Fighting the enemy

We've had a very wicked enemy with us the past 12 days and we 
are trying to kill it. It's called Pertussis/Whooping Cough. I've got 
it. Dennis escaped it, thank goodness.

I didn't realize until yesterday that we need a Pertussis booster 
every 10 years….To quote my Dr, "Actually the booster only lasts 
3-7 years, but we offer it every 10 years." And then she turned both 
her palms up as if to say…'I know, doesn't make sense.'

Something about how the shot is not as strong as the one we had 
growing up. …which would explain why Pertussis is back with a 
vengeance.

So I've been homebound for the past 12 days. But since I've been 
on antibiotics, I'm no longer contagious. Strange that before this 
illness is even very bad, the contagion period is over already. But
the symptoms continue to progress. Or like my Dr explained 
yesterday, "You are no longer contagious, but when you are 
around people, wear a mask to make them feel more at ease."
Funny, because she said that while she was wearing a mask, and I 
had a mask on, and so did the nurse!

One good thing I have going for me is I have not had an 
antibiotic in over 10 years. So the two I am taking now might 
be able to kick this Pertussis, or so thinks my Dr.

However, my odds would be a lot greater in my favor if I had 

started on the meds the very day I was exposed, or at least the first 
day I had symptoms. But I didn't know that then. "Best if started 
within 72 hours of symptoms."

I have a really good immune system. I just don't catch things like 
colds and flus and viruses. But Pertussis does not care how 
healthy you are. It is extremely contagious to every unprotected 
person who is in the same room with an infected person.

So let's see, what should I write about from bed….


Btw, if you have any sad Pertussis stories or horrors, I can't 

handle knowing them right now. Save them until I'm well okay? 
But if you know of anything that may help, I'd love to hear. My 
Dr keeps telling me, "There is nothing that helps this. There is no 
treatment." 

Even though I caught this from my sweet little granddaughter, I 

am very thankful she is on the mend. It's still going to be rough for 
her for a while.





Toddler Turkey

If I had a toddler in my house today, 
this is what we'd be doing…

They look so festive and happy. 
A Mom of 3 toddlers came up with this idea
She'll tell you how it came to be on her blog.

My only concern are the toothpicks…

We just never know.


Whenever I bring my laptop into our bedroom, a sign flashes 
across the screen saying that Clovis Unified School denies access.

This has been going on for over 2 years!

I kept putting off calling the elementary school across the street 
who is "denying access" thinking they would just be really nice 
about it, apologize and then refer me to their main office. In other 
words, they wouldn't know what to do about it either. 

But I had lots of extra time today so I called.

The office lady answered and seemed polite enough at first.

I began: "I have a problem I'm hoping you can help me with or at 
least point me in the right direction. We live on the next street 
over, and we're not able to get the internet in one room of our 
home because Clovis Unified is denying access."

I don't know why that struck a cord with her but it did. She came 
flying back with, "You need to quit using our provider and get one 
of your own."

"I'm not using your provider. We have our own provider, but 
Clovis Unified denies access to our own provider. We don't want 
to be on your provider. "

But before I got that last sentence out completely she interrupted 
me and said, "So what is the name of your provider? What is the 
name of your provider?" she asked me twice. Like she was daring 
me to come up with something

"ATT"

"Well when you go to sign up next time DON'T choose Clovis 
Unified!"

"I'm not choosing Clovis Unified! It just comes on and takes over."

Raising her voice a notch she says, "Mam, I can't help you. I can't 
help you. You need to get your own provider and not use ours"

"But…

"I can't help you!" she interrupts even more irritated.

"Okay, thanks anyway."

Oh my. No progress there. But looking at the clock, when I called, 
it was 3:45. Not probably the best time at an elementary school. 
Maybe this woman was tired, and hungry. Maybe she had a fever 
and sore throat. Maybe her husband just left her. 


Whatever, this little experience gave me the chance to practice 
patience today.

It was easy to do having just read this on another blog today. 
It's written by a man named Hank Smith:

