Book Club 2013

I didn't do too well attending book club last year,
so it probably makes no sense that I am joining a 2nd book club, but I am.

First, here's the list for the 1st book club,
and tomorrow I will show you the list for the 2nd club.
Please do let me know if you're read any of these, 
and what you think, okay?If there are any souls in blogland today.


January 16
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot

February 20
The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater

March 20
Petey
by Ben Mikaelsen

April 17
One Tuesday Morning
Karen Kingsburg

May 15
East
by Edith Pattou

June 19
Until Tuesday
Louis Carlos Montalvan

July 17
Miss Buncle's Book
D. E. Stevenson

August 21
The Shoemaker's Wife
by Adriana Trigiani

September 18
Skyward
by Mary Alice Monroe

October 16
Happier at Home
by Gretchen Ruben

November 20
Heaven is Here
by Stephanie Nielson

December 18
Jacob T. Marley
by R. William Bennett

Since I like mostly memoirs, biographies, and other non fiction, 
I'm not sure many of these books will be a good fit for me. 
However, I did already read Oct and Nov's selection, and LOVED them.

Come back tomorrow on Wednesday
and let me know what you think of Book Club #2.

Look what I got for Christmas

From my family.....

and I won't list names...I'll just show you the gifts...except for the personal ones.


Dinner and a Movie!
complete with snacks
And I already know the movie I want to see.  :)

A collage of a family's past year in pictures!
Very creative...I've never seen anything like it.
 


A certain 10 year old in the family knows 
her Grandma likes candles and neck scraves!
I feel love around my neck as I wear it.

A beautiful book someone in our family helped edit.
And was given credit on the 2nd page:



This is priceless.



Two of our family members got together and made me 
EIGHT table runners to go along with the seasons and holidays. 
and these pictures do NOT do them justice of how gorgeous they all are.

Love my new cake stand!
I've already used it to serve lunch on....
Food just looks prettier served on a pedestal. 

When I opened this I said, "But I don't want to go anywhere."
I soon was told this was not for travel, 
but to put LOTS more on my computer.


Den bought me one of these Masterclad pans about year ago and it's my favorite,
so he got me 2 more.
They are hard to find and usually you can only get them at Costco
when they are going through a week promotion...and you never know when that will be.
They never chip or flake and you don't have to remove pet birds from your kitchen before cooking
(seriously, some pans require that...the people can stay, but the birds have to leave!)
I also cherish all the cards and letters. I keep them forever. I feel so blessed.

I don't think anyone is in the blogging world this week, but you know that never stops me.

One hospital and 2 patients

So on Christmas day we were talking to Kris, Den's daughter, 
and asking how everyone was doing.
I said, "So everyone is well this Christmas?"
 I could hear the happy in her voice when she responded that they were all healthy.

Then the very next morning she told us her husband Mike
 was at the hospital getting an IV for pneumonia!

And, then, just hours later we received this picture, with the caption, "Round 2"
....Jacob was at the hospital with the very same thing!



This was not how they were planning to spend the 2 days the quilt shop is closed! 
Hope no one else gets it.

Our Christmas Eve

This was the first time in a long while that my Dad was able to be with us all.
They were able to find a special van to transport them to the party, and then we were all set!

Here's a few favorite clips of our evening.

Merry Christmas!

This video has only been online for 1 week and already has over 50,000 views.
Take a look and you'll understand why. I love it!

.

This is how I know they are great parents.

With permission....

So Richie was showing signs of being very tired earlier than his usual afternoon nap time. Karen wanted to put him down to nap, but Tyler wanted to go pick up some lunch first and let Richie eat with him before his nap. Karen gently commented that she didn't think Richie could wait much longer to go to sleep. Still Tyler wanted to eat lunch with him plus he thought it would be better if Rich took an afternoon nap, not a morning nap. 

So while Tyler was out getting lunch, Karen and I tried to keep Rich busy with some pieces of apple, which quickly turned into several bites of pasta. By the time Tyler returned with burger/fry bag in tow, Richie was semi-full, and too exhausted to be interested in the fries, which were usually his favorite. 

