Surf's up... Whoa daddy... Wipe out!

One of my favorite moments from this week... Michael wanted to do some surfing in our living room. The cushions were make-shifted into waves, and the Frandsen children became better surfers with dad's sweet tutorials.

Longest ride award goes to Michael. Best paddling technique award goes to Bekah. Best dressed award goes to Abby, of course.

(Please excuse the post-dinner, pre-bath and bed, end-of-day ragamuffin look that the girls are sporting...)



And best daddy award goes to Paul. This was just after he woke up after catching some sleep before a night shift. It is a fine balance he walks right now with his busy, busy resident schedule. He loves having fun with our kiddos, and they simply love being around him. I'm glad that he makes his time at home count in ways that truly matter.

it's the playoffs...

as the jazz get ready to sweep the rockets...michael has been swept away in basketball madness.

it's been a while since we've seen a jazz game, and lately he's taken to choosing the team opposite me so we can compete while we watch (not sure how i feel about that:), but after watching the rockets and the jazz he soon came around. in fact, he ran upstairs during the first game and put on his jazz uniform that lafe gave him.

since that first game, michael has had the hoops set up in the front room and with most spare moments he is shooting baskets and adding points to his totals. when he makes a basket he adds one point to the jazz. when he misses a shot he adds points to the rockets. when he's in the thick of a game he prefers to find amy or me after each shot to show us the new score tallied on the couch armrest in plastic letters.

at the very least, michael has had some sweet addition practice since the start of the playoffs.

nick will be proud to know that when michael plays in the front room it is rare for the jazz to ever fall behind.

the halls will be glad to see michael in his florida gators attire. you see, we do have something in common...i always knew i'd see rob and jacob in blue..:)

Some Springtime Fun...

Just wanted to play a little catch-up with some of the fun things we've enjoyed in our little town lately. Springtime has been here since mid-March, and it is my favorite season here, I think. Never too hot, and (as always) clear skies. The orange blossoms are my favorite... and if this blog had a smell-a-vision capabilities, you'd be getting a good whiff of what I smell whenever I open my windows right now... divine!

At the beginning of April, we enjoyed the Daffodil Garden up in the mountains. The "Daffodil Lady," as she is named, has been planting daffodils each and every year for... ever is what they say. Her grounds display around 20 different kinds of daffodils, and it was a fun family night for us, roaming around the mountain hills and enjoying the flowers.

Michael and Paul in front of a display of the different types of daffodils

Cute Bekah

Another weekend, we went to the a children's symphony event put on by our town's symphony. It really was a fun, relaxed environment that was so comfortable for kids. After the concert (which was really very good), they had an instrument "petting zoo" where they brought out instruments of every kind and let the kids look, touch, feel, and try them out on their own. It was a lot of fun. Michael really got into it.

Trying out a French horn:

He really got into the xylophone, because they explained it in the concert as looking and sounding like "dinosaur bones."

They had a set of drums out, which stole Michael's interest right away. He waited in a long line to take a turn. I thought he would be a little timid (like most of the other kids), but he got right up and tried each piece. He now listens for the different parts of the drum set in songs.



They also had a multicultural festival going on at the university. Paul helped Michael learn a little about lacrosse. He made three goals on his own (Michael, that is...)!

And, as Paul documented, we finally made our season debut at the beach! It was a really fun day, and we're anxious to get back. It was a bit chilly, but very enjoyable in the sun.

Here is a video of the girls' first introduction to the shoreline this season. Don't miss the cute look on Abby's face at the very end as she feels her first little wave of seawater.



Daddy time is a pretty special time for the kids. They just love him and he really enjoys them. Here is a video he took of them doing "If You're Happy And You Know It." Notice that Abby has her dress-up gown backwards and inside out... which is classic Abby right now.



So now that Springtime is making its way across the country... what have been some of your favorites??

a fan is born...

last week i was home alone with the kids and on a whim i decided to watch the most recently recorded performances on american idol with them. they were enthralled. michael asked lots of questions throughout the show and commented on each of the performances. by the time mom got home, we were ready to watch the results show and michael was getting pretty excited.

when the results show came to a close michael looked perplexed. 'who won?' he said. we told him no one won, but someone lost. his looked of perplexity grew until i explained how each week someone is voted off. a smile of realization and anticipation spread across his face, and i realized that he had no idea that american idol was a phenomenon that had spread itself over weeks and would not be ending for over a month (not a one-time deal as he originally thought.)

anyway, you can enjoy and laugh at some of his enthusiasm below. all this after just two weeks of fandom...

for the hipster...

i owe my brother an apology.

in the last obama thread, there were those who felt my comments and tone gave the impression that i dislike obama and am disappointed in my brother for campaigning for him.

well, i don't and i'm not (proud would be a better word.)

obama seems like a great guy and a great speaker...whether i will vote for him seems pretty unlikely, but there is a small chance i could be persuaded.

