The Jon Rogers Family

We Are Back In Georgia

2009-09-17T08:08:00.006-06:00

As you can see, we have had a long blog hiatus and are currently refocusing the purpose of our blog. Since December, 2008, we have moved back to the South. Jon took a position which brought us closer to our roots. From January until August of 2008, the children and I lived with my parents in Cleveland, Tennessee while we waited for our home in Colorado to sell.

Long story short: Our home in Colorado closed at the end of June and we purchased a home in Georgia on July 31st, 2009. What a road the Lord has taken us down in 2009. I have been journaling the process I have experienced as well as my thoughts of the journey our entire family has experienced in the last 9 months. Another post perhaps may be the place for those thoughts.

Suffice it to say, we are all together as the Jon Rogers family again. I have included the picture of our new home and Wes and Susanna's first day of school. I am so grateful for the home the Lord has provided for us and am amazed at how He provided it! To God be the Glory for the reuniting of our family!

Thanksgiving Celebration

2008-12-11T18:37:00.012-07:00

I am late in posting these pictures, but we celebrated Thanksgiving for a couple days in Denver. The most exciting thing for the kids is that we stayed in a hotel. The following are some of the things we did over the two days like: The Thanksgiving brunch and Tree; Visit the Wildlife Experience in Denver, and see the Downtown Denver Lights.

THANKSGIVING DAY - THANKSGIVING TREE

WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE

LIGHT UP DENVER

Rockclimbing Reward

2008-12-04T18:43:00.009-07:00

Wes is a "truth tracker" in AWANA. This means he has completed at least 7 sections every 3 weeks. Each month, he has been rewarded. For 3 consecutive months, he was rewarded with FREE inside "rock climbing" @ Dicks Sporting Goods. Susanna tagged along with Wes and dad...so she reaped some of the benefits of her brother's hard work.

Our Happy Walker

2008-11-11T06:51:00.003-07:00

Rebekah is getting more comfortable walking...just a few days before her 11 month birthday.

Catch-All Update

2008-10-22T14:53:00.019-06:00

Hello Family & Friends,

I am not sure if any of you still check out our blog since we have been so slack in updating it. But, just in case, I will attempt to do a catch-up summary since our summer entry.

After great summer times with Grammy and Grandpa Harry & Pops and Mia, we started the school year the 2nd week of August. Susanna started a part-time Kindergarten designed for Homeschoolers. Our intent is to start her full time next year in Kindergarten since she has a late birthday. She LOVES school and would go every day if she could. She is making friends and growing in confidence as she relates to other girls. Her teacher, Mrs. Conn, is very kind and warm with her and understands her personality very well.

On September 7th, we celebrated Susanna's 5th birthday with a family trip to the Denver Aquarium and an Ariel themed birthday cake. It was an "Under-The-Sea" weekend. All of us had a wonderful time being together and celebrating Susanna's special day. She made sure Wesley and Brigham knew it was her "Special Day" each of the three days over the weekend (Fri., Sat., and Sun.)

Rebekah, who is now 10 months, started crawling in August and was quick and agile by the time we went to the Aquarium. She is now standing on her own and walking along the furniture, (and crawling up the stairs) with ease. I think she will take off any day and I will have to grow eyes in the back of my head to keep up with her. Brigham is in his first Kindermusik group and Cubbie/Awana group this year and seems to enjoy them. He is such a joy and such a frustration all at one time. While he is staining something, disobeying, or getting too rough with Rebekah, he will look at you with a gleam in his eyes and a genuine smile that melts your heart. Even though he still gets his punishments and cries big tears, he recovers quickly and is smiling and laughing through the next curious endeavor. We are blessed to have a lot of time together to play and make memories. Fortunately, Brigham and Susanna love to play together most of the time and are now bringing Rebekah in on their pretending, even if she has to be the baby in the stroller.
Wes is doing well in school and is coming along in his reading. Third grade is proving to have a greater work load than 2nd but he is adjusting well. He loves his teacher and his best friend, Noah, is in his class. Jon and Wes are active in Awana and spend good quality time during the week working on their Bible verses. Wes just finished Flag Football through our YMCA. On his last game, he scored a touchdown and made 2 interceptions. For Wes, that is huge because he is mostly the "block and containment" guy that helps others make the touchdowns. But, you gotta love Wes, he was just matter of fact about it. He was still focused on getting home and playing with his Star Wars Clones. We had our first snow today, October 22nd, so needless to say, IT'S COLD today. But, with the cold, comes extra time to do things like, UPDATE A BLOG.

Rebekah's Half-Year Portrait

2008-08-29T14:23:00.003-06:00

I know I am behind posting her latest portrait, but such is life these days. This shot was taken in July when she was technically still 6 months but only a few days shy of 7 months. She will be 9 months on Sept. 12th and I will have to get an updated shot taken at that point. But, better late than never is my new motto, even though I hate being late about anything. In this portrait, Rebekah is wearing the dress Susanna wore for her 6 month portrait. It is also the same dress in which Susanna was dedicated. It is so amazing to see their portraits side by side at home and see how different they are from each other. Both beautiful but with strikingly different features.

Right now, Rebekah is crawling and pulling up with ease. Actually, we are going to have to shop for a baby gate this weekend for our staircase. She has stood alone two times but has quickly sat down once she realized she didn't have a hold of anything. Part of me is anxious to see if she walks early and the other part dreads for that day to come!

