In a nutshell . . .

Family Pics

2009-12-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

TWO!

2009-12-26T12:39:00.001-08:00

Once again - my mind is blown at how fast time flies. On Sunday, my little boy turned TWO! The day he was born is so clear to me in my head... it seriously feels like just yesterday. I'm not sure if I can adequately describe this little guy. He brings so much joy and happiness into our home. I cannot imagine living life without him. He has won over the hearts of all of his grandparents. He has truly got them wrapped around his little finger. And I have to say, I'm right there with them. Ross always gives me a hard time, because he says I let him off too easy - just because he gives me those looks that melt my heart. It's probably true - but I don't admit it! There aren't words to describe how much I love this kid. He is one of a kind. All I can say is - he's amazing - and he's mine!
I love you, Cole. Happy birthday, big guy.

COLE

2009-12-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa...

2009-12-15T22:02:00.001-08:00

We wrote our letters to Santa the other day... the kids had a blast. I think if Mason could write his ideal letter it would go something like this:

"Dear Santa,

I WANT IT ALL!

Love, Mason"

But after explaining to him that even though Santa is "magic" - it wouldn't be fair to bring him everything, this is what he came up with...

Yes, my SEVEN year old son is asking for "UnderArmor" for Christmas. And specific colors at that! I never, ever, EVER thought I'd have to worry about getting my kids "UnderArmor" until at LEAST Junior High! Seriously - it's a little crazy. But he knows that the "real football players" wear it - and therefore - he needs to have it. I'm fairly sure he thinks that if he wears it he'll be able to play better - or be guaranteed a spot in the NFL or something. I'm not sure what it is - but seriously. Ya gotta love the kid.

And my little Hal needed a few suggestions to get her going. However, after she got a start, she had no problem keepin' it going! Here is her list... "A VANITY"!! That is all she can talk about now. I don't think she knew what it was called at first - but after she asked me - now it's all she can talk about. She wants a vanity for her room. Oh good grief. Do I have anything on these lists purchased? Absolutely not!

Santa doesn't get a list from Cole this year. He will be happy with anything - and besides, Santa just "KNOWS" anyway.

So, as always, Christmas has creeped up on me and I am NOT READY - so here I am in the same boat as every year... wishing I had more time. But oh well - we do the best with what we have and we make it work. Christmas comes whether we like it or not. Even if the Grinch comes and steals all our presents. I wonder if my kids would buy that - - - maybe if I don't get my shopping done, I'll just tell them that the Grinch must've come and taken everything. Can you imagine the fit my kids would throw (one child in particular)?? Ya - I better not.

'TIS THE SEASON!

FLASHBACK

2009-12-08T22:13:00.001-08:00

So I was trying to be clever and I started thinking about maybe doing "Flashback Fridays" - and posting a past event every Friday to help me catch up on my blog neglect over the past year. But then I thought about it - and more than likely Friday would roll around and I wouldn't get to it and then I'd just dig myself into a deeper hole. So...... I've decided to just randomly throw in a "Flashback Friday" post MINUS the "Friday" every now and then. It will be very random and in no particular order - so there's your warning. Starting............. NOW.

My first "flashback" has got to be the 1st day of school this year. Here are some pics of my 2 kiddos on their first days!

I'm not gonna go off about how hard the first day of school always is for me. I think we've all got that down. Let's just say - I cried .... again.

And this post wouldn't be complete without including Mason's school picture this year. I L.O.V.E. it!!

Melts my heart to pieces! What a handsome kid!

I LOVE THESE KIDS!

5 YEARS OLD!

2009-12-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm in denial. My little girl is NOT 5 years old. I must've counted wrong. Seriously - it's weird that she's that old. She's always been a baby to me - and 5 is just too big. Where's the "rewind" button? It's just not fair. If anybody knows how to slow time down - please do share. Anyway... with very bitter-sweet feelings - I present the:

Her birthday was technically a month ago. But this is the best I could do. Anyway - we had a great day! We always decorate the kids rooms the night before their birthday so that they can wake up to all the excitement. And we always do breakfast in bed. And of course, we had to do PEDICURES!

It was Hal's first time getting a Pedicure. She LOVED it. It's totally her thing. We will definately be going more often - because it just happens to be "my thing" too!!

Hal has had it in her mind for the past year that she wanted to have a "pajama party" for her birthday. So, we invited all her friends and had a pajama party. We made pancakes, painted nails and played games. It turned out fun! These were her invitations: I wanted to take pictures - but it was a little too chaotic! Sorry.

And here is her annual preschool birthday poster!

Our family would not be complete without our Hallie. She is truly a ray of sunshine in our lives. I don't know what I would do without her.

I LOVE YOU, HALLIE GRACE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Halloween

2009-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

I've decided that Halloween just isn't my holiday. I mean, don't get me wrong - it's all sorts of fun and excitement - but it's all just a little overwhelming to me. This year was especially that way. Between the dance performances, the school parties, the pumpkin carving and the trick-or-treating, I'm just glad I'm still standing.

Seriously though - your kids have their EXACT ideas of what they want to be - and heaven forbid you don't find it.... so you drive to every Walmart, Target and ShopKo in the valley to find it. I literally walked in the door to my house at midnight on the night before Mason's school party with his costume. It would help if every freaking kid didn't have to be "Snake Eyes" along with him. But of course, that's the main reason why he wanted to be him - if every other 7 year old boy didn't want to be Snake Eyes - then why would he?

Then of course when I ask Hal what she wants to be - she comes up with "A Marrying Girl" (aka: a BRIDE). A Bride? Seriously? Not a princess or a fairy or heaven forbid something NOT wearing a poofy dress - A BRIDE! And of course, with her being the only girl in the house - like always, I get a little (just a tiny bit) out of control with the whole thing. My awesome friend Kristy made her a veil, hooked us up with a killer dress and helped us find her all the necessary accessories to be the perfect bride! Seriously - like I've said many times before... perfectionism and Halloween just do not mix well. She would have been perfectly happy in any old white dress with some flowers - but I of course went all out. I have issues. And then of course, the entire time trick-or-treating, she was tripping over her dress, trying to keep up with all the running "big kids". So most of the night was filled with tears and lots of whining.

And by the time I made the 2 oldest ones happy, I was too exhausted to worry about the 2 youngest ones. So Cole ended up in Hal's old "Chicken" costume - with no clue what was going on - and Noah got Dashy's old "Tiger". (What can I say - I used up all my effort on the other 2)

So with much hard work I present to you -

SNAKE EYES

THE BRIDE

THE CHICKEN

& last, but not least...
THE TIGER!

THE CARVING

THE PUMPKINS

...and here's Hal as a the"MUMMY" at her Dance performance. Cutest Mummy I ever did see!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope yours was as fun as mine!

He's HERE!

2009-08-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Don't pass out, everyone - but yes... I am POSTING ON MY BLOG! Ugh. I don't know what to say about that exactly. I think I just got overwhelmed with how behind I was and gave up. But here I am - giving it another shot. I am not a quitter! So - even though it's a couple days later than I promised (Angie) - at least I'm doin' it! Anyway... be patient with me while I try and catch up. There's a lot to post about.

Ok... moving on!

Here's a picture of me 2 weeks ago - as miserable as can be. Let's just say that this pregnancy did me in! It was quite possibly the most miserable 9 months of my life. I can't think of a day where I didn't wake up nauseated and sick. It was rough. But I took it a day at a time and finally the end was in sight. All of you who are close to me know that I was literally counting down the days in the end. Time couldn't move fast enough. I might have even stayed awake the entire night prior to going to the hospital.

Anyway - the point is - I'm glad it's over.

Which brings me to proudly announce that 11 days ago I brought our 4th (and final, I might add) beautiful child into this world. This makes 3 boys and a 1 princess for us.

I'd like to introduce to you -

NOAH EVANS CLARK
7 lbs 2 oz - 19 inches

There aren't words for how grateful I am to have 4 beautiful, healthy and happy children. I'm filled with emotion as I look back at my life and how I got here. I feel so blessed to be trusted with these amazing little people. There is no way to discribe the wonderful feeling a new baby brings into your home. It is truly a miracle.

I may be slightly partial - but he is truly perfect!

My 2 adorable kids - excited as can be - to see their new little brother. Aren't those the 2 cutest faces you've ever seen?

My poor little Cole. Let's just say that he was "less than excited" to see our new arrival. He really had no clue what was coming. He has been my spoiled little baby for 20 months now - and the ultimate center of our attention - until now. Whenever he would come to see us in the hospital he wouldn't even look at me. It was so hard for me. I've never had one of my kids act like that before. I suppose it's because he's so much younger. But it was hard.

However - as you can see - he's warming up and adjusting very quickly. He still doesn't quite understand the term "soft" - but we are learning!

FOUR KIDS! I can't believe it!

So, all in all we are doing great. Thrilled to finally complete our family of 6! Ask me in a couple of months how I am adjusting. As of right now, I am still recovering from my 4th C-section and welcoming this little one into our family.

Stay tuned! ... There WILL be more.

Cole's 1st Birthday

2009-03-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

So as you already know from a previous post ... my little Cole turned ONE! I still have a hard time believing it. It isn't right how fast time goes. Anyway - over the years I've learned with each child that first birthdays don't require much of a celebration, since the birthday child usually doesn't even know what's going on. So, we got together at my in-laws and had cupcakes and ice cream. As you can see - he didn't like the cupcake at all! Anyway... it turned out to be a great day. He seemed to enjoy it, regardless of his confusion. He's such an amazing little boy. He has been since day one. Couldn't possibly love the kid more.

Happy Birthday, baby!

Christmas re-cap

2009-03-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's the end of March - so I thought, What better time to start than CHRISTMAS?! So... here's a little Christmas time re-cap for ya.

At our ward Christmas party, Mason and Hals were asked to go up on stage and participate in the Nativity. Hal was supposed to be an "Angel". Now I'm not sure if it's typical of the Heavenly Angels who were present at Christ's birth to have frowns on their faces, and their fingers in their mouth - but apparently there was one special little angel who did just that. Hallie played that part perfectly! This was one of Hallie's typical stage fright moments where she froze. Although I'm fairly sure that acting won't be in Hallie's future, I must say, she was the cutest little angel I've ever laid eyes on!

And Mason was asked to be one of the 3 wisemen. We struggled to come up with the costume, but he sure did a great job. Stood up there like a trooper. What a handsome little wiseman! As you can see, he was towards the back of the stage, trying to peek around someone so that I could take his picture. Good job, M.J.!!

And of course, what's Christmas without SANTA, right? Well, naturally... Hallie was terrified to sit on Santa's lap herself. I almost didn't get her to do it. But I talked her into doing it if she sat on his lap with Mason at the same time. I tell ya - that girl loves her big brother. If Mason is with her, she'll do anything. So, as she waited in line, Mason held her hand and they made it through. It was so adorable, I just had to get a picture of it.

And together we had success! They made it to his lap. (isn't he the cutest Santa you've ever seen?)

And for Cole's first time on Santa's lap, he did awesome! He couldn't take his eyes off him... but he did great. I was so proud of him!

Anyway... MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! (better late than never, right?)

Another Baby!

2009-02-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

So... those of you who are speculating - I'd like to clear something up. Yes, I am pregnant! And yes, I am crazy! Ok so we decided that maybe it would be a good idea to have just one more baby. Well, I swear... all we have to do is say we are thinking about it and BAM! - I'm knocked up! No intercourse required. (Did I just say "intercourse" on my blog?) Anyway - 'nuff said.... we are excited, and a little nervous to add one more little munchkin to our little family in August!

Gotta Start Somewhere!

