her girls look cute, even when she was nine months pregnant with me!

Baseball Season

Okay, there's another series of pictures that I really need to start, if this project is to truly represent the range of images that Daddy compulsively captured. We have lots and lots and lots and lots of pictures of cute Frandsen kids in action. Whether it's T-ball, cross country, soccer, jump-roping, baseball, track, tennis--anyone that says that Frandsens weren't into sports will have years of carefully documented games to contend with :).

Ergh.

This picture just makes my stomach fly into my mouth. Ergh is probably way, way, way too mild an exclamative for what I would have been feeling or saying. Any memories, Mama and Daddy, of whence this picture comes? It's in the folder 1994_02, along with pictures of Eva being born :).

Gershwin

Oh, but Gershwin probably wasn't half as dashing as 19 year-old Brigham here. The year is 1999, Brigham is probably back from his first year of college, and I'm guessing he's enjoying his reunion with the piano by pulling out a little Rhapsody in Blue. Do you remember, Brigham?

Naomi, the Amish Prom Queen

Back to our series of dance pictures. This was Backwards Dance, I believe. I was a junior, and I wasn't planning on going, but after ignoring the overt hints of friends that I ate lunch with, a very nice boy with shaggy black hair whose first name was Dave, I believe, just up and invited me in the middle of Honors Physics. He gave me roses and a mix tape. Really, it was one of the nicest ways I've been asked out until another Dave came along, much later. Too bad I avoided his phone calls (the first Dave, not the later one) and was probably a pretty horrible date. Doesn't little Jessica Hannon Mandell look cute? She was probably much better company to her date that night...

Wedding Bells

Gabrielle, you were the first bride from our family--and the first wedding in our season of wedding anniversaries, as well. I remember that it snowed on your wedding day. Appropriately enough, snow is predicted for West Virginia around this same time as well. Crazy weather. Back to the bride--you forged the way for the rest of us, navigated the emotional terrain of bringing in a new family member, gave us the opportunity to establish some of the wedding traditions that are now so expected, after six weddings. You were so beautiful in the only dress that any of the girls would be able to wear back to the temple after the wedding day. I remember being in the bathroom, seeing you curl your hair on your wedding morning while Daddy stressed Mama out by driving over to the temple and getting a little lost on his way back. Little did I know that it would be ten years--ten years!--and four months before I would be following in your footsteps, and you would be taking pictures of me on my wedding day while Rachel did my hair. Thank you for being the first, my beautiful sister. (this picture doesn't do you ANY justice, but there wasn't a wide selection from the slide folders...)

Boys on Parade

Happy Monday, family! I hope this picture brings energy and optimism to your week. May we all work as fast this week as Brigham could roller-blade down Chevy Chase...

Sunday Afternoon

I'm guessing this is one of many Sunday after-church pictures taken over the years, right Daddy? What's the story behind Rosalynde's dress? Did Daddy buy it on his mission in hopes of having a little girl who would wear it one day? Happy Sunday, everyone!

Cute Little Smiler

Christian was such a charming baby. Who is the other baby there? A Frandsen cousin? Elder Frandsen, I hope that dashing smile is serving you as well in France as it did Stateside!

The Big Pillow

This picture comes from a folder entitled "1973_04," so I'm thinking that this was right before Mama and Daddy got married? If that's the case, when did the big pillow originate?

Young Love

Mama, what's the story with this dress? I love it!

Happy Birthday, John!!!

Happy Birthday, John the Mountaineer, the Scientist, the Doctor, the Husband, the Father, the Nursery Leader Extraordinaire (I actually don't know your current calling--but I think that's the one that will earn you the most celestial brownie points), the Chef, the Potter, the Camper, etc., etc., etc. You add so many wonderful, admirable, and worthy attributes to the mix of personalities in our family. Thank you for falling in love with my big sister!

An Old-Fashioned Girl

This must have been Tom Sawyer day, right? Eva, you are adorable.

Springtime Babytime

No, it's not fair that Rosalynde looks that great so soon after having given birth... I think Elena is just a couple of months old here?

Happy Birthday, Christine!!!

Christine, we couldn't have asked for a better first daughter-in-law. You have been a good friend, a good wife to our beloved brother, a phenomenal mother to four amazing children, and a good, kind, thoughtful human being. We are so lucky that you are in our family!

But Mama Kept All These Things and Pondered Them in Her Heart

I love this picture of our thoughtful mother (the expression might be partly owing to contemplativeness, partly owing to pregnancy in a hot summer...).

The Blacktop

One of these days, I'd like to hear the full story of the blacktop. Was it there when we bought the house? Did Daddy put it in? Did he build the handball court? I have so many great memories of that backyard... And speaking of memories--what's the story of those red dresses?

Hold Still!

Okay, everyone--hold your knees, look up, and smile!

Madrigal Mama

Do you remember this event, Mama? Was it a Christmas program? You look so splendidly Dickensian. Thank you for making choral music a part of our lives from before we were all born. We have you to thank for so, so much joy and value in music-making throughout our lives.

Seasons of Gorgeousness

And Rachel, this picture is intended to motivate you during the home stretch of your pregnancy (hopefully it won't have the opposite effect of just depressing you :). This was an incredible season of gorgeousness for you, but you know what? I think you're even more gorgeous now.

Seasons of Change

If I'm remembering correctly, this picture was taken right before Brigham's freshman year of college and Rachel's freshman year of high school--is that right? A season of change for all of the siblings in this picture. Eva, this picture is intended to motivate you as you finish your home stretch of high school--endings do come!

Happy Easter, family!

Remember our backyard Easter Egg hunts? I wonder how many eggs Rosalynde found this year... Benjamin probably got plenty, though.

Knee-Sock Weather

We're having some real spring weather here in West Virginia--sunny, but with an edge of chill. This picture comes from a folder titled "1974--Spring." The amazing thing is that this beautiful spring-weather woman is six months pregnant!

Good Friday

Happy Good Friday, everyone.

Make a Wish!!!

We were so busy seeing darling pictures of toddlers during Rachel's birthday month that we missed darling pictures of big girls! Happy belated birthday, dear sister. And doesn't Rosalynde look so natural with Christian in her arms?

Superheroes in Disguise (more or less)

Christian and Eva are a great team. I wish I could write a novel about them (maybe I will, someday) because they encompass so much dramatic and humorous breadth between their personalities. Christian, the schemer given to flights of fancy and capable of dizzying plunges of despair when plans went awry; Eva, the pragmatist who loved her big brother in a long-suffering, mostly supportive (but probably occasionally exasperated) way. In my novel, they would be superheroes--crime fighters with the perfect disguise and the complete set of mystery-solving and do-gooding tools at their disposal. Christian, you're off being a superhero in France, and Eva, you're receiving your final tutorials from your parents, but you're both destined to do great things, and I know that you will always mean more to each other than I would ever be able to write.

Prom Season

Prom season is nearly here, so I'm going to feature some notable pictures of proms past. Don't worry--I'll get to the vision of loveliness that I was as a junior with zero fashion sense and about 15 pounds to lose. But for now, we'll start with a real vision of loveliness--my two gorgeous sisters that I love bragging about all the time.

Let's Hear It For the Boys

Gabrielle is a popular woman! Gabrielle, I think this was from the surprise 16th birthday party that you threw for me--is that right?

Remember Us?

Okay, family, the month of All-Twins-All-the-Time has now concluded. We'll go back to our normally scheduled program of random pictures that will undoubtedly keep you coming back each morning to see where we end up :). When May 2nd comes, I'll resume the chronology and we'll have another week or two of this very special time in the life of our family.

But for now--remember these cuties? I've been missing them over the past month...