Secret Santa

Soon after Christmas my mom recieved a small envelope addressed to Paul and I from a secret santa. It contained a poem that followed Jingle Bells tune, two FREE snowboarding passes to the Canyons and $10 for gas. I was SO excited! I hadn't been boarding in 2 years and I wanted Paul to learn so he could love it as much as me. Well we tried multiple times to go but once Caleb woke up sick, and once we drove up there to find out it was a blackout date, but the third time was the charm and we made it up this last Thursday. I had a blast watching Paul attempt to snowboard. He was very impatient with himself, but he tried hard the whole day and was doing very well! When he'd fall he'd flop like a fish and instisted on falling onto his tummy rather than his back. On our last run he twisted hard to make sure he fell on his tummy and really hurt his ribs, I thought he'd cracked them but it looks like it was just a bad internal bruise.
He was a sport to try it out. He says snowboarding is not his thing, but he might try skiing one day.




Thanks "Secret Santa" (aka Miranda and Brent!)


Over our spring break we did homework, swimming, the zoo and visited family. It was a great week and it was a much needed break.

The Great OCM

Today makes it 4 years since I came home from my mission. I cannot believe how time has gone by. I have been truly blessed since my mission, I have a beautiful wife and an gorgeous blue eyed son. My time spent in cincinnati prepared me to take care of my family the way they should be. I was not someone who always planned on serving a mission, it was only after graduation high school and starting college when I decided what course I wanted my life to take. I was only the second clark that I know of who served a mission, the other my uncle gerald. I met many wonderful people on my mission, I still talk to members and converts from out there as well as my companions. The greatest lesson I think I learned out there was to Love one another. It might have took me awhile but I learned to see everyone as a brother or sister and I can honestly say I loved everyone I met in cincinnati(even the person who spit on me or the guy who threw his trash out the window and hit me in the head).
Here are a few pictures of the good times I had while serving in the cincinnaati ohio mission(which is no longer a mission)





This was the last night at the mission home


In my first area on the 4th of july, look how long my hair was!

My MTC companion, kyle ostler, I really needed a hair cut

Turkey Bowl

A copy of an orginal book of mormon

The coolest sister, sarah crooks

tabacco.....

More tabacco, it was as tall as me.

I think I should dye my hair

My trainer, vince myers. check out the sign in the front window ha "will work for sex". This was at a festival called hillbilly day

growing pains

Update on Caleb. He went to the doctor on Tuesday for his 9 month check-up. Yeah 9 months! I can't believe it!
Stats:
heighth: 30 inches 93rd percentile
Weight: 18 lbs. 12 oz. 20th percentile
Head 45 cm 40 percentile
So in short...he's really tall and skinny with an averaged sized head.
No crawling yet, but he claps his hands, loves standing and walking while holding onto the couch, just yesterday he started walking while I held his hands and he just got his 6th tooth (this was a painful one for him).



Dad and Caleb have story time every morning.

I would never...

I would never delay this...





...not for any amount of education, or vacation, not for "more time alone as newlyweds", not for any financial reason, or a bigger apartment/house...


I would never delay this...





...not for more money, or the opportunity to travel, not until "we're finished with
school", or until "We can afford it"...


I would NEVER delay the ability/blessing/opportunity of motherhood. That's why we're hear on Earth right?



I would never delay this...







...there is no greater blessing on Earth than to be a mother. We are blessed with this opportunity. No education or amount of money should stop us from taking advantage of the ability to procreate. Heavenly Father put us on Earth to be mothers and fathers, not doctors, nurses, travelers, bread winners or to spend our prime years for childbearing to vacation and spend time "alone" getting to know your spouse (that's what dating is for).




Why then, do we delay the most precious gift from our Heavenly Father?





I would never delay this...

flowers, chocolate and slobber

Paul and I planned to celebrate Valentines tomorrow since we both have a night class tonight. Well Paul couldn't help himself, and I'm not complaining. He came home from school this morning with 2 bags of chocolate (one for me, one for Caleb) and a dozen roses! My heart skipped a beat! :)
Well, I thought it would be cute to try to get some Valentine pictures of Caleb. This is what I got:





Yes, that's chocolate drool...Not such a successful photoshoot.

A couple days ago I made pancakes for breakfast. Caleb got his own but I don't think he ate much.



Caleb and Dad at the park.


