The Rogers Family

Back to Reality

2012-01-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Last week Noah and I arrived home into the loving arms of our family and friends. While excited to be home, we were very sad to leave our wonderful NZ family and friends, not to mention the sunshine. However, since coming home, I have had a few moments to reflect on what an amazing journey we had been on. I mean, when I walked out of Aunty Pam's house the last time I visited in 2003, I had no idea it would be 8 years until I would return. I also had no idea that the next time I would walk into that house I would have a husband and 2 children in tow. God has blessed me beyond belief in those 8 years. My goal is that it will not be another 8 years before we step on New Zealand soil again. It is really important to me that the boys all know where a portion of my heart lies and I want them to be able to remember what a special place New Zealand is. We all had a wonderful time and we are excited at the prospect of returning someday to have more adventures with our amazing family and friends who live there.

With our lovely friends Pixie and Bill Gourley who so graciously allowed us to spend a day on their farm.

Our last day with Aunty Pam

Noah's 2 favorite NZ friends. Tania Slinn and Shan Gourley. Hopefully they will come visit us soon!!!

Me with some of my friends, Shan, Tania, Kath, and Nadia

Us with Jeanne and Peter Slinn. They might as well be family.

Noah and I had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to the time change once we returned but we are back on schedule now. He is having a harder time adjusting to the cold weather than I am. He even hesitates to sit in his car seat these days because he says "it's too cold in there." The most exciting change in Noah's schedule is that today marks his first day of preschool!! He is going to go to preschool at our church two times a week from 9-12. He is such a Momma's boy and he may cry everyday when I drop him off but I know it's going to be so good for him. I am probably more excited than anyone because that means I get 3 full hours of peace and quiet every Tuesday and Thursday.

Noah's first day of school!!!

Those quiet hours are needed considering the hectic schedule we tend to keep these days. I kept telling myself that once we returned home from this big trip, our lives would slow down and things would return to normal. I think I just have to accept the fact that normal means a full calendar. Stuart and Cam are busier than ever with boy scouts and before we know it soccer season will be upon us. I have been out and about selling Thirty-One (which has been amazingly fun) and that means I will be making several trips to Indy and Washington before the month is out. On top of that, we are waiting on the arrival of another niece or nephew any day now (hurry up Stacey and Mo!!!).

So, that is what is happening in our lives right now. Among our many goals for 2012 lies the desire to resurrect this blog and keep everyone updated on what's happening. May God bless all of you in 2012. He is good all the time!!!

Man on the move

2012-01-14T21:36:00.001-08:00

It's Noah again!!! Mommy has been too tired to keep this updated because she says I wear her out so I thought I'd use some of my ENDLESS energy to update you on all the fun things I've done in the past few days.
First, there was Nature Land in Tahuna. I got to see monkeys and mere cats. I promise you that the monkeys touched me but Mommy told me I shouldn't worry because they were behind the glass. The mere cats were so funny. I also got to touch a deer, well actually it touched me and I didn't like it very much!!! Mommy says the only time I'll see them at home is dead on the side of the road or hanging up in Uncle Paul's house. I'm actually kind of thankful for that.

I promise that monkey touched me!!!

After Nature Land, I took my favorite NZ Aunt and my best NZ friend (Tani) out for lunch at this place where they grow grapes and make some kind of grown up juice. I don't know much about that but I do know that they gave me ice cream and that made me very happy.
Ice cream for lunch!!!

Today was a really sunny day and it ranks up there with one of the happiest days EVER!!! We started off by going down and getting on this big red bus. It even had an upstairs!!! I got to sit in the upstairs with Mommy and Aunty Pam and we rode all around Nelson. It was so fun.

I can hardly contain my excitement!!!

Please Mr. Bus Driver, Let me in!!!!

The bus was so fun!!!
I do love my Aunty Pam!!!

Once the bus dropped us off, we came back to Aunty Pam's to pack a lunch because we were going to a Teddy Bear picnic. Tani even got to come with us. We drove to this park and brought our teddy bears and our picnic lunch. We ate our lunch and then I got to ride on the Ferris wheel and the Chair-o-plane. I wasn't supposed to ride on the chair-o-plane but mommy was prepared to tell them that I was, in fact, 3 years old so I could ride. It was so fun!!! I could hardly wipe the smile off my face. Come to think of it, my cheeks still hurt. After that, I took my teddy bear for a walk around the picnic and even took him to teddy bear school where he learned to dance and act. What a day!!! Mommy didn't even make me take a nap and Aunty Pam is making me an ice cream cone right now. Gotta go, only one more week of sunny weather. I hope we go back to the beach... I am one cool guy taking my friend Tani to the Teddy Bear Picnic!!!

I even took my Teddy Bear on the Chair-O-Plane:-)

I wasn't sure about the ferris wheel at first but I soon managed to take a hand off and wave to Mommy and Tani.
And just to complete my day, I got to throw rocks in the water. I love NZ!!!

It's Noah's World...We're Just Passing Through

2012-01-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!!

It's Noah here. Just wanted to fill you in on what I've been up to the past few days. My Daddy and Cam left on Friday and had a very smooth trip home. I miss them terribly but love it that I can see them on the computer most afternoons. I have been keeping busy helping Aunty Pam. I helped her to plant a passionfruit plant in her garden the other night. I also helped her make bacon and egg pies for our supper and I love showing her how to play games on my Mommy's Nook.
On Saturday night, Aunty Pam and Mommy took me to my first Jazz concert down in the park (Washbourn Gardens) and then on Monday they took me to my first ever movie in a big movie theater. It was about these crazy penguins (Happy Feet 2). My favorite part was the Tweety Bird cartoon at the beginning but I also loved that I got to eat M&Ms and popcorn. Yesterday we got to go to the beach again. I could get used to this beach thing. I mean the sun was shining and the water was all the way up on the beach so Mommy and I could swim all morning. Won't all my friends be jealous when I tell them about this!!! I also have my own swimming pool in Aunty Pam's back yard. I love playing in it and have so far had to have the water cleaned 3 times because I keep dumping things like sand and dirt from the garden in it.
I have made a couple of buddies while I've been here and now think that Shan and Tani should accompany us wherever we go.
I have learned some really cool ways to say things since I've been here too. Did you know they call french fries "chips" and cookies "biscuits"? I also love to say "okie dokie", "woopsie daisy", and "oh dear". I am a little confused because Aunty Pam loves to drink hot tea but when she asks me what I want for tea, I think she means supper. Who knows? Anyway, I have to go. Mommy and Aunty Pam are going to take me to Nature Land today in Tahuna so I can see some monkeys. I love monkeys!!! Hmm...I wonder if Tani wants to come with us?

Helping Aunty Pam play games on Mommy's Nook
I love to help Aunty Pam hang out the washing.

My first movie was a big hit!!!
Planting a passionfruit in Aunty Pam's garden.
This is what January looks like at Aunty Pam's house.
Check out my new sun hat!!!
Love swimming in the ocean!!!

Helping Aunty Pam make bacon and egg pies for "tea."

New Zealand Travel Adventure Days 19 & 20 - Going out with a BANG!!!

2012-01-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, Megan and I got to have a date day. We started off taking the 11am tour of the McCashin Brewery. But, don't worry, we didn't start drinking until after noon (and it was 6pm in the States) so it's all above board.

Shouldn't more places combine BEER and NURSERY? I think that would make child care much more palatable.Here are the barley and hops we got to try. Well, we tried the barley, but the woman advised against actually tasting the hops. No need for a green tongue at 11am.
After our brewery tour, where we got to sample about 18 different things brewed onsite, including 3 vodkas, 3 frutes and about a dozen beers, we walked back to town to watch my beloved Michigan Wolverines defeat the VA Tech Hokies in the Sugar Bowl. Because the game started at 2:30pm local time, the bar was fairly empty. That made it easier to convince the bartender to let us watch the game. As a side note, the name of the establishment was The Star and Garter. And, no, people do NOT get paid to take their clothes off there, but the food was about as good as I would imagine it being at a place like that.
Today, Cameron and I went to the local mall to grab breakfast. I've been dying to try a Mega McMuffin for two weeks. You'd think that two patties of sausage, bacon, egg and cheese on a mcmuffin would be a can't miss breakfast sandwich, but it's really nothing to celebrate. I was very let down.

After breakfast, Cam and I went to the grocery store to get some things for him to take back and share with his class. He got loads and loads of New Zealand candies that I'm sure the kids will love.

For lunch, we headed over to Mapua. The boys met a dog named Oscar that they took turns throwing a stick in the water for. I think the boys would still be there if the owner hadn't taken the dog away after about 20 minutes.

For lunch, we enjoyed fish and chips on the beach one last time before we leave tomorrow.

Here's an idea of the views from the beach where we enjoyed lunch.
After lunch, Megan and I stopped by the Golden Bear Brewery and Tavern to pick up a rigger for dinner while the boys got ice cream with Auntie Pam.
On the way home, there's no way we were driving past a place called The Naked Bun without stopping for some dinner dessert.
On our last full day in NZ, we decided that one meal on the beach wasn't enough. So, we bought meat pies and took those to Tahuna Beach where we swam in the ocean one last time before heading home tomorrow.
It's been a great trip for me and Cameron. Megan and Noah still get to enjoy a couple more weeks, but I'm sure it won't be the same. I mean, seriously, nothing is as much fun if I'm not there.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Days 16 - 18 - Isn't this how everyone spends the first few days of the year?

2012-01-02T22:38:00.001-08:00

Doesn't everyone spend the first few days of the New Year on the beach? That's what we did for New Year's Day. I have to admit, if given the choice between a day of football and a day of sitting on the beach, I'll take sitting on the beach for New Year's every time.On January 2nd, we went to Founders Heritage Park. It's a brewery and historical area where they've relocated a bunch of old buildings.
The boys really enjoyed seeing the old fire engines.
They had an old plance that the boys could walk through.
In the maritime center, they had lots of models of old ships.
And Noah got to "fire a cannon."
Megan and I couldn't walk past a brewery without picking up our dessert for that night.

After exploring Founders Heritage Park, we went to Nelson for a little shopping. For lunch, I had my first ever crepe and thought I needed to document this historic occassion with a picture. I mean, seriously, how many times will an American eat a French specialty (with meat in the middle and tomato sauce on top, so it had a very Italian flavor) in New Zealand.
Today, we headed over to our friends, the Slinns, beach house. Noah got to throw rocks in the water, which made him a very happy boy.
The boys got to go for a ride in the boat.
Here's an idea of the view from the boat. Not too bad.
Megan celebrated as the fishing champion on the day.
Cameron finished strong though, by pulling in two flounders, even though he wouldn't really touch them.
All in all, just another great couple of days. I can't believe it's almost over for me and Cameron though.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Days 13 - 15 - This wasn't on the brochure

2011-12-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been fairly rainy here in Richmond. So, we've taken the opportunity to actually rest on our vacation. On Thursday, Cameron and Pam went to go see the new Chipmunks movie. Cameron thought it was really good while Pam called it "the longest hour and a half of my life."

