One of my favorite memories from this Christmas

Our granddaughter, Campbell, LOVES movies. 


So as soon as she recognized what we were giving her…...


She totally lit up!


But what doesn't show in these pictures….


is how she immediately looked at her Dad 
and said as plain as could be:
"Look it!"



We had never heard her say that before!
She just said it….
telling us there is lots of vocabulary inside of our Cami. 
And then she went right over to find baby Jesus, again. 
Cami knows so much more than she can tell us right now. 

Christmas Eve 2014

So we have this tradition now of going to Visalia for Christmas 
Eve. My brother John and his wife Suzanne host a very Rozier-ish 
homey dinner and program.


Arriving just after us were the Shepards. Literally, acting as the 
shepherds. (I didn't even catch on at first….I just kept 
thinking….'and why are they in costume?')


We missed those who could not be with us.
There were far more missing, than present.
And I did not get pictures of everyone present. I thought I could, but I didn't.
But still, lots of relatives. Lots of food.


This warms my heart every time. 
Amy takes a little out of the mashed potatoes before she adds the milk, 
so I can have some too. 




Conversations were going on all over the place….
Jeff and Dennis

Gracie and Calvary

My Dad and Peggy

Some even with their mouths full.

And for those (Sarah and Mara) who don't have all 
their vocabulary yet, they use body language to converse.



Here's a lively discussion….cousins Alex and Kylie.



Babies every where I turn….

Katie with Harvey 
(Katie is married to my nephew Jake.)

Oh, here's Jake with Harvey, too. 
Along with Ashley's husband, Andrew.

My niece Ashley with Andrew, and Sarah waving to you. 



Cousins Julie and Jake with their babies, Henry and Harvey.
I'm starting to duplicate babies and parents.

My brother John with his grandson, Henry. 
John got hot towards the end of the party and so opened the front door…but then thought he should 
guard it so all the toddlers didn't disappear. Just explaining.

Henry wearing his 15cent outfit. That's really how much it cost according to Grandma Suzanne.
I hope I'm not giving away a family secret.



Zion, Kaidy, Jude, Rivka, Hosanna, Clara



McKenzie, Laurynn, Kaidy, Macie, Téa, Austin, Jonas, 
Amy, Logan

Love the polka dots!

We always end our Christmas Eve party 
with the reason we celebrate it. 
Gracie, Zion, Hosanna, Rivka, Clara, and Jude.


And I always leave the party thinking 
of who started all these Roziers.








Christmas 1957 and my Uncle Don

For those who didn't receive Uncle Don's Christmas letter this 
year, here it is. For those of you who don't know our Uncle Don, he 
is soon to be 90 and my mother's only living sibling. He worked at 
the Fresno Bee while still a teenager and retired after having been 
their managing editor for many years.

Below this letter, is an old home movie from 1957. I think 
Uncle Don is one of the few I labeled by name, so you will see 
him. He looks pretty much the same all these years later.



"Christmas Letter XXII
Published annually since 1993
Greetings from Don & Donna

On October 20th, Donna fell onto an end table, broke five ribs and cracked a bone in her spine. On November 20th, she was home, having spent the interval in hospital and nursing home and, happy to report, was treated well at both. Pain pills and walker no longer required, Donna has resumed life as it had been.

Her accident had another consequence, as did the fact that my next birthday will have a zero in it. It got us thinking about the unthinkable — living in an old folks’ home. That’s not what they call themselves; they are “retirement communities.” They come with hefty buy-ins but they’re not called that, either — they are “community fees.” Moreover, there’s a parking lot instead of a garage, one must hike to the dining hall, and not in pajamas or bathrobe. The rent is steep and there is no guarantee the food will be as tasty as advertised. For sure, everyone present will be old. 

Despite it all, we put down a deposit and got on a waiting list. On the upside, help would be available when needed and the cook would be someone other than myself. We chose the home that seemed to offer the fewest negatives and were told the average wait for an apartment (they’re called “cottages”) was nine months. Two weeks later, however, a vacancy turned up. Did we want it? No, we said, we weren’t ready just yet. We had a case of cold feet, although we have begun to think about shedding stuff and notified our landlady of what we had in mind. 