Family - Summer Visit 1

2008-08-24T20:45:00.029-06:00

During this Summer, we were very fortunate to have various family members visit us in Colorado. The month of July included visits from Grammy Elaine and Grandpa Harry (Jon's Mom and Step Dad), as well as, Pops and Mia (Monica's Mom and Dad).

The following slide show is from Grammy Elaine and Grandpa Harry's visit. We did a lot of exciting things from a July 4th Celebration and Fireworks to a Sky Sox Baseball Game to Wesley's Baseball Game, the Zoo, and we capped it off with camping in Estes Park.

We hope you enjoy the show!!!

Brigham Turns 3 & Is Using the Potty!!!

2008-06-20T13:47:00.003-06:00

We are overjoyed to announce that Brigham is using the potty and wearing "Big Boy" underwear! Oh yes, he also turned 3 years old this week. You can see what excites me more by the introductory sentence. Believe you me, Brigham using the potty is such a welcomed and anticipated milestone for the whole family, especially Jon and I who have been changing that big boy.
On Monday, June 16th, Brigham turned 3. His only request was for a Dinosaur Birthday Cake. In my attempts to give him is hearts desire on his birthday (and cake is the boy's hearts desire), it fell to pieces when I transferred it from the pan to the cake board. Luckily, the pieces were large.

So, Wes and I put our heads together and came up with the Earthquake/Dinosaur Cake you see here. It's not pretty but it brought such excitement to Brigham's face. And, that was worth it all!
Brigham opened his gifts from Wes, Susanna, and Rebekah at breakfast, went to lunch with Jon at Witt's End, and had cake and ice cream after dinner to celebrate his special day. Thank you to all who remembered him with cards, gifts, and calls on our "Big Baby's" (as he still calls himself) special day!

Wes Turns 8 years old

2008-05-27T11:00:00.005-06:00

Our firstborn turned 8 years old on May 15, 2008. However, we held a Prince Caspian Movie Premier Birthday Party for him and his friends on May 18, 2008. Jon and Wes met his friends at the movie theater at 3:00 pm to see the matinee for Narnia: Prince Caspian. Wes had been anxiously awaiting the release of this film. Since it opened on the Friday after his birthday, we decided to make a party of it.
After the movie, the boys came to our house for sword battles in the backyard, pizza, cake & ice cream, and presents. We had quite the time. Wes was thrilled to have all his close buddies here in town to share the movie with and extra hands for sword battles after it was over.
The day before the party, Jon and Wes spent the day bike shopping. At the end of the day, they settled on a bike and we hit the Santa Fe Trail to test it out and to give Susanna and Brigham a chance to get their bikes out too. It has been a cool spring but that day was very nice!
Thanks to all of you who remembered Wes on his birthday. We wish we could have celebrated with you but we were still blessed to make some great memories.

Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-05-23T10:40:00.003-06:00

By now, most of you have probably heard about the tragedy of Maria Sue Chapman, the adopted daughter of Steven and Mary Beth Chapman. Our family has been encouraged so much by the music and ministry of Steven Curtis Chapman that during this time of family tragedy for them, we have contributed to their Adoption ministry, Shoahannah's Hope, in honor of Maria Sue. If you'd like to find out more about this ministry and/or donate, then click HERE.

I hope you will enjoy this interview and acoustic version of his hit, Cinderella.

Spring Break - What a Whirlwind!

2008-05-10T12:12:00.019-06:00

Most of you have seen our Spring Break pictures in the Kodak slide show I sent out. Therefore, I only have a few pictures displayed here. I must say, we had the best Spring Break. It was fast and furious, but full of memorable events. We traveled the northern route on our way to Tennessee, crossing Kansas, Missouri, part of Illinois, Kentucky, and finally reaching Tennessee the night before Easter. The Kids woke up at Pops and Mia's to a chilly Easter morning. They were happy to see the Easter Bunny knew where they were. After enjoying a wonderful Easter service at church, we had a sweet family dedication for Rebekah, followed by a fun Easter egg hunt for the older children. The week following Easter contained a plethora of activities; Battle at Chickamauga for the boys, the Princess Parlor for the girls, a trip to Grandpa's lake house in Georgia, and to top it off, Uncle Cam and Aunt Holly's wedding. The wedding weekend was wonderful but exhausting. Trying to keep Brigham contained in a tuxedo was the thorn in Jon's flesh and nursing in a formal dress was mine. But, it was worth it to be a part of such a sweet family celebration. Holly was a beautiful bride and Uncle Cam was his fun, loving self. We also discovered that weekend that Susanna is not the only one in the family with a song in her heart. Brigham displayed his dance moves on the reception dance floor with vigor!! On our return journey, we passed through Arkansas, Oklahoma,and the southern base of Kansas. We had a memorable night stay in Oklahoma City. At 3 am the front desk called our room and told us, along with the entire hotel, to gather in the lobby restrooms because a tornado was passing through the area. We picked up the sleeping children and made our way to the lobby. Wes was the only one who was awake and was a bit concerned. But, it passed and we went back to our rooms for some more sleep. Before getting home, we spent a few hours in Dodge City, Kansas and went through the cowboy/old west museum there. It was very interesting and the kids loved it! Susanna finally got a pink cowgirl gun to defend herself from her two brothers. By the time we arrived home, we were spent, but in a good way. Now, it is time to start saving for our trip East at Christmas. By then, hopefully we will have rested up from our Spring Break!!