While Cameron and Pam did went to the movie, Noah, Megan and I went to feed the ducks and even found some surprising friends in the little creek that runs through Washbourn Gardens. EELS!!!Needing out of the house that evening, Tania took us to the Sprig and Fern Tavern where we sampled the local fair. We tried Alcoholic Lemonade, Berry Cider, Fern Lager, Fern Draught, a Hefeweisen, Tasman Lager, Ginger Lager and a Blonde.
The next day, we needed to get the boys out of the house to burn off some energy, so we took them to Chipmunks in Nelson. It's an indoor playcenter and cafe for kids. The boys had a great time and got to burn off some of the energy that had built up after two days indoors.
Yesterday afternoon, we walked the boys down to the local park to play before our big New Year's Eve festivities.

Here's part of our Mexi-Kiwi-merican spread for the evening. We had tacos, spanish rice, Oreo balls, peanut butter balls, chips and salsa and a chocolate chip cheeseball along with an assortment of adult beverages to ring in the new year with. We also watched the movie Bridesmaids, which we will recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it. It was hilarious and a great way to ring in the new year with friends.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Days 11 & 12 - Going to the beach in December never gets old

2011-12-28T12:04:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, we headed to the beach for some sun and relaxation. Here are the views from our picnic spot. Not bad, eh?
Noah spent most of the time laying down in the sand.
Cam enjoyed getting to float along in the Pacific Ocean.
After leaving the beach, we stopped at a little roadside brewery where I discovered what may be my new favorite beer. It's a Fejoa Wheat beer from the Monkey Wizard Brewery.After a great night's sleep (for everyone), we headed over to our friend Shann's farm where the boys got to feed the goats.

They also got to ride on a 4-wheeler. Even though it only went about 3MPH, the boys thought it was great.
They got to pet horses.
And do a little swimming.
And, as if I haven't teased everyone with them enough, here's a few more pictures of the view. It's so hard to describe how gorgeous the view is from EVERYWHERE here. After a wonderful cookout where we had our first taste of goat (we loved it), we headed over to a little cafe for some drinks and Cameron's first attempt at cricket.
Then, behind the cafe, they have a maze where we got to explore and burn off some more energy.
Just another couple of sunny, warm and wonderful days in New Zealand.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Day 9 - 11 - I'm Dreaming of a SUNNY Christmas

2011-12-26T11:13:00.001-08:00

The past few days have been relatively laid back compared to our week at Christchurch. Here's a picture of the boys after we walked to Washbourn Gardens to feed the ducks on Christmas Eve.Here's the boys feeding the ducks. Cameron even got a couple of them to eat right out of his hands. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Noah "petting" one of the ducks. It had it's back turned toward him and as soon as his hand touched the duck's back, the duck flapped its wings and Noah jumped about 3 feet in the air.
After a relaxing afternoon of swimming, we were off to bed and ready for Christmas Day. The boys were up at 5:30 in the morning, which explains the look thatis a combination of tired and excited that Noah has on his face when he opened his stocking to find Buzz Lightyear.
The boys opening their Christmas presents (notice the lack of snow out the window).
Isn't this what everyone back at home did after opening presents? The boys headed outside to play with their toys and play in the water.
Noah was all ready for Christmas lunch.
Here's Cameron with the Pavlova that he helped prepare.
The day after Christmas is Boxing Day in the Commonwealth Nations. And, what better way to celebrate than by shopping. So, Tania Slinn took Megan and me out on the town for a day of shopping. It's much more laid back than Black Friday and the deals aren't as good, but it was fun to get out and look around all the stores. The purchase that Megan was most proud of was the Converse All-Star like gumboots that she found for Noah.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Day 8 - Fun with Animals

2011-12-23T01:07:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we headed over to the Willowbank Nature Reserve.
Not only did the boys get to see some native New Zealand animals, they got to get up close and personal with some of them. One wallaby even let Cameron pet it while it ate out of his hand.

And our little monkey...
New Zealand Otters
Two of the ugliest breeds of pigs you'll ever see. They would stand at the fence and open their mouths wide to let you drop food in there. Disgusting.

One of the highlights for Cameron was getting to see a Tuatara.

The other highlight was getting to see a Kiwi. I'm very thankful that one of the pictures turned out because it's very dark in there and they don't allow flash photography.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Day 9 - Return to Nelson

2011-12-23T00:59:00.001-08:00

We woke up on Friday morning full of enthusiasm (and exhaustion from a full past 4 days) ready to head back to Nelson. On our way, we stopped at Kaikoura. Here are some of the views from the peninsula.

Some seals that we encountered...

Mostly, today was about getting back to Richmond. Although I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the earthquakes that took place in Christchurch today. It looks like we got out of town about 7 hours ahead of them, which is very fortunate for us. We can only pray that everyone is safe and that the town can again begin the rebuilding process.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Day 7 - It's getting COLD in herrrrrre!!!

2011-12-23T00:38:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday morning, it was off to the Inetnational Antarctic Center for myself and Cameron. Our first order of business was riding a Hagglund.
Here's some information on the crazy machine that we rode/floated in.
I'm pretty sure that these things were designed to be a 9-year old's dream.
We spent a lot of time watching the penguins.
One of the many other things you can do while at the Antarctic Center is go into a room that simulates an Antarctic storm. And, yes, to answer your question, I fully appreciate the irony of leaving a place where snow is expected for the other side of the world, where it's warm and then paying money to visit a place that celebrates the cold.

You may be asking yourself what Noah, Megan and Pam did while we were out having fun. The girls took Noah to the urgent care to get checked out where they determined he had a double-ear infection. We can't do anything easily.

Anyway, after being out and about all day, we headed over to Barry and Denise Williams for dinner. After dinner, Barry took Megan and me around to show us the container stores that had popped up in place of the businesses that had been destroyed after the earthquakes of the past 15 months. The container stores were really neat, but the earthquake damage was just heart-breaking.

Cranes tearing down buildings 10+ stories tall.
Empty lots where shops and homes once stood.

A site you see far too often around downtown Christchurch.

This used to be a church and those holes in the sides used to be filled with brick masonry.
This steeple used to be on top of the church but has been taken down for safety reasons.
During the drive around, we noticed the roads were particularly wavy. According to Barry, before the earthquakes they were all flat. It's just tragic to see everything that has happened to Christchurch over the past 15 months. And, today, they had a few more large 5+ magnitude earthquakes.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Days 5 & 6 - Jumping off bridges and stuff

2011-12-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

We set off from our trip from Richmond to Christchurch via Hanmer Springs on Monday morning in the rented Toyota Previa. The first hour and a half of the trip were filled with beautiful views of snow-capped (yes, snow-capped, despite being summer here) mountains and valleys. The views are just indescribable. But, in true Rogers family fashion, we can't get anywhere easily and we had to stop at...so that Noah could throw up. Cameron would follow close behind about a half an hour later. Here are some of the lovely views that brought out such "emotion" in the boys.
Upon arrival at Hanmer Springs, we stopped by Thrillseekers Adventures. About 2 months ago, I started joking about bungee jumping, so we thought we'd stop by to see prices and see what it would be like. And, Megan thought Cameron would enjoy jetboating, so we were definitely going to do that.
Here's the view from the jump platform for bungee jumping. You can't tell, but I just hung the camera over the edge. There's no way I was leaning over that thing. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.
And here's what it looks like looking out from the bridge.
After getting all the information we needed, we checked into our hotel and headed over to the famous thermal pools. There's a whole lot of neat information about Hanmer Springs thermal pools online if you're interested, but I won't bore you with that here. I'll just say they're really cool and the water is plenty warm. I can imagine how cool it would be to sit in one of the hot pools while the snow is falling around you.
Right... so... the next morning was "put up or shut up" time for Stuart. I'd been joking about bungee jumping for 2 months, but now I had to decide whether to do it or not. Seriously, how many chances in life are you going to get to do this, right? So, I decided to do it. And, if you know me at all you know that as soon as I paid for it, there's no way I was backing out. At some point, my ability to be cheap overcomes any fears I may have. So, here's what we (myself and the 3 others who were going that mroning) looked like on the bridge heading toward our doom.
Here's the evidence that I actually jumped. And, not just jumped, but dove into the canyon.
Here's the view that Cameron and Pam got from the bridge. (Megan stayed back where she'd be much safer with Noah)
Thumbs up...
After that adventure, Stuart, Cameron and Megan needed more, so we headed out on a jetboat. The views from the boat were spectacular. Cameron loved the boat ride too. And, while we did that, Noah and Pam threw rocks into the water. So, everyone got a little adventure.

After our adventurous morning, we headed over to Barry and Jeanne Godfrey's house for dinner. We even got to feed the sheep out behind their house.
My first New Zealand beer, a Speight's Old Dark
All in all, a pretty normal couple of days. Feeding sheep, riding in a 60 MPH jetboat, jumping off a bridge, you know, the usual pre-Christmas stuff.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Day 4 - Exploration

2011-12-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

We spent most of our Sunday, December 18 morning walking around Richmond, getting the lay of the land. We took the boys to one of the local playgrounds, then headed to the mall to see Santa. Amazingly, Noah sat in the chair with him despite declaring, at the first site of him, "I not like Santa Claus. Where's Daddy?"
After seeing Santa, Megan went to go get a pedicure while the boys and I explored downtown Richmond. The first sign that we saw begged to be photographed for obvious reasons.

Because the boys were so good at the mall and walking around, I decided to treat them. Here is Cameron with his short bread lady.
Here's Noah with his camel-shaped short bread cookie with sprinkles.
And here's what I picked out for Megan and myself to share.
Last night, Pam and I picked up the rental van for our drive down to Christchurch this week. We'll be down there for the next few days via Hanmer Springs on the way there and via Kaikoura on the return trip. I can't wait to see what kind of adventure awaits.

New Zealand Travel Adventure NZ Days 1 through 3– Getting Acclimated

2011-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Even though we were without luggage for the first 40 hours of our time in Nelson, it was still great to get here. The view from Aunty Pam’s living room window is almost indescribable and pictures do NOT do it justice. You can see Tasman Bay and mountains at the same time. The sky is as blue as any you’ve ever seen. Multiple beaches are just up the road. There’s almost no traffic. It’s basically what I would envision heaven looks like.

The first order of business upon arrival was assembling Aunty Pam’s Christmas Tree. The boys did a wonderful job of adding ornaments and tinsel before we called it a night.

The next morning, we headed off to the beach. You have never seen two boys happier than Cameron and Noah were to be at the beach. Cameron probably picked up half the shells on the beach. He found starfish, sand dollars and lots of colourful shells. Noah wanted to do nothing but go swimming, despite the very cold water. By the time it was all over, Noah was down to nothing but a diaper.

Friday evening, the Slinns (Tania, Peter and Jean) came over for a combined birthday celebration. We were celebrating my birthday along with Jean’s. On the menu:

New Zealand lasagna (a little different than what we’re used to, but still pretty good)
Cold chicken (although Cameron asked for his to be heated up)
Carrot Salad
Rice & Kumera Salad
Banana Cake with “lollies” (translation: essentially a cake that looks and tastes like banana bread, with lemon frosting covered in gummy worms and other assorted candies. Basically, the perfect dessert)
Here's the after picture of the cake. You'll note the missing "lollies" as those were the pieces that Noah particularly enjoyed.

Saturday morning, our luggage arrived. Noah and I were still getting acclimated to the time change so Noah took a 10am nap while I have been napping off and on since we got here.

In the afternoon, we headed back to the beach (this time with proper attire). Noah swam until he nearly gave himself hypothermia, and then built his first sand castle. After seeing Cinderella’s castle later while watching Toy Story 2’s opening credits, Noah opined “I build sand castle just like that.” Cameron continued to grow his sea shell collection.
After playing on the beach, we headed to the playground where the boys and I got our first taste of Mr. Whippy. I can definitely say that it won’t be our last Mr. Whippy visit.

