Oh My Goodness!!! What season is it??

So I cannot believe that it is fall time right now & right around the corner is Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years......It went by WAY too quickly!!! Less than 60 shopping days until Christmas I better get my booty in gear because I have nothing done. I just got back to work at the beginning of October and have been participating in a church play which has been taking quite a bit of time out of my already busy schedule. Then we didn't think that our lives were crazy enough so we decided to have Elena try out for the 5th grade girls BasketBall team. Well, she is now on the team for Century HS 5th grade. I don't know what we were thinking, but Elena is actually doing great for never having participated in Basketball before. Alex is loving Kindergarten and testing all of the waters there. We will let you know soon how everything is panning out!!! Love to all!!

Fall Pictures 2010 Thanks to Jen Korth Photography

What gorgeous pictures these are!!! So glad that Jen was able to capture such wonderful times with our family!!!! Hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!!! These were taken on Alex's 6th Birthday!!! What a big boy!!! It was also so much fun to see Great Ging for the few days that she was here!!! 6 years is way too long!!!

Family Pictures 2010

Hello there to all!!! I just wanted to say that we have had a busy couple of months!! Here are our most recent photos that were just done on Saturday!!! Love to all & hopefully will post more later!! Also the reason that there is a photo of just Alex & I is because Alex insisted that he have a picture of just me & him. I guess that is what happens when you are together all day long. He is my little mama's boy!!! I love it!!! Anyway, hope all is well with all of you!!! Enjoy & see you soon!!!

So long!!!

Sorry it has been so long since posting a blog. I will be working on a post this week. Things have been so crazy since Christmas I am just waiting for things to slow down, but from what I have heard it only gets crazier!!! We are all doing well and are hanging in there!! Love to all and will post more pictures and stories soon!!!

To all of our Friends & Loved Ones ~

So it is time once again to write our yearly family letter!!! Oh how the year has gone by so fast. I always wonder how it all creeps up on us. I am happy to report that we are still doing well. It has been one of those wonderful and surprising years for us as a family. Here goes.

Ben is still working in the remodeling business and actually keeping relatively busy considering all that is going on in the economy. We are very grateful for that. He loves his work and takes pride in what he is able to build. He has been with the same company for quite some time and loves what he does. They are currently working with a local Toyota dealership and re-doing a lot of their site. Ben loves to play street hockey when it isn't raining and the kids join him quite often, it is such a great activity and they all love it. Even I join in from time to time.

I (Alisa) lost my job back in October and have been enjoying my time off. I have realized that it was such a blessing for me to have this opportunity to be able to stay home with my children and to be at home for a little while. I have never been given this opportunity and am cherishing every moment. I am also watching a newborn baby girl and we are having a lot of fun having a baby in the house again.

Elena, (9 years old), is currently in the 4th grade and is doing a great job. She loves to read and write in school. She played soccer this year and really loved it and learned a lot about teamwork. She has finished as of a few months ago the entire Harry Potter series which she loved. To tell you the truth I haven't made it past the 2nd one. She also loves to do sketches of clothing and art projects. She is very talented and creative. She is a great big sister too and has taught Alex a lot about writing & reading.

Alex, (5 years old), is currently going to a local Pre-School program and is doing such a great job. They are learning all of the letters, sounds, and corresponding objects as well as the Sign Language alphabet. He has learned how to write his name as well as several other words, Mom, Dad, etc. Alex also played soccer this year and did a great job. We are still working on not knocking the other kids down. We are having a lot of fun.

We are so blessed to be living in a free country where others have sacrificed so much to protect and serve our country. We are also so grateful for the sacrifice of our brother Jesus Christ, without him this life would not have such great meaning. At this time of year we are mindful of all of those around us that may need a little extra something, whether it be love, help or even just a prayer. You are all in our prayers daily and we are so lucky to have each and every one of you in our lives. We hope that this finds all of you in a wonderful and blessed state this Christmas season!!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Years!!!

Love Always -

Alisa, Ben, Elena & Alex Van Frank

Stay at home MOM!!!

So everyone keeps bugging me about updating my blog...I am sorry!! I guess I am not sorry enough to update it more often, but sorry enough to do one now. Love you guys. Keep bugging me & then things miraculously get done. So at the beginning of October I lost my job so I have been at home with the kids for the past month. Wow, I have never done this before when I was a mom. It is very interesting how much I miss interacting with adults sometimes, but I can never pass up the interaction that I have with my kids.

Ben just had his wisdom teeth pulled so that has been pretty painful for the past few weeks. He got a partial dry socket in one of the three that was pulled so we are just thankful that we are on the downhill of all of that.

I am not in a hurry to look for a job at the moment, however it is always in the back of my mind as to what I would like to look for in the near future. I would really like to put what I have experienced in my life to good use and be able to help others who may be going through the same kinds of challenges that I have had in my life. I really think that my mission in life is to be able to help others in a way that they are not able to help themselves. I would like to lift others up and be a blessing to others.

Anyway, I don't have any updated photos as of yet, but I am sure that I will pretty soon.

Wow I stink at Blogging!!!

This is my formal apology to all that blog religiously and check mine and nothing has been done for 9 months.  Anyway, I am really hoping to redeem myself and update at least a few times in the next few months!!!  (I can't promise any more than that because I don't want to be labeled as a liar.  Anyways, here is a few pictures from our Vegas vacation which we had a great time!!!  I will hopefully have some more time soon to post some more!!!

Love to all!!!

The Van Frank Fam!!!