2009-02-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Ok - so I have been racking my brain trying to figure out where to start with this whole blogging thing - and I came to the conclusion that I've just got to start somewhere - and what better place to start than where I left off, right? Who cares if it's 2 months in the past and totally out of date! So - clear back in December, just before Christmas -

- MY BABY TURNED ONE! -

I won't go on and on like I always do about how "time flies" and "where did the time go?" and yadda, yadda, yadda - let's just get on with the facts, shall we?

Ok so technically now he's actually 14 months old - but still 1 year old! There aren't words to express how much I love this kid. He has been such a blessing to our family! Seriously though, this kid is nothing but pure joy to us. I don't know how we ever lived without him. So, with that I'll leave you with 10 random things that I love about my baby boy who is growing before my eyes - and then we can move on.

He ALWAYS has a smile for me. (ALWAYS)
He is hilarious (and knows it) - seriously... the kid is a comedian!
He is super smart and learns fast.
He knows when to be good and when Mommy is going crazy. (which evidently is quite often!)
He's a flirt.
He has HUGE blue eyes - that express his every feeling.
He adores and looks up to his big brother and sister.
He runs to the door and cries everytime someone leaves without him.
He will stop whatever he is doing to give me a kiss ANY TIME I ask for one - no matter what!
He loves to be the center of attention. He's a performer!

I LOVE YOU, COLE!

Don't know what we'd do without ya!

Oh MY!!

2009-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

It has been way, way too long. I've been bombarded lately with people asking me when I'm going to update this dang thing - so here I am finally doing it. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I think it just got to the point where it was too overwhelming to think about having to catch up. There is so much I still want to post about. So, be patient with me on how behind I am. I'll get there someday. See, this is the type of person I am. . . if it can't be done the way I want it done, I can't do it. I'm too much of a perfectionist. But I'm working on that. Anyway - stay tuned. I will be posting tonight - trying to catch up. Hope everybody is doing well.

GO JAZZ!

2008-12-18T17:03:00.001-08:00

So, those of you who have known me a while know that I've always been a pretty big JAZZ fan. So, a couple weeks ago I was pretty excited when we scored some sweet tickets to the Jazz vs. Blazers game. Ok, ok - I know, the Blazers suck - but I was excited to be there regardless. We took along our good friends, Kyle & Kristy - and we had a BLAST!

And yes, if I were really a big JAZZ fan, I suppose I might have worn some JAZZ colors to the freaking game.

Nope - I wore red. So, all I have to say about that is... GO UTES.

And here we are taking TRAX back to our car -

Who's that weird dude behind us?

Thanks, Crockett's... we had a blast.

Oh... and we WON by the way!

Game Night

2008-12-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

Well... as always, I made myself a promise that I would get all my shopping done early this year so that I could enjoy the holidays with my family. Yet again - another broken promise. Sad - maybe I should stop promising myself things I know I'll never acheive. Maybe I'll just embrace reality and say "Who gives a rats". Oh well - you know what they say... "It's the most wonderful time of the year".

My POINT: I haven't had time to blog. So - look out because The Clark's are gonna be on Blog Overload here - so stay tuned for some major blog postage.

A while back - (like a week & a half ago) we had some friends over for a long overdue "game night". It was originally planned to be bigger - but a few friends got sick at the last minute - and a couple were out of town. But we had a good time, anyway. Played us some good ol' fashioned "Yahtzee".

Don't let 'em fool ya - their havin' the time of their life!!

Well, at least the kids look like they were havin' fun!

By the end of the night - this is what I found! We pooped 'em right out!

MOLLY

2008-12-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

So... some of you may know that we have this dog, Molly. We truly do love her - even though she gets put on hold sometimes. Well - she's a sweetheart. One of her favorite things to do is to shovel with Ross. Everytime he tosses the snow off the driveway, she jumps into it. She LOVES the snow. Check it out:

She truly is amazing. She has unlimited energy - and can jump higher than any dog around. She's super fast and super loving.

WE LOVE YOU, MOLLY!

So PROUD!

2008-12-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

A very exciting thing happened in my household about the day after Thanksgiving. We are so excited to say that

COLE CAN WALK!!

I seriously cannot believe that my baby boy, (who will be ONE next week, I might add), is WALKING! Can you believe that?? - WALKING! It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the little guy cruisin' around. I'm tellin' ya right now - TIME FLIES. It slapped me in the face once again the other day when I realized that my baby boy is going to turn ONE. How is that even possible? Seriously. I can't get over it. I'm here to tell you.... cherish every single moment... Don't sweat the small stuff.... take time to smell the roses... yadda yadda yadda ... We've heard all those sayings so many times, but they are so STINKING true - I can't say it enough. Over the past couple of weeks he has become quite the little mover.

He is so much happier now that he can walk. You can't wipe the smile off his face now that he can get places the way everyone else does. And of course the tongue always has to be out when we're concentrating. What a big boy!

Don't blink or life will pass you by.
(sniff, sniff)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

Okay so as usual, this is long overdue ... but important nevertheless so here we go. We had a really awesome Thanksgiving holiday this year. Normally we alternate which family we go to every other year. Well this year happened to be the year we were supposed to go to the Clark's house. However, we were lucky enough this year to have BOTH! My family decided to come to Utah this year - so let's just say we got to "have our cake and eat it too". It was great! We had our normal Thanksgiving dinner at the Clark's on Thanksgiving Day - and then we had a slightly smaller version of it the day after with my family! It was great.

Let me just take this moment to say how THANKFUL I am for my wonderful family. I tell ya - it's true what they say "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone". It is so easy to take your family for granted when they are always around and close by. But when that all changes in the blink of an eye - and you can't do anything about it... it really puts things into perspective for you. About 4 years ago my entire family were afforded some new and exciting opportunities which caused them all to move to sunny Arizona and away from me. It has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through - but it has truly made things so much clearer to me and made me realize how truly greatful I am to have such an amazing family who, no matter what, sticks by each other and loves each other unconditionally. I am greatful for this trial and experience in my life and for the lessons that it has taught me. I know it happened for a reason and I am thankful that I understand that and appreciate the important things in life.

And for those of you who know my little Mason, you know how long he counts on the fun and excitement of having his cousins and grandparents come and sleep over. He soaks in every moment of staying up late, eating treats, staying in your jammies all day, playing games and whatever else comes along with it. So when the time actually comes for everyone to go home, Mason literally falls apart. The day of departure, he will literally cry sobbing tears the entire day long. He is so much like I used to be it isn't even funny. We always call him our "Gentle Giant" - and this is one of the reasons why. He truly is one of the sweetest, kind-hearted kids you will ever meet.

Even my long lost brother (above) decided to show up and prove his exsistence. Seriously though - most people think that when I talk about Chad (my brother) that I'm making him up because he NEVER comes to visit. I think I was even beginning to wonder if I was making him up. UNTIL... he was here a couple of weeks ago - and Paula even got to meet him! So - I officially have a witness that he does exsist. Thanks for coming, Chad & Andrea - it was a pleasure having you guys and we hope you'll come again real soon.

And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving Day for us without playing a little FOOTBALL before the big feast! Ross and Mason went up to the park that morning and played a little football with some friends and family. This was a treat for Mason since he rarely gets to play an "official game" of football with a whole bunch of people on REAL TEAMS and everything. So, they had a good time - came back really cold and hungry... ready to eat some TURKEY!

So, all in all, we had an AWESOME holiday filled with family, fun and lots of FOOD.

And now we are finally back to normal - the tears have officially stopped and as hard as it is, we are going on with our every day routine. Just waiting for the next get-together so we can have another reason to party.

Let me just end by saying ...

WE ARE BLESSED.

Blog Neglect

2008-12-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

So once again I find myself neglecting my blog. Let's just say what I always say... "I've been super busy". Ok - 'nuf said.

Anyway, I think we are finally seeing the light from all our remodeling construction. Our bathroom is just about done! I'm so excited to finally have my house back. I never thought I'd want to stop remodeling - but I truly need a break from all of it. Anyway... we finally got our new carpet! Yahoo! Those of you who have been in my home know that my old carpet was awful and that we desperately needed some new. So we finally did it. It was a long process - and with the help of some really good friends, we moved all the furniture out of our entire upstairs. (Thanks Kyle and Kristy) So needless to say, we didn't have any beds upstairs. So, we had a family "camp-out" in the basement.

And what's a camp-out without a tent, right? So, we let the kids get out the "shark tent" and their sleeping bags and we made the most of having to "rough it" in the basement.

And here's where mommy and daddy slept:

We won't mention that we were in such a mess that it took us a few days to get things back together. Let's just say our camp-out lasted multiple nights! Anyway... we survived and we are excited to have everyone come see our improvements. We are finally just about through.

Go Utes

2008-11-23T20:00:00.001-08:00

At this moment in time... all I'd really like to say is...

GO UTES!!

It's a fine year to be a Utes fan.

Tagged

2008-11-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

RULES:

1- link to the person that tagged you; Angie love - and her kick butt sis, Ash the Flash

2-post the rules on your blog

3-share 6 non-important things habits/quirks about yourself

4-tag 6 random people at the end of your post, by linking to their blogs

5-let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a a comment on their website

6-let your tagged peeps know once your entry is up

OK here we go 6 non important things things about me:

1- I just got a CELL PHONE! I know - sad! (but at least I don't have to use my husband's anymore)

2- I cannot leave the house without a rubber band on my finger. (c'mon - admit it... we all have a little OCD in us. Some of us more than others -me! - but still!)

3- I am officially obsessed with a fictional vampire. (but I'm not telling you who it is)

4- I have at least one case of extreme nausea a day. (and I refuse to see anymore doctors about it - so don't even say it)

5- I always stay up late - even when I'm exhausted... which is so stupid. But it's like an addiction - I can't stop!

6- I still feel like I'm a teenager.

Here are my six victims:

1: Andrea @ http://chadandreafamily.blogspot.com/

2: Jamie @ http://missesbojangles.blogspot.com/

3: Leslie @ http://mlhansenfam.blogspot.com/

4: Erika @ http://swaindays.blogspot.com/

5: Lindsay @ http://craigandlinds.blogspot.com/

6: Dawnell @ http://trevoranddawnell.blogspot.com/

HAVE FUN!!

Disney on Ice!

2008-11-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun at Disney on Ice this year! It was seriously an awesome one. I kind of had to drag Mason there half kicking and screaming - but in the end he was glad he went.

My kids have yet to go to Disneyland... so this is the closest to "the Happiest Place on Earth" that they get for now! (sorry kids)

Oh...and don't ever get those dang snow cones in a collector's cup - no matter how hard they beg. It isn't worth it. I came home sticky and wet!

Party Party Party!

2008-11-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

So lately it has just been almost impossible to find time to keep my blog up to date. Anyway... here are some pictures of the various partying we did for Hal's birthday. I swear - that girl got a birthday party every day for a week. I'm tellin' ya - she is quite the little princess in our home. She successfully got us to drag her birthday out for an entire week. Parties left and right. Anyway... here are some random pictures.

So I'm a push over and let her have a "friend party" this year. I know... some of you moms probably think I'm crazy - and I probably am. She's just watched Mason have so many parties that I wanted to make it kinda special this year. So anyway... she really wanted to swim for her party - so we went to the Rec Center with all of her friends. Before we went swimming, we had pizza, cake & ice cream and opened presents.

And here's the good lookin' crew right before we headed to the pool!

And of course, we had to bring Sarah along for the party. Sarah is our favorite babysitter (and one of my good friends) - she was nice enough to come along and help us out. Hallie was so happy she was at her party. Thanks, Sar! I love ya.

And a birthday party would not be complete without the cake! Here are the 2 cakes we enjoyed at our parties. I limited ourselves to 2 cakes during all the chaos. ( I know... I'm mean)

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-11-16T20:35:00.000-08:00

So it's been over a week since my mom's birthday - but I couldn't let it go by without mentioning it. For those of you who know my mom, you know that she is the ultimate, super grandma! I think my kids truly think of her as their own personal super hero. If there was ever an ideal, super spoiling grandma - my mom is it! My kids absolutely adore her - and she has earned every ounce of it. There truly isn't anything that she wouldn't do for her grandchildren.