New Zealand Travel Adventure Hours 1 through 60– “The Terminal” (in reference to the Tom Hanks movie)

2011-12-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

We started off our adventure with high spirits, excitement and enthusiasm. Adam Metz successfully shuttled us to the airport at 10:30am on Monday, December 12 (Happy Birthday to me!!!!) Our flight to Chicago was on time and the trip had officially begun. However, in Chicago is where our problems began. Due to a broken lavatory on our plane, we ended up being delayed for 4 hours, which would cause us to miss our connecting flight from San Francisco to Auckland. No worries, we’ll just get our flight changed and everything will be alright. Or, so we thought...

The woman at the gate told us that we would have to go Sydney/Wellington/Nelson (adding significant flight time to our journey) or we’d be stuck in San Francisco for a few days. Feeling like we had no other option, we went with it. By the time we got to San Francisco, we had already missed our flight to Sydney, so they rebooked us on the San Francisco/Auckland/Nelson route and put us up for a night in a hotel.

United Airlines put us up in what could best be described as a sub-optimal hotel. It was a Comfort Inn & Suites in South San Francisco. It was under construction and was an outside room entrance hotel, which means they did not offer adjoining rooms. A lack of adjoining rooms meant that Megan had to sleep in one room with Noah while I took up residence in the other room with Cameron. But, at least they gave us $15 per person in food vouchers (to last us for 24 hours) that were only good at the airport.

We had to check out of our room at 11am, so we headed off to the airport. The Air New Zealand ticketing counter didn’t open until 3:30pm, so we had some time to kill before we could get our boarding passes to get through security. When we got to the ticketing counter, we discovered that United hadn’t booked us on the December 13 flight to Auckland, but rather had rebooked us on our original December 12 flight. So, we had to get reticketed again. When they tried to reticket us for the December 14 morning flight from Auckland to Nelson, they determined it was full, so we were going to be looking at a 12 hour layover in Auckland. Oh well, we could again see the end in sight.

When we got to Auckland, we searched out an Air New Zealand ticket counter and asked if there was any way we could get to Nelson earlier. They were very helpful and rerouted us through Wellington in the hopes that we could catch an earlier flight from there. The issue with getting to Nelson wouldn’t be as much finding an earlier flight as finding ANY flight that could get to Nelson. That’s right, to add to our adventure, they were having once-in-a-hundred-year floods and many of the flights into Nelson had been cancelled.

Our first New Zealand dessert a Raspberry Lamington.
The plane that would FINALLY deliver us to Nelson.

Finally, on Thursday, December 14 at 3pm local time, we arrived safely in Nelson. The hug from Aunty Pam that greeted us was long overdue. It was great to see a familiar face.

Side note: Our luggage arrived a mere 40 hours later after being routed through Sydney.

2011-05-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

2011-04-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

Well, that's what we're all hoping for anyway. With the amount of rain we've had in the past few weeks, there should be MANY beautiful flowers blooming. We are a bit tired of being stuck inside, so I thought we'd update you on what we've been up to this past month.

Let's start with March Madness. It was awesome. We celebrated a storybook ending for the Washington Hatchets with their 4th state title in the past 7 seasons. We also got to celebrate the fact that Washington had their 3rd Mr. Basketball (all by the last name of Zeller in case you know nothing of Indiana basketball) and 3rd Trester Award winner in the past 7 seasons. What a great way to end the Zeller era in Washington. The Rogers' are certainly glad we were able to attend the State ee Finals and experience all of those State Championships as fans. One of the best parts of attending the State Finals this year was the halftime show. No, there were no kids jumping rope or even dogs doing tricks. The halftime show I'm talking about didn't even take place on the floor of Conseco Fieldhouse. It happened out in the concourse. It just so happened, that during halftime of the Hatchet game, the Butler Bulldogs were playing for a ticket to the NCAA Final Four. Only in Indiana could one experience what we witnessed. It seemed the whole stadium evacuated to watch the televisions in the concourses. Even the workers had left their stands to witness Butler pull out an overtime victory over Florida to earn their second straight trip to the Final Four. It was incredible and certainly a memory I will carry with me forever. I ended my perfect basketball weekend by traveling to Dayton with a friend to watch the Tennessee Lady Vols play the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish play in their regional final. While Tennessee did not reign victorious, it was still a thrill to get to see Pat Summitt coach.
Once March Madness ended and we all finally left the couch and the television, it was back to our normal busy schedule. Cam's soccer season has begun with limited activities due to the crazy weather. Both Stuart and Cam have been crazy busy with Boy Scout Activities including the Blue and Gold dinner and the Cub Scout campout at Camp Lazarus. Stuart will be traveling for his job almost every week until the middle of June. It makes things very hectic around here but we survive because we have good friends who come visit and help out when they can. Noah continues to be a ball of fire and he certainly keeps us on our toes. He has not handled this rainy weather well because he is a kid who needs to be kept busy at all times. He is talking more. Right now he is obsessed with buses (because he knows it brings Cameron back to him at the end of the school day) and Choo Choo's.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. We had a nice weekend at home and enjoyed a nice church service yesterday as well as lunch with friends. Here are a few pictures of our crazy lives. Enjoy!!!

Noah in his Easter outfit (courtesy of Uncle Mohamed)

Stuart saw this sign on his travels to West Virginia. I'm thinking they should move this street sign to Washington!!

More signs from Stuart's travels.

The Cub Scouts have been busy with their spring campout and their Blue and Gold Dinner.

The Easter Egg hunt at church.

First soccer game of the season.

Coloring on a rainy day.

The Lady Vols at the Regional Final in Dayton.

Why We Love March

2011-03-14T05:46:00.001-07:00

Basketball of course!!! The question is, why do I love basketball so much? I have been pondering this question much of the morning. I have managed to trace this love back to some very special people in my life.

Thinking back on basketball, the obsession probably started when we moved to Washington, IN when I was about 5 years old. It's a basketball crazed town in Southwestern Indiana of about 10,000 people. The high school in Washington has one of the greatest gyms in Indiana as well as the entire United States. Indiana has 11 of the top 12 gyms in America and Washington ranks twelfth.

It is in this gym that I used to sit in the Southeast corner with my Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht (not my biological grandparents, but grandparents nonetheless) and watch the Hatchets play. It didn't matter whether it was the boys team or the girls team, they were at just about every game and I loved sitting with them. When I was in elementary school I started to play basketball like most of my friends. I could shoot alright but beyond that, I was a pretty mediocre player. Nevertheless, I loved it. I remember when I started playing basketball and Grandpa invited me over on a Sunday afternoon to watch the NCAA Women's Final Four. A team named the Tennessee Lady Volunteers coached by Pat Summitt were playing. He told me what a great team the Lady Vols were and how their coach was really something special. Little did he know how true that was.

During this time I had also developed a love for the Indiana Hoosiers and Damon Bailey. I remember many driveway games at our old house on Tieman Street with my brother Paul. He was always Calbert Cheaney and I was always Damon Bailey. Back then I won a lot just because I was taller than him but that wouldn't last long.

Fast forward a couple of years and I had made the Jr. High basketball team. It was a big thrill to be able to play on a team that I had to be selected for. However, in all honesty, I was in it because some of my best friends were on the team. I was the kid on the end of the bench constantly praying that we wouldn't win by too much so Coach Spillman wouldn't feel obligated to put me in the game.

Our girls program at the high school was up and coming and was destined to be one of the best teams in the state for a run of 5 years or so. I knew I wasn't going to play past Junior High so in high school I became a team manager. Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht were at every game. We managed to put together a string of sectional and regional championships and even a semi-state championship to put our team in the Final Four. That was the first time I could ever remember crying because we won something and not because we lost. From then on, me crying after a big win became common place. A trait I believe I inherited from my mom who would often be found crying in a corner somewhere after a big game. Funny considering I was just the team manager but she came to love those teams as I did. My nervousness has never subsided when I watch a big game. Even now I tend to freak out a little during big games.

The boys program at the high school was pretty average during the years I was there. They never won a sectional but came very close several times. During one of the sectional tournaments I was sitting in my normal spot with Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht watching Barr-Reeve win the championship. I remember Grandpa saying how happy he was for their coach, Dave Omer. He told me that night what a great coach he was and also what a great man he was. Ironically, Dave Omer would take over the Hatchet program in my last years of high school. My family became close to he and his wonderful wife Wilda through Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht and we shared many Sunday lunches together after church.

I went off to college and became an athletic trainer. I loved working with the women's basketball team and their coach, Gene White. Coach White was co-captain with Bobby Plump on the 1954 Milan team that the movie Hoosier's is based upon. I so admired how he coached and I loved sitting with him in the front of the van (yep, DIII we drove 15 passenger vans) and listening to his stories.

During my college years my parents started working at all the Hatchet basketball games and would report to me about how the team was getting better and better and how there was this kid named Zeller that Dave would speak very highly of. Year after year the Hatchets would come so close to winning their first sectional title since the early 80's and year after year they'd come up short.

I went on to grad school and worked with the Women's basketball team at Valparaiso University. They had a really great women's team for a mid-major conference. My first year with them we lost our conference tourney but got invited to the NIT and made it to the final 8 teams. My second year we won our conference tourney unexpectedly (Cue the crying again) and I got to experience March Madness from the sidelines. We lost to a really great Purdue team in the first round but it was a memory I will cherish. My nervousness became legendary with the coaching staff and the players. We were in the final seconds of our conference championship game that year. The game had been back and forth and we were leading while the other team (The Oakland, MI Grizzlies) had an opportunity to win. Coach Freeman called a timeout and actually stopped in the middle of the timeout to make sure I was okay because he knew how nervous I would get.

During my summer vacations from Grad school I would return to Washington and work for Dave in the athletic Dept. I enjoyed helping with his summer basketball camps and enjoyed even more getting to watch Dave interact with the boys. I became more familiar with the Zeller family and was so impressed with what a great family they were. No wonder Dave always spoke so highly of them!!!

So, here we were in 2005. I was newly engaged to Stuart (who loved coming to Hatchet games and enjoyed the atmosphere of 8,000 people crammed into the gym). Dave Omer is in his final year coaching. His beautiful wife Wilda is terminally ill and Luke Zeller is in his senior year. The Hatchets not only won their first sectional championship since the 80's, they also advanced to their first ever State Championship game. It seemed that the mighty Hatchets were going to get their storybook ending, pushing out to a 19 point lead over Plymouth. However, Plymouth made a run and we found ourselves in an overtime battle. With 1.8 seconds left in the overtime period, Plymouth hits a go ahead layup and all of Hatchet nation stands in stunned silence. I wanted to vomit on my shoes. It was the most awful feeling. Where was the storybook ending for Dave that we all longed for. Surely this wasn't happening. We had 1.8 seconds to pull off a miracle. And it happened!! (click on the link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-qQfgn9MA

I remember watching the team head up to the podium to get their championship hardware. I wasn't watching the jubilation on the player's faces. I was watching Dave share that moment with his wife and understanding how much bigger this was than just a basketball game. I was remembering the first time I saw Dave winning that sectional championship with Barr-Reeve and my Grandpa Nimnicht telling me how special he was.

Luke went on to play for Notre Dame after winning Mr. Basketball that year.
In 2008, the Hatchets won another state title led by Tyler Zeller, Luke's younger brother. He also won Mr. Basketball. Tyler now plays for UNC. We love watching him play on TV.

