MARCH 2012 MONTHLY UPDATE

The most exciting thing that happened in March was our Train Trip to Salt Lake City!!!  It was a grand adventure.  Have lots of pictures to share.

Richard enjoys a hot chocolate on our way to Sacramento to catch the California Zepher.

He is able to sleep sitting up, but I cannot.  That's why I'm taking pictures!

We are ready to board!

First glimpse of our Sleeper Cabin!

Shower and toilet are in same room.  It's suggested you sit while showering!

Under the sink--Well Stocked.

Dining Car.

The food was very good!

We loved the beautiful scenery!

Observation Car.  Needed sun glasses!

The snow scenes were unbelievable!  Like a fairyland!

The Steward made up our beds. 

I was the only who could get up the ladder to the top! 

Richard dealt with not enough leg room, but we both slept extremely well!

Wendy and Rich met us for breakfast at our hotel--The Hilton.

We waited in the Joseph Memorial Building to meet up with our long-time friends.

Jim and Kay Tiner formerly from Chico and now from Ogden.

We ate in the basement of the Church Office Building.  Fun!

Granddaughter Jessica with husband Matt at Cafe Rio!

Richard, Jess, Matt, DIL Shellie, and son Jon.  Great company and great food!

The mountains in Utah!  People say "Go toward the mountains."  What the heck?  There are mountains on three sides of us!

We are in the Hale Center Theatre in Orem where we saw Zanadu!!!

Granddaughter Rachel with her dad.  Rachel recently submitted her papers for a mission.  Her call should arrive in a matter of weeks.

My dear friends, Sandy and Ed and Muffin in Lindon.

The weather was so lovely we visited on the deck.  Sandy made the yummiest carrot chowder for lunch.  So good to see them again.

This is granddaughter Niki with James-O who is PPIEW.

Granddaughter Kirsten who is dressed like Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games."

Rachel dressed up as Capitol Couture, but I didn't get a picture.  The girls AND their mother, and about 20 other friends went to the midnight showing. 

My brother Spencer and his wife Gaylene.  We ate at Cafe Rio AGAIN!

A trip to Cabela's!

This is Margaret, my cohort in craziness when I lived in Alpine.  We got to go to my old ward and see so many dear friends.  It was WONDERFUL!



A few views of the new CITY CREEK CENTER downtown SLC.  Awesome place!



Richard used this handy transportation to navigate the new City Creek Center.  We both needed help in guiding it to go where we wanted it to go!  Too many laughs!

We looked at Condos to buy in the new City Creek Development.  Pictures not worthy to share, but the Condos were GREAT!

This is in the Sacramento Amtrak Station.  No one seems to mind the pigeons.  They keep the floor clean of any crumbs.

The mural!

This is what we did during our long wait--watched Netflix movies on our iPad!  We only had one set of ear buds so we shared and each had one bud!

Wonderful trip.  Many happy memories.  Gorgeous scenery.  Our hosts and hostesses were awesome to us.  So great to see family and friends again.  We were very blessed and so thankful to be home in our own little place.  And most of all to see Blackie again!  Thanks Robin and Mackie for your tender care of him.

FEBRUARY 2012 MONTHLY UPDATE

Pictured below are my Siblings: 

Spencer, Susan, Corinne, Dale

 My sister Corinne and her husband Paul came to visit us for a long weekend!  So much fun.  My brother Dale (R) and his wife Claudia came with us and we all took the train from Fresno to Hanford.  We had lunch at Superior Dairy followed by soccer ball-sized scoops of their famous ice cream.  Lots of visiting and moaning because of stuffing ourselves.

That night we went to an open house for a new egg hatchery just opened by Claudia's son-in-law David who is one of the owners of Pitman Farms.  It was an unusual way to spend our time together, but it was fascinating as well as amazing.  So much high tech equipment in a modern and spotlessly clean facility.  Interesting too.  You'll be happy to know that baby chicks are still made the old fashioned way, however. 