I can only hope that one day I can be the kind of person that she has become. We can all only hope that our grandkids will one day look at us the way my kids look at my mom.

Happy Birthday, Grandma! We love you so much.

My little girl turned 4!!!

2008-11-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Honestly please if somebody knows how to slow time down - I need to know. I cannot believe my little girl is 4! Hallie has always seemed like my little baby. She is FOUR now and well on her way to being just a "little girl". It is so hard for me, as a mom to know that I can never get that time back with my kids. I can't ever have a 3-year-old Hallie again. That probably sounds lame to some of you... but it honestly makes me really sad. I mean seriously... wasn't I just in high school? It seems so weird to me that now I am watching my children grow up before my eyes and starting to feel OLD! How did that happen? ANYWAY... "yadda, yadda, yadda"...

* HALLIE * GRACE *
Top 10 things I LOVE about MY Hals: (in no particular order)

She has the most contageous laugh you have ever heard.
2. She really and truly believes that she's a "princess". (and she is, of course)
3. Her eyes twinkle when she smiles. We always say she smiles with her eyes.
4. She is such a free spirit. Anything goes with Hal.
5. She is so smart. She learns things right along with her big brother.
6. Her dancing! (You think I'm kidding - but she really can dance)
7. I can always make her smile - even when she's really, really mad... all I have to do is smile at her and she'll smile back. (probably my favorite)
8. Her undying love and excitement for life.
9. She has an unbelievable imagination. She could sing to herself for hours.
10. She cries for a good 10 minutes if anyone leaves the house without saying "goodbye" to her. She has a very tender heart.

I cannot imagine my life without this girl! She brings peace and happiness into our home that could never be replaced. I love her with all the pieces of my heart.
Happy Birthday, Hallie girl!

WE LOVE YOU!!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

Some pics of our trick or treating experience!

Ross was very proud of his Utes pumpkin!

Go UTES!

Picture Tag

2008-11-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

Rules: Go to your pictures, open the 4th folder, find the 4th picture & post it.

Here is what I found...

My sweet little ballerina before a performance. What a cute little backside!

Drum Roll Please....

2008-11-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

dddddddddddddddddddddd.......(that's a drum roll)..........

Introducing:

Isn't this just the cutest little monkey you've ever seen? This was Cole's first Halloween - and I couldn't stop sqeezing him ALL DAY. The poor kid got squeezed silly! He was in shock all day. He couldn't figure out what was going on!

Why was everyone dressed so funny with crazy hair and big hats on their heads. He couldn't figure it out. The poor kid just sat and stared at everyone all day trying to figure it out. But he seemed to have fun.

By the time the night was over with he was so tired. I think he went to bed wondering if they day really happened - or if it was just a dream.

Okay and I know you are all SHOCKED to find out that Mason decided to be a football player. It was a shocker to me too. Needless to say, we didn't have to search too far to find his costume. He just had to decide which team he wanted to be.

We ended up going to "Play It Again Sports" and buying him some real football pants with pads to go along with it. Boy was he thrilled. He thought he was the coolest kid on the planet. Bless his little heart... he honestly thought that when he went places that people would think that he was a professional football player. You could just tell that his ego was sky high that day. (which is great with me for a change)

He wanted Ross to be a football player with him... but since he didn't have any football jerseys in his wardrobe ... Mason settled for Daddy being a soccer player. What a good Daddy.

Now tune in next year to see what he decides to be. If it's a repeat then you know we've got a real problem!!

So we all know that "a witch" wasn't exactly Hallie's first choice of costumes. Her first decisions included the usual princesses, Aurora, Ariel, Belle ... etc... etc... But mean ol' mom decided that she needed to branch out a bit and be a little different. So, after explaining to her that not all witches are scary and ugly - that there are good witches that are beautiful and happy... she agreed to it on one condition... she said "I'll be a witch if you will be a witch with me, Mommy!" So... guess what I was for Halloween??

I found the most adorable, "Princessy" looking witch costume you have ever seen. (and the price will remain unknown) It was the perfect little "Hallie witch" - lots of sparkles and extra purple rather than black! We even colored our hair PINK - (because Hallie cannot dress up without a touch of pink involved!).

So, for those of you who think all witches are scary and ugly... check out this beautiful witch!!

Halloween carving and creating!

2008-10-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

Okay so normally I like to do a lot of baking and fun stuff around Halloween. But I tell ya - this year has been a little crazy. I'm not sure where the time went - but it's already Halloween! So, I took the easy way out this year and made a little something fun with the kids. They loved it and it turned out really cute. Check it out!

Witches Hats & Brooms!

All you need is:

HATS:

Oreos

Frosting

Hershey's Kisses

BROOMS:

Pretzel Sticks

Fruit by the Foot

It's pretty self explainatory - but all you do is put a dab of frosting on an OREO and put a Hershey's Kiss on top of that. And there's your hat. For the broomstick you just have to cut up a Fruit by the Foot into like 1 inch pieces. Cut the ends so they look freyed and wrap them around the bottom of a pretzel stick. It's as easy as that. Kids LOVE it because they can pretty much do it all themselves!

And of course we carved our pumpkins tonight too. We always wait til the last minute and then cram as much craziness in to one night that we can. It keeps us on our toes! ;)

Happy Hallows Eve everyone! Stay tuned for costume pics!

CrAzY hAiR dAy!

2008-10-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

So last week was red ribbon week at Mason's school. And red ribbon week always comes with all sorts of activities. Every day of the week they had to do something different. One day was "Crazy Hair Day". Mason came home and told me about it. He knew EXACTLY what he wanted to have done. He had it all planned out. He wanted Red on one side... white on the other ... and a black stripe down the middle. (Utes colors... of course!) So we went out and bought all the hair color and fulfilled his wishes. The things we do to make our kids happy.

What a handsome little "cRaZy HaIrEd" kid!!

And don't forget about my sweet little Hallie. She was so proud of her spider hat she made in preschool. She's such a big girl these days. Love ya, Hals!

Gardner Village

2008-10-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Every year around Halloween we have to make sure we make it out to Gardner Village to enjoy the festivities and to see all the WITCHES! It was extra fun this year since Hallie is going to be a witch! (not a scary witch... but a "pretty witch"!) For those of you who haven't ever made it there to see it at Halloween ... you must!The kids had a lot of fun. They even got their faces painted. (which is very uncharacteristic of my socially challenged children) I just have to say it again....

I LOVE THE FALL!

Career Day

2008-10-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

So I signed Ross up to come to Mason's school and talk about his career. He was a little annoyed at first because he didn't think there was anything exciting about his job. At least not to kids. But I knew that it didn't matter what he did for a living - he could clean up dog poop for all Mason cared - it was just cooler than heck to have his Dad take the time to come to his school. Seriously - you would have thought he was at Disneyland. He was thrilled.

Here's Ross talking about something large, I suppose.

Mason trying on a racecar driver uniform! (a little big ... but give him time. He'll grow into it!)

Look at that face!

Thanks, Dad - you'll always be my hero no matter what you do!

SNOW!.. wait, seriously??

2008-10-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

I know... what the crap? I couldn't believe it either. We woke up a couple of weeks ago to THIS! It's only October. And this was the beginning of October too. I mean, every now and then we get a little snow in October. But this was A LOT! So... needless to say, we had to take advantage of it and let the kids have a little fun. Mason was so excited he could hardly stand it. So... after winning an argument about why he couldn't wear his football clothes out in the snow, they had a blast!

A lot of people get annoyed with the cold and the snow... but not me. I am a HUGE fan of the snow. I think it's exciting. I love everything about it. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I have always been a big snow skiier. But seriously... that is one of the big reasons why I love living in Utah. There's something magical about cuddling up inside a warm house while you watch the snow flurries outside your window. Honestly ... I love it! So to all this I say...

BRING ON THE SNOW!

Back to Blogging!

2008-10-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's weird how out of touch you feel with the world when you stop blogging for a while. The hard drive on Ross' laptop died a while back and we just barely got it going again. I must say... it's good to be back. I have a lot to catch up on, so you might hear a lot from me over the next little while.

In the mean time... here is a funny picture of Cole wanting to be like his big brother. Honestly... Mason could do nothing wrong in Cole's eyes. If Mason laughs, Cole laughs... if Mason goes outside, Cole bangs his hands on the door to go outside... if Mason has a ball, Cole has to have a ball. It's really rather adorable if I do say so myself.

STAY TUNED!

Football Update

2008-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Okay so y'all know about the current football

obsession we deal with on a daily basis with
Mason. I thought I would give you a little update.

After limiting him to 3 football days a week, he is doing much better. He knows his boundaries and he seems to be sticking by them. Don't go thinkin' he doesn't still beg me to play on his off days - but he seems to be understanding why we had to do this and somehow he just gets it. I tell ya... I am a firm believer that kids need boundaries. It helps them to behave to their highest potential.

Don't get me wrong... we still have our days - he is every bit (if not more) obsessed than ever on his football days. He tries to fit as much football in on those days as he possibly can.

He usually spends most of the day begging his dad to come outside and play football with him. He will literally sit out on the lawn with his helmet on and his football in his hand until Daddy is home from work - and ready to play.

And if for some reason Daddy can't play - or is taking too long he will resort to playing with his little sister.

Hallie doesn't love football. In fact - I might go as far as to say she hates it. But when it comes to hangin' with her big brother - there isn't too much she wouldn't do.

Ya know it just goes to show ya that even though your kids fight like cats and dogs sometimes and you think that one day they might kill each other ... they really do love and look up to each other deep down. Just more of those moments that make motherhood worth while.

With every problem there are always better days ahead.

I can finally see the light!

Tagged AGAIN.

2008-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently I have been tagged by Paula - so here goes...

What I was doing 10 years ago:
1- Pretending to go to college
2- Living at home
3- Dating
4- Wondering where I would be in 10 years
5- Wasting a lot of time

5 things on my to do list today:
1- Clean my house!
2- Make dinner for Angie
3- Spend some quality time with my kids
4- Call every store I know to see if they have a Wii in stock - It's on the Clark's Christmas list this year!
5- Go to mutual

5 favorite snacks
1- Chips and salsa
2- Apples and cheese
3- Rolled up Honey Smoked Turkey from Costco
4- Grapes
5- Chocolate

5 jobs I have had:
1- Gart Sports
2- Nordstroms
3- Lone Star Steakhouse
4- K-mart (ya - you heard me!)
5- Deseret First Credit Union

5 things I would do with a million dollars:
1- Help everyone in my family get out of debt
2- Pay off house and car
3- Donate to those in need
4- Save
5- HAVE FUN!

5 things that made me laugh this week:
1- My hilarious kids
2- The Office
3- Thinking about my Dad's funny story last week. (you had to be there)
4- People watching at the boutique with Ashley
5- Pricing bows with Sarah babe

5 people I tag ,to answer these same questions:
1- Tina
2- Andrea
3- Ashley
4- Lisa
5- Jill

A little dirt never hurt...

2008-10-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

The other day Mason and Ross were out playing football, so I decided to let Cole join them and roam around in the grass. He just loves to be a part of whatever everyone else is doing. When I came out to check on him, this is what I saw... He was just hangin' out, eatin' a little dirt. No biggie. He had a huge smile on his face when I came out - so I think he was really enjoying it. I just had to grab my camera! You guys - this kid just lights up my life. Cheesy - but true. Cole, I love ya buddy!

So You Think You Can Dance?

2008-10-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Actually no .. I most definately cannot dance. But this post is long overdue. A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Leslie offered me a ticket to the "So You Think You Can Dance" concert. I was so dang excited I could hardly stand it. We had so much fun. I don't know if any of you watch this show - but I am HOOKED. I absolutely love it. It is one of my favorite shows. This season was amazing and the concert was even better! Seriously - if you are ever considering going to one - DO IT! It will without a doubt be worth it!