Last year, the youngest Zeller led his team to the State Championship. Cody was only a junior. This year he has led them back to the semi-state and we're hoping for another State Title. Next year he will play for Indiana University which still happens to be my favorite team!!!

So, that my friends, is why March is so awesome and why I love basketball so much. A lot of it goes back to my Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht and the seeds they planted long ago. I continue to cheer for the Lady Vols and Pat Summitt. I love the Indiana Hoosiers still and am so excited that their program is on their way up. Stuart and I continue to listen to most of the Hatchet games on the radio. We have been unable to make it to any of their tourney games this year but that doesn't stop my nerves. I was shopping with a friend this weekend and Stuart was texting me scores from the radio broadcast. I thought I was going to have a meltdown in the middle of the store. But, that's why I love it.

Dave Omer is retired now and is in the Indiana Basketball Hall of fame. The Zeller family has proven to be one of the best families in basketball. Not only are the boys amazing basketball players, but amazing people. They are a wonderful Christian family and Washington is so blessed to have them.

http://hoopshall.com/hall/o/dave-omer/

Grandma and Grandpa Nimnicht are both in heaven now but I can't help but think how much they would have enjoyed watching these Hatchet teams. It's amazing how one little seed planted long ago has developed into this crazy love that I have for basketball. That is why starting on Thursday until "One Shining Moment" concludes the tournament in a few weeks there will be little else happening here on Sedona Ct.

He's Happy and He Knows it!!!

2011-01-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

So anyway...

2011-01-06T17:19:00.001-08:00

It's been a while!!! So much has happened in the past two months that I actually had to go back and look at pictures to remember what we needed to tell you about. So, let's start in November.

Stuart and I celebrated his birthday and our 5 year anniversary early and traveled to Ann Arbor to the Michigan vs. Wisconsin football game. While it was disappointing that they lost, it was certainly not unexpected. They have not had a good year (culminating in the firing of their head coach yesterday) and we knew it would take a miracle for them to beat a top 10 team. However, just being there was such a great experience. The Big House is the biggest college football stadium in the nation and it was at capacity for the game. The weather was beautiful and our seats were great. I don't know that I've seen my husband that excited about something in a long time. It was amazing and we're hoping to get tickets to go to a game every year because it's such a great time. It really is college sports at its best.

A few days after the Michigan game we traveled to Washington to spend some time with the family over Thanksgiving. It was a great time!! As always the food was amazing and the company was even better. One of the highlights of the trip was our Black Friday shopping experience with my sister and her husband. We certainly were at Kohl's at 4 a.m. We didn't really go because we needed anything (most of our shopping was already done), we go because it's fun to watch other people act crazy. It was a great time!!

After Thanksgiving came baking day (which coincided with Stuart's birthday weekend). Aunt Stacey loaded up the Kitchen Aid and candy thermometer and made the trek to Columbus so we could load 15 tins of goodies for friends and family. It has become a tradition for us and one that I wouldn't trade for anything. This year Noah decided he wanted to join in and we all learned how big of a sweet tooth he really has. He would stand on a stool at the island and peel the chocolate off the wax paper and then weasel his way into the dishwasher to hijack the spatulas we used to stir the chocolate so he could give them a "prewash."

That brings us to Christmas. We had a wonderful time. We spent several days in Washington with Grandma and Grandpa and then headed up to Indy to stay with Aunt Stacey and Uncle Mohamed. The boys were thoroughly spoiled and were so excited that Santa found them at Aunt Stacey's house. This year Santa treated Cameron to a new bicycle since his other one was quickly becoming too small. He also received a variety of other favorite presents including: a new Bakugan Wii game from Grandma and Grandpa, a Lego set from Aunt Lisha and Uncle Luke, his own Geocaching GPS from Uncle Matt and Aunt Kendra, and a bed tent from Aunt Stacey and Uncle Mohamed. Noah also received some great gifts: a tool bench from Grandma and Grandpa, a bubble blowing octopus bath toy from Uncle Matt and Aunt Kendra, and a Noah's Ark Little People toy from Santa not to mention the variety of other gifts from the rest of the family. Stuart and I were treated to a new bicycle trailer and a digital camera from Stacey and Mohamed. I also received a "Girls Mystery Vacation" from my Mom. She is going to take my sister, my two sisters-in-law and myself on a vacation in June and we are so excited. We don't know where we're going but we know that we're going to be shopping and eating and hanging out. I could not be more excited to have an entire weekend to spend time with those girls!!!

Our New Year celebration was very low key. We had a few friends over for refreshments but everyone was gone by 10 and Stuart and I were asleep shortly after. My how our lives have changed...or have they? I guess you would've never called me a night owl anyway.

So, now that it's 2011 and the holidays are over, we have many more adventures in store. Cameron will be back to scouts and he has just started to attend Karate classes at our local community center. We're hoping it might teach him to talk less and listen more while staying active. I'm not that hopeful about the talking part but excited that he is showing interest in a variety of activities. The first Monday of every month he is learning how to play chess in the chess club at school. Yep, that's right, chess club. We always knew he'd end up involved in academic activities but he's started way sooner than I ever imagined.

Noah...well, he's just Noah. He's into everything and doesn't slow down unless he's sleeping. He runs everywhere and leaves a path of destruction in his wake. We can't say that he's not a happy kid though because he's usually laughing or smiling at something he's done. He is quite the ham and will gladly wink at you, show you his muscles, or dance to any beat that's available. He's also become quite proficient at pointing out his body parts. However, he has not yet mastered any words except for "uh-oh" and we hear that one about 100 times a day. I have had the most fun watching his imagination come to life. He will line up his animals and "talk" to them and will occasionally cook a steak on his toy grill.

Noah and Cameron are still the best of friends. That was never more evident than last week when Cam was spending time at his mom's house. Every morning Noah would wake up and knock on Cam's door. His face just lit up when Cam arrived home and he has been following him around ever since. Stuart and I both are so thankful that Cameron is such a loving big brother and loves to play with Noah. One of their favorite activities is to play up in Cam's new bed tent. Noah also loves it when Cam pushes him at high speeds around the house in his toy firetruck. It makes for a loud house at times but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

We don't have much coming up and are thankful for the opportunity just to be home and spend time together. We are slowly getting back into our routine. We are hoping for a great 2011 and wish you one as well. Later!!!

This Blog Brought to You by the Letters "F" and "Y"

2010-11-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not being vulgar. I'm finally getting around to telling the story of how the great toilet mystery of 2010 was finally solved. So, a couple of months ago, I was cleaning out my closet and Noah was entertaining himself in the bathroom that's attached to my closet. To be honest, I knew he was probably up to something that he shouldn't be but I was being so productive and it was so nice to have him entertain himself for a while. Then it happened...I heard the toilet flush. I immediately ran over to make sure that he didn't flush himself down (which I knew to be impossible but I still have those irrational thoughts occasionally, I call them mommy moments). Upon inspection, it looked as though it was a harmless flush and everything was as it should be. It wasn't until later that evening that Stuart and I realized that the toilet was not flushing in its regular manner. We plunged and we flushed for a few days and even used a pipe snake to try and clear out whatever it was that was causing this issue. Finally we gave in and called a plumber. He came over and within about 10 minutes he had used his industrial strength pipe snake and seemed to have fixed the problem. The toilet worked for a day. We knew then that the nice plumber had just managed to dislodge whatever was down there temporarily and now the object had lodged itself in there even tighter. So, instead of calling back the plumber, we called a friend (who we should have called in the first place) and he came over and lifted the toilet off of the floor. He managed to find the culprit. It was a foam alphabet letter that Noah plays with in the bathtub. He apparently thought it would be neat to see what would happen when he put it in the toilet and flushed. So, after fishing out the letter "F", the toilet goes back on the floor and our friend realizes that there is still something down there. Again, toilet off the floor and what gets pulled out this time you might ask? None other than the letter "Y." We found it to be very ironic that those were the two letters that Noah had chosen to flush. And that's how the great toilet mystery of 2010 was solved.
That, ladies and gentleman, is just a glimpse into daily life with Noah Stephen Rogers. He is a handful to say the least. Now that he is mobile, our house tends to look like a bomb went off all the time. There is no stopping him, only containing him. Stuart has taken to calling him "The CEO" because he wakes up early, orders everyone around and throws amazing tantrums if he doesn't get his way. Now, with that being said, I will say that he is the cutest CEO I've ever seen and he's also quite the comedian. He has an incredible sense of humor for such a little person also. He speaks his own special language which we have taken to calling "garblish" because that is exactly how it sounds. All in all, life is pretty exhausting trying to keep up with that kid but we wouldn't trade it for the world.

The boys both had a very fun Halloween. We were treated to a parade of costumes at Cameron's school this year. All the classes parade around the playground in their costumes. Cameron was some character from Star Wars (not sure which one but he looked like a great Star Wars character). Noah dressed up as Scooby Doo which brought more than a few funny moments due to the weight of the head of the costume. It played hell with his newly adapted ability to balance and walk. Again, I don't have many pictures due to the fact that our camera is broken (black Friday here we come). Over Halloween weekend, Noah had his first night away from mommy and daddy. Stuart and I went to our friends' wedding downtown Indianapolis on the canal followed by a very eventful murder mystery themed reception while Noah got to spend the night with Aunt Stacey. Even though mommy was a bit nervous that Noah would have one of his hysterical fits, he did just fine for Aunt Stacey and mommy and daddy had a wonderful night out with friends.

So, now we are gearing up for all the festivities that late November and December bring our way. Next week, Thanksgiving is here (which is hard to believe) followed by Stuart's birthday, our 5th wedding anniversary and then Christmas. It's going to be a wild and crazy couple of months but we always look forward to catching up with all of our friends and family. Because the holiday season can get so crazy, we decided to celebrate Stuart's birthday/our anniversary a bit early this year. This Saturday we are traveling to Ann Arbor, MI to attend a University of Michigan football game. Stuart has been a lifelong Wolverine fan and he has never been to a game at Michigan Stadium. So, Aunt Stacey is coming out to watch the boys while we make the trek up to Ann Arbor. We are very much looking forward to it!!!

In other news, Cam continues to do great in school. We had his parent/teacher conference last week and he is reading very close to a 4th grade level and ranks in the top 2 or 3 of his class in all academic areas. We are so proud of him. The only complaint that any teacher ever has about him is that he talks too much. My response to that tends to be "try living with him." Well, that's all I've got for now. Hopefully we'll have some pictures to post on here sometime.

Just a little video

2010-10-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a little about this weekend's half marathon. Had a wonderful experience with two awesome friends!! Enjoy:0)

We Love Fall!!!

2010-10-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

Fall is certainly here. The temperatures have gradually gotten cooler and the sun has been a little later arriving in the morning and a lot earlier leaving in the evening. The Rogers family has been busy wrapping up its fall activities in anticipation of a very busy holiday season.

Cameron finished up his soccer season with a bang last weekend. With Grandma and Aunt Stacey in attendance, Cameron decided he would light up the other team with 2 goals!! We were so proud of him. Of course, being the great parents we are, we didn't have the video camera on to capture the momentous occasion so I'll try to give you a description. The first goal he scored from about 5 yards out on a nice pass from a teammate. The second goal happened when the opposing goalie punted the ball out to midfield. It came right at Cameron and he put up a beautiful shot just over the outstretched goal keeper's arms. Good stuff for U-8 soccer.