so stevie, continue your crusade and i'll listen with an open mind and inject opposing viewpoints when i feel inclined..:)

surf city...

an impromtu visit to the beach with the rowley's on monday was a welcome kick-off to spring. the kids were in their element in no time. the girls took to the water like they haven't in the past. we finally had to bring the water to them in buckets to keep them with us on the sand...



once again, i reiterate my plea for you to come to the beach with us.

simply incredible...

the nyc times has finally done it...

even the times couldn't fawn eternally on obama without taking a swipe or two.

pandering steevo? or is he a really an ivy league religion-hater as has been previously suspected..? was his religious expression politically expedient and other's religion something for bitter bigots to cling to?

hard to say...

bekah, abby and michael's latest...

as the deacons walked up to the sacrament table, bekah said, VERY loudly, "bye bye bread, see you wayyyyter (later in bekah-speak)"

abby has been saying in a bright tone to random men, 'hiiiiii dada'...

i asked michael what he drew for his picture in sharing time that was placed on the chalkboard. he said, "it was awkward. i drew a tyrannosaurus rex, but people thought it was a priesthood man..."

random acts of violence...

beat with butt of a gun by four men of a different race in his home...

knocked unconscious and kicked, while down, by a co-worker before work began...

random acts by ruthless perpetrators? planned retaliation for 'victims' prior actions? discouraging examples of men's hearts gone cold? acts that have been enacted in different ways in different eras throughout humanity's existence..?

both recipients of the violence were people i saw in one day as patients. i got to thinking about the cases after seeing this footage of the 8 teenagers beating their classmate in florida.

there have been unprovoked acts of violence throughout time. certainly some societies have been more ruthless than others. what does its presence signify?

in thinking about these specific acts, it is an easy out to say that the violence was probably gang or drug related. it's an easy out and makes one feel better to think that the violence is a part of a world that doesn't touch me. a world that people choose to become a part of... there is truth to the idea that choosing to take part in illegal activity may lead to unintended consequences. however, the discouraging part of the equation is the myriad children born into these circumstances...living within earshot of similar acts and in 'harms way'. fear, providence, faith and hopelessness would take on new significance in this type of society.

i'm probably on the outside looking in here, but the view is disturbing...

posted by paul--not amy :)

Sneaky Snakey Curves...

When in Kentucky, Michael got the biggest kick out of the winding, curving roads.


It began the night we flew in, as he giggled all the way home saying, "Woah, Mary Ann! Take it easy on the curves!"
He named them "sneaky snakey curves" and enjoyed them the whole time we were there.


It was so fun driving with him, laughing and commenting about the curves the whole way. He was really digging the different signs.


This was his favorite one...

My Kentucky Home...

Thanks to the thoughtfulness of my husband, and the amazing generosity of Mom Frandsen (and Dad F, Hannah, Lafe, Jonny & Mel...), my actual birthday celebration came about three weeks ago when Michael and I went on a big adventure to Kentucky. It was kind of my last hurrah before I'm too pregnant to travel, and thereafter too tied to a newborn to freely go on a trip.


I lived in Kentucky from 8th grade until I left for college. My family has since moved to Oregon, and it has been about 6 years since I've been back. Mary Ann (she's like a second mom to me) was the reason for the visit...


Here she is with her husband, Wes, and Tiffany, who thinks she is human...


They are known to my kids as Nana Mary Ann (who spoils us with amazing packages) and Papa Wes. We didn't tell Wes that Michael was coming... and he was pleasantly surprised to have a buddy for the weekend.


This California boy got a taste of country living, Kentucky style. Mary Ann and Wes' home is an elegant log cabin out in the country surrounded by wild forest and rolling hills. I had forgotten how beautiful it is--even in the wintertime. Next time, though, I will go in the summer--nothing like the green, green, green of those trees and rolling hills.

Here's the country boy in the "work boots" Mary Ann got him to wear on the farm...


They have 6 horses, a barn, a pond with bullfrogs, a tractor, a 4-wheeler... and lots and lots of open space. It was fantastically peaceful (...so good for this mama!). But the best part was being with Mary Ann and Wes. Much of the time, Michael palled around with Wes.


His favorite part was riding Sandman...





...and attempting to catch bullfrogs in the pond.

We did other things, too... including meeting up with high school friends, visiting wonderful people, and visiting favorite places (thanks, Angela, for reminding me about the infamous GAP outlet!).

I left my camera behind far too often, but here are some things I did get pictures of...

My Old Kentucky Home (looks like the new residents had lots of company)...


(... this one's for my family... the Bumpas dogs down the road have multiplied and replenished since we left...)


The Old Washington Park, where dad would run miles around this lake each morning before work. (Dad... Michael cracked up when I told him your story about being attacked by a mother duck.)


A trip to DeSha's for a Brownie Fix (they still make them like they used to, Matt. Don't you wish you could have eaten our leftovers??)...


A trip to the high school... where the field house was sporting the newly acquired boy's state championship trophy... Go Royals!