Luckily Leslie was just as big of a fan (actually probably bigger) - so I had someone to talk about it with. The difference between me and Les is - Leslie CAN dance! She's amazing! She knows "Gev" who was in the top 10 on the show. He's amazing.

Thanks, Leslie! I had a GREAT time!

Success!

2008-10-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well... so the boutique was a ton of fun! I met some new really fun people and had a good time. I can't honestly say that I made a killing. (okay I barely broke even) - but I had a lot of fun regardless.

These are my boutiquing neighbors - it was a pleasure hangin' with you gals! Love ya, Tina and Ash!

So, a big thanks to all of you who came out to support me. I really appreciate it. If I have the ambition to do it again, you can find "Sweet n Sassy" at the next boutique in December! Stay tuned.

Sweet -n- Sassy

2008-10-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Sweet -n- Sassy
Hair Bows by Amy

Okay so I kinda got myself into a little business endeavor. I'm not sure whether it was a smart idea or not. I'll tell ya in a couple of days. Anyway... I need everybody's support! My good friend, Tina is having this huge, fun boutique this weekend, and I have decided to make hair bows and sell them there. So, cross your fingers for me that it will go well. If I don't make my millions, then pray that I at least break even so my husband doesn't lock me out of the house! ;) (just teasing - he is being extremely supportive) Here are pictures of just a few. (and when I say that I mean JUST A FEW) Let's just say my basement is FILLED with bows and I have hot glue coming out my ears!!

So, if any of you are looking for something fun to do this weekend - you need to stop by! Here are the details:

Simply Chic Boutique

Friday and Saturday, October 3rd & 4th

From 10 am until 8 pm

2200 South Orchard Drive

Bountiful

(Across from Dick's Market - the old "Family Fabrics" building)

Don't feel obligated to come by any means - but if you are in need of some hair bows or any other fun girly stuff, or just want to do some shopping - please stop by! I would love to chit chat! Otherwise - if you ever need any hair bows - you know who to call!!

Thank you - it was nice doing business with y'all! ;)

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

2008-10-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

Okay so today is my sweet sister-in-law's birthday. So, I just had to say ...

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

For those of you who don't know Andrea - I just have to tell you... she is the best. I never had a sister growing up, and I am just so happy to have her in my life now. She is the sister I never had. I truly could not think of a more loving, sweet person to have in my life.

I hope she doesn't mind me sharing this - but over the past year, Andrea has been fighting a rough go with Cancer. She has gone through a lot recently and I just want her to know how much I love her and want her to know that she will always be my hero for what she has gone through and how well she has come through it. I truly look up to her as a mother, a sister and a friend.

I wish we could be there to celebrate your birthday with you ... Please know how much I love you, Andrea. I mean that with all my heart. And I'm so glad you are doing better.

Anything for my girls!

2008-09-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I have been in Young Women for 4 YEARS now - (not that I'm complaining ... I would never ...) ;) But over the years I have become the official dance hairdresser for the girls. So, Saturday I went down and did Kinley and Erica's hair for Homecoming. It was fun hangin' with my girls - I truly love them. Anyway, the experience to me was "blog worthy" - so here is a picture of Erica and her lovely hair! Unfortunately I didn't get Kinley's pic but it was extraordinary - you'll just have to trust me on that! I love you girls!! Really and truly.

Too Tired to Blog

2008-09-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Okay so lately I've just been too tired to BLOG - so this is a "catch-up" post. I'll try and be a little bit more on top of things. But here's a little re-cap from the week.

TUESDAY - I spent most of the day at Paula's house helping her paint her nursery. It just needed to get done before the baby (with no name) comes ANY DAY NOW!

So, we painted it light blue and brown! It turned out ADORABLE - but I don't have a picture of the finished product, so you'll just have to trust me on that one.

That night I went to the "So You Think You Can Dance" concert with Leslie (thanks, Les!) - but I forgot my camera and am still waiting on some pictures of that so stay tuned....

Wednesday - We had our long time BFFs over for dinner. (since we ditched 'em the night before to go to the concert! - Sorry Kristy!) It was lots of fun catching up - and was long overdue!! Here's their cute family.

Their little Nick is the cutest little guy - you would die! He says "BYU eats boogers!" and kids never lie so...

Thursday - SOCCER, SOCCER, SOCCER!!

FRIDAY - Friday was too boring to blog about, really. Just a relaxing day. But here's the cutest picture of Cole that day playing with his favorite doggie. You can tell when a stuffed animal is a favorite of Cole's because he'll bite the nose! Mason did that too - I love it!

TODAY (Saturday) - So far - well not much. But I had an extremely frustrating morning with Hallie. She is so stinkin' shy - like PAINFULLY shy that she just can't function in crowds. I kinda just had it with her this morning at Soccer when she played her final game of the season and just stood there AGAIN! She has some serious "stage fright" issues that need to be resolved. No amount of coaxing, bribing or threatening has worked.

To show you what I mean, here she is on a normal basis at my house:

And here she is at Soccer (or Dance or Preschool or anywhere public):

It topped it off when she had pictures today and wouldn't stop putting her fingers in her mouth. I asked for my money back and told her we were done with Soccer. I don't know what to do. I tell ya - I feel like a failure sometimes.

So that's my week thus far ... "In a Nutshell" - (get it??)

Happy Anniversary!

2008-09-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom & Dad's 33rd wedding anniversary, and I just wanted to say...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

I have only been married for 7 1/2 years and I feel like that is an accomplishment. Imagine 33! I seriously couldn't ask for better examples of love and devotion than my two wonderful parents. I can honestly say that in my entire life, there has never been a time where I have doubted their unconditional true love for each other. I am so proud to be their daughter. I love you both very much. Thanks for all you do!

It's official....

2008-09-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

...I'M OLD!

So, I turned the big THIRTY last week - and I can honestly say, it wasn't fun. I'm not sure why it effected me so bad - but I really do feel OLDER. Usually birthdays just come and go for me without really noticing. But this one felt weird. Ugh. Oh well, I guess it's time for me to grow up and embrace my true age. Anyway, as we all know ... I have great friends - and therefore this is what I woke up to that morning. Thanks guys for never forgetting to announce my birthday to the world! (and a special thanks to Paula for the TOILET PAPER! - You're dead.)

After spending the majority of the day with my friend, Tina - who I'm afraid felt obligated to hang out with me all day since it was my birthday. Thanks, Tina - and thanks for LUNCH! It was a lot of fun... I came home to these awesome flowers from my Dad!! My dad never forgets about me and always manages to send me something to let me know he cares. He is the greatest Dad ever... and I mean it! Thanks, Dad - I love you.

And later that evening, I went and saw cute Kinley and Erica rock the house in their High School Musical play. They did awesome! Good job guys.

After which I came home to my adorable family - who had cake and ice cream ready for me. And my kids had worked really hard to make me these adorable presents filled with all sorts of fun stuff. Thanks, guys! I love you.

And don't worry, my birthday didn't end there! The next day, we all went to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner (my favorite) to celebrate a little more.

I have the best family in the whole wide world. I am truly blessed!

Oh and don't you worry - my sweet husband took me to the Little America Hotel for the weekend. It was so much fun! We just relaxed and spent some much needed time together. Thanks to my mom who so kindly watched my kids for us so we could ha ve a little bit of time together. Thanks Mom!! And Thanks, Ross - I love you very much. You truly are the best husband I could ever ask for.

So, don't worry - my big 30th birthday didn't go uncelebrated!

Thanks to all who made it really fun and special. I couldn't ask for better family and friends.

Happy Birthday Chad!

2008-09-21T13:32:00.001-07:00

Today is my brother, Chad's birthday. He is my only sibling, and therefore my very favorite! I spent most of my childhood following him around trying to be included in everything he did. I have always looked up to him and wanted to be around him. He is one of my very best friends in the whole world, and I can't imagine my life without him in it.

My Brother IS:

Very, very FUNNY!
Good at I everything he does.
A BIG sports fan. (and is good at all of them)
A huge StEeLeRs fan.
SMART
A great Dad.
Talented
A hard worker
Loyal
A great Brother!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAD!

I love you!

Something MUST be done ....

2008-09-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

... about the FOOTBALL OBSESSION!

Okay, so we all know about Mason's newest obsession - FOOTBALL. When my sweet little boy likes something - he REALLY likes it. He learns everything he can possibly learn about it and then has to practically LIVE it. The poor kid can't even get it off his mind. He makes his sister play with him, his friends, his grandpa and most of all his daddy. And if he wasn't playing it, he was playing it on a video game or watching it on TV. Of course, it doesn't help that it's football season and his dad has it on the TV 24/7! But it finally got to the point where something had to be done. He was sitting out on the front lawn throwing the football up in the air and catching it for HOURS straight! I finally told him that he had to limit the time he spent doing anything football. So, after a HUGE tantrum - (I'm talkin' slammed doors, pounding fists and kicking feet) we finally came to an agreement. He gets to play football on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. All other days he has to find something else he enjoys doing and do that. It was a rough go - but he almost seems relieved. Please tell me I did the right thing!

Sweet but Scary!

2008-09-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Every day at the Clark home we wake up and spend the morning getting Mason off to school. It was always hard for Hal to watch her brother leave. She loves him and even though they drive each other nuts, she misses the crap out of him while he's gone. So, what does she do with her time waiting for her big brother to come home?....

...she drives her baby brother CrAzY!

She has just very recently become OBSESSED with the him! You can seriously see FEAR in the poor kid's eyes as he sees her approaching. He usually looks at me with that "help me, mom!" look begging for me to do something. She drags him around, dresses him up and is constantly in his face. I try and stop it, but she truly cannot help herself, I'm afraid. Here are some of the cuter, more pleasant moments with Hallie and Cole keeping themselves occupied until big brother comes home.

He loves her to death, but he's terrified of her! I hope he survives.

Oh... and here's a picture of the newest resident in our home! (don't worry, I will be disposing of it as soon as I possibly can without Mason knowing)

I HATE SPIDERS!

I love my life!

2008-09-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ya so we kinda just had a laid back weekend. Nothin' too wild and crazy - which is not like us. But it was kinda nice. It's always nice to slow down and just chill.

Here's a re-cap....We played with our friends, Taygen and Forrest!

We went to Hals soccer game. And no, there wasn't much improvement this week. This may very well have been 1 of maybe 2 times she touched the ball the whole game. She really does like to play - what is up with my kids?

Our nephew, Mitchell plays football for Hilcrest. This week he played in Bountiful - so we thought we'd offer a little support and go watch him play. It was fun - especially for Mason to see his cousin play football! And yes, Ross gave him a little "pep talk" so to say. Sorry Mitch! We love you!

Make it stop!

2008-09-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

MY LITTLE GIRL STARTED PRESCHOOL!

What is going on? I feel like everything is going in fast forward and if I blink I might miss something. How in the world can I have a 1st grader and a pre-schooler? Didn't I just graduate from high school? I'm the type of mom that takes video and pictures of EVERYTHING but then can't go back and look at it EVER because it will make me cry uncontrolably for weeks straight. It's really hard for me to watch my kids grow up. I will never get this time back.

Anyway.... let's try and pull it together here.... Hals started preschool on Tuesday with Mrs. Eggett. She did GREAT! Originally I thought that she would have a hard time, since she has watched her big brother cry practically every day for the past 2 weeks as he goes to school. But I didn't give her enough credit. She went like a champ! She is one of only 3 girls in her class - which is normal for Hals. She is used to being around the boys. And her buddies, Max and Camden are in her class so that helps. I think she was just totally ready after watching her big brother go through all of this the past few years.

