Rogers July Family Week

Neal, Katrina, Daniel and Anna came from Rexburg on July 22 and stayed until July 28th.  Anna had three doctor appointments and Neal was working on grades until Saturday afternoon but we managed to have some fun times in between.  

 We went to the Pioneer Day Parade Preview at the Expo Center to see the floats in air-conditioned comfort.  This shows Grant, Kristilyn and John ,  Neal and Daniel

 After two weeks of having a tour guide tell us when and where to go, John was delighted to just take Amelia and Lillian for their own personal tour. 

 Anna and Daniel, Katrina and Neal in front of the float from the Chinese association. 

 Kristilyn holding John with James, Grant, and Daniel

 James, Grant, Kristilyn, John, Daniel, Amelia, Lillian, and John in front of the Jordan River Stake float which won the Legacy award. 

 Daniel, James, and Grant search for "gold" nuggets. 

Daniel was enchanted with little John. 

For our Pioneer Day activity we went to Fairmont Aquatic Park pool in Sugar House.  Here is Mark, Grant, James, Kristilyn with John and Lillian and Amelia in front. 

 The pool had lots of fountains and waterfalls. 

 Daniel is a little fish. 

 Katrina and Anna.  John and I helped

Scriptures and prayer with a tablet. 

Saturday after the baby shower we had a family pizza party in West Jordan.  Daniel was happy to show "Curious George" on his portable DVD player to his cousins.  The Eliasons have matching shirts from the Eliason side of the family.  

Keith brought over inflatable water slides which were a great hit.  Here are Talisa and Daniel on top.  

 Melody and Brandon drove from Las Vegas on Friday and returned home on Sunday.  We were thrilled with their announcement that they are expecting twins in January. 

Lillian and Amelia were determined to slide down the big water slide like the big kids.  They turn two next monrth. 

Melody cheered on Lillian on the little slide. 

Brandon and Mark holding Lillian

 

Katrina and Neal, Keith, Kim with Kira peeking out, Brandon and Melody, Krisitlyn and Mark, Julie and John  We had all of our family here but Mike's family and Jason. 

 John and Kathryn with our twins who are expecting their first babies at the same time!

 Melody and Brandon

 It was fun to have our three daughters sleeping in our house for two nights!

Neal, Daniel, Katrina and Anna.  Anna wears size 4 clothes now.  She's turned four in March. 

Julie & Sarah's Baby Shower

 

On Saturday, July 27, 2013, we had a combined baby shower for cousins Julie Rogers Burningham and Sarah DuPaix Southwick.  (Becca, Sarah, Julie, and Kathryn)  Julie is expecting a boy and Sarah is expecting a girl. 

 The shower was held at Kristilyn's rennovated 100 year old home.  Keith and Mark laid the sod on Tuesday night. 

 Julie's special friends came to wish her well:  Courtney, Marilee, Julie, and Sarah

Kevin and Candice Smith's four-year-old twins--Cerice and Cerrah

 

Jeanie with her daughter Lily holding her cousin Molly. 

 Becky with new little Thomas Owen

 Monica holding 10 month old Kenneday, Maddy, and Becky and Thomas

 Monica, Kennedy, and Maddy DuPaix

 

Candice Smith with her twin daughters Cerice and Cerrah and her mother Julie.  

 The Smith cousins

 Marilee Smith, an interior designer, will be going to the Mexico City Temple next week to work on the specifications for the 18 month remodel of that temple. 

 View of the room where the shower was held.  Meri (in the blue) is talking with her cute daughter Mollie.  The black bag with the gifts is the present that Edie had hand-carried from the Philippines.

 

Sarah shows  the hand quilted baby quilt that Edie sent to her from the Philippines.  

 Becca gives Sarah a special one-sie announcing that Becca is expecting a baby in March.

 Kristilyn shows 5 month-old John to Candice and Julie

 Most of the the DuPaix women:  Maddy holding her little sister Kennedy, Monica, Debbie, Sarah, Lily in front, Jeannie, Meri, and Becca. 

 Cousins who were expecting babies at the shower:  Becca in March, Melody in January (twins!), Heather Keetch at Thanksgiving, Sarah in September, Julie in August, and Tiffany three days before Julie.
This means that all of the married Rasband grandchildren will have children of their own to nurture.  In this picture there are two Rogers granddaughters, two Keetch granddaughters, and two DuPaix granddaughters.  George is expecting his first great-grandchild in September.  Paige, Rebecca's daughter, is expecting a little girl.  

 The Rogers women--Kathryn, Katrina, Kim, Melody, Julie, and Kristilyn

 The Keeetch women--Karen, Monique, Tiffany, and Heather

Molly playing with Cerice and Cerrah. 

This a wonderful day of celebration and rejoicing. 

Gettysburg & Valley Forge --July 11-12, 2013

We arrived at Gettysburg just a few days after the 150th anniversary of the pivotal battle of the Civil War.  This is near the site where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.  In this part of the battle field over 3,500 Union soldiers who had been killed in battle were re-interred here.  Following the war the remains of 3,320 Confederate soldiers were removed and sent to cemeteries in the South.  They are still finding remains of soldiers.  In the Civil War 688,816 men were killed or died of wounds or disease related to the war.  This is more than the total of all those who were killed in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the recent military actions combined!  These were all Americans--too often families fighting against each other on different sides. 

 

 The Soldiers' National Cemetery Monument.  Look at the expressions on the faces of the soldiers. 

 It was heart-breaking to see how many hundreds of markers with just a number indicating that the person was unknown. 

 The word "tattoo" has come to have very significant meaning to me after seeing the the tattoo at Fort Meyers. The average age of soldiers in the Civil war was 17 1/2 years old.  What heart ache!!

 Rich, John and Karen inspect an actual cannon from the battle. 

 This is the where General Lee's troops prepared for Picketts' Charge. 

 The distance isn't very far.  After two hours of cannon bombardment from both sides, some 12,000 Confederates advanced across the open fields.  The attack failed and cost Lee over 5,000 men in one hour.  This was the only battle fought on Union soil. 

 One of the Union generals didn't follow orders and moved his troops to another location.  This was noticed and northern troops were moved to cover the area but they arrived to defend the hill 5 minutes before the Southern troops.  Those five minutes could easily have determined the fate of the Civil War and history. 

 I felt incredible sadness as I we looked over the the valley where so many were killed and maimed.  The water actually ran with blood. 

 We climbed to the top of the Pennsylvania Memorial.  All of those who served from there are listed in their regiments.  This is an idea which was used again for the Vietnam Memorial Wall. 

 This is an interior of a simulated cabin where George Washington's troops stayed at Valley Forge.  Wood deteriorates very rapidly in that climate so nothing remains of the original cabins.  There were four miles of tiny cabins and the First Continental Army needed help.  Washington used effectively the help and expertise of those from other nations such as Lafayette, von Steuben, and others to quartermaster supplies. 

 An interpreter in period dress gave an excellent presentation. 

 We didn't stay long because much of the time it was raining really hard. 

 German General von Steuben who molded the state militias into the First Continental Army. 

 The Washington Memorial Chapel is a beautiful tribute to George Washington.  Washington spent the winter with his troops and spent his wife's fortune to provide for them.  She was fully supportive of his efforts. 

Rich and Karen in one of the archways.