Pictured below is grandson Austin Standing.

 Austin has been in Germany in the Air Force for 2-1/2 years and came home for a 2 week leave before being reassigned to Phoenix.  His first stop was In-n-Out.  I had a difficult time getting him to cooperate with the picture taking as every time I went to "click the camera" he opened his mouth!

Pictured below is his happy mother, Jamie.

She willingly and happily cooperated.

Pictured below is granddaughter Kari Doughman.

Kari and her dad Mark (from Chico, California) stopped by to see us on their way to Disneyland.  She fell for Blackie and the feeling was mutual.

Pictured below:  The new bride and groom Sami and Colt Kennington

Richard's grandson Colt married Sami Mortimer in February.  The pre-wedding dinner at his mom and dad's house was fun, fun, fun.  It was such a treat to see so many family members.  Also, the wedding was GREAT in the Fresno Temple.  And the reception was very, very nice as in AWESOME.  Richard sang his all-purpose song to them:  "This is your *Wedding Song, It is not very long.  See ya."

*You can insert the occassion here!

THIS IS A TRADITION!

Coming in March:  Train ride to SLC with bunk beds in the sleeping compartment.  Who gets the top?  Susan or Richard?  Can either of us even make it up there???

JANUARY 2012 MONTHLY UPDATE

In an effort to entice myself to blog regularly, I'm trying for one blog each month this year.  Inasmuch as today is February 15th, we are not using excuses like "January is already over."  Being timely is not important nor is it part of my resolution, so  ONWARD!

I was sick with bronchitis for 3 weeks this month.  Richard took such good care of me.  That was a great blessing, however I must document the events I missed during this time: 

1.  Jerry Seinfeld Performance at Saroyan Theater (This was HUGE.)
2.  Prepaid 1 hour full body massage, which Richard took.
3.  Several dinner invitations, which Richard took.
4.  Missionaries for dinner, to whom Richard served "Me 'n Ed's" Pizza.
5.  Normal things like attending the temple with Jamie and movies with Nellie.

Richard had surgery in Modesto (2 hours away) to replace the batteries that regulate his Deep Brain Stimulator.  This required 3 trips to Modesto.  Thanks to Robin for going with us once to help drive home in the dark.  Richard had absolutely no pain from the surgery or incisions.  Either he had a great doctor or he has a very high pain tolerance.  He was amazing.  His granddaughter, Mackie, said, "Not everyone can say their grandpa has batteries!" 

We took a bus trip tour to Yosemite.  It was GREAT to leave the driving to "them."  We made our way to The Ahwanhee Hotel, which was my desire, and stayed there the whole time.  Besides being rustic-ly antique-y and majestic in an understated way, they have a gigantic fireplace that has a ledge to sit on right next to the fire.  We had a scrumptious lunch there in the massive dining room.  We took naps on the comfy sofas, read books, (or in my case, listened to books), and generally just had a peaceful and restful day while observing the splendor of Yosemite in January through the massive windows.  The bus was very nice, and we're hoping to take more trips with this tour company.

My partner and I were able to go Visiting Teaching on the 31st of January.  Richard said a guy was bragging that he did his Home Teaching on the 1st of every month.  Richard told him he did better than that, he did his on the day before!

Blessings include cozy warm bed, comfy home, Priesthood blessings, access to good medical care, special people who brought in meals, fireplace to plop in front of, Blackie to sit on one's lap, and so much more.  Good things have already happened in February.  Stay tuned.  Susan C. Rozier aka Grandma Susan

Kylie's Baptism 11-4-11

Kylie's Baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was a grand occassion.  What made it even more special was having all the aunts, uncles and cousins come from Chico and Walnut Creek.

Thank Goodness for Jamie taking these pictures and giving them to me.  The ones I took on my camera had tea party pictures and lots of cousins.  In the process of downloading them, I deleted them from the camera thinking I already had them on the computer.  Sad sad lesson to learn.  Trust me, we had a grand time with all the family here.