How it all began...

No, this is not my dinner table. Although in the annonymity of Internet world, I'm second guessing my honesty and kind of wishing I could claim it as my own...But, sticking with the whole honesty-shmonesty thing, my dinner table actually still has Ellie's dinner on it from last night that she wouldn't even think about touching. I believe her booster seat is sitting as the centerpiece and there might even be a sippy cup full of milk, just about the only thing she'll consume without complaint, on the chair that's still pulled out from the table. But, hey, it was Friday night. I promise I'll clean it up today.



But back to the loveliness of the table that is not my own. Last weekend our dear friends had a dinner party and dressed it up in style! This group of friends warms my heart just thinking about the history of the last few years we've been together. From disappointing breakups and fraternity parties to football games and engagement parties to wedding planning and honeymoon bliss and now baby showers and pack-and-plays in the back bedroom, sometimes history can be so comforting.



So Italian night it was, complete with pears for place-settings, three different oils for dipping, three different pasta options and tiramisu for desert.





And with the boys, apparently it was not complete without a little cigar celebration.


And with the girls, it wasn't complete without several tries for a flattering picture of everyone...



And closing the evening with a round of Catch Phrase...classic.



The next morning, we were up bright and early for a day trip out to Manhattan. I love Manhattan. Gosh, just the thought of it means falling in love, late night studying, lazy mornings, and how it all began. A few weeks from now, seven years ago was the night Chris and I met, the first snowy night our of college experience and I had gone sledding with a random group of friends and acquaintances. The quicket place to warm up afterwards? A nearby fraternity house, quiet for once for finals week studying. A walk inside, up the stairs and into someone's room to reunite with an old high school friend, and one introduction later, and we were smitten. Literally. He walked me back out to my car that evening and promised that he would be inviting me to the next event his faternity hosted, a prediction not only true, but in fact, that was the last, first invite he would ever offer a lucky girl.




I think the best part of our story was that our first "date" together was to a tattoo parlor. Seriously. This was it. Truly, though, it was just an excuse to go somewhere together, anywhere together, just to be together. And, no, to parents reading this, there was no piercing or tattoing done this afternoon, just a pair of crushing nineteen year-olds oggling a braver soul permnanetly etching his commitment to something on his ankle.

And in further reminiscing, it's not far past this dinner sign that Chris turned off our route one evening six years ago just after dinner that this restaraunt.



It was a perfect July Friday night, warm but not muggy, breezy but not windy. He wanted to go for a walk, he said, in the open Konza prairie. So I went, although not without closely inspecting any suspicious movement of his hands, watching for a clever or sly slip of the hand, trying to hide a ring box. Alas, there was none. So I sighed, and went on a walk, completely unsuspecting his intentions. Little did I know the band was hidden away in his pocket, carefully stashed hours prior to my curious wonderings. And so the evening was, perfect, serene, butterflies literally floating across my path. And my dear husband proposed to me that evening. July 8, 2005.

But back to the present...my little Ellie loves ducks.



In fact, there have been many times where we are together and out of no where a little "quack quack quack" will suddenly fill the air and before I can shush her silly misunderstanding, I spot a duck somewhere close by. I love this about her.




And she loves filling her little arms full of stuff. Lots of stuff.




And then putting things " 'way " (That's Ellie-language for "away"). In her little way.


Yes, this is one of those pictures that I will save forever and hopefully someday put side by side by another picture of a little bit bigger little girl holding hands with her little bit greyer daddy. Something tells me it will be easier now to get her to hold hands with daddy than it will be then.




She looks so darn little.

And see...just about two years ago was this...


Which now is this.




You see, I'm coming to this conclusion, life just gets better as it goes.

A Very Normal Weekend

It's cliche, I know. Said before a ridiculous number of times. But it's so darn true.

Time flies when you're having fun.

And the little girl of our home is just that now, a little girl.

Last weekend, was a very normal weekend. In fact, we had literally one thing on our calendar. And if you know the Frenchs, we love this type of weekend. But once it came time for that one thing, we packed this no longer baby up with our dear pup, Pippy, and went up to my school to join a fundraiser walk.


But only after watching a little bit of Sunday morning cartoons.


They're actually becoming buds.


It was totally the place to be.


Did I mentioned my fifth graders had a pajama theme for the morning? And I love wearing slippers!


And this little sweetheart tuckered out quickly. Or maybe her daddy's arms were just too comfy.


And this little nugget was silent the whole time, totally engrossed in people watching. There sure were a lot of them to watch too.