Will something nudge us to act or will we ask for our deposit back? Donna seems well. Her blood pressure is normal, as is mine with the aid of the pharmaceutical industry. At the supermarket, I’m more secure with a shopping cart in hand, but in general (and although I hate the word), I am spry. 

On Christmas Eve, my four children and four of six granddaughters will be in Fresno for dinner. Julie, Donna’s missionary daughter, and her family will be celebrating a day ahead of us in faraway Japan. Whatever your time zone, we hope your Christmas is merry and that the New Year treats you gently. "

All the little girls in this video are me. 
Along with my brothers, Richard and John and our parents. 
Uncle Don comes on about part way through it.

Christmas Campout in Vancouver, Washington

This is a tradition that was started in McKenna's family….
and the McKs along with Karen and Tyler and all 4 to their kids keep it going. 

Two Days before Christmas...They camp out in the family room all together, 
eating and playing games all day long. 

Here's what they sent me tonight….THANK YOU Karen and Tyler and McKenna and McKay for 
letting me a part of it some 800 miles away here in California 

My grand babies in their matching Christmas jammies….
Scarlett, Richie, Grant, and Leo.

 Intense game playing
 Oh, now that I look back on the pictures above, I guess McKenna 
and Karen have matching jammas too. 
How cute is that! And so do McKay and Tyler, apparently. 
(brings me back about 20 years)


 Looks like they cracked out the art projects out for the kids…..


As their games continue.



 Because I'm sure these little darlings, as good as they are, 
did not sit on this couch the entire day. 

 Just checked with Karen, and it's 9:30pm 
and this party is in it's 9th hour and still going strong. 

What memories they are making. 
Must be so nice living just 15 minutes apart. 
(As these grandkids get just a little older, and they will be talking about the
Christmas Campout all year long…I just know it!)


After Dennis heard about the Christmas campout in Washington, 
he wanted to start our own tradition. 
Sorry Grandpa, 
but you're going to be sleeping this one out by yourself. 


Merry Christmas!




Just checking in…..and a suggestion

This is pretty much what went on here this week. Dennis doing all the wrapping and mailing. 
It's his speciality. Not mine at all.

And no, he does not clean as he goes. But that is his only flaw.

I am really feeling the Christmas sprit this year.
For lots of different reasons, but mostly because we are feeling so very grateful for
our family and friends, and our health, and so many blessings. 

And do you know what else is adding to our Christmas spirit this year?
I discovered a TV station that we love. Yes me, who doesn't even like TV.

UP channel has their very own Christmas movies. Some very sweet movies.
Movies that focus on the real meaning of Christmas.

It's on 188 on our Dish TV. Google to find where it is in your area.

Check UP channel out HERE.






Her Dad changed things

She is new in our ward. She and her husband have 5 children. I had never even met her, I still haven't.
But I think I will remember her talk during Sacrament meeting this morning, for a long while.

She talked about her own father. He grew up with an alcoholic Dad and a very depressed Mom, and
lots of abuse. Her Dad grew up never having a birthday gift, never having a Christmas gift. This
surprised me as I have known of many dysfunctional, even abusive families through the years, but all
that I knew of at least celebrated birthdays and Christmas in some way.

When her Dad was 7, his Dad took him to Disneyland. This little 7 year old arrived "bright eyed and
excited." When they got to the gate his Dad asked where he could buy a beer. He was told, "We don't
sell alcohol at Disneyland." So they turned around and left.

If the story wasn't already bad enough, the Disneyland story about did me in.

Yet, her Dad somehow knew there was a better way...Somewhere a long the way he learned about
Jesus Christ. Christ became his model to live by. This one man was able to turn the cycle of abuse in
this family around. It stopped with him. He referred to Christ to teach him how to live.

She said her Dad still struggles every day trying to control his temper, among other struggles. But he
was able to stay focused enough to pattern his life after Christ's and gave his children a much better 
life than he had. His daughter, who gave the talk, has enormous respect for him.

After our ward was over, Den and I were able to attend another service, and hear Amy
speak. She also talked about patterning our lives after Christ's. She so eloquently and sweetly said: "He 
lived to show us the way."

