What a Dad... what a husband....

I have to be honest, I was inpsired to blog this after stumbling on an old friends site, but I just had to take a minute, especially today to share what a great dad to my kids.. and husband I'm married to. This shot taken about an hour after Aly was born is just so typical of how anxious he is to love and show love for his kids. They couldn't get her temperature up to normal so she was "fake-baking" under a heat lamp, and all stretched out just looking around loving every second of it. He was gathering up the 3 big kids to haul back to Nephi for the night and had to stop one last time to tell his newest angel that he'd miss she and I, and that he'd back as soon as he could.

The rest of this week has kind of blurred into one long sleepless night and lots of diapers and feedings, and somewhere in the middle of all of it I think I found a chance every day to instead of thanking him for coming home at night and spending an hour wrestling/chasing/playing with the kids, to harass him for not hanging his jacket up, for washing the pink changing table cover w/the darks, for deleting the blog entry I'm working on.... not really pausing much to also thank him for the few extra loads of dishes or clothes he's helped wash, the dinner he re-heated for everyone, or the "sure" response he ALWAYS gives whenever I ask for anything. I could probably ask him to hang the moon (anything really that doesn't involve home-improvement projects) and he'd really try for me. He's an amazing man, a hard worker, a sincerely loving and caring dad, and a great friend to me. Moving every couple of years since we were married has taught both of us how much we rely on each other, but after a week with a newborn, I'm quickly reminded that I sure couldn't do this alone and I'm forever grateful that its Giegh that I get to do it with. Thank you for all you do, for all you give, and today especially for taking a 5, 4, and 2 year old to a 2hr birthday party (that started at 9am) so I could stay home and sleep in with the baby. I love you and though I haven't said it near enough this week I could never begin to imagine this ride without you.

Our new Angel

Alyssa Marleen Rogerson

6 lbs 6oz - 19 1/2" Long

8:02 pm - January 22, 2009

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We're so excited to have Aly here to join our little clan of red-heads. She's got a lot lighter hair than the other three, probably taking more after her Dad, but the kids are thrilled and delivery was a breeze. I was busy laughing at my Dr. for being a smart-alek when he commented one more giggle out of me and she'd be here... I laughed thinking "As if..." and he wasn't kidding, out she came. What a sweet little thing, and probably just as well that she hasn't got much hair on top because between the 5 of us, it would have all been kissed off by now. Welcome to our family you little angel, so excited to have you here!

Just before the baby

The night before our little Alyssa was due, the rest of the clan went to the Draper Temple Open House, and Reagan, the little champ, hiked every stair in that building going all by herself. Not to mention the winding walkway headed in, but all in all the kids really liked the ride up to the temple in a bus, and the time to go in and see all the beautiful artwork and craftmanship of a temple first hand. What a great opportunity to have the day before a baby.

Redding or not, here we come!

After a great Christmas, we jumped in the car for a quick (13 hour quick :) trip to Redding, CA to see Gi's family. The snow was still coming and our first 2 hours felt like we'd never see past 50 mph, but luckily once we hit I-80 and got past Wendover, the weather improved, and better yet the roads. We made it to Reno on day one, spent the night in some dive-hotel, and then finished the next day into Redding, well really Igo where Gi grew up. The next few days were really leisurely spent, we ran back into town to attempt a picture w/the "Grandkids", but mostly we just hung out at home and Gi got to 4-wheel the kids around the hill where his parents live and they LOVE it. We're always amazed at the time that passes between seeing their cousins in Calf, and how quickly the squeals and giggles begin when we do finally see them. These three girls especially, you'll note in the picture, just can't get enough of each other.