So then this little fam went to breakfast afterwards.





She knew exactly what she was doing with those creamers. We didn't. But she did.


What a little toddler.


And then back in time to cuddle with Aunt Annie during the Chiefs game.


Or maybe it was her baby girl cousin she was really cuddling with...10 weeks to go!
Yes, the Chiefs lost, but all in all, a normal, perfect weekend here at the Frenchs.

Shutterfly Offer

This next month is a new leaf for me. This month is going to be a coupon month! Starting with www.shutterfly.com and the offer they are providing to give 50 free holiday cards to anyone who will blog about their awesome products. I will say that they have some beautiful products. Of course I will be checking them out in March for baby announcements!

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/baby-shower-invitations

Need I explain how excited I am for blue in my life? Blue polka dots, blue jammies, preppy accesseries, love it.

And, their photo calendars?

http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

So cute. Seriously. I love the idea of taking seasonal photographs throughout the year, perhaps Ellie with paper hearts and roses in February, dressed in green and perhaps some silly gold coins in March and an American flag in July... Love it.

And, most relevant of all, Christmas cards.

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

I've been actually a little ahead of the game this year, perhaps early nesting? And have been searching multiple websites for the cutest Christmas cards. Not sure how truly successful photo shoots with a sqirrely little toddler girl will be, but it's all about the journey, not the destination, right? It'll work. Any way, back to www.shutterfly.com, they are going to be the lucky recipient of my holiday card order this year, and goodness am I excited to design our 2010 Christmas card.

And, by the way, I promise photos and life update for the next post.

This Pink Ballerina

I just spent a little while reading two sister blogger friends and their most recent post over their sweet treat day. And it made me smile because I can totally relate to their lack of trick-or-treating growing up, their commitment to avoiding celebrating goblins and gore, but their total lack of ability to resist dressing their own children up.


I'm there.

You see, the moment I found out my little girl was in fact a little girl, I made a pact with myself that she would wear nothing but pink dresses and frilly skirts for all of her days, or at least all of the days that I had sole control over her apparel. Well, about day three of this little nugget's life on this planet, I realized this wasn't really practical or, at times, as adorable as a sweet pair of skinny jeans, soft hoodies and/or a tiny little t-shirt.

However, when it comes to dressing this little girl in pink...that pact has stayed pretty true.



And this proud daddy doesn't seem to mind too much...


So last year, you may remember, she was a perfect little lamb, complete with a pink gingham bow. This year, I searched high and low for the girliest little costume a momma could find. Voila. And we loved this little girl as a pink ballerina so much that we couldn't even wait for dusk to begin the photo shoot but spent our Sunday afternoon "fake trick-or-treating", sending her down the block, (although it took a little coaching for her to figure out that's what her crazy momma and daddy wanted...)





But anyway, back to my story, once she realized that the candy strewn down the sidewalk was meant as a bribe for her to trot her pink tootsies up and down while we hollered her name waiting for just the right moment to snap our camera at her and then applaud her cuteness, she was more than happy to oblige.



And if I were a real photographer, I would photoshop that incredibly annoying blue minivan right out of this otherwise adorable photo. Something about her above reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood, except in pink.

As I write this now, little brother is squirming quite busily in my tummy as if to remind me not to forget about him. Cue baby bump documentation.


Loving the fact that tomorrow is 20 weeks. Halfway through.

And back to my borrowed phrase, "sweet treats day". And this little pink ballerina.

So after our fake trick-or-treating, we celebrated a little more like my own upbringing by going up to our church's family festival.



Need I explain how disappointed my husband was when he found out that only little kids were allowed on the shark slide? So disappointed. Like seriously, so disappointed.



Look at that thing! I'm thinking it's a good thing we're having a little boy for him to live vicariously through.

And the wind was a little strong outside, so inside they had a little more tame play things for little ones more Ellie's size.



Ellie sat and watched for awhile.



She seriously probably would have sat there all evening.





But these anxious parents got bored, so we whisked her away to face painting.





Which she was surprisingly tolerant of! Especially seeing as it was truly just a sneaky manuever to get some more pink added to her get-up.



But she must have felt pretty, because for the rest of the evening she was Miss Independent. Those ballerina legs were movin' and groovin' all over that place, exploring one sight, and then on to the next. All with that orange pumpkin couldn't be tighter in that fist.







Lovin' this pink ballerina concentration.





Lovin' this pink ballerina.

But, I think we tuckered her out by the end...plenty of cuddles for daddy at the end. Like I said, I don't think he minds the pink too terribly much.