Rebekah's 3 Month Pictures

2008-05-10T11:53:00.006-06:00

I know most of you have seen Rebekah since these were taken, but I am trying to catch up on our blog in chrono-logical order, if possible. Our last update was Feb. 24th and it is now, May 10th. Boy, are we behind!! Rebekah had a few shots taken from a photographer here in town. My favorite shot of her was black and white but, it won't download correctly. I also had a family shot taken but it is black and white too. These are the only color shots I purchased, so I thought I would share them.

Family Catch-up

2008-02-24T10:11:00.018-07:00

We are back online and it is great! I didn't realize how internet dependent we were until we didn't have it. Scary! It appears we have had a brief run in with the flu. Just Brigham and I have been sick so far. Needless to say we have catch up to do on multiple levels, especially laundry and groceries. So, in order to catch you up on some events, here is a brief summary:
Rebekah turned 2 months on February 12th. She is starting to sleep through the night, sleep in her bassinet at night, and nurse 3 1/2 to 4 hours more consistently. The progress is nice. I am feeling much more confident in traveling to Tennessee in March with her becoming more settled in sleeping and eating patterns. She has also started sucking her thumb. She will actually spit out her pacifier to get to her thumb. I do believe that finding her thumb has helped her stay content at night in her bassinet. It must comfort her enough to stay asleep in her bed rather than fuss to get in ours. Her most prominent features right now are her double chin, semi-mohawk, and her chubby cheeks!

Our Valentine's Day was very sweet. The children of course ate

too much chocolate! Brigham ate his the fastest of the three. He

would wait until I sat down to nurse

and then I would hear a bag

rustling. The next thing I knew, he had a mouth full of chocolate.

Susanna paced herself as did Wes. Jon and Wes surprised me with

breakfast in bed and a gift certificate for a Massage. I haven't

used it yet but am truly looking forward to it!!!

Rebekah's Firsts

2008-01-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Instead of trying to review the past six weeks of Rebekah's life, I thought an overview of some of her firsts would give you a good glimpse of how she is growing and changing.

To the right is Rebekah's first tub bath. She seemed to really like it. Susanna got in with her for a little while. I turned around for a brief moment and when I had turned back, Susanna had placed a tub toy on Rebekah's tummy. Very cute gesture. Yes, and even Brigham got in the tub too, but only for a picture. He was a little rough around her at first but is getting more and more gentle as time passes.

To the left is Rebekah's first "Gampy Outing". Gampy came to stay with us from Jan. 4Th to Jan. 15Th. It was such a treat to have her and Rebekah got lots of time with her Gampy over those ten days. All the children enjoyed having her, even Brigham. He was grumpy and going through Pops' withdrawal. Unfortunately, he took it out on Gampy a bit. But after she left, when asked "Brigham, who do you love?" he responded Mia and Gampy. Too bad Pops. It was sweet seeing Gampy and her namesake, Rebekah Evelyn, have some bonding time. We are looking forward to some more in March!!

To the right is one of Rebekah's first smiles. She actually had her first smile a few days before this one was taken. However, I couldn't get that one on film. She loves her bouncy, swing, and Mommy and Daddy's bed. Notice her bassinet or crib were not in the list. I must admit, I am not as strict with her routine as I was with the other children. But, time passes so quickly and she is a wonderful cuddle baby. She snuggles very close at night. I know I will pay later when she is 2, 3, or 12 and still sneaking into our bed. But, for now, it's nice.

Our Christmas

2008-01-28T13:52:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been awhile since we have updated the blog. Now that we are getting into a routine, I wanted to give a brief synopsis of our Christmas. The Lord truly blessed us during the holiday season with a white Colorado Christmas, a healthy newborn, and Mom and Dad who came in for 3 weeks to celebrate Rebekah's birth as well as Christmas with us. Cameron and Holly were able to come for about four days as well just before Christmas!! The children were in heaven having Pops and Mia for 3 whole weeks!!

Other than sitting around the fire and playing in the playroom with the children, we enjoyed a Christmas Eve service at New Life Church and followed that with a Christmas Eve Dinner (one of the many wonderful meals Mom prepared while she was here). We woke up BEFORE DAWN, (thanks to Wesley), to see what Santa had brought. Eventually, we got around to Christmas brunch and began putting together numerous items for the children. It was a long but wonderful day!!

Before and after Christmas, Dad got a chance to walk and run in some chilly conditions but loved the view of the Rockies on his treks. Mom stayed busy cooking, doing laundry, and holding Rebekah. Wes and Brigham kept Pops busy with their battles they set up in the basement and Susanna colored and colored and colored in her various art books. A few days were even warm enough to take the kids to the park while they tried out their new bikes and trike.

All and all, Christmas was spent being together and celebrating first and foremost Christ's birth and also the birth of our Christmas Gift, Rebekah Evelyn.

Rebekah Evelyn Rogers

2007-12-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Rebekah Evelyn Rogers has arrived!

2007-12-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last night (December 12th), Rebekah Evelyn Rogers arrived @ 8:24 PM (MDT). It was a long day of waiting for Monica, but we were very excited when she arrived. The following are some initial pictures that we have taken. I will try to put together a "slide show" of more pictures in the coming days. I hope these pictures express some of the joy our family experienced. We appreciate all our friends' and family's prayer and support.