Our newest cousin Bella wasn't so stoked about group pictures, but hopefully we'll have her trained in another couple of months :) Reagan ate her up which made me grateful to know she'll not be shunning her sister. With only 4 weeks left you would have thought the 13 hrs in the car coming and going would do me in... yet really it was the one night on a crappy hotel bed that about broke my back. The rest of the ride left me time to read, relax, and catch up on some much needed napping and relaxing that over the last 3 mos just doesn't seem to have found any room in my schedule. It was a great little post-Christmas vacation and at only $25 bucks to fill my car (vs. the $65 we were paying this summer) we were grateful we were able to go. So glad to spend time with our family there and so grateful for a Grandma that loves to read as much as me (both to the kids and just to relax) and a Papa there who has the patience for 3 hrs a day at Legos and the Globe-question-game because Bailey and Chance ate it up.

Our First Christmas in our own Home

Yes its true, after nine years of marriage, this is the FIRST Christmas that Gi and I have ever woken up in our own bed, in our own house, on Christmas morning. Between years spent in California with the Rogersons, or having just the two of us, or one baby, or living with my Mom & Dad for a while, its always worked out that we've been somewhere for Christmas morning, but just never in our own place.

So we were as excited about that as the kids were about Santa... we had a great morning opening gifts, never enough babies for the girls and a Robot for Chance! Gi and I had a simple Christmas and we loved laying around in PJ's til noon. I think I even showered and went back to bed for a nap around 11... when does that ever happen. We also started our own day of events and took the kids sledding in fresh powder, then frosted cookies and took the neighbor plates out on Christmas Day. We had a great time together and planned a last minute trip to go to California the
26th, so I had some late-night prep work to do, but all in all it was a GREAT Christmas. We're so lucky to have been blessed with three amazing little people, a home to hang our hats, and family that still claims us :) We really had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve and a new tradition...

I'd been hearing about local communities lighting luminaries at the cemetaries on Christmas Eve since before Thanksgiving so I suggested it to my Mom that maybe we add it to our dinner, nativity program and as luck would have it just worked out that everyone got to come. Traditionally we have a candle-lit dinner where my dad would light the first candle and we go around the dinner table lighting each persons light and sharing a gift we give the Savior if he were there... this year lighting the candles at his grave side was kind of like letting him still light the first candle. And while it was cold, and a little bit disorganized, it was still nice to be there to remember him.

Dinner was equally as great, the gifts always touching, and the chance to see the kids act out Luke II just doesn't ever get old. After six weeks of chaos and prep for the holidays, this night just makes it all worth the effort. Stopping to remember the real reason for the season and spending it with family is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Thanks Mom and Dad for starting it.

Oh... and I finished my tub!

While this entry merits no real excitement, it still has to be said that we finished my stinking tub... installed, prepped, tiled and grouted. (never tiled before so thus the entry... figured it was blog worthy :) And yes, we even figured out how to tile in those corner shelves, aren't we just clever!

Gi's Birthday, Anniversary, annual sisters trip...

Gi's birthday was on our nieces baptism date, our anniversary a week later he was stuck working in Wyoming, and the weekend just after both is the weekend my sisters and I get to go to Park City overnight to finish up Christmas shopping and hang out at Wendy's Condo.... (LOVE that trip!!)

But 9 mos pregnant definitely puts a damper on doing anything super exciting and exotic for a birthday or an anniversary and luckily Gi was pretty understanding. Next year we'll hit our 10 year anniversary and hopefully then we'll be able to make up for a year somewhat lost to the chaos of life....

Next came dance...

Bailey had her first dance performance at the local care center and Chance and Reagan were front and center to cheer her on. I can't believe how she can wiggle those little hips :) but her smile lights up the room before she even starts to dance. Great job Bailey!

An angel and a shepherd...

We're a little behind the times, the Holidays really got busy this year and I'm just getting back on my feet, but as quick as I can here's Dec in review. We started w/the town's local nativity presentation and Bailey as an Angel, Chance a shepherd... he did a fabulous job "shooing" the lambs across the stage and Reagan was their biggest fan sitting through quite a few rehearsals. G&G Rogerson and Uncle Jared were able to see them in their debut performance as they'd come for Thanksgiving.