So Tyler tried to put him down for a nap but by now, Richie wanted nothing to do with his crib. Normally putting this child down to sleep is no big deal. He loves his bed and seems to be so secure in sleeping when his need dictates. Not today! He cried and wailed and no matter what his Daddy did to calm him down, nothing worked. Finally Karen suggested they just let him cry it out, noting that "It will just take 3 minutes and he will be out." She was right.

Tyler felt so bad that his son had to cry himself to sleep. I even heard him say to Karen, "I'm a terrible father." She assured him that he is a very good father. 

This is what I found interesting: I think most wives would have been upset saying, "See, this is what happens when you try to put off his nap time. I told you he needed to go to sleep, and now look at him!" But she didn't say that at all. In fact when Richie was crying while Tyler was gone getting the lunch, she sweetly said to Rich, "Your Daddy just really wants to eat lunch with you." Not sure Richie understood that, but he will pick up on her attitude as he grows. He will see his parents calmly trying to work together. Making mistakes, we ALL do, but being tolerant of each other. 

This will mean more to help him grow up feeling secure and loved, than to always have the perfect schedule and perfect parenting solutions.



Amy made a commercial!

Den copied it off our TV and for some reason 
the copy makes everyone look more oblong 
than they actually are. 

So keep that in mind, 
but we think Amy did a wonderful job! 
And she's always beautiful.

Karen, Tyler, and Richie Rich!

Yes they are really here....for a whole 8 days
And we are enjoying every minute of it.

Taking good pictures is not always my talent however.

Especially when one of the subjects is not cooperative.
But Karen is always beautiful.



Grandma Susan calls him Richness....and we think it fits perfectly.

Even when he's covered in pizza sauce, he's still Rich boy.
Richie is not too sure about Great Grandpa Rozier, 
so we'll be giving that visit another try real soon!

The perspective that brings peace

This video is being pulled off Facebook, but I think we need it.

This helps me to focus on where these sweet children are now,
rather than what they have been through.

But the horror their parents are going through...I can't even go there.


Elora won't forget this...and how my Dad surprised me!

I'll explain from the beginning...

So Elora called me on Sunday and said she would be performing
at Yosemite Gardens with her choir on Tuesday.
That is where my Dad and Susan live, so I thought this would be perfect.
I'd get to see them, and also watch Elora sing.

Do you see her? She's the 2nd up the stairs....

So after their music...
(they even sang Silent Night which surprised me
since I didn't realize it was allowed in public schools like back in the day... )
all the kids were told they could mingle and talk to the residents. 
Elora chose her Great Grandpa of course. 

She handed him a card I think she made....not really sure, 
because I was too focused on the sweetness between these two.

Since I missed her original kiss, 
I asked her to do it again for the camera.

She was so touched by his tears that soon she started crying too.

Elora was also so delighted to see Susan!

Bye Elora! Turn back once more for the camera. 
I know you will never forget this day.

After she left, we walked back to Dad and Susan's apartment, 
and my Dad showed me what he can do!
He has not been able to do this since last July!!


My Favorite gift in 1993

This was my favorite gift on Christmas morning of 1993.
19 years ago. Whew...it really came and left that many years ago!

And just so you know I have more than one son, 
I will show a little of each of them....
opening gifts that you will probably not see in 2012.

 

Let it snow on your house.

Did you ever have dreams of what your house 
would look like in a snow globe?

Me neither.

But just in case you did, you can go here 
and see what it would look like. 

Part 2...Christmas Eve 1983

Wait, there's more...
My brother made a comment about yesterday's video....about how Hailey will love seeing her Mom.
So this clip shows even more of her Mom, AKA Little Robin, (the entertainer)

It also shows more of my Mom...I can never resist her.
I'm there slumped on the couch, pregnant with McKay. Right by the newlyweds, Peggy and Jeff.
And I love seeing Grandma Slinkard, even if it is a side shot. She died just 3 months later. 



Some day we will all be gone, and our great great grandchildren
will be watching these videos trying to figure out what we were like.
And even though this was 29 years ago,
I sort of feel like I could just go to that Fairmont house this Christmas Eve
and everyone would look just like that.....
because really, it does not seem long ago at all. I think this is how old people talk, right?

Christmas Eve 1983



It's our Rozier tradition to spend Christmas Eve together, 
and we always highlight the manger scene.

