The Biggest Blessing of all...

Mom, Dad, and I have been keeping a secret for too long now.

Good thing I can finally let the cat out of the bag...

Can you believe it? After many months our prayers have been answered, and I am FINALLY going to be a big sister!

I can't wait! Check back soon to watch as I prepare for the arrival in August...WOO HOO!!!

New Year, New Home, New Surprises!

After all the excitement of Christmas the family was ready to get to work. We had lots of things to do before we officially moved to San Diego and were eager to get started. While Mom and Dad packed up the car I spent some time with Aunt Hayley and Bugs. Before Mom let me go down to the horse she dressed me in my rain suit which conveniently doubled as a "muck suit" just in case it was messy after all the rain. Once suited up, I grabbed all the brushes that my little arms could hold and we made our way down the hill.





We took a small detour and stopped at Hayley's "horse shed" to pick up some additional grooming tools for Bugs. Aunt Hayley kept me out of harms way while she was rounding everything up by placing me in a wheel barrel. Don't I look silly...






Bugs was really excited to see us and greeted us with a big "neigh." I helped Aunt Hayley clean out Bugs' hooves, and then helped him to look handsome by brushing him.

He loved all the attention and, as you can tell by the look on my face, I loved every minute of it!

After bugs was cleaned and brushed, Aunt Hayley and I braided his hair. Check out how good he looks...






Hanging out with Bugs left me dirty and tired, so Mom cleaned me up when I got back to the house and put me in the car for our drive back to Huntington Beach. We arrived back home before the new year began, and spent the last hours together in our home as a family.


Once the new year came we were under a tight timeline. While Mom and Dad were busy moving all of our boxes and furniture into the garage I got to spend time with my favorite people Jeff, Susan, and Wendy.



They are like family to me and I am SO lucky to have them in my life. While I am over there I have my very own box of toys, and it even has my name on it. In my box there are books, a doll house, cooking stuff, blocks; a little bit of everything. Not only do they have a house full of toys for me, but they have their fridge filled will all my favorites. Chicken Nuggets, peanut butter and crackers, tuna fish- they even have olives. I love spending time over there so much that I put up a fight when Mom comes to take me home! (I even pouted for the first time by crossing my arms and saying "no" when Mom told me it was time to leave.) I guess Mom and Dad really appreciated their help because they were able to pack up the entire house in less than 2 days.

On the evening of the 2nd our family got to see Grandma Joanie!!! It had been months since I had seen her, and I couldn't wait to tell her how much I missed her. Grandma Joanie was on vacation with my Great Aunt Sharon, my Great Aunt Dorothy, and my second cousin Kelly. We all had a wonderful time catching up with one another over dinner.

The next morning everyone came over to our house to see where we live. Although it was unusually cold we walked down to Main St. and I showed them my stomping grounds. We were able to spend the whole day together and I took advantage of the spotlight by singing my ABC's from start to finish, and by counting to 10 all by myself- boy were they impressed! That night Aunt Hayley and Pa drove up to have a big family dinner and I really enjoyed spending time with everyone.

The next day was a sad day- Grandma Joanie and the girls had left on their cruise, Dad had gone to San Diego to watch the Chargers Playoff game, and Aunt Hayley ad Holly were flying out that night to go back to the Caribbean. We spent Hayley's final day together hanging out around the house and eating the foods she would miss while away at school (guess the food on the island isn't that good.) After Aunt Hayley and Holly left it was just me and my Mom. We took advantage of our girls time and ate junk food, stayed up late, and sang obnoxiously loud to our favorite songs. Early in the week Dad came home with the Ryder truck and we loaded up our furniture and boxes(thanks again to help from Jeff and Susan.) The house was eerily empty, but we were looking forward to moving into the new house and getting settled. Dad left with the Ryder truck and Mom and I spent the last night in the house by ourselves. We made the most of our camp out, and sat in front of the fireplace and read books to each other.

We spent the following day saying our goodbyes to all our friends around town- the hardest goodbyes were said to Jeff and Susan. They have been so incredibly good to our family and we will miss seeing them everyday. Although it was hard to say goodbye, I knew that it wouldn't be forever.

Once in San Diego I took advantage of the great weather and open space and spent my first day in the new house exploring my surroundings. I think I am going to LOVE being here with my family, and 4th and Jax are really enjoying it as well.

The other great thing about being in San Diego is being so close to family. We were even able to celebrate my Uncle Brandon's 21st birthday by having dinner and drinks with him.

Dinner was lots of fun, but I got restless sitting at the table so Grandma Jean took me out for a stroll around the restaurant. Everyone should have a Grandma Jean- they are the best!

The first week in our new home went by fast as we were busy unpacking, cleaning and getting settled. Before we knew it the weekend was here and it was time to head up to Orange County to spend some time with Jeff and Susan, and to pick up Grandma Joanie and the rest of the family from their cruise. We arrived in Huntington Beach early in the morning and stopped at our usual donut shop to pick up some breakfast to eat at Jeff and Susan's. While Dad parked the car, Mom and I walked down the sidewalk and I shrieked with excitement when we made it to their door. We spent the whole morning playing in the house, and boy did I have an awesome time.

