Christmas Sunday & Gingerbread Houses

The kid's in their Christmas BEST!

Our Family

So I have spent ALL week and I mean ALL week measuring, mixing, rolling, baking, and cutting out gingerbread houses. We planned to get together with some friends from our ward and build gingerbread houses. On top of all of that I had to prepare a Sacrament Meeting talk, finish up Christmas shopping, prepare a lesson for Primary (I was substituting for a friend), get the kids Christmas outfits ready, and all-in-all finish up the LAST minute Christmas things. It was a VERY busy but great week. We started the week off with my 32nd Birthday... and it was by far the BEST birthday ever! I got to spend the entire day with Tyler and we even got to go to dinner ALONE!

As we gathered yesterday to make gingerbread houses (baked-10 and made -9) I was filled with joy! We sure had a wonderful time, the kids were running around and sneeking candy here and there... but we did have an enjoyable Christmas time. I realize NOW why mom always enjoyed doing these with us. The baking part can be stressful, but the gathering together and the outcome is so joyful! I hope you will enjoy our gingerbread house pictures and the pictures of our family in their Christmas best! Love you all! Wish we could be with you this season!

Kisses and Hugs!

The Franklin Family

The WHOLE Gingerbread Gang (minus me!)
The missionaries even got to make their own houses!

Mandie & Chandler (daddy is deployed this Christmas season)

Marc, Kaleigh, & Heidi (our neighbors across the street)

Elizabeth with our house (she was so SLEEPY!)

The Edward's House (they hosted EVERYONE)-This house weighed a TON!

All 9 completed houses!

Kate's Recital!

So we all got to attend Kate's piano recital last week. She did a great job and performed two pieces! (WOW! I could never even remember one song!) Here is Kate with her sweet teacher Sis. Anderson!

This photo says it all...Bowen just going along with things, Kate annoyed, and Clair posing!

Never a good photo of all three!

Kate performing her first song!

Kate performing her second song!

Niven's Apple Farm

We had a great time at the UMOMC Fall party. We went to Niven's Apple Farm and the boys loved it. There were lots of activities, a really cool store, hayrides and lot and lots and lots of twins, triplets and even some QUINTS!

After 2 1/2 years....they are finally co-bedding

Well we never could co-bed the boys. For one reason or another. One was too small, or too sick, or too big. Whatever the reason we never did it. But we recently went to toddler beds. The initial transition was rough. Two days of no naps and late bed times. But after the first couple of days (and quite a few spankings) it got better and better. Now they go to bed when they are asked and stay in their beds. SO NICE! I've heard we actually had it very easy. I've heard weeks of no naps and up all night, etc. So I am really thankful that this transition was super easy for us.

So we went in to check no them the other night....it was about their third night in the toddler beds. I was out with my UMOMs group and on the phone with Creighton while he went to check on them. He whispered in the phone, "they're in the same bed!" I couldn't wait to get home and see for myself. It's so cute! I took this picture with flash in the dark at the risk of waking them just because I had to have the picture.

Christmas Name Drawing

Hey Y'all -

I drew names for us tonight. I hope that's ok w/ everyone!

Here's the list:

Clair's Spa Party

Clair had the most fun at her party tonight! We are blessed to have a sweet Aunt Beth! She was so kind to open her shop for Clair's party! We had three stations...
First, facials with cucumbers for our eyes! Second, nail painting with some pretty little nail art by the talented Aunt KT! (She used her best Asian nail tech accent, but I don't think the little girls got it...but the adults all laughed at her funnies!)

And third, a hair fixing station!
More facials...some of the girls loved the cool cucumbers on their eyes...some didn't!

We are also SO greatful to mom for coming up from Aiken and helping fix hair and do facials!

One of Aunt Beth's friends also came by and helped...just to be nice!

I just love these photos with the cucumbers on their eyes!

Clair getting her nails done! Look at those curls...she said, "I love the curls mom...it's the closest I've ever been to Goldy Locks!"

Aunt Beth putting some lip gloss on Clair.

The finished product...she looked SO darling...but I think she always looks darling!

Park University's Class of 2009!!!

Gavin, Taylor, and TJ (they were so good!)

Shawn, Elizabeth, and Rebekah
(I may have gone crazy if they hadn't been there!)

Oh yeah! I did it!

Our Family! So proud of Daddy!

The proud graduate (with FULL honors & the Outstanding Graduate)
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He did it!!! Yeah!!! We have been celebrating for a few months Tyler's graduation from Park University... he already received his diploma in the mail, so we knew it was the real deal.... BUT to make it even more official he walked in the F.E. Warren AFB on base College(s) graduation. It was great. I was so proud of him. I now know how a parent feels when their child graduates from College, I was so emotional all day. I just kept thinking back to when he (we) started this College journey. He was taking a class through Limestone College (yeah, shout out to Gaffney... what! what!). It was a night class and we had just had TJ. I was a mess, I didn't know how we were going to get through him taking classes and us raising a baby. I will never forget one night he had class and I had Enrichment (or whatever they call it now!) and I went to church with TJ in tow and then we headed over to the satellite campus building to pick up daddy. Tyler still had about 1/2 hour left of class so I got TJ out of the car (I believe it was like already 9pm) and put him in the stroller and went into the empty building (all except for Tyler's class) and pushed TJ around in the stroller and just waited on him. Now I think about that moment and smile, but then it was tough. I didn't think that we could get through it, but we and he did! I am so very proud of Tyler and for his willingness to have me stay home, work a full-time job, go to school, serve at church, be daddy, and hubby. He amazes me. I also want to thank you all for the prayers and encouragement. None of you will know how much we appreciated that. Thanks so much. We love you all! Enjoy the pics of my big, bad, college man!
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The processional in!

The "official" handshake from the Vice President of Park University!

Handing out high-fives! Woo-hoo!

Yummy Cake!!

Some of our wonderful friends who came to celebrate with good food!

Fall in Wyoming... & Halloween

TJ- Mike Wazowski

Elizabeth the Garden Gnome!!!

Okay... so I use the term FALL lightly! In Wyoming Fall comes in the form of not falling leaves but falling snow! We have already had 2 major storms in October. The first storm produced just under a foot of snow and the second just over two feet. Needless to say it was cold and I was worried about the kids on Halloween being so cold and no one being able to see their costumes (since they would be under their coats). BUT we were lucky the weather was gorgeous (for Cheyenne). I believe the temperature was around 47 degrees, which sounds cold to you humidity freaks, but it was so nice. NO WIND! and just wonderful. Our friends came up from Denver with their little guy. We had such a great time Trick or Treating through the Ft. Warren Officer Housing.... so much fun! Elizabeth played the roll of our Garden Gnome and TJ was starring as Mike Wazowski!!! I hope you will enjoy the pictures.

Pumpkin shaped sugar cookies!! YUMMY!

Tyler using his snow thrower that KT got him for
Christmas last year... He loves it!

Dakota the Pirate, TJ- Mike Wazowski,
and Elizabeth the Garden Gnome.

My Fireman, Tinker Bell, and Cleopatra