Saying Goodby To 2009!

This year has been a really growing year for all of us I think. Here are a few of the things I will really remember from 2009

*Kerry got engaged.

*Cydne coming home from her mission.

*Cydne got engaged.

*Girls camp

*Molly & Stella's B-days

*Molly got potty trained.

*Stella was walking at 10 months... just great!

*Several trips to Lake Powell

*Finding out Pa had cancer

*Twin nephews born

*Kerry & Ben's wedding-Wow! What more can I say about miracles!

*Cydne's & Braden's wedding

*A Nephew Diagnosed with high functioning autism (Asbergers look at this amazing story)

*Rosander Adult only Lake Powell trip. We haven't been down with the Rosanders since we were first married.

*Basement flooded 3 times, all different places and different reasons.

*We had termites.

*Got to Redo our basement when we were so close to being done.

You know I look back at the year and I can't believe some of the stuff we have gone though. I was talking to Amy while we were in Powell and asked her how she was dealing with life so well. (Here is a young mom who lives hours away form any family and her husband was laid off, her father diagnosed with cancer and her son just diagnosed with high functioning autism.)

She is so wise and (oh I just bawl thinking about it again) She said that that day in the temple when Pa showed up for Kerry's wedding it was just a reminder that there is more to life than just this. She remembered the things she has been taught as a little girl and that she knew that there would be challenges before she decided to come to earth and she came anyway. I was so amazed and her answer and her attitude of focusing on the eternal perspective.

This year we have seen some real challenges, but we have also seen great miracles! I'm so extremely grateful that my Heavenly Father knows me. He has pushed me and pulled me and really stretched me this year in more ways than I though were possible. I am humbled and honored to have felt the companionship of the Holy Ghost though all of this. I still have a lot of ways I'm still working on my self, I wish my growth ended at the beginning of the new year, but I still have thing I have to work though and ways I'm growing, but I'm so grateful for the tender mercies that I have felt and continue to feel. I'm thankful for all of the amazing examples I have around me and the way in which they teach me.

I'm really looking forward to 2010! Bring it on! I can't wait for a fresh start with a new year!

What's In That Mouth Now?

Anyone that has spent more than 10 min with Stella knows that everything goes right into her mouth. Oh boy! This has been scary at times, funny at times and totally embarrassing at other times (dinner at the Eastons comes to mind). I came out of the bedroom as we were all getting ready to go to a Rosander family party and her mouth looked full... this is getting harder to tell if there is something in there being as she chews on her tough ALL the time. So wondering if it was just her tongue I though I would check it out. What do you think I found...

two whole Reese's peanut butter cups wrappers and all. She was not going to let a wrapper stop her. After fishing out all of the extra paper with a drop to your knees though your head back kind of fit, Stella wasn't much better jk. I started to investigate. That's when I found the other two. OH boy! This girls is way too funny.

Another good story was we were getting ready again to go to the Rosanders and coming out of the bedroom found Stella on the counter. She had climbed up on the chair to the desk and on to the counter and was going though Kris's wallet and taking out all of the cards. I'll tell you, this girl knows what she wants that is for sure!

The Holiday Fun Continues!

I have been telling Molly that we can decorate her gingerbread house before Christmas, things just have seemed to get so busy and we have not had time to do it. Sunday was the day. I took the day off of doing my personal progress interviews that I have been doing for weeks now and spent some much needed R&R time with my family. Kris and I watched another movie and then when the girls got up from their naps than we started fun stuff. Kris played Fancy Nancy, (Molly's new favorite game, thank you mom) and I tried to catch up on some much needed blog post (journaling) Then Kris picked up a book to read for a bit and I told Molly this was a great time to do her house. She was thrilled. She did such a great job. I was happy I had thrown away the box because sometimes my need for perfection takes over and I think it should be a professional look, when in reality it doesn't matter what it looks like. In fact Molly had a lot more fun just putting things wherever she wanted instead of her mother telling where to put what. Honestly I really have to work on doing that, but when I do, I realize I have way more fun and so does Molly! She was so proud of her little house. She kept saying "Daddy look at my house. Isn't it so cute?" She did great and had a lot of fun. I'm grateful for the time I get with them and for the time making memories. I love this little girl. She seems to be growing up all to fast!

