To blog or not to blog, that is the question....

To blog or not to blog, that is the question! I enjoy keeping in touch with family and friends, writing the funny stories that happen to us every day, and expressing my thoughts and feelings while tuning up my writing skills, but I often wonder, "is anyone out there even reading this thing?" So, I've decided that whether people read it or not, I'm setting a goal to blog at least twice a month, and hopefully more often than that! That way, I can incorporate my blog into my scrapbooks so we can celebrate the good, the bad, and the ugly of everyday family life.

There's always something going on around here, and we're always taking photos, so even if I can just get the chance to post a few pics, then you can follow us on here. I've posted a few short photo clips to get you up-to-date on our family over the past few months. As time allows, I will try to post some of our 2010 highlights.

Please let me know if you like something by commenting on my posts or emailing me at nataliefrailey@gmail.com. If I know even one person is reading, I'll keep writing!

Merry Christmas!!!

No More Braces!

After 18 months with braces, Lauren finally had hers removed! She was really excited, and I checked her out of school early for the first time. She got two retainers that are decorated to look like ladybugs...I'm just hoping the bright colors keep her from throwing them out with her lunch! She may have to get "phase 2" in a few years to help her lower jaw grow (thanks to sucking her thumb when she was much younger!) We'll see...right now, we're just happy to see her in her retainers!

Lauren and Daddy at the Disney Dance

Every year, Eric and Lauren get dressed in their best and head to the Disneyland hotel for a Father/Daughter dance. It is one of the highlights of the year for both of them. They dance, take pictures, eat lunch and just have a great time together and with their Adventure Princess friends. Here are a few photos of Lauren and her daddy this year.

Celebrating Zac's 6th Birthday

On Friday night, after a long week of holiday parties and the end of school, we celebrated Zachary's sixth birthday with a movie night. The plan was to put up the big screen, put out the lawn chairs and enjoy Toy Story 3 under the stars. The weather had other plans. It seems we are experiencing what the newscasters are calling "the pineapple express," a week long 3,000 mile stretch of rainy storms. It hasn't rained this much since we've lived here, and now it won't stop.

Needless to say, we had to move the party indoors. That was a lot of fun...15 kindergarten boys, three girls, Daniel, and his friend Mikey, 2. It was nonstop chaos, but Zac enjoyed the night and so did we! I popped 16 bags of popcorn, most of which ended up on the carpet.

Daniel's Bible Study Performance

Daniel and I go to Community Bible Study every Wednesday. I am studying 1 Peter right now, and Daniel is learning lessons from the bible every week. He is a little sponge and soaks so much of God's word. He is also memorizing scripture, which he repeats to the family at dinner many nights. Last week, he had his performance and he was so funny. Here are a few photos of our littlest performer.