She came home from school and had to instantly call her daddy and tell him how "great" her day was. I'm so proud of her. What a big girl!

Okay, so she's not really participating. But at least she's not crying!! I think she did great.

Argh!

2008-09-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so yesterday (Tuesday) was a rough day for Amy. My little Cole woke up screaming in the middle of the night ... I didn't think much of it, gave him a bottle and he went back to sleep. The next morning, he couldn't open his eye. It watered all day long, and he spent THE ENTIRE DAY with his eyes closed. If he ever even got a peek out - he would cry and close them immediately. I just thought it was irritated, because he poked it or something. After like 8 hours, I decided to take him to the Doctor. Here's how he looked when I came out.K, it looks worse than it is... but isn't that just so sad?

Apparently he scratched his cornia - and this is supposed to force his eye to rest so that it can heal. Whatever - I'm just glad to have it off now. We had to keep it on him for 24 hours. It was a rough day for a mommy. I hate stuff like this. I love you, buddy!

Stubborn Tooth!

2008-09-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been a couple of weeks since this happened... but it is totally blog worthy - so deal with it. So, like over a month ago, Ross and Mason were playing football in the front yard. As usual, they got a little rough, and when Ross yanked on Mason's face mask, his chin strap came up and knocked his tooth loose. Well, I tried and tried to get him to let me pull it for weeks after that - I tried everything! Bribery, threats... nothin' would get him to let me touch it. So, a couple weeks ago... my buddy, Angie helped me out. (she's a dental assistant - but my kids think she's a doctor) We practically pinned him down, kicking and screaming - but she yanked the sucker out! I was so glad to see that he didn't have that dang tooth, dangling from his mouth anymore. After about a half hour of him screaming afterwords... we finally calmed down and could smile about it.

Thanks, Angie!!

(and don't worry, Mason still loves ya)

Super Saturday

2008-09-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

Okay so remember when I said it had been a crazy weekend for us? Well... after the 14 hour Salsa extravaganza, I had the crazy idea to have a Yard Sale. Yes, I am nuts! But we all know this so let's not dwell on it ... so we had a fairly successful yard sale, thanks to my awesome friends who helped me make and put up signs, and my "sis", Tina who helped me sort and organize everything until after midnight - and thanks to my parents who kept me standing on Saturday! Thanks everybody! And of course with every Yard Sale comes a Lemonade Stand (courtesy of Angie) - hey, the kid's have gotta make a living too, ya know!

..............................................................................................................................................................

And then of course, we couldn't miss the U of U football game - not a chance! And since it was my dad's last day in town, we needed to go big - so we decided to ride the new UTA FrontRunner train into town and then take TRACKS up to the game. It worked out pretty smoothly ... but let's just say it took ALL DAY - like we got home well after midnight!

This is us ... (minus me) ... waiting for the train.

As we all know, the University of Utah football season plays a rather LARGE role in the Clark home. We (he) takes things pretty seriously. But as you can see - the stadium was PACKED! So, it's nice to know we aren't alone!

Grandpa and Hallie had a great time!

And our little Mason (bless his heart) has re-lived the game about 40 times since then in our front yard... while asking his dad millions of questions about who plays what position and what happened in which quarter and so on...

And of course there was peace and happiness when we finally got home that night because... THEY WON! (by a lot, might I add)
G O U T E S!

Look out for...

2008-09-07T21:41:00.001-07:00

...BLUE LIGHTNING!

Good grief ... I'm not sure if I have ever seen anything quite as cute as this little 3 year old soccer team! I could not stop smiling. Hallie is playing in a co-ed Tiny Tot Soccer league and had her first game on Saturday. She is the only girl on her team - and she can't seem to get herself down the field without her fingers in her mouth and her daddy holding her hand. But when they're this cute... who cares?

I mean seriously... pink cleates and all! She's really excited about playing. . . but Hals hates to have any attention drawn to her. So, hopefully she'll warm up and play.

Go BLUE LIGHTNING!

Apparently Ross is coaching next week - so maybe she'll actually give it a good effort! I'll keep ya posted.

It's Salsa Season!

2008-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Alrighty so this was one heck of a weekend, I've just gotta tell ya. Every year about this time, some of my friends and I try to be domestic and make SALSA. It was my turn to do it in my kitchen - what a great way to break in a new kitchen! Last year's batch was AMAZING and we all went through it way too fast. So, we wanted to make more this year. Let's just say we went a little overboard, okay. 108 JARS OF SALSA! Don't ask me how it happened or what we were thinking, but we've got enough salsa to run our own mexican restaurant. Way fun, but let's just say I couldn't feel my feet by the end of the day. It's amazing what can happen when you get 5 girlfriends together to do a project! I know you are all amazed and impressed.

So 14 hours later, with frustrated husbands, tired kids and aching bodies we present to you ....

What Angie has officially named our "BFF Salsa". (yes, and she even made labels!)

And I've just gotta say - it is super fantastically delicious! (not that we'd admit it if it wasn't) Might I suggest warming it up with shredded cheese... mmm... mmm...!

Thanks girls! Let's not do it again until next year okay?

What a kid!

2008-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show y'all what I see when I walk into this little guy's room every morning. He brings so much happiness into our home!

Cherry Hill...

2008-09-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

..."the greatest fun spot there ever was!"

Okay so don't laugh but yes, the very first official Clark family camping trip was to Cherry Hill. Let's just say we don't do a lot of camping. And what we have done has been in a cabin. Sad, I know... but it is officially one of our goals now! (not that that means a whole lot) Anyway, we had a blast last weekend with our buddies campin' out at Cherry Hill. I am so glad that Tina and Scott had the idea and made it all happen - thanks guys! You know you are "virgin" campers when you can't even get your own tent up without needing some assistance. And yes, we went for the giant hotel of a tent - it was awesome.

And heaven only knows why we don't do this more often, because the kids has a blast! They loved sleeping in the tent! Prior to this, the only tent my kids had ever slept in was a shark shaped one in my living room. Sad.

We swam all day and everyone was pooped by the time we got home, but it turned out to be so super fun. I think we might make it a tradition every Labor Day weekend!

Thanks everybody!

A Week of FIRSTS!

2008-08-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

So this was a big week for the Clark family - as I'm sure it was for all of you. It was the beginning of just about everything. We are just getting back into the swing of things. After the craziness of summer, it sure is tough getting used to a regular schedule and routine again. But here is our list of "firsts" for the week.

First Day of First Grade!

What the crap is wrong with me? I am like sobbing just blogging about this day. If you saw me you would think someone must have died. It is so hard for me to watch my kids grow up and transition. Why can't we just push "pause" and make it all stop for a while? It is times like this that I am reminded to slow down a bit and cherish the sweet moments of motherhood. Time just goes way too fast!

He looks happy, doesn't he? Well, don't let him fool ya. The kid has bawled and screamed everyday so far, begging me to let him stay home. I'm tellin' ya - It has been bad.

The principal has literally had to physically restrain him to get him to stay at school. I have left the school every day this week, hearing him crying - my heart being ripped apart. Keep your fingers crossed for us that he can get the hang of this! Any advice anyone might have would be great.

First Day Back to Dance!

So, we all know how much Hallie loves to dance.... but what these pictures don't show is how many times she bawled on her first day back after summer. What is wrong with my kids? Seriously... do I coddle them to much? Why do they have such a hard time with separation and new things? I feel like I must be failing at something. Anyway, she will get the hang of it again...

She's a natural, though... don't ya think? ;)

First Time Eating Watermelon!

Don't go thinkin' that there was any chance of takin' it away from him either, because I tried. He wasn't havin' it. What kid doesn't love watermelon, right?

First Day Back to Soccer!

And of course we would have to start Soccer this week. Naturally it would all come at once, right? Let the routine begin!! So, we had our usual melt down about the name of the team. Mason's team name ideas never get the majority of the votes for some reason. He really wanted to be the "UTES" because they were red... but majority ruled and they are the "Red Torches" Mason says "that's stupid!" - but I think we are over it now. He's just thrilled that he finally got to be RED (his very favorite color!).

It has been a physically and emotionally exhausting week - but we made it through. I'm glad it's a holiday weekend now. I can already use a day off.

Hope y'all had a great week!!

Not to brag or anything but....

2008-08-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Could he be any cuter?

Arizona in August...

2008-08-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

...and we survived!

Okay, so as most of you know, we just got back from Arizona. I know, I know, we are crazy to do that in the middle of August! But when your husband is doing business down there, and your family lives there... you can't miss the chance to tag along. So, we spent a little bit of time in the sun, but most of the time, we tried to go from one Air Conditioned place to the next. It's the only way to survive, I'm afraid. So, here are some pictures from our trip!

So, first of all I need to paint a picture for everyone. My parents house is like our favorite place. When we go there it is always just a magical little experience.

My mom has her house fixed up perfectly with a toyroom that looks like Santa's workshop just for her grandkids. She always has everything so nice, with chocolate truffles by our bedside and everything. It is better than any hotel or B&B you could ever find. Trust me.

We usually walk in to see signs like this. These are just a couple of the cute things that we usually see at Grandma and Grandpa's that make things so special. Thanks mom and dad!

We decided to take the boat up to "Canyon Lake" for a little fun in the sun. We had so much fun being back on the Lake again. It was just like old times. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Chad, Landon and Mason Check out the rocks behind them - this lake was really pretty!

This was Cole's first boating trip! He seemed to like it!

SUMO TUBE BABY!

Okay, if you've never had the chance to experience the "Sumo Tube", you need to! This is Chad, Ross and me kickin' some butt at it. Turns out I'm pretty dang good at it. It is so much fun to do. If you need a fun new boating toy - get one!! So fun! But nobody kicks butt quite like my brother on the wakeboard. But then again, he usually kicks my butt at everything. What can I say?

And of course, we had to go to a Diamondbacks game while we were there. It was really fun to go to a MLB game - Mason loved it! It was a good game, too - it was close. But the D-backs pulled through!

GO D-BACKS!!

And then to thank us for watching Landon and Ash, Chad and Andrea gave us an awesome night out without the kids at an amazing restaurant called Roys. If you are ever somewhere where you have the opportunity to dine at Roys, do so, because it is amazing food and super fun atmosphere.

Thanks, Chad and Andrea! It was not necessary at all, but we LOVED it!

We even got to spend some time with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins that was long overdue!

So, all in all it was a super fun trip that as usual, went way too fast! We had a great time, though. Too bad we can't live closer to our family. But it sure makes vacation a party!! Love you guys!

Attention Twilight Fans!!

2008-08-22T13:54:00.001-07:00

Okay so if you are like me, counting down the days until the movie is released... you'll be happy to know that the release date has moved up to November 21st. That's like 3 weeks early!! I'm so excited. Anyone interested in joining our midnight showing group, feel free!!

For more info, check out http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/. K... I'm a loser, but whatever!

Memories...

2008-08-17T00:43:00.001-07:00

Okay so my cute friend Teri did this TAG and I think it looks like a lot of fun! Do as you wish with it... but let's keep it alive!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, just anything you remember.

2. Next, repost these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's pretty fun to see the responses.

Happy blogging friends!

It's DONE!

2008-08-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Okay so as many of you know... my kitchen is FINALLY done! I am so excited about it. It doesn't even feel like my house. The process seemed like forever, and camping out in the basement was not my favorite... but I must say it was all very worth it in the end. Here are some before and after pictures.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So, after about a month and a half of camping out in our basement, lots of fast food and extreme messiness... we are finally enjoying our new kitchen! It is awesome, I must say. If you want to see more pics of the kitchen before and after... check out facebook!

