Christmas 2009

Okay, so I'm a little late on this, but here's some pics from Christmas. We had a great Christmas. We were blessed to enjoy the company of both Eric's and my parents along with lots of other family and friends.

The below slideshow with probably more pictures than any of you want to see if us includes:
1. The kids with Santa at our Ward Christmas Party
2. Annual Frazee Family Christmas Eve Party at Chartrand's
3. Christmas morning at our house
4. Annual Randall Family Christmas Party at Highland Lodge
5. Family Home Evening with my Mom and Dad and Russell's kids Logan and Emma (thanks Dad for the great lesson!)
6. Ice skating/hockey on the pond at the farm, behind Nana's house.
7. Snowball fight with snow forts the kids and I built and the snowman we made
and more . . .

Birthday Week

We celebrated 3 birthdays in our family this week. Eric's 30-something, Rebekah's 1st and Melissa's 8th. It was a busy week! Here are some pictures and video we'd like to share.

I'd better start off with some commentary. Poor Eric didn't have the most notable birthday. I hadn't prepared well and planned on doing some shopping the day before his birthday to pick up the needed presents, etc. but ended up with a 24 hour flu bug and spent the day miserable on the couch. So on the morning of his birthday, he didn't have a present to open or anything to start the day off fun and then of course he had to go to work. Luckily I was feeling better and was able to run into town for presents and groceries. I found a nice mountain bike on clearance (yeah!) which was a fun present that I hadn't planned on. I also got stuff for a nice steak dinner (so we wouldn't have to attempt to go out with 5 kids 10 and under - one being a 2 1/2 year old, no other explanation needed) and a great chocolate cheesecake with strawberries and raspberries on top for his birthday cake (YUM!-and no baking required on my part!) As luck would have it, about dinner time Eric started feeling bad - he had caught my flu bug!- he wasn't able to enjoy dinner or any of his cheesecake! We sang to him after dinner and I gave the kids some cheesecake. Sad.

Next was sweet little Rebekah's birthday . . .

The knit cap in the above pictures was a gift from her Aunt Delores (Thank you!). She made it and its darling, but unless I can slip it on when Rebekah is distracted by something else she pulls it right off. She didn't care at all about the presents until they were opened, which her brothers and sisters were more than happy to help her with.

I always let the birthday child pick out their favorite dinner on their birthday. For a 1 year old that's hard to decifer. She seems to love lasagna so I made that and it worked out great because she ate like a champ. I can't believe how much she ate!

Rebekah also loved the cupcakes for dessert!

Melissa got an early birthday present and went night skiing with her dad a few days before her birthday. It was her first time going and she had a great time and did really well Eric said.

Melissa was so excited for her birthday. The day before we picked out some yummy frosted sugar cookies to take to school to share and thankfully she was excited and not sad about going to school on her birthday. The night before, she went to bed not feeling her best, she had a stomach ache that had started around dinner time. She woke up at about 11pm throwing up - all over her precious stuffed dog Snoopy and her hippo and her sister - poor Melanie. Poor Melissa too. She was afraid her birthday was ruined. She said her tummy was feeling better and asked if she'd still be able to go to school the next day. I hesitantly said she could if the rest of the night went smooth with no more throwing up and no fever. We were lucky. That was the end of it and she was feeling well in the morning and able to have her favorite - chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and open presents before school.

For dinner Melissa wanted to go to Red Lobster - her favorite place, but I think its just for the name and the lobster tank in the entry way. Eric and I really don't like that place and tried to talk her into letting us cook up some of her seafood favorites like boiled shrimp and crab or lobster bisque, or even to take her to a different restaurant (any other restaurant) but to no avail, she had her heart set on Red Lobster - so we went. When we get to ordering it comes to her and she orders Macaroni and Cheese! Eric and I look at each other and then look at her and say No Way! Apparently she didn't want to order the same thing as her siblings and since Melanie had ordered crab legs and James had ordered shrimp, she felt she was left with mac-n-cheese. Oh, what a girl.

Eric and I spent the evening back and forth in the bathroom with one or other of the kids, chasing David back and forth from the lobster tank, or climbing over the half wall behind us, cracking crab for the girls etc. etc. It was not a fun evening. One good thing was that, what I could eat of it, my meal was better than any others I can remember having there, even though I could have made it just as well at home with much less trouble!

We've sworn off that place for good and going out with the kids as well - but I think we've done that before - it seems to only last until enough time has passed that we forget just how horrible going to a restaurant with kids is.

And that was our Happy Birthday week!

Cross Country Skiing

I love the winters here in Upstate NY. Especially when we can get out and really enjoy the snow and the beauty of it. Yesterday Eric and I, along with David and Rebekah, were able to get out and do some cross country skiing. It was invigorating and fun!