This past weekend, I completed the Columbus half marathon. It was my 6th half marathon that I have completed and I recorded my second best time!!! I can honestly say that I ran with a smile on my face the entire time. It was a fantastic race and was made even better that I got to start out with 2 good friends. We all finished at different times but it was awesome to have the camaraderie at the start line. It was also amazing to have Stuart and Noah there to cheer me on. They managed to catch me at mile 9 and again at the finish line. I cannot describe the feeling I had when I turned the final corner and could see the finish line. There were hundreds of people lining the finish chute and somehow I still got to see my amazing husband and sweet Noah cheering me on to finish hard. It was amazing!!!

Speaking of Noah, he is a man on the move these days. He is now walking most of the time. I find it hard to believe how much joy that child gives me. Watching him learn to walk has been hysterical. He waddles around like a drunken old man and is just so darn proud of himself. He had his 15 month check-up today. He is weighing in at 23 lbs. 9 oz. and is almost 30 inches long. He's in the 10th percentile for height, 30th for weight, and 75th for head circumference. How quickly he has grown!!!

We have lots of fun events coming up. This weekend, Stuart and Cameron are camping with the Boy Scouts at Camp Lazarus. Aunt Stacey is coming over to hang out with Noah and I while the other boys are away. The next week is Halloween and we'll be in Indy for a friend's wedding. Then, before you know it, the holiday season is upon us and we'll all be in Washington stuffing ourselves at Grandma Gill's house!!! Our camera has been on the fritz so we're gonna work on getting that fixed and then hopefully I'll have some pictures/videos to post on here.

That's all for now. Enjoy the fall weather!!!

For your viewing pleasure

2010-09-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few videos we shot of the boys tonight. Today Noah took his first real steps thanks to Cam's coaxing. I think Noah and Cameron would do just about anything for each other. I love the bond they have and I hope and pray that even though they are 7 years apart, that bond will grow over time.

Post number 150!!!

2010-09-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

I remember when we first started this blog and the reason we started it two years ago. We wanted to give everyone a chance to follow us on our journey to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. It was amazing how this blog became my outlet for the up and down journey for those few months. Things have changed a lot in these past two years and now this has become a really good way for us to keep you up to date on our family of 4 (none from Ethiopia). So, thanks for keeping up with us!!!

Now that the school year has started we are busier than ever. Add in a few September birthdays as well as soccer, boy scouts, and church activities, and you'll understand why the blog postings have been few and far between lately.

I celebrated the 10th anniversary of my 21st birthday on the 5th and Cameron celebrated his 8th birthday on the 6th. We celebrated Cam's birthday a few days earlier since he was going to be at his mom's for his actual birthday. My sister, brother-in-law, and nephews were visiting so we decided to celebrate while they were here.

He had a great time and enjoyed all of his gifts including lots of new clothes and Lego from Aunt Lisha and Uncle Luke and a new Pokemon game for his DS from Stuart and I. He also got to celebrate his birthday at school with a cupcake cake in the shape of a dinosaur. I do have to apologize for the lack of pictures as our camera has not been working very well so just use your imagination if you will:0)

Labor Day weekend we got to celebrate my birthday with an awesome "almost" surprise party thrown by my husband and some good friends. Apparently this party had been in the planning stages for quite some time. We had the party out at Laura's house. Stuart knew that if he wanted something done right, he could count on Laura. She certainly did not disappoint. It was amazing and I am so grateful to have such great friends. I was really excited (even though I had it figured out) to spend an afternoon with most of my favorite people.

As you can see from the pictures (courtesy of Diane Drake Photography), I had a wonderful time and felt so honored that everyone took time out of their busy weekend to spend an afternoon celebrating my birthday.

My women's bible study started back up this past Friday. We are going to be a doing a 10 week study on The Shack. I am very excited about it. Stuart and I are also hosting a small group from our church every Sunday night. We are loving our church family!!!

In a few weeks time, I will be running my 6th half marathon. Well, running is a loose term. Apparently when Noah was born, I lost all ability to be mentally tough. Therefore, I will be running 80% of it and walking the rest. Unlike the other 5 that I have participated in, my goal here is to prove to myself that I really can still do this.
While we were in Indy over the long weekend, I met up with one of my best friends and my favorite running partner, Carrie. Carrie and I used to run almost every day of the week together when I lived in Franklin. We trained for a marathon together. When I got married we had a standing date for Saturday morning runs. Then, the day after I found out I was pregnant with Noah, we switched to to walking (for fear that I might puke if we did anything more strenuous). Carrie and I have logged hundreds of miles together. Usually in the early morning, our discussions would range from engagement, to marriage, to wedding planning, and when we would have kids. We would talk about our jobs and going back to school. We would battle the winter blues together and talk about all the other places we'd rather be than running in the cold Indiana winters. Basically these long runs were our therapy. So, it was a big deal for us to get together for a Saturday morning run for the first time in 2 years. It's amazing how we didn't miss a beat. The run was slower as we both have babies now (her AJ is 7 months old) and our topics of conversation ranged from breastfeeding, baby food, and diapers to whether or not we see ourselves going back to work. But, we did it. We ran 7 miles together and it has never felt better. It just served as a gentle reminder of how circumstances may change but true friendships can push you through just about anything. Love you Carrie!!!

Everything is great in Noah's world. He has no interest in learning how to walk because he can get everything he wants by crawling and pulling up on things. He has developed an obsession with our trash can and I have caught him throwing away quite a few things. I'm fairly sure he threw away one of his sandals the other day because it is nowhere to be found. He is a chatterbox these days. He talks all day long. I don't have any idea what he's saying but he sure has lots of it to say. His love affair with Cameron is unending and I am so thankful for that. No one can make Noah laugh or smile like Cam can. We love it!!!

That's all I've got for now. Football is here and the Rogers' are one happy family. Have a great week:0)

First Day of Second Grade

2010-08-25T16:23:00.001-07:00

Really, is summer gone already? Today was Cam's first day of second grade. He was very excited and even reminded me when he needed to leave the house to get to the bus stop. Miss Francik is his teacher this year and Cameron already loves her. It is hard to believe he is in the second grade and even harder to believe that in a few short weeks he will be 8 years old. He has had a really busy summer switching back and forth between our house and his mom's house. He will get back into his school routine and in turn we will be back to our busy schedule. His first soccer game is this Saturday and boy scouts start up again on Monday. As much as I love the freedom of summer, it's very nice to get back into a routine.

Noah is a handful these days. He's not walking on his own yet but he has started pushing around his walking toys and seems to really enjoy it. I am wishing we had a landing strip in our back yard as he gets frustrated at trying to make his way around all the obstacles in our living room and kitchen. Mommy gets frustrated too because Noah yells every time he gets stuck. He also loves to climb things including stairs, the couch, and anything else that gets him into places he's not meant to be. I am learning quickly that taking my eyes off of him for even a few seconds is too long. Yesterday he managed to make it all the way to the top of the stairs before I figured out where he'd gone. He also dumped several of his wash cloths in the toilet yesterday when I wasn't looking. I'm glad he hasn't learned how to flush yet. He's starting to say a few words. Momma and Dadda are the most popular but occasionally he'll utter "k" like okay. He has one heck of a sense of humor and we just feel so incredibly blessed by him.

This past weekend we had a visit from the Bridges (minus Andy whom we missed dearly). We had a great time with Laura, Hannah and Abbs. We spent a day at the zoo and had a great time. This next weekend we are busy with soccer (I'm playing on a team this fall too) and Cam's back to school bash at his school. On Labor weekend we are heading to Indy for a long weekend so if you're in the area and want to see us, we'll be at Aunt Stacey and Uncle Mohamed's house.

That's all from the Rogers' homestead. I'll leave you with a few of Noah's 1 year pics that our friend Diane took last month.

2010-07-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

As you can see, Noah is quite the character these days. He has such a funny sense of humor and the deepest belly laugh. He makes us laugh so much.

Cameron has been away for about 3 weeks visiting his mom. He arrived home on Saturday and Noah was so happy to see him. Cameron and Noah are the best of friends and I am so thankful for that brother bond. I know that because of their age difference, it might not always be like this but I'm going to enjoy watching their relationship develop.

We leave for a trip to Michigan on Thursday to visit Stuart's family and then I am staying put for a while. I feel like we've been so busy this summer that I haven't had an opportunity to just enjoy being here. I am looking forward to August.

Hope everyone else is having a great summer and staying cool!!! That's all for now.

Dear Noah...

2010-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today you turn 1 year old!!! Daddy slapped me a big high five this morning to commemorate the occasion. What a year it's been. We have so much to celebrate. I remember on this day last year waiting nervously in the delivery room for you to arrive. I remember when Daddy yelled out "it's a boy!" I remember holding you and realizing that you were here, you were finally here and you were mine to love. So, today we celebrate. We celebrate all of our family and friends, both new and old, who have been praying for you and rejoicing in you. We celebrate your smile and your laugh. We celebrate that you're healthy (20 lbs.) even though you're a little short (28 in.). We celebrate your love for Cameron and his love for you. We celebrate your curiosity and how much you love to explore new things. But most of all we are going to celebrate how much we love you. Did you know that on your birthday you are meant to make a wish? Someday when you're older you'll make your own wish. Today, I will make that wish for you. My birthday wish for you is that you live each day to its fullest, love unconditionally, and, as you grow, you will come to understand how great our God is. After all, you are a miracle given to us by God. We love you Noah and we are so excited to see what is in store for your second year.

Summer madness

2010-07-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hello again!!!

We had such a busy June that I hardly realized we had made it into July already. This summer is going way too fast for my liking. I think that means I need to slow down and take some time to enjoy it but just like the heat wave that is clutching the Midwest and East coast right now, there is no end in sight. In June we were treated to several visitors including my sister and nephews and our friends, the Beck's, from Franklin. It was good to see them as well as their two cute kiddos Tyler and Kelsey. In the middle of June, my parents came out for a visit and went on vacation with us. I have to keep up my continuing education credits for my AT certification so this year the National Convention was out in Philadelphia. All 6 of us loaded up and made it a week long vacation. We started out by visiting some family in Greensburg, PA and then traveled to Harrisburg and spent some time in Hershey and Gettysburg. After that we traveled over to Philadelphia so I could attend my conference and take in the historical sights. Overall it was a wonderful trip (with the exception of the stomach flu that invaded the family at the end of the week). Both Noah and Cameron did so well traveling and we all made some wonderful memories.

Cameron holding the world's largest Hershey Bar

One of the highlights of Hershey was making our own chocolate bars

Cameron loved the Hershey Story Museum and even became one of Milton Hershey's apprentices

Cameron standing on top of Little Round Top in Gettysburg

The boys walking through Gettysburg National Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettsburg Address

Daddy and Noah enjoying the Liberty Bell

Vacationed out

Cam posing with the Philly Phanatic in the Independence Visitor's Center

Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution was signed

Noah enjoying life in the hotel

July is not showing any signs of slowing down. This weekend we are traveling down to Washington to celebrate Noah's 1st birthday. He doesn't technically turn 1 until next Thursday but we are celebrating a bit early with the family. Then when we get back, I have a week of vacation bible school. I am teaching kindergarten this year. Yikes!! It is going to be a long week. Then, the next weekend we are traveling to Indy. Combine all that with a late month trip to Michigan and July is already escaping me!! Stay tuned for pics of Noah's birthday celebration...