Caleb has learned to pull himself up from a sitting position. He gets so proud of himself! He'll get so excited he's done it that he'll let go to wave his hands in excitment and fall, I guess he'll learn eventually. This is him after he'd pulled himself up in his crib after a nap.

Signs

You know a woman lives in the house when..

1. After vacuuming you find a hair ball the size of a softball in the container.
2. You have to buy drano every few months to unclog the shower
3. It takes you 15 minutes to pick which lotion you want to put on your hands
4. Every meal includes fruits and vegies

Yummy!

Caleb will put things in his mouth and then just leave it there hanging while he plays with other toys. It's pretty funny, it reminds me of a dog.

most precious

Last night we were busy getting dinner on the table, late, so it was past Caleb's bedtime. He was fussy and very tired. I had to skip most of his bedtime routine but I always nurse him. He was so tired he could barely stop crying to nurse. Finally I figured he'd gotten enough to last through the night so I put his binky in and laid him on my lap while I put myself back together. 30 seconds hadn't passed and I looked down, Caleb was asleep already, rubbing his "softie" back and forth on his cheeck and forehead. It was so sweet.
I had to snatch this opportunity to take him in my arms and hold him while he was sleeping (I always put him to bed while he is still awake which means I don't get to rock him to sleep much). As I looked at his peaceful face and I held his sweet little hand I couldn't help but think about how blessed I am. How could a parent ever love anything more than a child?
After half an hour of holding Caleb I went into our bedroom where Paul was trying to nap before work. I laid by him for a short while to finally tell him about my day. A few minutes went by when we both heard outside in the parking lot a mother yelling at her little girl. It was heart wrenching. She was screaming at the girl to get in the car and slammed the door. The girl was crying. Before they pulled out the mom got out of the car again, opened her daughters door and yelled some more, slammed it and got it to drive away. At one point I was nervous she had been hitting her daughter because it sounded like it but I didn't see anything.
I couldn't stop thinking about it. So awful. Can you imagine? That little girl has nothing more than to look up to her mother. Good example? I think not.

2 years today...

2 years ago today Paul and I were getting married!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!
I love you Paul!
Paul came home this morning with two pink roses and a balloon for me. What a sweetheart.

One year older and wiser too

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!
It's Paul's 25th birthday today. I keep telling him he is a quarter of a century old, that's old, he keeps telling me, "I'm 25 and still in school and I won't be done until I'm almost 30! Ugh!"

Paul, although school seems never ending, look at all you've accomplished by 25:
1. married the most amazing woman ever.
2. Became a dad to the cutest, sweetest, most fun baby in the whole world.
3. You are 12 weeks away from a Bachelors Degree.
4. You've stepped up to the plate during some very difficult times in life.
5. Served the Lord with all your might, mind and strength for the last 25 years.

I don't think you have anything to regret and now this new year I'm so excited to make more memories with you. You are an amazing husband, father, son, brother, and brother-in-law. I love you so much!!!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Paul, happy birthday to you! (Be thankful none of you had to hear me sing that)


This is what Paul ordered for his Birthday dinner at Famous Daves.

Happy Holidays

Well, the holidays were so GREAT! We got 3 weeks off of school and it felt like 2 months. I loved staying home with Caleb all day and having Paul home instead of him being so busy. We enjoyed 3 days in Grantsville before Christmas where Santa came to visit Caleb, he wasn't scared at all. He pulled Santa's beard, I guess he's already having doubts about the reality of Santa. We then spent Christmas Day in Farmington.
Caleb is now teething again, his front top teeth are on their way. So that means interupted sleep again for Paul and I.
We LOVE our 2 bedroom apartment! It has taken us a week to unpack due to sickness' and a busy schedule but we have so much room we barely know what to do. We had to borrow furniture and other things from my mom and sister so that we could fill our living room. Thanks Mom and Shara.
So, now it's back to school. Luckily this semester Paul and I both have easy schedules compared to what we're used to. Only 13 credits for me and 15 for Paul. AND graduation in APRIL!!! WAHOOO!! Although I am having a difficult finding another internship for this semester. If you have any ideas please tell me! Thanks.
So much of life is just perfect!



Caleb and I got Utah Ute shirts for Christmas so we could match dad.


This was Caleb's favorite part of Christmas. ribbon and shiny wrapping paper.


Caleb and Samuel. "uh?"