Jeff and I bounced up and down on the bouncy ball, and Mom and Dad loved my belly laughs.

All the running around made me hungry so I went straight for the fridge and asked for a nugget. Without hesitation Susan opened the fridge and handed me two nuggets (of course they had some on hand for me!) I was so excited that I ran to my little chair, grabbed my buddy the turtle and plopped down on the chair to eat the nuggets.

Boy are they yummy!

After I finished the nuggets I was parched so I sat on Susan's lap and she helped me drink water from the big girl cup.

Once I my tummy was full and hydrated it was back to playing. I got to play beauty shop and when I was done with my hairdo couldn't stop looking in the mirror and saying "pretty."

I really enjoyed spending time with Jeff and Susan, and I learned that saying goodbye never gets any easier. Although we wont be living right next door we will still stay in touch with them, and Mom promises that we will see them often. I fell asleep once we got in the car as we headed towards LA to pick everyone up. I was glad to see my family and loved hearing all about their Mexican cruise. Because their flight didn't leave until 11pm that evening we took advantage of the extra time and took them on a tour of LA. Kelly really wanted to walk the shops on Rodeo Dr, so Beverly Hills was the first stop on our tour.

We all enjoyed window shopping on Rodeo Drive and, of course, I enjoyed all the attention I received as I strolled down the sidewalk in my tutu.

After we'd had enough shopping we drove through the surrounding neighbor hoods to show everyone some of the amazing houses in the area. I wasn't too impressed by their massive size, and although they were beautiful, wouldn't want to live in LA (way too much traffic.)

Once our house tour was over we drove down to Santa Monica to walk the pier and see the sunset. It was the first time I had been to Santa Monica and thought the coastline was beautiful.

We watched the sunset on the pier and loved seeing all the beautiful colors.

After the sunset we went through the carnival on the pier hoping to go on the Ferris Wheel. I was disappointed when I discovered that I was too little to ride, but Dad made me feel better by taking me on the carousel. I loved going up and down on the painted ponies.

After the carousel I ran around outside and managed to turn this statue into a slide. Mom says that she is envious of my ability to find fun everywhere!

Walking to dinner the moon looked beautiful as it rose over the mountains and I took a picture with Grandma Joanie and Dad.

We dropped everyone off at the airport and I was sad to see them go. Hopefully I will see the family in Wisconsin soon (I am already working on Mom and Dad to plan a trip!)

Back at our new home the next morning I opened a package from Auntie Stephanie and was surprised to find that she had sent me a bunch of brand new outfits from my favorite store. I spent the whole morning trying everything on, and even put on a fashion show for the family.

I am so grateful to Stephanie and the Beck family for being so thoughtful!

So far this year has been amazing, and I am reminded of all the people in my life who care about me. Mom, Dad, and I hope that everyone who has helped us through this tough transition to San Diego knows how much we appreciate their love and support. A big thank you to my entire family for being supportive, to Pa for providing us with a beautiful home to live in, to Jeff and Susan for making our big move a success, to Auntie Stephanie for making me the best dressed kid on the block, and to God for all the blessings I have in my life. Tune in soon to find out the best blessing of them all...

18 months old!!!

I celebrated my 18 month birthday recently; boy, time sure has flown by!

Mom and Dad were impressed by all of the major milestones I had accomplished in such a short period of time:


I can (and do often) sing the ABC's from start to finish ALL BY MYSELF! I also love to sing twinkle twinkle little star, and the Barney theme song (funny, I have never seen the TV show, but have already learned the song thanks to Mom.) My favorite time to sing is when I am in the car. Mom gets all excited when I sing songs and trys to join in, but I am not a group singer. I prefer to sing alone.

Another favorite of mine is the Wheels on the Bus. That is a fun one because there great hand movements. My silly Mom made up a Frankwick Family version of wheels on the bus, it goes a little something like this:

In case you didn't quite hear, I will clarify: The Mommies say "no, no, no", the Daddies say "I love you", the Pa's say "spank, spank, spank", the Hayley's say "what, what, what", the Grandma Judie's say "laugh, laugh, laugh"; it goes on forever...

I have also been practicing lullaby's to sing for the new baby

Counting is another accomplishment that Mom and Dad are proud of. I can count to 18 in English, and can count to 12 in Spanish. I really enjoy trying to learn 2 languages, and love speaking in Spanish. So far pantalones is my favorite word!

Since the last couple of months have been SO busy with the big move our family decided to take some "time off" and go up to Mammoth. Grandma Judy and Dad spent our first day in the mountains skiing while Mom and I practiced our "snowbunny" skills around the lodge. I loved walking by everyone, waving, smiling, flirting, and being the center of attention.




When Grandma Judy and Dad were done skiing we all went for a ride in the peanut (the gondola), and BOY did I enjoy the ride. I kept yelling "hello people" to everyone below.

After our ride Grandma Judy and I stopped to take a picture in front of the big bear.

The next day, while Dad was snowboarding, Mom and I went sledding. I had MUCH MORE fun this year than last, and loved it when Mom pushed me real fast.




