Monday, July 28, 2008

Happy Birthday, Francie

My daughter, Francie, you are a blessing from above. You bring a special joy that comes from deep inside, as you've grown into womanhood you have filled my heart with pride. With every year that passes you are more special than before and I love you even more.
Just born - July 26, 1980 at 4:27 a.m. - 8 lbs. 10 oz.
You were named after your great grandmother - Franciska Helena
Your dad wanted you to have your very own name too, so he added Leeann.
Helping grandma Annie rock your baby sister.
Three months old.

You loved music and playing (I should say banging) on the old piano was one of your favorites.


This is a doll that you got for one of your birthdays.


You were the flower girl in a church members wedding.
You look so precious.

Your big brother, Ryan, is helping you with your pony ride.

You told Mrs. Claus just what you wanted for Christmas. And you must have been a good girl, because you got what you asked for, I think.
You and me going down an amusement park slide. It was really fast and you loved it! I was a little scared, so I hung on tight to you.


After we moved away from Oklahoma City, we tried to go back every summer to visit family. During this trip, we had to visit great grandma in the hospital. She loved you kids so much. This is the grandmother that you were named after. She was adopted from an orphanage in Missouri when she was three months old. Her name was Blanche when she was adopted, but her parents re-named her after her new mother. Her adopted parents came to the states from Poland and they spoke German.

This is your great grandpa, Orval. The sweetest man in the whole world. He loved you children so much.

You and Natalie showing off your new "big wheels" and shades!!
For Thanksgiving, you and Natalie decided to dress up for the occasion. Natalie was the Indian and you were the pilgrim.

The way these pictures are set-up it appears that the egg(s) came first. oops



You and Natalie playing on the clothes-line on our trip to North Dakota to visit family.
You and Natalie making cookies. I love those spongy curlers.

Sooo sweet!


First grade picture.

"I want to be an exercise teacher when I grow up!"

You loved animals. Especially cats.

Here you are celebrating your fifth birthday along with Jodie's (the dog) second birthday.


This Thanksgiving you both wanted to be pilgrims.

Showing off a barn cat that Ryan brought home from the farm.

Your thirteenth birthday.

Pine Hills Academy girls flag football team. Both you and Natalie played on the team.



Sisters
This was when we lived in Amarillo.


Your baptism in the Eel River at Redwood Camp Meeting.

Your dorm room at academy. When you went to visit Lori on home leave you were running some errands and you made Lori turn around so you could get that old window out of the trash pile of some body's yard. She thought you were crazy, until she saw how cute it looked in your room. You have such a talent for decorating. Your dorm room always looked like a picture out of a decorating magazine.

And, you're an awesome auntie!!!!

With Braces

Without Braces

You have always enjoyed getting up in front of people and singing. Here you are singing with a friend - entertaining the parents graduation weekend. You wrote the words to make fun of where you had to work - Thunderbird Furniture. It was great. Everyone liked it, even your boss!!

What were the words to that song?


You and Natalie have always been such good friends. You were such a good sister, helping Natalie with her homework and helping her keep her room clean so she wouldn't get in trouble. She sure did miss you the next year when you went off to college and left her. You were like a mother to her.


You and your four sisters, Shannon, you, Rachael, Lori, and Natalie graduation weekend.

You were having the time of your life!
We are so proud of you. Your accomplishments are many.

I always enjoyed mother's day weekend when you were in college because of the special weekend they had. I would drive from California to Seattle and pick up Lori and then we would drive together over to Walla Walla. What great memories. Remember the fresh asparagus we would bring with us and then cook it in your dorm room?

Graduating from college. And then you moved to Michigan and started your master's program. I can't find a picture of your graduation from your master's program.

Jason and Francie - Friends
No words can describe the warm memories that come from having a daughter like you to love and to cherish. Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Mom

8 comments:

CATHY said...

Oh my goodness, these pictures brought tears to my eyes. Francie is such a sweetheart. So adorable when she was little, she still is!
Happy Birthday Francie.
Cecelia, you did such an excellent job with those girls....you have every right to be proud of them.

Dore' said...

Awe.. How sweet! Francie has always been so cute with a big heart. I had so much fun staying in her dorm room with her one weekend. I would have loved to have her for my dorm mother.
She was so good to all those girls.

WOW, Cecelia, you were good at taking lots of pictures. We have a lot of will a few of Nate and almost none of Micah. I wish I had stayed on top of it like you. What fun looking at all those pictures and going down memory lane with you.

Natalie said...

it is really funny to see a baby picture of francie because it looks like her so much!

Tina in CT said...

Cathy's comment says it all.

Happy belated birthday Francie.

Lori said...

that was really sweet and I remember Francie making me go back for that window someone had thrown out. I thought she was crazy.

Tina in CT said...

I forgot to add that you look like a kid in the picture taken in the hospital. You look fantastic and you'd just had a baby. And to think that you had all the other kids too.

Francie said...

I've been waiting a long time for this, Mom! Thank you so much! That really made me feel special! A gift in itself!!!
I have some pictures from my master's graduation I can get for ya, too.
I didn't realize how many times me and Nat would dress up for occasions... I can think of many Christmas ones too!
Nat and I were pretty inseperable too (sometimes) and I felt it was my duty to make sure you could see the floor in her dorm room, even when she didn't see the importance... hahaha!
Thanks, Mom. I love you!

Rachael said...

Lots of great pics. She was such a cute little kid. I always remember how she wanted to be an aerobics instructor just like Jane Fonda.