Christmas Break For ALL Of Us!

It was nice to have Christmas on Friday and know that Kris didn't have to go back to work the day after. Saturday was great. We got up and Kris made pancakes for the girls and then we all went sledding. It was a blast. Stella wasn't so sure about the big hill and got a little apprehensive about going down. After getting to the bottom she would just want to hug you and feel that safety and security. Molly who is usually my scaredy cat loved it... I thought it would be the other way around Stella would love it and Molly would have taken more time to warm up to it than Stella. Not so. Molly I think remembers it from last year. We played for about an hour and then they played on the playground for a bit. I love having Kris home and being with the girls. The girls love it just as much as I do!

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Christmas Day 2009

Well I woke up all excited and couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought the girls or to see how the girls would react. I have always been the one who couldn't sleep on Christmas eve. So not to change up tradition I was restless all night. I couldn't wait for everyone to get up. So finally about 7 ish I got up and made the traditional syrup and got the pancakes mostly mixed up so that after we were done we just had to mix the dry and wet ingredients and put those thing on the griddle. I was also able to clean up the remaining cookie mess from the night before... still not up I put away some tools that Santa had left out the night before. Again... Still not up. I did a few more things around the house running the disposal included... Mind you I would normally tip toe around the house as to not wake up anybody... I was so not doing that and I couldn't believe that they were all sound asleep with not a care that Santa had come and toys and fun were waiting fore everyone! I am not usually one to complain about kids sleeping in... but come on it's Christmas and they never sleep till 9:30!

Once everyone woke from the dead (all with in a few minutes of each other then the fun began. I don't think what I thought would be the big hits were the big hits. The girls got all kinds of fun things, some of these included Church bags... there was so much stuff in them, but the deal is I keep them in a special place and the stuff gets rotated though and we don't play with it during the week. Sunday actually went pretty smoothly... a few meltdowns at the beginning for Stella, but once she figured there were way more fun things to do on the bench in her bag than sitting on moms lap in the foyer she was great!

Santa also brought Molly a scooter and a full stocking. Both girls got a fairy train set to share,and Stella got a wagon.

Some of my favorite gifts for the girls this year were...

The quilts for the girls. I have never made or pieced a quilt before and decided that I would do that for my girls for Christmas. It was so much fun and I was so happy with how they turned out. My brother in laws mom embroiders and she was so nice to embroider their names on each quilt. I really am so happy with the way it all turned out. There is something that is so satisfying to me when I finish something that I have started and made. It all worked out so well and they are so cute if I can say that!

The ibooks. Stella's was all pictures and Molly's was an abc each letter had pictures of Molly representing that letter, so for b we had a picture of her with bubbles about 2 years ago, and one of her walking on the beach or with her blankie and on and on... it turned out really fun. I have loved doing these books for the girls. I have done them for past Christmases, but I think I will really try to do one every year.

Zhu zhu pets. I know that Santa had looked everywhere for these for my girls, but was not able to find them so he switched gears... Well Santa couldn't but my neighbor Margaret did. She called me and told me she had found them and asked if I still wanted them. I told her yes and though her amazingness she got 2 Marines that were at toys r us for toys for tots to go and get them for her (you could only buy one per person, and she had been asked to get one for someone her mother in law knew and saw there) Long story short... She got them and my girls LOVE them. Thank so much Margaret!



We had a great Christmas. Nan and Pa had come over to watch the girls open their gifts. After opening most of the gifts we started breakfast and it was yummy! I love breakfast! Homemade Pancakes with the homemade syrup, bacon, sausage, OJ, chocolate milk, I did forget the eggs oh well nobody asked about them so maybe nobody noticed. Shortly after Nan and Pa left, my parents came up with my two little sisters... Honestly I still can't believe it. It's been a long time since they have been up... July as a mater of fact. Stella's b-day. Oh it was fun. They came up and spoiled us all. Thank you thank you thank you. I can't wait to get my chairs up down stars. My family didn't stay long and we put the girls down for naps right after they left. Kris and I got ready for the day and watched a movie. After the girls naps and getting everyone ready we headed over to nan and pa's for dinner, and more gifts. Some of the things were not such a surprise like this really cool map of the world that is done with all of the states license plates. I had seen it and fell in love with it and Becky had been asking me what I wanted so I called and told her I loved that... Oh it's so cool! I love it. Other things were a bit more of a surprise...