Rebekah just after birth

Rebekah with Monica

Rebekah with Susanna and Brigham (Wes was @ school...we'll add some later)

Shower in a Box - What a Surprise!!

2007-12-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,
Where do I begin to say, "Thank You"? Last night, the UPS man delivered one of my biggest surprises to date. He delivered my "Shower in a Box", organized by the best friend in the world, Anita Frederick. When I heard the doorbell and Jon say there was a box for me and to get the camera, I was a bit confused. Then, I saw Anita's card, "Get the camera ready" on the outside of the box and obeyed the order. With Susanna and Brigham's help, we opened to find a "It's a Girl!" Mylar balloon and a big box full of presents and cards. Attached to the balloon was a hand made card from Anita explaining the box.

I could not believe it! I must confess that I had been wondering what to do with the Baby Shower Pages in Rebekah's baby book so that she wouldn't look back and feel slighted. But now, thanks to your generosity and Anita's love and creativity, I have something for those pages!!
I will be writing individual thank-you's soon but wanted to get this public one out there along with some pictures (Hopefully Jon will get a slide show up of all of them this weekend). I caved and let Jon take a picture of me from the side so you could see me and Rebekah via cyberspace. I concurred with Jon that since you were kind enough to send gifts, I would break my rule of no pictures. In fact, the only pictures I have of the other children in my tummy were taken (by force) at baby showers. So, how could I hold out this time?

To all of you who participated in this special gesture of love and celebration of life,

THANK YOU!!

I love and miss you very much.

You have blessed me beyond words!!

Monica

Our Thanksgiving Week

2007-12-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late in posting some of these pictures from our Thanksgiving Week. However, here are some good pictures that demonstrate what are week was like.

First, we started the week in Denver...shopping and visiting the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. You can see the Museum wasn't just a learning experience...there were plenty moments of playful fun. For example, Monica and the kids riding wooden llamas OR Wes playing the role of prey, while Brigham (the Cheetah) pounces on his "soon to be" food.
As we approached Thanksgiving, Monica came up with some great "craft" projects for the kids...like the GIVE THANKS sign (behind us) they made with things from our yard.

OR the Pilgrims Hats that they made from Toll House Cookies and Marshmellows dipped in chocolate. You can see some how the chocolate missed the Pilgrims Hats and made it on Brigham's face...right around the area of his mouth.
On Thanksgiving day, Monica, the kids, and I celebrated it with a co-worker's family, the Paultons. We had a good time of eating, fellowship, and watching our kids play together. As you can see, we had a great Thanksgiving week. It made me realize how "blessed" we truly are.

We hope your time was full of moments of giving thanks!

Our 1st Snow - Colorado Style

2007-11-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had our first snow of the season. After our first Winter in Colorado Springs (which had the most snowfall in 20 years), this Fall - Winter has been quite warm and beautiful weather. On this Sunday, I (Jon) was flying back in from Washington DC, so I didn't get to see the kids enjoying the snow. Once the temperatures warmed up, it didn't stick around.
However, these are a few pictures that Monica took of Wes, Susanna, and Brigham enjoying the beautiful...BUT brief "Winter Wonderland".

A Wonderful Weekend - Part 2

2007-11-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Air Force Falcolns vs. Army Black Knights - Sat. November 3rd

The Air Force Falcolns played host to the Army Black Knights. This was the 1st Air Force Football game for Wes and I and the place was packed for this Service Academy Gridiron battle. Air Force easily won the Game 30 - 10 behind running of Chad Hall, who set a school record for yards rushed in a Game (275). Also, we witnessed 3 Field Goals by Ryan Harrison (one was 56 yards with plenty of distance).

As you can see, we didn't just watch football. Wes got to check out some Air Force gliders that the AF Cadets train in. At Halftime, the Air Force Falcoln put on a show for the Crowd. I was fortunate to get a shot of the falcoln flying by mid-field. Of course, Wes and I checked out the variety of concessions (hot dogs, nachos, Gatorade, Dip-N-Dots, etc.). When I mean check them out I mean we had to taste them to see if they tasted different at an Air Force Football Game or not.

Also, we saw a lot of Cadets (Air Force and Army) and various

Military equipment at the Game. As you can see by the last picture of Wes with the Official Game Program, you can see we had a great time at the Game.

One of the neat things that we did not stick around for (we wanted to beat the traffic) is the two teams gather together at the end of the Game and listen to each of the School Songs. Wes and I heard it on the radio broadcast. That time of respect and comradre within the Military Academies makes me proud of our Military Men and Women.

In two weeks, Wes, Susanna, and I are going to see the Final Home Game of the Season against San Diego State. Once again, Wes and I will be in our Air Force shirts. While Susanna will get a chance to root for the Home team in her Air Force Cheerleading outfit. With two kids and me at the game, I'd better bring more money for concessions.

A Wonderful Weekend - Part 1

2007-11-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

James Taylor Concert in Colorado Springs - World Arena: Friday, November 2nd

This past weekend (Nov. 2nd -4th) was a "wonderful weekend". Friday night, Monica and I started it off by seeing James Taylor in Concert @ the World Arena in Colorado Springs. It was the 1st time ever that James Taylor had performed in Colorado Springs. The audience loved him. The great thing about James is that his voice had stayed the same over all these years.

