The Singer Pack: 2014

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Recently...

Frankie is now walking and getting steadier by the day. The jibber jabbering is constant and you can occasionally catch a word or two. He is continuing to get better at signing for different things (especially food items) which is exciting. Outside is his favorite! We already have our winter gear purchased since I anticipate him loving being outside in the snow with Kirby.

We are so thankful that our little family is healthy and happy. Here are a few recent photos and I will try to be better with sharing the activities in our lives.

The love between a boy and his dog

Finished my 2nd TC 10Mile!

Favorite water bottle

Quite the pair

Our little pirate with his monkey

Olympic Training Begins

This fall marks the beginning of Frank's ascension to the top of the podium at the 2032 Olympics. If you couldn't guess, we signed the boy up for swimming lessons. As is his attitude towards most things that involve moving he absolutely loves it. As you can imagine a baby swimming class includes a vast array of strokes and technique. We are currently working on "scoops", "monkey cheeks", and submerging his face under water. Many of the babies in the class are not nearly as fond of this activity as Frank. Hopefully this positive attitude continues as we progress in the various activities.

1st Birthday Party!

Like any parent with a one year old, we wanted to celebrate that ~~we made it~~ Frankie turned 1! That first year is full of so many firsts for both baby and parents so naturally we wanted to commemorate our survival with a gathering with family and friends.

The day turned our wonderful and my makeshift decorations fit the scene perfectly. I will share that going through photos from the past year and narrowing it down to only a few was REALLY hard! Steve can attest to my struggle of wanting to print hundreds of photos and we managed to get down to much less than that. Not sure how I am going to make a photo book that is less than 100 pages...

We had a great day and Frankie even liked his cake. It is crazy how fast a year can go...enjoy a few snap-shots from the party.

Four generations of Singers

Photos by Live & Love Studios

To finish off Frankie's first year, we had photos with Jackie. She does such a fantastic job! I can't say enough good things about working with Jackie!

Here a few of the MANY fabulous photos that Jackie Boldt of Live & Love Studios took of Frankie and our family for his 1st birthday!

Photo Series: 12 Months!

I realize that this is BEYOND late - like 2+ months late. But I want you to know that I have had this little piece written the whole time! Here is the long over-due post.

_________________________________________________________________________________

My baby boy is one! Holy cow did that year fly by! As I was getting ready for his little birthday bash, I started looking through photos from the past year – we had a great year! We had a whole lot of firsts, lots of smiles and giggles, some of the best time with family and friends, and many special times together as our little family. It was really hard for me to not print hundreds of photos! Each one brought back really special memories. I am thankful that I have all those photos since memories can fade but those moments captured with a photo I can look back on and stir that memory back up. Now on to making a photo book...wish me luck!

This past month (similar to most months) was a whirlwind. We were getting ready for our little dude’s party as well as keep up with day-to-day activities. Frankie is always on the move. We got our fireplace “Frankie proofed” and it is one of his favorite things to climb up and down from the bench. This has helped him figure out how to climb off of things which has translated into figuring out how to go down stairs. He is still not super confident in it but I know it will come.

Walking is still only done along furniture or holding on to someone but I am totally okay with that. Once he figures out how to walk on his own, we will be sprinting after him! Slowly Frankie is taking to eating more variety of “real food” (i.e. not pureed) which has come as a nice relief for us and a more enjoyable time for Kirby. Kirby usually enjoys portions of Frankie’s food since Frankie likes to share.

Happy Birthday little man. We love you!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Bach Wedding

Steve's cousin Eric married his college sweetheart, Lauren, a couple weekends ago. It was a great family affair, although, Dustin, Eric's brother and best man, was unable to get away from his duties in the Navy for the weekend. He was there in spirit!

It was a beautiful day and we all had a wonderful time catching up with family that we don't get to see very often. Here are a few family photos we were able to grab - we didn't get the opportunity to have a photo with the Bride and Groom prior to us leaving to get Frankie down for the night.

All the best to Eric and Lauren as they begin this new adventure together!

3 Generations of Francis

Family

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Omaha! Omaha! Omaha!

Steve and I were not too sure on how a 6-7 hour drive was going to go for the little one when we set out on our way to Nebraska. We tried to be optimistic but knew very well that it could be a really long day in the car. Should I mention that we had only just switched from our carrier car seat to the convertible car seat just that week? Smooth move on our part... However, despite a few torrential downpours in Iowa and a couple unhappy hours from Frank, we made it to Omaha unscathed.

Luckily we were able to promptly check into our hotel room and let the little dude crawl around before we had to hop into the car once more. This time we were off to my cousin's house to see the family! The whole trip to Omaha was to celebrate the marriage of my cousin, Sarah, to Marcus. They went to Las Vegas earlier in the year and got married so it was time to celebrate! At my cousin Bryanne's house, the Herrmann family was congregating for some face time. It is unfortunate but we don't get to see that side of the family very often so when we do get together, we try to make the most of it. Nancy and Kelly were home from China and rented a bounce house for all the kids which was a hit! All the kids loved it, even Frankie had his time in it. After he was done eating dinner, he made a bee-line from the patio to the bounce house. He clearly felt it wasn't fair that all the other kids had been bouncing around in there and he wanted his turn. It was a great gathering and fun to see everyone!

The next day, after an early wake up from Frankie, most of the family decided to head to the Omaha Zoo. Frankie loved it! All the kids loved it for that matter. There were lots of animals to see, a carousel to ride, camels to ride, stingrays to touch, and so much more. Even the parents and grandparents had an enjoyable time. Frankie had a stare down with a gorilla and loved the aquarium. We played musical strollers with all the kiddos especially Miss Sophie, she would snatch up an open seat in an instant. :-)

Our time at the zoo was short-lived due to nap times (for both babes and parents). Frankie snoozed while we were at the zoo so we took him for a swim in the pool to expend some of his energy before putting him down. It worked like a charm! He was hesitant of the water at first but quickly warmed up to it.

The evening was full of celebrating Marcus & Sarah. I managed to sneak in a few photos of the family and I can't wait to see the full family photos that the photographer took! We didn't make it too long into the event due to the little dude getting tired but we enjoyed the time that we were there. Family is always fun and crazy to be around.

The ride home was quiet since the little dude went with Grandma and Grandpa to spend a few days in Marshall. Here's to hoping the next family gathering isn't too far away!