2009 at a Glance: Marvelous Mayhem

2009 began with a frosty snowshoeing hike on New Years Day and ended with a baby girl on the way! It was a crazy busy year filled with lots of fun trips, tons of firsts for Eva, and unexpected suprises. January was the beginning of a ridiculously stressful semester for Shanna but we made time for fun. Eva and mommy took advantage of the massive January snow storm and had a great day sledding. In February, the whole family went to Durango to enjoy the hot springs, skiing, and some quality boardgame time. It was a blast. Then in March Matt and Shanna decided to roadtrip out to California to visit grandma. Little did we know Matt had mono which is probably why his big sister was able to beat him at bowling.

May brought warm weather, an end to the insanity of Shanna's school schedule, and a much needed vacation. We met up with Dave's family in Orlando and took Eva to Disney World for the first time. What a highlight that trip was. Eva was awestruck, overwhelmed, and completely blissed out the whole time. At the end of the trip she charmed a long line of waiting people by dancing with Pluto. It was magical. We came home to find out that Eva would no longer be the only little Franceschini running around and the rest of the summer spun by in a blur of pregnancy sickness. Oh the joy.

Constant nausea and vomitting wasn't enough to keep us down for the summer though. With Zofran (the most amazing drug ever) in hand we tackled trips to the zoo, camping for the 4th of July, a girls weekend in Vegas, and an extended weekend in Steamboat were Eva went on her first horseback ride. Then in August Eva finished potty training just in time to start preschool. She went on her first fieldtrip (complete with first schoolbus ride), and has loved learning her ABC's (or ABCD's as she calls it).

In November Dave and Shanna went on a little get-away to NY and left Eva with Grammy and Pop Pop. It was lovely. Then we all went to Indiana for Thanksgiving to meet our new nephew Ethan. What a perfectly handsome little guy he is! I'm so jealous that he started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. Not fair. While we were there Eva got to meet Santa for the first time and asked him for a big Sleeping Beauty doll.

My favorite thing this year has been watching Eva's little personality come out. She is so kindhearted and social. A perfect example, today we had her preschool Christmas party and when it was time to get food she was first in line and grabbed the biggest frosting covered cookie. I was a little embarassed that my kid was "that greedy kid," but then she turned to me and insisted that I let her get out of line because she had to take the cookie to her friend's little sister who apparently couldn't fend for herself. She went to the table where the little girl was sitting, gently put the cookie in her hand and said, "here you go Brecken, this is for you," then kissed her nose. Then she went to the end of the line and wasn't upset that the cookies were all gone by the time she got there. What a precious girl. There is nothing she likes more than playing with her friends. Her perfect world would be one big never-ending play date. She wouldn't care what they were playing as long as everyone was there having a good time.

We have definitely seen a sassy side to our little social bug too. She is quite dramatic and loves play acting. During her bath tonight she started reciting the lines from Mulan (the scene where she is bathing in the lake) and was spot on. Not only did she know every word in her little monologue but she mimicked Mulan's expressions perfectly. She gets a kick out of fake crying, rolling her eyes at her momma, and using her whole body to express herself (arms flailing, rolling on the floor, etc.) For little miss Eva Franceschini, life is a stage, and we are spending lots of time learning how to express ourselves appropriately!

As we wrap up 2009, we are so thankful for the little family God has blessed us with and crazy excited to welcome baby Mia into the mix. In the Franceschini household life is usually some kind of barely organized chaos but we've learned to embrace this marvelous mayhem and can't wait to see what the next year holds. Merry Christmas and may you be doubly blessed in 2010. Don't forget to check out the slideshow of our favorite memories from 2009. There are some hilarious pics!