Merry Christmas 2012

 

 

Merry Christmas 2012

   As this this year comes to a close, we wanted to take the opportunity to wish our family and friends a Merry Christmas. What an awesome time of the year, to reflect on the Birth of our Savior and look upon his life. We have been blessed this last year and would like to share some of our happenings with you.

   This year Joy had her Eighth Birthday on March 10 and was baptized by her father. Also on this day, Lewis was blessed. We had a lot of family and friends in attendance and had a great time visiting with all those that came for this event.

   Our next adventure came in the month of May, when Dale and Amanda went to the Bahamas as reward from Home Depot for the great performance of his store. While in the Bahamas, we had the opportunity to attend church. This was an awesome experience and a chance for us to see the culture outside of the resort. While in the Bahamas we snorkeled, parasailed, played on the beach, went to the water park, took a tour of the downtown, toured the aquariums, and ate some great food. We loved the seafood, which included grouper, conk, red snapper, and lobster. We enjoyed fried plantains, pineapple upside down spice cake, and mango sorbet. We are grateful to Grandma Bjarnson, Flint and Jan, and Sam and Sarah, Isaac and Jenny, the Sullivans and Ruddys for watching our kids.

   In May, Joy competed in the 1 mile fun run at school. Joy did an amazing job and was first place among the girls she competed against in her school with a time of 7 minutes 56 seconds. We finished off the month with a trip to Mesa for Cooper Rogers’ baptism. What a month!

Our summer never slowed down. Dale went to scout camp for week with his scouts. Amanda and the kids spent that week in Phoenix with her parents. In July, we had a whirlwind trip to Utah where we visited grandparents and cousins, and had a great time. While there we rode the train to downtown Salt Lake. Eli thought that was the greatest thing in the world and talked about that for weeks. He still loves trains! From Utah, we drove to Colorado for the Jack Family Reunion, where we had a great time with more cousins. The highlights of the reunion included: the kids hand fishing trout out of a large trough; The Jacked Cook-off Challenge; and the whole pig, which was smoked overnight and then devoured.

   School began in August, with Joy in third grade and Lucy in kindergarten. Both girls absolutely love school and have great teachers and friends there. That leaves Eli and Lewis at home with their mama. Eli at first missed his sisters, and this took some getting used to. Eli and Lucy took tumbling this fall and both have enjoyed this, especially Eli who loves to roll and play. Eli and Lucy had their recital yesterday for tumbling. It was Eli’s first recital and he hammed it up and enjoyed every minute he got in the spotlight. Joy and Lucy played soccer this fall with Dale coaching Lucy’s soccer team. Both girls enjoyed this and Joy made the All Star Team.  Lewis turned one in November and is a happy little guy. He quickly crawls to the door when daddy comes home and says ‘Hi.’ Lewis is close to walking but has not gotten up the courage quite yet. It won’t be long before he is running, jumping, and playing with his brother and sisters. Amanda went to Time Out for Women in November with her mother and a good friend. She left the kids for the weekend and had a good time.

We hope this letter finds all to be well and we hope you all had a great year! We love you!

Love, Dale, Amanda, Joy, Lucy, Eli, and Lewis Rogers

                                                                         The Rogers 2012

Bahamas

We absolutely LOVED it in the Bahamas and would go back again in a heartbeat. The food was good, the weather and island were beautiful, the people were very friendly. If you get the chance to go there, I'd say GO!

Dale para-sailing. After getting over the initial nerves (he saw knots in the rope he was attached to) he loved it.

It was fun getting all dressed up in the evenings and getting to chill and enjoy ourselves.

Salad, blackened grouper, conch fritter, fried plantains. YUM! We ate good there! The fish was so fresh and yummy!

The Atlantis Resort. We were on the bottom floor on the west tower in the Royal Towers.

The sand was white, the water was clear and such a pretty blue color. It was a little trippy to see the fish next to me when we were swimming in the ocean. When we were on the beach we could even see a fish swimming along the shoreline.