Fun Filled Weekend

2010-06-08T07:13:00.001-07:00

I'll actually start with a picture from last weekend, because it's just too cute not to share with everyone.

So, I'm not smart enough to put the pictures in order because Megan does most of the posting. But, with Megan out of town this weekend, I thought it was my job to post the updates from Ohio from this past weekend (with some extras thrown in for fun).

This was supposed to be the last picture, but somehow it's first. This is the flag retirement ceremony from Cameron's Pack Graduation on Sunday. It was a very nice, humble reminder about the sacrifices that have been made for us and how the flag symbolizes everything that we, as a country, stand for.

Cameron officially "crossing over" from Tiger Cub to Wolf.

Our favorite Cub Scout.

On Friday, I volunteered at Cameron's school for field day. Here are a few pictures of the day's activities.

Bounce House

A game where two sides competed to get the marble from one end of the group to the other using small pieces of PVC pipe.

Beach Ball "Team Race"

Sponge Race

Once again, Cameron's baseball game was rained out on Saturday. But, thankfully, Aunt Stacey came to visit again and saved the day. She and Cameron had a great time playing with Legos, making cards and hanging out together.

June already!!!

2010-06-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, we have been keeping so busy that I just realized today that I hadn't updated the blog for a while. Cameron is now officially done with soccer and into baseball. He only has 3 days of school left for the year and then begins his summer vacation in which he will spend a few weeks at a time between our house and his mom's house. He seems to really love baseball and actually does pretty well with it. In his first game last week he went 2-3 with one run scored and an RBI. He also did really well in the field. Last night he had another game but only got 2 innings in before the rain came down and we were all stranded in a torrential downpour. He did manage to get another hit last night and made a pretty good play at 3rd to get a runner out. I am mildly impressed by his ability considering he's only had 2 practices and two games to learn the game.

This past weekend Noah got his first haircut. He sort of had a "Gene Keady" style comb over so it was time to get it trimmed up. Since Aunt Stacey came to visit, she joined us on our walk over to Cookie Cutters for the momentous occasion. Surprisingly, Noah did very well until the very end when the stylist busted out the clippers. He looks so much older now that he's had his hair cut. He seems to be transitioning to toddlerhood so quickly. He is everywhere these days and I am exhausted for it. We have learned that because of his obsession with the toilet, all lids should be closed at all times to prevent wet messes. He is starting to babble more often and occasionally we get a ma ma or da da and even a ba ba sometimes. He has transitioned nicely to drinking from a sippy cup and yesterday I noticed that he is finally cutting his first tooth.

In other news, we finally got around to checking out the Columbus Zoo. We knew it was close to our house but we had no idea how close. It's only about 5 miles down the road and it's so easy to access. We didn't get to check much of it out but the part we did check out was really cool. The day we went was boy scout day so Cameron got to do a ropes course which he thought was so fun. We did purchase a membership to the zoo (which was built by Jack Hanna and is ranked #1 in the nation) so if you come visit, we can take guests too!!!

We have a VERY busy month ahead complete with visitors every weekend and then our big family vacation at the end of June. I'll keep you posted when I have a chance. Have a great summer!!!

Busy Weekend

2010-05-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, there was a lot going on around here. From camp outs to soccer games and Noah's dedication at church, we were busy busy busy. We were also excited that Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit. Here are a few pictures we snapped over the weekend with more to come later...

A day in the life...

2010-05-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

So, Noah has been quite adventurous lately. He is literally into everything. Here are a few photos I've snapped over the past few days to show you what kind of trouble he tends to get himself into.

Hmm...wonder how I can get in there?

Look what I found Mom!!!

I wonder what goes on in there?

Playtime with my best bud Bailey. We're striking a pose!!!

I love love love my big brother!!!

That's pretty much what's been going on around here. I had no idea how exhausting it could be to chase around someone so small.

We have been super busy lately with Cameron's soccer season wrapping up and also baseball season beginning. Tonight, Cameron and Stuart are going to the Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game and afterwards are camping on the field with the rest of the boy scouts. Then in the morning they'll be treated to breakfast and a skills presentation put on by the Clippers players. Cameron is so excited. This weekend is also Noah's dedication at church so Grandma and Grandpa are coming out for a visit. We could not be happier they are coming!!!

Be prepared for more pictures next week and have a great weekend!!!

Man on the move

2010-05-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

Yep, we're crawling, and pulling up and making life way more interesting for mommy and daddy. He started crawling almost 2 weeks ago and has just recently begun to pull himself up on the ottoman in the living room. He cruises a little but is still a little too wobbly to go too far. Life is much more fun for him now that he's mobile but much more hectic for mommy. We have baby proofed the house although I'm sure that he'll find ways around it. I just can't believe how quickly he has changed. He is so much fun and I just love it that I get to spend most of my day playing and watching him grow.

In other news, we are loving this sunny weather!!! Last night we spent the evening out on our back deck enjoying each other's company. We have really made an effort as of late to shut out distractions and focus on being a family. The past 2 Sundays have been media free days. This means that we have had no TV, radio, or computers. Just us spending time together, getting things done around the house, and shutting off the constant noise that tends to fill our ears. It has been very refreshing and we will continue this on most Sundays throughout the summer.

Cameron's soccer season has been up and down. They won their first few games but have hit a bit of a skid here of late. He has 3 more games and then it's on to baseball season. He has about 4 more weeks of school and he is very excited for his summer vacation.

It was 1 year ago this past weekend when Stuart and I came out to Columbus to look at houses. It's amazing that out of all the houses we looked at, this house was the only one that really stood out. I remember making the decision to make an offer on the house and how stressful it was for Stuart. I remember looking him in the eye and telling him that this was not too good to be true, that, in fact people had been praying for us and for our situation and this is where we were meant to live. One year later we could not agree more. We are so happy here in our home. We have a wonderful neighborhood and a new church family who we are getting to know and love more and more everyday. I feel as though this has become our home now. I feel so blessed.

This weekend is Mother's Day weekend. I am excited that this will be my first "official" Mother's Day. Cameron will be with his mom so Stuart and I are planning on enjoying the weekend together with Noah. Happy Mother's Day to all of the special women in my life who are moms.

What we've been up to...

2010-04-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

While we were in Washington over Cam's spring break, Cam and Stuart had the opportunity to go hiking in Spring Mill State Park with Uncle Matt. A good time was had by all. Uncle Matt even showed Cameron how to geocache. Fun times!!!

Last week, Cameron had his first soccer game of the season. The mighty yellow jackets reigned victorious over the purple dragons. Cameron played a good game and shut out the other team while he took his turn in the goal.

Noah is 9 months old!!! We can't believe how big he is getting and how much he is learning. We took him for his 9 month checkup last week. He weighs 18lbs. 4 oz. and is 26.5 inches long. He is in the 20th percentile for weight and the 5th for height. I was praying that he would get his father's height but I'm pretty sure he is all me (including his fiery temper). He is not crawling yet, but he's so close. He manages to get on all fours and scoot a little bit but doesn't make any big progress. We can get him to wave at us occasionally and he's also eating more and more finger foods. He loves bananas, grated cheese, sliced turkey, and avocados. Here are a few new pictures.

We are so happy that warmer weather has arrived. Cameron is thrilled that he can be outside most of the evening when he gets home from school. Even Noah loves his daily outings in his stroller. My soccer season has also started. I feel like the old granny out there but I do not embarrass myself too badly so I think I'll stick with it. It is a lot of fun and the bonus is that it's a built in workout.

That's all we've got for now. Enjoy this sunny weather while you can. We are!!!

Time Flies!!!

2010-04-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, I just realized it had been over two weeks since I had updated our blog. God forbid that I not keep you up to date on our lives. Last week was a bit crazy since we had been gone the entire week before down in Washington and Indianapolis visiting family and friends. It turned out to be a very eventful trip. As many of you know, Stuart and I are sports junkies. So, imagine our delight when our hometown Hatchets basketball team advanced to the State Finals while we were in Indiana and we were able to attend the game. It was a nail biter but in the end, class prevailed and our boys brought another state title back to Washington. This is the 3rd they've won since Stuart and I have known each other. Hatchet basketball was always great but has been amazing since we've had some kids named Zeller pass through the school. The same night that Washington won the state championship, Butler advanced to the Final Four in Indianapolis. We will always remember that Saturday night. Butler is playing tonight for the National Championship. Even Cameron has gotten into the spirit and asked if he could stay up tonight to watch the Bulldogs. He has a special love for them because when he was 4, I took him to his first college basketball game at Hinkle Fieldhouse and we were able to sit right on the floor. He LOVED the bulldog. I don't think he'll be able to stay up for the game tonight since it doesn't tip off until 10 but he will want an update as soon as he's awake in the morning.
Spring weather has arrived and we are all enjoying the sunshine. Noah has been battling this chronic cold and cough. We are starting to think that maybe he just has allergies. We're hoping that all of this clears up soon so we can all enjoy being outside. Cameron has started soccer practice and seems very excited for his games to start. His first one, barring any bad weather, will be this Saturday. This year he's on the yellow jackets and Stuart and I couldn't be happier that we're not the coaches. It's nice to see someone else try to keep the attention of a dozen 7 year old boys.
This past weekend we had some visitors from Indiana. One of my best friends and her husband and new baby boy came to visit. Clark, Carrie and AJ arrived on Friday and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was so nice to have them here and show them our new house and neighborhood. Noah found AJ to be particularly interesting. It was funny to see Noah reacting to a tiny baby. It's hard to believe that Noah was that small just a few months ago.
Speaking of Noah, he's on the verge of crawling. He lunges forward from a seated position and gets on all 4's. He hasn't figured out how to get his legs under him yet but manages to pivot around on his belly. He's also pretty proficient at scooting on his bottom.
Yesterday we celebrated Easter with our new friends, the Metz's. Adam happens to be the pastor of our church. He and his wife Mary Beth have 3 beautiful children who Cameron loves to play with. We spent the afternoon out on their patio while the kids played. It was such a beautiful afternoon. A perfect Easter Sunday.
I will post pictures of all the latest festivities when I get a chance. Right now I have to go rescue a certain baby from his crib.

My Favorite 7 year old

2010-03-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget how great Cameron really is. As most of you have heard me complain about, 7 has been a very challenging age for us to deal with. However, when I step back and look at the year that kid has had, I'm amazed at how well he's dealt with everything. Within just a few months, Cameron had to deal with major life changes including a custody change, a baby brother, a new house in a new city in a new state, and a new school. How has he done? All things considered, he's done better than we ever could have imagined. I think part of my battles with him come because he is so intelligent and is very analytical (for those of you who know me well, you know I don't deal well with over analyzing). He constantly forces me to think even when I would rather just ignore it all. He is testing his limits and I have been forced to be more of a mother-like figure to him than I was before. Even when I feel as though all I've done is discipline him since he turned 7, he still loves me and I love him. He boosts my ego by telling me everyday what a great cook I am. He could not be a more loving caring little boy. This shines through daily when he plays with his baby brother who is almost 7 years his junior. No one can make Noah laugh like Cameron and when Cameron walks into the room, Noah grins so wide he almost swallows his face. There has been no jealousy toward Noah, only unconditional love. Cameron is an amazing child. Stuart and I are truly blessed to have him.
Here is a little video we shot tonight. Cameron came inside and asked us to come outside and watch him on the trampoline next door. I made the comment to Stuart that it was probably some "dumb 7 year old ninja trick or something." Needless to say, we were both shocked at what Cam pulled out of his bag of tricks. This leads me to believe that this kid might have a future in something other than the show choir and the chess club:0)

A visit from Grandma, Aunt Stacey, and Uncle Mohamed

2010-03-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

As you can see, it was a fun and festive weekend at the Rogers' household. Our visitors arrived on Friday night and the fun didn't stop all weekend. We had a great time. Saturday was a beautiful day but it might as well have been wasted on us. They (notice I didn't say we) spent the day trying to conquer Super Mario Bros. on the Wii while Noah and I watched. We did manage to leave the house for a few outings. For lunch we hit up a barbecue joint here called Hoggy's Barn and Grille. It was so yummy. That night, Stuart, Stacey and I hit up Jeni's ice cream. It's this great place that has all kinds of different ice creams. Do yourself a favor and google it. My personal favorite was the roxbury road, chocolate with homemade marshmallow and smoked almonds. It was delicious!!!