This was the 2nd time Monica and I had seen James Taylor in Concert. The last time was about 10 years ago in Birmingham, AL. James showed off his incredible musical ability (song writing, guitar, and singing) by performing most of his famous hits like: Sweet Baby James, Carolina, Fire and Rain, Shower the People, You've Got a Friend, Mexico, and so much more.

Monica and I had a great time just sitting back and enjoying the wonderful evening...and even a greater time when we got home and realized the kids were sound asleep in their beds.

Halloween Greeting

2007-10-31T19:04:00.000-06:00

Wes, Susanna, and Brigham dressed up for Halloween and did a little "Trick" or "Treat" around our neighborhood. It was very cold...so we didn't stay out that long...but they "racked" up on the candy. I think people were giving out a lot to the "early birds" hoping to get rid of their candy. Overall, the kids had fun...especially when they got back to the house to eat their candy AND warm up by the fire.

Like Father - Like Son

2007-10-31T06:19:00.000-06:00

By now, you probably know that we didn't get to go to Game 5 of the World Series...because there wasn't one. I've started the process for getting my refund.

However, Wes and I received (in the mail) our matching Red Sox World Series t-shirts. So, here we are posing with our Red Sox hats, T-Shirts, the "would've been" tickets for Game 5, as well as, a copy of the official World Series Program.

I will let you know that a fellow friend and co-worker, Bill Spencer (Retired Air Force Colonel), knew that Wes would be disappointed about not going to the game...so, he is giving us 2 tickets for this weekend's Air Force - Army Football Game. Wes is excited about this opportunity ...especially the "pre-Game" fly over and the concession stand!

If we take pictures, then we will post them for you.

Sox Sweep...I Weep

2007-10-29T06:15:00.000-06:00

Actually, my post's title is not quite true. I am thrilled that my favorite baseball team...the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. All year long, they have been the best team in baseball AND in the World Series they clearly proved it.

Yesterday, I found myself in a little predicament. For the first time in my life, I was rooting for the opposing team against the Red Sox. You see...since I had 2 tickets for the World Series Game 5, I was rooting for the Rockies to pull out a victory and extend the series to Monday night.

I found myself hoping the Rockies would get the big "2 Out" Hit and drive in the "Go Ahead" run. I was wishing that Terry Francona (the Red Sox Manager) would bring in Eric Gagne in relief...because that would've been a great relief for the Rockies. I was hoping that the long fly ball hit by the Rockies Jamie Carrol would have carried about 3 more feet...over the Right Field fence. I wanted to go to Game 5!

Yet, in the end and despite the fact these tickets are now merely two pieces of paper of "what could have been", I am happy for the Boston Red Sox. This World Series sweep of the Rockies, as well as, the '04 World Series sweep of the Cardinals does dull the pain from the '86 Red Sox loss to the Mets in the World Series and the '03 Red Sox loss to the Yankees in Game 7 of the American League Championship. Those heartbreaks are becoming less painful for me to remember...because two World Championships in 4 years are rather soothing.

I guess the consolation prize in all this is "hoping" is...I do get a refund on my World Series tickets and will be able use that money to buy some 2007 Red Sox memorabilia.

Congratulations Red Sox, the 2007 World Series CHAMPS...thanks for a Great Year!

Red Sox-Rockies: Here We Come!

2007-10-25T07:27:00.000-06:00

Living here in Colorado, the State has gone "nuts" over the Colorado Rockies. By the way they have been playing, there is good reason for all the excitement. It has been an amazing run for the Rockies (won 21 out of 22 games before last night's beating).

On Monday, I spent about 2 hours on-line trying to order World Series tickets. The Rockies decided to only do "on-line" sales. The problem was that around 8 million other people were also trying to buy some of the limited 60,000 total tickets available for the 3 games in Denver. The webserver crashed and it is believed that a "hacker" had something to do with it.

On Tuesday, the Rockies decided to try again to sale their World Series tickets. I like many many others I tried to gain access...just for the chance to purchase World Series tickets. After a long 1 1/2 hours, I miraculously connected. When I first connected, I was in shock and praying for me not to get "knocked off". I only had 5 minutes to decide on where I wanted seats, register my personal information, input my credit card data, and make the selection. After the long wait, I grew increasingly nervous with each click that was proceeded by a LONG pause. I thought I was going to lose connection.

I envisioned me missing the "once in a lifetime" opportunity to take my son to see our favorite team in a World Series Game. As the clock ran down, I finally clicked purchase and had to wait through a final LONG pause. Once the screen reappeared, I realized I had successfully bought 2 tickets for the World Series Game 5. I would have never imagined that when Wes and I wore our Red Sox hats to see a Rockies-Giants game on Labor Day that the next time we enter Coors Field we'll be wearing those same hats and rooting for our Sox in the World Series Game 5.

I've already warned Wes that we will be in "ENEMY" territory. His response...."SO!".

Now that I have tickets and the chance to attend a World Series game with my eldest son, I'm just praying that the Series is not a sweep. If it is, then the tickets (which would be refunded) will be just a mere example of what "could have been".

So, I say:

"Go Sox...beat the Rox, but Rox please WIN 1!