I went back and forth on the sled for hours yelling "more fast Mom." She got pooped out really quickly, so I made her a deal- she could take a break if we could ride the peanut again, and we did!!!





By the time we had finished our ride Dad and Grandma Judy were waiting for us at the lodge. They were tired from a long day on the hill, so we all took some time to relax in true Mammoth style.

At night Grandma Judy would take me in the spa and we would go swimming. I love the water and can't wait for summer time to swim at Pa's.

The next day Grandma Judy had to go to work, but she was able to take a short break and introduce me to Woolly the "elephant" (the Mammoth Mountain mascot). At first I was a little shy, but before to long we were high fiving and bumping up a storm.

The family took our annual picture at Mammoth

Woolly and I had become quick buddies, and when he left to go back to work with Grandma Judy I got mad. I ran after him through the crowds yelling "come back Woolly." When he didn't come back I began to yell, at the TOP of my lungs, "ELEPHANT." Mom explained to me that he was skiing with Grandma Judy and had all sorts of other kids he had to go meet. I finally settled down(stopped screaming), but continued to call for him as he rode out of sight.

Before we left town Mom and Dad took me out to a park for some more sledding. I didn't have as much fun on my tummy because the snow was hard and bumpy, so Mom and Dad had to improvise.

Dad and I sure had fun being pulled as Mommy huffed and puffed to get us going.

We all had a great time in Mammoth and enjoyed the rest and relaxation. Back at Pa's house we settled in to our new life. Dad had to go out of town to get some work done, so Mom and I took the time to do "girl stuff". We played beauty shop, painted our toe nails, watched movies, ate pizza, it was a lot of fun. In the weeks to come Mom has planned lots of fun activities to keep me busy, so check back soon to hear all about my adventures in San Diego.

Ho Ho Ho

The anticipation of Christmas continued to build as the December rains fell. Mom and Dad kept busy unpacking boxes but I was becoming antsy. I had grown tired of playing indoors so Pa took me outside to feel the rain. I liked it so much that Mom put on my rain gear and let me run around.

It doesn't' rain much in Southern California, so this was one of my first "real" experiences in the rain. I really enjoyed stomping around in the puddles and making a mess.

I was only allowed to play outside for a little while and before I was back to square one. I had to use my imagination and be creative with my choice of indoor activities, so my friend Kia and I put our heads together and found that taking rides in the shopping cart could provide hours of fun.

The day before Christmas Mom was busy taking care of things around the house so I got to spend some time with Aunt Hayley. We did all sorts of fun things, and can you believe it, she even gave me a tattoo! It was a butterfly and I loved looking at myself in the mirror. Mom thought it was really cute, but informed me that it better be the only tattoo I EVER get!

That night, before dinner, I got to open the final window on my advent calendar.

As you can see I thoroughly enjoyed the last piece.

Mom made a special dinner on Christmas Eve and the family all sat down together to enjoy it, I even got my own big girl plate and seat!

After dinner I was allowed to open one gift, and I wisely chose the biggest. It was a gift from Grandma Judy, and when I opened it I was so excited- she had bought me a bike! I had a blast riding it throughout the house, and it even makes missile noises when I push the buttons.

After I was tuckered out from all the playing, Mom dressed me in my jammies and we sat down for our annual Christmas Eve Grinch-a-thon. It is quickly becoming my favorite movie, just like my Mom!

I woke up early on Christmas morning, eager to get the celebration started. While Mom was in the kitchen making breakfast Dad and Pa were eerily looking a little too similar lounging on the couch.... (Can you even tell them apart?)

After breakfast Grandma Jean and the Umbarger family came over to celebrate Christmas.

While everyone else kept busy pigging out in the kitchen Grandma Jean and I went straight for the presents. She gave me a really cool horse that I can ride throughout the house.

I love horses!

After the family feasted on the smorgasbord, we relaxed in the living room listening to Christmas music when all of a sudden I heard a jingle coming from outside. I looked at mom, confused, hoping to understand the noise that was slowly getting louder. She had a big grin on her face and exclaimed, "Riley, it's Santa!" I shrieked with joy and ran to the window to peer at the big bearded man walking across the front porch.

At first I stared at him in disbelief, as I couldn't believe he was actually here!

I was eager to meet him, and waved for him to come on in.

Mom and I quickly let him in. I bet he was glad to come in the door instead of the chimney because Pa had built a big fire that morning!


Santa walked in the door and greeted us with a big "ho ho ho."

Not only did Santa bring some Christmas cheer, but he brought he me a big bag of toys since I had been such a good girl.

I opened all sorts of cool presents, and couldn't believe that Santa knew exactly what I wanted!

After we opened all of my gifts, Santa told me that he had to head back to the North Pole. I sat on his lap and gave him a big hug to thank him for all the great presents he had brought for me.

My second Christmas was filled with lots of family fun, and I am grateful for the wonderful family that I am able to spend time with.

Once Christmas was over reality hit- Mom, Dad, and I still had lots of packing and moving to do, and our hectic holiday schedule hasn't made it any easier. We are looking forward to spending a relaxing New Years back at home before we move, and can't wait to see Grandma Joanie when she comes next week.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year's and knows how grateful I am for all the wonderful people I have in my life!