On Sunday, Stuart and I were able to leave the boys at home and attend church by ourselves. Wow, it is amazing how much more you can focus when you have no responsibility. Awesome!!! Both Stuart and I felt so refreshed afterward.
We were sad to see our visitors go but we will see them in just a few weeks when we make our way to IN for Cam's spring break. Yay!!!

In other news...I finally got my mini-van!!! We are so excited about it. It makes traveling so much less complicated. We shopped around and decided on a Mazda MPV. While it isn't as long as any of the other mini-vans out there, it is perfect for us because it fits in our garage. Besides that, it doesn't look like a granny van. Not only did we get a new mini-van, our new television for our living room arrived this week. For those of you who haven't seen our new house, our old television took up roughly 30 percent of our living room. Now, I feel like our living room is so much bigger and Noah has a lot more room to play on the floor.

If I sound high on life, it's because I am. I am so much happier these days due to the fact that we have had 4 days in a row of bright beautiful sunshine. Noah and I even busted out the jogging stroller yesterday. It was my first decent run in a long long time. Noah loved it too...until he fell asleep.

Because we got our new mini-van this weekend, we said farewell to a longtime friend of mine. Ruby, my first ever car, went to be with her new owner. It was a bittersweet moment for me. That car and I have been through a lot together. It was the first big purchase I ever made (and I almost had a nervous breakdown over it). She saw me through 2 stressful, crazy years of graduate school. Drove me to my first real job at Franklin College. Drove Stuart and I away from our reception on our wedding night. Saw me through 2 more jobs and drove us to a new state. The good news is that Ruby is still in the family as Stuart's mom now owns her. What a great car!!!

That's all I've got for now. Noah is napping in his crib and when he wakes up we are headed out to enjoy this beautiful day.

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..."

I'm a big girl now

2010-03-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

That's how I felt yesterday. On Sunday, Noah and I made the trek to Indianapolis to go visit one of my best friends and her precious new baby boy. We went, had a great time and made it back all by ourselves. I felt like I had given myself a whole new freedom when I conquered that journey. I had been afraid to go by myself for so long because I wasn't sure how Noah would handle the trip without someone else to keep him entertained. We both did great!!! I didn't even need the GPS (still not that familiar with Columbus and the surrounding areas). I felt as though I had conquered the world. It was so nice to get back home to the boys though. That's right, I said "home." For the first time since we moved here, I felt a surge of excitement as I pulled into our drive yesterday. I felt like I was home. I think that means that I'm adjusting to our new life here. I've really made an effort the past few months to start to make this our "home." I've made some friends, we've found a church home and I've even found a soccer team to play on this spring. I miss my friends and family in Indiana like crazy but it's nice to know they're there to visit. It's equally as nice to get back to our home in Ohio and just "be."

I think the snow is finally starting to melt. I'm seeing some grass on the ground and I cannot tell you how excited I am for spring. They're saying we might actually get some warmer temperatures this weekend. Speaking of this weekend, Stuart's Mom as well as Aunt Stacey and Uncle Mohamed are coming to stay with us this weekend. We are so excited to spend time with them. We don't have any big plans but it's always a good time when we all get together.

Noah continues to bring us more joy than we ever thought possible. He is smiling and happy most of the time. He is getting so big and it saddens me to think that before I know it, he won't be that snuggly little baby anymore. He's not crawling yet but when I watch him play on the floor I know that it can't be too far off. He will be 8 months old in less than 2 weeks now. I can't believe how quickly time has gone.

Cameron is about to be a very busy 7 year old. He is all signed up and ready to play soccer this spring and baseball this summer. He has played soccer before but has never tried baseball. It will be interesting to see how he does. I am so excited for him to try new things and meet new kids. In the words of his wonderful teachers; "Cameron has a zest for life!!" Sometimes that zest is a little overwhelming to his parents and poses quite a few challenges. Hopefully with the arrival of warmer weather, Cameron will find an outlet for his energy and sanity will be restored in the Rogers' household.

That's all I've got for now. Have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to some sunshine myself:0)

Meeting Baby AJ for the first time. Looks like they enjoy each others company.

Noah and his buddy Matthew. They have weekly playdates.

This was the entrance to the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. Cameron received his Tiger Cub badge at the banquet. You'll notice there's no pictures of Cameron receiving his badge. All I can say is that's another story for another time.

Too Much Snow!!!

2010-02-18T10:12:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, we were treated to another winter storm. Compared to what they are getting on the East Coast, our snowfall seems minor. However, I think this is easily the most snow I've ever seen on the ground. We are all ready for spring. Here are a few pictures of the boys in the snow.

I guess there's no better time to be snowed in than when the Winter Olympics are on. I seriously have been so unmotivated to do anything but plop in front of the television and watch. We have all found it a bit humorous that the weather in the midwest is colder than it is in Vancouver for the games right now.

In other news, last Friday we got to attend Cameron's Valentine's Day party at school. When we were kids, Valentine's parties were strictly for the kids. The only adults present were the teacher and the room mother. Not in the present day. Now, every party that is put on at school is a public event where the parents can come and celebrate with the kids. When we were kids, all parties were a sugar laden event with cupcakes, candy and enough sugary fruit juice to send even the most calm child into a crazy hyperactive state. In the present day, kids are given 1 plate of treats that involves fruit, popcorn, and a cookie. My how things have changed. We did enjoy watching the kids make their Valentine crafts and play Valentine bingo. The highlight of Cameron's day was that he got to show off "his baby" to everyone in his class including parents, teachers and substitutes. It's so nice to know that Cameron is so proud of Noah.

This weekend Cameron will be at his mom's again. I have a full day on Saturday of catching up on house work before the Olympics begin broadcasting in the afternoon. Then on Saturday night, Stuart and I are actually going to leave this house without a child. We are only going to our neighbor's for game night but it's the first time we've been out of this house without Noah. I am very excited. On Sunday, Cameron receives his bobcat badge at the annual blue and gold dinner for Cub Scouts. Stay tuned for pictures of the big occasion. Hope everyone has successfully dug themselves out of the snow. Have a great weekend!!

Funny Noah

2010-02-12T07:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Noah and I were having fun with the webcam on our laptop. Here are a few fun videos we managed to shoot. In the giggle video, you can hear how much Noah loves Cam's silliness. In the other video, you can see Noah's new trick. Yep, that's right, he can dance. Enjoy.
Happy Valentine's Day to you!!! It was 5 years ago tomorrow that Stuart very nervously dropped to his knee in front of our entire congregation at FCC and asked me to marry him. Best decision I've ever made. Love you husband!!!

Some pictures to brighten your day

2010-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a sad day in the Rogers household. Our beloved Colts did not reign victorious after last night's Super Bowl. However, we had a great season and the future looks bright. Noah and I definitely spent the morning in bed trying to recover from the disappointment of it all. As promised, here are some pictures of what we've been up to.

As you can see, Cam has been a busy boy with his Pinewood Derby and also all the snow that we've had. We got about a foot of snow this weekend and are expecting up to another 6 inches in the next few days. Noah doesn't care much about the snow. His favorite time of day right now is dinner time. He has decided prunes are his favorite food right now. That's all I've got for now. Hopefully we'll dig out from all this snow at some point!!!

Snowed In

2010-02-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone say your prayers. This weekend we are snowed in with a very chatty 7 year old. Thank goodness we have a lot to do around the house and it is also Super Bowl weekend. Hopefully we will be able to keep busy and no one will go stir crazy.

One week ago today, I surrendered both dogs to the Humane Society of Columbus. It was a very sad occasion but not without comic relief provided by my favorite fat dog Roscoe. Because of Stuart's work schedule, he was unable to take the dogs on Friday when we had planned. So, I loaded up Noah and the two dogs and drove the 20 minutes to the west side of Columbus. We were just about to pull onto the interstate when Roscoe decided that the most comfortable seat in the car was on Noah's lap in his car seat. I, like a crazy woman, pulled off the side of the road and was screaming "get off the baby." It was very comical. The actual turning over of the dogs was sad and the dogs did not make it easy as they very obviously knew something was up and had separation anxiety the second we pulled up to the Humane Society. I certainly didn't do it with dry eyes. We really miss them but we know it was the best decision for our family. I am enjoying a more peaceful household with much less dog hair. Our house is also staying a lot warmer because we're not constantly opening and shutting the back door for potty breaks. Now we just pray that they find good homes.

Noah has decided this week that maybe his crib isn't such a bad place for naps. He usually has a couple naps during the day in his crib and the others either on me or in my bed. I'm not complaining because he's doing so much better with it now than even a week ago. Bedtime is also much easier now. He usually goes down now without much of a fight and has slept for 11 hours straight 2 times in the past week. I am one happy mommy!!!

Today it started snowing around 11 a.m. and it has been snowing pretty hard since then. We think we've accumulated about 8 inches and they're saying we might have 14 by the time it's all over. AWESOME. It's great packing snow too so there might be a snowman or two in our front yard tomorrow. Because of the weather, Cameron didn't have to travel to his Mom's this weekend. Therefore, everyone will be home all day on Sunday for the most important Sunday of the year: SUPER BOWL. GO COLTS!!!

That's all I've got for now. I'll post a few new pics over the weekend.

Our Puppies

2010-01-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

We have debated this for months and we have finally come to a decision. This weekend, we will be surrendering our dogs to the Humane Society of Columbus so that they may bring joy (and a bit of craziness) to someone else's life for a while. With us having moved so far away and needing to travel a bit more to catch up with friends and family, it is just not fair for the dogs to have to stay home by themselves for so long. We are very sad that we have to do this but know that in the long run it is going to be the best decision for them and for us. While it breaks my heart to give them up, I am very much looking forward to having a clean house (well, just not dog hair infested), company over (which always stressed me out with our crazy dogs), and a freedom to just pack up and leave when we want to. It will be good. There will be tears and heartache for a while. We have had both Lady and Roscoe for more than 2 years. I will miss Lady's sweetness and loyalty and ability to drag me on a 3 mile run. I will miss Roscoe's sweet face and lazy, snuggly personality. I will miss having them next to me in bed keeping me warm. Whoever adopts these dogs will be blessed with much laughter in their lives. It's hard but it's what has to be done.