I think one of my favorite parts of her talk was when she turned around and thanked the bishopric for
giving her 2 weeks to prepare. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

Amy referred to this very sweet and short video in her talk. If you have not seen it, I promise it's worth
the 2 1/2 minutes of your time.

When did this become okay?

Do you ever find yourself waiting behind a car who is waiting for a parking spot they have picked out?
There isn't room to go around them, and you can't back up because there is a car behind you. 
So you are literally trapped, waiting. 
Sometimes the wait is just a few seconds, but often it is much longer than that. 

Yesterday that was me trapped behind that car. 
I guess she saw someone walk out of the store headed to one of the cars near her. 
So she waited for the other person to get in her car, load her purchases, 
adjust things, turn on her ignition and finally pull out.

It was a good 2-3 minutes.
Long enough for me to write this post in my head, and take a picture.

What makes people think this is okay? 
As I was sitting there I thought, 30 years ago, this wouldn't have happened. 
People would just keep circling the parking lot waiting until they found a vacant spot to park. 
They wouldn't have thought to make others wait behind them. 

This happens often now. Have people really changed that much in 30 years? Apparently they have. 

This doesn't make me angry. It just baffles me. 
It leaves me thinking, Really? They think this is okay?



Babies were her favorite

My mom (on the left) back in the early 1940s with her doll. 
I do remember her telling me she had dolls long after most girls do. 

(Although her friend Evelyn looks even older than Mom, or at least taller) 

She was born to be a mother. In 1959 holding baby Robin, with John, Richard, and me.
She went on to have 4 more babies.


She always had a baby of her own at her family gatherings. She gave birth from 1952-1967.

This was 1957.
Mom is in the middle, 2nd one from the left.
My Mom's parents on center right, and the rest of the adults are my aunts and uncles.
See me with my doll sitting next to Richard?



Then the grandbabies came.
Just a few here of over 30.

Then the great grand babies (Elora) started coming in 2002

My Mom's 85th birthday would have been yesterday. 
She's been gone since 2007 and I miss her every single day.

Below was my favorite quote from the Christmas Devotional last Sunday. It's quoted by Bonnie
Oscarson, who was quoting President Hinckley, who was quoting the original person:  ET Sullivan:

“When God wants a great work done in the world, or a 
great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual 
way. He doesn't stir up his earthquakes, or send forth 
his thunderbolts. Instead, He has a helpless baby born. 
And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world 
are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The 
greatest forces in the world are babies.”

I know Mom would agree.

Santa didn't even look like Dennis

He arrived like anyone else…..

Then later when he thought when no one was looking,
 he stepped inside one of the classrooms at the church.

 Elora came with us….since it was her ward. 
Her job was to let us know 
when Santa was to make his appearance.

Something I never thought I would do is help Santa get dressed.

 Finally he is ready, 
Elora gives the signal to the waiting audience….
and out the door he goes

 Oh no. There's a stray boy in the hallway. 
Guess he was too excited to wait like the others.

 If I hadn't helped dress Santa, I wouldn't have even recognized Dennis under there. He just did not resemble himself.




 So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when 
Cami and Violet didn't recognize him either. 
Cam was looking for an escape.

And Violet was not her happy self.

 Santa talked to over 50 kids, and some very interesting ones. 
Like this Mom who was showing him her daughter's list 
on her phone.


 And this sweet man in his wheel chair wanted to visit Santa too.


Entire families wanted to pose with him.

And itty babies who went right for the wrapper….


With proud new parents looking on….
anxious to scoop their son right back into their arms.

 Some wanted no part of this.

 And were looking for someone to rescue them.

 I don't know the children below, 
but could you not pick them out in a crowd as being siblings!

Finally it was my turn, after I adjusted his beard.



And even a missionary from Columbia 
wanted his picture taken with Santa.

 Before I end this post, 
I want to show you the great looking spread of brunch food at 
Brock and Erin's ward this morning.


Why wait to sit down and eat?


Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

But first, let's go back nearly 60 years!
I wanted someone to rescue me too back in 1955.
And that Santa….does he look bored or what?

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 ...