Franklin Family Journey

We took a little trip

Labor Day Weekend we decided to get out of the heat and take a trip back to Ft. Defiance, AZ to visit our friends the Keetos. Little did we know that it can get down in the 50's after a rain, even in September. Talk about getting out of the heat ; )

Patrick took almost 200 pictures! So enjoy a little sampling of his new found hobby.

They call this "The Teapot". It looks like a pitcher to me. Closer up, the handle looks more like a beaver standing on its hind legs. The rock formations are just magnificent!

Another bug for Miss Mary

We actually brought the infamous jelly melon with us, but left it in the camper when we went to Phoenix. Low and behold, it ripened!

Monday, Daniel wasn't feeling very well, so he and I stayed at the Keeto's while Patrick took the girls to the fairgrounds and the zoo. The Navajo Nation Fair was going on while we were there.

Imagine, Sadie and Emilie finding a horse to pet ; )

Turtle at the zoo

such a ham

Sadie

Monica

Emilie

Rosa

Isn't that fascinating!

Peek-a-boo

A natural beauty

Monica, Sadie, Emilie, & Rosa at the zoo

Monica & Emilie

The view from the Keeto's back deck. Absolutely beautiful!

Patrick has become quite the photographer

Check these out!

We left Ft. Defiance on Tuesday and decided to do the tourist bit.

Petrified wood

We pulled over for the "scenic view." They weren't lying.

Isn't that a sweet picture?

Oh how sweet!

Sadie turns 14!

It was September 4, 1994, our first child was due in six days and I was ready. I went to bed that night hoping the tightening I was experiencing was the beginning of labor pains. I woke a few hours later to go to the bathroom, feeling no discomfort. Would this baby ever come?

At 5:08 am I woke again. My water had broken! "Go back to sleep," I told Patrick as I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed. A few minutes later, the pains hit and they hit hard! I called for Patrick. He got up, turned on the coffee, let the dog out and called my parents, who lived an hour away, to let them know we would be heading for the hospital. I'm sure he was thinking, "Here we go. I guess she has a low threshold for pain."

We got in the car and headed for The Regency in Winter Haven (about 20-30 mins from the house). We got to the end of the driveway and I exclaimed, "Go to Lake Wales Hospital!" (which was just a few blocks from the house). Since I had popped my seat back and placed my feet up on the dash, Patrick had already decided that we wouldn't make it to Winter Haven. Then the baby's head began to crown. "What's that?!" I exclaimed. "I don't know!" was the response.

Suddenly, someone turned on a sprinkler system in the car. "What's that?!!!" I exclaimed again. "I don't know!" was the response again. Actually he knew, but how to answer me as he was driving, trying to keep me calm, and keeping an eye on his first born child being born in the car.

He pulled up at the hospital. Got out of the car and ran around to my side by way of the ER doors. As they opened he yelled, "My baby's having my wife in the car!" He opened the car door and was there in time to assist Sadie as she entered the world. "We have a beautiful daughter!" he told me. Believe it or not I said, "That wasn't so bad." It was 6:00 am, September, 5th, Labor Day.

Today she is a beautiful young lady that loves the Lord. We are very proud of her.

Modeling some of her new dresses

All dressed up, but still no shoes ; )

Daniel & Sadie back in 2001

2002

Sadie's 10th birthday with Hurricane Francis in the background

Sadie in her pioneer dress she got from Mr. Razey in December 2004. One year old Emilie sitting in the Charley Chair made by Papa Glen & Aunt Madeleine from Hurricane Charley debris.