Welcome to the Family!

This is my adorable new niece, Olivia, born to Jennifer and Jimmy on July 21st. Isn't she sweet? This is one of my favorite photos. Her older brothers are already protective and love to put their feet on her soft hair (just like Amber and Karli do to Rex...maybe they're related). I can't wait to meet her!

Today is a Wonderful Day

Today has been a great day! It actually started last night, when Adam and I got to watch a "grown-up movie" and then went to bed at the same time, with not a single child in the bed with us! I know, I know...it's a miracle, and it was only for a few hours (Amber does a spectacular 3 a.m. jump from her bed to ours), but it was grand while it lasted. This morning, I woke up early, ate chocolate and oatmeal cookies for breakfast, fed the kids, cleaned the house, and only had to scrub up one potty-training mess (is it sad that this makes me happy?) which was conveniently right next to the toilet and immediately before bath time, so it wasn't too bad.
Our wonderful friends Deanne, Sophie, and Truman came over for some chatting, playtime, and lunch after which all three of my kids magically fell asleep at the same time. Obviously, I'm catching up on some neglected blogging and scrapbooking, rockin' out to some old school John Mayer, and since I already have dinner planned, I'm thoroughly enjoying this day. I can't decide if it's great or pathetic that these small things get me all jazzed up...it must mean I'm a stay-at-home mom, he he he. I joke about it more than I should, probably, but I definitely couldn't ask for a better occupation!

All-American Boy

Rex is already three months old! I can't believe how quickly time is passing (oh, I sound like an old lady, don't I?). He is now wearing larger clothes and fits into these two adorable outfits. My friend, Diana, gave Rex the darling camo ensemble and I found the tres-American, Ralph Lauren overalls at T.J. Maxx for a great deal (good 'ol Ralph...my favorite designer of all time!). Rex's hair is decidedly blonde and his huge blue eyes (and his enormous smile that inevitably disappears as soon as the camera's flash fires) make him the quintessential American baby. He's a joy and we love having him in our family!

Olympic Aspirations

On August 8th, the opening day of the Olympics, Amber and Karli watched an episode of "Dora the Explorer" about teamwork in which all the team members won gold medals. Amber asked if she could have a necklace like Dora's, so I busted out the family-reunion-Olympics inspiration and made them each a gold medal out of some jar lids and ribbons. I had no idea they'd be a hit, but the gals still love them.

I think they like the medals even more now since we've watched several Olympic events together. Amber, Karli, and I particularly enjoy women's gymnastics and diving, while men's swimming and the genetic freakshow/phenomenon that is Micahel Phelps seems to be the entire family's choice for entertainment. He's fun to watch! I can't believe how easy he makes swimming look. I'll be thrilled if any of my kids make it to the Olympics, but I secretly hope they keep colligiate athletics as their ultimate goal!

It Makes Father Happy

After three years of living in ghetto-ville, both Amber and Karli have learned some not-so-choice phrases from the neighbors (okay...fine...some come from me and Adam, but not many!). Despite the rule I established for all children who enter my house that prohibits using the Lord's name in vain, Amber inevitably began saying "Oh my $#@" one day and naturally, Karli chimed right in as well. As I calmly tried to explain when it's appropriate to use the word God, I mentioned that it's Heavenly Father's name and it makes him sad if we say it in a naughty way. Karli said, "Dat make Heee Faddah sad?" ("That makes Heavenly Father sad?") and I said, "Yes, but whe we sing 'I am a Child of God', it makes Him happy" because Amber was thoroughly confused as to why we could say it sometimes and not others. Now, Karli uses this logic to explain every situation, but has conveniently omitted "Heavenly" from the phrase. Amber had an "accident" today (it's actually called peeing all over the bathroom floor when the toilet is one inch away from her...arrrrgh!) and Karli said, "Dat make Faddah sad, Amby!" When Karli ate all of her food the other day, she said, "See! I eat all mine food and dat make Faddah so happy!" She even uses it to describe happy or sad movies, respectively, and completely random events like getting a letter in the mail or spilling something on one's clothes. It's pretty hilarious.

A Founcy Zucchini

My sister, Allison, used to work for a Brazilian imports company and snagged this itsy-bitsy adorable bikini for Amber last year. While it is now strictly bathtub wear, she sneaked into her room and put it on all by herself yesterday so I let her wear it around the house for a few hours. How could I resist when she told me she wanted to wear her "founcy zucchini"? By the way, that means fancy bikini. :)

An Angel in Scrubs

Last summer when we lived in Utah, I experienced my first migraine and thought I was having a stroke. Since our insurance generally doesn't cover out-of-state emergencies, I put off going to the ER as long as possible while I waited for the phone call from McLaren authorizing the visit. They never called back, so finally when I couldn't see out of my left eye, I packed up and headed to AF hospital. The doctor there, Dr. Shelton, took great care of me and even gave me a CT scan to make sure I didn't have any clots in my brain.
After returning to Michigan and filing paperwork for a year, I found out that my primary insurance would cover part of the bill, but there was a hefty chunk left that my secondary insurance would have to cover. Of course, Dr. Shelton doesn't do business with the secondary insurance company, so I was left to pay for the rest of the visit. May I take a tangent here for a moment? I totally believe in paying for what I use, self sufficiency, etc. I didn't want to go to the ER because I wasn't sure that the visit would be covered, but I honestly felt like I'd have two kids and a husband who would be mother/wife-less if I didn't go (it was a really bad migraine!). That said, I knew I needed to pay the bill but we absolutely didn't have enough money to cover it (or even a significant portion of it). I followed the secondary company's suggestion and filed a hardship claim, detailing that my husband is a law student and we were just barely scraping by, etc. Yesterday, I got a letter from Dr. Shelton:
"Dear Mrs. Clark,
I have read your letter concerning your financial situation and I understand more than you probably know what that situation is like. I too went to Michigan, Wayne State University Medical School, and I know what it is like to have a family and not much money. When I was in Detroit many friends and church members took us under their wings and gave us furniture, food, and other necessities without asking for anything in return. These people knew that I was not planning to stay in Michigan. All they asked was that if I ever had the chance to help another family out like they had helped me, then I was to extend to them the same gift that I had received. What this means to me is that I have asked my billing company to wipe out the debt you owe to me. In exchange, however, I ask of you the same thing...If you or your husband ever have a chance to assist another family in need, please give them that assistance. If you do then I will consider this bill paid in full."
Obviously, I was so touched that I broke into tears. I'm thankful for the charity, kindness, and understanding of this doctor and I hope that we will be able to help LOTS of families in need because we have been so blessed in our educational endeavors. To all of you who have helped us in so many ways, thank you. Your kindness and generosity are appreciated more than you'll ever know.