The resort has some cool aquariums and tunnels that go beneath them. This shark is about 4 feet long. There were all kinds of sharks, fish, and stingrays. I have more pics posted on facebook.

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!

Wow! This last year has been a very busy one. To give a rundown of what we’ve been up to, last spring, we sold our Altima and our Bronco and bought a Yukon XL and a Chevy Silverado. We miss our Bronco, but are glad to have newer, more reliable vehicles. Last May, Dale was promoted to store manager at Home Depot, we celebrated our 10^th anniversary, and announced we were expecting baby #4. In July, we went to Colorado and had a blast at the Jack Family Reunion. The kids are always asking if we could go to Colorado because they love it up there so much. On November 21, we welcomed Lewis D. Rogers to our family.

Dale is enjoying being manager and has grown in his position. It’s been fun to watch him set career goals and to meet them. He is still the assistant scout master and loves it. Every time he comes home from a scout camp he says, “That was the best campout we’ve had.” Dale is a great daddy and a wonderful husband. It’s been a great 10 years married to him.

Amanda is still the Sunbeam teacher and loves it. She is incredibly busy with the house, yard, and children. She loves to drive up Mt. Graham every chance she gets.

Joy, 7 yrs, is doing very well in school and enjoys being with her friends. She is a good example to everyone around her and is a huge help at home. She occasionally complains about being the oldest because she has to do more chores, but mommy just says, “I know the feeling.”

Joy and Lucy were in the dance recital yesterday and they each were very confident and performed very well. Mommy and daddy are proud of them. They both played soccer last fall and Lucy was excited to have her daddy be her soccer coach.

Grandma Rogers said it best, “5 is alive.” Lucy, 5 yrs, loves playing with Joy, Eli, and with her friends. She will sit for hours doing crafts and playing with dolls. She’s become more outspoken and confident and likes to do everything by herself.

Eli, 2 yrs, is as handsome, busy, fun, destructive, hilarious, messy, and smart as ever. I hope to report by next letter that he’ll be potty trained. Eli is all boy and loves to play outside and is always dirty and getting slivers in his feet. He helps himself to the refrigerator and pantry. He knows how to turn off and on the computer, VCR, and DVD player and start his own movies. He’s the biggest pest to his older sisters and often gets locked out of their room. Dale says Eli has more girlfriends than any little boy he knows and is constantly being stopped in the hall at church by girls, both young and old, who want to say hi to him. As crazy as Eli makes our lives, we love him to pieces and wouldn’t have him any other way.

Lewis, 4 wks, is growing fast and lets the whole house know when he’s not happy. He’s got a lot of really blonde hair, a good set of lungs, and a big appetite. He’s lots of fun to cuddle with and as long as he’s fed and clean he’s a pretty happy little guy. He’s great at going back to sleep after eating at night, so mommy isn’t too exhausted. However, that alarm still goes off too early for her liking and we are very excited for Christmas Break to begin. Lewis’s brother and sisters love to hold him and we have enjoyed having a sweet little baby in our home again.

We have been very blessed this year and give thanks to our Savior for all we have. We miss our dear friends and family we don’t live close to, but have also made lots of new friends this last year. We love living in Pima and have wonderful neighbors. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love, Dale, Amanda, Joy, Lucy, Eli, & Lewis Rogers

Another little turkey

Lewis D. was born at 7:55a.m. on Monday, November 21st. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 18 inches long. He has lots of blond hair and is a very pleasant baby.

I'm recovering well, although a bit overwhelmed with 4 kids. I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I had him. Mentally, I'm ready to get back into my routine. However, since I had a c-section and am not getting a whole lot of sleep at night from a hungry little guy, I physically am not ready to.

The kids love the baby, and are always wanting to hold him. Joy has especially been a big help.

I'm going to try to send out a hard copy of a Christmas letter and family picture every now and then. If you've moved in the last 5 years and would like one, be sure to email me your address at abearnbaby@hotmail.com

OH BABY!

