Merry Christmas 2010

Dearest Family and Friends,

I won’t even make mention to the speed at which this year zipped by…because it’s a ridiculous thought.  I’m starting to understand even more and more, that this life really is a short one.

This year has been an incredibly eventful one for us with lots of big changes.  At the beginning of the year, we felt a strong prompting that it was time for us to purchase a home, and after a lot of prayer and an incredible amount of guidance from the Lord, we found our perfect home in the lovely neighborhood of Kavala Ranch on the outskirts of Rancho Cordova.  It’s a perfect location for us, because we are 15 minutes from Elk Grove, where most all of our family lives, minutes away from great friends and in an incredible ward perfect for our family’s age group.   We were sad to leave El Dorado Hills, but with all of t he traveling we did to visit family in Elk Grove, we felt this was a better move for us while our kids our young.  We love our home and it really feels like HOME!  Shortly after the move (about a month to be exact), our little man made his grand entrance into this world. 

Carson De Vaughn was born March 18, 2010 at 12:46am, weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz.    He gave Mama quite the workout, and everyone a bit of scare getting here, and we are so happy to have our sweet boy.  Now at almost 9 months old, he is turning out to be quite the little boy.  He is trying to climb all over any and everything he can.  I can’t count the number of times a day that he bonks his head.  It’s driving me crazy.  I tell Marc, “Your little boy is suicidal!”.  I also almost cannot count the number of times a day he wants to eat.  I think this boy would eat 24/7 if I let him.  He has the cutest little smile and is one of the happiest babies I’ve ever known.  He has started to say “Dada” a lot…I am trying to work on Mama, but  if you could see the way this boy lights up when his Daddy gets home from work, you’d understand.  I love seeing their bond.  He is the perfect addition to our little family and we can’t imagine life without this fuzzy haired little chunk.

Montana Belle is growing up too fast.  That’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of her.  She is no longer a baby, or a toddler…but an actual kid.  It makes me happy and sad all at the same time…but mostly sad.  I don’t know where the time is slipping away to.  Montana just turned 4 years old in November, and is currently in preschool three days a week, which she loves.  She has a lot of friends in her class and enjoys playing, learning and doing lots of art projects.   She also takes tap/ballet/tumbling from the Elk Grove Dance Center, and the same teacher, Miss Nancy, who I used to take from at about her age.  She LOVES dancing.  I love watching her twirl around in her tutu and have a blast with her ballet friends.  She is loving her Sunbeam class and loved singing in her first Primary Program in November.  She is also growing like a weed- she is over 40 inches now, and in May, when we went to Disneyland, she was able to ride most of the big rides!  Can you believe that her favorite one was the Tower of Terror?   This girl is a risk taker.  She loves music, drawing, playing with dolls, riding her new bike, watching Disney movies and playing with her baby brother who adores her.  We are so proud of our little girl as she learns to write her name, make her  bed, get  herself dressed, brush her own teeth and make her own breakfast waffles.  She loves learning to be a big girl!

Marc is still working as hard as ever to provide for this growing family.  We are so grateful for all of his hard work and for the wonderful career he has been blessed with.  He LOVES golfing as often as he gets the chance;  especially with his Dad on Saturday mornings.   We bought bikes and a trailer this year and we’ve loved taking the kids out for rides and enjoying physical activity together.   He is currently serving as a Cub Scout Leader with the Bears, and is reliving his days as a scout.  Marc is truly the celebrity of our home.  We all so look forward to when he walks in the door after a day at work. 

And as for me, I am still loving my life as a mother and a wife.  I’m still at home with the kids, and I love it!  With Marc working so hard and long, and now having two kids in tow, I’ve learned even more about the dedication and love it takes to do this job.   I enjoy my time at the gym and am getting ready to sign up and train for my first ever marathon…AHHH…wish me luck.   I’m no longer teaching music for the time being and trying to focus on time with the kids.  I miss it, but I still love to sing and play the piano any chance that I can get.  I am currently serving on the Relief Society Board as the Visiting Teaching Coordinator.  I have really learned to love this calling and the importance of the practice of Visiting Teaching.   I am happy to report Marc and I just celebrated our 6^th year of marriage with a lovely weekend getaway to Monterey/Carmel.  We fell in love with the area and began planning our dreams of retiring somewhere along  the 17 mile drive….(what can I say?  We dream big! J). 

We have been incredibly blessed this year, and we owe it all to the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  We are so grateful for our faith and for the comfort and blessing it brings us to know that we are an eternal family.  We are grateful to reflect upon our Savior even more so this season.  We are so grateful for all of the love and support we have from you, our friends and family who we cherish and love deeply.   We hope everyone has a blessed holiday season and a very happy and joyous New Year!

Love,

The Rogers