The BIG DAY

2008-08-10T21:16:00.001-07:00

Ya, I know I'm almost 30 years old... and reading books about sexy vampires might seem a little immature to some - but what can I say, I'm still a little bit "high school-ish" inside. So, yes... I got up early on the morning of August 1st and went down with my buddies (also my age, I might add) to Barnes and Noble to get my "wrist band" so that I could get my reserved copy of "Breaking Dawn" at midnight! Yes, I am crazy - and a little lame. But it was fun. I'm glad I did it. And the book rocks, by the way. (but I'm not finished, so don't ruin it for me!)

So, the girls all went to the cheesecake factory for dinner. After which we headed to Barnes and Noble for the release party. I must say, we felt a little out of place and lame being there, but after we took the test (and ACED it!) we decided it wasn't so bad. I'm not sure why we waited up until Midnight to get it, when we could have just gone to Costco the next morning and picked it up - but what can I say, we like to get a little crazy, right girls??

Here we are waiting outside - eating our cheesecake...

Here we are waiting inside - getting a little tired of waiting...

And FINALLY ... we got our books!
(and yes, mine is upside down - it was a little late, okay?)
So, thanks to Stephenie Meyer, our houses are all a mess, laundry is piling up and our husbands are all ticked off at us and hate anything to do with "vampires" or "warewolves" - but ya gotta hand it to her - the books rock!! Next we'll be the immature idiots at the midnight showing of the movie in December. Stay tuned for that!

It's What Fun Is!

2008-08-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Okay so we go to Lagoon only ONCE a year - and that's when we can all get in free. That's right - STAKE LAGOON DAY! So, when Ross got home from work, we hopped in the car, grabbed a pizza on the way and headed to Lagoon. The kids were so excited they could hardly stand it. We shoved a little pizza down everybody (in the Lagoon parking lot - in the tailgate of our car), and then we went in for some Lagoon fun.

the DINOSAUR EGG DROP!The Helicopters!BUMPER CARS!The DRAGONFLYThe TIDAL WAVE

Well, after running to every ride we could possibly fit in before they kicked us out, it turned out to be a really fun day at Lagoon. I taught Landon to say "It's what fun is" every time I mentioned Lagoon. It was so cute and funny hearing him say it. We were all exhausted when we got home that night. I don't think Landon and Ash knew quite what hit them. It think it's the best night's sleep everyone had since they got here. But not until we got our Slurpees that they were promised on the way home. It doesn't matter how tired children are - they always remember when you promise them something - especially when it involves sugar!

LAGOON - IT'S WHAT FUN IS!

SURPRISE!

2008-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY, ROSS!

So, of course I couldn't let my husband turn 30 without doing something BIG, right? That just wouldn't make sense for me. So... of course I did a lot of planning - and with a lot of help, we had a rather large surprise party thrown together. It ended up being perfect... thanks to a lot of help from good friends and amazing family!! (Thanks, Cari & Garrick!) I seriously couldn't have done it without them. But after accepting a lot of help and spending the entire day setting up at the park... we had a very successful and fun surprise birthday party. Ross was completely shocked. I can't believe I actually pulled it off, to be honest.

After quite a bit of arguing and persuading, I rushed Ross to get ready and got 5 kids ready in less than an hour... I was practically shoving everybody out the door. Ross kept saying, "What's the big rush?" as I was hurrying things along. If it weren't for the fact that I'm a pretty wound up person normally, he probably would have known something was up... but he just thought I was in one of my hurry modes. So after a little bit of a fight and arguing the whole way up to the park, this is what he saw when he pulled up. His exact words were "Happy 30th Birthday... oh crap" - and then the party began!

THE GUESTS:

THE CHEF (and party planner!) :
Cari is missing in action... but without these guys, this all would not have happened. - Thank you guys for all your help!!

THE SPEAKERS:

..THIAGO..
..ANGIE..
..SEAN..
..STEVE..
..KYLE..

..JULIE..

The CAKES:

http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/

Might I suggest Nothing Bundt Cakes for your next celebration? These cakes were so super good! I was so happy with them. We had Chocolate Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate, White Chocolate Raspberry, Carrot, and Red Velvet. They were to die for!

Here's Kristy helping me serve them! Thanks, Kristy!

The ENTERTAINMENT (for kids, anyway):

Thanks for coming, everybody! We had a really fun time - and it wouldn't have been successful without all of you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSS!

Celebrate Good Times... (come on!)

2008-08-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

The PARADE

Well... we are big believers in celebrating our holidays to the maximum so - here we are with all our bells & whistles at the big 24th of July parade. I can honestly count on 1 hand how many times I have missed the good ol' "Main Street Parade". I'm fairly certain that if it weren't for these cute little faces every year, I most definately wouldn't go to all the efforts that I do to make this happen.

And when I say "efforts" I'm talkin' about these 4 lovely ladies gettin' up at 4:30... (ya, that's FOUR-THIRTY A.M.) and haulin' all our chairs, blankets and rope down to our favorite Baskin Robins spot just to make sure we have a nice place for our families to watch the parade.

Hals typically just sits contently in her chair the entire time, while all the other kids rush back and forth racing to get as much candy as possible. I think competitions are a little overwhelming for this little princess. She gets a little flustered when there is any pressure put on her to make anything happen. So... this is where she sat most of the time... or on mine or Daddy's lap.

But don't worry. While Hallie is just hangin' back... the boys are always busy cheering for each and every possible thing that goes down the street. They loved every second of it. They scored with candy, and even some awesome toys! It doesn't get better than that. Who cares about the fact that it was hotter than blazes and we were exhausted... (more "efforts") by golly - we were gonna be at this darn parade.

I'm not sure that Ashlyn or Cole had any idea what was going on. They just kept looking around wondering why there were so many people and what the big fuss was about. I think Ash was a little bit in shock.

The Fireworks

And of course, it wouldn't be the 24th without headin' up to Grandma's house for the best fireworks display ever! We are so lucky to have the perfect spot to watch in my Grandma's front yard. I have the best Grandma in the whole world who sets up tables with popcorn, ice cream and drinks for anyone and everyone (heavy on the everyone) I decide to bring up. Thank you, Grandma - for letting us invade your yard yet once again. We had a lot of fun.

Once again... the faces say it all!

FRIENDS

Have I mentioned what great friends I have? Our friends are like our family these days. I can't seem to plan an event without them. They are the best. We are very lucky to have so many good friends who are always around us.

Thanks for coming, guys!!

The CARNIVAL

What the heck, let's get up the next morning and head down to the park for the carnival! Ya, so maybe we bought a whole bunch of tickets and then realized that we were all getting a little dehydrated and sunburned. I looked down at the kids and realized that the sun was imobilizing them. (I'm a good mom) And after being told that my baby looks sunburned several times, (I'm a good mom), I finally decided to give my last tickets to Ang and head home. (Good thing I talked Ross into going!) Ya... I don't have good judgement about these things lately.

Happy 24th of July Y'ALL!

Just Chillin'

2008-08-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone always asks me if I ever take time to just "slow down" in my life. I tend to run myself raged most of the time... but I would like to share some pictures of us doing just that - slowin' down a bit. So... here are some pictures of us just hangin around over the past 2 weeks or so. Nothin' special. Just wanted to share some of what we've been up to. Enjoy.

The girls helped me make dinner by putting the spread on the garlic toast. What good little helpers I have. (I think Ashlyn might have wanted a banana, what do you think?)

S L U R P E E S ! !

These were one of our favorite treats while our cousins were in town. Whenever we were out, I would bribe them with Slurpees! It worked like a charm every time! (okay, not EVERY time!) However, there is stradegy to buying Slurpees for 4 children at once. You can't let them choose which flavor they want or all hell breaks loose. Besides the fact that my husband would kill me if RED Slurpee was spilled on the new car, there would always be a fight over who had the best flavor and so on and so forth. So, I usually opted to just give everyone banana. They love the flavor and it doesn't stain. I know, I know... you're impressed at my Slurpee knowledge. I rock.

L I T T L E P O S E R S !

Can you tell we take a lot of pictures? These kids just see me with the camera, and they instantly stop whatever it is they're doing and suddenly they have the perfect little smile on their face. And they even hold the pose until they see the flash. "SAY CHEESE" isn't even necessary anymore. They are professionals. I have given them many years of training - what can I say? I must say, though... I have the cutest little models out there. I've got a lot to work with!

We thought Landon looked pretty dang stylin' in these goggles. He slipped them on and I new it was yet another Kodak moment. These are the kinds of pictures that just define this little guy. I can't describe the adorable corky little personality that the little fella has. He is such a little ham. He could truly entertain an entire crowd if he really wanted to. He cracks me up. It has been a joy having him around.

And of course, the highlight and "grand finale" of our "just chillin' moments" - was when Hallie came running upstairs to show me this. She decided to back the Speed Racer car up and let the wheels go nuts in her hair. I was a little mad, but then I took a step back and decided it was really funny. I had to take a picture. As you can tell, she is forcing this smile out with sheer panic behind it. We ended up having to cut it out after working with it for quite some time. You can't even really tell now. It just looks like she has a little short layer framing her face. I can remember this happening to me when I was little - only I'm fairly positive it was my sweet brother who drove his "Stomper" up in my hair. Bless his heart - he was good to me.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!

2008-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ya, so apparently I've been too busy (busy, busy!) to blog. I know, I know it's hard to believe that Amy is busy. But it is true. Let's just say I haven't quite got myself fully accustomed to 5 children. Just when I'm finally getting myself organized, they are going to be heading home! No, but seriously... it has been so much fun having time with these little ones. Only 3 more days, and then they're off, though. Time really does fly. We've had so much fun with them! And as luck would have it, Ross' computer isn't working correctly and I am having trouble uploading my newest pics... but since I'm so behind, I'll show ya a few older ones.

We went to the park just after our cute cousins arrived, and the boys had so much fun together. I'm so glad we have been able to get these 2 together. They have had a really good time. It will honestly be really sad to have to separate them.

Of course, we invited our "park buddies", Bells and Linc to come along. Landon warmed up to these friends really fast. It wasn't long before he was asking when we could play with Isabelle and Lincoln again! What can I say, we have fun friends!!

Rather than going down the slides, Ash opted to drop wood chips on them. It seemed to be her favorite activity while the others were sliding down them. Silly Ashie... she's always doin' her own little thing.

And of course, everyone quickly became bored with the actual "park toys" and moved on to gathering rocks from the hill and lining them up on this wall. It was so much more fun.

This happens everytime we go to this park. They always start out sliding and climbing, and then after about 15 minutes, they mosey on over to the big dirt and rock hill nearby.

Sometimes I wonder why we take the kids to the park. If you just give 'em some rocks, a little dirt, a grass hill and maybe a hose... they'd be content for HOURS (possibly even days?). Ya, parks are overrated.

Ashlyn was all over this activity! She quickly caught on to the "big kid" activity and joined in on the fun. She wanted a "big one" like Landon! I think this was the biggest one her little body could carry. It was super cute. What a gal!

And of course, ketchup (with a little corn dogs) for lunch. I like to keep things super nutritious. No junk food for this family! (Sorry Andrea) I wanted to be "fun Aunt Amy" who gives us yummy food, okay? After a few days, we added a few fruits and veggies into the diet. So much for "fun Aunt Amy"!

It was a fun day at the park! Stay tuned for some more pics. Ross is supposed to get his computer working a little better tomorrow. So... cross your fingers!

2 more munchkins

2008-07-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

That's right... the tempo at our house has increased a bit in the last couple of days since we have had our buddies (cousins) staying with us. We are so excited to have Landon and Ashlyn here, finally!! It has been talked about for quite some time now, and we are happy to finally be spending some time with em! Mason and Hal couldn't be happier - they love a good 2-3 week slumber party!!
The boys of course started things off with some video games - that was the first thing Mason wanted to show Landon - we won't mention that Landon is already almost better than Mason at most of the games. (he still thinks he's the best) Don't sit too far away from the TV guys! (so, I guess if I'm not careful...I might send Landon home blind - sorry Chad n Andrea!)