I had walked in and seen Liam and the back of his shirt and didn't think much about it and then was sitting next to Chelsea on the couch feeding sweet little Sam and Mark come over and said...Chelsea did you see Liam's shirt? I started reading the from that read I'm going to be a and then it hit me I shot off the couch and headed to the kitchen where Jody was. I had just asked her about that less than a week ago. She was so funny. She said she just found out on Mon and she's 12 weeks... Oh how would that be? to be done with the first trimester and not even know you were pregnant? I continue to dream! We are so excited about the expected arrival of a new little nice or nephew this up coming year!

One other amazing gift that was one of my favorite for the girls came that night as well... Jody's boys had my girls for cousin gifts and Jody had made these darling skirts and fun pins and bows to go with them. They are to die for and my girls look so cute in them and needed Sunday clothes so badly so this was a welcomed gift.

You can't really see the pins because of their coats, and I couldn't find Stella's bow (I knew it was in the car somewhere, but it was 8:57 and we were trying to get out the door... How cute! I know you are all wishing you had Jody as a sister in law! I'm just the lucky one!

All in all we were spoiled all the way around! Thank you everyone for making this such a fun Christmas for the get togethers and family visits and the gifts weren't to shabby ether. Thank you! What a fun Christmas! It was another late night and my girls were acting up so we were home to get them to bed. This really was a great Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2009!

What a fun day and night. We spent the day at home. Kris washed the cars and painted the basement while I helped Molly make cookies for Santa. Late that afternoon we all went to my parents house for an amazing dinner. After dinner we gathered around to hear my grandpa read the Christmas story from the scriptures. Oh it brought back so many memories of being little again and sitting in my grandparents living room Christmas eve for that same story. We haven't done that for years and grandpa and grandma have been coming to our house for Christmas eve, and we have read that same story, but it was different than past years. Maybe due to my grandpas health. He has not been feeling great and has been in and out of the hospital. I really don't know how much longer I will get to hear that, and it makes me sad to think that my girls won't remember that... they will have their own memories of their grandpa reading that story! Amazing how life moves in circles (kind of). After the story of that first Christmas, we all got to open one gift... what is it you ask? PJ's for everyone!

Being as it was late Kris had to pry my away from my family and all of the fun that I knew that they would be having, and I would be missing out on, movies, even later night and maybe a game or two. We headed home so that Santa could find us. The girls were tired but despite a couple massive meltdowns we read our own board book first Christmas story, got cookies & milk for Santa, and some for his elves, reindeer food for the reindeer and then pictures of the girls in their jammies by the tree.

You can see how well the pictures by the tree went! Oh boy! Those girls... well in the words of Pinkalicious's mom...

"You get what you get, and you don't get upset!"

Well Santa did come and he did eat those cookies (most of them any way) and drank that milk, and even the reindeer food was mostly gone! I did hear Santa putting stuff together till about 12:30... I'm told he got to sleep in till 9:30 that is the same time my girls got up(the one day they sleep all night and don't get up early, go figure). I was the excited one and they did sleep well despite my noisy efforts in the kitchen to wake them all. Oh well as excited as I was I did get some things done before they all got up! What a perfect Christmas. More on Christmas tomorrow... Mr. Rosander is off to bed and I would like to curl up and cuddle for a bit, so cosy and safe... and after my dreams lately I need all the safe I can get!

Our Christmas Season.

Man I can't believe how fast this season has gone. It's over and I look back and wondering where the time has gone I have soooo many fond memories of this season. Here are just a few of the fun things we have done to keep ourselves busy.