A month ago, baby Rogers made the doc and Ultrasound Tech think it was a girl. The picture wasn't very clear, but that's what they were leaning towards. So, we announced we were having a girl. I pulled out and sorted thru the girl clothes this last week, but didn't wash them yet. Then I had a doctor's appt yesterday and during the ultrasound the doc asked me if I wanted to know what it was. I told him he kind of already told me what it was. He then said, "It's obvious what this baby is! It's a BOY!"
He printed out 3 pics of the boy parts as if to emphasize it. Lucy was so disappointed when I told her on the phone after the appt that the baby wasn't a girl any more. She loves HIM anyways and was kissing my tummy today. For a month I've been all excited to dress up a little girl. I was relieved to know I wouldn't be having another boy, as the one I have now is incredibly busy. A friend of mine told me that she didn't think it could get any worse, and I agree that I don't think any boy could be busier than what Eli is. I'm glad my little guy will have a brother to play with though. My hubby has a lot of fun with his bros.

Baby Rogers #4 is......

INCREDIBLY MODEST!!! The baby moved too much last month for us to see what it was. Last Thursday, the baby wouldn't uncross its legs. Maybe next month....
So it's now 10:30 pm and Joy just used the bathroom, left the faucet running, turned off the kitchen light (the computer is in the kitchen), and laid down on the couch. I told her to turn off the water and she went into the bathroom and was looking at the light switch, kind of confused. I led her back to bed. This is the 2nd time in the last month that I know of that she slept walked. It's kind of crazy, but funny what she does at the same time!
For Christmas, our neighbors got their kids plasma cars. Eli loved riding them so much that he got one for his birthday. He got the biggest smile on his face when he saw his present. Yes, that is Dale riding Eli's car, while Eli is riding the neighbors'. Dale couldn't help trying it out when he found out the weight limit was 200 lbs! Eli got a big smile on his face when he saw Grandma Barbara, our neighbor down the street and one of his favorite people, at our house for his birthday party. I love that smile because he gets it from his daddy.


Lucy loves dolls. One thing I love about Lucy is that when she's tired, she doesn't fight it. She puts herself to bed...or falls asleep on the chair.

Love that smile! Eli enjoyed his birthday strawberry pie (we don't always do birthday cakes here).

All I want for my birthday is my two front teeth! I can't believe I have a 7 year old. She is so excited for next year when she gets to be baptized. She's already talking about the people she wants to invite to her baptism and party, and what she wants to eat! Her cousin was baptized last June, and Joy was extra excited to be baptized after that.

More Exciting News

Amanda forgot to mention one more piece of exciting news. We are expecting child number four this December. This probably is no surprise since we just bought a Yukon and all our children are spaced 2 and a half years apart.

We're still here! Exciting spring!

Hey ya'll! Just thought I'd put up a brief post about our goings on. We sold our beloved 1990 Ford Bronco and bought a 2003 Yukon XL in February. Joy turned 7 in March and Eli turned 2 in April (pics to be posted). As of Monday (two days ago), Dale is officially the new store manager at the Thatcher Home Depot. This was way exciting news to us. Last, but not least, Dale and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary on May 11th. Wow! Ten years! Where does the time go? Hope everyone is doing great! We're gearing up for another hot Arizona summer. Take care everyone!
love, The Rogers

Winter in Arizona???

Today we got the closest thing Arizona gets to a winter at about 11:30 today sleet started falling from the sky. A few minutes later we hear laughing and shouting coming from the back yard. Joy and Lucy put on a sweat shirt and their water shoes and were outside jumping on the trampoline that they got for Christmas having the time of their lives jumping in the "snow". The trampoline was slippery which only added to the fun. These two jumped for 20 minutes with the sleet coming down before we had them come in.

Dear Family and Friends,

Another year has come and gone. We’ve had a very busy year and time has flown by. As the Holidays approach, it is time once again for us to share the happenings of our family and to reflect upon the blessings we have received this past year.

Dale is still working as an assistant manager for Home Depot and still enjoys his career and all the challenges that it brings. Dale recently completed training and testing to become a Store manager and is preparing to further his career. Dale is an assistant scout master and enjoys being with the young men. He spent seven nights camping with the scouts this past year and it is rumored that he has prepared some great meals and fed his scouts very well.