Ashlyn's favorite toy at our house quickly became the trusty ol' rocking horse that used to be Ross' when he was little. That thing has been more popular at our house than any toy we have ever spent money on. If it ever breaks, I think I would pay good money to replace it someday.

So, the gigantic queen-sized raised aerobed we put in Mason's room might take up the entire floor space and leave absolutely no floor to play on, but it sure is fun!! They all camped out in here that night. It was really cute.

Obviously Hallie was thrilled to have her cousins here. Especially little Ashlyn. Hallie has always wanted a little sister. She treats her like her little pet. She follows her around and takes care of her every need. She strokes her hair and dresses her up like a doll. She is so funny. She's never been able to do that with her brothers. She's in heaven. The first thing she asks when she wakes up is, "where's Ashie?" It sounds obsessive, but it's actually super cute.

And of course, Ashlyn ended up in my bed after waking up at 3 in the morning that night. I don't blame her - she's a little out of her element! And "pony" is in there with her - don't worry.

CLARK CABIN

2008-07-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun weekend up at the cabin with the Clarks. It turned out to be a really great experience for our family. The kids had so much fun with their cousins. We don't do a lot of camping. (actually - we never camp) But I absolutely love it. There's something so calming and peaceful about being secluded in nature with the ones you love. I am a firm believer that you need to make time for the ones you love - regardless of how hecktic life can seem. You just can't miss out on time to bond with loved ones. This cabin is the perfect cabin to just fit our needs. It doesn't have too much - yet it has what we need. I like the feeling of roughin' it a bit, and I like that this cabin gives you that feel. Anyway... here are some pictures of some of the fun things we did.

I don't know if this picture portrays the look of sheer terror on Mason's face - but it took everything in his power to get the courage up to go down the river with Pania and Logan. And what you don't see is how they all got dumped off not even 5 seconds after this was taken. Poor Mason. But like his daddy always says, "It'll make him tough". Whatever - he did end up loving it though.

No swimsuit? Not a problem for Ross! He still took his turn headin' down the river. He only did it once, though. Weird. I must say, I was tempted to give it a shot, but decided against it for fear of humiliating myself in front of Ross' family. ;)

Even Molly did a little splashin' around with us. She loved it when the kids would splash the water up in the air - she would try and bite the water. But don't go thinkin' she was brave or anything, because if it was anything more than about 1 1/2 feet deep, she wouldn't even go near it. Silly Molly. We were really glad we brought her up with us this year. She was a lot of fun to have along.

And of course, we had to do pedicures on all of our dirty feet! These were just the toes that got painted. We didn't take a picture of all the men's feet after they got a little pampering done. It turned out to be a really fun activity - I thinkwe need to make it an anual tradition!

And of course, it wouldn't be the same without a little ATV action! (thanks Rob!) We had a lot of fun on the 4-wheeler as always. Mason would really like to drive it on his own. We told him to give it a few years. I am becoming quite the pro, if I do say so myself.

And my sweet Cole was a trooper as always. He just went with the flow of things and kept a smile on his face. He is such a great kid. And yes, the wet spot on his clothes is ALL DROOL! I go through clothes like mad - but if that is all I have to complain about with this little guy, I think I'm doin pretty darn good!

We love ourselves a s'more here and there. Hals enjoyed roasting the marshmallows by rolling them around in the dirt a little and then lighting them on fire. And then she would get upset when I wouldn't let her eat the ones that she roasted. "What's wrong with eatin' a little dirt, Mom"? A little dirt never hurt, I guess... right?

And so 45 mosquito bites, and 3 days later, I am home and still not done catching up with the laundry from the cabin. But we sure did have fun! Looking forward to next year! - Thanks for the fun time everyone.

St. George Sunshine!

2008-07-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

So, as we all know, the clarks like to cram as much stress into one small time span as possible. So, in order to keep with tradition, we just buzzed on down to St. George on Sunday for a quick 2 day trip. Ross had to go for work (or was it golf?), and of course the 4 of us tagged along as usual. We hate being home without daddy - so we usually just crash the work trip and come along.

Can I just tell you how much we love St. George? If we had the opportunity, we would love to live there. It is getting to be quite the popular place now days, though. The small town feel of it isn't quite the same anymore. But we still like it. And it would be a perfect middle point between both of our families. Our trips to St. George usually include a visit to the Pizza Factory and of course some shopping. (duh)

And if you ask Mason where he loves to go on a trip, he would tell you "to a hotel" - which pretty much means it doesn't really matter where the hotel is located. As long as he's staying at a hotel. He loves everything about it. He loves being able to wake up and just walk down to breakfast and chose whatever he wants... swimming to his heart's content... and staying up late, watching the hotel TV.

So, needless to say, we spend a lot of time just vegging at the hotel while the kids jump from bed to bed trashing the place.

I'm sure anyone who's a regular visitor to St. George knows the famous red phone booth - it's a picture opp every time. Not sure why - we just think it's cool.

And of course, we did something we rarely do... we did a little bit (or a lot) of swimming. Weird.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll be back soon - and we'll do the same ol' stuff we always do. But we love it. It's a heck of a place!

SHY? (I don't think so.)

2008-07-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so in an effort to clear the record.. I'd like to give you a little bit of proof that my daughter (whom most of you think is extremely shy and unsocial) is actually quite the character. Give her time to warm up to you, and you never know what you're gonna see! I'm sure that each and every one of you at some point or another have asked Hallie a question, only to find her looking at the ground with her bottom lip out like she's about to burst into tears. I promise that isn't a result of child abuse or lack of personality. This girl knows how to ham it up and she actually loves an audience. She loves to sing at the top of her lungs, while looking out of the corner of her eye to make sure you are enjoying the performance. She really enjoys dancing and twirling... with lots of pointed toes. She loves to show you her "tricks" (which usually involve winking, thumbs up, and maybe a kick here and there). Dresses are her favorite attire, and it needs to be pink most of the time. She is great at teasing her brothers - usually until screaming occurs.

You always know when she's smiling, because her eyes sparkle. She has the most contageous laugh you've ever heard... and she never holds a grudge. She is our only girl, (or should I say "princess") and therefore just a tad bit spoiled. Her daddy is an easy pushover when it comes to this face. She's great at talking her way out of pretty much anything.

I doubt that we will get another girl, because it would be impossible to top this one. She is and always will be our little angel. Just give her time... she'll show ya!

Love ya HALS!

FISH

2008-07-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that my children are pretty much FISH? Well, they are. I must say, our swimming lessons are most definately paying off. They LOVE the water. I try and get new pictures of us doing other things, but all I have pictures of are my little fishies in the water. Oh well. What do ya do, right? I've learned to embrace the chaos of summer and the mess that comes along with it. That's just life - and I need to enjoy what it is and stop trying to make it different. So... here are some pictures of my little fishies. (and some of our favorite fishie friends!!)

Yes... even little Cole is a big fan of the H2O! He's one of us.

Even little Ashlyn holds her own out there. She was so stinkin' cute, swimmin' with the rest of us at Aunt Joan's pool. (even though it was freezing cold)

K, can I tell you how much I love this kid? He's so easy goin'. He may not have gone nuts (like us) in the water, but he never once complained. He's just a laid back, go with the flow kinda kid! Love ya Landon!

What a champ out there, swimmin on her back! If you only knew how hard this was to get her to do in the first place, you'd be proud too!

And don't go tellin' Mason that these goggles aren't cool. Because to him, they are the definition of "cool". It is a rare occasion when you see the kid without them. And don't ever forget to bring them along ANYWHERE, because you never know when he's gonna need them. "Let's bring them just in case, mom!" or "Mom, did you get my goggles?" (in a very panicked tone) are very common phrases around here. And we all know that when it's a big deal to Mason, it's a big deal to all of us. I just make sure the dang goggles are in the car at all times.

We love the water! Come swim with us!

Introducing...

2008-07-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, well as many of you know... we have the privelige of having my adorable Niece and Nephew come and live with us over the next little while. We are so excited to be able to spend some time with them & get to know them better. Landon and Ashlyn live in Arizona and we don't see them nearly as much as we would like to these days. They're mom is fighting cancer, and had to undergo some radiation which resulted in mandatory separation from her children for at least 6 weeks (most likely more). It has been a really rough road for her, but she is my hero and we have no doubt that she will pull through without a problem. So, that's the story. If you see us with a couple of extra "kiddos" over the next couple of months, don't you go thinkin' that we popped out a couple more babies or nothin'. We are just enjoying some bonding time that has been long overdue with our cousins! Anyway... we went and spent the day with them yesterday and had a blast. So... meet our cousins, Landon & Ashlyn.

We had a great day at the ZOO with our cousins & their cousins, Hunter & Stockton. It was so much fun!

Afterwords, we went over to Ryan & Sarah's for a BBQ & a little "trampoline action". As you can see, we had a blast - thanks for letting us jump on the tramp, guys. We had a great time.

WE LOVE YOU, ANDREA!

(hang in there)

What a week!

2008-07-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY

Wow! That's my "one word description" of my past week. It has been crazy... but fun. See, as most of you probably know, The Clarks like to cram as much activity into one small time span and see how stressed out we can get. (Okay, maybe it's just me that has that problem) Regardless... as much fun as it was, it wasn't without a bit of tension and stress. I guess it comes with the territory. So, our week started off with Mason & Hallie wanting to have a swim party. So, of course we made that happen. The original pool popped and Ross had to run and get a new one. (just a minor bump in the road) But of course we forged ahead!

Ok, so it might have rained a bit too... (just another bump in the road), but we didn't let that spoil the fun. Besides, I think 2 little ones (1 particular 6 year old) would have been devastated had anything put an end to this excitement.

Tina & Payton thought they could hide, but I found them!

So this was our Tuesday. It turned out great - all in all.

Thanks for coming everybody and making our day!

WEDNESDAY

Yep! We finally did it - we bought a new car! We've been talking about it for some time now, and it finally happenned. I'm really excited. So, I decided I am somewhat drawn to "BLACK" cars. They just look classy to me. (when they're clean of course) I know, I know... you all think I'm crazy cuz they're hot, and are hard to keep looking clean. But for now, I'm loving it. So, don't go givin' me buyer's remorse y'all! I told my sweet husband that I wanted a black car with leather interior, a third row & a DVD player. And he made it happen. Thanks babe. It's a 2004 Toyota Sequoia. (in case ya couldn't tell)

And the kids LOVE it!!

THURSDAY

On Thursday, we went to Kyle & Kristy's for some brats and some homemade root beer. Brad & Julie & the kids came along too. After dinner, we made the trek up to Eaglewood for the fireworks. Kyle knew the perfect spot to park and head up - and we sat right on the golf course. The kids had a blast together. It turned out to be a great day! (I'm still waiting for pictures of this to be emailed to me - so stay tuned! ) Thanks, Kyle & Kristy!

FRIDAY (4th of July)

So... our tradition is that we get up at the break of dawn (not exactly my forte') and pack up the kids and head out to Murray for the 4th of July parade. We sit and bake in the sun and watch the kids have a blast, (which is what makes it worth it) hurrying to get as much candy as possible and laughing with their cousins. It's always fun once we get there, but as we all know, it's a bit of a struggle for Amy to make it places in the A.M.!

D. Will, gettin' himself some H2O! Always in a Jersey. And usually with shorts that don't match. (not my choice... I usually lose that battle) -

This was little Cole's first parade experience, and he was a trooper! But would you expect anything less with this little fella? LOVE this kid. He is my perfect child... always happy!! (okay, almost always)

After the parade, we went to Aunt Julie's park & ate lunch followed by a little slip n' slide action! It was so much fun. We set up a huge plastic slide down the hill and just let the kids go nuts! I couldn't even get Mason's attention for hours. This kid loves water! And he's got the tan line to prove it!