We planned to go see the zoo lights and when we got there and started getting out and getting the stroller we started to realize how cold it really was. This wasn't just cold the wind was blowing so bad and Kris knew how miserable it would be and I also came to that conclusion after getting out of the car to get the girls in the stroller. So instead we headed up the canyon to a little diner and had dinner and hot chocolate then headed to the see one of our favorite Christmas spots... Christmas Street.

I took the girls to another one of our favorite spots from last year... Christmas UT. This is just amazing. This guy has a light on every exposed part of his house. He has Santa in the window that waves to the kids... totally looks like Santa to me. Then he has synchronized all of his lights to music. He has lights in the shape of people and they are playing instruments... also synched to the music and they look like they are really playing. Anyway there is this whole thing and it is so cool. You sit in your car and turn your radio to 99.9 and you get all of the music from there. Both of the girls loved it. Stella didn't say a thing. She just sat and stared at the lights and occasionally pointed and Ohhhhed a little bit. Molly kept saying "We should bring daddy back here!" They are so cute! Always thinking of there daddy.

This is Santa in the window.

musicians and they move their instruments and really look like they are playing.

There are lights on every sq inch of this house and when the music is going it's soooo cool because it lights up at different times to go with the music.

All of this has been really fun and great, but what is Christmas without the true meaning of Christmas? We made it down to temple sq to check out the lights and the Nativity. Molly was really good... Stella really only cared that she was getting smarties. It was so cool. What an amazing story. We made it up to see the Christus and hear the words that had been spoken by our Savior.




with our trip to temple square almost done we made one last stop... a buggy ride. I remember going on a buggy ride when I was just a little girl. It was around Christmas and it was only once, but man I remember it. Molly loves ponies and keeps asking if she can ride on one. So we decided to bite the bullet and take a ride. Oh my gosh!!!!!! It was so fun. My girls were amazing. Stella did kind of freak when she saw the horse behind us. Our horses name was Wessen. He was great our driver was Scooter. We loved it and when we were getting in the girl told us that this was the only heated buggy... Man we hit the jackpot. Oh it was so fun to ride around temple square and Molly loved it. What a fun thing to do! I don't know if the girls or I had more fun. I just loved being there with them and doing that and something that brought back so many memories. Oh I loved it!


Not all of our activities have involved the kids. We had a fun night out with the Rosander side of the family. Kris' sister was here from Vegas and so all of us adults to dinner and then with a twist to the night... Pa took us all to Sports Authority and gave each couple some money. We could get whatever we wanted, but we had to get something for each of us and then get as close to that amount without going over... can you say fun? Really it was awesome! Thanks Pa! Kris got running shoes, a pull up bar, and I got a keddel bell (Way cool, but I need to get the wrist protectors).
We also had the annual Baird family date night! PF Changs.... can you say ummmmmmmmmm! Then we headed up the street to walk around temple square. So much fun. I love those date nights and look forward to it every year.

One other fun thing that I did with the girls on a day that Kris was working. We went to Cabela's. We got to see all of the fish. Stella was a little apprehensive (she starts to get really clinging and wants to just hug you, so funny!). But she love the airplane. they also loved all of the animals and we look at a lot of animals that kind of looked like reindeer. Molly Really loved that.

This is kind of the short version of what we have done leading up to Christmas. Wow how fast time flies. We have loved spending time with our amazing little girls and family and friends!

I Have To Be The Funniest Person EVER!

Oh my heck... I have to be the funniest person I know. REALLY! So at one of the offices that Kris works at they took pictures of all of the staff and he was not there that day... He told them that I could take the picture and so I did. They had sent pictures of what the picture should look like and so I did the best I could with my little photography knowledge and then emailed it to the girl that needed it. I just checked to see if they had sent back an email to see if it would work. They said that it looked great. Playing around I wrote this funny message and played like I was going to send it. (In all honestly I was planning on sending it.) then Kris got all funny and stressed and stern "Don't send that." Well I hit send! It was so funny. Poor Kris. I totally get this from my mom btw (the teasing and joking). I don't know if it will be as funny in the morning when I have had some sleep ( I have been going on about 5 hours on average lately, (Holiday anxiety) that comes form my mom as well.. But oh how funny I am tonight! This is exactly what I sent and she sent an email back saying that it looked great, so posing as my husband this was my response.