Our Autumn Excursion

2007-10-09T18:51:00.001-06:00

Fall is a very short season in the Rockies. Therefore, we knew we had to take action soon if we were going to experience a favorite family outing. Last weekend, we headed out to Canon City, Colorado for our Rogers' family tradition. Every year since Wes was born, we have taken the children to some type of Pumpkin Patch. Whether we were in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, or now Colorado, we have found a patch to purchase pumpkins and take pictures. I have always loved this outing over the years.

This year, we experienced a first. We went to a pumpkin farm and were able to cut our own pumpkins right off the vine. The pumpkins were very large and had beautiful color. Adjacent to the pumpkin field was a corn maze. We tried a corn maze once in Florida and last year in Tennessee. Those were fun but, in both cases, the corn had already been picked and the stalks were brown and dry. This year we were able to find our way through a growing corn field with the ears still on the vine. It was very fun for the children to see the ears of corn still growing and be surrounded by green, healthy stalks.

Diana's Pumpkin Patch was a bit of a drive but the family fun that awaited us was worth the trouble.

Wes' 2nd Grade Picture

2007-10-08T06:34:00.000-06:00

We just got Wes' 2nd Grade school pictures. This is his picture from his school, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy. It is a fairly new Charter School that has the highest test schools in the District.

Wes enjoys his teacher, Mrs. Bell, and his classmates. He does quite well at Math. Last week, Wes came home excited about making a 100 on both sides of his spelling test. We are very proud of how well he is adjusting to the Charter School environment.

Wes has only a couple Flag Football games left. His team is still undefeated, despite the fact they aren't suppose to keep score. However, the players and their parents keep the score in their heads. This past Saturday, Wes had one carry (a Reverse Handoff) for some yardage. Mainly, he likes playing on the Defensive line. They use him to help "contain" and get his hands up on the pass. Most the time, the other team usually run or pass the ball to the other side...staying away from the Towering 7 year old.

Well, that's all for now. We'll keep you (family and friends) updated with future posts.

Love,
The Rogers

Guest Blogger on a Presidential Candidate Site

2007-10-04T21:48:00.000-06:00

Exactly two weeks ago, I was in Columbia, SC for an event hosted by our state associated (with Focus on the Family) Family Policy Council...the Palmetto Family Council. They hosted their first ever Presidential Stump Speech and Straw Poll. For the third time in person, I was able to talk with my favorite Presidential Candidate, Governor Mike Huckabee. Every Republican Presidential Candidate (except Rudy) participated in person, via phone, or by video. At the end of the night, Mike Huckabee won with over 37 % of the vote. You can read more about it HERE.

A few days after this event, I was selected as a Guest Blogger on the Mike Huckabee for President Website and this is my post that they used...just before Newt Gingrich's post.

September 24, 2007 - 03:22 PM
Why Mike? (Guest Blogger)
by Jonathan Rogers, Guest Blogger
Why Mike would make the best GOP Candidate?

First, His executive experience. With his 10 1/2 years as Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee has shown that a great leader can work in a bipartisan environment to get things accomplished. Mike was only the 3rd Republican Governor in Arkansas since the Reconstruction. At a time when our nation is polarized more than ever between "left" and "right", we need a leader that can effectively communicate a hope and vision that the American people and politicians can support.

Second, His economic record. Now I know that a group is trying to distort Governor Huckabee's record, but Mike truly believes in free markets, lower taxes for people and businesses to reinvest in our society, and the Fair Tax. Remember, Mike was the Governor of a Democratic led state (remember a former Democratic President governed here before him) and did cut taxes close to 100 times and created a budget surplus of close to nearly $850 million when he left office. Right now, our nation's economy is strong (the Stock market, low unemployment, and new jobs). One of the biggest economic concerns is spending. In Arkansas, Governor Huckabee was limited in how much he could limit government spending. The three items that took up most of the State's General revenue was education, medicaid, and prisons. Governor Huckabee made bold plans for "streamlining" each of these areas and saving the tax payers money, but was limited by the Democratic-led State legislature and "court ordered" required spending on Education.

Third, His personal character and faith. You know what you get with Mike Huckabee. His faith has guided him all the years of his life. From the ministry to public service, Mike has had a consistent passion to help others in his leadership. His leadership and great working relationship with "faith based" organizations in Arkansas allowed him to effectively respond to the Hurricane Katrina victims, who were relocated to Arkansas. He worked with churches, denominations, faith-based organizations, and many other retired public servants and concerned citizens to help those who had just lost everything. Mike's faith guided him to have compassion for these families. His faith opened up doors and encouraged participation from thousands people from Arkansas to respond. Mike faith is not used for a Campaign slogan. It is real, authentic, and obvious...not something that is leveraged for votes.

Fourth, His vision and communication ability. As a 35 year old, I have followed politics even before I was able to vote. I have met and watched Governor Huckabee give speeches on many different issues (values, faith, taxes, education, health care, terrorism, etc.). I have never been as inspired by another politican as they spoke about these issues. Mike Huckabee has a solid belief system on the issues...and he has the greatest ability to communicate that with the American people.

And lastly, if Hillary is the Democratic nominee (which if she is it is will be mainly because she is Bill Clinton's wife...not what she's done in the US Senate), then Governor Huckabee will have the greatest advantage of any other GOP Candidate to point to the successes he's had in Arkansas...since she and her husband left the state (for Uptown New York).