When our doctor told us our 3rd child was due on December 25th, I looked at my wife and said, “Don’t 
you dare.”
"I didn’t know if it would be good or bad for my child to have his birthday be Christmas, but it seemed 
like a lot of stress for a dad, so I prayed we would avoid it.
My wife is a champ.
She held off and our little Elijah made his entrance on December 27th.
After the birth, as I helped Sara get comfortable in the room where she would spend a couple of night 
recovering, I heard people shouting in the room that shared a wall with our room. A man and a woman 
were shouting at each other. We waited for a few minutes, but it didn’t stop. We couldn’t hear what they 
were saying, but they sounded really angry and really frustrated.
As Sara tried to rest she was frequently startled by more yelling.
I thought to myself, “What kind of people yell at each other in a hospital? Are they yelling at each other 
with their baby in there? Besides, didn’t they just celebrate Christmas?”
Anger built up inside of me.
I told Sara I would take care of it.
I felt like a hero as I walked confidently and stone-faced to the nurses station. I let them know that my 
wife had just had a baby and the people in the room next door were making it absolutely impossible for 
her to sleep. The nurse at the desk was flustered, but promised me she would talk to them.
I went back to our room triumphant.
The shouting stopped and Sara slept.
I was a hero.
The next day, as a doctor and I pushed Elijah in his wheeled-crib to another room for a hearing test, the 
doctor pointed at the door of the room where all the shouting had come from the night before. He shook 
his head and said, “Poor couple. Their baby passed away in delivery a few days ago.”
I felt like I had been slapped across the face.
I don’t know why I have to keep learning this lesson the hard way, but my eyes were opened, once 
again, to the reality that everyone you meet is facing a battle you know nothing about.
Be kind.
Always."





No one laughs like Chickie

I need some happy tonight and I think this video works from a few weeks ago.
I love hearing Chickie's (aka Wendy) laugh in the back ground. That's the best part.

Amy is teaching the twins, and Grandpa, sight words.

My newly found relatives

We did it! We met them!

Thanks to Familysearch.org I was able to connect with family who live just a few miles from us.
Family I never knew about. They also go to the same church (although a different ward and stake than
us) so NO WONDER they looked so familiar to me!

First, here I am with is my newly found cousin Sterling Ingrim. His great grandmother is the sister of
my great grandfather….which also means we have the same great great grandparents.

sorry my eyes are closed.

and next is …

Sterling with his wife Sheri. (If I told you how old they are, you'd never believe it.)…In back of them
is their daughter and son-in-law, Monique and Anthony Garcia…with one of their daughters, Sarah,
on the end. These pictures don't do them justice. They are a very cute family.




I could feel such a wonderfully loving spirit in their home as soon as Dennis and I walked through their
front door. We traded stories and family history….they made us feel comfortable right from the
beginning.

We learned about some common threads of health among their family and ours. Also some interesting
stories if you can follow this very unusual story: Sterling and Sheri were born in the same 
hospital in San Jose 2 days apart. Sheri's parents (Bliss and Mary Anderson) owned a beauty salon,
and Sterling's Grandma (Evelyn) had her hair done by Sheri's Dad (Bliss).

(sorry to interrupt, but this would be like my Dad doing Dennis' grandma's hair!)

Okay, back to the story….

When Sterling joined our church in 1970, his Grandma Evelyn told him he should write to Bliss
(Sheri's Dad) because he was Mormon. So then Sterling and Bliss corresponded, and Bliss tried to get
his daughter, Sheri to read the letters but she said she was not interested. (But when no one was around,
Sheri would read Sterling's letters!)

After Sterling got out of the Army, he came to San Jose to visit his Grandma Evelyn. He called Sheri's
mom and told her that since they had been hearing about one another their whole lives, they should
probably meet. Six weeks later Sterling and Sheri were married in the Oakland temple!

Another interesting fact: About 2 years ago Dennis and I put a bid on a home just 1 1/2 blocks from
Monique and Anthony's home. Even though our bid was higher than the asking price, someone asked
even more. So we didn't get that house. Had we moved there we would have known the Garcia family
earlier (we would have both been in Shepherd ward) but we still would not have known we were
related until I had responded to Monique's entries on Familysearch.org


Now below …..see William and Margaret's children on the far right? My great grandpa, Robert Wiley
Rozier, was their 2nd child. Sterling's great grandma was their 4th child, Mary Elizabeth Rozier



And then here is Sterling's family tree, and how he branches off from William and Margaret.


Now doesn't this make you want to go investigate on your own family tree? 
You never know what surprises you will find. 

And what does my Great Grandpa Robert Wiley Rozier look like? 
Kind of funny looking but that's okay. 
I'm sure he looks better now in the next life.
I think these are the engagement pictures to my great grandma Mary. 
They had 10 children together, the 5th one being my Grandpa Romeo Rozier.

A family history mystery

Last week there was this mystery person adding data to our family tree on Familysearch.org

So I thought I would just email this person to see if I'd get a response.
I wondered….who is this person and where did she get all the info to share?

Familysearch.org is free to all, but the majority are still from our church.
So I wondered….could this person making all these entries also be LDS like we are?