I know. What do you expect from such a great looking, handsome young strapping man like myself. Glad it worked out. Kris

Not that Kris is not all of these things and MORE, but for those of you who know my husband he is the most reserved, quiet, almost comes across as shy, but not really, person if you don't know him well... this girl he really doesn't know well and someone he works with... Oh my heck! He cracks me up!

This all kinds of pay back for the 2 am photo shoot.

p.s. Don't comment on the photo... he looks great, but I don't really love these kinds of photos, but that is what they wanted, he on the other hand is very handsome.

p.s.s It's the next day and I still think it's hilarious!

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Help!

For Christmas I have requested church bags for each of my girls from Santa. It is so hard to keep them occupied during sacrament meeting. We have it last and it's right during nap time and we do everything but tap dance for them, and I have thought about it several times. I have decided to ask Santa for a bag for each of them stuffed full of stuff for them to do and things we need and then they go in the closet so the only thing I should have to change out should be treats. Here is where I'm kind of stuck. Santa asked what I would like in the bag here is a list that I have...

*HAND SANITIZER (now that Stella will be going to nursery we will need this after class)

*Water bottles/ cups with a drink

*Diaper wipes (this is not just for dirty diapers. Love these things)

*Colored pencils/ coloring book

*Sticker books

*Magna Doodle (mini)

*Treat bags

*Magnetic princess dolls

Any other ideas that you use and work for you? I really dread Sundays because I know we'll be fighting with kids the whole time. I do make Molly wait till after the sacrament for any toy, treat, or anything else... That is kind of soft being as we are just trying to keep our kids quiet!

Speaking of... here are some of my ideas for treats that I've used

*Pretzels

*Yogurt chips

*Fruit snacks or stickers (we got that from Brooke B.)

*String cheese

*Goldfish

*Marshmallows

I'm really looking for healthy snacks... any other ideas?

Please Help! Santa Would Really Appreciate It!

House For Sale!

Monday morning I was temped to put a sign in the front yard. For the 2nd time in 2 months that our basement has flooded. Remember this... http://therosanderfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/with-home-ownership-comes.html

Ya well this time we got this...

Water all over the wood floor in front and underneath the refrigerator.

Water pooring out of the celing and bulging all the way down half of the basment celing.

The seem that spilt where my water fountain was coming out of.

The bucket that was this full with in the 20 to 30 min after I found the water.

All the buckets, towels and shop vac that I had out to help me clean up and catch the mess.

So here's the story:

Monday morning I came out of my room shortly after Kris left and was puttering around the kitchen and family room doing a quick pick up and getting the girls breakfast, when I heard a funny water running sound. I was just thinking it was Molly in the bathroom washing her hands, but it wasn't fitting. I started to walk around the kitchen (stepping over the towel Kris had put on the floor to clean up water that was on the floor when he came out) I could tell it was coming from downstairs and though it might just be the water heater, but it just sounded funny. I went down to check it out and water was POURING out of the ceiling. It wasn't just a drip it was a full on faucet on full blast coming form the ceiling. I stood there for half a sec and figured it was not on the side of the house where the bathrooms are so it was not coming from the bathroom. I also checked the floor in our workout room (where the last flood was, no water). Then I remebered the towel on the floor infront of the refrigerator. I put buckets down to catch the main stream of water and I ran upstairs and tried to pull the refrigerator out, but couldn't get it out. I opened the freezer and there was no ice in my ice bucket just water it was so full it was spilling out. i got a cup and started to empty it until I could pull it out with out too much damage. I tried Kris at work but he was busy. So I called my mom... Still trying to pull out the refrigerator by myself. She assured me that I had to get the refrigerator out. I told her I would call her back. I called my sweet neighbor from across the street and asked if she could come help me... I think my adrenalin kicked in because just after I got of the phone with her I got it out. I turned off the water coming to the fridge and called my friend back to tell her not to worry (being as she was tying to get her son off to school.) I got back downstairs and started the clean up. I got towels down, more buckets and then started to suck up everything I could with the shop vac. Meanwhile every time I came upstairs I had another drawer emptied on the floor, more messes and more work. The girls were loving having free reign over my house. Margaret my sweet friend came over with her shop vac and itsy bitsy baby and helped me out. I think I had gotten most of it up and I think I was really lucky to catch it when I did... the floor didn't suffer too much damage. We did have to pull up the carpet to dry it and the mat out but we were really lucky. Did I mention it's new carpet! We have spent so much time effort and money in the basement and we have worked so hard the last 3 weeks. I had just told Kris on Sunday night "This feels so good. I feel like we have really made progress. It's looking really good." Oh boy eat my words. So long story made short apparently it was our icemaker (we still need the plumber to come and give us the affirmative on that and make sure that's the only thing) soaked through the fridge, out of the drip pan though the wood floor the walls sheetrock and on to the floor. Like I said we were lucky to not have damage to our floor. I did have to dry out the couch as well it was leaking out of the lights and on to the couch, but it all dried just fine the sheetrock will have to all be redone. We have to have the wood floor replaced at worse and refinished at best (they still need to come and look.) and we need a new ice maker way small part, but still is $250! I would have paid that first over now thinking we need to make a insurance clame... AWESOME!