In other news, nap bootcamp failed the first time. We had to employ a new strategy. For some reason, napping on Mom and Dad's bed is not as traumatic for Noah. So, this is where he is napping now. It's a win, win situation because Noah is getting a good nap and mommy is getting some time to do what she needs to get done. Don't get me wrong, he's eventually going to be napping in his crib, but for now, he is not napping in his swing or in his mother's arms so I consider that a victory. Night time is hit or miss. Some nights he sleeps for 8-10 hours straight and some nights he's up every 3-4 hours. I will say he is getting better though.

Last night, the Rogers had dinner with some new friends from our new church. We were very excited to get out of the house and have other people to talk to besides each other. Hooray for new friends!!!

Alright, that's all I have for now. Say a prayer for us as we give our dogs up this weekend. It's going to be hard.

6 Months Old

2010-01-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

Last week, Noah turned 6 months old. To commemorate the occasion, Mom and Dad decided it was time to institute new sleeping rules. From now on, bedtime is at 7:00 pm and there is to be at least 2 naps a day in the crib. Well, bedtime is going well, naptime not so much. He tends to be a fighter when it comes to naptime but we're working on it. Mom is bound and determined she is going to win this battle. It's exhausting for both of us, but will pay off in the end. As I type this, he is screaming loudly from his crib in protest of naptime but I will not cave.

Yesterday was his 6 month checkup. He is weighing in at a whopping 15lbs. 8 oz. and is 25 inches long. He ranks around the 15th and 20th percentiles for both. Stuart and I both think it's hilarious that we produced a child that is below average on the weight side of things. Oh, God does have a sense of humor.

Noah is mostly sitting up on his own now and prefers to do everything that way. He has even fallen asleep sitting up a couple of times. It's pretty funny. Another fun thing that Noah gets to do now that he's 6 months old is eat food. So far we have tried bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes. He seems to have enjoyed all of them. He is really coming into his personality and we've found that he likes things best when he thinks he's in control (thus the protesting of naptime). He eats the best when he gets to hold the spoon. Yesterday I finally gave him his own spoon and that seemed to work out pretty well.

In other news, Cameron continues to be enthusiastic about life in general. He is all signed up to play soccer in the spring (his idea, not ours). He said he would also like to give baseball a try.

The Rogers family has also found a church that we feel is the best fit for us right now. It had been recommended to us by several people from our old church in Franklin. We tried it out when we first moved here but decided to shop around a bit before we decided. Stuart and I discussed it over our Christmas vacation and we both agreed that Alum Creek Church of Christ was the place we had felt most comfortable. Hooray for that!!!

This weekend, Stuart has a Boy Scout Leader function to go to so it will just be me and the boys hanging out. We'll for sure be cheering on our Indianapolis Colts on Sunday as they are playing for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Go Horse!!!

That's it from our end of the world. Have a great week!!!

Happy 2010

2010-01-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Long time no posting huh? I'll make up for it here and hopefully get some pics posted too. Our Christmas holiday was great and our New Year didn't quite get off to a great start but we are happy to report that we are now all back together again in good ol' Columbus, OH.

We left here on the afternoon of the 22nd and spent the night at Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike's house. It was a great time and Noah was spoiled by both of them while showing off his new rolling over skills. Noah even had an encounter with Santa who was happy to pose for a few pics.

On the 23rd, we got one of the best Christmas presents of all when Stuart received a clean bill of health from his orthopedic oncologist. He is one year post surgery and doing great. We were so thankful to receive that good news.

Then it was off to Aunt Stacey and Uncle Mohamed's for the Christmas celebration. Noah was spoiled as usual and we all had a wonderful time. We attended Christmas eve service together and then awoke on Christmas morning to wait for Cameron to arrive so we could open our gifts.

After all the gifts were opened, it was time to play. This year the highlights were Cameron's night vision goggles from Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike and Uncle Mohamed's new Cabela's Big Game Hunt Game for the Wii.

Christmas night it was off to Washington for the Smeltzer family Christmas and all the craziness that brings. With 6 kids ages 7 and under, it's always a chaotic good time. This year was extra special because Aunty Pam was here from New Zealand.

After that day, it was meant to be one more week of R&R and hanging with the family. It was just that until New Year's Eve. Noah decided he'd ring in the new year by contracting a case of RSV. I think that stands for respiratory synctial virus and is pretty common in babies. If an adult gets that virus, it appears as a common cold. However, when a baby gets it, it's way more dangerous. They sent us home from the ER with a nebulizer and lots of instructions. The next day, we were back in the ER as he was showing signs of getting worse. They kept us in the hospital for 2 days and then let us go. Since Noah was in no shape to make the journey back to Columbus, Stuart and Cameron came back while Noah and I stayed in Washington so he could recover a little more. While it was nice to have that extra time with my family, I'd have loved if it was under different circumstances. We are all back in Columbus together now and Noah is recovering nicely. He's still not back to 100% but at least he's smiley and happy. Needless to say, our plans to begin sleep bootcamp have been postponed until he's completely recovered. Because he was held and spoiled so much last week, he is sort of rebelling against his normal routine. Therefore, no one is getting much sleep around here. I'm sure it will improve as he continues to feel better.
Cam is back at school and is thrilled to be there. He had a great Christmas and was spoiled by all of our family. Some of his favorite gifts were his Lego Star Wars DS game and his Lego Indiana Jones game for the Wii. These games came just in time as we are all sort of housebound with all the snow we've had and how cold it's been.
We are sad the holiday season is over but are now looking forward to really settling here in Columbus. We have no plans to travel anytime soon and can now focus on establishing a better sleep routine for Noah as well as finding a church family. I hope you all had a great holiday season. Here's praying for a much healthier, happier, less stressful 2010.

Punked

2009-12-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

Yep, we were successfully punked by my own Mother this weekend. That's right, my Mother. So, here is how it went:
All week my Mom had been telling me she was going to skype me on Saturday because all my nieces and nephews would be at her house decorating Christmas cookies. So, Saturday rolls around and I get two txt messages on my phone. The first was from my Aunty Pam asking if I was home so she could skype me, the second was from my Mom asking if I was home to skype. So, I text them both back and tell them that I have turned on the computer. My computer signals that someone is video calling me and I answer. It was my Aunty Pam. I thought it was kind of funny that she was up so early and I could have also sworn that when my computer signaled the call that it said Gill Smeltzer. So, the first words out of my mouth were "Why are you up so early?" Before she could even answer me I realized what was going on. The next words out of my mouth were "Why are you at my Mom's house?" Stuart, who was calmly working on his computer in the living room, dropped everything and ran to the computer. It was like we had all won the lottery. It was incredible!!! Mom and Dad had decided that Aunty Pam needed to be here with her family for Christmas and had decided to fly her over unbeknownst to everyone. They didn't tell a soul. Of course, with big surprises like that, comes a bit of stress when you live more than 5 hours away and need to rearrange Christmas plans. However, I don't mind that stress at all. We now have a plan to maximize our time in Washington so Aunty Pam will have plenty of time to snuggle and spoil Cam and Noah. This might be the best Christmas present I've ever gotten.

In other news, we leave today for our Christmas vacation and head west to Indy. We will be there for several days and then park ourselves in Washington for the remainder of the holidays. We feel so blessed that we have a large family to spend the Holiday season with. We can't wait!!!

Tomorrow is Stuart's one year follow-up with his orthopedic oncologist. So, tomorrow morning he goes in for a CT scan of his chest and an MRI of his shoulder. Then later in the morning we get the results. So, just say a few prayers that everything is clear and we can take a deep breath and fully enjoy our Christmas vacation. It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since the discovery of "the lump." So much has changed in such a short time but we are so thankful to God for the blessings he pours out upon us.

Noah has decided lately that he is okay with this rolling over thing. However, he only does it when I leave the room. Imagine my shock last week when I left the room for about 5 minutes, heard Noah fussing a little bit, walked back in to find him on his belly. He was grinning from ear to ear and looked so proud of himself. I was bummed and have been keeping him under surveillance ever since thinking there was no way I was going to miss that again. Yesterday, he did it again. Where was I? I was in the kitchen of course. He thinks it's like the funniest thing in the world (and truth be told, I think he's pretty darn funny myself). So, at some point when he decides, I will finally get to see him roll over. He's sitting up pretty well on his own these days and LOVES his exersaucer. His sleep habits need a bit of improving, thus I've dubbed January "sleep boot camp" at the Rogers house. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Cameron is at his Mom's until Christmas day. We have not told him yet that Aunty Pam is here. I cannot wait to see his face when he walks into Grandma and Grandpa's house on Friday night, only to find that Santa has left him a great big present!!! He is going to be pumped. That kid has an intuition about things. I remember when Stuart and I were struggling to have a baby. We never said a word to Cam about it but for some reason he would pray every night that he would get a baby. So, last week, he was talking to Aunty Pam and very matter of factly asked "well aren't you coming for Christmas?" She asked him how in the world she could do that and he just said "get on a plane." Little did we know.

Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We'll post again after Christmas.

Multi-tasking

2009-12-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Noah likes to multi-task. He is simultaneously taking a bath and getting a workout in. Who needs a recumbent bike when you have a gigantic inflatable duck in your bathtub?

Big Weekend

2009-12-14T08:25:00.001-08:00

This weekend was the annual baking weekend at Aunt Stacey's house. We're not sure when this became a tradition but it probably happened at some point in the last 4 years. Last year I was not present due to the fact that the very thought of baking anything made me want to toss my cookies. This year was so much fun. The menu this year was: white chocolate chex mix, oreo truffles, peanut butter balls, toffee, and butterscotch rice krispie treats. As you can tell from the pictures below, Cameron was not so into it this year. I think when you turn 7, it's not cool anymore to bake with your Grandma and Aunt. Noah didn't really care either but he provided some good comic relief posing in Cameron's chef hat.

This weekend was also Stuart's 30th birthday. We celebrated with all of Stuart's favorite snacks and desserts and a few of our closest friends. Noah and Cameron gave him a new Big Bang Theory T-shirt for his birthday and he also got several Dave Ramsey books (which his wife hopes he doesn't make her read) from Aunt Stacey and myself. It was such a good weekend and we were sad to leave. We will be back in Indy for the Christmas holiday though. Hooray!!!

Let the baking begin!!!

The cutest chef I've ever met

When you're 7, watching TV is way more fun than helping bake goodies

Two tables full of goodies made for 15 gift buckets

Noah and Daddy relaxing after a big weekend

Happy Birthday Husband!!!

2009-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend marks Stuart's 30th birthday. I've only known him for a little more than 1/6th of this time but I am so thankful for the time we've had. He's a great father and husband and never ceases to amaze me with his positive outlook on life. He inspires me to be a better wife and mother. I love you babe and I hope you have a great birthday.

I also need to wish my best friend Laura a happy birthday as well as my baby sister Alisha. Who knew so many people who would impact my life so much would all be born on the same day? Crazy!!!

This weekend is a crazy crazy weekend. We are leaving tonight for Aunt Stacey's house. Tomorrow morning I am co-hosting a baby shower for my friend Carrie. In the afternoon we are holding the annual Aunt Stacey baking party. Then tomorrow night we are celebrating Stuart's birthday with some of our nearest and dearest. What a day. I think that I will probably collapse from exhaustion on Sunday.

Stay tuned for pictures of the weekend. I'll get them posted next week. Nothing else new around here except Noah is working on his sitting up skill. He still hasn't mastered the rolling over thing but is apparently bored with that and wants to get straight to sitting up. He does pretty well but topples occasionally. Alright that's all I've got for now. We'll get some new pics posted next week.