Thanksgiving

I started this entry before Christmas, but never finished it. I guess now that its Feb of the next year I ought to finish it. I would scrap it except that we really had a great Thanksgiving and I want to give thanks to the family that made it so fun.

First the biggest thanks I have to give is to my wonderful husband who finished our new kitchen the week before Thanksgiving. What a big treat that was for me to get to cook Thanksgiving dinner in a brand new, beautiful kitchen, plus a new dinning room and entry way. It makes our home much more comfortable and enjoyable.

We were thrilled to have Russell and Erin and their cute kids join us. They had a road trip that was extended way too long because of Holiday traffic and we're so grateful they were willing to drive all that way especially Erin who was expecting. We had a great time with them and our kids had a ball.

We also enjoyed the company of Pat and Colleen and Will. There's always a good time when they're around. Our kids couldn't love Will more. We played some games after dinner. This is a lousy picture because our flash on our camera had gone out and it just dawned on me that I hadn't taken any pictures of our Thanksgiving so I hurried and snapped a few. Also, and I know I've mentioned this before - my photography skills are very limited.

When we moved into the new kitchen our old kitchen became "the box room" temporarily since we had all these huge boxes from the cabinets and since empty boxes are the best toys ever we let our kids go wild with them. They really wore them out. Logan, James, Melissa and Melanie had some game going where they were running around taking pictures of each other. I don't know exactly what it was, but they were having a great time.Russ and Erin's daughter Emma is a doll. We all just love her.

James and Logan had a great time together. They are about 6 mos. apart in age and get along great. I love to see the two of them playing together.

Summer

Whew! Time is flying! I guess we need to do a major update, somehow Summer got away from us! I'll have to tell the story by reviewing my pictures, because honestly my mind is going -and my pictures, thankfully, jog my memory about the whirlwind we called Summer.

First I'd better start by finishing with some pictures from the weekend of Rebekah's blessing. We really had such a nice time with my parents and Russell and Erin and their family.

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the girls were playing tball and softball. Somehow I missed getting a picture of Melanie playing, but I got a nice one of Melissa (I have mentioned before that my photography skills are limited, right?) So here's Melissa, but Melanie also did a great job on her team and they both had a great time playing.

Next Melissa had her 1st grade play. She was wonderful! Here's a couple of exerpts.










Here's a couple of pictures of Melissa and James climbing one of our trees in the backyard. They thought that was really fun. David wanted to get up there too, but once I helped him up he shot right up the tree like a monkey, with no fear - scared me, and luckily I caught him when he fell - and well, I won't be helping him get started tree climbing again until he's got a little bit of fear in him!

Next came the sad news that our sweet little neice Andi had passed on. We went over to Boston to be with Russell and Erin and attend her funeral, which was lovely.

Here's a tender picture of Emma with Rebekah. Emma was so sweet with her.

We took the kids into the city of Boston to do a little sight seeing so that Erin and Russell could do a few last minute things to prepare for the funeral. We had lots of fun. The kids were all great. This was a little crab shack place right off the water.

Here are some pictures from Andi's burial. It was a special time for our family. The Lord blessed us with comfort and peace. I think especially Russell and Erin. They are amazing and wonderful people.

I'll stop here for now before this gets too long. Update 2 coming soon (I hope! :o) ).

Rebekah's Blessing

Rebekah was given a name and a blessing on May 31 by her father. He gave her a wonderful blessing. I am so thankful for the restored gospel and that Eric honorably holds the priesthood of God. The name we chose for her is Rebekah Michele Frazee. We chose Rebekah not only because it is a beautiful name in itself but after Rebekah in the Bible. A righteous daughter of God chosen to marry Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, and a prophet of God. She became the mother of Jacob and Esau. Jacobs name was later changed by God to Israel. We hope our little Rebekah will seek to remain pure and clean and learn to follow God's commandments that she may be a righteous daugther of God. Her middle name Michele is after Eric's beloved little sister who died as a young girl. We know Rebekah will be a joy to our family as Michele was to hers.

Rebekah wore a very special dress and looked beautiful in it. It was the dress I was blessed in as well as both of her older sisters. We love her so much and are so thankful to have her in our family.


It was a special occasion for our family. We were glad to have my parents come up to be here as well as my brother Russell and his wife Erin and their children. We were also very grateful to have our wonderful Nana, Rebekah's great grandmother there along with Aunt Sophia, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Mary and Allison and Kaliegh, Aunt Carla and Uncle Phil and Aunt Delores. We really appreciate all the love and support we receive from our families!