Jonathan Rogers is a guest blogger today. You can read his blog at http://www.huckabee08.blogspot.com.

Permalink: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=45

Wes' Slide Show

2007-09-24T16:48:00.000-06:00

Since Susanna got her own slideshow for her birthday, I thought it was only fair to create one for Wes. These are some pictures from his day with Dad at the Rockies Game, as well as, his Flag Football Season Opener, which they won BIG!

Red Sox fans enjoy local Rockies Game

2007-09-13T05:42:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful Labor Day in Denver, Colorado. Wesley and I took in our first Colorado Rockies game, against the San Francisco Giants. This is Wes outside Coors Field...anxiously waiting to head into the Stadium. I told him about the newly crowned "Homerun King" (Barry Bonds), who sat this game out. Bonds did make an appearance in the On Deck Circle, but never batted. He was greated with lots of boos and other greetings that I can not post on this "family site".

Even though it was a Rockies - Giants baseball game, Wes and I proudly wore our Boston Red Sox hats. There were a lot of Boston fans like us...wearing Red Sox hats even though they weren't playing in this game. Of course, our Red Sox hats are the only baseball team hats we own, which is by choice. While we enjoyed the Rockies bat around in the 3rd inning and put 7 on the board, we anxiously kept track of the American League scoreboard watching the scores of both the Red Sox and Yankees Games.

With the Air Force Academy and various Army and Air Force bases throughout Colorado, the Rockies do a great job of honoring our Country and our Armed Forces. During the 7th Inning Stretch, they sang "God Bless America". Wes and I were honored to attend the game with my co-worker...a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Bill Spencer. Also, it was great that the Rockies offer a GREAT discount on tickets for military. Maybe just maybe, if the Rockies continue their hot streak and pull out the National League Wild Card, we may try to catch a Playoff Game.

If that's the case, I will root for the home team, but my heart (as well as my son's) is still with the SOX!!!

Go Red Sox...beat the Yankees!

Susanna Celebrates her Birthday

2007-09-08T09:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Susanna celebrated her 4th Birthday in a really BIG way!

Wes Starts a New School

2007-08-16T17:42:00.000-06:00

Family and Friends,

Here is a short greeting from Wes, Susanna, and Brigham...as well as, Wes sharing about his adventures at a new school.

We hope you enjoy.

Camping in the Rockies

2007-08-08T16:12:00.000-06:00

Our camping trip to Estes Park last weekend was a great experience. The children loved being outdoors, even Wes, who at first was wishing for a Motor home so he could watch TV. After his initial misgivings, he dove right in to exploring the campgrounds' rocks and fishing holes. We camped at a private campground not far from Estes Park, Colorado. We were northwest of Denver, not far from the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Our first night was a bit disconcerting. We weathered a big wind storm which at times caved our tent in on us. Jon spent most of the first night re-staking the tent. Miraculously, the children slept right through it. The next day and night, however, were perfect. Wes, Susanna, and Jon went swimming while Brigham napped. That night, we made smores by the campfire while a doe walked right beside us to watch. We were even fortunate enough to see a beautiful rainbow directly over our campground.

Hopefully, this will be the first of many trips to come.

Home Away From Home

2007-08-08T16:01:00.000-06:00

Susanna and Brigham got a combined gift this summer, their first playhouse. Wes consents to play with them sometimes. Susanna and Brigham love playing house which includes fixing Jon and I dinner from time to time. Susanna is usually the mommy and Brigham is the baby. She will leave him to get gas and groceries but always returns home to give orders. It is so cute watching them play together. Thank all of you who contributed this year through birthday money and playhouse money to help us save for this backyard treat.

Rebekah Evelyn is on Her Way!

2007-08-03T09:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we were blessed to learn we are expecting a girl. So far, everything looks ok and she is developing well. She weighed in at 14 oz. and is due to arrive on December 13th. Needless to say, Susanna is thrilled and keeps saying she is going to have a sister. Wes was a bit disappointed only because we now do not have to purchase bunk beds for the boys' room. It is starting to sink in a little bit. Last night after the ultrasound, we all went to BabiesRUs and purchased Rebekah some "girly" caps since we did not have any for her. This will be our first winter baby so, we are having to think about different clothing needs this time around. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Brigham Turns 2

2007-08-03T08:53:00.000-06:00

Brigham turned 2 on June 16th. We were blessed to celebrate with Dad's side of the family at Papa and Gampy's house the night before Papa passed away. Brigham loves the movie and characters from the movie "Cars". Therefore, he received many "Cars" themed gifts: camping chair, race track, a new dvd (he had watched our old one so much it was very scratched), a t-shirt, and multiple toy cars from the movie. He had a great time being with all his cousins and Pops and Mia on his birthday. I do think however, that the cake and ice cream were his favorite part of the birthday festivities.

We Are Truly Blessed

2007-04-17T19:39:00.000-06:00

We are so priviledged to be able to share with you that we are expecting our fourth gift from God. We learned of this blessing this week. According to the time table we looked at on the web, he or she will arrive in mid December. Jon and I are both very excited and look forward to the coming months. So far, I feel great. I have not had any real symptoms other than headaches. We are grateful that God has blessed us once again with Life!