Amanda is enjoying her Home. This year she planted and raised a nice vegetable garden and grew flowers and grass. Amanda has been babysitting a two year old boy 2 days a week and spends a lot of time chasing him and Eli around the house, yard, and neighborhood. Amanda has a glimpse of what DeAnn gets to do all the time with her twins. Amanda is the Sunbeam teacher and has had the privilege of having Lucy in her class this year. Amanda is also the Wolf Cub Scout leader and has enjoyed working with these boys.

Joy is in first grade and loves Math and Reading. Joy played soccer this last fall and enjoyed having her Daddy as her coach. Joy is still dancing at her Aunt Jenny’s dance studio and is preparing for her Christmas recital. Joy spent a week this summer with her grandparents and attended a Karate camp.

Lucy is now four years old and has begun preschool. Lucy attends preschool with 6 other children and preschool rotates each week to a different home. Lucy enjoys when preschool is at her house. Lucy is also dancing and is preparing for her upcoming recital. Lucy is a thinker and she often amazes us with some of her great ideas that she comes up with. One of her not so good ideas was when she gave herself a haircut. The first thing she said when I discovered her was, “Daddy says I have too much monkey hair, so I cut it off.”

Eli is now 20 months old and he goes a hundred miles an hour every minute he is awake. Eli is often found climbing onto the table, bunk beds, stools, counter and anything he can get to. Needless to say, the kitchen knives are on top of the refrigerator! Eli’s vocabulary is growing every day but his favorite words are animal sounds. Eli started nursery a few months back and enjoys the time he spends there, but not as much as his parents enjoy the break from him.

This past year we had the opportunity to travel to Colorado and New Mexico for a family vacation and a family reunion. The kids loved the time they had with cousins and we all had a great time being together.

In closing, we would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. This time is special to our family as we reflect upon our Savior and all the blessings that he has afforded us this past year. We love you and are so grateful for your friendship and love.

Love,
Dale, Amanda, Joy, Lucy, and Eli Rogers

Colorado part 2

Isaac and Jenny talking to Uncle Clarence. He worked at a trading post on the reservation for several years and speaks fluent Navajo. He's a way cool guy.

Yes, that would be mine who's trying to escape! Some of the Jack babies. So cute!

We LOVE Aunt Florence's house. She has the neatest toys and a great big yard to play in.

I love how these cousins and brothers have so much fun together. Good times.

Cowgirl Callie and her pony.

Now who puts a 4 way stop sign in the middle of the road?! Silverton, Colorado!

No, Bodie isn't going to the bathroom! The kids loved the snow. Lucy especially talked a lot about it. This is up a high mountain pass by Silverton. Thanks Isaac, for showing us around. We had a blast!

Eli happy to be out of the car. We were freezing at the top of the pass.

While we were driving up the pass, we passed a marmot. We were trying to get a good pic of it. Dale had Lucy on his lap so she could see it better. She leaned out the window and hollered, "Hey you! You look at my daddy!"

The little guy then posed like a trooper before running off.

The mountains were sooo green and beautiful! We loved Colorado and New Mexico. Ever since the trip, I've gotten several requests from Joy and Lucy to go back there...today! Lucy's asked several times, "Mom, can I go swimming in the pool at Colorado with Minnie today?" Joy's asked, "Mom, can we go back to Colorado or New Mexico tomorrow? It's too hot here!"

Rogers Family Vacation: July 2010: Colorado Part 1

To sum up our vacation: good food, good fun, nice weather, and great company!


Joy climbing the rock wall at the Durango Rec. Center. It's a pretty nice place.

Dale's grandparents; the ones this family reunion is named after.

Can you guess which one is ours???

When we pulled in, the owner of the RV park expected us to have something a little bigger than this. He joked that if it rained, maybe it would grow. I think it was the smallest pop up in the whole place. Dale's cousins were proud of it though, and it works fine.