(Two days after I left, this same high school field house would host Pres. Bill Clinton, who was campaigning for his boss--I mean--wife. In little old Maysville... who would've thunk it??)

It was also Easter weekend, so we were lucky enough to have a holiday "Mary Ann style." She always makes holidays special. Michael went on an Easter egg hunt with some kids from the primary, colored eggs and had an egg hunt at the house...


And the Easter bunny left Michael and his mama amazing baskets of lovely goodies. We had a great Easter dinner, complete with a special lamb cake.


Aside from enjoying being around Mary Ann, my favorite part of the trip was going to church in my little Maysville Branch. It was good to see my church family, and feel the strength of the spirit that is with them there. It brought back so many feelings and memories of the formative years of my testimony and faith. I owe much of my foundation to the experiences I had there.

Thanks to Mary Ann and Wes for a wonderful, refreshing, and memorable Easter!!

It was about that time that Michael was at the height of a sickness we later diagnosed as the flu. He was a trooper and was really pretty pleasant, but slept a lot. We flew home the next day as I started experiencing its early stages. I'm just glad it didn't really hit me until we left... but was sad that Mary Ann got it too.


It was sad to say good-bye... but they told us that their home is our New Kentucky Home. So long for now, but we'll be back--next time in the summertime!

happy birthday amy...

as grandma frandsen has said for years in self-reference...amy is 29 and still stretching...

writing a birthday tribute about amy is daunting. words are inadequate to describe how much she means to me. and because you don't want to hear all the mushy details i will spare you.

i will just say this. my life is more fulfilling than i ever could have imagined before meeting her...

happy birthday amy!

osc and the first lady...

finally an article by osc that the nyc hipsters will love...

incidentally, this may the first time someone has written something intelligent about the obamas that i can get behind...and who else to write it but orson...

4 hours in SLC...

A little documentation of Michael and his mom's Temple Square Adventure:


Michael and I were all packed and ready to go to Kentucky. Mom F. and the girls took us to the airport and dropped us off with plenty of time to make our 1pm flight. However, when I checked in, I was informed that our flight had been delayed and that we would miss our connection to KY.The attendant was nice enough to rearrange things so that we would have a direct flight later that day...

...um, 5 hours later.

Mom F didn't have her phone.

So with 4 hours to kill until we had to be back at the airport, I quickly remembered the advertisements for a free tour shuttle that goes to Temple Square. We found out where the shuttle comes (every hour on the hour... and it was 11:45) and decided to have a little adventure in Salt Lake City.

Michael was pumped about it. I talked the missionary couple who drove the shuttle tour into letting us go around on our own (instead of taking the official "tour") for lunch and sight-seeing.

After pizza at the food court across the street from Temple Square, we wandered around the grounds. Most interesting attractions for the boy?? The statues and the fountains! He went around feeling the water in each one, telling me if whether the water was warm, chilly, cold, or freezing.


Most were chilly or cold.


He was amazed with the Tabernacle, and of course the temple. I loved telling him about all the special things we were seeing, and many memories associated with the Square.



Here he is, posing "like the temple."


The whole time, we talked about what a great adventure we were having together... and how we were glad out plane plans had to change...


I wanted to be sure he got to see the Conference Center, since General Conference was just around the corner. He loved it...


Being so into letters and numbers, he loved that each row had a letter and each chair had a number... fascinating.


This water was "a little warmer than the chilly ones outside..."


He really got into the art/statues there, and it was fun to talk about them with him. Time passed quickly there, and we had to rush toward the end... but we had to go to the top, of course!


When I asked him what he liked the best, he said it was being able to go to the "very tippy top where there are trees and gardens and stuff."

Our adventure had to end too quickly, and we had to rush back to the meeting point to meet our shuttle at 3:30. We got back to the airport with plenty of time to check in and watch a few planes come and go.

All in all, I'm quite glad we had the little delay in our flight plans. We both really enjoyed our Temple Square Adventure. So if you're ever stuck at the SLC airport and don't know what to do with an hour +... the Temple Square tour shuttle leaves every hour on the hour from the far north end of Terminal 2.

Michael's animal faces...

So I'm just going to throw these up on the blog because it cracked me up.

When we went the the Natural Life Museum at BYU (The Bean Museum), Michael was fascinated with all the animals. He wanted to have pictures next to them. I kept telling him to smile, but he would just make these weird faces. I asked him what he was doing, and he told me he was making the face of the animals.

Here are the results:

The jaguar--look at those teeth:


The Grizzley bear:


The liger... honest to goodness, a cross of a tiger and lion--bread in captivity at the Hoogle Zoo (Turns out Neapolitan Dynamite's favorite animal isn't fictional after all.):


The lion--so serious:


The zebra--he's got that look in his eyes (and check out Abby trying to escape the stroller!):

And I forget what these things are, but look at how he pulls his nose down to look like them:


Love this boy. He is so much fun right now.