You know if this would have happend a month ago it wouldn't have been such a big deal to me, but we have worked so hard and it had been really difficult and I have felt so sick and still tried to work down there and I just feel like 50 steps forward 100 steps back. We now get to redo everything we had done... and we still are not done so we still have the remaining stuff... back at square one! Monday night I just cried! I'm doing better, but still fell really defeated. I think the other thing is that money really could have been put somewhere else fun that I wanted it... my chairs, cabinets, I can go on and on and Kris reminds me it's not me paying for it... but what he doesn't understand is that I am! I know he makes the money, but I would have like it other places. Well what do you do? pick yourself up brush yourself off and keep going. I know in the eternal scheme of things this is really nothing to worry or fret about, but you know I feel like I have sacrificed time with my kids, work out time, health and much more to work on this project and I should have just sat at the toilet and flushed the money down!

Stella Stats 15 Months

Length: 32 in 82%

Weight: 21 lb 3 oz 18%

Head Circumference: 48 cm 92%

Stella got some shots even with her lingering cold,

and she did so great. She cried for at the most 20 sec after.

She was so good bless her little heart.

Hib, Diphtheria Tetanus & Pertussis,

and Pneumococcal Conjugate.

A few things about Stella right now are...

*A few Words. They are kind of hard to understand, but I get them. Momma, daddy, diaper, blankie, & dog

*She has figured out how to Climb up on the couch and chairs and other things (lots of ouwies)

*She is loving giving Kisses. She is so cute, it's mostly open mouth. Still cute.

*She is great at letting us know how she feels, mostly with Tantrums. Oh and they are good.

*She is getting more leery of others around her that she doesn't know.

*She only Sleeps through the night when she is sick. Really this is no lie. She has never really been a good sleeper.

*She is wanting to Feed herself, this can be messy and really not pretty, but she is determined to do it herself.

*She is such a Tease. She will come running around the corner with Molly close behind her screaming because Stella has taken Mollys blanket. Stella has her own, but she just likes to tease Molly so she likes to take Molly's for the reaction.

*Along with Molly's blanket she loves her own Pink & Brown Blankie.

*Stella's nick name "Hurricane Stella" The thing about Stella is she is quiet and by the time you know she is there she has really torn things apart.

*She loves to go though and pull our everything in Drawers.

*She loves the Toilet and putting things in and pulling things out. I caught her in my toilet stirring in the water with my hair brush... Nice!

*She is a Screamer. When she's happy, mad, grumpy, when she wants something, thrilled... She loves to scream and she is Loud!

*She loves Necklaces. She loves to play in my closet with all of my necklaces, she has broken 2 and I try to watch her so she won't get in them. She has some play ones all her own and she walks around like she is Hot Stuff. She is so funny.

*She is very much the Spice in our family. Often times in our house you will hear the "STELLA!" Followed by "ARE U KIDDING ME?" "AUA!" She is just a goer and she just never stops. I just really don't know what we would do with out this little one. We feel blessed that she came to our family!