I had never found anyone who is Mormon in our family tree, except of course my parents and
siblings and then on from there. But no one else. Although I've often figured that as fast as this church
is growing, there must be someone somewhere who is LDS that we are related to.

I am still in awe how this unfolded.

The best way to explain is to share excerpts from emails over 2 days of time.

First is the one I put out there for the mystery person adding to our family tree.

(Keep in mind as your read below, that these are only small excerpts from our emails. 
And I will call her M until I get permission to share her name. I'm blue. She's red.)

Hi M..
I hope I have your name right. I noticed that you recently put lots of info on Family 
search about the Rozier and Wiley family. I was excited to see this. I love working on 
family history.
How are you related to them? Could you and I possibly be related? 
Jill Rozier Shelley


Hi Jill!Yes, I have been attaching census records to people in our family line. I appreciate you 
reaching out to us.
I am 40 and live in California. Are you LDS?M


If I understand correctly I think your Dad and I are related through our great grandparents. I 
think my Great Grandfather is the brother of your Dad's Great Grandmother. 
I live in California also. Very central California, in Clovis. Where are you?
And yes I am LDS, are you?
 My parents joined the church in 1955, when I was just a year old.

You live in Clovis???? NO WAY! Me too!!!
And my parents will be coming into town this weekend. We HAVE to get together!
M



Absolutely incredible!It would be very fun to get together!
What ward are you in?
Jill

Perhaps we are meant to work on this line together?!
My 16 year old daughter has gone to a place called Family Camp the past 2 summers with 
friends. She has become really good friends with Alex Rozier. She texted him tonight to see 
if he knew you and he said you are his aunt! She was ecstatic! She said "Mom! I actually had 
family at family camp and didn't even know it!"...

This is pretty amazing.  I have this GIANT stack of papers all about the Roziers that my Dad gave me 
about a year ago and this week I literally started praying about where to begin or how to start going 
through them because it is so intimidating.  Then you email me, and my parents who never get to visit 
just happen to be driving down (from Washington) and will be here Sunday afternoon. 

Can you PLEASE come over for dessert on Monday evening? 


So that's where it all left off. Familysearch.com is a world wide website. M could have lived 
anywhere, but she is in the SAME town as me….and for her daughter to know my nephew 
Alex….and for her daughter to be at Family Camp of all places the past 2 summers (which is 
predominantly Rozier)!

Den and I are going to their home tonight to meet them….family we didn't know we had in this same 
town, just a few miles away. How bizarre is this all.  If they are comfortable with pictures, hopefully I 
will come back with some. 







Oh the things we take for granted….

"Dedicated to the women who service seems small."

And to one woman who was rescued by it.
Go here to see what I mean. 

Richie likes his Great Grandpa

Our grandson Richie loves his Great Grandpa. 
Watch this little video and you'll see what I mean.

Richie is only 3, although he looks older since he's so tall.

Family from Logan, Utah!

We got to have lunch yesterday with Den's daughters, 
Kim and Kris, 
and we didn't even have to enter a drawing for it!

...unlike the conference they are speaking at for several 
days….where a lucky winner will be chosen to eat lunch with 
them. Whoever the winners are, they will love being with Kim and 
Kris. Everyone does.

But especially their children.



So we got to keep Rachel and Robbie here with us for several days.
Being around these two we are often finding ourselves 
stifling laughs from the things they say.

On the way to the restaurant the other night I asked them 
what they usually have for breakfast at home.
Rachel said she loves these "little packets of dust" 
they stir into milk. 
Sounds tasty! :)

They are incredibly helpful and polite.



I snuck in their bedrooms yesterday morning 
and this is what I saw…..

Not only did they make their beds, 
but they had their Halloween costumes laid out just so….


Cracks me up the way Robbie has even his hat there at the top, 
and the rest of his ensemble ready to grab
 and put on when it's time to party!



It felt so good to have them at our family dinner. 
All the way from Logan, Utah.



We wish all the cousins could have been together last night, 
but at least we had these 4 with us. 

AND, thank goodness for the internet and cell phones….
we got to see these grandchildren, too.

 Richie and Leo!

And this next one isn't Richie's costume…but….
Rachel and Robbie hadn't seen Richie in over a year, so they 
looked at this one and said, "Wow, he looks way different now." 
I guess they thought those really were his glasses!
  

Cami, Elora, and Violet!


There is just something about the look on Violet's face, 
the personality I know she has, and that HAIR.


Scarlett and Grant!

Made me laugh what one of McKenna's relatives said 
when they saw these photos:
"Makes me want to yodel, eat bratwurst and a carrot."  


Goodbye Halloween 2014

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 ...