It was all fun & games for Hal until she slid off the slide & scraped her leg up a little. It was all over for her after that. I'm not sure if it was the humiliation of having everyone's eyes on her, or that it really hurt ... but either way it was traumatizing enough to end her sliding for the day! Don't go thinkin that she was the only injury of the day, though. Ross managed to blow his knee out (again) while trying to play some soccer with the kids. We try to stay in one piece, but somehow we always manage to hurt somethin'. What' ya do?

And of course, it wouldn't be Independence Day without a little fireworks action back at home with some friends. Preston wasn't a huge fan, but he warmed up eventually... & everyone else had a great time. Ross, Jake & Scott really knew how to put on quite the show. Next time we'll try and remember to buy some matches!

SATURDAY

And of course we would have a family reunion to go to first thing Saturday morning. Why not throw that in the mix of things? The kids had a blast once again with their cousins and it was fun to see everybody. Even though I don't know 3/4 of them. (probably more) Here's Hallie and Uncle Steve at the park.

And Cole cuddling with Aunt Cari. What a sweetie.

All in all - it turned out to be a really fun day. We finished up the reunion that night at Aunt Mary Lou's for an all adult dinner. It was fun to get together with that side of that family and see how everyone was doing. And of course we did some fireworks again that night down and Jake and Angie's.

SUNDAY

So... to finish the week off, we went out to Rob & Mary's for little Joshua's baby blessing. It turned out to be a fun-filled week with family & friends. I think I'll try and stay home a little this week. (sigh)

**Looking forward to seeing my cutest little niece and nephew from Arizona this week! Can't wait to squeeze 'em!**

TAG this!

2008-07-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so apparently I've been "tagged" and I'm just learning what that is. So, I am finally doing this!

JOYS

My kids

My family

Fresh Flowers

FEARS

Losing a loved one

Deep waters / drowning

Disappointing loved ones (I have issues)

GOALS

Be a better mom (& wife, daughter, sister, friend)

Get Healthy

Get Organized!!

CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS

Taking pictures of EVERYTHING!

Recipes (even though I never make them)

Blogging!!

RANDOM FACTS (Maybe you don't know)

I am incredibly uptight - I have issues staying calm about most things. And unfortunately the ones I love suffer because of it.

I can't say no (but I'm trying!)

I loveBRIGHT COLORS!

Ok, Angie! Hope I did it right. I have no clue what I'm doing. So... now I tag Mark, Dawnell & Teri! TAG - YOU'RE IT!

FUN in the SUN!

2008-07-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Now, this is what you call a POOL PARTY, folks! We had ourselves a blast on Saturday at the Allen's Pool Party! This was the most amazing house with the funnest pool ever. As you can see, the waterslide kicked some major butt - and we stayed until Scott & Tina kicked us out. Mason and I went down the slide I think over a dozen times. We are lucky to have good friends who invite us to do such fun stuff. The kids had so much fun.

This was Cole's first swimming experience. He looked so dang cute in his little swimmin' suit. He had a blast and loved the water. (He fits right in to our little family of fish!)

Nothin' like a day full of sun and water to really wear ya out! Neeless to say, we were all pooped Saturday night. (we won't mention that we might not have made it to church on Sunday) This made for a super fun weekend. Thanks, Scott and Tina - we had a BLAST!

Tiny Dancer

2008-07-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

Okay so you can't tell me that this isn't the cutest little ballerina you've ever seen! Her routine was called "Ballerina Gets Funky" (as if the costume doesn't say it all!) She was so stinking cute I could hardly stand it. I have to admit that when "Miss Amy" (her dance teacher) gave us the costumes, I just looked at it and wondered "what the heck am I supposed to do with this?" But when I put it all together and saw her in it, I just about died. And even though this is the only time she was allowed to wear this much make-up in public, I must say she looked smokin'! She was in heaven when I told her that Mommy was going to give her a make-over. (Let's just say that we don't do make-up too often around here - it makes a mess and stresses Mommy out) This was by far my favorite dance recital yet. She actually danced, as opposed to just standing there looking pretty while playing with her dress. (see, Ross... those dance lessons really are paying off! ;) And of course, we had to give her a bouquet of flowers after her performance. She was so proud! Anyway, we are taking a break from dance for the summer, and we'll start back up in the fall. Swimming lessons and T-ball are about all Mommy can handle for right now.

2008-06-24T23:17:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDPA GORDY! WE LOVE YOU!

Swimming Lessons - (it's rough)

2008-06-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

What have I been up to the past few weeks, you ask? I'll tell you - swimming lessons! Now most of you may assume that there must be other things taking up Amy's time besides swimming lessons... but you would be assuming wrong. Let's just say that when the lessons are from noon - 1:00 - every single day for two weeks it tends to consume your whole day. How does that work.? Well, now there's no need to remind y'all that mornings just aren't my thing - so needless to say, just simply getting up, feeding the kids and getting us all to swimming by noon is more than enough to fill up my mornings! And then after an hour of cheering on my 2 swimmers, hauling them home (wet), bathing them and getting them dressed and ready for the rest of the day - I'm pooped! I might as well call it a day, because anything else I accomplish is a miracle. So, when Ross gets home and asks me what we did - and every single day I say "we went to swimming lessons" - what can I say, I'm lucky we did that!

Well, on the bright side... the kids are doing awesome at swimming! Bar a few days of bribery to get them to lay on their backs and threatening them to get them to go in the deep end - they've done excellent! I'm very proud of my little fishies. They can definately hold their own. They've worked hard and faced their fears and I really believe that our consistency has paid off. So yeah! (pat myself on the back) We did it! And now we get a week off! Unfortunately, my week off will be spent away from my kids at Girl's Camp - but what d' ya do? The blessings will follow, I'm sure! Sigh...

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-20T00:54:00.001-07:00

I think I can!

2008-06-19T23:57:00.001-07:00

Okay so all I hear these days is "blog" this and "blog" that... so here I am gettin' my "blog"on. I put it off for so long, because I figured I didn't know how. But, then I remembered my favorite little train who made it up that darn hill (or whatever it was he was trying to do), and I told myself, "I think I can!" And looky looky! Amy's got a blog! Cuz "everybody's doin' it" - and what can I say? I like to fit in! I must say, though ... my buddy Ang was my biggest inspiration. So, thanks Ang, babe! Love ya!
So... don't set your expectations too high, and I'll do my best to make this exciting. I do enjoy this kind of a thing. I must say, it's right up my ally. Although, as many of you are aware - I am a bit of a perfectionist. Okay, let's be honest - I'm OCD and if it aint done right - I aint gonna do it! So, I'm obsessing a little bit over this whole blog thing and can't get it to work out just the way I want it to. Like, for instance - why are the font choices so limited? I am a font girl, and I need cute fonts in order to really enjoy this blogging experience. If anyone can give me some insight regarding this matter, it would be much appreciated. So, anyway - here's' my blog. It's under construction and bound to change a million times before I get it right. But - enjoy... or don't.

Life's good.

2008-06-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

Mason kicked some butt playing with the "White Wolves" this year. He really enjoyed it and tried hard this time. And Mason once again grew up a little more and learned to ride his bike without training wheels. For a while there, I didn't think we'd get him off of it. I think he would have slept with the darn bike if he could. Just more of those moments that you wish you could pause! We have a good life.

Best Christmas present EVER!

2008-06-19T23:34:00.001-07:00

On December 20th, we were blessed with our best Christmas present ever... our new baby brother! Cole Ross Clark weighed 7 lbs 7 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. What a blessing... I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! I got home from the hospital the day before Christmas Eve and our house has been filled with joy ever since. It's amazing how your heart can equally love each one of your children.

Santa Claus

2008-06-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

So this was the first year without tears on Santa's lap! I couldn't believe it. I really thought Hallie would break down. But she was a trooper. Maybe she was in shock - who knows? Regardless... I'm super glad we had smiles this year! Mason asked for a football costume and Hal wanted "pretty lips" (which of course means lip gloss, not plastic surgery)

S N O W

2008-06-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

So the snowman on the left was the original one built by Mason and Grandpa Gordy... but of course Daddy couldn't be outdone by grandpa, so he and Mason built a bigger one! We love the snow! Utah is a great place to live.

Our little Gracie!

2008-06-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Hallie Grace Clark - What a gal!

Cinderella & Spiderman

2008-06-19T23:03:00.000-07:00

What's cooler than a superhero and a princess? I can't think of anything! Needless to say, we had one killer halloween! (even though mommy was 7 1/2 months pregnant)

ARIZONA

2008-06-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

We went to ARIZONA in October to see Grandma and Grandpa and our cousins! This is Mason & Hals with Landon.

Hallie the Ballerina!

2008-06-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hallie often gets lost in the mix of things, patiently living in the shadow of her big brother. So, we finally put her in dance last October. And of course... she is a natural! Princesses usually are pretty good dancers. No, but really... without sounding too bias - she has some talent. She may not show it in public, but the girl has skills! Anyway, she loves dance, and we are very proud of her. This is her on her first day of dance!

The 1st Day of Kindergarten!

2008-06-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Would it qualify me as nuts if I told you that I have tears in my eyes just looking at these? This day may very well qualify as the saddest day of my life, thus far! Okay, so it was bitter-sweet (heavy on the bitter!), but I may have cried myself out of tears that day! My little Mason grew up overnight! How does that happen? Is there a way we can push "pause" so that we don't miss anything? I truly can't think too much about it, or I go into depression. I love this kid! He's been my best bud for as long as I can remember!

Lemonade, Anyone?

2008-06-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

So what if we had to call a few people and beg them to drive by our lemonade stand? Our stand wasn't exactly on a main road, ok? Mason and his girls, Belle and Laney, they know how to make a slammin' glass of lemonade. (with fresh lemons, of course - nice touch, Ang!)

F.U.N

2008-06-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

That's right! We ride 4-wheelers, and fish too. We are very well rounded. You name it - we do it. The Clarks = F.U.N.!!

Why Purple?

2008-06-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I always give Ross crap because he refuses to pick up a camera. That's why there are far more pictures with "Daddy" than there are with "Mommy". It's a rough life for me ... ha ha! Love ya babe! Daddy & Hallie at the Zoo about a year ago. We love the Zoo! And or course Mason (in perfect form, I might add) kickin' butt for the "Purple Dragons". I probably don't have to tell you that he was devastated to have to be the purple team. The poor kid never gets the color he wants! "life's tough"!

Rewind

2008-06-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, as it turns out I'm a bit of a "picture taker". If I could organize myself enough to get myself into photography, I would do it. But I'm certain that is not in my near future, so for now I just do the best that I can. So since I've lost so much time in the "bloggin' world", I thought I would share a few pictures from the past year or so ... so I give you ... US!

I think I can!

2008-06-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Okay so all I hear these days is "blog" this and "blog" that... so here I am gettin' my "blog"on. I put it off for so long, because I figured I didn't know how. But, then I remembered my favorite little train who made it up that darn hill (or whatever it was he was trying to do), and I told myself, "I think I can!" And looky looky! Amy's got a blog! Cuz "everybody's doin' it" - and what can I say? I like to fit in! I must say, though ... my buddy Ang was my biggest inspiration. So, thanks Ang, babe! Love ya!

So... don't set your expectations too high, and I'll do my best to make this exciting. I do enjoy this kind of a thing. I must say, it's right up my ally. Although, as many of you are aware - I am a bit of a perfectionist. Okay, let's be honest - I'm OCD and if it aint done right - I aint gonna do it! So, I'm obsessing a little bit over this whole blog thing and can't get it to work out just the way I want it to. Like, for instance - why are the font choices so limited? I am a font girl, and I need cute fonts in order to really enjoy this blogging experience. If anyone can give me some insight regarding this matter, it would be much appreciated. So, anyway - here's' my blog. It's under construction and bound to change a million times before I get it right. But - enjoy... or don't.