We had a couple of bar-b-q's with the cousins at Aunt Gail and Uncle Ted's house the first weekend in Colorado. It was fun to see Derek and Alexys's new baby. So cute!

Eli had a couple of buddies his age to run around with. This is Tony and Eli at Serious Texas BBQ. YUM! We had fun watching the river rafters below.

Hanging with the cousins in Durango.

Joy, Lucy, and Callie riding in the side car with Jeremiah. He was definitely one of the kids' favorites!

Willy taking Lucy for a ride. Yes, Lucy really is happy. She LOVED riding the motorcycles.

Busy busy June

This month we went to Phoenix to visit my parents and brothers and their families. The kids had a blast in the pool!My little beach bum.

"Daddy says I have too much monkey hair, so I cut it off!" Those are the first words that came out of her mouth when I discovered her. You can guess who got in trouble!

Her hair was so long and pretty. She's happy that it only takes 30 seconds to comb it out now.

Looks like a mullet!

The new hairdo.

I decided it was time I learned how to bottle. Peaches or apricots anyone? These aren't going to last long in this house! I've bottled 7 pints of each.

Way exciting weekend!

As many of you know, there is a new temple in the Gila Valley. It is just 5 minutes from my house! The youth in the temple district put on a program titled "The Place Which God for us Prepared." It was awesome. A bit of history about this area was given and the lyrics to the songs went right along with whatever historical facts were given. Pima Stake, the one I'm in, did a song called "Cotton Stomp." The kids and I went to the Friday night dress rehearsal. Wow! What a good show.

Ever wonder what the plane looks like that the prophet flies around in?

This is it! My friend, Joanna Hardy, and her husband and his family run the airport here, in Safford. She invited us to be at the airport with her family when the prophet flew in. I was thankful for this because Joy couldn't understand why she wouldn't get to see him, even though he would be here.

At the airport, we were told by the bodyguards (there were about 10 of them) that we were allowed to take pictures, but that we couldn't yell or make a huge fuss. There were about 10 adults and 10 children in our party. Elders Walker and Costa of the 70, Elder Holland of the 12, and President Eyring and Monson were all there. I wanted to enjoy the moment, so I didn't get very many pictures. Only Presidents Monson and Eyring came over to say "hello," and all of the other guys and ladies got into the awaiting cars, so I didn't get any pics of them. President Monson was so funny and acted like a typical grandparent, "Let's see these kids," he said as he walked over. He gave the kids high 5 and shook hands with them. To Joy, who didn't say a word and was acting bashful, he said, "A shy one! That'll be a good trait to have in 10 years!" If only he knew! Joy is a very outgoing, boycrazy kindergartener.

After about 5 minutes or so, President Eyring started tugging on President Monson's suitcoat and said, "We need to go. You're going to get hot out here." Motioning to the terminal, President Monson replied, "Why don't we go in there where it is cool and visit then!" The exasperated, but patient Elder Eyring said, "Because we have things we need to do." After visiting, mostly with the kids, a few moments longer, they left. Wow! To stand just 3 feet from the prophet and be with him for 5 minutes! What a privilege! Joy was thrilled...and so were Dale and I!

A couple of miles from the airport, when Dale and I were driving home, we saw a huge bunch of cars and a sign "We love you President Monson." One of the bodyguards came to our cars and told us to drive slowly and that President Monson stopped to say hello. Sure enough, Presidents Monson and Eyring were on the side of the road shaking hands with a small crowd. By the way, there were about 6 cars for the group that was here with President Monson.

At the cultural celebration that night Dale, my sister-in-law Jenny, and nephew Bodie got to see the prophet and everyone with them (Dale and Jenny had to help with it since they were youth leaders). Bodie got to shake President Eyring's hand.

The temple dedication was wonderful and full of laughter and tears. There has been so much excitement in this valley ever since the announcement that there would be a temple here. Finally, we don't have to make a 3 hour trip any more! What an unforgettable weekend!

My friend, Joanna, is holding the little boy on the left. President Monson gave her a hug!

President Eyring.