However, I need to apologize to my family even though this was 29 years ago. 
My 4 year old Logan was having a hard time that night for some reason. 
Watching this video, I was struck by how patient everyone was with him. 
I've decided it's a Rozier virtue. The patience, I mean. Passed on by our parents.

What I can't figure out is why didn't I step in and help him? 
Was I across the room and didn't hear what he was saying? I can't know.


Also, usually I cut videos way down,
but this one has many clips of my Mom  (she's dressed in all red). 
She would be 83 this Saturday! 
She's been gone for 5 1/2 years, and we all miss her SO much.~





Four Gifts for Christmas

When I was growing up my close friend got one present from her parents on Christmas morning.
Just one. It would be sitting under the tree, not even wrapped.
Interestingly, she seemed to be much more excited about her one present
than I was about the 5 that I always received. She would talk about it for weeks before.

Looking back, it seems that less is more.
But limiting gifts is a very hard thing for a parent to do.
I know I wasn't able to that with my kids.

Having said all that, take a look at what one Mom is doing this year. I like her idea too!

Jones Design Company

What a difference a day can make

Thank you for your prayers. They are definitely working.

It's like 2 weeks had passed...not just one night, because his recovery is amazing.



Last night when he was so sick, he wouldn't talk. Not to anyone.
But he did request to speak to Téa, so they got her on the phone. 
He told her he was in the "hospel."



Amy did find a really good book in the playroom. 
But with a price tag of $27.00,
 I think we will be pass.

We are so thankful Jonas is already back to himself.

Jonas' unwanted adventure

After a very long and difficult night,
Amy and Logan took Jonas to Urgent Care early this morning.
His asthma was out of control.
From Urgent Care he was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

When Den and I finally got to see him tonight he looked like a very sick little boy. 
His parents quickly told me he looks much better than he had earlier today.

Besides the asthma, he has some pneumonia, so he is being admitted.

They were in ER but waiting for a room. 

When Den was in there (we had to take turns) a nurse came in and put an IV in. 
He handled it well, but Den said it was hard on him (Grandpa Den I mean)

Good thing Logan brought up Jonas' favorite blankie, and his friends including Woody.
Doesn't look like he will care about them until tomorrow.

Sitting and waiting all day long.
These two parents are so very sleep deprived.


It's just love for their little boy that is keeping them awake.
When I'm nervous I take pictures.

Get well soon, Jonas the Bonus. 
It does not seem right seeing you without your Téa.

Grant doing his chores



Those slotted spoons are always hard to give up.

We haven't seen Grant and Rich in person since August  :(
but Richie is coming here in just 2 weeks!
So I will get to take my own videos of him then.

Some people are in the wrong line of work

So I thought I would do a little catalog Christmas shopping last night from a company
I'd never tried before, After taking my order over the phone,
the salesman informed me that I could get
15% off today's order plus save on the $20. shipping by purchasing some card from him.
He said it would allow me to get many gift cards 20% off from places such as Target.
So I'm thinking .....20% off gift cards?...
Den and I were just talking about maybe giving gift cards this year, so I asked,

"So how does this work?'

"Uh.....hmm...uh, can you hold on for a minute?"

"Sure"

I could hear him still breathing on the line so I'm thinking he was going over his script.
Then he says to me, "Well, uh, if you are not satisfied with it, you can get your money back."

"But why would I purchase something if I don't even know what I am buying?"

"uh..." then silence.

"Let's just forget about that card, and you can go ahead and total up my order, okay?"

So he does just that, and gives me my total.

Then I said, "Have a very Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, okay."

Poor guy. He didn't know what to do with Merry Christmas.
I'm sure his script said, "Happy Holidays."





A Vintage Christmas

I was talking to a friend of mine today 
and she shared this great idea. 
This Christmas all of her adult children, 
and of course grandchildren, will be with them. 
So....her kids and grandkids will exchange gifts 
Christmas morning, 
but all the gifts will be vintage.

So this means they will give something they already have, 
buy something at a garage sale or thrift store, or make something. 
What a very interesting Christmas morning they will have, for sure!


Something tells me they will look happier on Christmas morning than this random family from the 1950s.

Look what happened last night

  Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy.... Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college. It was not ...