Our White Easter

2007-04-17T19:31:00.000-06:00

As you can see, we awoke to a snowy Easter this year. Compared to last Easter in Florida, our pictures are like night and day. I must say it was very pretty though. I don't know if you can make it out but, the children's Easter basket is at the base of the front door. When the children opened the door to get their Easter basket, Susanna started crying and said it was too cold!! Wes said, "Quick grab it and shut the door". Therefore, we opened our basket this year in front of our fireplace!! Brigham was already into the Skittles as I took their picture. Wes and Susanna had a bit more self-control.

Ready for Easter Service

2007-04-17T19:26:00.000-06:00

Despite the snowy weather, we dressed in our Easter finest to celebrate Christ's resurrection at our church. Susanna's Gampy gave her the white sweater and she wore it proudly. Brigham and Wes were not quite sure about their outfits since they were a bit dressier than their normal church clothes. However, they were good sports and posed for the camera.

Our Little Cowboys and Cowgirl

2007-04-08T14:16:00.000-06:00

All three of our gifts from God speak different things to us about Our Heavenly Father. Wes speaks to us about answered prayers, as he was our answered prayer for a child. Susanna speaks to us about God's beauty. Brigham speaks to us about God's provision. We are so grateful for these three treasures!!

Susanna is our joy and a true delight. She is a steel magnolia in every sense of the word. Tough at times when we think she will wilt, and delicate at other times when we don't expect it. It is a riot to she how her tenderness affects Jon in ways the boys do not. Jon and I are learning to nurture her with love and understanding. Her unguarded self is rarley seen by many of you. Therefore I wanted to include a glimpse of it with this photo.

Brigham, on the other hand is "wide open" with his little personality. What you see is what you get. He is fun loving yet tough as nails when he feels strongly about something. His favorite toys are guns (pictured) and cars. The positive thing about his playing with guns so much is that he will hug and kiss you just before he shoots you. I wish we could play an audio feed of his sound effects when he plays soldiers. There are very impressive!!

At the Peak

2007-04-08T13:59:00.000-06:00

The "High Point" of our visit with Mom and Dad in early March was our trip to the top of Pikes Peak. The COG train carried us to the top of the mountain. The magnificence of God's creation was on display for all of us to see. The view was breathtaking. You could see the continental divide as well as the entire city of Colorado Springs. We decided to take along our TORCH for a fun shot.

Susanna, the smallest of the bunch, wilted amidst the cold and wind at the top. Dad concluded that climbing Mt. Everst was not ever going to be on his "to-do list"!!

The Wild, Wild West

2007-04-08T13:42:00.000-06:00

Our time with Pops and Mia was priceless. They came to visit the 2nd week in March, during Dad's spring break. We tried to catch all the main attractions during their visit. One such attraction was a Wild West Museum. The boys enjoyed shooting targets with mock rifles and Susanna liked getting in all the buggies on display. We were also able to visit some ancient Indian ruins built into the side of the mountain cliffs.

It was fascinating to see the creative housing these ancient people constructed. Brigham loved climbing and crawling in all the doorways, balconies, and windows available. Wes and Susanna were a bit more cautious of the site but throughly enjoyed the gift shop!!

Day at the Zoo

2007-04-08T13:34:00.000-06:00

In early March, we visited the Denver Zoo. Brigham's favorite animal was the giant catfish in the aquariam area. We told him he could see all the catfish he wanted at the Chattanooga Aquarium and to pay more attention to the rare species on display. However, our advice was to no avail and he stayed parked at the catfish. Susanna loved the seals and giraffes. Wes enjoyed the lion cubs but kept asking us how long he had to walk around. This picture was taken at the gate just before our departure to go pick up Pops and Mia at the airport. It looks like Brigham already has Pops on his mind.

First Trip to the Slopes

2007-04-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

Our first trip to the ski slopes was a memorable one. We were able to go along with Jon during a policy conference at the end of February. The kids and I have learned not to pass up a free nights stay in a hotel! Susanna gets a special look in her eye when she sees that the TV in the room has cable. Even though Brigham's social graces made dining out with executives a bad idea, the trip was well worth the work and stress on my part keeping him under wraps. Jon and Wes got to both ski for the first time, in Breckenridge! It seems my first ski trip may have been Ober Gatlinburg, but I am not resentful. We were not sure how Wes would do. But, once he made it down the mountain, he said he loved it! He and Jon got a little bit of instruction from one of Jon's co-workers. We were so proud of Wes! He has had a lot of new experiences in a short amount of time, but he took this one and ran with it!

Snow Babies

2007-04-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

From Surf to Snow: The children have done great with the climate adjustment. They probably have adjusted better than we have. Brigham went from screaming when we put a jacket on him this past fall in Tennessee, to always wanting a coat, hat ,and gloves. Moreover, Susanna is thrilled with her winter accessories since they are pink. Brigham and Susanna caught the eye of a ski instructor as they were playing in the snow in Breckenridge. He commented on how much fun they were having just being in the snow. When I told him we recently moved from Florida and these were their first months ever seeing snow, he smiled and said, " AWESOME!!", in a way only a ski junkie could.

Greetings from Our Home to Yours

2007-04-07T15:50:00.000-06:00

This is our homestead in Colorado.

God has truly blessed us with this home, which perfectly fits the needs of our family. As time passes, we are adding our personal touch little by little.

Did we mention that there is room for out of town guests?